A Simple Marriage by Janna MacGregor (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Millionaires of Mayfair series. All Pippa wants to do is own her own dress shop, but her overbearing duke of a brother won’t release her dowry. She plans to solicit a marriage of convenience to a gentleman her brother would likely approve of so she can get the money, but her brother’s best friend Hugh ends up intercepting the letters and her suitors. They bicker and argue and neither are interested in a marriage to each other, except for the fact that they’re attracted to each other. Actually, the attraction is why they don’t want to marry each other because Pippa is afraid that passion will lead to horrific arguments that she witnessed her parents having and Hugh is afraid that love will cause the immense grief that he witnessed his mother experiencing after his father died. Clearly, they’re both suffering from some generational trauma. Add in an overbearing brother/best friend, and we’ve got a recipe for forbidden romance. However, Hugh is very supportive of Pippa’s dress designing skill and business dreams, so he’s pretty much the perfect match for her.

Advance ebook provided by Janna MacGregor.

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.

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.

Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute and steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling. We’re off to a historic estate renovation with Bellamy who is in charge of the project because her father Maurice is ill and she finds a grumpy recluse Oliver there. Oliver is resistant to the renovation mostly because his grandfather is being overly controlling and also because he doesn’t want anyone in his house. But the house isn’t really his and he’s stuck doing whatever his grandfather has dictated. Bellamy is the ultimate sunshine full of ideas and energy to complete the project, and she wears these cute suspenders that Oliver is obsessed with. She’s also got some hang-ups related to relationships because her last guy was a total dud who told her that she’s not the kind of girl that sparks commitment. We get to see Bell and Oliver super slowly come to a truce, then friendship, then more. Absolutely delightful.

Ebook 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.

The Governess Gambit by Erica Ridley (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Prequel novella to the Wild Wynchesters series. Introduction to the Wild Wynchesters family led by an eccentric baron who had adopted six orphans. Chloe was the first adoptee and known for blending in and not being noticed. Our family is working together to shut down a corrupt boarding school while caring for their ill father. Meanwhile, a dastardly duke has stolen their beloved painting and they’re struggling to get it back. While there isn’t a romance in this book, it sets up our beloved family dynamic and hints at what’s to come.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

Shop this book via Amazon

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Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Westcott series. Camille Westcott has been the perfect proper snooty earl’s daughter and probably suffered the biggest shock when she found out that her parents were not legally married and that she is now illegitimate. In the previous book, she’d suffered a broken betrothal, fled London, and very loudly expressed her distaste for her new half sister Anna. In an effort to learn more about herself and to put herself in her half sister’s shoes, she starts teaching at the orphanage where Anna grew up. Joel is a portrait painter who grew up with Anna, was her best friend, and had proposed marriage to her many years ago. He dislikes Camille on sight because of her pettiness towards Anna and her severe and haughty appearance. However, as the two spend more time together at the orphanage and as he is commissioned by her grandmother to paint her portrait, they start to understand each other and confide in each other. It’s a total opposites attract situation with Camille being the one who needs to adapt to her new station in life and open her heart to the possibility of love and affection.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess and the Wolf by Lydia Drake (2023)

Historical Romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Debutantes of London series. Susannah is nearly engaged to a duke, but is having misgivings about it and would rather travel and see the world. While out with a friend at a gambling den, she happens to play the piano is a seemingly empty room. Rafe, the owner of the club, stumbles upon her there and is encouraged to hire her to bring more sophisticated patrons to the club so that he can secure a business deal. He offers her a large sum of money in exchange for her playing at the club. While Susannah declines at first, she soon realizes that the money would give her the opportunity to run away from her imminent engagement. Rafe and Susannah attempt to keep their relationship professional, but Rafe is an awe of her playing and Susannah sees glimpses of Rafe’s kindness towards his employees. It’s a total social mismatch here, but Susannah goes after what she wants, even at the risk of displeasing her family.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

Her Adventures in Temptation by Megan Frampton (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the School for Scoundrels series. Myrtle is the outspoken, awkward, mathematically-inclined sister of a viscount who wants to avoid marriage and start her own financial consulting agency. When the painter her brother hired is asked to leave a house party, Myrtle takes the opportunity to hitch a ride to London with him. Simeon is an illegitimate orphan who was adopted by an independent female painter and basically taught to prioritize his art above all else. However, the soft-hearted Simeon seems to give away his money to the needy at every turn and has none of it himself, causing him to take on portrait commissions he doesn’t like and to take Myrtle’s money to help her go to London. As these two spend more time together, it’s clear that they have an opposites-attract sort of chemistry. Somehow Myrtle gets caught by her brother and then forced to assist in her niece’s debut. But she has no social charm or graces, so she recruits her only friend in town, Simeon, to assist. They end up in a fake engagement to preserve everyone’s reputation, but still fall in love with each other, despite wanting so much to hold onto their independence.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Once Upon the East End series. Isabelle needs to marry quickly to prevent her late father’s business partner from pushing her out from the business. She and her grandmother set up a series of festivals where she invites all eligible suitors to attend and plans to declare her betrothed before midnight of the third festival. A chance meeting with the synagogue custodian Aaron intrigues Isabelle, but since he’s not actually a suitable candidate, she hires him to help investigate actual contenders for her hand. Isabelle is stubborn and cold for the most part, seeking a business partner in her future husband, while Aaron is self-deprecating and kind. Even though they eventually give into their attractions, Isabelle is adamant that she must secure her father’s legacy rather than pursue her own happiness. She’s annoyingly stubborn and consistently breaks Aaron’s heart, but luckily Aaron has his own fairy godmother on his side. The first half of the book moved pretty slowly for me, but the second half had much more action and kept me reading to find out how it all gets resolved.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Spinster and Mr. Scott by Jennifer Haymore (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Highland Knights series. This book is an updated edition of Highland Heat (2015). This story takes place at the same timeframe as the prequel. Lady Grace, daughter of an earl and a spinster, has escorted her sister Claire to the battlefield to search for Claire’s husband. While there, Grace has made herself useful by caring for the wounded soldiers. She meets Duncan, one of her brother-in-law’s sergeants and forms a connection with him. Despite the social class differences between them, they converse easily and quickly fall in love. This was a relatively quick story to read with things progressing pretty predictably until we head into treacherous territory with a disapproving father and an insurgent group the men are investigating.

