Rules for a Rogue by Christy Carlyle (2016)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Study in Scoundrels by Christy Carlyle (2017)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to Woo a Wallflower by Christy Carlyle (2017)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh (2004)

Morgan Bedwyn is the youngest Bedwyn and has just had her coming out to society. She has followed some friends (and a potential suitor) to Brussels in anticipation of an upcoming battle against the French. Gervase, Earl of Rosthorn, has been exiled out of England for the past nine years and spots Morgan at a ball. Knowing that she’s the youngest sister of the Duke of Bewcastle, he sets out to dance with her and take revenge on the Duke. He tries flattery and charm and she isn’t falling for it. A battle breaks out and Morgan’s brother Alleyne has gone missing; Morgan’s chaperones go back to England without her while she waits to find out what has happened to Alleyne. Gervase becomes her friend in this tumultuous time, but are there’s still that feeling that he’s seeking revenge. The history that Gervase has with Morgan’s brother is actually really intriguing to learn about, and is another step towards humanizing our favorite overbearing duke.

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

The Madness of Viscount Atherbourne by Elisa Braden (2015)

Lucien seeks revenge against the man who caused his sister’s suicide and killed his brother in a duel, so he sets out to seduce and ruin that man’s sister. He successfully compromises Victoria at a ball, proceeds to marry her, and then ban her from speaking to her brother ever again.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

Make Mine a Marquess by Tina Gabrielle (2024)

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

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

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.

The Bad Luck Bride by Janna MacGregor (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Alex is out to avenge his sister’s death by buying up a certain lord’s debts and having him jilt his fiancee. To save the fiancee Claire from ruin, he proposes to her himself. Claire has her own problems and is known for having a curse around her due to the losses of previous fiances to death, disease, and dismemberment. She’s wary of losing yet another one and feels pressured to go through with the marriage to Alex. She also has trauma and fears related to the death of her parents as a child and she tries to hide her unease from Alex to prevent him from thinking she’s insane. Alex meanwhile is still dealing with his vengeance plot and keeping that a secret from Claire. It’s a big huge mess of people hiding things from each other and waiting for it all to blow up. This story went a little longer than it probably needed to, but it was a good introduction to all the other key players in the series: Claire’s cousins and Alex’s surviving sister.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Taming the Rake by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lords in Love series. Gladys the wallflower is at the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival for the fourth time and needs to find a marriage match before her dowry is given to her delightful younger sister. She finds herself kissed in a garden and expected a proposal from the handsome gentleman, but he never shows up, and she was spotted in a disheveled state, so now she’s publicly ruined as well. Her family cuts her off completely and she has to survive on her own. Five years later, she returns to Marrywell to find the man who ruined her and seek revenge. But he’s a lot less rakish than he seemed before and Gladys is at risk of falling in love. I really enjoyed Gladys’ transformation to a confident woman and the development of her relationship with Reuben.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

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.

Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. Young duke Christian has been infatuated with the beautiful Venetia from afar when he first sets eyes on her. After many years of this obsession, he says some terribly disparaging things about her at a scientific lecture in America, not realizing that she’s in the audience. Venetia is a widow twice-over, enjoying her unmarried life, and was in America to chaperone her younger sister. After hearing Christian’s assault on her character, she’s both outraged and despondent. Under the protection of a veiled hat, she encounters Christian again on their ship going back to England and she aims to seduce him and then break his heart. It all goes wrong when she actually falls in love with him, but also cannot reveal her true identity. It’s an emotional and angsty journey for them both.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Lost Lords of Pembrooke series. We start with a tragic prologue here for three young boys, Sebastian aged 14, his younger twin brother Tristan, and Rafe aged 10, locked in the tower after their father’s funeral. Despite Sebastian being the new duke, they all think that their uncle is out to kill them and take the title for himself. They all manage to escape with the aid of their neighbor Mary and all go their separate ways, vowing for revenge when they’re older and stronger. Twelve years later, the three brothers have finally reunited and made a dramatic re-entrance into society at their home during a ball their uncle is hosting. Sebastian had been badly injured and scarred during the war in Crimea and is a fearsome sight. We get to see Sebastian and Mary meet again as adults and feel that instant connection between them. Unfortunately, Mary is engaged to someone else and it’s inappropriate for her to be spending so much time with Sebastian. He’s got his own issues with seeking revenge against his uncle and believing that he’s unable to give Mary the type of marriage she deserves. We know they’ll end up together anyway, so we just get to enjoy reading about how they continue to entangle themselves.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Lost Lords of Pembrooke series. The daughter of an earl seeks out a ship captain to take her to where her fiance died in battle so she can say goodbye and move on with her life. Except Tristan is no ordinary ship captain; he’s one of the lost lords who ran away from his evil uncle as a teenager and created a new life for himself at sea. Despite his brother reclaiming his rightful place as duke, Tristan feels that he doesn’t belong in society and prefers his position as Captain Crimson Jack. When Lady Anne comes to seek a private voyage, he doesn’t need the money she offers but instead demands a kiss, thinking that he’ll be able to seduce her into more. On Anne’s side of things, she’s been grieving her fiance and regretting an argument that they had before he shipped off to war and she’s hoping that this journey will give her closure and the ability to move on. Luckily for her, she’s rediscovering that she does have the ability to move on as she’s attracted to the gruff ship captain. But even with the attraction between the two, they have very different goals in life, positions in society, and Anne doesn’t even know that Tristan is actually a lord. Lots of delicious drama in this one, especially when they return from the voyage.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Deck the Halls With Love by Lorraine Heath (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2.5 of the Lost Lords of Pembrooke series. Super quick little novella here. A marquess who was misguidedly engaged to someone else earlier in the year is at a Christmas house party hoping to win back the woman he’s really in love with. Except that now she’s engaged to someone else and he needs to convince her to choose him instead. Luckily a convenient snowstorm helps move things along.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lord of Wicked Intentions by Lorraine Heath (2013)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Lost Lords of Pembrooke series. Youngest brother of a duke who ran away from a murderous uncle is now the owner of a gambling hell after growing up in a workhouse and the streets of St. Giles. Despite his rightful status as a lord, he doesn’t move in polite society and is still generally resentful of the pampered aristocrats he serves at his club. One such aristocrat is auctioning off his illegitimate sister’s virginity after their father’s death, without the knowledge and consent of that sister. Sweet and naive Evelyn is terrified to learn of her new fate as mistress to cold and gruff Rafe, but realizes that she doesn’t have any options, as her father had kept her coddled with no security for her future. I loved seeing Rafe being protective and caring towards Evelyn, despite his claims that he has no heart. It was also great seeing Evelyn embrace her new role and assert herself and her independence. This book also nicely makes steps towards reuniting the estranged brothers and seeing their ladies keep them all in check.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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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.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (2021)

