Her Duke at Midnight by Christy Carlyle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Wanton Widows Club series. Adam is known as the Heartbreak Duke after a previous affair ended in scandal. He’s always been upfront with the women he’s with and he tries to deter any sort of attachment. When his friend convinces him to attend an upcoming house party, he swears not to entangle himself with any woman there. Cecily is a widowed countess set to attend the same house party as her first outing out of mourning from her cruel husband. Her friend encourages her to seek an affair, but to specifically avoid the Heartbreak Duke. However, Adam is the only man that Cecily is drawn to and they end up together anyway. And he pretty quickly changes his tune on attachment and marriage.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Her Sort of Scoundrel by Christy Carlyle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Wanton Widows Club series. Quick and easy novella. Dash is an earl who has had a lifelong crush on his older sister’s friend Fiona and somehow insulted her two years ago when she propositioned him. Now they haven’t spoken to each other in years, despite being literal next door neighbors. They eventually start talking to each other again when Dash’s ward wants to meet the glamorous lady next door and they start to reconcile their friendship. However, that whole longstanding attraction to each other is still there and they need to work out Fiona’s hesitance to lose her independence.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Her Rogue to Ruin by Christy Carlyle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Wanton Widows Club series. Quick novella. Portia is a widow who financially supports herself and her spinster aunt by painting portraits. She’s actively trying to avoid eye contact with the handsome Phin while she’s at his house painting his sister’s portrait, since she’s shy and nervous around him. Meanwhile he doesn’t quite know why she avoids him and he thinks she actually dislikes him. Despite all that, somehow Phin asks Portia to paint his nude portrait, where she refuses and then accepts, and they flirt and kiss and somehow seduce each other. And there’s a tiny bit of drama of Phin being in an arranged betrothal with someone else, but this is a novella, so we fix all that pretty quickly.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Useful Resources:

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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.

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Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Mischief and Matchmaking series. After her father’s death, Beth is entering her first Season on the Marriage Mart and looking for a suitable husband to provide for herself and her widowed mother. At her first ball, she meets Gwen, and outspoken and charming daughter of an earl, who is basically her new best friend. Neither of these women are interested in finding a husband this year and when they notice the sparks between their respective widowed parents, they try to pair them up instead. It goes about as awkwardly as you’d think it would go, and all the while, Beth and Gwen are drawn more and more to each other. It’s takes some nudging for them to realize that they’re actually in love (and lust) with each other, but it’s all complicated by societal obligations and Beth’s pending engagement to a viscount who has been courting her. This was a fun take on the Victorian-era marriage mart and I was definitely rooting for our heroines to find a way to be together (as well as their parents).

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Always Remember by Mary Balogh (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Ravenswood series. Ben Ellis is the illegitimate son of an earl who was raised in the earl’s family home after the death of his mother. While Ben has always been embraced as part of the family, he has had a sense of otherness about him. After a big family scandal, he went with his younger brother Devlin to war, where he met and married the woman carrying his child. After she died of illness, he came home as a single father to a young girl. Now that Ben has settled into his own seaside home, he’s considering remarrying, but is indecisive about which woman to court. He’s hoping that a visit to his family’s home for the summer will help him to make a decision. While he’s there, he meets Lady Jennifer again, the sister of a duke who had married his own sister. Jennifer is disabled after a childhood illness and gives off a cheery disposition. However, a chance conversation between Ben and Jennifer has both of them spilling their secrets to a near-stranger and becoming friends because of it. This book is a delightful slow build of friendship, trust, and love, despite their differences in social station. We get to see Ben be a doting father to his child and see the child grow attached to Jennifer as well. If you’re a fan of quiet slow-burn romances, this one is another great book from Mary Balogh.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

It Takes a Rake by Anna Bennett (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rogues to Lovers series. Kitty and Leo were both apprentices to his grandfather’s architecture office before Leo suddenly moved to London. Four years later, he’s back in town after his father’s death and taking over the architecture business. He’s had a longstanding crush on Kitty all this time, even though she had never noticed him in that way, and they always bickered and fought when they worked together. Total opposites just getting on each other’s nerves. Well, now that he’s back, Kitty is teasing him for being too much of a nice guy to get his dream girl, so somehow she’s trading rake lessons for math checking on her latest architectural design. She doesn’t know that Leo only has eyes for her and the transformation is really to spend more time with her, and of course, she’s totally confused when she realizes that Leo is actually very attractive. She’ll need to get over her fear of the nice guy if she wants a chance at long-standing happiness with him.

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

If the Duke Dares by Darcy Burke (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rogue Rules series. Persephone is being forced into an arranged marriage she doesn’t want after her sister is ruined by a rogue and she runs away from her parents on the journey to meet the prospective groom. She actually ends up meeting the duke while she’s busy pretending to be a widow at an inn, but he doesn’t know who she is. At some point, our duke Acton realizes that his supposed bride is out on the road alone, so he goes to find her and protect her. While they both agree that they aren’t interested in marrying each other, they start a slow and tentative friendship. Persephone learns that Acton is not as terrible as his reputation and Acton learns that he should learn to treat women better. We get some more of Acton’s backstory regarding his relationship with his estranged mother and sisters, which is really interesting to learn. I liked seeing how these two started to trust each other and then to enjoy each other’s company. Definitely a slow-burn romance here, with Acton showing lots of character growth.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.

A Sure Duke by Christi Caldwell (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the McQuoids of Mayfair series. Alexandra is a stuffy marquess’ daughter who has been curious about the eccentric McQuoid family across the way. One chance meeting with Dallin has both Alexandra and Dallin looking forward to her debut into society where he can claim a dance with her. Unfortunately, Alexandra’s father dies and leaves the family without funds, forcing Alexandra to accept an arranged marriage to provide for her mother and sisters. When Alexandra and Dallin meet again, he believes that she is as haughty as he expected and she believes him to be cold and unfeeling. But it’s pretty much all due to her keeping secrets about her family circumstance and him being jealous that she’s already engaged. When Alexandra’s sister elopes with Dallin’s cousin, they both end up chasing after the couple to prevent scandal. And of course, as they travel together, they do finally kinda sorta communicate with each other.

Advance ebook provided by Montlake via NetGalley.

The Charmed Heir by Merry Farmer (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Secrets of Nedworth Hall series. We’re all at a matchmaking house party and wealthy heiress Charlotte is paired up with impoverished viscount Dante and pretty smitten with each other. Charlotte is concerned when she starts getting letters and notes suggesting that her mother is alive and working at the manor, not deceased as she always assumed, since she lives with her single father and his business partner. Dante is a comforting presence and listens to Charlotte’s concerns even though he has his own secrets and money problems. When Dante’s twin brother shows up, the flirtatious rogue causes a smidge of confusion before Dante tells Charlotte everything he’s hiding.

Advance ebook provided by Merry Farmer via BookSprout.