Advance ebook provided by Jennifer Haymore via NetGalley.

The Last Wicked Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Scoundrels of St. James series. Widowed duchess Winnie thinks she might be going mad because she keeps losing track of her items and catches glimpses of her late husband’s scent around the house. When she confides this information to William, the physician who saved her life many years ago, he rallies his friends to protect her. Turns out her husband might not be so dead after all, since the scoundrels sent him away at the end of Book 1. Winnie and William have developed a longstanding attraction for each other over the years, and they finally make a move towards a physical relationship, even if William knows that he can’t marry someone so far above his station. This one was a pretty short and quick novella and it’s always good catching up with all the scoundrels.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Courting Scandal by Ally Hudson (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Most Imprudent Matches series. Michael is the illegitimate son of a viscount who owns a gambling hell with a shaky relationship with his late father’s family. In an attempt to bring the brothers together, the new viscountess (Michael’s sister-in-law) invites Michael to weekly family dinners. Meanwhile, in a seemingly separate part of town, Juliet is being forced by her cruel and overbearing father to marry a duke who she doesn’t know at all. Juliet soon learns that her father owes a huge debt to a gambling hell and is receiving payment from the duke in exchange for Juliet’s hand in marriage. She overhears Michael (said gambling hell owner) confront her father over the matter and it helps put all of her father’s odd behavior into perspective. Somehow both Michael and Juliet cross paths again as they’re both invited to the same country house for the next couple of months. Juliet’s best friend turns out to be Michael’s sister-in-law and although this isn’t a matchmaking scheme, Juliet and Michael fall in love anyway. However, Juliet is still engaged and Michael believes he’s not good enough for her, so there’s still a bit of drama to overcome before they can actually be together for good.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Fake February Rake by Charlie Lane (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Rake Review series. Hades is a respectable doctor in London, until his greatcoat goes missing and is sighted on a man escorting women away at night time. This all gets reported upon in the gossip columns, ruining Hades’ reputation and causing his patients to seek medical care elsewhere. He’s out to confront the coat thief and reclaim his coat and finds Lady Ophelia wearing it to escort women away from their abusive situations and guide them to safety. They argue a bit and he eventually reports her actions to her father; who suggests that they marry each other to restore the good doctor’s reputation. Ophelia refuses at first since she’s totally untrusting of men, but he decides he’ll convince her to come around. As they spend more time together, she starts to see that Hades is not at all like the other men in her acquaintance and starts to admire him. In turn, he supports her acts in rescuing women in horrible conditions and admires her even more because of it. The romance here is relatively straightforward, with both parties communicating pretty directly about their stance and objectives.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

A Rose Blooms in Brooklyn by Ginny B. Moore (2023)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Book 3 of the Flowers Sisters series. The beautiful and spoiled Rose has not had a success of her many Seasons in London and now she faces a pending engagement to a man she doesn’t love or to serve as companion to an elderly relation. She told her parents that she’s bound for Boston to reconcile with her twin sister, but she’s really headed to New York City to enjoy the high society her cousin lives within. However, she’s shocked to learn that her cousin is living in Brooklyn, estranged from her family, and working to support herself. Rose is completely out of her element and has to adapt to such unfamiliar surroundings. Ben is a widower and political activist who owns the building where Rose has landed and scoffs at Rose’s naivete. He’s also uncomfortably attracted to her even though his heart is all sorts of closed off after the death of his wife in childbirth. The romance between Rose and Ben involves a lot of push-and-pull, with Rose realizing that she has been completely sheltered all her life and with Ben learning to embrace life and joy again. Running through the entire book is the opposition towards laws that prohibit the distribution of contraception and the movement for women’s suffrage. We get to admire Ben’s selfless dedication to the cause as well as Rose’s increased awareness and understanding of such matters. A great read, with lots of support from Ben’s found family.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

One Night to Remember by Erica Ridley (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Wicked Dukes Club series. Lady Felicity who is the sister of a duke who grew up in poverty and is looking for a wealthy and titled husband so that she will find financial security plus have money to be able to start a charity to assist poor children. Secretly, she is a mechanic who loves to fix up her brother’s carriages. Her brother enters a curricle race and has tasked local blacksmith Giles with riding in the race and working with Felicity to make sure the vehicle is in the best racing condition. Giles is gruff at first with having to work with a partner, but very quickly becomes impressed with Felicity’s skill. These two are obviously a perfect match for each other; Felicity just needs to get over her desire to wed a wealthy and titled lord.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Wayward Bride by Anna Bradley (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Besotted Scots series. We get a double romance here in this book. Isla is betrothed to Lord Sydney, even though she’s still pining over Hugh, the stuffy marquess who rejected her after she was involved in some scandal. During a massive snowstorm, Isla ends up stuck at Hugh’s estate and they finally talk out the reasons why their courtship didn’t work out. Meanwhile, Sydney got into a carriage accident during that same snowstorm and is rescued by Lucas, a local farmer. Sydney and Lucas get their own secondary romance here, despite their differences in social station. It was interesting to see the how these four work out how to be with the person they love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Wed a Wild Scot by Anna Bradley (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Besotted Scots series. Lady Juliana needs a husband quickly to retain custody of her niece. She decides to find her childhood friend and neighbor Fitzwilliam in Scotland after he has neglected to return any of her letters. It turns out his younger twin brother Logan has been intercepting the letters so that Fitzwilliam will stay in Scotland and care for the tenants there. Unfortunately for Juliana, it turns out Fitz is engaged to someone else and can’t marry her after all. In a show of strength and wit, she demands Logan marry her instead. We get to see these two bicker and argue and reluctantly fall in love with each other despite the circumstances of their match. This one had a lot of drama involved with Juliana’s ill father, the care of her niece, and a dastardly villain.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

For the Sake of a Scottish Rake by Anna Bradley (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Besotted Scots series. Lucy and Ciaran meet on the beach at Brighton when he attempts to rescue her from the sea, even though she’s perfectly well and merely out for a swim. Over the next couple of weeks, they run into each other frequently, and then form a friendship. When Lucy suddenly leaves town without word, Ciaran believes she’s gone to London, so he goes there to find her. We slowly find out that her dastardly uncle and guardian is plotting to marry her off to a lord he owes many gambling debts to and she needs protection more than ever. Lucy and Ciaran embark on a fake courtship to throw off this other suitor and start to deal with their real feelings for each other. There’s a lot of drama in this story, plus a couple bonus side romances featuring Lucy’s cousin and her new friend.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

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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.

