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Keeping Up with the Cavendishes Historical Romance Book Series by Maya Rodale

Jan 8, 2024 | Book Reviews

Lady Bridget’s Diary by Maya Rodale (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series. The Cavendish family consists of a newly inherited duke and his three sisters, all new to England from America. They’ve all been taken under the wing of their aunt and duchess, learning all the stuffy rules of society. Bridget is the middle sister who seems to want to embrace the rules and try to fit in so that she isn’t mocked so easily. At her first ball, she meets the charming and handsome Rupert and his super stuffy and cold older brother Darcy. While it seems that Bridget and Rupert are headed towards courtship, Darcy is the one who cannot stop staring at and thinking about Bridget. Nevermind that he’s almost engaged to the ton’s latest mean girl, Francesca, who tries to disparage Bridget at every instance. While there’s a lot of chaos with the unconventional Cavendish family, we get to see the bickering relationship between Bridget and Darcy turn into something more. This book was a lot of fun to read, with all its parallels to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Chasing Lady Amelia by Maya Rodale (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series. This book takes place during the same timeline as Book 1 of the series, but it still makes sense to read it as standalone. Amelia is the youngest sister of a new duke, freshly arrived to the Ton from America, where she is constrained by all the rules of decorum. After a disastrous evening at Almack’s and a huge fight with her family, Amelia finds herself wandering the streets at night and being rescued by a stranger. Alistair is newly back in England after traveling for the past six years, summoned by his uncle to woo and marry one of the American girls. It’s his lucky day when he realizes that the girl he rescued is the most scandalous of those girls. While Amelia gives a fake name and identity, she and Alistair end up spending the day together, seeing all the sights that proper Lady Amelia has not been allowed to do. It’s a whirlwind perfect day that leaves both Amelia and Alistair nearly in love with each other; except that Alistair has known who she was all along and is starting to feel guilty for deceiving her all day. About half the book takes place over that one day, but then Amelia goes home and eventually learns about Alistair’s true motives. The question is whether he can successfully grovel his way into her good graces again.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lady Claire Is All That by Maya Rodale (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series. Claire is more interested in mathematics than suitors, wears her spectacles to balls, and doesn’t give much care to her appearance. After Fox has been jilted by his very suitable fiance, he somehow makes a wager with his friend that he can turn any woman into the darling of the ton with the right amount of polish. Fox’s friend (but really rival) has picked out Claire as the unwitting subject of this bet. (It’s basically She’s All That, but in Regency-era). Claire is obviously super suspicious of the handsome and brawny Fox spending time with her, when she purposely repels suitors by talking about math all the time. He even escorts her to math lectures to soften her up. The physical attraction between these two comes on strong, but they’re pretty ill-suited in terms of personality and interest. And that darn bet is still a conflict waiting to drop.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Suddenly a Duke Historical Romance Book Series by Alexa Aston

Jan 4, 2024 | Book Reviews

Portrait of the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Suddenly a Duke series. We start with an adorable prologue with an outspoken teenager warning away one of her spoiled sister’s suitors and letting him know that he isn’t a real contender being merely a viscount. Despite the age-gap and both of their youths, there’s a spark of chemistry between them. Ten years later, Lady Margaret is finally ready to make her debut after caring for her ill-mother, mourning her death, and mourning her father’s death. However, Margaret has no intention to marry, but to build a business painting portraits. Our young viscount, Daniel, is now a duke looking to marry this Season. He’d sought out Margaret in previous years, but she was nowhere to be found. As he sees her in the present, there’s an existing connection between their grandmothers who had been friends in their youth. Daniel’s grandmother is the best wingwoman around, making sure to keep Margaret close by, and supporting her art. This was a relatively low-angst book with an instant attraction between our main characters. There’s the petty spoiled sister in the background, but she doesn’t interfere too badly. Great book if you’re looking for an easy read and a good time.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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Music for the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

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

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Polishing the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Suddenly a Duke series. An old duke reveals a deathbed secret that his first love and their child is not actually a bastard and is indeed the next duke and hires the Lady Nalyssa to polish him up for Society after the solicitor informs him of his change in circumstance. Nalyssa has been ruined by her father’s debts and subsequent suicide and has made a business of cleaning up long lost relatives to titles and making them proper gentlemen. She meets Pierce and his mother and sister when he becomes the new duke. While he has held a grudge against his father for many years, he quickly learns that many people will rely on him now that he has the title. Add in a younger half-brother who thought that he was the heir and is suddenly not. Though Nalyssa has no hopes of marrying, she and Pierce are instantly attracted to each other. I liked how well she got along with Pierce’s family and the way that she explains how seemingly frivolous spending leads to employment and income for others. I also enjoyed Pierce’s ability to be both stubborn and logical when faced with his new challenges. Quick and enjoyable read!