A Most Improper Duchess by Alivia Fleur (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series. Arley is a serious and stuffy duke who doesn’t usually socialize, but is somehow roped into some travel research in Paris for his neighbor’s travel agency. To avoid being mobbed by young misses looking for an eligible duke, he’s dressed as a commoner during his trip. When he’s at a bar in Paris, he sets eyes on a beautiful woman, but he doesn’t have any money to pay for her evening company. Vivianne is a ballet dancer/courtesan who hasn’t had a steady patron in awhile, so she’s looking for someone who could provide more support than the seemingly penniless Arley. He bargains with a jeweled cravat pin that she show him some of the sights of Paris for his travel guide. In the course of spending time together, Arley is easily smitten and enjoys the carefree man he becomes when he’s with her. He very quickly proposes marriage and brings Vivianne back to London with him, with the surprise that he’s actually a very wealthy duke. Vivianne ends up needing a lot of tutoring and adjusting to cope with Arley’s position in society, which causes a bit of strife, but she is willing to make it work to stay with Arley.

Advance ebook provided by Alivia Fleur.

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.

Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era. Caribbean Seas. Book 4 of the Daring Dukes series. Everyone is at sea in this one with danger and smuggling and covert spy operations. Lisbeth is all the things: countess, British spy, and dangerous sea captain. She’s deep undercover to bring down a smuggling ring on behalf of the American government. Somehow she gets entangled with Raphael, the son of a disgraced French duke, who is part of that smuggling ring, but really just seeking revenge against his uncle for betraying his father. These two bicker and fight and struggle for dominance, all while lusting after each other like crazy. High on the steam and high on the action-adventure in this one.

Advance ebook provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.

Winning My Wife by Ally Hudson (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Most Imprudent Matches series. The timeframe of this book starts before Book 1 of the series and overlaps and then extends beyond that timeframe. We finally get the story of how the kind and caring vicar’s daughter Kate ends up married to the oblivious and selfish Hugh. They had met awkwardly a few times in society as Kate is chaperoned by her duchess aunt, but clearly do not get along, until they get caught in a compromising situation and need to marry. Hugh’s overbearing and arrogant mother plants the idea that Kate had schemed to compromise Hugh, making him act like a generally arse to Kate. We see the beginning stages of the marriage where Kate and Hugh do not communicate well, barely spend any time together, and Hugh does not protect Kate against his own mother. Meanwhile, Hugh is struggling with the responsibilities of the estate and slowly realizing that his older brother had done so much for the family and ended up banished from it. It’s a huge turnaround for Hugh once he realizes how awful he has been and a separation from Kate makes him completely miserable. This book was emotional in all the best ways, with Hugh having the most growth and transformation.

Advance ebook provided by Ally Hudson via BookSirens.

Accidentally His by Sabrina Jeffries (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Designing Debutantes series. Rafe is an army colonel and spy looking to identify the person responsible for shooting his uncle and selling secrets to the French. While he has been following the Harper family events for awhile, he’s decided to uplevel his spying by trying to court the youngest sister Verity. She suspects that Rafe is the Phantom person who has been crashing her events for the past year, but can’t seem to prove it. Add in the part where they are actually attracted to each other and seem to be distracted by each other. When Verity’s ex-fiancee starts causing trouble, Rafe ends up proposing marriage to prevent a scandal. She’s hesitant of course, knowing that he’s keeping secrets, but they soon realize they’ll need to team up to find out the identity of the traitor and villain. Loved seeing Verity’s sister and brothers-in-law come to her defense and I also enjoyed seeing Rafe’s respect and yearning for Verity’s family life.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Rooney is an artist who creates public installations under a pseudonym, trying to distance herself from her famous artist mother. She has a chance meeting with Jack one blustery day in New York and they spend an evening following fate around the city. Although he’s not a believer in fate, he is still enchanted by her and actually has a fun night. They lose contact for romance reasons and somehow reconnect on a work-related project months later. Turns out Jack is a NASA guy who has reinstated an artist-in-residence program and nominated Rooney’s art (not realizing it was her). When they meet again, they try to keep things professional, but it’s like fate keeps bringing them together.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester (2024)

Historical fiction. Standalone novel. This book is told in three different timelines, following three generations of Bricard women. In the present day, Blythe lives in the shadow of her mother Astrid, a fashion designer who disappeared in the 1970s, and her infamous grandmother Mizza who is known for being the sultry muse of fashion designer Christian Dior. While Blythe is still tangentially involved in the fashion world, she prioritizes her children’s welfare above all else, especially after her divorce. When talk of reviving her mother’s abandoned fashion brand comes up, Blythe is faced with separating fact from fiction regarding her mother’s story. We get to read all about Astrid’s experience firsthand through her chapters of the book, including the rise of her notoriety and the vicious things that the press says about her. While she has her own issues of living in her mother’s shadow, we get to unpeel another layer by reading Mizza’s chapters as well. These three perspectives are fascinating to read and put together to create a vivid history of all the Bricards have had to endure.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

When the Viscount Wanted Me by Lydia Lloyd (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Rake Chronicles series. Henrietta is a beautiful and sought after debutante who has a tryst with a man she believes to be her friend, but is now being pushy about marriage. Trem overhears the man lamenting over Henrietta’s rejection and suspects that the man is trying to ruin Henrietta’s reputation. Being Henrietta’s brother’s best friend, Trem tries to resolve the issue by questioning the lady. Turns out the pushy guy’s accusations were true and now Trem sees Henrietta in a new (and attractive) light. They pretty quickly start their own affair and end up engaged in the process. Henrietta has had a longstanding crush on Trem and is pleased that he desires her in return, but is keeping secrets about her parentage and worries over Trem’s reaction. This book was high on the steam, quick on the getting together, and also high in external drama. An entertaining adventure.

Advance ebook provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley.

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Secret Society of Governess Spies series. Emily is a governess with little training and a fake identity who is approached one day by a woman called the Dove, who runs a network of governess spies. Emily gets placed into a household specifically to uncover more information about the aristocrats who live there. Meanwhile, Zach is an ex-military man turned wealthy detective looking for a serial killer in town. Zach and Emily are constantly bumping into each other, flirting with each other, and well on their way to developing a relationship. Except that Emily is keeping secrets about her not-so-pleasant past and thinks that it will ruin Zach’s reputation and career to be associated with her. While the hunt for the serial killer continues, Emily and Zach’s relationship also gets stronger and they become more enamoured and entangled with each other. This book kept me reading to find out Emily’s big secret and to uncover the big villain of the story.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Jilted in January by Cara Maxwell (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rake Review series. Shipping merchant’s son Edward breaks an engagement with duke’s daughter Persephone to protect her from society’s scorn for associating with a half-Chinese tradesman. Ten years later, Edward needs the help of a lady investigator to find his younger brother who has been kidnapped and ransomed, and that lady turns out to be Persephone. She’s hesitant to take the case, but she has a soft spot for the brother, so she agrees. Of course, Edward and Persephone find that they’re still attracted to and in love with each other, though they’re certainly more bitter and wary now. The mystery with the kidnapped brother is interesting and engaging and it was fun to see our two main characters bicker and flirt with each other.

Advance ebook provided by Cara Maxwell.

Snowbound with the Suffragette by Ginny B Moore (2024)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Part of the Flowers Sisters series. Quick snowstorm novella. Garrett and Sadie have been working together at the Suffrage Society, mutually pining for each other, and basically too scared to make a move. They get stuck together in a snowstorm, low on heating fuel, so they cuddle it out and actually talk to each other about their feelings. And then they more-than-cuddle.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

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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.