An Affair with the Viscount by Sadie Bosque (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Most of this book takes place during the house party hosted at the end of the previous book. Richard is an overbearing viscount who is interested in an affair with actress Josephine, even though he will soon be betrothed to another proper young lady. Josephine rejects his advances at first, but finds herself attracted to him and wanting to give in. With her past experiences with not-so-worthy gentlemen, she’s definitely wary and has a hard time trusting him. She’s proven right when she finds out that Richard is betrothed and he has a lot to overcome to win her back. We get some external drama here with Josephine’s friend and another actor being forceful and vile. Richard comes to the rescue in his overbearing ways, but it’s always at just the right time. I liked seeing Richard soften over time and realize that he cannot live without Josephine and seeing the support of his family.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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 Governess and the Duke by Lydia Drake (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Renegade Dukes series. Viola is the governess to one duke’s rambunctious ward with a long-standing crush on that duke’s best friend. When traveling with her charge, the teenage girl falls and sprains her ankle, forcing the pair to stay at James’ ducal castle. Although James has been hiding away in the country after the embarrassment of a rejected proposal, he finds himself intrigued and attracted to Viola and wondering why he had never noticed her before. Both James and Viola try to fight their attraction to each other at first, being of different social standing, but that doesn’t last for too long. Viola’s charge and James’ sister become fast friends and cause all sorts of trouble, which is humorous to read. When we find out about Viola’s past and the secrets she’s been keeping, she’s pleasantly surprised by James’ reaction. Overall, this was a pretty straightforward social class difference romance, made more interesting by the antics of the teenage ward and sister.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

Bookshop Cinderella by Laura Lee Guhrke (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Scandal at the Savoy series. Max is doing a favor for his cousin by collecting research and plans for a dinner party from bookseller Evie; when he meets her, he’s tailed by a few boisterous younger men who disparage Evie’s plain and bookish demeanor. He ends up wagering that with a bit of polish, she’ll be able to fill her dance card at a ball in six weeks time. Max tries to enlist Evie to be part of his wager, but she refuses at first, until a boiler bursts in her bookshop, closing it down and leaving her without a place to stay. Evie has basically been alone in running her shop and barely making ends meet and has never experienced any balls or parties, so Max’s offer forces her to experience new things. Meanwhile, as a duke with no heirs, Max is seeking the perfect society wife and trying to learn from the mistakes he made with his first wife, who was ostracized in society. While Max and Evie grow closer with their talking and banter, they both know that the social class differences between them would be unrealistic to try to overcome. This was a fun book to read and I liked reading about Evie gaining more self-confidence through the book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Forever Books.

Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Scoundrels of St. James series. Sterling is a new duke who has been traveling for many years and newly back in England. At his sister’s wedding, he is intrigued by Frannie being surrounded by her scoundrel friends in a protective manner. Of course, he decides that he’s attracted to her and propositions her almost immediately. Meanwhile, Frannie is also intrigued by the man who looks at her with desire instead of concern and protection. She grew up in the streets, was sold into a brothel at age twelve before being rescued, and has not been interested in a man since then. While she initially rejects Sterling’s proposition, she is certainly considering it. Frannie and Sterling continue to orbit around each other in various ways, but Sterling starts to become impressed by Frannie’s selflessness and care towards orphans. Even though both know that Sterling is not willing to marry Frannie, they still slowly end up falling in love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Heiress Bride by Madeline Hunter (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Heiresses series. New duke Nicholas is still adjusting to his inherited status and feeling the stresses of his responsibilities. He’s surprised when he receives a visit from the last of the late duke’s heiresses, Iris. She is a rare book dealer and has come to inquire about a particular rare book that the late duke had said that he would assist her in finding. Iris had only recently learned that the duke had passed away and is completely surprised by her inheritance. Nicholas agrees to assist her in finding this book, but is also suspicious of Iris, so he intends to keep a close eye on her. This one is another book in the series where the two main characters really start on opposite sides of an argument but also can’t seem to stay away from each other. This book was super interesting in terms of Iris’s family history and scandal with her grandfather. We also re-open the investigation into the late duke’s death and wonder if Iris or Nicholas become targets for violence as well. And I also enjoyed the big reveal at the end when we start to dig into the attics.

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

A Perfect Bride by Samantha James (2004)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Sterling Family series. Sebastian is a stuffy marquess who avoids scandal because of the family scandal he suffered when his mother ran away. When he stumbles upon an injured woman in the streets, he brings her home to care for, even though he thinks she’s a prostitute and thief. Devon is neither of these things, just a young woman trying to survive in her impoverished conditions. Devon and Sebastian argue and bicker and definitely do not trust each other, but still end up intensely attracted to each other. Neither are thinking ahead to the future when they embark on a physical relationship, but it’s Sebastian who needs to get over his fear of scandal if he wants a future with Devon.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Duke Hunt series. A new duke and his housekeeper have gotten off to a rocky start and now seem to have a contentious relationship. Susanna has been the housekeeper at the estate, despite her relatively young age for the role, and is peeved by the arrogance of the new duke. Lucian had lived in poverty with his younger sisters until it was discovered that he was the duke and has a scandalous secret of how he earned the money to support his family. These two don’t trust each other much, but Lucian’s irritation is mostly due to the stress of his new role and the attraction he feels for Susanna. A house party that Lucian hosts sets up more trouble as Susanna is confronted by a man who knew her when she was young. We get to find out Susanna’s secrets and what brought her to work as a maid and then housekeeper all those years ago. The romance between Lucian and Susanna is pretty straightforward once we get past the disgruntled misconceptions they have of each other, and we get to see these two become open and honest with their secrets.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

It Happened One Midnight by Julie Anne Long (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Jonathan is the youngest son of a wealthy gentleman and told he must marry appropriately within the year to retain his allowance. Except that Jonathan has no intention of marrying and is more interested in his newfound investments. When he crosses paths with Thomasina, he believes that he’s immune to her charms and is mostly irritated by her antics. Except we soon learn that Tommy has a soft heart and is secretly rescuing children from untenable situations. The soft-hearted Jonathan gets caught up in the scheme as well, and these two oh-so-slowly fall in love. We’ve got a few more of Tommy’s secrets to uncover along the way and we get to see Jonathan grow a backbone and some principle as well. This one is another excellent addition to the series.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