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Designs on the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Tragic upbringing for Elijah, who’s crusty old duke of a father accused his wife of being unfaithful and tossed the pregnant duchess off to a small cottage at one of his estates with no money or support. She gave birth to twins and eventually sent them off to war. While in battle, the elder of the twins passes away, leaving Elijah to be the heir. He then receives a letter that his father has died, leaving his brother the next duke, though his brother is gone too, meaning Elijah is the new duke. He’s back in England to reclaim his birthright and set things to rights. Unfortunately, the crusty old duke was a spiteful piece of work who sold off every single piece of furniture in the house. Luckily, they run into Abby, who is soon to open her own furniture shop filled with her designs. Abby lived in poverty until her father’s death, when her new guardian took her own and brought her with him in his worldwide travels. With all the knowledge gained in traveling the world, she has developed a keen sense of style and design. Neither Elijah or Abby are interested in marriage: Elijah doesn’t want to continue his horrible father’s bloodline and Abby doesn’t want to cede her independence. But as they start working together to furnish his home, they begin to admire each other’s strength and honor more than even their initial attraction.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Fashioning the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Fox is the much younger second son of a duke, never expecting to inherit, when he receives word that his older brother has died, leaving two nieces in his care. At the solicitor’s office, he has a chance meeting with Delaney who is there to sell off her millinery shop after her half-brother has basically barred polite society from shopping there. Delaney is the illegitimate daughter of an earl who was always favored and adored by her father. Fox decides to hire Delaney to assist in outfitting his nieces for the upcoming Season and also pretty much instantly decides that he wants her as his duchess. She doesn’t want to give up her independence or marry, so he’s got some work cut out for him in wooing her. Enjoyable to read and I love how well Fox takes to his responsibilities and his nieces.

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.

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Training the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Finola is the daughter of an earl who was orphaned and then neglected by her much older sisters only to be taken in by a lonely baron. In her first Season in London, Finola was publicly humiliated by a viscount who led her to believe he was courting her. After that, she retreated back to the country where she works to train hunting dogs. Many years after that, we meet Cy who has recently left the army after an accident left him blind in one eye. Cy is the younger son of a duke, neglected by his father and older brother. When he returns home, he finds that his father has died and his brother is now the duke. His brother allows Cy to live at the hunting lodge at the edge of the property. One day when Finola is walking her dogs, the dogs discover and befriend Cy and his charge Bertie. Finola’s and the duke’s lands border each other, though Cy does not admit that he is the brother of a duke. We have a quick and easy friendship between Finola and Cy, with Bertie needing the use of Finola’s schoolroom and learning to train dogs with Finola. The romance here builds very naturally and it seems that these two are perfect for each other and will be well-situated at Finola’s home. However, we have Cy’s looming secret and the fact that his brother is quite ill. I enjoyed this book and seeing another woman in an unconventional profession.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

Investigating the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Suddenly a Duke series. This one is the final book of the series, where we get to see how Shelby becomes an accomplished Bow Street Runner. We’ve seen Shelby at work many times throughout the series, solving cases for the other sudden dukes. This book features Jasper, a third son of a duke and vicar, who suddenly becomes a duke when his father passes away from illness, his oldest brother drunkenly falls down the stairs, and his second oldest brother dies at war. The timing of his oldest brother’s death along with his father’s death seems to be suspicious, so Jasper heads to hire a Bow Street Runner to investigate. The very accomplished Shelby is assigned to the case and she poses as Jasper’s new secretary to blend in with the household. The romance here was fairly straightforward, with Jasper deciding pretty quickly that he wants to marry Shelby after the investigation is over. However, finding out the cause of deaths for Jasper’s family members is much more complicated and kept me very invested in the story.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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Kent’s Row Duchesses Historical Romance Book Series by Jess Michaels

