The Perils of Pleasure by Julie Anne Long (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Colin Eversea is a handsome, charming rogue who is about to hang for a murder he didn’t commit. A last minute save from the gallows comes from mercenary Madeleine Greenway, who doesn’t know who is responsible for Colin’s rescue. With Madeleine being nearly killed and a price on Colin’s head, these two are stealthily trying to unravel the mystery of Colin’s missing witness and his savior. We get elements of a road trip adventure, even though we’re mostly still in London as Colin and Madeleine investigate various leads and clues. Of course the heightened danger and forced proximity lead to Colin and Madeleine developing a strong connection as they slowly start to trust each other. We also get glimpses of other points of view from other members of the Eversea family and their rivals, the Redmonds. It’ll be interesting to see how these two families interconnect throughout the rest of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Straightlaced insect researcher Miles pretty much loses his head and starts composing poetry the moment he sets eyes on Cynthia at a ball. Unfortunately, he overhears her calling him dour and boring, so he decides that he hates her now. Except he doesn’t and he’s absurdly attracted to her. When Cynthia gets invited to his home by his sister for a house party after some sort of scandal, he tries to avoid her, but fails miserably. Cynthia has no family, no money, no prospects, and a dwindling reputation, so this house party is her only chance to find a husband. Except Miles is being overly critical of her methods, even while he’s supposed to be courting a young lady whose father will fund his next expedition. These two bicker and argue and somehow can’t keep their hands off each other. And you’d think it was just lust driving them, but they do actually seem to understand the other person better than anyone else in the world, making it even more heartbreaking that they really aren’t a suitable match for each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Since the Surrender by Julie Anne Long (2009)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Former Captain Chase Eversea is all sorts of aimless after being injured in the war and returning to his family home. So much so that his family has banished him to London on a task and to find some purpose. On his first day back in London, he’s summoned by a mysterious note to a not-so-popular museum. Rosalind is the widow of his commanding officer in the army and his one shameful secret of indiscreet behavior; he very much wants to avoid her, but it seems she needs his help. Rosalind is concerned about her sister who was arrested for theft and then has since disappeared from prison without a trace. She needs Chase’s help to discover what happened to her. While he refuses to help at first, he eventually gives in and they need to team up to follow the trail of clues. The mystery plot of this story was super interesting to uncover, plus, we get to see the ever-so-stoic Chase slowly let down his guard and give into his feelings for Rosalind.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

I Kissed an Earl by Julie Anne Long (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Violet is the outgoing, fiery, but coddled daughter of a gentleman who is bored of society and longs for adventure. She meets the ship captain turned earl Flint at a ball and is quickly intrigued by him, even if a bit disapproving. However, upon conversation with Flint and his first mate, she believes that her own missing brother may also be the dangerous pirate that they’re charged with capturing. So Violet does the rash and reckless thing and stows herself onto their ship with her trunk hoping to save her brother. Except for the fact that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Flint is irritated and angry to find Violet aboard and threatens to toss her overboard, but is equally intrigued by her, and may even believe her speculation about her brother’s involvement. However, he’s absolute in his determination to carry out his orders to capture the pirate, despite his growing feelings for Violet. The romance here was definitely a slow-build here, with Violet constantly being intimidated by Flint’s brutish behavior. And then all sorts of action-adventure you’d expect on a ship on the high seas.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Serious and stern duke Alex catches Ian Eversea in bed with his fiance, so he decides to take his revenge by seducing and abandoning Ian’s sister, Genevieve. Except Genevieve is both too clever and too preoccupied to fall prey to Alex’s games. She’s spent the past few years in love with her good friend Harry, who she was hoping would propose to her during the house party her parents are hosting. Except that he tells her that he’s planning to propose to another woman. She puts up a calm facade but is most definitely heartbroken. When Alex shows up to the house party, Genevieve obeys her mother’s wishes to spend time with him, but she’s not interested in the much older man at all. Until they actually start talking to each other and getting to know each other and realize that it’s nice to talk to someone at the same intellectual level. And while Genevieve never becomes a victim to Alex’s revenge, she does end up attracted to him and conflicted about her feelings. Alex is also realizing that he’s his own victim as well, falling in love with Genevieve when she’s in love with someone else. A big huge muddle, but very entertaining to read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Pennyroyal Green series. This one is a romance between a scandalous widowed countess with and the country village vicar. Evie has recently moved to Pennyroyal Green after the death of her husband and hopes to build a new quiet life for herself, except that her reputation as a former actress and courtesan has followed her and caused the townsfolk to shun her without meeting her. She pleads her case with the handsome well-liked vicar Adam in hopes that he will introduce her to the ladies of the town. Adam is struggling with way too much adoration by the young women of the town along with his unwanted feelings of desire for Evie. He’s basically a poor sad sap who is confused about his emotions. But Evie is open and honest and vulnerable around Adam and he sees that she’s truly a good person in need of support and community. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and seeing how tough Evie was in the face of all the gossip surrounding her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

Between the Devil and Ian Eversea by Julie Anne Long (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 9 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Attention-seeking flirtatious Tansy is now the ward of a duke and recently arrived in England to find a suitable husband after the deaths of her parents. While staying with the Eversea family, everyone is very careful to avoid the mention of the rogue-ish Ian, presumably to avoid the corruption of the young and innocent Tansy. Except that Tansy is a relentless flirt with all the other men in the village, watching them fawn all over her, and suddenly awestruck and awkward around Ian. He’s both annoyed and entertained by her antics and sees right through them, avoiding falling prey, or at least pretending to avoid falling prey, to her wiles. Both Ian and Tansy are a little bit shallow and vain and it’s hard to empathize with them, but we slowly find that Ian is troubled by his experiences from the war and Tansy is just alone and lonely in the world. Somehow, in the seeing through the other person, Ian and Tansy are the only people to see each other as they actually are.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

It Started with a Scandal by Julie Anne Long (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 10 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Lord Philippe Lavay is recuperating from a brigand attack in a rented house in the country, where the servants who came with the house can’t seem to find any work ethic. He hires new housekeeper, Elise, who had to leave her position as a teacher at the local girls’ school. The gruff Lavay gives her a two-week trial run to see if she can survive the job. Elise doesn’t really have much choice since she doesn’t have anywhere else to go with her six-year-old son. She puts on her schoolteacher demeanor and puts the rest of the servants to work. Along the way, she and Philippe learn to deal with each other more amicably and realize that they’re both hurt and injured and lashing out. And although Philippe should really be working on courting an old family friend with a dowry, he’s increasingly intrigued by his outspoken, bold, and caring housekeeper. Elise is trying to resist the best she can, knowing that she’s not a suitable match for the lord of the house, but his care and concern for her and her son breaks down a lot of those walls.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 11 of the Pennyroyal Green series. After a ten-book lead up about the tortured romance between Lyon Redmond and Olivia Eversea, we finally learn what happened all those years ago and what happens in present day as Olivia is about to marry another man. Clearly, we have the element of forbidden romance between members of these rival families, which leads to a secret courtship that ends in heartbreak for everyone. While Lyon had fled the country and gone missing for five years, Olivia has been pursued by many suitors to no avail, until one day she accepts the proposal of one of them. As she’s preparing for her wedding to a man that she likes (but does not love), she’s assaulted by memories of her time with Lyon and also wondering where in the world he is. We’ve got an epic set-up here for him to reinsert himself in her life and also show her what he’s been doing all this time. We get all sorts of juicy heartbreak and intrigue and redemption and forgiveness in this book. And it tied everything up for this whole series very nicely.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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What Is Love? by Jen Comfort (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Maxine and Teddy are total opposites in terms of personality and temperament and somehow end up rivals on a popular trivia question game show. We get to see them get under each others’ skin a few times before teaming up to study together to prepare for a final tournament against a common rival. Of course with their very different study styles (super regimented for Teddy and nonexistent for Maxine), they spend most of their time arguing and then trying not to sleep with each other. Until they realize that carnal acts make great study motivators. This book was super funny and steamy and highly entertaining.

