Book Reviews | Random Olive

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Society of Sirens Historical Romance Book Series by Scarlett Peckham

Jul 18, 2024

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham (2020)

Book 1 of the Society of Sirens series. Seraphina is a woman with a scandalous reputation and treated horribly by people in town. She’s setting out to write her memoirs and expose the horrible man who ruined her. Somehow while on her writing retreat, she meets Adam, a quiet and serious architect with two young kids. They decide to start an affair, but they each have tons of emotional baggage, so it’ll take a lot longer to open up to each other with more than just physical attraction.

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The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Society of Sirens series. Cornelia is the niece of a duke but has built her reputation as a scandalous painter. She and her friends are trying to raise funds to build an institute for women and she needs a place to exhibit her latest collection of paintings. One seemingly random day, her uncle’s heir, Rafe, and now the duke comes to visit to inform her of her inheritance, which hinges on her being married. The surprise is that she’s already married to Rafe himself, and he suggests they go public with the marriage so she can claim her inheritance. What follows is a non-chronological story of how these two ended up married twenty years ago and then estranged in all the time since then. I mostly kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened, but the story itself wasn’t terribly interesting to me. Rafe is a smooshy sort of fellow who falls in love too freely and scares off all his partners with his enthusiasm and Cornelia is adamant about her independence and does not want the complication (or obligation) of love. He’s an overzealous puppy for most of the book and she’s the reluctant and selfish one, protecting her own isolation. And then there’s the political stuff happening in the background that wasn’t super interesting to me. On the plus side, Rafe is unapologetically bisexual here and one of his male lovers joins in for an encounter with Cornelia. So you know, if you like that stuff, here it is in a traditionally published historical romance.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Society of Sirens series. Renowned and exclusive courtesan Thaïs has auctioned off a month of her time to raise funds for her friends’ charity and is expecting to spend a month in the country with a dissolute rake. She’s surprised to find herself at a rustic cottage with a very straightlaced earl instead. Alastair is planning to take a wife this season and needs some lessons in the bedroom to ensure that he’s fulfilling his wife’s needs. He’s secretly hired Thaïs to help him be able to perform. Due to all sorts of insecurity and hang-ups and his overwhelming desire for her, Alastair is incredibly awkward and reserved. He clearly needs to have trust and an emotional connection to be open to any sort of physical activity and it takes quite some time to pull him out of his shell. Over this month in isolation, we get to see a steamy slow burn romance develop and these two people connect and let down their walls. The heartbreaking downside of course is that they’ll have to go back to reality and it’s not like this ever-proper earl could marry a courtesan. Or so he thinks.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Weekly Reads: July 8 to 14, 2024

Jul 16, 2024

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. It’s a rough day for Daphne who is at a baseball game that she’s not interested in, but she makes it better by getting drunk and heckling a baseball player. Except that she accidentally makes him cry. And then when she tries to apologize via Instagram DM, she neglects to mention she’s the heckler. Chris is having a rough season but he’s happy to be chatting with his new Instagram friend who he seems to have hit it off with. It’s an awkward chaotic mess as Daphne is fighting her guilt and attraction towards Chris. We’re really just waiting for everything to blow up if he ever finds out the truth, but we get to see a very sweet and steamy romance build up along the way. Super fun and flirty book to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Nobody’s Princess by Erica Ridley (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Wild Wynchesters series. We get to see a wannabe female Royal Guard team up with our beloved Wynchester family here. Kunigunde is a lady companion to the Princess of Balcovia but has always aspired to be a Royal Guardsman like her father and brothers; she’s in London to compose her own reconnaissance dossier to prove her worth to her government. Except that she’s also hiding from her actual guardsmen brothers while trying to uncover intelligence. Graham is conveniently present to rescue Kuni from being chased by her brothers and brings her home to meet his siblings. She gets caught up in their missions and her attraction to Graham, but she’s adamant about going back home. It’s fun and flirty for a lot of the book and then a little heartbreaking how she ends up rejecting Graham and his awesome family. Still, another awesome addition to the series.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Seas and Greetings by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 2.5 of the Christmas Notch series. Quick and fun flirty steamy novella. Addison is set to launch the maiden voyage of her cruise line and she needs everything to go perfectly and not be distracted by her bodyguard Krysta. Except she is very much distracted by Krysta, who is authoritative in the most delicious way. And she may or may not have a stalker aboard the cruise ship. It’s really just a very quick and not super emotional read here with plenty of steam.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. I don’t know much about music, but the musical chemistry between Gwen and Xander was totally believable. Gwen is the somewhat naive and not totally confident violin player given a chance to be first chair of a pops symphony, much to the dismay of cello player/rockstar Xander. He’s got the overconfident arrogant attitude that rubs Gwen the wrong way, until he rubs her the right way. He’s both broody and yearning all at once, which is fun to read. While most of the book is told from Gwen’s point of view, we get interludes from Xander’s perspective every 5 chapters or so. Tons of flirting and steam and external machinations from all the grown-ups in their lives, which made me keep reading to find out both backstory and what would happen next. Overall, a fun and emotional read.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Sinfully Wed by Kathleen Ayers (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Five Deadly Sins series. Tragic prologue for the five Sinclair siblings as their older half brother banishes them all to a far-flung destitute estate after the death of their father. Ten years later, Jordan is visited by the family solicitor to be informed that he’s the new earl after the cruel older brother has passed on. But Jordan does not just inherit an earldom, he inherits a heavily indebted estate with all debts owned by a title-grabbing money lender who requires marriage to his daughter Odessa. She’s totally ignorant of her father’s treachery and has her own plans of deterring all titled weakling suitors by padding her waistline and eating raw onion. Except Jordan is truly desperate for funds and plans to live separately anyway, so it doesn’t matter what Odessa looks like and he’s unflinchingly polite. Jordan soon realizes Odessa’s ruse and it turns out they’re attracted to each other anyway. They just both want to get out from underneath her father’s control, so we’ve got a few things to overcome because we find the happily ever after.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute and funny and sweet and steamy book, all in one. Emma’s a culinary instructor with a matchmaking godmother who needs an assist on her work reputation, so she sets Emma up on a series of dates with men who are perfect-on-paper. Except they’re all slightly awful and she ends up hitting it off with a handsome stranger at a cafe instead. Emma’s got a bunch of hang-ups about love due to her parents’ divorce, so she’s looking for compatibility rather than sparks. On the other hand, Michel, a secret prince, is looking for love so he can get out of a longstanding childhood betrothal to a friend he doesn’t want to marry. These two awkwardly flirt and Michel is charmingly a dunce at dating, and Emma is totally resistant, especially since Michel is planning to leave in a few short months. We get a very fun cast of supporting characters, especially Michel’s cousin and his bodyguard (who may actually have an awkward history with each other). I had a great time reading this book and found myself laughing and smiling through a lot of it.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martins Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.