Fantasy romance. Book 4 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. After the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin, Nesta (Feyre’s sister) is all sorts of emotionally damaged and spends her time drinking, dancing, and bringing strangers to her bed. After months of giving her space and time, the Inner Circle have finally called an intervention. Nesta’s being banished to the House of Wind where she’s not allowed to drink, assigned to physically train with Cassian in the mornings, and work in the library in the afternoons. We get to read both Nesta and Cassian’s points of view in this book as they’re stuck in this forced proximity situation. Heavy on angry bickering and angry spice throughout this book.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

The Captain and the Duchess by Alexa Aston (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Strongs of Shadowcrest series. Widowed duchess Dinah is back out in the courting scene after the death of her husband, but she’s uninterested in any of the suitors she’s met this season. In the back of her mind, she’s still thinking about her stepson’s captain friend Drake, who had flirted with her upon first meeting. Back from his first journey as captain, Drake’s first stop is the call on Dinah and see if he can arrange a dalliance. Lucky for everyone involved, she’s very much interested. It’s a quick connection for these two, both physically and emotionally, even with their different social stations. This was a pretty quick low-angst steamy romance that was very fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Luna Sisters series. Due to French occupation of Mexico, Ana Maria and her sisters have been sent to England for their safety. Away from her overbearing father, Ana Maria has the opportunity to learn more about herself and her own desires, rather than just following the rules set out for her. She meets and is instantly attracted to the stern and serious Gideon, who seeks to make parliamentary changes to fight against slave trading. These two just keep running into each other at various social events and a romance seems doomed due to Ana Maria being already engaged to someone else and Gideon prioritizing his political career. I did enjoy seeing them admit their feelings for each other and the drama that forces them to act.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Wayward Bride by Anna Bradley (2019)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle (2018)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Duke’s Den series. Second son of a duke, Nick, was treated cruelly by his father and believed to be a result of his mother’s indiscretion, except for the fact that he looks just like his father. After making his way alone and being a co-owner of a gambling den, he’s suddenly the duke after his brother’s death. His only goal is to clear out the estate and rent it out to a tenant and never visit again. He finds an adversary in Mina, the estate steward who wants him to take his duties seriously and restore the estate and assist the tenants. She’s lived at the estate all her life, learning everything from her father (the former steward) and is reluctant to leave for any reason. It was fun seeing these two argue over what to do with the estate and then slowly come to an accord. Definitely a fun romance to read, with Nick being impressed by Mina’s competence, rather than put off that she’s a woman in a man’s role.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Wed a Wild Scot by Anna Bradley (2019)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Scot Who Made June Hot by Fenna Edgewood (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Rake Review series. A dramatic house party reconnects June and Cameron, who were once handfasted, but separated due to various reasons. June is now married to a horrible terrible abusive earl who basically spent all her dowry money and is now throwing a house party to find investors in some sort of scheme. Cameron is invited to the party because he’s a duke now, and June had no idea that he was the same person as her long lost love. While they talk out how they were separated all those years ago, they’re still dealing with the horrible husband and his cousin/mistress that he’s been flaunting at the house party. We get loads of drama and chaos here as we uncover what’s going on. Super fun read, despite the emotional upheaval.

Advance ebook provided by Fenna Edgewood.

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

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lady Scandal by Laura Lee Guhrke (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Scandal at the Savoy series. Thrice-widowed countess Delia works as a party and event planner at the illustrious Savoy hotel and she’s loyal to the manager who gave her a job here. Unfortunately, there’s a new boss in the hotel, Simon, who is looking to cut budgets and bring in actual profits to the shareholders. At least, that’s what he’s telling people. He’s really there as a cover for the investigation looking for evidence of much deeper fraud and theft of hotel funds. He’s not sure if Delia is part of the corruption, so he has to keep her at arms length and not tell her the truth about his work. These two start off arguing about the approach to running the hotel, but are mostly angrily attracted to each other. It seems they fall pretty quickly in love, despite not knowing each other that well, and Simon keeping a big secret. I was mostly more interested in seeing Delia realize that her hotel friends really were guilty of corruption and proving Simon right.

Advance ebook provided by Forever via NetGalley.