A Most Improper Duchess by Alivia Fleur (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series. Arley is a serious and stuffy duke who doesn’t usually socialize, but is somehow roped into some travel research in Paris for his neighbor’s travel agency. To avoid being mobbed by young misses looking for an eligible duke, he’s dressed as a commoner during his trip. When he’s at a bar in Paris, he sets eyes on a beautiful woman, but he doesn’t have any money to pay for her evening company. Vivianne is a ballet dancer/courtesan who hasn’t had a steady patron in awhile, so she’s looking for someone who could provide more support than the seemingly penniless Arley. He bargains with a jeweled cravat pin that she show him some of the sights of Paris for his travel guide. In the course of spending time together, Arley is easily smitten and enjoys the carefree man he becomes when he’s with her. He very quickly proposes marriage and brings Vivianne back to London with him, with the surprise that he’s actually a very wealthy duke. Vivianne ends up needing a lot of tutoring and adjusting to cope with Arley’s position in society, which causes a bit of strife, but she is willing to make it work to stay with Arley.

Advance ebook provided by Alivia Fleur.

The Fake February Rake by Charlie Lane (2024)

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

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

Always Remember by Mary Balogh (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Ravenswood series. Ben Ellis is the illegitimate son of an earl who was raised in the earl’s family home after the death of his mother. While Ben has always been embraced as part of the family, he has had a sense of otherness about him. After a big family scandal, he went with his younger brother Devlin to war, where he met and married the woman carrying his child. After she died of illness, he came home as a single father to a young girl. Now that Ben has settled into his own seaside home, he’s considering remarrying, but is indecisive about which woman to court. He’s hoping that a visit to his family’s home for the summer will help him to make a decision. While he’s there, he meets Lady Jennifer again, the sister of a duke who had married his own sister. Jennifer is disabled after a childhood illness and gives off a cheery disposition. However, a chance conversation between Ben and Jennifer has both of them spilling their secrets to a near-stranger and becoming friends because of it. This book is a delightful slow build of friendship, trust, and love, despite their differences in social station. We get to see Ben be a doting father to his child and see the child grow attached to Jennifer as well. If you’re a fan of quiet slow-burn romances, this one is another great book from Mary Balogh.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming (2021)

Paranormal Fantasy Romance. Book 1 of the Mead Mishaps series. This book was the funniest thing I’ve read so far this year and it was an absolute delight. Cinnamon is a spice farmer leading a simple life in her quiet country village. Stumbling home drunk one night, she somehow saves a demon and frees him from a spell. Now, the dark and handsome demon Fallon needs her help in a mission to destroy a fake goddess who has imprisoned all the demons. Cinnamon is extremely hesitant for any sort of quest or adventure since her sister was snatched by a water monster years ago, but he threatens her family, so off she goes. Cinnamon and Fallon spend a whole lot of time together and of course grow closer as they spend their dangerous journey together. Along the way, they pick up more allies to join the fight against the fake goddess. This book was chaos and adventure and flirty fun the whole way through.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming (2022)

Paranormal Fantasy Romance. Book 2 of the Mead Mishaps series. Brie is a farmer and cheesemonger who does not have high expectations of love, but she definitely wants to avoid her creepy neighbor Jack who cannot take a hint. When he hands her a drink, she throws it back at him and ends up hitting Felix in the back of the head instead. When Felix sets eyes on Brie, his werewolf instincts instantly imprint on her and he declares his love for his newfound mate. Unfortunately, that drink that Brie had was spiked with a love potion, so she doesn’t trust that Felix’s feelings are real. Whether his desires are due to the potion or not, he can’t stay away from her and tries very hard to impress her. It’s basically the sweetest cutest thing you’ve ever seen, and Brie eventually gives into the physical benefits of having such a vigorous mate. This whole thing gets more complicated when there have been kidnappings of single women in the village and Felix gets super protective of Brie. We get to revisit our demon friends from Book 1, who have now settled into this quiet village and band together to save the kidnapped victims. This book is just more chaos and adventure and humor and so much fun.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Ways to Be Wicked by Julie Anne Long (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy series. Ballet dancer Sylvie has run away from her home in France to England after she sees a mysterious letter hinting at a sister who might be hers. Except the sister isn’t at home and Sylvie has no money and nowhere to go. She ends up seeking help at the White Lily, a dance theater owned by the scandalous Tom, who she met on the mail coach on the way to London. He’s a charming sort of guy who all the dancers want for themselves, but he keeps himself professional and protective of his employees. He allows her to stay on as a dancer, even though she’s appalled at the type of dancing that is performed at this little theater. These two bicker and fight and flirt, and somehow manage to fall in love through all of that.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Secret to Seduction by Julie Anne Long (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy series. Sabrina is a vicar’s daughter who is possibly courting a curate and bound for a house party with her friend, where she hopes to spend more time with her suitor. However, that house party is at a scandalous earl’s house and Rhys intends to play a game at seduction with Sabrina to force her out of her own piety. It’s all secretive flirting, until they get caught in a compromising situation and need to marry. And then Rhys intends for them to live separate lives after they’ve married. Except that Sabrina is used to be helpful and productive, so she spends more time in the village seeing to the needs of the tenants. We also get to tie up the loose ends of the Holt family mystery, knowing that Sabrina is the third sister and that her family is looking for her. It was also interesting to see how Rhys is involved in the mystery as well. This book served as a satisfying conclusion to the overarching series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess Takes a Lover by Jillian Eaton (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Ladies of Seduction series. Lonely and abandoned duchess, Mara, is rumored to be planning on taking a lover this season, much to the anger and dismay of her husband Ambrose. He comes back to the castle where he left her alone to confront her on the issue and finds a stern and outspoken wife instead of the meek and quiet woman he’d known before. We get to see bits of flashbacks to their courtship, knowing that Ambrose purposely sought to marry a woman he would not love so that he can stay in control of his placid emotions. But of course, he’s been in love with her this whole time without realizing it and he’s intensely jealous of the idea that she might take another lover. Both of these people are unwilling to risk their own emotions due to past trauma and heartache, but it’s clear that they actually just want each other and not anyone else.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

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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.

Lost and Found by the Duke by Andie James (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Reluctant Lords series. This one is a pretty straightforward marriage of convenience between two strangers who meet at a house party. Grace is a widowed countess at her friend’s house party hoping to make a connection to find work as a companion or governess and is nearly accosted by her friend’s brother. Henry a recently inherited duke witnesses the encounter and rescues Grace. These two get to know each other a bit more over the next several days and Henry realizes that his troubles with matchmaking mamas can be solved by selecting his own bride. He proposes to Grace but she is hesitant and wary due to her previous poor experiences in marriage. They talk out their issues and Henry attempts to assuage all of Grace’s concerns. We get to see this romance slowly develop with clear and open communication, with Grace slowly regaining some of her confidence and poise after her horrible first marriage. We get a teensy bit of drama when Henry’s aunt and dowager duchess appears back at home, but the relationship does ultimately come out stronger at the end.

Ebook provided by Andie James.