Courtship at Shadowcrest by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. This book has two parts, telling us about two different romances that occur at the same house party. Allegra and Lyric are twin sisters and nieces and cousins to a duke who felt bad about the expenses of a society debut, so they’ve agreed to a small house party thrown in their honor at the family estate. Their aunt and dowager duchess has invited five eligible gentlemen and three other eligible young ladies for the party. We get to meet everyone through both parts of the story and see how everyone gets paired off. Allegra and Lyric both end up in parallel situations with rakish bachelors, but while it’s fun to read both of their experiences at the house party, these two stories read back to back can get a bit repetitive. Allegra has paired off with Sterling, an earl who was unloved by his parents and spends his time steeped in debauchery. Lyric has paired off with Silas, a viscount who was unloved by his parents, but mentored by a beloved uncle and taking up his responsibilities after his uncle has died. Neither men believe in love, so they respond poorly when their chosen ladies start declaring theirs. I did like seeing them each start to appreciate the loving family dynamic of the Strongs and also realize their own depth of feelings. Quick, easy, fairly low-angst read, knowing these are novellas that wrap up in short order.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Never Fall for a Dragon by Lola Glass (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Mate Mountain series. A dragon shifter and a human woman accidentally set off a bonding heat and are stuck together in a cabin in the woods for four weeks. Elodie interrupts what she assumes to be a fight between a supernatural man and a human woman and sets of a potential mating ritual instead. August is about to head to prison for breaking some rules in the process of protecting his sister, but is detoured by the imminent heat that’s triggered by Elodie. There’s some dragon politics in the background here, but this book is mostly a quick and easily digestible steamy read. I thought it was a fun and not-too-deep kind of story and perfect for reading in between longer more epic or angsty books.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Advance audiobook provided by Dreamscape via NetGalley.

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Historical Romance Books Featuring a Marquess

Jul 15, 2024

Falling for the Marquess by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. We start with August’s story as he’s injured at war and sent home, finding that his father died and his brother is on his deathbed, and leaving him the newly inherited marquess. He’s pretty frightened of his own physical scars and his new responsibilities, but makes his brother a deathbed promise to marry next Season and sire an heir. Meanwhile, Georgina is the daughter and sister of a duke getting ready for her debut into society with her sister and two cousins and hoping to hold out for a love match, like she’s seen her twin sister and older brother achieve. She has a chance meeting with August in a bookstore and instantly feels a connection to him and boldly introduces herself and invites him to tea with her family. She’s even more glad to find out that he’s their neighbor and that their two homes share a garden. He’s hesitant at the attention, believing himself to look like a monster, but she’s certainly charming and assertive. We find that the Strongs are a supportive family and show their approval of August quite publicly. He’s just got to get over his own insecurity if he wants to build a life with Georgina.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

An Offer from the Marquess by Sadie Bosque (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Isabel and Rhys accidentally run into each other at a ball, fall into a tangle of limbs, and are very publicly accused of a tryst. The only way to avoid scandal is to marry. Except that Rhys has absolutely zero social skills and gruffly insults his future wife. He’s got his own hang-ups from being betrayed by his former wife and witnessing Isabel in an indelicate situation many years ago, so he needs a lot of work before he’s properly sociable. He’s also got a hellion of a young daughter with an overly excitable large dog. Isabel is pretty much a spinster, having been jilted by a former fiance, and now running her brother’s household. These two people spend most of the book not communicating with each other and holding a grudge. However, they both slowly start to realize they need to put more effort into understanding each other and making their new family work.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Devil Is a Marquess by Elisa Braden (2016)

Book 4 of the Rescued from Ruin series. Wealthy heiress Charlotte has not had success in finding a husband in her many London seasons, so her father decides to select Benedict, the wastrel impoverished marquess to be her husband. Benedict promises sobriety and fidelity to claim his payout after one year. Charlotte goes along with the marriage, but really has plans to take half the dowry in a year and establish her own independence. Somehow these two are stuck together in an impoverished country estate and need to fix it up. They start a tentative friendship… and once Benedict stops being a drunkard and actually works hard at his land, we get to see a really nice slow-burn romance develop.

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Make Mine a Marquess by Tina Gabrielle (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Daring Ladies series. The newly returned Marquess of Landon is out for revenge against his cousin, who seems to have orchestrated the shipwreck that left him for dead five years ago. The gross cousin spends money recklessly and is draining the estate’s funds, while also neglecting the tenants and estate repairs. Landon hopes to find evidence of his cousin’s guilt while also seducing the man’s fiancee to add further injury. Phoebe is mostly the innocent victim here, but she was apathetic enough to become engaged to the villain of the story because she wanted to avoid any type of desire or passion. However, all those repressed feelings flare back to life when she meets Landon and is instantly intrigued and attracted to him. She tries and fails to stay away from him and sees that he really is an upstanding guy, for the most part, but she doesn’t yet know that she’s being used for revenge. This was your fairly typical revenge love story and it’ll take a bit of groveling on Landon’s part to get the girl.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