Advance ebook provided by Montlake Books via NetGalley.

After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Palace of Rogues series. Mariana is an opera singer who needs a hideout after some scandal involving two gentlemen and a duel, so she stops at our favorite boarding house to stay. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have any money, so the ladies of the house plan for Mariana to sing a concert in a month’s time to generate ticket sales. Meanwhile, a steady and boring curmudgeonly duke is also staying at the boarding house to work on writing his memoirs while his townhouse is being renovated. James is known for his heroism and valor and was awarded his ducal title by the king. He very loudly disapproves of Mariana’s reputation and the two have a chilly relationship with each other. Circumstances force the two to spend more time together and James starts to realize there’s more to Mariana than it initially appeared and they slowly develop an accord, and then attraction, and then more. We get a delicious slow-burn romance with this one and James needing to deliver the ultimate romantic gesture.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Simple Seduction by Janna MacGregor (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Millionaires of Mayfair series. Honoria is the sister of a duke who hides out in the country and avoids society because her father had cast her out as a child and also believed that she was not his child. She plans to attend a masquerade for a one night tryst before she claims her spinster status for good. And she does meet a charming and delightful man named Marcus who is attractive and makes her feel desired and safe. The problem is that he’s really an earl and her brother’s best friend. Things get complicated when they find out their true identities and get caught because Honoria is adamant that she cannot marry Marcus. Turns out the old duke had arranged for a letter claiming Honoria’s status as illegitimate to be revealed if she ever marries, so Honoria is trying to keep her siblings’ reputations intact. Despite Honoria’s hesitance, Marcus continues to try to prove that he truly cares for her. This was a fun series started and I’m excited to read more about Honoria’s family members.

Advance ebook provided by Janna MacGregor.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Logan and Rosemary were best friends as tweens, enemies as teens, didn’t see each other for a decade, and now enemy co-workers teaching at the same high school they attended. They’re also complete opposites in personality and demeanor and are constantly antagonizing each other. They’re also both completely dedicated to their former teacher and mentor Joe who is dying of cancer. When Joe wants both girls to drive him across the country so that he can die in his remote cottage, they think it’s a terrible idea, but then give in because they both want to honor Joe’s wishes. And it’s pretty much an awful road trip, with arguing and detours and dodgy accommodations. But through this trip, everyone gets to deal with all of their past regrets and inner demons and actually communicate with each other. And while the death trip is sad and full of grief, we do get to see Logan and Rosemary reconcile and begin to understand each other better. Funny, heartbreaking, and so very delightful to read.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

It’s Raining Rakes in April by Annabelle Anders (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rake Review series. Henry has returned to England to take his rightful place as duke, but he’s walking around town as a regular guy until the paperwork is settled, just in case his cousin contests the claim. In doing so, he observes Julia trying (and failing) to catch his cousin’s attention and being a total dunce at flirting. Julia is the oldest of seven sisters and is encouraged to make an advantageous match to position her sisters better in the future. Her aunt discourages her from spending time with Henry, since he’s rumored to be a rake and he seemingly has no financial prospects. However, Julia is still atrocious at flirting and needs some help, so she enlists Henry for some lessons. And in this process, he decides to keep her for himself, especially since she likes him for who he really is and not because of his title or money.

Advance ebook provided by Annabelle Anders.

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.

You Were Made to Be Mine by Julie Anne Long (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Palace of Rogues series. Our favorite boarding house makes for a great hiding place for Lady Aurelie, who is running away from her earl fiance. She’s got a false name and a plan to sail to America as soon as she can find the funds to do so. Meanwhile, the fiance has hired a former spy to track the lady down. Hawkes was a army spy and then a French prisoner of war for the past couple of years, recently released from prison to do the earl’s bidding. He’s suspicious of the reasons for Aurelie’s departure and also believes the earl had committed treason. It’s a tangle of drama here, but it’s pretty much love at first sight when Aurelie and Hawkes finally meet, even though they’re both hiding secrets from each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Taming of a Highlander by Elisa Braden (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Midnight in Scotland series. Kate Huxley is in Scotland visiting her brother and trying to finish writing her novel (or play) so that she can be financially independent and never need to get married. Except that she may or may not have witnessed a man committing murder and is now in some sort of legal entanglement with a sergeant who wants to know what she saw. Broderick had been wrongfully imprisoned, beaten to near death, and scarred last year and after his recovery, seeks revenge on the man who orchestrated his downfall. Unfortunately, Kate’s disruption in the woods has caused his quarry to escape, plus the unwanted attention of the law. Kate and Broderick end up in a marriage of convenience to prevent the law from compelling her to testify against her husband. They fall in love in pretty short order and Broderick’s protective instincts flare when Kate becomes a target for the madman.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Love Through a Lens series. Sweet, funny, and super steamy all in one book. Dallas is our single dad football player almost ready to retire from the game since he cannot find a reliable nanny to take care of his daughter June. Apparently, they’re all just trying to get into his bed instead of actually doing their jobs. Meanwhile, newbie team photographer Maven (who’s also the coach’s goddaughter) needs some extra cash to pay her rent and Dallas offers her the job. Lucky for everyone involved, Maven is great with June and definitely prioritizes her care and needs. But of course, Dallas and Maven are very attracted to each other – they resist at first due to their working relationship and the fact that it would be against the team rules at their other job. But you know, that only lasts so long. This was delightful and steamy and relatively low conflict. It’s my fave kind of book to pace myself with for glimpses of joy and happiness.

Advance ebook provided by Chelsea Curto via LoveNotesPR.

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Lucy is the intelligent and outspoken owner of an apothecary and she has hired an investigator to find out who has stolen one of her recipes. Jonathan is a prior prizefighter and single father who takes on the job. While Lucy suspects that arrival apothecary has stolen the recipe since the scoundrel had run off with a different recipe in the past, Jonathan isn’t so sure this time. As part of Jonathan’s payment, he and his daughter take up residence in an empty apartment above the apothecary. We get a fun mix of characters here with Lucy’s siblings, Jonathan’s daughter, and the shopgirl who works at the apothecary and I enjoyed seeing them all interact. While the romance between Lucy and Jonathan is slow-burn, I appreciated seeing Jonathan support Lucy’s intellect while also providing emotional support. We also get to find out the answer to the mystery of the missing recipe while catching up with a few of our favorites from Everett’s previous series.

Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

It Started with a Scandal by Julie Anne Long (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 10 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Lord Philippe Lavay is recuperating from a brigand attack in a rented house in the country, where the servants who came with the house can’t seem to find any work ethic. He hires new housekeeper, Elise, who had to leave her position as a teacher at the local girls’ school. The gruff Lavay gives her a two-week trial run to see if she can survive the job. Elise doesn’t really have much choice since she doesn’t have anywhere else to go with her six-year-old son. She puts on her schoolteacher demeanor and puts the rest of the servants to work. Along the way, she and Philippe learn to deal with each other more amicably and realize that they’re both hurt and injured and lashing out. And although Philippe should really be working on courting an old family friend with a dowry, he’s increasingly intrigued by his outspoken, bold, and caring housekeeper. Elise is trying to resist the best she can, knowing that she’s not a suitable match for the lord of the house, but his care and concern for her and her son breaks down a lot of those walls.

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.

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.

Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Widowed viscountess, Cora, is being challenged over the custody of her two young children. She comes up with a scheme for a fake fiancee to help bolster her upcoming case to retain physical custody. Nate is the second son of an earl and a dissolute rake who has been cut off from funds from his older brother. Knowing that Nate needs the money and that he owes her a favor, Cora sets up a contract with Nate for the arrangement, which includes him coming to her country estate for two weeks while her in-laws are also in residence. What follows is a slow realization for Nate of Cora’s strength and determination and him figuring out that he can’t just be a screw up forever. While he interacts with the kids and supports Cora’s struggles, Nate does a lot of growing up himself, even if Cora doesn’t quite trust him yet. This book gets a lot of hype for being very swoony, and it certainly is, but the winning point for me is how believable Nate’s transition into fatherhood is and that he realizes that he can bring support and happiness into this family that he wants very much to be a part of.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

It Had to Be a Duke by Vivienne Lorret (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Liar’s Club series. Verity is the oddball of her family, being sensible and plain, rather than an outrageous actor. Faced with an embarrassing situation with her catty neighbor, she makes up a lie that she’s engaged to a duke. When Magnus hears a rumor about this from the father of the heiress he means to marry, he hastens to the village where Verity lives to settle this issue. Magnus and Verity are longstanding family rivals from a time when Magnus’ father lost a lot of money in an investment and Magnus has blamed Verity’s father for the swindle. He definitely does not want to be associated with Verity or her family, but he seems to need to rescue her from her own clumsiness and daring. He’s also annoying stiff and proper and sometimes even mean to her. Of course, he’s only mean to her because he’s attracted to her when he doesn’t want to be. They continue a temporary fake engagement so that he doesn’t appear outwardly cruel, and he slowly starts to soften towards her. There’s definitely a lot of grudge-holding and angry bickering in this story, so it’s interesting to see how these two find common ground.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Who Needs a Duke by Amanda Mariel (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Catherine is the sister of a duke who does not want to marry because she likes her independence and wants to continue her charity work with orphans. She believes that she needs to do this secretly and any future husband of hers would forbid her from continuing. Charles is tired of the title-hungry mothers and debutantes and would like to avoid being targeted for matrimony this season; when he hears that his friend’s sister would also like to avoid marriage, he develops a plan that will hopefully satisfy them both. Catherine and Charles then spend the rest of the season in a fake courtship, then fake engagement, and with all the time they’re spending together, they actually fall in love. Loved this low-angst read.

Advance ebook provided by Amanda Mariel via BookSprout.

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.

The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Wallflower Trilogy series. A trio of wallflower friends are lamenting their fourth season as unwed ladies. While Emma has been courted by a quiet unassuming gentlemen for many years, he has yet to propose due to the financial constraints of both their families. Emma’s friends drunkenly write a fictitious newspaper announcement of a betrothal, thinking it would force the man’s hand to propose, but also aim for a very handsome and eligible duke in a separate announcement. The announcement somehow gets printed in the newspaper and Emma now finds herself the center of attention of sociable ladies hoping to catch her in the lie. Blake is a rogue of a duke who is seeking investors for a machine he’s working on, but his rakish reputation is unhelpful. When he sees the newspaper announcement declaring his engagement to a mild, unscandalous, wallflower, he decides to continue the charade to improve his own reputation. Emma and Blake agree to the fake engagement while at Blake’s aunt’s house party, attempting to win the family fortune. While Emma tries to resist Blake’s advances, he sees her as an adorable challenge and slowly starts to appreciate her wit and humor. She can hardly believe that his feelings are true, so she clings onto her love for her other suitor for as long as possible.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Some Like It Scandalous by Maya Rodale (2019)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Book 2 of the Gilded Age Girls Club series. Daisy and Theo are lifelong enemies after he creates a cruel nickname for her as young teenagers. However, they’re forced together in an arranged engagement as Theo fails to live up to his steel magnate father’s expectations and Daisy’s family may soon be under scrutiny with her father’s investment company. Since these two are not actually interested in marrying each other, they decide to fake an engagement to relieve the pressure from their parents while they pursue other projects. Daisy is a chemist and has been developing a complexion balm that she hopes to sell and support herself. Theo is aimless and doesn’t really have much going for him except his charm and looks. Somehow, they end up teaming up on Daisy’s product and their strengths really do complement each other. Plus, as they spend more time together, they actually start to get to know one another and become friends (and maybe more). This was a fun slow-burn sort of romance with Theo being the one to prove his worth and give his full support to Daisy’s invention.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. We revisit the woman from our tragic prologue of Book 1, Camille, an American heiress who was married off to a much older duke. Throughout the first three books, we’ve seen bits of the cruel treatment she has endured from her husband, ultimately seeing his death in the bed of his mistress at a house party. Now a widow for the past two years, Camille is slowly trying to reclaim her identity and participating in causes her husband would have disapproved of, like the home for young women or the women’s suffrage movement. She also seeks to determine if she can find sex pleasurable and propositions a man to assist her. Jacob is the illegitimate son of an earl and half-brother to Christian from Book 2. He refuses Camille’s proposition at first, not wanting to make things awkward as their social circles overlap. He ends up needing a fake fiancee to prove his stability for a business arrangement and asks Camille to play the part; of course she only agrees in exchange for the sex lessons she wanted in the first place. We soon realize that Camille has underlying fears of the act due to the ill treatment from her husband and Jacob needs to be gentle and patient as well as allow Camille to be in control of their intimacies. We get to see our charming rakish hero slowly fall in love with Camille and help in her journey towards empowerment. Overall, this was a great way to conclude the series and see our poor Camille finally get a happy ending.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Her Rake Fiance by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Richard is looking for information about his missing brother from a certain prominent criminal and is promised the info in exchange for him marrying the man’s sister. Jane is the legitimate daughter of a baron who was cast out of society after her father’s death due to her connection with her criminal brother, but she has no desire to marry since she wants to run a school for impoverished children. She and Richard strike a deal to help him find the information he needs before the supposed wedding and then they’ll break off their engagement. Of course, as they spend more time together, they slowly start to fall in love, and Richard is the one who proposes that they turn their fake engagement into a real one. Jane is unsure of this since she has her own goals with her school and she doesn’t quite fit into polite society anymore. It’s a bit of a muddle here, but I appreciate that these two communicate pretty well about their past traumas and grow closer because of it.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSirens.