Ruin and Redemption for the Earl by Andie James (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Reluctant Lords series. Lady Elise is ruined for the dumbest reason ever when she’s caught giving medical care to a footman. Three years later, she’s living at the dower house of an earl’s land and hoping that the new earl doesn’t kick her out. Reid had no idea that his father had rented out the dower house and is surprised to find and meet Elise. He quickly sees that she has endeared herself to the village and made improvements to her home. Reid had been estranged from his father, joined the army, was injured, and come back to England as a politician. He’s disgruntled about changing roles and even more irritated to find his estate in poor financial condition. Reid and Elise form a friendship and then an attraction, though she does not believe she’s a suitable wife for Reid due to her former ruin. I enjoyed the slow emotional build up of the romance and the rallying of Reid’s friends in supporting Elise.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited and provided by Andie James.

Once and Again with the Viscount by Andie James (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Reluctant Lords series. Angeline is a widow who is slowly re-entering society after mourning her beloved husband. She’s been struggling with seeing her friends marry and have children, as she was unable to have any children of her own in the time that she was married. Meanwhile, her neighbor, childhood crush, and brother’s best friend, Sidney is around to notice her and offer comfort. Sidney has been in love with Angeline after he notices her in a new light during her debut; however, he lost out on the chance to be with her when he left society when his father died, and returned later to find her already married. Now that she’s widowed, Sidney has a second chance to woo Angeline. There’s actually tons of tragedy up ahead though as Sidney’s older brother unexpectedly passes away, leaving Sidney as the next viscount. Angeline is even more distressed with her inability to have children because of this. It’s a lot of angsty emotional upheaval to get through before these two can find a happy ending.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited and provided by Andie James.

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My Once and Future Duke by Caroline Linden (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Wagers of Sin series. This book starts with a tragic prologue for Sophie, an orphan who is discarded by her viscount grandfather at a girl’s school. Her mother was an opera singer and her father defied his family’s wishes to marry her, and when they passed away, they left Sophie with very little support. She befriends her two roommates at school and uses cards to teach mathematics to one of the girls until they’re caught. Fast forward to present day and we start with Jack’s point of view where he is bailing his brother out of debt at a gambling hell. He sees a beautiful woman gambling with his brother (who just said he was going to stay away from gambling) and somehow ends up winning a week of her company. Now an adult and without any means of support, Sophie has decided upon gambling as her occupation until she can save enough to invest and live on. While her bet with Jack is terribly scandalous, she’s both angry and intrigued by him. They do end up spending time together at one of his country homes, stuck there with rain and poor road conditions, and quite obviously fall in love. However, Jack is the ever-sensible and dutiful duke who proposes a liaison instead of marriage and bungles the whole thing up. It’ll take a bit of suffering on his part before he gets it right.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Earl Like You by Caroline Linden (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Wagers of Sin series. Hugh has inherited a mountain of debt from his father and decides not to burden his grieving family with the truth of their financial circumstances. Things grow more dire when Hugh’s sister is courting a viscount’s son who will very likely expect a healthy dowry when they ultimately get engaged. Conniving businessman Edward Cross uses Hugh’s secret financial circumstances to coerce the man into courting and marrying his daughter Eliza. While Hugh is hesitant at first, he soon realizes that the shy and kind Eliza is not part of the scheme at all and finds her to be suitable to marry. Eliza was perfectly happy being a spinster and is very surprised to find one of her father’s business associates paying attention to her. Without knowing the deal made by her father and Hugh, she happily accepts his proposal. While Eliza is rebuffed by her new in-laws at first, she slowly starts to earn their acceptance through her kind and caring personality. Hugh’s actions are questionable throughout the book, but he’s clearly attempting to protect his family as best as he can; however, I knew that I was waiting for everything to blow up and for him to have to admit his actions to everyone.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

When the Marquess Was Mine by Caroline Linden (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Wagers of Sin series. Georgiana is visiting her friend in the country and finds out that the friend’s husband has lost the deed to the house and the scoundrel Marquess of Westmorland should be barred entry if he arrives. Well, he does arrive, but he’s badly beaten and injured and unconscious. Fearing that her friend will turn him out, Georgiana claims that the man is her fiancee, so he’ll be brought in and healed. When he wakes up, he doesn’t remember who he is, so Georgiana has to continue to pretend this man is her fiance. Rob doesn’t remember much of anything but he’s happy to have such a dedicated and beautiful fiance and enjoys spending time with her as he heals. It’ll be a terrible muddle once he figures out who he really is, and the fact that Georgiana is truly engaged to someone else. If you like chaotic amnesia stories, this one is excellent.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Fortune Favors the Viscount by Caroline Linden (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Wagers of Sin series. Nick has been the owner of the infamous gambling hell featured throughout the series and now he finds himself to be the heir apparent to a distantly related viscount. Emilia is the governess of the late viscount’s daughter and conducted the investigation that led her to Nick. She aims to help him petition for the title in exchange for the upkeep and care of her charge. Nick is suspicious at first, and also completely uninterested in claiming an aristocratic title, but he also wants to protect his secret sister who is on the cusp of entering society. These two team up so that Emilia can serve as governess to both her charge and Nick’s sister. Of course, as Nick and Emilia spend more time together, the heated bickering turns into something more. We also get some additional drama with a clear villain and a revenge scheme. Overall, great end to this series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Enticing the Earl by Kathleen Ayers (2022)

Oleana is playing at a housekeeper in an earl’s house to escape her terrible in-laws. Jason is a stuffy and serious earl who is widowed with a young daughter. Even though he should not be lusting after his servants, he’s attracted to Oleana and the way she interacts with his daughter. Quick steamy read.

Shop this book via Amazon

Meant for the Marquess by Alexa Aston (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Second Sons of London series. After her father’s death, Lady Julia’s older half-brother tossed her out and forced her to find employment. She’s now the governess to the duke’s nephews from Book 5 of the series and has accepted her place as a mere miss and upper servant, never to take her place in Polite Society again. The duke’s army friend, Devin, has appeared at the big house to visit, after having recently been injured and sent home from the army. He’s looking for a purpose now that his military career has ended and learning how to use his left hand after his right was maimed. Devin and Julia meet and are instantly attracted to each other, though neither believe they are worthy of the other’s attentions. I enjoy reading the instant attraction and I love how both characters interacted with the six-year old nephews; however, I disliked how pushy Devin was towards Julia. It all works out in the end (as it often does in these books) and there’s a sweet little epilogue to tie up the entire series.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Love Blooms with the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Suddenly a Duke series. We start with a tragic prologue for Willa, the daughter of a playwright and an actress who are in a tumultuous relationship and are negligent parents. After her parents have dramatically and scandalously passed away, Willa has distanced herself from the theater and worked as a lady’s companion and governess. Xander is the fourth son of a duke and often ignored as his birth caused the death of his mother and he very suddenly inherits the dukedom and two troublemaker nieces to care for. In the search for yet another governess, he runs into and hires Willa for the job. While Xander was previously an indolent rake, he has taken up his responsibilities quite well and dedicated himself to the care of his nieces. In getting to know Willa and her teaching strategies, he grows even more impressed with her and sets his mind on making her his duchess. Willa is wary of the former rake due to her past poor experiences with employers and wants to avoid his company to try to avoid temptation. However, we can see how much Xander has turned into a responsible duke who loves this newly built family. Not all is perfect, since Xander has yet to realize Willa’s background in the theater, which could reignite scandal and scorn.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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.