When the Marquess Was Mine by Caroline Linden (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Wagers of Sin series. Georgiana is visiting her friend in the country and finds out that the friend’s husband has lost the deed to the house and the scoundrel Marquess of Westmorland should be barred entry if he arrives. Well, he does arrive, but he’s badly beaten and injured and unconscious. Fearing that her friend will turn him out, Georgiana claims that the man is her fiancee, so he’ll be brought in and healed. When he wakes up, he doesn’t remember who he is, so Georgiana has to continue to pretend this man is her fiance. Rob doesn’t remember much of anything but he’s happy to have such a dedicated and beautiful fiance and enjoys spending time with her as he heals. It’ll be a terrible muddle once he figures out who he really is, and the fact that Georgiana is truly engaged to someone else. If you like chaotic amnesia stories, this one is excellent.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Pennyroyal Green series. This one is another angsty heartbreaker in the Pennyroyal Green series. We start off with a marquess who has been shot stumbling his way into the pub for help, and then we go backward in time six weeks to find out what happened to him. Jules is known as the Lord of Ice by reputation and known for both his command of emotion and his callousness with feelings. He’s in Pennyroyal Green for the Redmond house party, where he’ll be courting the family niece Lisbeth so that he can secure the last of his lost property in her dowry. Except he also meets schoolteacher Phoebe, who has been invited to the same house party as Lisbeth’s companion, and he’s much more intrigued and entertained by her. They talk and banter and flirt and know that there is no future for them, but still, Jules becomes more open and communicative when he’s with Phoebe. And she gets the opportunity to use her wit and intellect and be appreciated for it. Despite the strength of their attraction (and clearly much more), she refuses his offer to be his mistress, both hurting his pride and his heart. And while they both try very hard to forget each other, it’s not very successful.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Widow Rules series. The prologue consists of a very charming proposal from Julian to Beth, but things didn’t quite turn out the way they expected. Eight years later, Beth is now one of three widows of a duke’s younger brother, and was not in fact married to the scoundrel at all. In a quest to recover her lost dowry and get away from her older brother’s influence, she seeks out the destitute Julian, now a marquess, for assistance, offering him half the money in payment. We follow with a road trip and second chance romance, though Beth is adamant that she never marry and she knows that her reputation will be detrimental to the honorable Julian’s reputation. Julian however just wants to convince Beth that he’s sorry for walking away all those years ago when her brother denied his proposal and that he’s still in love with her. I mostly empathized with poor Julian there who just can’t catch a break. And of course all of those road trip adventures are a fun read as well.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy (2022)

Book 3 of the Clandestine Affairs series

Alex is a reclusive marquess who is disguised as a footman at a mapmaker’s house to look for evidence that his property lines were falsified. Of course, he’s terribly attracted to the mapmaker’s wife Rose, even though he’s supposed to be courting a proper young lady. Alex is a terrible footman, but somehow learns the plights of the working class and promises to treat his own servants better. There was a lot of humor mixed in here, along with the deceptions we find from Rose’s husband.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Her Wicked Marquess by Stacy Reid (2020)

In this one, we have a guy with a rakish reputation, but he really just has that as a cover story because he’s trying to find the reason why his childhood love killed herself and get revenge. Meanwhile, our girl Maryann is trying to avoid her parents marrying her off to someone older and creepy. So she spread a rumor about herself getting ruined by the guy. Unfortunately, he has enemies so now she’s made herself a target and now he has to protect her. It’s actually really fun seeing these two get to know each other under these circumstances. He sneaks into her room at night and they talk and play chess and really develop a deep and meaningful relationship. But of course, he’s working on his whole revenge thing, so no time for love and all that.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Wrath of the Marquess by Barbara Russell (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Cora and Ethan have a chance meeting when they’re caught together in an earthquake, but she’s married to an abusive husband and he’s on his way out to fight pirates on behalf of the crown. Four years later, they meet again and Cora is still stuck being married to a horrible terrible no good abusive earl, even though she’s planning to run away with her teenage son when she saves enough money. Meanwhile, Ethan has inherited the title of marquess, come back a scarred war hero, and running a home for injured veterans. It’s a slow moving romance as they meet again, become friends, and then fall in love under challenging circumstances. I appreciated how kind and protective Ethan was to Cora’s son and how they become a tight-knit family unit throughout the book. Cora’s husband is the true villain of the story here and the book kept me reading to see how they’d finally be free of him.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Dressmakers Historical Romance Book Series by Loretta Chase

Jul 11, 2024

Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Dressmakers series. Marcelline is the oldest sister and ambitious dress designer who wants to catch a future duchess as a client. In order to do this, she kind of almost maybe seduces the Duke of Clevedon who’ll be footing the bills, but he’s more intrigued by Marcelline and not interested in rushing to the altar with the woman he’s had an understanding with since childhood. As much as Marcelline tries to resist Clevedon’s advances and prioritize the interests of her business, she keeps slipping up and ends up in his arms. It’s rough going when she realizes he’s in love with this guy, while also becoming friendly with his almost-fiancee. I enjoyed seeing both of their struggles between propriety, duty, and their actual feelings for each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Dressmakers series. Lots of bickering, flirting, plus a road trip in this book. Sophy is a dressmaker and secret newspaper informant, often in disguise as a maid at various social events. The Earl of Longmore doesn’t understand why no one notices Sophy everywhere they go, but he’s mostly an oblivious male here not knowing that dressmakers are treated as overlooked servants. Clearly, he’s biased by his own attraction for her. We get into some drama around Longmore’s sister, who is publicly compromised at a ball, engaged to a dowry-seeking scoundrel, and who runs off and needs chasing. Longmore and Sophy end up on the road together to find his sister, and make the most of the trip by starting a physical affair. It’s fun and chaotic and flirty, even though it seems like there’s no hope for an actual future.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Vixen in Velvet by Loretta Chase (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Dressmakers series. Leonie and Simon, Marquess of Lisburne, have chance meeting after chance meeting, but somehow get entangled because Lisburne seems to be related to all the important folks of the week. Leonie’s mostly focused on trying to keep the dress shop afloat after her sisters are indisposed (one pregnant and ill and the other hiding in the country to deflect scandal). Lisburne is mostly trying to protect his soft-hearted poet of a cousin from scandal and can’t seem to stay away from Leonie, despite his better judgment. He even bets her that she won’t be able to transform another grumpy cousin into the belle of the ball, even though she is completely confident that she can. It was fun seeing these two scheme together, flirt, banter, and Lisburne completely and totally support Leonie’s business efforts. I enjoyed all the plotting and scheming against common foes and the development of the secondary romance in the background. Such a fun book.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Dressmakers series. With all three of the dressmaking sisters paired off, we finally get the story of Lady Clara, the marquess’ daughter who had been the favored customer of the dress shop. She’s paired up here with a grumpy barrister, Oliver, known as Raven to everyone else. Clara calls on Raven’s help in searching for the younger brother of a girl she knows from the charity school, but it’s probably a lost cause as the boy likely fell into a bad crowd and a gang. But Raven is stupidly smitten with Clara and loses sense of logic in order to help her. We get to see them team up to solve the mystery, while also getting closer together along the way. There’s a lot of hesitance on Raven’s part since he sees himself as a lowly barrister, undeserving of Clara’s attentions. But she’s stubborn and goes after what she wants. There’s also some looming drama with Raven being third in line for a dukedom and also separately, the target of a thug assassin because he’s too good at his job of sending criminals to jail. High external drama, but low-angst on the romance.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Want an intro to historical romance series? This post will help!