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More or Less a Temptress by Anna Bradley (2018)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lord of Temptation by Lorraine Heath (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Lost Lords of Pembrooke series. The daughter of an earl seeks out a ship captain to take her to where her fiance died in battle so she can say goodbye and move on with her life. Except Tristan is no ordinary ship captain; he’s one of the lost lords who ran away from his evil uncle as a teenager and created a new life for himself at sea. Despite his brother reclaiming his rightful place as duke, Tristan feels that he doesn’t belong in society and prefers his position as Captain Crimson Jack. When Lady Anne comes to seek a private voyage, he doesn’t need the money she offers but instead demands a kiss, thinking that he’ll be able to seduce her into more. On Anne’s side of things, she’s been grieving her fiance and regretting an argument that they had before he shipped off to war and she’s hoping that this journey will give her closure and the ability to move on. Luckily for her, she’s rediscovering that she does have the ability to move on as she’s attracted to the gruff ship captain. But even with the attraction between the two, they have very different goals in life, positions in society, and Anne doesn’t even know that Tristan is actually a lord. Lots of delicious drama in this one, especially when they return from the voyage.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Prince’s Bride by Charis Michaels (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Hidden Royals series. Gabriel is a French prince who’s been hiding away in a cave in the forest for the past fifteen years and basically a hermit. He very much does not want to rescue a lady who he thinks might be a victim of highwaymen, but the screaming finally get to him and he does. Ryan is the daughter of an earl traipsing through the forest to find her long-lost betrothed (Prince Gabriel) because the prince’s horrible cousin has claimed the title and the betrothal for himself and she does not want to marry him. Lucky for her, she’s stumbled right into the man she’s looking for. Except Gabriel is not interested at all in reclaiming his identity or leaving the forest, which leaves Ryan right where she started. The plus side here is that they’re clearly very attracted to each other and Gabriel can’t seem to stay away from Ryan, even as he’s sending her away. This was a lot of fun to read, especially as we slowly see Gabriel leave his comfort zone.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

When the Earl Desired Me by Lydia Lloyd (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rake Chronicles series. This one is a second chance romance between an earl and a former maid in his house who he has not seen in thirteen years. Augustus and Olivia has a secret relationship many years ago until she disappears out of the blue and leaves him heartbroken. It turns out that she received a note from him dismissing her and asking her to leave. Clearly, he was not the one to have left this note, but that doesn’t change the fact that she leaves the country. She’s back now as a lady’s companion and these two have a chance to reconnect. Augustus is determined to never let her out of his sight again and is serious in his intentions for her. It also turns out that his rakish reputation is not what it seems and I love how he reveals all of this to Olivia. Super steamy and sweet all at once.

Advance ebook provided by Lydia Lloyd via BookSprout.

Seasonal Habits of Husbands and Honeybees by Emmaline Warden (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Genus of Gentlemen series. We’ve got a marriage of convenience story here between Harrison, who is a heartbroken earl, and Phoebe who just wants a business arrangement that is clearly spelled out. Phoebe would rather avoid all of the anxiety-filled social obligations of the marriage mart and stay home and tend to her bees. Harrison is pretty quick to catch on to Phoebe’s desires and gives her pretty much everything she wants. He has his own hangups about rejection due to his upbringing and is very much a people pleaser. Lucky for him it doesn’t take much to impress Phoebe, especially when she realizes that he understands her better than anyone else in her life. This was a really charming slow burn romance and I enjoyed seeing these two get to know each other.

Advance ebook provided by Emmaline Warden.

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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.

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era Venice. Book 1 of the Fallen Women series. We’ve got a fun little spy, espionage romance here. James is an undercover spy, who is assigned to retrieve some treasonous incriminating letters from a lord’s ex-wife. Francesca is now the world’s most expensive courtesan living in Venice. When these two meet, James is in various disguises trying to keep a low profile. Francesca can’t help being attracted to him and he is trying not to fall under her seductive wiles, knowing that she uses them to manipulate men. However, as they spend more time with each other, the attraction between them is undeniable, despite both of being frustrated about the attraction. James is keeping all sorts of secrets because he’s trying to break into her house and steal her property and she’s generally wary of all men. It’s a big complicated mess, but still really enjoyable to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook purchased via Amazon.

Don’t Tempt Me by Loretta Chase (2009)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Fallen Women series. A baron’s daughter goes missing for twelve years and then comes back with a scandalous reputation. Zoe has always been a wild and rambunctious young lady and she goes missing in Egypt while she’s visiting there with her parents; we later find out that she was abducted and sold to a harem. Somehow she escapes and finds her way back to her family home and needs to reintegrate into society. Long-time family friend Lucien comes to verify the story of the newly returned Zoe and is shocked to find that his former childhood playmate is actually back. Lucien is a duke with a lot of influence and he promises to help Zoe make her way into society. Except that Zoe is well-versed in flirting and seduction and Lucien is very susceptible to her charms, despite his self-denial. It’s only a matter of time before they realize that they’re actually well-matched and should just get married to each other. This was a really fun story to read with all of the chaos and antics of Zoe’s family, Lucien’s soft spot for Zoe herself, and a surprise third-act conflict with a dastardly villain.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook purchased via Amazon.

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Seducing the Duchess by Sara Bennett (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Disgraceful Duchesses series. Widowed duchess Catherine gets stuck at an inn during a snowstorm and decides to take advantage of the situation by having a temporary affair with Sebastian. He is a viscount who is on his way home to visit his estranged father after being banished 10 years ago. He has a scandalous reputation as a rake, which will come in handy to provide comfort and satisfaction for Catherine. She had a horrible marriage and is finally out of mourning for her husband, but there are stipulations in his will that keep her bound to their country estate. Although this is a very quick affair for Catherine and Sebastian, they fall pretty quickly into a more emotional relationship.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We’ve got a former friends, complicated mess of a relationship in this book. Emma and Finn were on the high school debate team together and they have a bunch of missed connections with a stood up date to junior prom, and then meeting again after freshman year of college, and then a rooftop thing after college, and then a big screaming match at somebody else’s wedding. It’s a total mess. They have spotted each other again at a mutual friend’s wedding, and that bride has decided to run away and go completely off the grid, so these two have to team up to chase after her. They’re tracking her phone and it is a road trip situation where they’re stuck together for many hours in a car and so they finally kind of work out their differences, but still they’re both protecting themselves and protecting their feelings and not quite as direct as they should be. It was still a really great book to read. I was really interested in finding more about the runaway bride friend although I feel like we are kind of kept hanging there and maybe there’s a second book. Hopefully there is.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Saloon Girl’s Only Shot by Dani Collins (2024)

Historical romance. 1800s America. Book 2 of the Quail’s Creek series. Temperance was ruined in her hometown in Chicago, cast out by her stepmother, and now she’s stuck working as a saloon girl in Denver while she figures out how to get her injured father the rest of the way to Denver. Except she keeps getting fired at every saloon for reasons totally outside of her control. Miner Owen is in town replenishing supplies for his team, but he really has aspirations of opening his own saloon. (I’m not sure why, since there are two other saloons in town, but sure). He keeps running into Temperance and feels a bit sorry for her situation. He hires her own to help with the bookkeeping and setting up of his own saloon and since she’s got nowhere else to go, she takes him up on it. It’s all a bit of a muddle because she’s trying to earn enough to pay her way back home and he’s planning to go back to the quarry in the Springtime. No one wants to admit to any deeper feelings or commit to an official relationship. I enjoyed seeing Owen’s protective side though and the interactions with all the townsfolk.