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All Duke and Bothered by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Dukes and Secrets series. New duke Preston wants revenge on his brother’s killer, so he arranges himself in a position to marry Penelope, the young lady that he believes led on his brother and whose father hired ruffians to beat him. She doesn’t know about her father’s misdeeds and is horrified at having to marry Preston, who openly disdains Penelope. Preston believed that Penelope was a shallow flirt who was interested in his brother’s money, but really, she just thought they were friends and liked to talk about art together. Penelope was not interested in marriage at all and wanted to work on her painting. As Preston starts to see that he was mistaken about Penelope’s true personality, he feels guilty for misjudging the situation with his brother and also guilty for marrying Penelope. He’s still preoccupied with getting revenge on Penelope’s father though, and she’s disappointed that he is clearly choosing revenge over the possibility of love and happiness. It’s all a muddle until Preston can share his secrets with Penelope and let go of his quest for vengeance.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Her Rake Fiance by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Richard is looking for information about his missing brother from a certain prominent criminal and is promised the info in exchange for him marrying the man’s sister. Jane is the legitimate daughter of a baron who was cast out of society after her father’s death due to her connection with her criminal brother, but she has no desire to marry since she wants to run a school for impoverished children. She and Richard strike a deal to help him find the information he needs before the supposed wedding and then they’ll break off their engagement. Of course, as they spend more time together, they slowly start to fall in love, and Richard is the one who proposes that they turn their fake engagement into a real one. Jane is unsure of this since she has her own goals with her school and she doesn’t quite fit into polite society anymore. It’s a bit of a muddle here, but I appreciate that these two communicate pretty well about their past traumas and grow closer because of it.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSirens.

Project Duke by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Lady Calliope has no interest in marriage since she’s so independent and outspoken and has goals of opening her own sleuth agency. However, when the dastardly marquess who hurt her many years ago announces his intentions to marry her, she needs to find a protector in short order. She’s hoping to gain the information to rescue her missing brother, but instead ends up entangled with Nathaniel, a handsome but impoverished duke. His late father has been trying to dictate his actions by withholding his inheritance until Nathaniel marries and provides an heir and time is running out. Nathaniel proposes a marriage of convenience to Calliope in exchange for assisting her find her brother. Although these two are very much attracted to each other, their personalities are completely ill-suited. Calliope is brash and independent and always getting herself into danger, while Nathaniel has emotional scars from being unable to protect his mother from danger and he wants to keep his new wife and sisters safe from harm. I found both characters a little irritating in their incapacity of empathizing with their partner’s stance. However, we slowly uncover more information about Calliope’s missing brother and continue to interact with her warm and loving family.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

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.

When the Duke Bought a Wife by Mariah Stone (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Prequel novella of the Dukes and Secrets series. Emma is in a terrible marriage with a baronet who is much older and cruel and definitely did not deliver on the financial assistance that her parents needed when she married him. And in the course of traveling through the countryside, he’s had enough of her insolence, so he dresses them both up as pig farmers and sells her in the square in a wife auction. Sebastian happens to be there with his friends and decides to rescue her. He conveniently needs a wife to deter his mother from setting him up with a proper lady and a farmer’s wife is the perfect revenge. Except that Emma is actually a gently bred lady and just doesn’t tell him so. Sebastian is shocked by how well she cleans up and attempts to seduce her on the daily, but she refuses him. Until she doesn’t. This was a relatively quick low-angst romance, with just the right amount of drama and villainy to keep things interesting.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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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!

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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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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.

Bequeathed by Andie James (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Beaumonts series. West is the new marquess and has inherited an impoverished estate that he needs to revive. While he’s at it, he also wants to avoid doing anything his overly strict late father would have approved of, like marrying a wealthy woman for her dowry. Priscilla is a young widowed duchess out of mourning and in the swing of the Season, looking to assert her independence and not just go along with her parents’ expectations. Unfortunately, her late husband left her with quite a bit of money, so the fortune-hunting gentlemen are paying too much attention for her liking. Priscilla and West are encouraged by their respective parents to spend time together, both are clear they’re not interested in an attachment, and then end up in a fake relationship to get their families and fortune-hunters to leave them alone. As they spend more time together, they realize that they do genuinely like each other, despite their social appropriateness. The question becomes what to do with their newfound feelings when they’ve already agreed to a expiration date of their relationship.

Advance ebook provided by Andie James.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Palace of Rogues series. Widowed countess Delilah is left homeless and penniless with only a mystery building on the docks to her name. She meets her late husband’s mistress Angelique at a bar next to that building and they end up becoming friends and teaming up to open a boarding house in that building. They spruce up the place with the goal of making it a comforting and inviting home, despite the fact that the building may have been a brothel once upon a time. Meanwhile, Tristan is a dutiful agent of the crown trying to find the source of a cigar smuggling operation and lands at the doorstep of the boarding house. He takes a room there to snoop around and tries to rule out Delilah as a suspect, but he’s conflicted about his growing feeling for her knowing that he’s from a different social class. Delilah is trying to enjoy her newfound independence as a widow and businesswoman, but also conflicted about her attraction to Tristan. We get to read a slow-burn romance here with a bit of mystery in the background, plus meet an interesting cast of characters within the boarding house.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sincerely, The Duke by Amelia Grey (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Say I Do series. Rick is a duke who suffers from both secret debilitating fevers and a meddlesome mother. When his mother presents him a list of debutantes to consider for marriage, he hurriedly pens a quick marriage proposal to a random lady on the list. A few days later, a lady shows up at his doorstep inquiring about the veracity of the proposal, and being the upstanding honorable guy that he is, he decides to follow through with it. Edwina is a take-charge outspoken sort of lady who has made her father a deathbed promise to see herself and her sisters wed this Season, even though they’ve been hidden away in the country. It turns out triplets are thought to be bad luck, so they’ve tried to hide the fact that they’re triplets (even though they look exactly alike). She’s glad to be engaged to the duke but insists that he help her sisters find husbands as well. We get a lot more chaotic when the sisters show up in town (who are highly resistant to marriage) and find that Rick’s mother is very superstitious. I liked seeing Rick become protective of his new wife and family and also see him appreciate Edwina’s unique personality.

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

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.

Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Love Through a Lens series. Sweet, funny, and super steamy all in one book. Dallas is our single dad football player almost ready to retire from the game since he cannot find a reliable nanny to take care of his daughter June. Apparently, they’re all just trying to get into his bed instead of actually doing their jobs. Meanwhile, newbie team photographer Maven (who’s also the coach’s goddaughter) needs some extra cash to pay her rent and Dallas offers her the job. Lucky for everyone involved, Maven is great with June and definitely prioritizes her care and needs. But of course, Dallas and Maven are very attracted to each other – they resist at first due to their working relationship and the fact that it would be against the team rules at their other job. But you know, that only lasts so long. This was delightful and steamy and relatively low conflict. It’s my fave kind of book to pace myself with for glimpses of joy and happiness.

Advance ebook provided by Chelsea Curto via LoveNotesPR.

Aged to Perfection by Merry Farmer (2024)

Historical romance. Alternate Universe Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Unlucky in Love series. To make sure you aren’t as confused as I was when I started reading, we’re in some sort of alternate universe Regency England here, with different kingdoms and factions within England that are not necessarily united. They all have slightly different laws and customs and this gets referred to frequently as characters from different regions interact. Story-wise, we start with a duke telling all his sons and nephews to get married and the last unmarried man with inherit a cursed castle. Oldest son Cedric jumps right on the task, even though he had loved and lost his mistress many years ago, and somehow ends up matched up with his friend’s sister Muriel. Except when he goes to start courting Muriel, she’s completely resistant to marriage and all of the restrictions it places on women. There’s a lot of back and forth flirtation between these two, and a bunch of heartbreak as Muriel continually refuses Cedric’s proposals despite his need to get married to avoid the family curse.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout.