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Weekly Reads: July 1 to 7, 2024

Jul 9, 2024

Earl Crazy by Anna Bradley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Games Earls Play series. Kit’s back in London to seek a wife and possibly halt a family curse, but he’s having a tough time letting go of his drunken ways. The lady visiting next door has caught him unconscious outside his cottage door and stirs up a fuss when she assists him back inside. When they meet later at a ball, Kit finds out Tilly’s identity and is determined to court her for himself, despite her seeming disinterest. Tilly’s afraid of causing scandal wherever she goes and she’s mostly determined to stay out of trouble and try to help her friend with her season. But Kit is proving to be pretty persuasive and they quickly fall in love. There’s a bit more exciting drama in store when Tilly’s friend gets into a bit of trouble, making this book even more entertaining.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Meant to Be series. Super adorable Tangled retelling. Ren is a country bumpkin who was raised on a remote farm with her parents and just now being allowed to go to college. She’s adorably innocent and naive and outperforms everyone in school because of her book knowledge and hard working nature. This proves to be annoying and intimidating for Fitz, who is the smoldering campus heart throb with a his own untarnished reputation. However, he’s hiding some secrets of his past and future goals and has no interest in befriending Ren. When a classroom activity has Ren submitting her DNA for an ancestry test, she’s shocked to find a parental connection to someone who is not the father who raised her. She somehow cons Fitz to drive her most of the way across the country in order to meet this mysterious stranger. Along the way, Ren and Fitz slowly build a connection with each other, which was sweet and fun to read. We get all sorts of drama when we uncover the truth about Ren’s family history. And we get to see Fitz be an amazingly supportive guy along the way. Loved it. An absolute delight.

Advance ebook provided by Hyperion Books via NetGalley.

Never Seduce a Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the School for Heiresses series. Lady Amelia is a daughter of an earl who is dodging fortune hunters and longing for adventure. She runs into a bit of trouble when she’s nearly caught snooping in the American Navy Major’s personal correspondence, but she’s wary of her stepmother being the target of his secret investigation. She plans to find out more in order to protect her stepmother, and she plays the simpering miss to do so. Lucas has a bunch of hang ups against the English and he’s annoyed to have to be in England to deal with this fraud and embezzlement case, but he realizes that he can use a courtship with Amelia to find out more about his suspect. They’re both toying with each other for information, but there’s definitely a real simmering attraction here. We get into way more dramatics halfway through the book when we need to deal with a kidnapping and road trip. It was interesting to see how two people who are totally dishonest with each other end up falling in love.

Ebook and audiobook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

When the Viscount Seduces by Darcy Burke (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rogue Rules series. Clumsy Gwen is pretty much a disaster on the marriage mart, but her brother’s friend Lazarus rescues her after falling and then asking her to dance. Gwen’s mother is delighted that a viscount is paying her attention, even if he has a reputation as a rogue. But he’s decided that he needs tutoring on his reading and writing so that he can deliver a speech at Parliament and asks the bookish Gwen for help. In exchange, he’ll pretend to pay her attention so that it’ll rile up other suitors. Although they’re opposites in terms of bookishness, they’re quite infatuated with each other and it was fun to see Lazarus focusing all his attention on Gwen. I love when a gentleman appreciates their partner’s intellect and seeks to support them more than anything.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Librarians in Love series. Chaotic and messy and I couldn’t put this one down. Marcela has been pining for her best guy friend, Ben, for years and in for total heartbreak when he proposes to his longtime girlfriend, Alice. And as if going to an engagement party wasn’t enough anxiety, she stops Ben’s brother Theo from drunkenly declaring his feelings for Alice. When they leave the party together and then show up at brunch together the next day, everyone thinks they hooked up, and they seem to go along with the lie to prevent anyone else from suspecting their real feelings for the engaged couple. We get a fun little fake dating situation for a hot minute, until they decide to go with a friends with benefits situation instead. But Theo doesn’t know about Marcela’s crush on Ben, everyone is telling Marcela to stay away from Theo, and Marcela is just trying to protect herself from getting hurt. It’s all sorts of messy and dramatic, but Theo has generally been open and honest with Marcela about his feelings and is basically the one making a try at a real relationship. Overall, Theo is the best, Ben is the worst, Alice is actually a decent friend, and Marcela just needs a pep talk.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