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What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell (2018)

Book 1 in the School for Dukes Series This one is a bit of a Mary Poppins retelling, with our serious duke with rebellious twins needing to hire a new governess. Because his kids keep running off the other ones. Of course our duke underestimates her at first, but then is impressed by her ability to connect with his children. It’s pretty much your classic governess-widower story.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

My Brown Eyed Earl by Anna Bennett (2016)

Book 1 of the Wayward Wallflowers series. Margaret needs the money to support her family, so she shows up for a governess job from William. He’s trying to avoid his mother’s nagging while caring for twin girls who are left in his care. As these two learn to care for the girls, they spend more time together and pretty quickly fall in love.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare (2018)

Book 2 of Girl Meets Duke Series. Alex shows up at Chase’s house for a new clock-setting gig, surprised to find that he’s the man she’s been dreaming about, even more surprised to find he’s an absolute scoundrel. He needs a governess for the girls and hires her on. We’ve got a self-loathing hero, rebellious wards in need of affection, and a tenacious heroine in this one. Also, the funniest wards ever in historical romance.

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

Portraits, Passion, and Other Pastimes by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Art of Love series. A financially irresponsible marquess puts his family’s livelihood in danger by overspending money on art and frivolity, rather than care for his estate. When his eldest son, Raph, learns of the financial state when the steward quits, he’s shoulders the burden of responsibility to keep them afloat. Unfortunately, he also needs to dismiss his sister’s governess, Matilda, because there’s no money to pay her, but he promises to always help her find a suitable position. Fifteen years later, the marquess has passed away and Raph is still struggling with all the bills. His father has donated all his art, leaving none for his children to sell, except for five items which each person must earn by creating a piece of art themselves and presenting it to their mother for approval. With no talent and not enough time for frivolity, Raph knows that he will not be able to come up with anything to his mother’s standards; nevermind the loud wailing and grieving that his mother is doing to distract him. He decides to hire his mother a companion and seeks out Matilda as the best candidate. She has served as a governess and a companion in the past fifteen years and will soon move to her own cottage. While she rejects the offer from Raph at first, the lady she’s currently serving suggests they go together to help the marchioness with her grief. Raph is also attempting to save the estate by marrying an heiress, but does not feel anything for the ladies he’s courting. With everyone back at the marquess’ estate, Raph and Matilda spend more time together and try to resist their attraction. After all, Matilda is used to a life of work and solitude and Raph needs to marry for money. It was interesting to read all of the family interactions in this story and the support they all have for each other, despite the begrudging feelings towards the old marquess’ spending habits.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane via NetGalley.

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

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Duke of Depravity by Scarlett Scott (2018)

Book 1 of the Sins and Scoundrels series. Jacinda is tasked with investigating Crispin for evidence of treason and infiltrates his house as a governess. He’s a total drunk and feels guilty over the death of his friend, but needs a governess for his rowdy sisters. He tries to resist being attracted to Jacinda but thinks she will be a lovely distraction for him, plus she’s got her own secrets and betrayal looming.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

The Governess Gamble by Tracy Sumner (2022)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Novella, part of The Duchess Society series. While an American heiress is waiting for an appointment, she overhears a very handsome viscount ask for assistance in finding a governess for his new six-year old ward. Looking for the chance to sketch the man before she’s stuck in a cold and lonely marriage, she volunteers for the temporary position. This was a very sweet and quick read, with our American lady being ultra transparent and blunt about her attraction to the viscount. Plus, our impoverished lord trying to resist the lady and slowly melting for his young ward. And of course, they end up having honest conversations about the viscount’s sad financial state, his goals, his hidden profession, plus her ruination that led to her father pushing her to marry. Overall, a worthwhile read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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If the Duke Dares by Darcy Burke (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rogue Rules series. Persephone is being forced into an arranged marriage she doesn’t want after her sister is ruined by a rogue and she runs away from her parents on the journey to meet the prospective groom. She actually ends up meeting the duke while she’s busy pretending to be a widow at an inn, but he doesn’t know who she is. At some point, our duke Acton realizes that his supposed bride is out on the road alone, so he goes to find her and protect her. While they both agree that they aren’t interested in marrying each other, they start a slow and tentative friendship. Persephone learns that Acton is not as terrible as his reputation and Acton learns that he should learn to treat women better. We get some more of Acton’s backstory regarding his relationship with his estranged mother and sisters, which is really interesting to learn. I liked seeing how these two started to trust each other and then to enjoy each other’s company. Definitely a slow-burn romance here, with Acton showing lots of character growth.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.

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.

Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. Millie and Fitz have been married platonically for eight years and soon to embark on their agreement to try to have children. Except that Fitz is distracted and excited by the fact that his first love is recently widowed and on her way back to England. This book is told over two timelines, showing the progress through Millie and Fitz’ eight year marriage and showing their present day friendship. Fitz had inherited an impoverished earldom, necessitating his marriage to a wealthy heiress even though he had hopes of marrying someone else. Millie has been in love with Fitz for all this time, but she has not given him any clues about her feelings and maintained quiet dignity and strength while he has been heartbroken over his lost love. However, over the years, we get to see Fitz become a strong and steady presence in Millie’s life and ever-so-slowly becoming her closest friend. This whole book is the slowest of slow burns and heartbreaking in all the best ways.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Bride of Larkspear by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2.5 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. This story is the fictional book written by David and given to Helena in the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. David writes the tale of Lord Larkspear who has rescued a woman from scandal by marrying her, except that she despises her new husband. He tries to seduce her into submission without letting her know that he is secretly in love with her. While this is mostly a smutty novella, it’s told entirely from Lord Larkspear’s heartbreaking point of view.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas (2012)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. Helena is nearly caught in a compromising situation with a married man and forced to marry her brother’s best friend and actual enemy, David. What she doesn’t know is that David has been in love with her for decades and catches her attention by antagonizing her. She shortly gets into an accident where she’s gravely injured and wakes up with no memory of her supposed husband. Now that David has a second chance to make a first impression, he’s kind and solicitous, even though he fears the day that Helena gets her memory back. It’s the worst sort of pining that David has for Helena, with his own self-destructive behavior. Bonus points for the kindness and caring he has for his young daughter.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Dance in Moonlight by Sherry Thomas (2013)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Fitzhugh Trilogy series. After Isabelle is rejected by Fitz, she’s heartbroken and somewhat distraught. She mistakes her new neighbor Ralston for Fitz, since they look so much alike and propositions him. However, things take a turn towards an open and honest friendship between these two and a relationship develops in spite of Ralston’s appearance. This one was a quick novella that gives a happy ending to the “other woman”.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Beauty and the Spy by Julie Anne Long (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Holt Sisters Trilogy. Susannah’s life is upended when her father dies and leaves her penniless and living with an aunt in the country. Meanwhile, Kit is a bored spy with nothing to do so his stern father sends him out to the country to work on a folio of the flora and fauna of the region. Susannah and Kit have a chance meeting at the pond, leaving Susannah mostly embarrassed, but Kit discovers that she’s a skilled artist. He hires her to assist him in drawing all the plant and animal life for his assignment. As if that wasn’t enough, Kit believes that Susannah’s father was murdered by a traitor and that Susannah is now at risk. With all of the times Kit has saved Susannah’s life, it’s no wonder that she grows affection towards him. They spend even more time together unraveling the secrets of Susannah’s past and parents and look for evidence to incriminate the traitor. There’s tons of action and mystery in this one, along with the romance between our two leads.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester (2024)