It’s Hard Out Here for a Duke by Maya Rodale (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series. James and his sisters are bound for London to take up his new role as duke, but he enjoys one last night as “Just James” with a beautiful woman he meets at a tavern. Meredith is traveling back to her role as a duchess’ companion when she meets James’ eye across the tavern and decides to take this one opportunity for passion before she continues being a proper companion. Of course, they’re in for some bad luck when they realize that they’re stuck in the same household with completely disparate social stations and need to forget their one night stand ever happened. While James struggles with his new role and responsibilities, he’s continually tempted by the presence of Meredith and wishes he could give everything up to be with her instead. Meredith is the one that is usually sensible and explains to James the ways of the ton and how their relationship would be completely inappropriate. However, all the hints of the relationship between James and Meredith that we’ve seen from the first three books come into full force in this one, where they both need to decide what’s really important to them.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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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

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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.

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 Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (2024)

Fantasy. Standalone novel. Picked this one up because it was the June Romantasy Book Club pick for my local indie bookstore. I would categorize is as fantasy with some romantic elements. We have an interesting story that takes place in Spain where a servant girl, Luzia, shows signs of magic. And then her employer decides to make her a dinner spectacle, and then they all catch the attention of some patron who’s going to enter Luzia into some magic showcase to win political favor. There’s a huge cast of characters here and it’s all very complicated, but kind of interesting to see all the political maneuvering. Luzia’s love interest in the story is Santangel, who has his own brand of magic and is somehow tied to his master. There’s a backstory there too, which was interesting to discover. This book started pretty slow for me since I had to learn who all the key players were and why they were important, but the pace picked up around halfway through the book. It ultimately gave me similar vibes to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, even though the plot and setting were entirely different.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Viscount’s Marriage of Inconvenience by Barbara Russell (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Keith and Violante meet when she injures him in the snow with her sled and then brings him home to be cared for by her physician father. He was a malnourished servant from the neighboring escape, but pretty much rescued by Violante’s father when allowed to stay and recuperate, and then join the servants there. Over the next year or so, Keith and Violante develop a strong friendship and a crush on each other, despite their differences in social station. Everything comes crashing down when Keith discovers the father’s terrorist plot and goes to the police. From here, the paths diverge greatly and Violante ends up a pickpocket and Keith is a wealthy businessman recently awarded a viscount title. When they run into each other again, Keith wants very much to care for Violante, even though her pride will not accept his charity. For business reasons, they end up in a fake marriage at a country house party, and of course things get all sorts of messy. This was another high-drama addition to this series and I enjoyed reading it.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via BookSprout.

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute and fun rom-com about an author who fakes her identity to get a chance at a book deal. Daphne is in a whole lot of trouble when she realizes that her teenage zombie fighter book has sold under the pen name and fake biography of Zane Remington. Luckily, her best friend and lawyer has an actor lined up to play Zane for photo ops and interviews. Except Chris is not actually even an actor, he’s actually a nerdy accountant who needs a break. Chris and Daphne are adorable together and definitely each have a crush on the other, even as they try to keep things professional. It’s nice to see them team up together as the book gets even more popular and they end up on book tour. It’s a whole lot of mess as they navigate their respective fake identities.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

In Scandal with the Duke by Stacy Reid (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Sins and Sensibilities series. American heiress Elizabeth would rather stay unmarried than be stuck with a suitor who prefers her money, so she tries to keep her wealth quiet, until her meddlesome aunt blabs about it. Also, she keeps running into this super arrogant and pretentious duke who is friends with her brother. James finds Elizabeth refreshingly honest and he can’t get her out of his mind, even though he doesn’t mess with marriage-hunting innocents. They start a little affair, knowing that Elizabeth is planning to go home to New York and she just wants to experience a bit of fun before she goes. We get a very steamy book here with weeks and weeks of trysting, only to be interrupted by the development of real feelings and that meddlesome aunt again.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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.

Night Song by Beverly Jenkins (1994)

Historical romance. 1880s Kansas. Standalone novel. Slow burn high steam romance here between a Kansas schoolteacher and a handsome army sergeant. We start with a tragic prologue for Cara as she loses her grandfather to Union soldiers and then jump to present day where she’s a teacher in small-town Kansas. There, she re-meets Chase, an arrogantly handsome army man passing through town temporarily. He flirts, she refuses, until she doesn’t. But he’s planning on leaving, so it’s all just a temporary fling. Except deeper feelings are taking root, amidst the drama of small town life. We get lots of time jumps here as they part ways and reconnect multiple times over the next year. Super romantic and sweet, along with steamy.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Earl and the Country Girl by Eva Devon (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Felix is doing such a terrible job at pretending to be a stablemaster that local apothecary’s daughter Alice realizes that he’s a fraud pretty quickly. Felix is actually the earl who owns to village and estate and he’s trying to find out if his estate manager is embezzling funds. In exchange for Alice’s help in learning how to play his part, he promises to set her up as a perfumer’s apprentice in London. The books is split pretty much into two parts, with the first being all the village happenings and catching the villain there; then when we go to London, Alice gets to learn the trade she’s so interested in. Plus, we get Felix and Alice start an affair with each other, knowing that neither are interested in marrying each other. Alice is afraid that having a husband will derail her dreams and plans, while Felix is afraid of any attachment at all because he doesn’t want to cause or feel loss or grief. But you know they’ll fall in love with each other anyway, and at least they’re having a good time along the way.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