A Scandal in July by Kate Bateman (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Rake Review series. Quick, low-angst, fun romance here. Rhys and Lenore are from rival families who seem to have a habit of falling in love with each other. Rhys is determined to avoid all Montgomeries so that he’s not a victim to the family curse as his siblings are, but all that falls apart when he sees the most beautiful woman ever in the garden of a ball. Meanwhile Lenore has fallen in love at first sight with Rhys during that same encounter and has been trying to catch his attention all Season. He’s been avoiding her so much that she makes a last ditch effort to catch him with a meddlesome house party and scavenger hunt. We get to see Rhys and Lenore good-naturedly compete with their family members in the hunt and a bunch of stolen moments. It’s mostly a fun family game day here with plenty of opportunity for Rhys and Lenore to spend time together.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Wild Wynchesters series. Master of disguise Tommy Wynchester has been pining for the lace-trimmed Philippa York for a year, but cannot seem to find the courage to talk to Philippa as herself. Meanwhile Philippa’s parents are pressuring her to marry a lord this Season, and one of Philippa’s bluestocking friends has been wronged by her own uncle taking credit for creating a cipher. The Wynchesters are on the case for the stolen credit, but Philippa is stuck with her parents’ marital expectations of her. Tommy’s siblings have the bright idea for her to dress up as the fictitious Baron Vanderbean so she could court Philippa as a gentleman, but she fesses up to Philippa pretty quickly. It’s a bit of a surprise to Philippa to realize she wasn’t attracted to any of her previous suitors because they were men and that she’s most definitely attracted to Tommy. We get a mix of mystery and crime solving here, with lots of romance, finding yourself, and finding a family that loves who you really are. This one is another excellent addition to the Wynchesters series.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Here Comes My Earl by Anna Bradley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Games Earls Play series. Oldest sister Phee is just trying to blend into the background and avoid scandal, but she’s in town to support her friend’s second Season. Except her friend’s older brother is being a giant pain and interfering with his sister’s marriage prospects. James is the stuffiest of earls with a gruff and serious demeanor and no time for frivolity. And he’s begrudgingly enamored of Phee and wondering why she wears drab dresses. While they argue over his interference of his sister’s love life, they form their own connection and fairly quickly fall in love. This was a quick read and a nice conclusion to the series.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Modiste Mishap by Erica Ridley (2022)

Historical romance-adjacent. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Heist Club series, connected to the Wild Wynchesters series. Fun little caper that’s in the Wild Wynchesters universe. This time, bluestocking friend Sybil is the star of the book when she accidentally bumps into a well-regarded modiste at a lending library. The exclusive dressmaker has found her shop broken into and two dozen dresses missing. Sybil goes to her friends for help and they work together to try to find the thief. There’s lots of sneaking around and dealing with snooty wealthy ladies in this one, but Sybil is the one to make all the right connections and solve the case. Quick and fun little diversion from the Wynchester romances.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Viscount in Love by Eloisa James (2024)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 1 of the Accidental Brides series. If you like stories with chaotic outspoken children, this book is for you. Dominic is an emotionless and stern viscount who has custody of his sister’s orphaned twin children. Luckily, he’s already engaged to a proper lady to help raise them. Except the proper lady is appalled by the children and wants to send them away, but ends up jilting the groom anyway. Dominic ends up trying to convince Torie, his would-be-sister-in-law, to marry him instead since she’s already developed a relationship with the children. It takes a lot of convincing to make it happen, despite the lust and attraction being apparent from the start. The falling in love part takes a bit longer on everyone’s part but it’s super emotional once they have it figured out. The family dynamic is one of my favorite parts of this book.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Kilty Until Proven Innocent by Caroline Lee (2024)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 4 of the Kilty Pleasures series. Drummond is the leader of the King’s Hunters and he’s suspected of assassinating the King. Which is absolutely untrue. The only comfort he has is that his long-time lover Brigit keeps seeing him. But he doesn’t know that she isn’t really a serving maid and is actually one of the Queen’s Angels. She’s been sent to investigate him and find proof of his guilt. She’s happy to report that he’s innocent, but not so happy to have lied to him about who she is. He’s got a bit of anger and frustration to get over to start to trust her again. But they work better together than apart to try to catch the real villain. Quick and easy read with just the right amount of intrigue.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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Trope Round Up: Historical Romances Books with Women Disguised as Men

Jul 8, 2024

A Duke’s Introduction to Courtship by Sophie Barnes (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Brody is an impoverished duke who has secretly written a romance novel with two of his friends, but is strapped for immediate cash when a debt collector comes calling for his younger brother’s debts. While out for a walk, he happens across a job opening at a print shop and thinks that he’ll be able to collect a small bit of money while also sneaking in his own manuscript for consideration. While there, he runs into a young man who works as a compositor in the print shop and doesn’t know why he’s drawn to the lad. Harry is actually Harriet and dresses up as a young man to gain employment to care for herself and her younger sister. She has successfully maintained the disguise for several years, but her attraction for Brody might give her away. This book had a slow progression of friendship, caretaking, and a relatively low-angst romance. We also get to revisit the couple from Book 1 of the series, as both Brody and Harriet are friends with the duke and duchess, respectively.

Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.

West End Earl by Bethany Bennett (2021)

Book 2 of the Misfits of Mayfair series. Calvin is an all-around nice guy earl who like being a mentor to his young steward, not realizing the boy is actually a lady. Ophelia has been on the run from a cruel uncle and assumes the identity of her dead twin brother to escape.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Heiress at Sea by Christi Caldwell (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone, but tied to The Duke Alone, as we are following the older sister of the main character from that book. Cassia, the often invisible eldest daughter of an earl, is setting off an adventure, dressing as a boy and sneaking onto her brother’s best friend’s ship so she can see the world. Turns out she’s on the wrong ship and ends up on Nathaniel’s boat, which is aimed to intercept a French war ship. Nathaniel is the second son of a duke, but recently became the heir after his brother fell off a horse. With his father’s demands in mind, this mission is likely to be his last. With everyone trapped on a ship, there’s plenty of drama to go around: Cassia is still pretending to be a boy, but she’s so terribly naive and sensitive that the other men mock her work; when they discover she’s actually a lady, there’s most definitely potential for scandal; and she cannot stop talking and chattering and also cannot detect sarcasm. It makes for annoying and infuriating conversation every time Nathaniel has to deal with her. But it’s a romance novel after all, and he starts to see her as someone brave (though naive) and also someone he wants to care for a protect. It was definitely a fun read and I enjoyed how all the conflict got resolved.