Advance ebook provided by Dani Collins via BookSprout.

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Small town, temporary neighbors, fake dating romance book here. Everyone’s got issues, but luckily everyone’s closer to talking them through over the summer. Fisher is a chef who got fired from his job, is basically flailing, and the newfound guardian to his orphaned niece. He’s shipped off from New York City to small town Oregon to oversee the completion of a new restaurant there. He’s temporarily staying next door to Sage, who doesn’t have much specific going on in her life, aside from dodging her ex-boyfriend and preparing for the annual festival. We get a bunch of small town nosy hijinks here, which leads to Sage and Fisher fake dating, and then actually falling in love. The whole cast of characters involved with this book makes things both funny and more emotional, with Fisher’s relationship with his niece and Sage’s relationship with her brothers. Get ready for all sorts of emotional upheaval as their temporary relationship starts to wind down.

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

My Fake Mistress by Alivia Fleur (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novella. Super quick and steamy novella. Blythe is at her best friend’s birthday house party and is trying to avoid the attentions of a gentleman who wants to make her his mistress. She lies that she already has a protector and says that Julian (her best friend’s father) is that man. When she tells him about the trouble, he goes along with it. And then of course they turn it into a true physical affair while she’s there.

Advance ebook provided by Alivia Fleur via BookSirens.

The Heiress’s Daughter by Anne Gracie (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Brides of Bellaire Garden series. Wealthy heiress Clarissa is stuck tackling society on her own while her sister is on her honeymoon with her new husband, who is also Clarissa’s guardian, Leo. While they’re away, Leo asks his best friend Race to take Clarissa out riding every so often, knowing that she enjoys it and has no one else competent to do so. Clarissa thinks that Race is just spending time with her as an obligation to his friend, not knowing that he is truly courting her in earnest. We get to see these two spend more time together, and Clarissa showing an actual backbone and personality. It was fun to see Race having to bend over backwards to convince Clarissa of his true intentions.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Miss Prentice’s Protegees series. Chaotic children and a stern and serious guardian make for a heartwarming set up in this one. Harry is a naval captain who is regimented and serious and is very busy with his work, but his flighty sister has left her three young children and dog in his care while she and her husband go off to Egypt. He needs a governess quite desperately to control the overactive (but lovable) kids. Lucky for him, there’s one available governess to hire who can start immediately. Georgie has been up to this point unemployable due to her outspoken nature and unconventional methods of teaching, but her mentor can smell the desperation from Harry, so it seems to be a perfect situation for her to finally get a job. The kids are totally rambunctious and have no sense of structure whatsoever, so it’s all delightful chaos. Harry and Georgie obviously disagree on methods of handling the kids, and Georgie assumes that Harry is rigid and heartless like her old stepfather. Except when she catches glimpses of him being wonderful with the kids. Harry is trying his best to focus on his career and not get distracted by the siren of a governess, but he’s not terribly successful at it. It was fun to see him bumbling along the way, in total opposition to his serious nature.

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

Devil of Mine by Ally Hudson (2024)

Historical Romantic Tragedy. Regency-era England. Prequel novella to the Most Imprudent Matches series. This one is a tragedy and tells the story of how Celine marries and becomes widowed all in a short period of time. We get to learn a bit more of Celine’s backstory in this book as preparation for her eventual happily ever after in a different book. Celine is known as a flirt and catches the attention of many gentlemen, including one scandalous marquess Gabriel, who has his own reputation. They basically try and fail to stay away from each other until they end up married. We have a bit of backstory for Gabriel of how he developed this reputation and some of his misdeeds, but it’s best to not get too invested in him, since he doesn’t make it til the end of the book. This was a pretty quick and straightforward flirty steamy read that adds more to the universe of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Ally Hudson via BookSirens.

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Fake dating plot to get a meddlesome mother off her back. After her youngest sister’s wedding, Emily is the only one left unmarried and seemingly failing to meet her parents’ expectations. After too much nagging about being set up with the oh-so-proper Mark, Emily asks Mark to agree to fake dating to ease up on the parental pressure. While they start off with lying about their dates, it seems that Emily’s mom knows way too many people in Toronto that question their story. Now Emily and Mark need to real fake date and she realizes that there’s a lot more to him that what her mother had described. While this was a fun set up and premise, it seemed like it took too long for Emily and Mark to spend any time together on page, and Emily’s overbearing mother activated my own brand of anxiety and I didn’t like that as much.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

When the Earl Desired Me by Lydia Lloyd (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rake Chronicles series. This one is a second chance romance between an earl and a former maid in his house who he has not seen in thirteen years. Augustus and Olivia has a secret relationship many years ago until she disappears out of the blue and leaves him heartbroken. It turns out that she received a note from him dismissing her and asking her to leave. Clearly, he was not the one to have left this note, but that doesn’t change the fact that she leaves the country. She’s back now as a lady’s companion and these two have a chance to reconnect. Augustus is determined to never let her out of his sight again and is serious in his intentions for her. It also turns out that his rakish reputation is not what it seems and I love how he reveals all of this to Olivia. Super steamy and sweet all at once.