Historical fiction. Standalone novel. This book is told in three different timelines, following three generations of Bricard women. In the present day, Blythe lives in the shadow of her mother Astrid, a fashion designer who disappeared in the 1970s, and her infamous grandmother Mizza who is known for being the sultry muse of fashion designer Christian Dior. While Blythe is still tangentially involved in the fashion world, she prioritizes her children’s welfare above all else, especially after her divorce. When talk of reviving her mother’s abandoned fashion brand comes up, Blythe is faced with separating fact from fiction regarding her mother’s story. We get to read all about Astrid’s experience firsthand through her chapters of the book, including the rise of her notoriety and the vicious things that the press says about her. While she has her own issues of living in her mother’s shadow, we get to unpeel another layer by reading Mizza’s chapters as well. These three perspectives are fascinating to read and put together to create a vivid history of all the Bricards have had to endure.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Duke’s All That by Christina Britton (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Seraphina is living in the Isle of Synne with her two sisters running the circulating library on the island. She’s got a mysterious past and a bit defensive and skittish. Turns out she was married many years ago, betrayed by her love, sent to an asylum, and then ran away with her sisters to protect them from their father. Her security is disrupted when her long-lost husband Iain shows up on the Isle to demand a divorce from Seraphina. He believes that he was betrayed by her all those years ago, then believed she was dead, and only just learned that she was alive. And now that he’s a duke, he’ll need to marry again in the future and need to be free and clear to do so. He doesn’t tell Seraphina that he’s a duke, just in case she has aspirations of being a duchess, but they do set off on a road trip to get that divorce. Along the way, they do actually start to talk to each other about what went wrong all those years ago and realize that they were both told lies by her father. He’s interested in making the marriage real, but she refuses and wants to go back to her quiet life with her sisters. It’s all a huge mess, made worse by the fact that Iain is still secretly a duke.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

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Never Tempt a Rogue by Christy Carlyle (2016)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Rogues’ Rulebook series. Short, low-angst story. Felicity is a companion and chaperone to her younger cousin at a house party where Felicity is responsible for keeping her cousin away from a rogue of a lord. Alex’s reputation is not actually his true nature and he never had designs on the young cousin anyway. When Alex meets Felicity, he is immediately drawn to her and prefers her to all the other eligible ladies at the party. She tries her best to stay away from him due to their differences in social station, but his earnestness eventually wears down her resolve.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Never Beguile a Scoundrel by Christy Carlyle (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Rogues’ Rulebook series. Emily is the daughter of a viscount and soon to be married off to a much older and lecherous man, so she seeks to arrange her own ruin by asking Max, an old friend of her brother’s to pretend to ruin her. He tries to be noble and refuse at first, but then gets jealous when she seeks out another man. They end up getting caught in a scandalous situation anyway and he’ll need to decide if he’s going to do the noble thing and marry her or not.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Never Defy a Duke by Christy Carlyle (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Rogues’ Rulebook series. This one is similar in set-up with the first book in the series with the duke’s heir, Gray, being set up at a house party full of eligible ladies. Except he only cares for his childhood friend Evie, who somehow isn’t considered eligible. Of course, they both have been attracted to each other for ages and somehow seeing Gray on the cusp of marriage to someone else has sparked Evie’s jealousy. This one was another quick resolution once Gray figured out who it is he really wants to marry.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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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 Deal with the Earl by Sadie Bosque (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Julie is the daughter of a cruel and oppressive marquess and avoiding marriage during her Seasons while she waits for her childhood sweetheart to return home from war. Unfortunately, her father has set up a match with Robert, an earl and heir to a duke, and she can’t get out of it. Despite starting off angry at being managed and betrothed without her knowledge, Julie soon makes a deal with Robert that she will go through with the marriage if he helps get her sister out of an asylum and bring her home to live with them; in exchange, she will provide the heirs that Robert needs. While these two don’t trust each other at first, once we see how kind Robert is towards Julie’s sister, even Julie accepts that he is a good person and that their marriage is the only way to have rescued her sister. The romance here is incredibly slow-burn, but satisfying to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

An Agreement with the Soldier by Sadie Bosque (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Necessary Arrangements series. John is the third son of a baron and was sent off to war by his sweetheart’s father to keep him away from her; upon his return, he finds that he is now the baron of an impoverished estate. He needs to marry an heiress quickly and soon begins courting a wealthy duchess. Although they get along well enough and are expected to marry, John is friendly with and attracted to Samantha, who is quieter than her friend. John tries to stay away from Samantha, knowing that his own baggage from the war will bring her down, but somehow ends up in a situation where he needs to marry her. While Samantha tries to accommodate John’s emotional distance, she gets tired of that quickly, and resolves to understand and help him instead. John has a lot of self-loathing in this story, but it’s nice to see him slowly start to thaw around Samantha as well as feel a sense of belonging on his estate.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

A Bargain with the Rake by Sadie Bosque (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Evie is a duchess in her own right, but her money and estates are controlled by guardians who wants to secure the dukedom for their own immediate family. She runs away from them after overhearing a plot to marry or murder her and proposes a marriage of convenience to Gabriel, who is a renowned rake. He agrees to her bargain and they set off on the road to elope. We get to see all sorts of road trip calamities here with broken carriage axles, brigands, rainstorms, and limited shelter options. Evie tries really hard to resist any physical relationship with Gabriel, since she believes he will someday break her heart. Gabriel has had a cold childhood and upbringing so he thinks that he won’t be able to love Evie, only that he’d be able to bring her pleasure. It’s a lot of back and forth between these two in terms of their emotional relationship, but their friendship is pretty strong as they make their way towards their wedding destination. Despite Gabriel’s overly flirtatious nature, he does care for and comfort Evie the best that he can and vows to always protect her.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

An Offer from the Marquess by Sadie Bosque (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Isabel and Rhys accidentally run into each other at a ball, fall into a tangle of limbs, and are very publicly accused of a tryst. The only way to avoid scandal is to marry. Except that Rhys has absolutely zero social skills and gruffly insults his future wife. He’s got his own hang-ups from being betrayed by his former wife and witnessing Isabel in an indelicate situation many years ago, so he needs a lot of work before he’s properly sociable. He’s also got a hellion of a young daughter with an overly excitable large dog. Isabel is pretty much a spinster, having been jilted by a former fiance, and now running her brother’s household. These two people spend most of the book not communicating with each other and holding a grudge. However, they both slowly start to realize they need to put more effort into understanding each other and making their new family work.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

An Affair with the Viscount by Sadie Bosque (2022)