I’m Only Wicked with You by Julie Anne Long (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Palace of Rogues series. Our American boarder Hugh first meets Lady Lillias as she’s hiding away from her family smoking a cheroot, and he promptly tattles on her to her earl of a father. They’ve got an instant attraction to each other, but know that the other is trouble. Hugh is in England to search for his mentor’s daughter who ran off and plans to bring her back home and start working towards his own political goals in New York. Lillias is the much-pursued beautiful daughter of an earl who is heartbroken over her dear friend declaring that he’ll soon marry another woman. Hugh and Lillias could not be more different, but they continue to taunt each other with flirtation and seduction. It’s a terrible idea for everyone, but you can’t help watch these two gravitate towards each other and see through the shiny, shallow, and pretty facade that most of the world observes.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Tempting Proposal by Christy Carlyle (2015)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Accidental Heirs series. We have the oldest daughter of a marquess and a freshly inherited duke in a fake engagement romance in this book. In order for her father to allow her younger sister to marry, Kitty has to marry first. Except that Kitty is super picky about her choice in husband because she does not want to go from being under her father’s control to some other unworthy lord’s control. However, her sister has found a suitor she’d like to marry, forcing Kitty’s hand this season. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s best friend is the man who needs a little help arranging a match for Kitty so that he can marry his one true love. Sebastian is all-sorts of hesitant due to a past heartbreak and his general observation that Kitty is one of the popular but mean girls of the season. To help secure her father’s blessing for the sister’s marriage, Kitty and Sebastian agree to the fake engagement. And of course, they both find that the other person is more intriguing than they expected. Loads of drama with a tangle of side characters in this one and lots of fun to read.

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!

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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.

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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 Perks of Loving a Viscount by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. Lady Philippa Strong is a duke’s sister who would rather wear breeches and gallivant around her country home than become the sparkling debutante next Season. She’s not interested in becoming a wife and mother and property of a man, so would like to retain her independence. Although when she meets the handsome new viscount next door, she’s starting to question her path a little. Seth is the son of the fourth son of a viscount and never expected to inherit anything. After spending most of his life at sea, he’s shocked to find that he’s suddenly the new viscount after the death of his uncles and father. With no experience in being on land or the ways of polite society, he relies on his new neighbors for help. Especially the help of Pippa to teach him how to ride a horse. As they spend more time together, Seth is sure that Pippa will make him an excellent wife, but he’s careful not to scare her off with declarations too soon. This one was another fun look at the Strong family and how well they accept each other. I also appreciate a man who quickly knows what he wants and goes after it.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Mad Duke March by Sadie Bosque (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rake Review series. The Duke of Tyrone has a tragic history of a mother who abandoned him and a father who beat and berated him, so now he’s a reckless drunk with no ambitions or goals or sense of proper behavior. A public street experiment of a steam carriage almost injures a young lady, and in the process of rescuing her, Tyrone drunkenly grabs her in a salacious manner and ruins her reputation. Emily is the young woman ruined by the whole thing with tattered clothes, a lost purse of money, and a lost fiance in the process. And of course she’s also generally impoverished with an ill mother and three younger siblings to care for. Somehow, she convinces Tyrone to marry her to save her skin, but he’s still a general brute and incapable of treating his wife properly. It’s a big huge leap to see them eventually come to an accord, but Emily’s spine of steel has a lot to do with it.

Advance ebook provided by Sadie Bosque.

The Wickedness of a Highlander by Elisa Braden (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era Scotland. Book 4 of the Midnight in Scotland series. Sabella is the sheltered and abused younger sister of one of the major villains of this series, alone in the world, and swindled out of all her worldly possessions. Stranded and desperate, she takes the job of housekeeper at the gruff and growling Alexander’s house. Alexander hasn’t been the same since he was shot by Sabella’s brother many months ago and still not fully recovered from his injuries. By taking in Sabella and forcing her to do all the chores of the house, he’s hoping to get his revenge, and maybe purge his lustful thoughts of her from his mind. Except she’s determined and resilient even though she’s a terrible housekeeper, but she does her best to earn her wages. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s also harboring lustful thoughts for Alexander and finds him to be kind and gentlemanly. It’s another grumpy overprotective highlander here with a sheltered young miss falling in love.

Advance ebook provided by Elisa Braden.

Damned If I Duke by Anna Bradley (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Drop Dead Dukes series. Poor Prudence has been in a tough spot since her father lost a great deal of money to a certain rakish duke in a card game and she’s putting up with her friend’s matchmaking efforts while she’s visiting. Except, Prudence dreads the idea of having to marry to secure a home even though her father is on verge of selling their home. Meanwhile, rakish duke Jasper has just recovered some scandalous earrings from a former mistress and when Prudence discovers them, she tries to blackmail him into forgiving her father’s debts. She’s comically bad at blackmail though and both of these people are feeling generally guilty about their behavior. They’re also stupidly attracted to each other, even though they don’t really like each other. It’s a bunch of chaos and comedy with these two, but at least Jasper’s stodgy grandfather approves of Prudence.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Love Through a Lens series. Sweet, funny, and super steamy all in one book. Dallas is our single dad football player almost ready to retire from the game since he cannot find a reliable nanny to take care of his daughter June. Apparently, they’re all just trying to get into his bed instead of actually doing their jobs. Meanwhile, newbie team photographer Maven (who’s also the coach’s goddaughter) needs some extra cash to pay her rent and Dallas offers her the job. Lucky for everyone involved, Maven is great with June and definitely prioritizes her care and needs. But of course, Dallas and Maven are very attracted to each other – they resist at first due to their working relationship and the fact that it would be against the team rules at their other job. But you know, that only lasts so long. This was delightful and steamy and relatively low conflict. It’s my fave kind of book to pace myself with for glimpses of joy and happiness.

Advance ebook provided by Chelsea Curto via LoveNotesPR.

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Lucy is the intelligent and outspoken owner of an apothecary and she has hired an investigator to find out who has stolen one of her recipes. Jonathan is a prior prizefighter and single father who takes on the job. While Lucy suspects that arrival apothecary has stolen the recipe since the scoundrel had run off with a different recipe in the past, Jonathan isn’t so sure this time. As part of Jonathan’s payment, he and his daughter take up residence in an empty apartment above the apothecary. We get a fun mix of characters here with Lucy’s siblings, Jonathan’s daughter, and the shopgirl who works at the apothecary and I enjoyed seeing them all interact. While the romance between Lucy and Jonathan is slow-burn, I appreciated seeing Jonathan support Lucy’s intellect while also providing emotional support. We also get to find out the answer to the mystery of the missing recipe while catching up with a few of our favorites from Everett’s previous series.

Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Aged to Perfection by Merry Farmer (2024)

Historical romance. Alternate Universe Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Unlucky in Love series. To make sure you aren’t as confused as I was when I started reading, we’re in some sort of alternate universe Regency England here, with different kingdoms and factions within England that are not necessarily united. They all have slightly different laws and customs and this gets referred to frequently as characters from different regions interact. Story-wise, we start with a duke telling all his sons and nephews to get married and the last unmarried man with inherit a cursed castle. Oldest son Cedric jumps right on the task, even though he had loved and lost his mistress many years ago, and somehow ends up matched up with his friend’s sister Muriel. Except when he goes to start courting Muriel, she’s completely resistant to marriage and all of the restrictions it places on women. There’s a lot of back and forth flirtation between these two, and a bunch of heartbreak as Muriel continually refuses Cedric’s proposals despite his need to get married to avoid the family curse.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout.

