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.

My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Wild Wynchesters series. Quiet artist sister Marjorie has her turn to take the lead on a case this time. When the Wynchesters find that a crime lord is passing counterfeit coins through his pawn shop, they aim to find the counterfeiter and bring about justice. Marjorie insists on infiltrating the workshop to find the evidence and solve the case, but she finds a charming lord there instead. Adrian is the second son of a marquess who was banished from his family home many years ago and made his money by counterfeiting artistic artifacts; when he’s caught at that, the crime lord blackmails him into counterfeiting money instead. He’s pretty much held captive, even though he feels horrible cheating innocent people out of money. While Marjorie and Adrian are at odds in the beginning, they soon realize they have a lot in common, and need to team up to get out of this mess. Adrian gets to witness firsthand the benefits of a loving family and find allies in all the Wynchesters. The romance here was easy and low-angst and the crime-solving caper was a lot of fun.

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

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.

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.

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Belvoir’s Library series. There are so many of my favorite of tropes blended into this delightful novel. Peter is a new duke who grew up in America and is now seeking custody of his younger half siblings. His friend Selina, the sister of yet another duke, is helping him improve his case by finding him a suitable candidate to marry. Except these two are actually more attracted to each other than anyone else and all of Peter’s courtships are comically bad. We get to see a series of terrible courting excursions and then ultimately Selina and Peter get caught in a compromising situation themselves and need to marry. Meanwhile, Selina has her own potential for scandal by owning and running a circulating library with a secret section of elicit texts. She’s trying very hard not to get caught at this, since it’ll ruin Peter’s custody case, but he’s amazingly supportive after she tells him her secrets. There are a fun cast of characters here with Selina’s loving and supportive family, Peter’s young siblings, and even the ladies that Selina had suggested for Peter. I enjoyed this book so much; it was full of humor, steam, and a low-angst romance.

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

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The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent (2022)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Crowns of Nyaxia series. Human girl, Oraya, gets adopted by the vampire king and coddled and protected all her life. Plus given some brutal self-defense skills. In order to gain immortality in the form of a gift from the goddess Nyaxia, Oraya will need to win a fight-to-the-death trial of strength and cunning. The entire book is incredibly action packed with all the vampires fighting to win the trial, plus the politics of vampires coming from different kingdoms. One rival vampire Raihn offers Oraya protection and an alliance, but they both know that there can only be one winner. She has a tough time trusting him throughout the trial, but also grows closer to him along the way. It’s a slow-burn enemies-to-allies-to-lovers situation that is super interesting to read. While the book ends when the trial does, we have complete and total political upheaval that will be addressed in Book 2.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Tempting the Viscount by Suzanna Medeiros (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 9 of the Landing a Lord series. Fairly quick and easy read here. Widowed Lucy is out of mourning for her terrible husband and ready to take on a lover. Viscount Holbrook is intrigued by Lucy but wants to court her instead. They make a bargain having to do with helping her find pleasure in exchange for a courtship. It’s all very straightforward and it was nice seeing Holbrook focus his attentions on Lucy and trying to convince her that she deserves pleasure, companionship, and love.

Advance ebook provided by Suzanna Medeiros via BookSprout.

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super awkward and tragic set-up here when Alison shows up to her ex-boyfriend’s funeral and his family thinks that they were still very recently dating. The ex-boyfriend’s sister insists on keeping up the ruse because it might help the family deal with their grief and all, and then she ends up volunteering to pack up his condo. Also on the job is Adam, the ex-boyfriend’s grumpy best friend who’s trying to make his own amends towards his deceased friend. As Alison and Adam spend every weekend together, they inevitably get closer together, but it’s all sorts of guilt-ridden since Adam thinks that he’s falling for his fresh-in-the-grave buddy’s girlfriend. Alison has her own hang-ups about living life to the fullest after having a preventative mastectomy due to her risk of breast cancer, even though she’d probably be happier as a cozy homebody. This was cute and funny and the relationship build-up was so good!