Advance ebook provided by Lydia Lloyd via BookSprout.

One Fine May by Courtney McCaskill (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Rake Review series. Disappointed by Vander’s exploits being featured in the latest gossip column, his father sets down the expectation that he must marry and start coming into the office this month or risk his inheritance being passed onto his cousin. Upon his mother’s suggestion, he asks his best friend’s sister Letty for assistance. Except she’s had a crush on him for years and is disappointed that he isn’t actually proposing to her but asking her to introduce him to suitable women. Meanwhile, she’s juggling her own ill-matched suitors and needs to decide between them soon. Clearly, Vander needs to open his eyes and realize that Letty is the perfect match for him, but it takes him a few days to get there. This book was light and fun and only a smidge of angst.

Advance ebook provided by Courtney McCaskill.

The Prince’s Bride by Charis Michaels (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Hidden Royals series. Gabriel is a French prince who’s been hiding away in a cave in the forest for the past fifteen years and basically a hermit. He very much does not want to rescue a lady who he thinks might be a victim of highwaymen, but the screaming finally get to him and he does. Ryan is the daughter of an earl traipsing through the forest to find her long-lost betrothed (Prince Gabriel) because the prince’s horrible cousin has claimed the title and the betrothal for himself and she does not want to marry him. Lucky for her, she’s stumbled right into the man she’s looking for. Except Gabriel is not interested at all in reclaiming his identity or leaving the forest, which leaves Ryan right where she started. The plus side here is that they’re clearly very attracted to each other and Gabriel can’t seem to stay away from Ryan, even as he’s sending her away. This was a lot of fun to read, especially as we slowly see Gabriel leave his comfort zone.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Ruin Me by Midnight by Ginny B Moore (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Flower Sisters series. Violet is trying to dodge a proposal from a man she doesn’t want to marry and thinks that a ruination will get him to ditch her. While she’s at a house party, she makes a deal with Callum for a fake ruination that will leave him the good guy and her a scandalous wanton. Except that they’re truly attracted to each other and they never seem to get caught in all the situations they put themselves in. Both Violet and Callum are deeply broken by events of their respective pasts that make them wary of any lasting connections. They’ve both got to overcome their own fears before being able to move on. I loved seeing them actually open up to each other about their pasts and also all the steamy scenes between them.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

Unladylike Rules of Attraction by Amita Murray (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Marleigh Sisters series. Anya and Damian meet under antagonistic terms when a dowager countess leaves Anya a great fortune that hinges on her marrying someone with Damian’s approval as the trustee to the funds. Anya has a slightly scandalous reputation as the illegitimate daughter of an English lord and current status as a court singer, but she’s resolved to find a convenient husband to fulfill the terms of her inheritance. Except that the late dowager’s family is scheming to get their hands on the funds instead, setting off a load of drama that puts both Anya and Damian at huge amounts of risk. We get to see Anya and Damian start a physical relationship, even though both are wary of any deeper emotional connection. The romance is fairly straightforward here, but the manipulations of external villains are the driver of the story. I was super invested in finding out how they resolve all of these other issues and find their way to safety and security.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Gentleman Spy by Georgina North (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Beau is basically a deadbeat heir who has taken no interest in learning about estate management or even returning to the estate anytime soon after his father’s death. After a delayed return, his family is rightfully annoyed by his absence. Especially the ward that his father had taken on and has basically been running the estate all this time. It doesn’t help Beau that Emerald is a beautiful woman who has captured his attention, but that he is also her new guardian and she should be off-limits to him. They bicker and fight and no one else knows that Beau is actually a spy and he’s been absent from the country in service to the Crown. It’s more of a mess when Beau discovers that there’s a smuggling operation right in his own village and somehow a suspicious Emerald gets involved. It was nice to see Beau and Emerald’s relationship develop and how protective he becomes of her.

Advance ebook provided by Georgina North via BookSirens.

Uncovering the Lord by Lexi Post (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Courting a Curious Lady series. Lady Elsbeth is more interested in rocks than gentlemen, but has promised her friends that she’ll find a husband to marry this season so that they will be allowed to continue to go to their shared school. On her last expedition to some Spanish caves, Elsbeth runs into her old friend and rejected suitor Teddy, who is now a single father trying to convince his superstitious wet nurse to get on a ship. These two end up reconnecting on the ship back to England and Elsbeth is especially impressed by Teddy’s newfound maturity. The problem here is that she had rejected him once before so she thinks she doesn’t have a chance of catching his attention again, not realizing that he’s still in love with her after all this time. It’s clearly a perfect match between these two and it’s fun reading their slow build of a relationship again.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian (2024)

Historical romance. 1960s New York City. Slow-burn forced proximity romance here with Mark, newspaper reporter, being assigned to write about Eddie, the new baseball player who has basically thrown a public tantrum over his new team. They’re both individually lost and lonely and stuck with each other. Mark’s been grieving the death of his partner, who he basically had to keep secret for their entire relationship, and it’s been a pretty rough time of it. When he’s assigned to write about Eddie, he’s only begrudgingly doing the job, and also trying to find an angle to make the kid seem more sympathetic, rather than the asshole that every other news reporter is portraying him as. Eddie’s just shocked out of his comfortable situation in the Midwest where he got to play ball, see his mom occasionally, and know where to keep his private life out of the spotlight. Being in a new place that doesn’t feel like home and where everyone is watching him fail at baseball is fairly excruciating for him. But Eddie and Mark start a tentative friendship and it takes a lot of convincing on Eddie’s part to get Mark to take a chance on him. I liked seeing Mark finally opening up about his previous partner and the difficulties he had there, plus seeing Eddie getting along with his teammates better. It was definitely a slow and quiet type of romance that involves being yourself in a world that doesn’t really accept you.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma (2024)

Contemporary new adult romance. Standalone novel. Jessie and Ravi start off awkwardly with her being ultra-focused on school and him being the infamous son of a tech billionaire. They have a cute little rivalry where they fight over the same study room in the library and are also in the same writing class. However, their friendship starts to turn around when they stumble upon some hidden letters in the library which chronicle the secret relationship between two students in the 1970s, who may or may not be part of a legend that haunts the school. I liked seeing Jessie and Ravi bond over the letters that they find and realize their own feelings for each other. While it seemed like their relationship moved a little fast for me, I appreciated learning what happened to the mystery couple from the past and it kept me reading to find out more.