Sincerely, The Duke by Amelia Grey (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Say I Do series. Rick is a duke who suffers from both secret debilitating fevers and a meddlesome mother. When his mother presents him a list of debutantes to consider for marriage, he hurriedly pens a quick marriage proposal to a random lady on the list. A few days later, a lady shows up at his doorstep inquiring about the veracity of the proposal, and being the upstanding honorable guy that he is, he decides to follow through with it. Edwina is a take-charge outspoken sort of lady who has made her father a deathbed promise to see herself and her sisters wed this Season, even though they’ve been hidden away in the country. It turns out triplets are thought to be bad luck, so they’ve tried to hide the fact that they’re triplets (even though they look exactly alike). She’s glad to be engaged to the duke but insists that he help her sisters find husbands as well. We get a lot more chaotic when the sisters show up in town (who are highly resistant to marriage) and find that Rick’s mother is very superstitious. I liked seeing Rick become protective of his new wife and family and also see him appreciate Edwina’s unique personality.

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

Bequeathed by Andie James (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Beaumonts series. West is the new marquess and has inherited an impoverished estate that he needs to revive. While he’s at it, he also wants to avoid doing anything his overly strict late father would have approved of, like marrying a wealthy woman for her dowry. Priscilla is a young widowed duchess out of mourning and in the swing of the Season, looking to assert her independence and not just go along with her parents’ expectations. Unfortunately, her late husband left her with quite a bit of money, so the fortune-hunting gentlemen are paying too much attention for her liking. Priscilla and West are encouraged by their respective parents to spend time together, both are clear they’re not interested in an attachment, and then end up in a fake relationship to get their families and fortune-hunters to leave them alone. As they spend more time together, they realize that they do genuinely like each other, despite their social appropriateness. The question becomes what to do with their newfound feelings when they’ve already agreed to a expiration date of their relationship.

Advance ebook provided by Andie James.

The Duchess by Sophie Jordan (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Scandalous Ladies of London series. Valencia is a widowed duchess and finally trying to live her best life after her year of mourning. It turns out her late husband was cruel and abusive to her in his latter years and she’s relieved that he’s gone. The downside is that the new duke and his mother and six very loud sisters have just arrived in town and taking over her home. Rhain is disturbed to find that the widowed duchess is young and beautiful and wants to get rid of her as soon as he can, but then realizes he needs her to help give his unruly sisters some polish before they enter society. It’s all sorts of chaos and strong personalities as Valencia whips them all into shape. Plus, Valencia and Rhain have all sorts of simmering attraction for each other, despite trying to stay away from each other. The romance here was a bit underdeveloped for my tastes, with a quick flip from arguing to falling in love; however, Rhain’s good-natured protection of Valencia and his sisters was enjoyable to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Print book provided by Avon Books.

Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Addie is a travel consultant always on the go since she doesn’t really have a place she calls home. She’s working on a job in Scotland, where her late mother had visited long ago and is working through feelings of grief while simultaneously keeping her feelings walled off. Addie has tons of ideas on how to better market and commercialize the family-owned tour company, but Logan is highly resistant to change. He just wants to stick to traditions and roots and not go with any of the touristy gimmicks that other tours offer. Addie and Logan are constantly disagreeing on their direction, even though they’re highly attracted to each other. They’re both got to deal with all their own emotional roadblocks if they want to get together for real and not just as a temporary affair.

Advance ebook provided by Harlequin Books via NetGalley.

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

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.

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We start with the most awkward meeting ever when guidance counselor Lucy spills a cup of hot tea all over the front of the new history teacher Fletcher’s pants (and then tries to soak it up with her scarf). Both are completely embarrassed and mortified, especially since the other person is so attractive. We learn more about each of their backstories in pretty short order: Fletcher has moved back home with his mom after finding out his father had an affair and his mistress is pregnant; Lucy has the trifecta of depression, anxiety, and ADHD and just trying to keep it together. Lucy channels her wisdom into an anonymous online persona who does not have any insecurities or anxieties and is able to dispense oh-so-worldly advice. It turns out her number one Instagram fan and friend is Fletcher, and neither of them know who the other person is in real life. Outside of the screen, Lucy and Fletcher get to know each other more as co-workers, and then friends, and then maybe more. Lucy’s got a boisterous and hilarious family and Fletcher is pretty much just happy to be a part of it all. This book was both sweet and funny and also featured an understanding and reassuring guy.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

A Duke Once Lost by Jane Maguire (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Rockliffe Dynasty series. We start with a tragic prologue for Lady Amelia who has been jilted by the man she planned to elope with. Eleven years later, Amelia has never married and still lives with her overbearing mother. However, she soon finds out that the man who left her has recently returned to the country and is now a duke. And she has a separate problem of a gentleman blackmailing her into marriage with the knowledge that she secretly writes an advice column in a ladies’ magazine. Jonathan was the nephew of a debaucherous and irresponsible duke and now trying to take his duties seriously. Except that he still has a bit of a stammer and is trying to avoid the mocking ridicule of the men he went to school with many years ago. Jonathan quickly hightails it out of town in an unmarked carriage and runs into Amelia on the road. He rescues her, despite her protests, and then she convinces him to convey her to her target destination out in the country. We follow them through road trip trials like rain, robbers, crusty old inns, and carriage problems. And they finally talk through some of the issues that broke them apart all those years ago, but mostly they’re just trying to maintain some semblance of self-control around the person they still love.

Advance ebook provided by Jane Maguire.

Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man by Violet Marsh (2024)

Historical romance. 18th Century England. Standalone novel. Lady Charlotte is the daughter of a duke being set up to marry the heir to a duke, but he’s got a reputation for being violent and may have actually murdered his previous wives. She’s looking to find proof of his guilt so that she can avoid marrying him. Meanwhile, that man’s younger brother and her own brother’s best friend Matthew is back in town and he’s hiding his own secrets. Charlotte isn’t sure whether or not to trust him, but we know that Matthew is trying his best to find proof of his brother’s crimes too. These two are definitely in each other’s way and skirting all sorts of danger, but they’ll shortly realize that they need to team up in order to accomplish their goals. This was an action-packed mystery type of story with two people who have had pre-existing crushes on each other and kisses only. We get a fun group of crime-fighting friends and cousins and a chatty parrot, if you’re into that sort of humor. The audiobook version was well-narrated and enjoyable.