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The Yellow Polka-Dotted Bathing Costume by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Super short novella part of the Surprise! Dukes series. This one is a bridge between the Those Kilted Bastards series and the Surprise! Dukes series. We have Althea, daughter and sister of a duke, who is at Brighton with her brother. Her elderly earl fiancee has passed away recently, leaving her free to pursue someone else. Lucky for her, the neighbor who was totally unsuitable for her has recently inherited a dukedom. Sebastian is eager to marry Althea now that he will have the approval of her brother and that she is no longer engaged to someone else. Quick low-angst story here.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke’s Deceitful Governess by Caroline Lee (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 1 of the Surprise! Dukes series. Rourke has custody of his brother’s illegitimate twin children who are a crazy handful and have been kicked out of a bunch of schools and scared off many governesses. He’s giving them one last chance to behave for their latest governess, threatening to send them to school separately if they don’t behave. Sophia is the new governess, but she actually doesn’t have any experience with children and forged her recommendation letters so that she can come to Rourke’s estate to search for evidence that he is either complicit or innocent in her old boss’ crimes. Sophia is actually a surprisingly good governess though, connecting with the children, and helping Rourke to connect with them too. Rourke and Sophia are instantly attracted to each other and find ease and companionship with each other. This book is humorous and steamy but also has a bit of danger involved. Definitely recommended if you want to see a stern serious cold duke learn to love his niece and nephew along with their governess.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke’s Bartered Mistress by Caroline Lee (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Surprise! Dukes series. Scarred and reclusive Demon is unwilling to accept money to repay an earl’s debt, wanting instead the location of the earl’s brother who betrayed him. Dutiful daughter Georgia comes to the castle to take on the negotiations, but Demon wants her gone so he crudely proposes that he’ll release the debt if she stays as his enthusiastic mistress. Georgia wants the approval of her father so she’s willing to do whatever it takes to wipe out this debt and it doesn’t hurt that she does actually desire Demon. She agrees to the bargain and spends the next five weeks in Demon’s castle. As they spend more time together (both in and out of the bedchamber), they slowly start to fall in love, but are hesitant to ask for anything beyond their initial agreement. Despite the steam starting early and often, the romance here was slow burn with a slow progression of trusting each other and sharing about their pasts. We also get to see Demon’s friends from the previous story and get an update on the ruthless villain that they’re searching for.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke’s Counterfeit Wife by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 3 of the Surprise! Dukes series. The set-up of this book is totally crazy and definitely not historically accurate, but the author totally acknowledges this in an author’s note before you even start the book. An elderly duke in the Highlands sets a contest in the newspaper to select his next heir out of a list of distantly related contenders. One of the eligible candidates is Griffin, ex-spy and single father, who is trying to keep a low profile and keep his kids out of danger. He lives next door to Felicity and her teenage son, who inconveniently comes over through a door on a shared wall between their homes to spend time with his new best friend, Griffin’s daughter. The kids come up with a scheme to claim the inheritance and somehow wrangle their respective parents into a fake marriage to win the dukedom. There’s a ton of calamity and humor here with our blended family, but the duke and his secretary are very understanding and kind. Plus, the ongoing plot throughout the series of finding the spy boss who betrayed them all is still at play. I loved learning about Felicity’s backstory and how she became separated from her son; and I especially loved how they all came together as a new family.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke’s Daring Bride by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Surprise! Dukes series. Alistair is a reclusive duke who does not speak but makes his case in the House of Lords through letters and support documents; at night, he stalks the streets fighting crime as the Dark Knight. One night, he saves Olivia from ruin while she’s out there looking for a story that might save her newspaper. One of her investors just happens to be Alistair and she shows up at his house the next day to ask for him to reinstate his financial support, not knowing he was the one who saved her. He decides to propose to her in exchange for the newspaper support, mostly because he needs a wife, but doesn’t want to go out into society to acquire one. These two enter into a marriage of convenience, but have an instant attraction for each other. It’s fun to read about Olivia integrating into Alistair’s boisterous family: a meddling mother and two quirky younger sisters. Of course we also get a slow progression of Alistair and Olivia learning to trust each other and fall in love. This one was another great book in the series and I love how everything ties back to the overarching villain of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Duke’s Wicked Widow by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Surprise! Dukes series. I always love a good pregnancy-inheritance scheme. Ellie is at the doorstep of her late husband’s bastard cousin, hoping to get herself impregnated and pass the kid off as the next heir. Fawkes is both insulted and intrigued and ends up complying. While Ellie’s motives may seem selfish, she’s really just trying to protect her stepdaughter and she doesn’t have any place else to go if her in-laws throw her out. There’s a lot of back and forth between Ellie and Fawkes as she tries to get pregnant and he’s keeping secrets about his role as the notorious Duke of Death. However, Fawkes proves to be kind and caring towards Ellie and her stepdaughter when they need it. We also tie back to the overarching drama of the series with a traitor and his supposed agents trying to bring him to justice. We start strong with the physical attraction in this one, with a slow build towards real affection. And we still get all of tongue-in-cheek humor that Caroline Lee’s books always deliver.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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.

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More or Less a Marchioness by Anna Bradley (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Somerset Sisters series. Even though Iris is betrothed to an eligible marquess, she’s unsure of his affections for her and contrives a situation where he’ll kiss her. The ever-proper Finn rejects the opportunity out of propriety, but we soon learn that he was trying to distract Iris from the unexpected presence of his former mistress. The naive Iris learns a few new things about her fiance and decides they won’t suit after all. She’s also realized that this prim and proper persona she’s adopted is very different from her true personality and is determined to be herself from now own. Just as Iris is rejecting Finn, he’s starting to appreciate her spark and possibly falling for her for real, and not just as a marchioness contender. There’s lots of fun banter and flirting as these two reconnect and he tries very hard to convince her to stay engaged to him.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

More or Less a Countess by Anna Bradley (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Somerset Sisters series. This one is a bluestocking-rake story with some mistaken identity thrown in the mix. Violet is semi-heartbroken when the guy she’s pining over marries her friend, but she throws herself into writing a book instead, which contains all sorts of gory London history. Rakish Nick is back in London after his father’s death and inheritance of an earldom, but he’s not aiming to stay for long, except that his aunt is forcing him to marry and work on making an heir. When he sees a lovely young lady playing the piano so beautifully, he decides to court her. He thinks he’s courting the youngest sister Hyacinth, but doesn’t realize that he’s actually been spending time with Violet instead, and actually doesn’t know that Violet exists. She’s tried her best to dissuade Nick, especially with his scandalous reputation, but then realizes that he’s useful for escorting her about town to draw sketches for her book. Things get messy when they both develop feelings for each other and the truth of Violet’s identity comes out. I loved how Nick was actually really supportive of Violet’s book and was impressed by her knowledge and cleverness instead of being put off by it. She’s the one here who needs to make up for her deceit though.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

More or Less a Temptress by Anna Bradley (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Somerset Sisters series. Frail and fragile youngest sister Hyacinth sees a brawl at an inn and then accuses the man of being a murderer when he shows up at a ball. Lachlan is not actually a murderer, but the secret brother of a marquess who has brought his younger brother and sister to England after their mother dies in Scotland. Luckily for everyone, the marquess acknowledges his new family members and hopes to smooth their way into society. Except that whole murder accusation is hovering about and Hyacinth is the one who is outcast and deemed to be a hysterical female. While Hyacinth’s family coddles her, Lachlan sees that she’s actually quite cunning and brave, if only she had the chance to show it. We get to see Hyacinth grow a backbone, especially around Lachlan, who does not treat her as delicately. This was a super fun romance to read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

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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.