Advance ebook provided by Penguin Random House via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Sinfully Mine by Kathleen Ayers (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Five Deadly Sins series. Gambler Drew inherits a farm from a fellow gambler with a stipulation about the man’s widow retaining residence at the farm. He goes off to the country to find a way to pay off the widow, sell the house, and invest the money with his friend. Except when he gets there, he finds a widow his own age with tons of stubborness. Hester is the daughter of the town drunkard, married to a man thrice her age, and basically the steward of the estate, trying her best to turn a profit off the land. She’s not backing down or moving out, so she ends up at odds with the conniving Drew. They bicker and fight and make no concessions to each other, until they start a physical relationship instead. There’s additional drama in the form of attacks on Drew’s person and a somewhat suspicious solicitor who is overly familiar with Hester. This book had all the fun parts of a property dispute romance with just the right amount of animosity between our two main characters.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Jewel Me Twice by Charish Reid (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super fun and steamy heist novel. Celeste and Magnus have a history of working together as jewel thieves, plus a little friends with benefits thing on the side. Until one of the heists goes wrong and the team breaks up and they don’t talk to each other for five years. When their team leader and mentor passes away, she sets up a series of clues and wrangles the team back together for one more big score. We get to read a steamy, flirty, action-packed adventure. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Canary Street Press via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sinfully Yours by Kathleen Ayers (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Five Deadly Sins series. Mercenary Malcolm just wants to go home but is stuck doing a job for a spoiled and arrogant lord. His task is to kidnap the heiress that the lord is thwarted from courting. Except he catches the cantankerous cousin Alyss instead. They end up stranded at a cottage together, have a one night stand, and then go off their separate ways. Is it possible to have actually fallen in love in that short of a time? Especially when Alyss doesn’t really know Malcolm’s identity? Maybe, maybe not, but it was still a very enjoyable read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle (2024)

Romantic Suspense. Book 1 of the Beneath the Wild Sky series. Private investigator Bennett is looking for some missing jewels and is detoured by running into his target’s daughter Felicity. She’s a bounty hunter with a thieving mother who skipped bail and is trying to track her mom with her sisters. However, Bennett is her new stalker, so Felicity zigs while her sister zags to try to get the stalker away from her mother. Felicity and Bennett end up in a cozy mountain town to search for yet another bail jumper, this one with ties to a local militia and a history of dealing meth. It’s a fun adventure as Felicity finds new friends and allies in the town, along with tons of enemies. It’s all sorts of action-adventure in this book, and Felicity and Bennett grow closer as they survive all their wacky scenarios. Super crazy and chaotic and messy, and now I want to go back to Ruggle’s previous series to read more about the couples from this mountain town.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Bump In Boohail by Kimberly Lemming (2022)

Paranormal romance. Part of the Mead Mishaps series. A super short little quickie featuring Cinnamon and Fallon, the spice farmer and her dragon shifter husband. Really, that’s it. It’s three chapters long and serves as a mini slice of life for them.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Kilty as Sin by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 1 of the Kilty Pleasures series. Barclay’s next mission from the King is to track down a lady who has run away, and bring her back to her father so she can marry the neighboring laird. He finds and rescues Grace from a gang of men who captured her outside the convent where she was hiding, and then proceeds to bring her home. Grace is adamant that she not marry the man she’s engaged to, since that man is cruel and monstrous. Although Barclay is desperately attracted to Grace, he attempts to fulfill his duty to the King and remain honorable. We get to see how Barclay’s past ties into Grace’s future when he finally decides to rescue her from her betrothal. We get the reappearance of the nuns from the previous series, which is always fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Kilty Plea by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 2 of the Kilty Pleasures series. King’s Hunter Payton has taken care of some bandits at an Abbey and the creepy Abbot offers him a woman as payment. Somehow he has acquired the frail Flora as his maybe-wife and takes her away from the terrible commune where she’s been living. She’s happy to go with Payton so that she can search for her brother who she’s been separated from for many years. We get to see Flora and Payton get to know each other and develop a bond, even though both are terribly insecure about their own appearances: Flora believes that she’s plain and ugly, while Payton’s face is badly scarred from a previous assignment. This book is a pretty quick read, with lots of humor and steam, along with Payton’s overwhelming boisterous family and festive holiday cheer.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Kilty by Association by Caroline Lee (2024)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 3 of the Kilty Pleasures series. Widowed Elspeth needs a bodyguard to protect her young earl of a son from more assassination attempts and she tries to hire a criminal at a pub to do so. Except that Craig isn’t actually a criminal and is undercover at the seedy pub to try to catch some other crime boss. They meet again the next day when it turns out that the King has assigned Craig to protect Elspeth’s family anyway in an official capacity, and off they go on the journey back to their home castle. It’s a quick and easy attraction between these two with Craig being amazing with Elspeth’s kids and basically being an awesome family man, but Craig is feeling insecure about his lower station compared to Elspeth. Once we’re back at their castle, it’s easy to figure out who the villain is, but still nice to see the villain get their due. This was a quick read with all the humor and family shenanigan you’d expect from this author.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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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Not Just Any Earl by Anna Bradley (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Games Earls Play series. After their mother causes a disastrous scandal, the Templeton sisters have been hiding in the country for many years. Their family friend somehow convinces Emmeline and Juliet to come to London for the Season, where Juliet will try to win the hand of the most eligible gentleman this year, Lord Melrose. Except Melrose is dreading making good on the assumption that he will marry some other darling debutante and follows who he believes is a former lover in the library during a ball. And unfortunately, he ends up with Emmeline instead, not knowing who she is, and being unable to identify her the next day having not seen her in the dark. Emmeline is afraid of causing any scandal for herself or her sister, so she keeps the encounter a secret, even as she’s trying to push the man towards her sister. At some point, he’ll realize that Emmeline is the one he can’t get out of his mind, but we get to see them slowly fall in love as themselves in the meantime.