Advance ebook and audiobook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

One Dangerous Night by Cathy Maxwell (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Gambler’s Daughters series. Elise is on her way back to Ireland from London after her sister marries the man she thought she was in love with. Of course, she runs into all sorts of calamity along the way and is saved by her traveling companion, Kit, who is actually a duke who ran away from his own responsibilities and has been wandering the countryside for a year or so. These two obviously don’t know the other person’s real identity, make assumptions about the other, and are basically arguing the whole way through. But Kit is still gentlemanly and protective of Elise, despite her stubbornness throughout the journey. We get all sorts of travel adventure here with carriage accidents, ruffians, and sparse accommodations. It’s a fun ride. Plus, we get a few glimpses of other points of view when Elise’s sisters realize she’s missing.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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A Counterfeit Betrothal by Mary Balogh (1992)

Book 2 of the Waite series. So this one starts with a group of young people picnicking and one of them decides she wants to see her estranged parents get together, so she plots a betrothal with her friend (who is slightly rakish and unsuitable) so that her parents will be forced to spend time together, either to break up the engagement or to stay for the wedding planning. Most of this book does actually have to do with the parents’ relationship and only very little of the fake betrothed couple. We get to see an older couple who have been apart for over a decade, only corresponding through letters and shared custody of their daughter. We find out the cause of that estrangement and whether or not they can overcome it. This story is actually intensely emotional, with bits of lighthearted fun with the younger couple. Definitely an interesting set up using the fake engagement to further a different romance plot that you would not have expected from reading the summary alone.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Mr. Grier and the Governess by Sophie Barnes (2022)

With no family or money, Olivia sets out for a housemaid position but finds it has already been filled. The kind housekeeper and butler decide to help her and set her up as governess to the ward of the house. She’s highly educated, but very sheltered due to her upbringing. Grayson returns home when he hears of the new governess and is baffled by his attraction to her. She’s slowly working on her sister’s list of dreams and finds ways to incorporate them in her experiences. It’s a slow burn romance that’s very sweet aside from meddlesome neighbors, an ex-mistress, and mischievous brother.

Shop this book via Amazon

Scandalous Summer Nights by Anne Barton (2014)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Honeycotes series. Duke’s sister Olivia has been pining for her brother’s solicitor friend for the past decade. When she learns that he is planning to leave for a two-year expedition to Egypt, she finally declares her feelings for him and sets out to convince him of her affections. However, her impulsive nature and lack of caution land them in a series of disastrous events. While this book had its humorous moments, Olivia’s chaotic energy was awkward for me to read. Also, whenever James seemed to have something serious to talk about, they kept getting interrupted (either by external circumstances or Olivia’s distractions). It was still an enjoyable read and added more drama to the Honeycotes series, but not my fave of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath (2008)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Scoundrels of St. James series. Widowed duchess Olivia finds that her late husband has left the guardianship of her son and the ownership of her house to renowned scoundrel and gambling hell owner Jack Dodger. She’s aghast at the situation and strives to be proper in all things, except that she’s distracted by her own physical attraction towards the man. Jack had been abandoned by his mother, abused by an older gentleman, and then survived on the streets before his friend Luke was found to be an earl’s grandson and Jack came along for a proper education. Upon receiving a windfall, Jack opened his gambling hell and makes his fortune from aristrocrats’ losses. He’s just as curious as Olivia as to why a near-stranger would have entrusted his son to Jack’s care, so Jack sets his investigator friend on the case. As Jack and Olivia navigate their new proximity to each other, Olivia starts to see how she has misjudged Jack since he’s basically the best guardian ever to her son. As much as they both try to resist each other, that can only last so long.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Elusive Wife by Callie Hutton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 1 of the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. As a stipulation of the late earl’s will, Jason needs to fulfill an arranged marriage to inherit. He is completely drunk through the wedding and abandons his new wife immediately the next morning. The new countess Olivia is appalled and embarrassed with her new situation and goes to London to visit her friend and confront her wayward husband. When they see each other at a ball, he doesn’t recognize her at all and proceeds to flirt with her, even though he at least knows he’s married. While she is angry at him, he’s so besotted that he seeks an annulment from his wife so that he can pursue the beautiful lady from the ball (even though that woman is actually his wife!). A humorous set up and then when the truth finally tumbles out, our earl is trying very hard to woo his wife and make the marriage work, even as she is skeptical and resists.

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.

Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Scandalous series. This book starts with a heartbreaking prologue where Olivia and James meet as youths, are nearly engaged, and then Olivia is married off in exchange for money for her father’s debts. Ten years later, Olivia is widowed and being pursued by one of her late husband’s associates looking for smuggled treasure. When Olivia flees London to investigate a lead, she’s soon caught by James who vows to assist her and secure her safety. He’s been feeling guilty and regretful ever since he missed his chance to marry her all those years ago. We get these two partnering up to solve the mystery her late husband left behind and rekindling their lost love. Super interesting to uncover the mystery and see it tie back to characters from previous books in the series. And we eventually unmask the writer of the notoriously scandalous pamphlet that has been circulating in London.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Wallflower’s Folly by Amanda Mariel (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Olivia and William were betrothed by their parents as children, but Olivia hasn’t heard from William in about 15 years. She believed that he was not interested in actually marrying her, so she is happy to live as an independent spinster without a husband. William finally decides he needs a wife to assist with his younger sisters’ debut into society, so he comes to collect his betrothed and is surprised to find that she is completely resistant to the idea of marriage. He softens up pretty quickly and feels guilty for having ignored her all these years and attempts to make amends. This one is a quick novella that’s relatively low-angst and fun to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Love Match by Lily Maxton (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Sisters of Scandal series. Novella-length story. With Olivia’s older sisters settled and married, her mother is now trying to make a suitable match for the shy and bookish Olivia. At a house party, Olivia’s non-flirtatious demeanor has caught the attention of William, a mere mister who’s known to be a flirt. They start a dalliance while at the house party despite having no intention of courting or marrying. I think I liked this one best out of the three novellas since William was so good at defending Olivia when needed.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Wallflower Gone Wild by Maya Rodale (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Wallflower Trilogy series. Lady Olivia has a reputation of being the ultra demure wallflower with an overbearing mother. Since she has no suitors in sight, her parents have arranged for her to marry the Mad Baron. Olivia is not interested in marrying this stranger, so she plans to behave poorly to convince him to stop his pursuit of her. Phinn would rather spend time building machines than interact with society and has no idea that the scandal of his first wife’s death still circulates among debutantes. As he meets and attempts to court Olivia, he’s baffled by her behavior and wonders what has happened to the biddable and demure young lady her parents described. It’s a comedy of errors for everyone, as Phinn tries to woo Olivia using bad advice from his friend, and Olivia is completely fearful of the man while also trying to behave scandalously. It’s the slowest of slow burns here as Phinn learns to actually listen to Olivia, and Olivia learns the truth behind the rumors and slowly trusts Phinn.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

.

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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.

A Perfect Groom by Samantha James (2004)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Sterling Family series. Justin is the second son of marquess and a total rake and scoundrel. His cruel father has always berated Justin for being a replica of his scandalous mother, and he basically just continues to live up to that expectation. When he returns to London after a stint on the Continent, his friend has told him about a certain young lady who has rebuffed several suitors and is known as the Unattainable. They get into a friendly wager on whether Justin will be able to bed her within a month. Of course, when he finds out that the lady is Arabella, the daughter of a vicar who had plagued him once before, he’s pretty sure that he won’t win that bet. Except that he can’t seem to help antagonizing the lady every time they cross paths and also find all the bickering exciting and enjoyable. She tries to resist him as well, since she does not approve of his reputation and behavior. But he’s still the most handsome man in England, and she does ultimately fall under his charm.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Perfect Hero by Samantha James (2005)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Sterling Family series. Julianna is traveling alone in a coach and gets stopped by a highwayman known as the Magpie. After being injured in the overturned carriage, Dane reluctantly takes her back to his cottage to recuperate. Of course, once she sees his face unmasked, he can’t let her leave, so they’re stuck in this cottage together with a lot of uncertainty on how to proceed. Dane isn’t even really a highwayman; he’s actually a spy looking for evidence of counterfeiting. As Julianna and Dane spend more time together, of course, they find a connection, despite the fact that they’re both lying about their true identities. It’s a bit of idyllic isolation for them there in a cottage, but it’ll be tough to extrapolate to their real lives out in the world.