The Duke’s Unexpected Love by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. We start with a tragic prologue for James, who is a duke’s heir that gets abducted by sailors and forced onto a ship with limited memory of who he is. Many years later, we find that he’s the captain of a ship for a prosperous shipping line and recently landed in England for his next assignment. A drunkard who turns out to be his childhood tutor recognizes him in a tavern and insists that he’s a lord. James is pretty much shocked and surprised, but when he visits the duke’s household, he’s instantly recognized as the missing son of the duke. Meanwhile, Sophie, the owner of the shipping company is recently widowed and considering propositioning the handsome James for an affair, not knowing his newfound status or identity. James has bigger ideas (like marriage) and is actually trying to keep this all secret because he wants Sophie to accept him as a man, rather than a title. Add in the fact that James as a gaggle of sisters and cousins soon-to-debut, and we’ve got the beginnings of an interesting series.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

One Night for Love by Mary Balogh (1999)

Book 1 of Bedwyn Prequels. Neville (Earl of Kilbourne) is waiting at the altar for his bride. However, before she can make it down the aisle, another woman, named Lily shows up and Neville says she’s his wife. Years ago, while he was away in the military, Neville married the sergeant’s daughter. They were attacked in an ambush and he believed she died. He recovers and goes back home to his noble duties. Turns out she was a captive the whole time and when she was released, she came to find Neville. Neville feels bad about rejecting his bride/cousin Lauren, but wants to make it work with his wife Lily, but Lily is a commoner with no experience in how to be a lady and is unsure of her standing with Neville. At some point, Lily leaves Neville and goes to London to acquire some etiquette lessons. There’s also a fun little plot twist here involving an older gentleman who is behaving strangely around Lily, which is uncovered towards the end of the book.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Westcotts series. Jessica, the sister of a duke, has finally decided that she will marry this year (in her sixth or seventh season). While she typically has a court of interested suitors, she’s looking forward to meeting newcomers to the ton. Gabriel has spent the past thirteen years in America after fleeing England due to some scandal and is back now to claim his rightful title and care for those living on the estate. Upon meeting Jessica, he arrogantly decides that he will marry her, since the sister of a duke will fulfill all of the practical criteria he has for a wife. However, Jessica is angry and insulted by his presumption, challenging him to do better if he wants to win her hand. This book was yet another really interesting story in the series with the unraveling of Gabriel’s mysteries and the support that Jessica provides through his ordeal. And while the women of Jessica’s family do not quite understand the pairing, the men are as quick as Jessica is to guess at Gabriel’s true identity.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Week As Lovers by Victoria Dahl (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Somerhart series. Lord Lancaster, an impoverished viscount, catches his wealthy fiancee with another man at a ball, but knows he’s stuck marrying her anyways. When he gets a letter that his childhood friend Cynthia has died, he rushes back to his childhood hometown to pay his respects. When he’s there, he finds that she is not dead after all, but faked her death to escape an arranged marriage to a horrible suitor. Lancaster is fighting his own demons from his history of a happy childhood turning to a darker adolescence and also trying to resist his attraction for Cynthia. That doesn’t last long though, as they team up to find some buried treasure in the caves on Lancaster’s land.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

It’s Always Been You by Victoria Dahl (2011)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the York Family series. Aidan, second son of a baron, had loved and lost when his sweetheart died at sea. After that tragedy, ten years prior, he turned into a cold and unfeeling rake. In a small shipping town on business, he sees a woman that looks like his old sweetheart, Kate and follows her into her shop. Well, it turns out Kate didn’t die and her parents lied about the death and married her off to a plantation owner in Ceylon. After suffering a horrible marriage, she’s fled and built a new identity and business in England. While Aidan and Kate reconnect, find out what thwarted them all those years ago, Kate is still keeping secrets about her marriage. Enjoyable read, even if somewhat predictable.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacour (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Lucky Ladies of London series. Naval Lieutenant Eli is back from the dead after being shipwrecked and captured by pirates to find that he has no money, no fiance, and might be questioned by his bosses about his time away from the Navy. His former friend Jane is being cold and he doesn’t quite know why, but he wants to regain her friendship and affection. Well, we find out that Eli and Jane had a strong friendship up until the point where Eli gets caught in a compromising position with Jane’s prettier and more sociable cousin Cecily and then gets engaged to that woman. Stuck doing the honorable thing and staying engaged to a woman he doesn’t like very much, he runs off and joins the Navy. It’s basically a cluster of immaturity for Eli there. Meanwhile Jane is trying to run a discreet gambling club for ladies and gain her own financial independence. Due to the meddling of too many of Jane’s family members, she and Eli end up at the same house party attending the horse races at Ascot and sort of maybe start a physical affair. But both Jane and Eli is dodgy about their feelings, leaving the other person totally unsure and insecure. This is one of those books where I’m just waiting for the characters to just talk to each other already. However, it was fun to read about Jane’s adventures in gambling and Eli’s unwavering support.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.

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.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (2022)

We have a presumed dead, best friend romance here with a trans woman who left her previous name and title away after being declared dead in the war. She’s now living as a lady’s companion to her sister-in-law and visiting her previous best friend, who has been grief-stricken since he believes his friend died. They reconnect with new understanding of each other and their identities but still have to deal with the societal expectations of him being a duke. This was a very sweet story about finding joy and love with the person you’ve been connected with your entire life. And Viola’s family is the best most supportive family ever.

