Let Sleeping Rogues Lie by Sabrina Jeffries (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the School for Heiresses series. Anthony is a wicked gentleman who has just inherited a viscount title and wants to gain custody of his niece away from his cruel aunt and uncle. He tries to get the niece enrolled at a reputable girls’ school, but his terrible reputation and looming custody battle make all the schools wary of taking her on. Madeline is a teacher at Mrs. Harris’ school and somehow manages to negotiate a deal for Anthony, where he cleans up his act and gives rake lessons to the girls at the school so they know what to avoid. She has her own ulterior motives because she needs to meet one of Anthony’s scientist friends to help her own father’s dire situation. It’s all a muddle with lies and secret keeping (mostly on Madeline’s part) and of course Anthony is trying his best to seduce Madeline in the meantime. This book had the perfect blend of external conflict with the slow burn romance between our main characters. Loved seeing Anthony start to sober up and take care of his responsibilities.

Ebook and audiobook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Princes of London series. Super fun adventure-type romance between an outspoken bluestocking and a gruff Scotland Yard inspector. Alexandra (Allie to her friends and family) has been left behind to run the family antique shop while her siblings are off on an excavation and she overhears some possibly nefarious plotting at the coffee shop next door. She’s instantly off to Scotland Yard to warn someone and instantly connects with Ben, the serious inspector she meets there. Ben’s pretty much the only person to take her seriously, so she’s extra impressed by him. It’s most definitely instant attraction for both of these two, but they’re doing their best to keep things professional. Somehow, they end up entangled with each other through this mystery and have to team up to put all their clues together. Really enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Wilmot Sisters series. This book dragged for me a little, but it was still entertaining. This series feels like a low-drama, typical contemporary romance, where the only thing happening is two people learning to communicate with each other. Kate and Christopher have known each other their whole lives, being next door neighbors and all, but Christopher does not have any brotherly affection for Kate at all. He’s basically trying to suppress his own attraction and longing for her because of his own worries and anxieties about commitment and her nomadic lifestyle. Kate pretty much hates everything about Christopher’s straight-laced non-risk-taking life, but it’s mostly because she doesn’t try to get to know him either. It’s all a big huge mess of Christopher attempting to distance himself from Kate, not realizing that he’s hurt her in the process. It’s a bit rough watching them both try to communicate directly and second-guessing themselves along the way. Still, the steaminess is great, and once Christopher stops being an ass, he’s really very sweet and thoughtful.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Lady Who Left by Ginny B Moore (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Flower Sisters series. Loads of drama and angst with this book. Marigold is tired of being talked down to and takes a stand against her husband when he wants to send her sweet son off to a cruel school. She’s looking to divorce the man, but knows her case is shaky. She’s lucky that her new barrister, Archie, is so tenacious. She’s less lucky that they’re both attracted to each other and need to fight their feelings to keep things professional. Archie is super sweet and outgoing and charming, and also very protective of Marigold. Watching these two fall in love is an absolute delight. I loved how he was interested in almost anything that Marigold talks about and believes that she deserves care and love. He’s also absolutely amazing with her sons and treated them with so much respect. Loved this book.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B Moore.

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Falling Into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath (2015)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Hellions of Havisham series. Tragic prologue for a group of young boys orphaned by a train accident and sent to live with a mad marquess. As the boys grow up, they’re known as the Hellions, giving the name to this series. Minerva (daughter of a former gambling hell owner) and the Duke of Ashebury end up meeting at a scandalous club where ladies attend to find trysts. She figures she’s an outspoken overlooked spinster who refuses to marry a fortune-hunter and she wants to feel desired for once in her life. There, she encounters Ashe, who does actually want her, without knowing who she is. When they encounter each other in society, Ashe starts suspecting Minerva of being the masked woman he met at the club and is completely intrigued by her. I loved how he appreciates her outspokenness and candor and how he comes to her defense when he overhears people speaking ill of her. There’s a lot of insecurity for Minerva to overcome though, so Ashe has his work cut out for him in his pursuit of her. As I do with most books by Lorraine Heath, I loved it.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath (2016)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Hellions of Havisham series. This book is a reputation in the historical romance space and with good reason. Twin brothers Albert and Edward were orphaned as children, making Albert the earl at age 7. When they go on a safari together, Albert is tragically killed by a gorilla and he extracts a deathbed promise from Edward to pretend to be him so that his pregnant wife Julia waiting at home does not suffer a miscarriage. We start the book pretty much at the funeral of “Edward” and the countess worrying over how distant her husband has been since his return. It’s all sorts of angsty here right off the bat, since she doesn’t know her actual husband has died, she’s feeling insecure about her changed appearance during pregnancy, and her husband is acting strange. Edward is basically scared of any wrong move harming Julia and the baby and fighting his attraction for her. Huge mess of confusing emotions throughout the entire book and such a great read. This one is required reading for all historical romance fans.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Viscount and the Vixen by Lorraine Heath (2016)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Hellions of Havisham series. Viscount Locksley is not interested in falling in love, since it drove his father mad when his mother died in childbirth. And then Portia shows up at the front door answering the mad marquess’ advertisement for a wife. Locke wants to spare his father the trouble of dealing with a fortune and title-hungry schemer, so he marries her himself. It’s a quick marriage of convenience here with the aim of bedsport and making an heir. However, Locke soon realizes that Portia is not exactly what she seems and he becomes highly possessive and intrigued by her. Portia is doing her best to find security within the walls of the dusty old manor house. I liked seeing the slow development of real feelings between these two and also how Portia brings the manor back to life. I also enjoyed uncovering Portia’s secrets along with Locke and finding out just why the security of the country was so important to her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

When the Marquess Falls by Lorraine Heath (2017)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3.5 of the Hellions of Havisham series. Quick novella telling the backstory of the Marquess of Marden’s romance with his beloved Linnie. We get some peaks of this romance in the previous book, but this one expands a bit and ties together with the set-up of the whole series. It’s a pretty straightforward romance here with George, the marquess, falling in love with Linnie, the baker’s daughter and his childhood friend. He’s got to overcome his mother’s disapproval, but it’s easy enough to do with how much he loves Linnie. Heads up that the plot does include the childbirth of Locke that leads to Linnie’s death, plus a retelling of the prologue of the first book (where the orphaned boys come to the manor) but from Marden’s point of view.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

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.