Advance ebook provided by Nisha Sharma via NetGalley.

This Marquess of Mine by Sylvie Sinclair (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Romancing the Rogue series. For various family dynamic reasons, Griffin is roped into escorting his sister and her best friend to various events this season, and Griffin is totally dreading it because he does not like Olivia. And by not like, I mean, he doesn’t like how he feels around her. Which is attracted to her, despite him believing that she’s a shallow title-hunting flirt. She has her own reasons for seeking a higher title, like impressing her disapproving father, but she covers it up by being the perfect society miss. As they spend more time together, they’re really just bickering most of the time, and totally clueless that the other person is pining for the other. I enjoyed reading about Griffin unwillingly lusting after Olivia, giving into her requests, and finally getting a clue and getting it together.

Advance ebook provided by Sylvie Sinclair.

Seasonal Habits of Husbands and Honeybees by Emmaline Warden (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Genus of Gentlemen series. We’ve got a marriage of convenience story here between Harrison, who is a heartbroken earl, and Phoebe who just wants a business arrangement that is clearly spelled out. Phoebe would rather avoid all of the anxiety-filled social obligations of the marriage mart and stay home and tend to her bees. Harrison is pretty quick to catch on to Phoebe’s desires and gives her pretty much everything she wants. He has his own hangups about rejection due to his upbringing and is very much a people pleaser. Lucky for him it doesn’t take much to impress Phoebe, especially when she realizes that he understands her better than anyone else in her life. This was a really charming slow burn romance and I enjoyed seeing these two get to know each other.

Advance ebook provided by Emmaline Warden.

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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.

Uncovering the Lord by Lexi Post (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Courting a Curious Lady series. Lady Elsbeth is more interested in rocks than gentlemen, but has promised her friends that she’ll find a husband to marry this season so that they will be allowed to continue to go to their shared school. On her last expedition to some Spanish caves, Elsbeth runs into her old friend and rejected suitor Teddy, who is now a single father trying to convince his superstitious wet nurse to get on a ship. These two end up reconnecting on the ship back to England and Elsbeth is especially impressed by Teddy’s newfound maturity. The problem here is that she had rejected him once before so she thinks she doesn’t have a chance of catching his attention again, not realizing that he’s still in love with her after all this time. It’s clearly a perfect match between these two and it’s fun reading their slow build of a relationship again.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (2016)

Fantasy romance. Book 2 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Our girl Feyre has massive post-traumatic stress disorder after her ordeal Under the Mountain at the end of the last book. Her fiance Tamlin seems to not want to deal with it and leaves her to suffer her nightmares alone, while also keeping her locked up and protected all the time. She also has this leftover deal with Rhysand, the “bad guy” High Lord of the Night Court and he makes good on the bargain to spend a week out of each month with him. This book has way more action-adventure than the previous one and I was totally hooked and wanted to keep reading to find out more. We get to see a shift in alliances here when we learn a lot more about why Rhys presents himself the way he does. If you’re reading this one, you better have the next book queued up and ready to go because it ends on a cliffhanger.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Heiress’s Daughter by Anne Gracie (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Brides of Bellaire Garden series. Wealthy heiress Clarissa is stuck tackling society on her own while her sister is on her honeymoon with her new husband, who is also Clarissa’s guardian, Leo. While they’re away, Leo asks his best friend Race to take Clarissa out riding every so often, knowing that she enjoys it and has no one else competent to do so. Clarissa thinks that Race is just spending time with her as an obligation to his friend, not knowing that he is truly courting her in earnest. We get to see these two spend more time together, and Clarissa showing an actual backbone and personality. It was fun to see Race having to bend over backwards to convince Clarissa of his true intentions.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Seasonal Habits of Husbands and Honeybees by Emmaline Warden (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Genus of Gentlemen series. We’ve got a marriage of convenience story here between Harrison, who is a heartbroken earl, and Phoebe who just wants a business arrangement that is clearly spelled out. Phoebe would rather avoid all of the anxiety-filled social obligations of the marriage mart and stay home and tend to her bees. Harrison is pretty quick to catch on to Phoebe’s desires and gives her pretty much everything she wants. He has his own hangups about rejection due to his upbringing and is very much a people pleaser. Lucky for him it doesn’t take much to impress Phoebe, especially when she realizes that he understands her better than anyone else in her life. This was a really charming slow burn romance and I enjoyed seeing these two get to know each other.

Advance ebook provided by Emmaline Warden.

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (2017)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. We continue from the events of the previous book where Feyre is playing spy and there’s a war brewing with some tyrant king who wants to enslave humans. We get lots of fun political drama in this one with alliances and spying and trying to figure out who is planning to double-cross the next person. Action-packed and it kept me hooked the whole time.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Seducing the Duchess by Sara Bennett (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Disgraceful Duchesses series. Widowed duchess Catherine gets stuck at an inn during a snowstorm and decides to take advantage of the situation by having a temporary affair with Sebastian. He is a viscount who is on his way home to visit his estranged father after being banished 10 years ago. He has a scandalous reputation as a rake, which will come in handy to provide comfort and satisfaction for Catherine. She had a horrible marriage and is finally out of mourning for her husband, but there are stipulations in his will that keep her bound to their country estate. Although this is a very quick affair for Catherine and Sebastian, they fall pretty quickly into a more emotional relationship.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Ruin Me by Midnight by Ginny B Moore (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Flower Sisters series. Violet is trying to dodge a proposal from a man she doesn’t want to marry and thinks that a ruination will get him to ditch her. While she’s at a house party, she makes a deal with Callum for a fake ruination that will leave him the good guy and her a scandalous wanton. Except that they’re truly attracted to each other and they never seem to get caught in all the situations they put themselves in. Both Violet and Callum are deeply broken by events of their respective pasts that make them wary of any lasting connections. They’ve both got to overcome their own fears before being able to move on. I loved seeing them actually open up to each other about their pasts and also all the steamy scenes between them.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