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

Odd Earl Out by Anna Bradley (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Games Earls Play series. Super grumpy earl, Lord Cross, is throwing a hunting party at his lodge in the country trying to forget Miss Juliet Templeton. When she shows up at the party after a carriage accident, he wants very much for her to go away, but she needs his help cleaning up after a scandal of mistaken identity and he needs her help matchmaking his cousin. They bicker and banter and fight and flirt and they’re very clearly perfect for each other. But Cross needs to let go of his insecurity and belief that he’ll be as miserable as his father. Luckily, he’s got a chipper and cheery cousin to set him on the right path.

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

Fell in Love with an Earl by Anna Bradley (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Games Earls Play series. Adrian has been an absentee father since his wife passed away and he’s spent the last six months getting drunk in London. Upon his return to his country estate, he finds an outspoken governess who he has never met and his wild sons who are hesitant around him. Helena is basically the best governess the boys have ever had and they never want her to leave, even though she’s at risk for dismissal for purely accidental reasons. While Adrian and Helena get off on the wrong foot, he slowly acknowledges that she is good with his sons and she slowly realizes that this is just a heartbroken man who is avoiding his responsibilities. I liked seeing Adrian slowly soften up his gruff demeanor and realize what is truly important in his life.

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

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.

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.

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When She Was Wicked by Anne Barton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Honeycotes series. Annabelle Honeycote is an impoverished seamstress with a deathly ill mother and younger sister to support. While working at the dress shop, she overhears various gossip and uses the information to extort money. One of her victims, Owen Sherbourne, a handsome duke, catches her at the drop point and threatens to expose her, but he feels bad for her instead, and brings her home as an indentured servant to make dresses for his sisters. There’s a bunch of miscommunication and secrecy between this couple, mixed with a healthy dose of social class difference, but the insta-lust is such fun to read and this book is a great set up to the Honeycote/Sherbourne family series to come. And when I started the book, I thought I was reading a new-to-me author, until I went back to the Instagram post from corsetreads recommending the series to me, and realized that Anna Bennett (who I have read and adored before) was the author using a different pen name. No wonder I loved this book!

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (2017)

Book 1 of the Girl Meets Duke series. If you’re looking for an easy-to-read, super funny, historical romance, this is the one for you. We start with a seamstress barging into a duke’s home wearing his ex-fiancee’s ugly ass wedding dress and demanding payment for it because his ex-fiancee didn’t. And then this duke decides to propose to the woman! He needs a wife and heir, and since his last fiancee left him after he was all scarred from the war, and this new girl seems to need the money, it’s win-win. She accepts with several conditions, including saying she’ll bring her cat. (She doesn’t actually have a cat and just finds one on the street that day) Of course they’ll need to stay together in London til she gets pregnant, and then she’s going to be shipped off to his country estate to raise the kiddo. Both our main characters have past hurts in their lives, but they work through them and open up to each other. And there’s just so much humor in this story. Tessa Dare is just so great at bringing levity into her stories.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

The Duke and the Dressmaker by Eva Devon (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Once Upon a Wallflower series. Newly inherited duke James attempts to rescue a young woman at a tavern and finds out that she’s the sister of his missing ward. Lily and Violet are granddaughters of the old duke but not part of society due to their mother’s scandalous marriage to a French painter. Now orphaned and impoverished, Lily works as a dressmaker’s seamstress while caring for her young sister. James insists that they both move into the ducal townhouse and after a bit of a disagreement, they do. However, James and Lily are starting to stir up a scandal with all the time they spend together unchaperoned, as much as they try to keep things proper. They do ultimately get married, since Lily is so good at managing James’ household, but conflict looms ahead as James plans to leave England without having mentioned his plans to Lily. I liked how well Lily and James worked together and started to soften towards each other, even though both have been disappointed by their own parents in the past.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

The Summer Bride by Anne Gracie (2016)

Daisy is the last sister with no plans to marry at all. She is aiming to open a dress shop with all of her unique designs. Family friend Flynn has been quite vocal in his goal to find a wife and has been very active in the marriage mart. Somehow these two end up spending more and more time together and finally act on their attraction to each other. Daisy is adamant that it is just an affair and will not lead to marriage, while Flynn is trying to honor her wishes and be supportive.