Advance ebook provided by Montlake Books via NetGalley.

Odds on the Rake by Sofie Darling (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the All’s Fair in Love and Racing series. Gemma dresses up as a stable hand to infiltrate the Duke of Rakesley’s racing stable and collect information for a rival horseman. Gemma and her twin brother were the illegitimate children of an earl and are running away from his overbearing care. When Gemma gets to the duke’s stables, she has a way with the wild and untrained horse and quickly moves up to being a jockey. While Rake runs an impressive stable, he’s curious about the new stable hand “Gem”. When he finally realizes that his new employee is a woman (and a very attractive one), they start a steamy affair that keeps her feeling guilty about her initial motives for being there.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via NetGalley.

To Tame a Scandalous Lady by Liana De la Rosa (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. Lady Flora, daughter of a duke and sister to a marquess with political ambitions, disguises herself as a man to become the assistant trainer at a horse racing operation. While she has set herself up to learn how to run a racing stable, she is surprised to find herself attracted to the marquess who owns the place. Christian aims to rebuild his family’s legacy after a stable fire took the lives of his father and many prized racehorses; after spending all his money to rebuild the stables, he needs this new horse to win in order to recoup the costs. When he finds out his horse trainer is actually a woman, he first wants to dismiss her, but keeps her on after Flora stubbornly defends her actions. They start a dalliance while they aren’t busy with the horses, but the truth of Flora’s identity could leads to scandal for them both if she’s caught. I loved reading about the defiant and competent Flora here and how she doesn’t cower to the men in her life.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sins of a Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan (2009)

Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Penwich School for Virtuous Girls series. We start with a tragic prologue of three girls who become friends at a terrible girls’ school where meals are withheld and punishments are severe. Fallon escapes the unwanted advances of her employer’s son, and meets a devilish duke who attempts to both save her and seduce her. She rejects him as well and decides to dress as a boy for her next employment. Unfortunately, the employment agency has sent her to the demon duke himself, where she obtains a position as a footman. Although she hopes to escape Dominic’s notice, she sees firsthand the wicked behavior that he engages in and can’t help expressing signs of disapproval. Dominic has his own troubled backstory with a pious grandfather and physically punishing governess and seeks to live up to his wretchedness. He’s baffled by his unease around the new footman and unsure why he cares so much about the boy’s approval. He doesn’t yet realize that the footman is the very same woman he can’t get out of his mind since that chance meeting long ago. This one was fun to read to see all the chaos and calamity unravel, which is often the case with a servant in disguise.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Duke’s Mysterious Lover by Caroline Lee (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the Surprise! Dukes series. This one is the final book of the series where we will finally catch the big bad villain that’s been haunting all the main characters along the way. Thorne is the only unmarried friend left, so obviously this is his book. He’s also taken on much of the burden of catching the treasonous villain because he doesn’t have a wife or children to consider. He does however have a very handsome young footman who has caught his attention and who he has promoted to valet. Kit is not actually a young man but actually the daughter of a famous opera singer and some unknown nobleman, working as a footman so that she can get closer to the society where her father lives. She’s just trying to catch a glimpse of this absent father to make her own judgment about his character. However, being promoted to Thorne’s valet puts her in very close proximity to a very attractive man and she’s sorely tempted to give in. It’s a sweet sort of romance built on their personalities rather than their outward social appearance and Thorne is absolutely thrilled to learn that Kit is a woman (and possibly marriageable). We also get to reconvene with all the other Surprise! Dukes as they plot the final showdown. Super fun conclusion to the series.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. We’ve got tragic background for both the characters here in this story and it makes for an unbelievable connection. Jules has lived her entire life as a man, despite being born a girl; her mother endured difficult childbirths and was warned against having more children, but her father was insistent on a son… so her mother and midwife presented the baby as a son so that she could find relief from marital relations and pregnancy. James, the son of a duke, was lost in the Canadian mountains at the age of 18 and survived there alone for ten years before his rescue and return. Now that he’s back in England and the duke, his mother is concerned that he is addled and savage. Jules and her father are both mind doctors hired by James’ mother to assess the man and fix his behavior. Of course, Jules is the one who understands his plight and need for isolation and quiet amongst his busybody chattering family. James also sees through Jules’ disguise with his heightened senses and awareness and he has been the only one to truly see her in her whole life. The quiet moments where these two are alone are the only times they can be themselves without the judgments of society or putting on an act. It’s sweet and soulful and just the right amount of teary. Probably my favorite Stacy Reid book ever, and I love all her books, so that’s saying a lot.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

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A Dozen Dukes to Add to Your TBR: Historical Romance Round Up (Volume 9)

Jul 4, 2024

Polishing the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Suddenly a Duke series. An old duke reveals a deathbed secret that his first love and their child is not actually a bastard and is indeed the next duke and hires the Lady Nalyssa to polish him up for Society after the solicitor informs him of his change in circumstance. Nalyssa has been ruined by her father’s debts and subsequent suicide and has made a business of cleaning up long lost relatives to titles and making them proper gentlemen. She meets Pierce and his mother and sister when he becomes the new duke. While he has held a grudge against his father for many years, he quickly learns that many people will rely on him now that he has the title. Add in a younger half-brother who thought that he was the heir and is suddenly not. Though Nalyssa has no hopes of marrying, she and Pierce are instantly attracted to each other. I liked how well she got along with Pierce’s family and the way that she explains how seemingly frivolous spending leads to employment and income for others. I also enjoyed Pierce’s ability to be both stubborn and logical when faced with his new challenges. Quick and enjoyable read!