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

A Wager with the Gentleman by Sadie Bosque (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Beatrice is an impoverished young lady from the country who is betrothed to a lecherous old man and seeks to complete her list of London adventures before her marriage. Her former fiance’s brother, Adam, catches her at a notoriously scandalous masquerade and rescues her from unwanted advances. Somehow these two end up in an arrangement where he will help her with a few items from her list of adventures. However, Adam is not enthusiastic about spending time with Beatrice and aims to discourage her from the list by picking out unpleasant experiences that fulfill her items. He’s basically a boorish prig for most of the story, except for the part where he has lustful fantasies about Beatrice. At some point, she changes the game and considers trapping Adam into marriage to rescue her from the unwanted fiance, but she feels guilty and questions her goals when she starts to develop feelings for him. Meanwhile Adam is caught between feeling guilty for not rescuing Beatrice properly, but also wanting to stay away from her so he can pursue his own goals. He’ll need to come to his own revelations about how he feels about Beatrice and what to do about her other fiance.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super funny and emotional one-night stand, accidental pregnancy romance. Win and Bo meet at their friends’ Halloween party, flirt, hook-up, and plan on never seeing each other again. Six weeks later, Win finds out she’s pregnant and needs to rework her whole life plan. When she tells Bo the news, he’s surprisingly emotional and supportive. They end up becoming friends with a co-parenting plan and eventually move into Bo’s house together. It’s a slow-burn romance as they get to know each other better and Bo is basically the best most supportive father ever. There’s all sorts of humor as they banter with each other and it’s clear they’re going to be strong partners throughout the book. Excellent excellent read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

Camera Chemistry by Chelsea Curto (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Love through a Lens series. Quick smutty novella. Maggie and Aiden meet as two strangers during a photoshoot and get to know each other in front of the camera. With their sizzling chemistry, they decide to extend their time together with dinner and an overnight stay at Aiden’s place. We get front row seats to their entire steamy night together with a variety of sexual encounters all over Aiden’s apartment. If you cared about their backstories, Maggie’s a divorced neurosurgeon and Aiden’s a divorced pediatric oncologist with a 16-year-old daughter. And despite the fact that these two don’t have time for relationships and only agreed to a single night together, they both want more and have been worried the other person doesn’t, so they’ll need to actually talk to each other.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Love through a Lens series. Lacey and Shawn are friends through their friends who have gotten together last year and somehow have not started dating each other. Lacey’s on a date with a new guy at a football game (where Shawn is the coach) and ends up on the KissCam. Her date adamantly refuses to kiss her, drawing embarrassing attention to Lacey. When Shawn sees what’s going on, he saves the day by running over kissing Lacey. And then they end up in social media firestorm and decide to fake date through the holidays so that Lacey has someone to bring to her work party and so Shawn can bring a girlfriend home to his family. And then they evolve into fake dating partners with benefits and slowly start to realize that they don’t want an end to this relationship after all. Both Lacey and Shawn are fiercely independent and strong on their own, but realize that it’s nice to have someone to partner with and rely on. The romance is slow and sweet and charming (plus explicit details of their bedroom and out-of-bedroom physical relationship).

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This one has all the When Harry Met Sally vibes with Ari and Josh having horribly awkward run-ins with each other over the years, then becoming friends, and then making things messy with all their feelings. There’s so many time-jumps in this book that it’s labeled with nine different parts, but it’s very clear where we are in everyone’s lives. If this turns into a movie, you’ll be able to tell what era you’re in based on Ari’s hairstyle and clothing. Ari is a stand-up comedian with all sorts of aversion to commitment and thinks Josh is an arrogant asshole (who is weirdly romantic and believes in soulmates). He’s actually a chef with big dreams and wanting to distance himself away from his famous deli-owning father. We get to see the evolution of both Ari and Josh separately in both their relationships and their careers. When they finally meet again and strike up a reluctant friendship, they’re both at all-time lows and miserable company is somehow comforting for them. They keep things totally platonic, but it’s clear they have some emotional dependence on each other, complete with late night telephone conversations while watching a movie together (separately in their own apartments). It all blows up when Josh pushes for more and Ari freaks out (as expected). We get to see both points of view in this story and the humor mixed with heartbreak hurts in a good way. I love how small little details early in the story get remembered and called back to later on, in the best sort of inside jokes between Ari and Josh. The supporting cast of friends and family rounded out the story and it was nice to see how everyone interacted with each other. An amazing book and I will definitely be reading anything in the future that Kate Goldbeck writes.

Advance ebook provided by Random House Publishing via NetGalley.

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (2023)

Contemporary romance. Elsie is a recent PhD grad with no money and way too many adjunct teaching positions who is on a fake dating app for extra money. One of her clients has an older brother Jack who seems to hate Elsie. Except he doesn’t. And one of the parameters of Elsie’s gig has her being vague and untruthful about her real identity and personal information. When Elsie shows up for a physics faculty job interview, she’s surprised to see Jack there as one of the other faculty members. Jack is upset because it seems that Elsie has been lying to his brother, but Elsie can’t tell Jack the truth about the fake dating without her client’s permission. It’s a huge mess that is complicated by the fact that Jack is in charge of the rival branch of physics and there’s another candidate for the job. But really Jack just feels terrible for having had a crush on his brother’s “girlfriend” all this time and he’s even more impressed with her once he realizes she’s also a physicist. This book has all the humor and awkwardness you’d expect out of an Ali Hazelwood novel.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Romance via Edelweiss.

Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood (2023)

Young Adult Contemporary Romance. Standalone novel. Mallory hasn’t played chess in years, since it seemingly caused the implosion of her family. Now she’s a high school graduate working to support her disabled mother and two younger sisters. Her best friend convinces her to join a charity chess tournament and she somehow wins against Nolan, the reigning world champion and top-ranked chess player. Mallory is understandably completely overwhelmed and bolts. Soon after that, Mallory is offered a well-paying fellowship to study and play chess with the hopes of entering upcoming chess competitions. While she tries to maintain some emotional distance from the sport, it all comes back to her even though she’s hiding her chess involvement from her family. Once we start heading out in the world of chess tournaments, we get more awkward meetings with Nolan and meet some of his friends. While a lot of the actual chess went over my head, the banter between Mallory and Nolan is so entertaining, as well as Nolan’s interactions with Mallory’s younger sisters. He’s clearly impressed and intrigued by her, even though she totally denies it. The romance aspect is sweet and fun to read (and the sex is closed door). We get to see these two open up to each other about the family secrets and traumatic histories, and ultimately find a way to have fun even in spite of the competition. Another super entertaining read from Ali Hazelwood.

Advance ebook provided by Penguin Teen via NetGalley.

You, with a View by Jessica Joyce (2023)

Contemporary romance. Noelle is in a rough spot right now, living in her childhood bedroom without a job and grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother. When she comes upon some old photos and love letter of her gram with a stranger, she seeks to unravel the mystery of the missing man. One viral TikTok post later, she finds that the man is her high-school rival’s grandfather. Theo has been Noelle’s academic and athletic foil all throughout high school and is the picture of success, while Noelle has not accomplished what she wanted. When she meets with Theo and his grandfather, she uncovers a decades-old love story, including a mapped out honeymoon road trip. With nothing else to do, Noelle decides to embark on the trip herself to feel closer to her lost grandmother. And of course, the two men invite themselves along on the trip too. We get to see smooshy family dynamics, hear about a love story that didn’t work out, plus see Theo and Noelle slowly let down their walls with each other. The emotional connection (and steam) was so good to read in this book. Definitely recommend!