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale (2018)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Book 1 of the Gilded Age Girls Club. Adeline is a seamstress with dreams of opening her own dress shop and has a meet cute with an impoverished duke in a hotel lobby. Brandon is in New York to seek a wealthy heiress to marry and is instantly smitten by Adeline and thinks that he’s super fortunate to find an heiress he likes in his hotel. Unfortunately, he realizes that she’s not wealthy and can’t really help him, so he’s got to begrudgingly meet and court other women. Meanwhile, Adeline is still working on her unique dress designs and finding ways to show them off. When Brandon suggests that Adeline help with inside scoop on the heiresses in exchange for her escort to the theater so she can show off her gowns, she agrees, but it’s painful pining for everyone involved. Brandon will have to work out how to deal with his money problem if he wants to end up with Adeline.

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:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

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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.

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

Sinfully Tempted by Kathleen Ayers (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Five Deadly Sins series. Lady Tamsin is the scandalous sister of an earl who is known for breaking the nose of a duke’s son for unwanted advances, but also rumored to be as loose as her actress of a mother. She’s just trying to catch some fresh air in the garden at a ball, when the lumbering awkward Hayden tries to capture a moth that landed on her leg. While a vicious harpy tries to paint Tamsin as a harlot, Hayden’s ducal authoritativeness comes to the rescue. After that, they all try to mitigate the scandal by portraying Tamsin and Hayden as intellectual friends who will part ways after a few social outings. What’s fun to see here is Hayden’s absolute awkwardness in Tamsin’s presence because he’s so internally attracted to her. And of course she interprets his behavior as arrogance and disdain. Even when he finally gets a clue and tries to pursue her, all she sees from him is insult. It was surprisingly heartbreaking for a premise that seemed so simple.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

My Rogue to Ruin by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Wild Wynchesters series. Quiet artist sister Marjorie has her turn to take the lead on a case this time. When the Wynchesters find that a crime lord is passing counterfeit coins through his pawn shop, they aim to find the counterfeiter and bring about justice. Marjorie insists on infiltrating the workshop to find the evidence and solve the case, but she finds a charming lord there instead. Adrian is the second son of a marquess who was banished from his family home many years ago and made his money by counterfeiting artistic artifacts; when he’s caught at that, the crime lord blackmails him into counterfeiting money instead. He’s pretty much held captive, even though he feels horrible cheating innocent people out of money. While Marjorie and Adrian are at odds in the beginning, they soon realize they have a lot in common, and need to team up to get out of this mess. Adrian gets to witness firsthand the benefits of a loving family and find allies in all the Wynchesters. The romance here was easy and low-angst and the crime-solving caper was a lot of fun.

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

Hate to Fake It to You by Amanda Sellet (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Everyone is hiding their identity and keeping secrets in this mostly comedic romance. Libby is an underworked underpaid waitress and wannabe journalist who is a very successful fake influencer Lillibet who writes the cheesiest posts paired with what seems like stock photography. And it’ll probably all come crashing down when she has to fake it all in real life with her trusty friends and a fake husband and a fancy house she definitely doesn’t live in when media heiress Hildy comes for a visit. Hildy wants to start her own magazine and needs a collaborator, so she thinks Lillibet would be a great fit. Meanwhile, she’s got her own ruse going with her fake boyfriend, Jefferson, who is a wildlife photography who saved her from a snowstorm. It’s a set up for absolute chaos when everyone is staying at this fancy house with the fanciest plumbing available, and Libby’s friend is pretending to be an Irish housekeeper who has a terrible accent. Oh, and Libby and Jefferson maybe kinda sorta have an instant connection. The romance here is slow moving and a little fraught, since they’re all lying about so many things, but most of the book is quite entertaining. Heads up, that this one is fade to black when our couple does finally get together.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. How much heartbreak can you pack into a romance novel? Turns out a lot. Especially for this messy and complicated second chance romance. Georgia and Eli have been best friends for years, gone through a horrible breakup, and now stuck together to help their mutual best friend rescue his disaster of a wedding. Both Georgia and Eli have very deeply rooted anxieties and insecurities that make them both understand each other and also resist directly asking for what they need. We get to see all of Georgia’s emotions through her weeklong whirlwind planning session with Eli, while also dealing with a potential new job situation and her feeling abandoned by all her friends. While it’s fairly obvious why these two broke up in the first place, there’s still a whole lot of insecurity and fear of trying again. The plot seems straightforward enough without a whole lot of external drama, but the internal emotional turmoil is present in every scene. Be prepared for an emotional gut punch.