All’s Fair in Love and War by Virginia Heath (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Miss Prentice’s Protegees series. Chaotic children and a stern and serious guardian make for a heartwarming set up in this one. Harry is a naval captain who is regimented and serious and is very busy with his work, but his flighty sister has left her three young children and dog in his care while she and her husband go off to Egypt. He needs a governess quite desperately to control the overactive (but lovable) kids. Lucky for him, there’s one available governess to hire who can start immediately. Georgie has been up to this point unemployable due to her outspoken nature and unconventional methods of teaching, but her mentor can smell the desperation from Harry, so it seems to be a perfect situation for her to finally get a job. The kids are totally rambunctious and have no sense of structure whatsoever, so it’s all delightful chaos. Harry and Georgie obviously disagree on methods of handling the kids, and Georgie assumes that Harry is rigid and heartless like her old stepfather. Except when she catches glimpses of him being wonderful with the kids. Harry is trying his best to focus on his career and not get distracted by the siren of a governess, but he’s not terribly successful at it. It was fun to see him bumbling along the way, in total opposition to his serious nature.

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

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas (2018)

Fantasy romance. Book 3.5 of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. This novella is a bit of an interlude with our cast of characters recovering from the recent war. We get to see multiple points of view here as everyone prepares for the Winter Solstice. Not much in the way of action-adventure, but we get a check-in on the status of everyone we care about.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath (2010)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the London’s Greatest Lovers series. The Earl of Westcliffe and his wife Claire have been estranged since their wedding night when he found his younger brother in her bed. Claire was basically too young and skittish of her new husband, so she and her friend contrived a way for Westcliffe to postpone the wedding night. Except that didn’t work out so well because Westcliffe is holding a massive grudge and Claire’s been exiled to the country estate for the past three years. Claire’s finally growing some backbone though because she’s in London to claim her place as countess and launch her younger sister in society. We get to see Claire and Westcliffe actually talk to each other and get to know each other as they hadn’t before, being betrothed since before Claire was born. They’ve definitely got a lot of learning and groveling to do on both sides. It was interesting to get to know Westcliffe’s family dynamic and meet his brothers who feature in the next books of this series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman by Lorraine Heath (2010)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the London’s Greatest Lovers series. Middle brother Stephen has always been a shameless rake and completely purposeless with an earl older brother and a duke younger brother. When his brothers buy him a commission in the army to build his character, he goes and hopes for the best. Except that he’s come home injured and with no memory at all of his time at war. When nurse Mercy comes calling at his brother’s English estate with a baby that is clearly his son, he feels terrible that he doesn’t remember her and marries her to provide for his new family. Mercy’s keeping her own secrets and is almost glad about Stephen’s memory loss. They’re basically starting from scratch here and developing a relationship anew. This is probably one of the angstiest amnesia stories I’ve read because Mercy’s secret is a big one and Stephen will definitely feel betrayed when he learns the truth.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Waking Up with the Duke by Lorraine Heath (2011)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the London’s Greatest Lovers series. This one has a crazy set up that will lead to heartbreak for everyone involved. The Duke of Ainsley is being asked by his incapacitated best friend and cousin, Walfort, to bed the man’s wife Jayne and get her with child. Three years prior, these two were in a massive curricle accident which left Walfort paralyzed and the stress of which caused his wife to lose her unborn baby. Walfort seeks to give Jayne comfort, passion, and a baby in the form of his friend. Except Jayne is definitely not on board because she hates Ainsley for having caused the reckless accident in the first place. However, the plot must go forth, and Jayne and Ainsley end up going through with the plan, causing tons of emotional upheaval as they try and fail to stay emotionally distant from each other. It’s a guilt trip all around and even more heartbreak anticipated. If you want to feel feelings, this book is for you.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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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.

Music for the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Tragic prologue for Fia where she’s a six-year old girl being tormented by her cousin and heir to her father’s earldom. Many years later, we see a shocking and tragic demise of Henry’s grandfather and father within the same day, making him a duke. A year after that, they both somehow make friends with the now-married duke and duchess from Book 1 of the series, who assist in getting Fia out of her cousin’s house and assist Henry in wooing the girl. Fia was treated horribly by her cousin after her parents’ deaths, first by refusing her debut into society, then by moving her into the attic like a servant, and farming her out for music lessons where he collects the fees and she sees none of it. It’s a rough life for Fia, and when we think she’ll appreciate being courted by a duke, she’s fearful of scandal and would rather live independently and rely on her skills as a musician to survive. It’s a pretty short read with only a tiny bit of angst. But there are way too many dukes and duchesses floating around here, so it can be hard to keep up with who’s being referenced at any given moment. Still a perfectly pleasant read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Duke Most Wicked by Lenora Bell (2022)

Book 3 of the Wallflowers versus Rogues series. Viola has had a massive crush on her employer for as long as she’s known him. Music teacher to his five sisters, Viola is enamored of West, even with his wicked ways. When he realizes that his behavior has tarnished his sisters’ reputations, he seeks to make amends by finding a wealthy heiress to marry and suitors for the sisters. Viola is extra protective of the sisters and argues with him on their behalf. Meanwhile, Viola has been secretly composing music and selling it as her father’s and adamantly avoiding any time in the spotlight. West sees her talent and beauty despite her plain and drab dresses but believes that he doesn’t deserve her sunshine. Overall, great dynamic between our characters and love the flirting and banter they get into.