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Olivia is set to take over her family business, a matchmaking service in Los Angeles’ Chinatown based on the principles of the Chinese zodiac. We start with a meet-cute in a bakery and a scuffle over a pastry, but she never catches the man’s name. Later, we find that Bakery Boy is actually Bennett, the owner of a new dating app, also based on the zodiac. Olivia sets out to gather more intel, so she uses the app to make herself match with Bennett for a date. She’s determined not to like him, since he’s a business rival and his zodiac animal is incompatible with hers. When everyone finds out who the other person is, they end up making a wager and setting each other up on dates to see which matchmaking service is superior. But Olivia and Bennett spend more time talking to each other than talking to their intended dates; it’s really sickeningly sweet. Olivia’s got her own history of heartache though, so she really believes that Bennett is incompatible and she tends to think the worst in him. This book was absolutely adorable and sweet and smooshy and I really enjoyed it (even though there wasn’t any smut).

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

Not Your Valentine by Jackie Lau (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novella. Helen is a slightly grumpy not-so-smiley young woman who was publicly dumped last Valentine’s Day, with a video of her break-up going viral. She’s sworn off dating and relationships, but her friends and family are starting to worry by the time it’s New Years. She asks her guy friend Taylor to be her fake boyfriend to get everyone off her case. However, she soon finds herself attracted to Taylor, but scared to make it real. This was a quick and fun read, with things progressing in a predictable manner, but still super enjoyable and steamy. We’ve got nods to cultural foods for our Chinese-Canadian characters, running jokes about cheesy heart-shaped cakes, and Taylor being the best sunshine fake-boyfriend ever.

Advance ebook provided by Kobo Originals via NetGalley.

The Name Drop by Susan Lee (2023)

Contemporary young adult romance. Standalone novel. Jessica is headed to New York City for a summer internship before she starts community college in the Fall. Meanwhile, Elijah is headed to the same company for an executive internship as the CEO’s son. Things go awry when both Jessica and Elijah have the same Korean name and it’s an identity mix-up at the airport. Somehow Jessica gets transported to a fancy brownstone and introduced as the executive intern, while Elijah is crowded together with all the other lowly interns. When they discover the mix-up, Jessica and Elijah agree to continue with their unintended roles for the summer. It was fun seeing their friendship develop and learn to live and work under new circumstances, although the romance was super slow to get started and fairly innocent overall. What kept me reading was waiting to see what would happen when their secret gets discovered and what kind of fallout we would see.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Snow Place Like LA by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 1.5 of the Christmas Notch series. Being in the same working circle (in the adult film industry), Luca has had a crush on Angel for ages and they finally hook up when working on the same movie set. After a month together, it seems that Angel has ghosted Luca, so Luca blocks Angel everywhere. Fast forward seven months and they’re stuck working on yet another film together and need to confront their feelings and what all went wrong. It’s a quick and dirty novella with lots of steam. Standout page of the book goes to Luca explaining to Angel what omegaverse and knotting is.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Christmas Notch series. Ex-boy band member turned pizza mogul Kallum is set to star in a sexy Santa movie after gaining notoriety after a sex-tape was leaked. Former child actor and all-around good girl Winnie is in a tough spot following her divorce and an illness that prevented her from starring in last year’s Christmas movie, and is now given the opportunity to rebrand herself by co-starring with Kallum. She’s super hesitant at first, but finally decides to give it a try. Upon her first meeting with Kallum and the movie’s intimacy coordinator, Winnie soon realizes she’s totally in over her head and has no idea how to portray sexual satisfaction on screen (having never experienced it off screen). She’s got plenty of homework to do there, but her super conservative purity-based upbringing is definitely creating a lot of blocks there. Kallum has his own insecurities of being the least sought after boy band member and always being looked at as a hook-up rather than relationship material. He’s totally excited to work with Winnie after having had a crush on her since they were teenagers. With Winnie’s insecurities in the bedroom, she asks Kallum to help her in that department, agreeing that it’s all for the sake of research and her performance in the movie. There’s definitely a lot of steam in this book, as Kallum takes on the role of tutor for Winnie. While the physical attraction between Winnie and Kallum definitely exists, neither of them are sure about their long-term compatibility, being total opposites in personality and in family dynamics. It’s takes a bit of emotional growth for both of them: for Winnie to learn to trust someone and for Kallum to behave a bit more responsibly. A super humorous read with tons of support from our favorite characters from Book 1 of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Debut novel from one of my favorite fanfiction authors (known as LovesBitca8 on AO3). This one is a second-chance romance between Ama, a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in commitment, and Elliot, a florist who took over his father’s shop. The present-day chapters are told from Ama’s perspective, with past timeline chapters told from Elliot’s. In the present timeline, Ama has booked a high profile wedding that could elevate her career but has to work with Elliot on the florals, even though they haven’t spoken in about two years. In the past timeline, we get to see how they meet and get together, and it’s absolutely delightful reading Elliot’s self-deprecating awkwardness and internal monologue. In both timelines, we get to see Elliot’s gruff, but caring nature, and that he’s a total sap. (Think Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls, but younger and hotter, but still wearing plaid). This book had all the best emotionally written lines and you can feel Ama’s angst in the present day even if you don’t quite understand where it all went wrong. Amazing book and I’m super excited for more people to read it.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Forever Books. Advance audiobook provided via Libro.fm.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Gemma has just been dumped by her long-time boyfriend and she’s drunkenly doing some sort of cleansing ritual with her aunt, sister, and best friend, Dax. She wakes up the next day in an alternate reality where she had never met her ex, but then she had also never met her best friend Dax. In trying to get back to her own reality, she needs to re-do the ritual at the appropriate moon-phase, but will also need Dax’s participation. Gemma sets off to befriend Dax in this universe, but realizes that they have romantic feelings for each other instead. It seems she never got the chance to think of Dax as anything but a friend, since she quickly fell into a serious relationship with the other guy. This book was funny and sweet and also steamy. It was an easy, relatively low-angst, friends-to-lovers read.

Advance ebook provided by The Dial Press via NetGalley.

It’s a Date (Again) by Jeneva Rose (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Peyton has run away from a man who told her he loves her, realizes that she loves him back and runs back to him, only to be hit by a car and then lose her memory. When she wakes up in the hospital, she’s greeted by two of her best friends and three potential boyfriends, and she has no idea which man was the one she’s in love with. Peyton spends the next two weeks dating these guys again, spending time with her friends, and re-learning who she is. This book is a pretty quick and fluffy read. I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Fancy Meeting You Here by Julie Tieu (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Elise is all sorts of stressed running her floral studio, being florist to her best friends’ weddings, while also performing bridesmaid duties. After an awkward first run-in with one of her friends’ younger brother Ben, he hires her florist services for his mother’s political campaign events. We spend a lot of this book surrounded by Elise’s friend group and their respective partners, often throwing Ben into the mix as a frequent groomsman. It takes awhile for Elise and Ben to start to get along, and then finally for romance to develop, but once they give into their attraction, their relationship is sweet and supportive. Ben helps Elise break down some of her barriers and learn to ask for help and eventually stop hiding her dire financial circumstances from her friends. And Elise supports Ben with pursuing his dreams away from the life prescribed by his parents.

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:

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.