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

The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song (2024)

Fantasy. Book 1 of the Night Ends with Fire series. Mulan-retelling with lots of twists. Meilin is living in a patriarchal society where her opium-addicted abusive father is dodging the draft, the emperor imprisons anyone who believes in magic, and she’s about to be sold off to an abusive husband. Luckily, she’s lacking in womanly curves, so she joins the army instead. There’s tons of action packed into this story as we join the army training camp, start fighting the enemy, and then get influenced by rare spirit magic that only touches a select few people. There are romantic love interests on both sides of the war and lots of political intrigue and maneuvering. This book kept me reading to find out more and to see how Meilin continues to survive her harrowing circumstances. We definitely end on an unresolved note and I’m definitely looking forward to Book 2.

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

Hot Earl Summer by Erica Ridley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Wild Wynchesters series. It’s Elizabeth’s turn to take the lead on a case, putting her in the countryside to look for the missing will of a countess in an earl’s castle. Instead of finding the earl there, she finds his tinkering cousin, Stephen. We get a grumpy-grumpy romance in this one with both Elizabeth and Stephen preferring solitude to company. It’s fun to see them work together to try to find the missing will, plus I liked seeing Elizabeth being appreciative of Stephen’s inventions instead of disparaging his oddness. There’s a common annoying villain around who believes he won the castle in a card game, but once they find the will, it’ll be clear the property wouldn’t be his. Plus, we get a full family of Wynchester showing up for the big confrontation.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. How much heartbreak can you pack into a romance novel? Turns out a lot. Especially for this messy and complicated second chance romance. Georgia and Eli have been best friends for years, gone through a horrible breakup, and now stuck together to help their mutual best friend rescue his disaster of a wedding. Both Georgia and Eli have very deeply rooted anxieties and insecurities that make them both understand each other and also resist directly asking for what they need. We get to see all of Georgia’s emotions through her weeklong whirlwind planning session with Eli, while also dealing with a potential new job situation and her feeling abandoned by all her friends. While it’s fairly obvious why these two broke up in the first place, there’s still a whole lot of insecurity and fear of trying again. The plot seems straightforward enough without a whole lot of external drama, but the internal emotional turmoil is present in every scene. Be prepared for an emotional gut punch.

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

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.

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.

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.

Hate to Fake It to You by Amanda Sellet (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Everyone is hiding their identity and keeping secrets in this mostly comedic romance. Libby is an underworked underpaid waitress and wannabe journalist who is a very successful fake influencer Lillibet who writes the cheesiest posts paired with what seems like stock photography. And it’ll probably all come crashing down when she has to fake it all in real life with her trusty friends and a fake husband and a fancy house she definitely doesn’t live in when media heiress Hildy comes for a visit. Hildy wants to start her own magazine and needs a collaborator, so she thinks Lillibet would be a great fit. Meanwhile, she’s got her own ruse going with her fake boyfriend, Jefferson, who is a wildlife photography who saved her from a snowstorm. It’s a set up for absolute chaos when everyone is staying at this fancy house with the fanciest plumbing available, and Libby’s friend is pretending to be an Irish housekeeper who has a terrible accent. Oh, and Libby and Jefferson maybe kinda sorta have an instant connection. The romance here is slow moving and a little fraught, since they’re all lying about so many things, but most of the book is quite entertaining. Heads up, that this one is fade to black when our couple does finally get together.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

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.

Ne’er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Belvoir’s Library series. There are so many of my favorite of tropes blended into this delightful novel. Peter is a new duke who grew up in America and is now seeking custody of his younger half siblings. His friend Selina, the sister of yet another duke, is helping him improve his case by finding him a suitable candidate to marry. Except these two are actually more attracted to each other than anyone else and all of Peter’s courtships are comically bad. We get to see a series of terrible courting excursions and then ultimately Selina and Peter get caught in a compromising situation themselves and need to marry. Meanwhile, Selina has her own potential for scandal by owning and running a circulating library with a secret section of elicit texts. She’s trying very hard not to get caught at this, since it’ll ruin Peter’s custody case, but he’s amazingly supportive after she tells him her secrets. There are a fun cast of characters here with Selina’s loving and supportive family, Peter’s young siblings, and even the ladies that Selina had suggested for Peter. I enjoyed this book so much; it was full of humor, steam, and a low-angst romance.

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

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

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

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.

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

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.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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.

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

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

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.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

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