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

The Baron’s Betrayal by Callie Hutton (2015)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 4 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Marion is the widowed older sister of the family and faints when she sees her husband at a local assembly. Turns out he was lost at sea, severely injured, and now blind. Tristan thinks that his blindness makes him an incapable husband or father so he stayed away from Marion, allowing her to think him dead, and then remarry to have a happy life. He’s insistent on seeking a divorce from her (even though that is completely scandalous and impractical in this time period). Stubborn Marion wants her husband back, so she moves in with him and follows him wherever he goes. This book has both characters being completely stubborn and unwilling to understand the other person’s point of view. There wasn’t much external plot here and I found the back and forth fighting to be a bit tedious. Not my fave of the series.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Runaway Duke by Julie Anne Long (2004)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Rebecca accidentally gets caught in a compromising situation with an impoverished baron who meant to compromise her sister, but now has to marry this man she doesn’t love. Luckily, her father’s head groom Connor agrees to help Rebecca escape. However, Connor is not actually a groom at all, but the heir to a duke who was presumed dead at Waterloo and is living free of his duties and responsibilities. As if the running away plot wasn’t enough, we get to see a more deeply interconnected plot as we add complications due to blackmail, a former mistress, and an industrious duchess. I really enjoyed reading the multiple points of view in this story, with the interconnections of various characters. It all comes back to the fact that Connor is now the rightful duke, even though he doesn’t know it, and all of the complications of his former life. It was also fun to see Rebecca and Connor go from being trusted friends to more along their journey.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Angel in a Devil’s Arms by Julie Anne Long (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Palace of Rogues series. Angelique is the former mistress of an earl and now proprietress of a boarding house on the docks who is content with the stability and security of her current position. When the devilish Lucien comes to claim the room he’d reserved, Angelique is instantly wary of his motives and seeks to protect her own heart. Lucien is the illegitimate son of a duke, but given a title of his own, pushed into the Thames ten years prior and presumed dead. He’s back in London and out for revenge. However, he’s distracted by his attraction to Angelique and her denial of his attentions. Despite all that, they slowly become friends and then lovers while Lucien is also reintegrating himself into society. This one was a really well-written slow-burn romance that I enjoyed.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Revealing the Viscount by Lexi Post (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Marrying a Mabry series. Mariel is the eldest Mabry sister whose beloved fiancee had died in the war, married a much older man to restore her family’s finances, and is now a widow. She’s just learned that her once-fiancee is not dead after all and is forced out of hiding to become a viscount after his brother’s death. Marcus has indeed been hiding from Mariel, at first because he believed she betrayed him by marrying so soon after his supposed death and then because he believed himself incapable of siring children after witnessing atrocities during the war. When Mariel comes to confront Marcus over his deception, they both observe that the other person is changed from the person they knew all those years ago. They ultimately agree to a fake betrothal to preserve Mariel’s reputation and to keep away all the debutantes vying for Marcus’s hand. As these two spend more time together, it’s clear that they’re both still in love, but very damaged from their separate experiences. They definitely need to talk through their issues and attempt to overcome them before being able to be together.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Taming the Savage Duke by Barbara Russell (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Chaos and tragedy for everyone involved in this book. Maddie is on the cusp of receiving entry into a prestigious art academy, but an accident involving an overzealous botanist leaves her painting ruined and her hand injured and unable to paint. Hector is the brother of a duke who wants acceptance into his own scientific academy and accidentally injured Maddie in an attempt to collect a rare plant. He feels horribly guilty for her injury and only accepts his place on a South American expedition after Maddie’s encouragement to leave. Unfortunately, his ship goes down before he even reaches his destination and he’s declared dead. Eight years later, Hector is found alive, having survived alone on an island all this time. In this time, his brother and mother had both passed away and his horrible cousin is now the duke. Maddie gets involved to assist Hector in regaining his manners and civility to gain his title back. The romance is slow and sweet and low-angst, while we work through all of the external struggles that Maddie ad Hector have. This was action-packed and kept me enthralled the whole way through.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber via NetGalley.

Betting Against the Scoundrel by Mariah Stone (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Former duke Spencer is back from his involuntary stint in the Navy, now with a limp, nightmares, and lack of direction. His brother and heir Preston is irrevocably the new duke and also married to the woman Spencer had loved and wanted to marry. Although everyone is glad to see Spencer alive, he’s broody and isolated and set on revenge against the corrupt duke who sent him to sea. Meanwhile, the overlooked and ignored Joanna is attempting to rescue her own family from ruin by that same duke (and her uncle) by searching for blackmail material. She and Spencer cross paths with their common enemy, but they have opposing purposes. There’s some bickering between the two, but the attraction between them is undeniable. Although Spencer tries to seduce Joanna, he’s also unwilling to start any sort of proper courtship, even as he starts to realize he cares for her.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

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Anything But a Duke by Christy Carlyle (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Duke’s Den series. Diana is an inventor who needs financial investment in her cleaning device so that she can support herself and not need to subject herself to the marriage mart. Aidan is one of the investors at the Duke’s Den, where Diana presents her invention for potential funding. Diana and Aidan end up making a separate sort of deal where Aidan will help find buyers for her machine in exchange for her finding him a noblewoman to marry. He seeks entrance into polite society and thinks that a wife will be the ideal route. We get to see Diana playing matchmaker and Aidan’s fumbling attempts at meeting her friends, when really they’re just attracted to each other. Each of these people needs to expand their current goals to include love and companionship if they’re going to make this thing work. I loved seeing how supportive Aidan was of Diana’s work and intellect.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Nothing Compares to the Duke by Christy Carlyle (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Den series. We start with a prologue showcasing our idyllic childhood friends and neighbors Bella and Rhys at her birthday party. The party ends in heartbreak for Bella though and these two friends part ways for the foreseeable future. Five years later, Rhys has cultivated a scandalous reputation for throwing debauched parties and frivolities, but that sort of life has grown a bit wearisome, especially as he’s recently inherited his father’s indebted dukedom. When he returns to his country estate, he realizes his ledgers are a mess and his steward has gone missing, so he goes to ask his clever neighbor and former friend Bella for help. He’s definitely got some apologizing to do though, and she’s reluctant to reconnect with him. Clearly her childhood crush on him was unrealized and she’s protecting herself from suffering heartbreak again. Except this time, her parents are throwing atrocious suitors at her and pressuring her to marry, and so she somehow gets Rhys to agree to a fake engagement in exchange for her help with his estate. I enjoyed seeing these two reconnect and Rhys realize what he had been missing for all these years.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Wager with a Siren by Sofie Darling (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the All’s Fair in Love and Racing series. Super stern and serious Julian is actually just trying to keep himself under control, thinking he doesn’t deserve love and acceptance while also distancing himself from his father’s reputation. He gives the outward appearance of respectable dullard. Except when he meets Tessa, the sister of a newly minted duke, who challenges him with her disdain. They end up making a wager about the horse he has in an upcoming race and his prize is one night in bed with her. Tessa is not at all prepared for her new station in life and would prefer to stick to what she already knows as the co-owner of a gambling hell. But she and Julian are totally drawn to each other and she’s ready and willing to spend that night with him. There’s a lot of compromise needed here on both their parts to figure out how they fit together. Super steamy and emotional.