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.

Mr. Donahue’s Total Surrender by Sophie Barnes (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Enterprising Scoundrels series. Calista is an American lady stranded and penniless in London, seeking employment at a fancy hotel. While she’s lucky to find a position as a scullery maid, she doesn’t know what she’s doing and all the other staff members are cruel to her. Hotel owner Steven finds out about her mistreatment and moves her up to become a guest of the hotel while he helps to arrange her passage home to New York. These two end up spending more time together and getting to know each other and slowly form an attachment. However, Calista is determined to go back home and settle the expectations of her father’s debts. Steven has his own issues with being an ambitious businessman and son of a lord, but he quickly reprioritizes when it comes to Calista. This was a relatively low-angst story that wraps up in a short timeframe.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Flirty Little Secret by Jessica Lepe (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We start with the most awkward meeting ever when guidance counselor Lucy spills a cup of hot tea all over the front of the new history teacher Fletcher’s pants (and then tries to soak it up with her scarf). Both are completely embarrassed and mortified, especially since the other person is so attractive. We learn more about each of their backstories in pretty short order: Fletcher has moved back home with his mom after finding out his father had an affair and his mistress is pregnant; Lucy has the trifecta of depression, anxiety, and ADHD and just trying to keep it together. Lucy channels her wisdom into an anonymous online persona who does not have any insecurities or anxieties and is able to dispense oh-so-worldly advice. It turns out her number one Instagram fan and friend is Fletcher, and neither of them know who the other person is in real life. Outside of the screen, Lucy and Fletcher get to know each other more as co-workers, and then friends, and then maybe more. Lucy’s got a boisterous and hilarious family and Fletcher is pretty much just happy to be a part of it all. This book was both sweet and funny and also featured an understanding and reassuring guy.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

A Wicked Way to Win an Earl by Anna Bradley (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Sutherland Scandals series. Delia and her sister Lily are on their way to a house party when their carriage breaks down and Delia comes across a man rutting with a woman against a tree. Well, it turns out that man is Alec, the earl and host of the house they’re going to. We see Alec and Delia immediately at odds, with Delia believing him to be more of a rogue than he lets on and Alec believing her to be a title and fortune-hunting lady wanting to trap his brother in marriage. They’re both wrong and drawn to each other. And somehow they each independently decide to seduce each other for sport. Which of course does not go well because there’s some old family scandal with her mother and his father and the fact that Alec is supposed to be courting some other proper young miss. I’m not quite sure how their animosity here turns into love, but there it is.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Lucy is the intelligent and outspoken owner of an apothecary and she has hired an investigator to find out who has stolen one of her recipes. Jonathan is a prior prizefighter and single father who takes on the job. While Lucy suspects that arrival apothecary has stolen the recipe since the scoundrel had run off with a different recipe in the past, Jonathan isn’t so sure this time. As part of Jonathan’s payment, he and his daughter take up residence in an empty apartment above the apothecary. We get a fun mix of characters here with Lucy’s siblings, Jonathan’s daughter, and the shopgirl who works at the apothecary and I enjoyed seeing them all interact. While the romance between Lucy and Jonathan is slow-burn, I appreciated seeing Jonathan support Lucy’s intellect while also providing emotional support. We also get to find out the answer to the mystery of the missing recipe while catching up with a few of our favorites from Everett’s previous series.

Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Mr. Clarke’s Deepest Desire by Sophie Barnes (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Enterprising Scoundrels series. Lady Rosamund plans to invest her small inheritance in a locomotive company, only to be turned away by the owner, Mr. Matthew Clarke. He’s holding a grudge against her and her family after her father had taken advantage of Matthew’s mother when she worked as a maid and then turned her out into the streets. Rosamund has believed her father to be a good man and is baffled at Matthew’s poor treatment of her. They both end up at the same house party of innovators and investors and pretty much spend the whole time bickering with each other. And as they get into heated arguments, they also get into heated embraces. Matthew of course is hesitant to pursue anything further with Rosamund because of his grudge against her father and because he believes his social status is far below an earl’s daughter. Rosamund has to be the pursuant here to convince Matthew of his worth. Plus, there’s some added drama with a rival suitor, making this novella action-packed.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess by Sophie Jordan (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Scandalous Ladies of London series. Valencia is a widowed duchess and finally trying to live her best life after her year of mourning. It turns out her late husband was cruel and abusive to her in his latter years and she’s relieved that he’s gone. The downside is that the new duke and his mother and six very loud sisters have just arrived in town and taking over her home. Rhain is disturbed to find that the widowed duchess is young and beautiful and wants to get rid of her as soon as he can, but then realizes he needs her to help give his unruly sisters some polish before they enter society. It’s all sorts of chaos and strong personalities as Valencia whips them all into shape. Plus, Valencia and Rhain have all sorts of simmering attraction for each other, despite trying to stay away from each other. The romance here was a bit underdeveloped for my tastes, with a quick flip from arguing to falling in love; however, Rhain’s good-natured protection of Valencia and his sisters was enjoyable to read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Print book provided by Avon Books.

A Season of Ruin by Anna Bradley (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Sutherland Scandals series. We start off with a potential scandal almost immediately when Robyn is waiting for his planned dalliance to come to a secluded room and Lily mistakenly enters it looking for the ladies’ retiring room. Rogue that Robyn is, he immediately kisses the woman in the dark, not realizing that he’s got the innocent young debutante his family is hosting for the season and not the seasoned married woman he planned to meet. Oops. Lily resists at first, then gives in, and then resists again, and she’s hoping to get away from Robyn before he realizes who she is. No luck there. In addition to that, news of the indiscretion hits the scandal sheets the next day and Lily is essentially ruined. While Robyn’s sisters try to mitigate the damage, he’s unconcerned and does not realize how awful things are for Lily. And then he makes them worse by waltzing with her when she doesn’t have permission to waltz. Robyn is chaotic and takes nothing seriously, and Lily is pretty much afraid of any sort of strong emotions, preferring to keep things neat and orderly and controlled. These two are clearly opposites and ill-suited, but they’re also intensely attracted to each other and bring out all sorts of heightened emotions. Both have a lot to overcome in the personal hang-ups department before they can make a real relationship work.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Dangerous Night by Cathy Maxwell (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Gambler’s Daughters series. Elise is on her way back to Ireland from London after her sister marries the man she thought she was in love with. Of course, she runs into all sorts of calamity along the way and is saved by her traveling companion, Kit, who is actually a duke who ran away from his own responsibilities and has been wandering the countryside for a year or so. These two obviously don’t know the other person’s real identity, make assumptions about the other, and are basically arguing the whole way through. But Kit is still gentlemanly and protective of Elise, despite her stubbornness throughout the journey. We get all sorts of travel adventure here with carriage accidents, ruffians, and sparse accommodations. It’s a fun ride. Plus, we get a few glimpses of other points of view when Elise’s sisters realize she’s missing.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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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.

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