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Blame it on the Duke by Lenora Bell (2017)

Book 3 of Disgraceful Dukes Series. Alice Tombs is completely uninterested in marriage, and busy translating a book from Sanskrit (ancient passages from the Kama Sutra to be specific), and planning an adventure to India. Nicolas, Lord Hatherly is also uninterested in marriage and wants to enjoy his life before he undoubtedly goes mad like his father and other ancestors. When their fathers play a game of cards, a betrothal between Alice and Nicolas is won. Both Alice and Nicolas want to keep their independence, so they’ll go through with the marriage knowing each other’s goals – to live separate lives completely. But they agree to spend the summer for Alice’s education in marital relations before she sails away on her own adventure.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Tall, Duke, and Scandalous by Amy Rose Bennett (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Byronic Book Club series. Jane gets caught trying to steal a rare book from a duke’s library but instead of getting into trouble, he proposes marriage to her instead. Christopher is the newly inherited duke with a reputation for throwing debaucherous parties, but really, he’s hiding the fact that an assassination attempt has left him unable to recognize or remember faces of the people around him. He needs help navigating the people around him as well as find his killer. Jane has her own burdens, with a scarred face after an accident with her ex-fiancee ten years ago, a gambling mother, and a sudden blackmailer. She takes Christopher up on his offer, mostly because she needs the money, but also because she’s very much attracted to him. Both are slow to trust the other person due to each of their past hurts, but the physical affection starts early and often. Loved seeing them team up against his mystery murderer.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.

The Truth About Cads and Dukes by Elisa Braden (2015)

Book 2 of the Rescued from Ruin series. So our quiet and shy Lady Jane has somehow befriended a charming rogue, usually commiserating about his overbearing duke of a brother. Jane thinks that she’s assisting her friend in stealing back some jewelry, but really she’s set up for a prank and a bunch of gentlemen catch her in breeches breaking and entering. Completely ruined, the overbearing duke Harrison now offers her a marriage of convenience to save her reputation and to clean up his little brother’s mess. These two are total opposites, but slowly get to know each other after their marriage and we get to see Harrison’s stern and protective side. Loved this book and this whole series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

Someday My Duke Will Come by Christina Britton (2021)

Book 2 of the Isle of Synne series. Our characters here had met in the previous book in the series, but you don’t really need to read that to enjoy this one. Clara is basically a spinster and caregiver to everyone in her family, due to some mysterious event in her past. If you’re a historical romance reader, you’ll probably be able to guess what her big secret is. Quincy is a recent duke and for some reason is being pushed to honor a betrothal between his late brother and a woman and wants to avoid it. So the reason for the fake engagement here is to get out of another engagement.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

The Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath (2022)

The first son of a traitorous duke out to clear his father’s name goes to visit his father’s mistress to find any clues. This one was my least favorite of the bunch, since I’m not generally a fan of spy/espionage plots. However, it was interesting to see how the story unfolds and how everything about the heroine wasn’t exactly as it seemed.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Duke in Question by Amalie Howard (2022)

Historical romance in Victorian England, America, France, book 3 of the Rules for Heiresses series. Bronwyn, the younger sister of the duke from the previous book is now some sort of female spy known as the Kestrel, and she’s en route to America on her brother’s ship to give a warning of an abduction attempt on the president. Her brother’s best friend and former spy is also on board the ship and aggravated by her silly debutante behavior. Meanwhile, they’re both intensely attracted to each other despite their adversarial relationship. The spy/action-adventure part definitely gets the adrenaline going for these two, leading to lots of steamy scenes where their instincts have taken over logic and control. Seriously, lots of passion in this one. And then of course, the danger of it all and figuring out how everyone will end of up safe and content at the end will keep the pages turning for you.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley.

Not That Duke by Eloisa James (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Would-Be Wallflowers series. Half of this book takes place in the same timeline as Book 2 of the series, so there are a lot of overlapping events in both books. Stella is bookish and clumsy and awkward and the mean girls make fun of her, but she is definitely attracted to Silvester, even though he will never see her as a potential bride. Silvester grew up with eccentric parents and wants to conform more to social standards, so ignores the possibility of Stella as a wife, even though his mother suggests he. He’s busy pining over another lady for half the book, to the point where Stella knows she definitely has no chance at all with him, even though they’re sort of friends and spend a lot of time together. Poor Stella is just getting the short end of the stick for the whole book and is incredibly insecure, while Silvester is constantly doing and saying the wrong thing and oh so very slow to realize that Stella is worthy of his love and adoration. So much angst over this idiot and you just want to wrap Stella up and choose her first.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 7 of the Rogue Files series. Youngest sister Nora studied healing with her father who was a doctor and has been serving as the village healer since his death. Unfortunately, she has also been corresponding with people who have written letters to her deceased father and signing her father’s name with her medical advice. When army colonel Constantine is back in England as the heir to a duke, he seeks out Nora’s father for a medical consult and is outraged to find that he has been corresponding with Nora and believes her to be a charlatan. With the threat to her reputation as a healer, she does everything she can to convince him that she is qualified and competent, including sneaking away from home to see Constantine in London. While it all works out for the pair romantically, it was strange that there wasn’t any fallout with Nora’s older sister after she snuck off.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to Forget a Duke by Vivienne Lorret (2018)

A starchy and serious duke hires a matchmaking company to find a wife. But the matchmaker thinks he’s hiding something, so she goes to his estate to investigate. Except on the way there, she gets into a boat accident, hits her head, and loses her memory. And then the duke finds her and has to nurse her back to health. He knows who she is but has been instructed not to tell her anything. Of course now that she’s not investigating the man, she ends up falling in love with him.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Unsuitable Duke by Suzanna Medeiros (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Landing a Lord series. We follow Brandtford’s sister Ellen in this story, widow to a cruel husband, and her childhood friend Charles, who is now a duke. Apparently when they were young, Charles pushed her away as a friend, and then when he realized she grew to become an attractive young woman, she was already betrothed. Now out of mourning, Charles is taking the chance to court her, even though Ellen doesn’t trust his motives.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shameless Duke by Scarlett Scott (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the League of Dukes series. After the events of the previous book, secret league leader and duke Lucien has been assigned a partner from America to assist with his investigation of the Irish terrorists. The overbearing and arrogant duke is of course completely surprised when the agent who shows up is the ultra-competent female, Hazel. They spend the first quarter of the book arguing with each other until Lucien starts to begrudgingly accept Hazel’s input. Things get even more fiery when they give into their attraction to each other and start a physical affair. Meanwhile, they’re still trying to solve the case of the Irish terrorists. Lucien starts the book as someone totally judgmental, but slowly starts to realize his own limitations and softens towards Hazel. Both Lucien and Hazel have tragic histories in relation to love and it was nice to see them open up to each other about their pasts.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