Advance ebook provided by Sofie Darling via NetGalley.

Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Luna Sisters series. Middle sister Isabel is often overlooked by everyone, making her perfect for sneaking around English manor houses looking for useful information to aid the Mexican government. While Isabel and her sisters have fled Mexico for the safety of England, she’s doing her best to aid in any way possible. Unfortunately, that puts her in the sights of Captain Sirius Dawson, who has his own assignments to learn about potential connections to the French government. Sirius has cultivated a reputation as a rogue as he seduces his way into his information, and thereby earned Isabel’s disdain. However, when he spends more time with her, he finds that there is a lot more to her than it seems and he develops a newfound respect and appreciation for her intellect. There’s a lot of hiding and spying and getting stuck together in precarious circumstances and pretty soon, a fiery affair begins. Super steamy and emotional and perfect for all the overlooked bluestockings.

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

Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter (2024)

Mystery/Thriller. Standalone novel. Famous influencer Evie disappears and her older sister Hazel is determined to find her. Most of this book was Hazel’s internal commentary about her mother’s behavior and exploitation of her younger sister and it moved pretty slowly for me. While it was an interesting take, I expected more action in a book categorized as a thriller.

Advance ebook provided by Quirk Books via NetGalley.

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

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.

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.

The Duke Has Done It Again by Jane Ashford (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Duke’s Estates series. Rose and Gavin are from rival families who believe that a certain estate belongs in one of their families instead of having been left to some unknown duke. They end up in a shouting match in front of the estate’s front lawn when the duke arrives to evaluate the estate, pretty much embarrassing themselves. Luckily the duke and duchess are quite astute to the problem and invite both Rose and Gavin to stay with them for awhile to foster goodwill. They end up in a truce and then maybe kind of sort of start to truly like each other, away from the angry influence of their respective parents. We get to see a connection form between Rose and Gavin, ever so slowly, but satisfying all the same.

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

Her Runaway Duke by Ellie St. Clair (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Noble Pursuits series. Beauty and the Beast vibes with a grumpy scarred reclusive duke and a runaway bride. Siena is running away from her wedding day, gets lost in the woods, and needs rescuing from highwaymen. Luckily, Levi is there to save the day, even though he does it begrudgingly. He thinks that his scarred appearance will scare people away, but it’s really his personality. Siena and Levi are stuck together at his manor due to a rainstorm and of course she’s kind and understanding and helps him soften up a bit. Things get more dramatic when there are rumors about her disappearance and then the arrival of unwanted guests. This one was steamy and emotional and also plenty dramatic.

Advance ebook provided by Ellie St. Clair.

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Rules for a Rogue by Christy Carlyle (2016)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Romancing the Rules series. Childhood friends and neighbors reunite in this story after the death of Kit’s father sends him back to his country home to take care of matters. After Kit and his father had a huge falling out several years ago, he set off to make his way as a playwright in London. Left behind in the country, Ophelia has been supporting her family by tutoring young ladies in the neighborhood and also secretly writing a popular etiquette guide. She’s mostly irritated and annoyed at Kit’s return to the country because she thought herself immune to his charms. But really, his presence has just reactivated all those latent feelings she has. He’s also equally interested in Ophelia, but he’s not clever enough to realize he should offer her marriage. It takes most of the book for Kit to turn into someone trustworthy and reliable enough to be worthy of Ophelia’s affections. Meanwhile, she’s got another ardent suitor and there’s some conflict related to Kit’s father’s publishing house and Ophelia’s secret writing. This one was quick and fun to read and we get to read about Kit’s younger sisters later in the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Study in Scoundrels by Christy Carlyle (2017)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Romancing the Rules series. We start with a tragic prologue for Jasper as a teenager who loses his older brother and becomes the heir to an earl. Fast forward many years and now Jasper has abandoned his title and place in the aristocracy for a place on the stage and a life of debauchery. When he’s notified of his younger sister’s disappearance, Jasper sets off to find her. In this process, he’s re-introduced to the prim and proper Sophia, who is his friend’s sister. Although she’s generally content to follow all the rules of propriety, she’s also secretly writing a detective novel. These two are total opposites but keep bumping into each other in Jasper’s search for his sister and ultimately end up teaming up to find the girl. It’s fun to see Jasper’s preoccupation with Sophia, even though he’s totally unworthy of her, and to see Sophia loosen up and give into her attraction to Jasper.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to Woo a Wallflower by Christy Carlyle (2017)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Romancing the Rules series. Much of this book takes place at the publishing house that Clarissa and her siblings own, though there’s definitely some secret backstory about the manager Gabriel and the seedier neighborhoods in London. We actually get to see Gabriel and Clarissa running into each other in Whitechapel (not a nice neighborhood) when Gabriel is trying to find his mother and Clarissa is working at a charity girls school. He’s normally straightlaced and proper and doesn’t want anyone to know his origins. Meanwhile, Clarissa is bright and cheery and outspoken and he hates the idea that she’s basically his boss and way above his station. When Clarissa learns that her inheritance is tied up in a dowry, she’s determined to make her own money and her brother sets her up to be mentored by Gabriel on how to run to publishing house. They’re both generally irritated by each other, but mostly because of the underlying attraction between them. It’s fun to see Clarissa basically wear down all of Gabriel’s defenses and surprise him with her affection.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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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.