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Up All Night with a Good Duke by Amy Rose Bennett (2022)

Book 1 of the Byronic Book Club series. Instant attraction the minute these two bump into each other outside a train station. Artemis has left her position as a finishing school teacher to help her friend navigate the London season and sets out to find a patron for her women’s college. And she’s a secret gothic romance writer.

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The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo (2018)

This book has quite a few time jumps within it. We start with a prison beating and a young man left for dead. Soon after that, a young girl rescues the man from a field, but he has absolutely no memory of who he is. After nursing him back to health and forming a connection, her arsehole brother betrays him and sends him off to sea. Many many many years later, he returns to claim his lady. And we find out how our guy is connected to all the other men in this series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Cinderella and the Duke by Lydia Drake (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-ish era England. Julia is the Cinderella in the story, escorting her younger stepsister to a ball while her stepmother is ill. This is Julia’s one chance to find a husband, since her stepmother refuses to let Julia go to any balls. While protecting a rake from being compromised by a lady and called out in a duel by her husband, she kisses him and then runs away, thinking that she’s ruined. When the rake, our duke Gregory, comes to call the next day with her lost slipper, she proposes a marriage of convenience to him: He helps her get out from under her stepmother’s control and she helps him avoid the lecherous women of the ton. Both of these people are deeply insecure and play an emotionally detached role to protect themselves from being hurt. However, they have great chemistry together and enjoy each other’s company. I really enjoyed this debut novel from this author and am looking forward to reading more.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

One Season with the Duke by Addy DuLac (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. Hettie is the niece of a marquess and suddenly being blackmailed by her slimy cousin (who I didn’t catch or remember how he’s related to her) into marriage. She doesn’t like him at all, but seems to go along with it because she doesn’t want to jeopardize her family’s reputation. Meanwhile, her childhood friend Finn is finally back in London having been away for many years taking care of his estates in Scotland. He’s disappointed to learn that Hettie is already engaged, but offers to rescue her from her dire circumstances. These two elope pretty early on in the book and I was really expecting a road trip romance with a big chase from the blackmailer, but we ended up with an overbearing mother-in-law story instead. Plus Hettie’s still keeping the secrets of what she was being blackmailed with, Finn is both arrogant and self-doubting and insecure, and really, the villain took way too long to catch up with them. The childhood friends to lovers romance was nice and I liked how Hettie stood up to her mother-in-law, but overall, this book was just ok. If you like stories where someone swoops in to save a lady from an unwanted marriage to a villain, I also recommend The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

A Duke for Diana by Sabrina Jeffries (2022)

Book 1 of the Designing Debutantes series. Lady Diana is pretty much ruined after her mother ran off with a man and her father sued for divorce. She and her sisters now run a successful party-planning business in the ton. When Geoffrey inherits a dukedom, he hires Diana and her sisters to manage his own sister’s debut. Even though Diana and Geoffrey butt heads, they are instantly attracted to (and distracted by) each other. Geoffrey’s hiding a family secret related to his father’s death, so is reluctant to pursue marriage for himself.

The Duke’s Stolen Bride by Sophie Jordan (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Rogue Files series. Impoverished oldest sister Marian seeks to save her family’s circumstance by becoming a courtesan. However, she has no experience at all, so she seeks out the neighborhood depraved duke, Nate, for some lessons. He’s affronted at first, but then gives in, and the relationship is mostly him trying to get her to loosen up. It’s sad to see how very poor Marian and her family are and how their choices are limited, but Nate feels sorry for Marian and also desires her so much that he can’t stay away from her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden (2022)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 3 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. Philippa is the current companion to the duchess, stepdaughter to the duchess’ daughter, and all-around hostess of the castle. However, she knows that her position will likely be displaced when the duke passes away and leaves the castle to one of his heirs. When the new estate steward Will comes to the castle, she’s shocked that he’s young and handsome and has no experience as a steward. He’s just as surprised to find that Philippa is also young and beautiful, even as the duchess’ companion. They bicker and argue at first on how to approach estate improvements, but of course, eventually give into their attraction. Meanwhile, Will is hiding some secrets about his motivation for taking on the estate position and a possible connection to the ducal family. It was interesting to read how Will embraced his responsibilities to the estate and impressed everyone there, including the duke himself, who is usually unwell and isolated.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to Deceive a Duke by Samara Parish (2022)

Edward and Fiona had a weeklong affair once upon a time, and she didn’t know he was a duke, and he thought he could marry her. But when he told his mother, she made him break it off. And so these two dummies have been heartbroken for years and years. Edward was engaged to Amelia from the previous book, but that obviously didn’t work out, and now he’s single and just sort of taking care of his estate or something. Fiona gets arrested dressed as a boy at some point and Edward goes to rescue her from jail, but has to promise to keep her at his house. And of course the forced proximity causes them to finally talk out their issues, but they’re really just still on totally different social planes. Fiona’s trying to sell her inventions, but has to dress up as a boy to do so… and there’s some political drama or danger with her father being the ringleader or something like it.

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

Dangerous Duke by Scarlett Scott (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the League of Dukes series. Griffin is a secret agent duke in the special league, but he is currently being accused of treason and being kept locked up in another stuffy duke’s house. That duke’s sister Violet seems to have caught Griffin’s attention, while he has also ignited her passions. Unfortunately, Violet is engaged to someone boring and dull who prefers his botany and overbearing mother to Violet. She doesn’t actually think that Griffin and guilty of treason and proposes to work with him to clear his name. Griffin needs all the help he can get and enjoys Violet’s company, so he agrees to her offer. Both slowly start to open up to each other about their past traumas related to the deaths of their parents, and we see their dangerous scheme fall into place. Plus, the actually traitor is still out there making trouble, so we eventually see how that crime is solved.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. 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!

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.