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Art of Love Historical Romance Book Series by Charlie Lane

Jul 3, 2024

Portraits, Passion, and Other Pastimes by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Art of Love series. A financially irresponsible marquess puts his family’s livelihood in danger by overspending money on art and frivolity, rather than care for his estate. When his eldest son, Raph, learns of the financial state when the steward quits, he’s shoulders the burden of responsibility to keep them afloat. Unfortunately, he also needs to dismiss his sister’s governess, Matilda, because there’s no money to pay her, but he promises to always help her find a suitable position. Fifteen years later, the marquess has passed away and Raph is still struggling with all the bills. His father has donated all his art, leaving none for his children to sell, except for five items which each person must earn by creating a piece of art themselves and presenting it to their mother for approval. With no talent and not enough time for frivolity, Raph knows that he will not be able to come up with anything to his mother’s standards; nevermind the loud wailing and grieving that his mother is doing to distract him. He decides to hire his mother a companion and seeks out Matilda as the best candidate. She has served as a governess and a companion in the past fifteen years and will soon move to her own cottage. While she rejects the offer from Raph at first, the lady she’s currently serving suggests they go together to help the marchioness with her grief. Raph is also attempting to save the estate by marrying an heiress, but does not feel anything for the ladies he’s courting. With everyone back at the marquess’ estate, Raph and Matilda spend more time together and try to resist their attraction. After all, Matilda is used to a life of work and solitude and Raph needs to marry for money. It was interesting to read all of the family interactions in this story and the support they all have for each other, despite the begrudging feelings towards the old marquess’ spending habits.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane via NetGalley.

Forgery, Love, and Other Lies by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Art of Love series. There was once a financially irresponsible marquess who spent his money on art instead of his estate and family and after his passing, he had given away all of the art except for a select few paintings that his children would earn by creating a their own piece of art to their mother’s satisfaction. Unfortunately, the paintings left in their house were forgeries, orchestrated by second son Zander, who rented out the originals in times of financial need. Now that the family knows which paintings are meant to be the inheritance, Zander tries to reclaim the originals but finds the old woman he dealt with (and the artwork) missing. His investigation leads him to find the art forger, who is the daughter of a jeweler, Fiona, and is just as distressed with the disappearance of the old woman and many other counterfeit paintings that could see her hanged. Zander and Fiona team up to track down the woman and the paintings and find themselves in love along the way, although Zander is hesitant to offer anything permanent as he’s in no financial position to marry.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane via NetGalley.

Dukes, Diamonds, and Other Desires by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2.5 of the Art of Love series. Quick little novella here with the sister of the main character from Book 2 of the series. Posey is a jeweler’s daughter with a longstanding friendship and crush on Archer, who is a duke. He thinks he’s been courting her all this time and doesn’t understand why she runs off when he shows her the family bridal jewels. She’s actually running off because those jewels are a forgery and she needs to locate the real ones. We get a mini-road trip here as Posey goes to find her sister for help and Archer chases after her. And then these two dummies finally talk about how they feel about each other. Luckily for Posey, Archer is delightfully supportive and willing to defy society’s expectations in his selection of a duchess.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

His Mistress, His Muse, and Other Madness by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Art of Love series. The youngest son of a marquess is completely cynical of those who lead an artistic lifestyle, since he has seen the financial destruction such patronage has caused his own family. As one of the remaining loose ends of his father’s will, Theo has been finding new patrons for artists that his father supported, so that the family will finally be released from this financial burden. When he meets Cordelia, he is resentful of lush accommodations since his own siblings had to work hard and go without. He’s even more irritated to learn that she doesn’t have any artistic talent whatsoever and has no idea why she was supported at all. Cordelia fell into lonely circumstances after her father died and her fiance abandoned her, so she is grateful to the old marquess for saving her. In trying to become independent now that she’s at risk of being kicked out of her home, she aims to open an art school, but needs donations to run it. Theo and Cordelia agree to work together in attending an artistic house party so that he can collect gossip for his satirical cartoons and so that she can try to solicit donations for her school. Although Theo and Cordelia have had an antagonistic relationship so far, they need to pose as lovers to attend the party, and all their physical desires bubble up during the course of the party. We get to see these two open up to each other about their past hurts and work together in creating artwork.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

Silhouette of a Spinster and Other Seductions by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Art of Love series. Lord Andrew is the straightlaced, icy cold, emotionless workaholic who runs an employment agency for governesses, companions and tutors. And he is seriously disturbed by the fact that his ultra-competent, no-nonsense, straightlaced secretary is wearing a pink dress instead of grey to his brother’s wedding. He’s your typical oblivious male character with no idea that Amelia has been secretly in love with him for all these years. When he tells her that he’s planning to marry for money in order to expand his business, she’s internally heartbroken and leaves on a month-long vacation to her estate in Scotland to get her feelings in order. Well, Andrew is all sorts of confused about his own feelings and why he’s betrayed by her abandonment, so he runs off after her. And he’s still totally incapable of feeling his feelings, even when faced with the attractive woman he finds there. This one is a heartbreaker of a book, in all the best ways.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

The Lord Who Adored Her and Other Love Songs by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Art of Love series. Lord Atlas just wants to hire a cabinet-maker to help finish the repairs on the dower house at his family estate, so it can be rented out, and so he can leave town. He’s an injured soldier who is hiding his pain and sorrows from his family as he helps them restore their finances. Instead of just hiring an artisan, he ends up marrying her instead. Clara is a widow who has run away from her controlling father-in-law with her young son in tow. She’s the daughter of a skilled cabinet-maker, so she’s qualified to assist in the renovations, but ends up needing the protection of Atlas and his family. They decide on a marriage of convenience, knowing that Atlas plans to leave once his work is done. It was wonderful seeing Atlas fall in love with Clara and become a father to his son, plus wrap up the series with all of his siblings matched up.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

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