Jan 3, 2024 | Book Reviews

No Dukes Allowed by Jess Michaels (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Kent’s Row Duchesses series. Widowed duchess Valaria has just moved to a street of townhouses full of widowed duchesses. She’s keeping secrets regarding the death of her cruel and terrible husband and is hesitant to make new friends. However, her late husband’s friend Callum is intent on checking on her well-being, even though she wants to push him away. Callum is the ultimate nice guy has admired her for many years but denied his feelings for her due to his friendship. Now that his friend has died, he feels guilty for calling on Valaria, but can’t seem to help himself. And Valaria has always been attracted to Callum as well, not knowing why this seemingly upstanding gentleman was friends with her husband. Callum didn’t know that his friend was completely awful, so he feels even worse when he discovers that Valaria did not have a happy marriage. At some point, these two start an affair, but there’s still a heavy secret between them and Valaria’s overall skittishness to overcome.

Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.

Not Another Duke by Jess Michaels (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Kent’s Row Duchesses series. Widowed duchess Flora has horribly cruel stepchildren who recruit their own impoverished cousin Roarke to spy on Flora and determine if she’s breaking the terms of an additional clause of her late husband’s inheritance. Roarke barely has any funds to support himself and his ill mother, so needs to rely on the charity of his cousins. When he meets Flora, he finds that she is attractive and kind and not at all the seductress that his cousins described. Flora had genuinely loved her much older husband and had no intention of entertaining future suitors. However, when she meets Roarke, she’s surprised to find that she is attracted to him. These two start up a friendship which may lead to more, but Roarke’s feelings of guilt are attached to everything he does. It seems like the reveal of Roarke’s betrayal may cause the couple to split before they’ve even begun, and they still need to deal with the dangers of Flora’s stepchildren. I liked how Roarke was a reluctant villain here, being torn between his obligations towards his mother and his growing feelings for Flora.

Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.

Not the Duke You Marry by Jess Michaels (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Kent’s Row Duchesses series. With both of her widow friends married now, Bernadette is feeling lonely and undesirable. She expresses her interest in finding a lover to Theo, a childhood friend who she recently reconnected with. His aghast reaction makes her feel horribly rejected and insecure, but she rallies and finds her way to a pleasure club. When Theo spots her there, he tries to emphasize how dangerous her actions are, but really he just lusts after her himself and is conflicted about his feelings. These two go back and forth a bit, but end up having an affair, and try very hard not to fall in love with each other. Add in a backstory where Theo had long ago rejected a chance to marry Bernadette and we’re just waiting for her to be heartbroken by the revelation. Lots of steam and internal revelations in this one, without too much external drama.

Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.

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Weekly Reads: December 25, 2023 to December 31, 2023

Jan 2, 2024 | Book Reviews

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.

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.

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.

Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen by Jane Hadley (2023)

Historical romance. 1950s Minnesota. Standalone novella. Marion is a divorced woman with two small kids looking to re-do her entire kitchen with the latest appliances with her divorce money. She aims to be the envy of all the other busybodies in the neighborhood when she hosts a Christmas dinner. Harry is the contractor assigned to work on her kitchen and they pretty much have an instant attraction to each other. He’s the sweetest most charming and thoughtful man ever, even bringing Marion a hot plate so that she has a place to cook while her kitchen is under construction. While he asks her on a proper date, she refuses due to the optics, but certainly enjoys a heated dalliance with the man. This one is a long-ish novella with steam and emotion.

Ebook free via author’s website.

Midnight Pleasures with a Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Scoundrels of St. James series. Eleanor is a viscount’s daughter in London to avenge her sister’s death by seeking revenge against the lord who ruined her. That lord believes he’s wrongfully being pursued, so he involves Scotland Yard for his protection. James Swindler is an investigator who grew up on the streets after his father was hanged for stealing and is tasked with following Eleanor around. When they meet, each is hiding their true reason for being out and about and they start a flirtation. James feels guilty for deceiving Eleanor, but Eleanor knows that James is following her and she aims to seduce him into protecting her. With the underlying lies forming the foundation of their relationship, it’ll be curious to see how they can have a lasting relationship. We get a massive plot twist halfway through the book that adds an another layer of complexity to the story, which is super fun to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Last Wicked Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath (2014)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale (2018)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Book 1 of the Gilded Age Girls Club. Adeline is a seamstress with dreams of opening her own dress shop and has a meet cute with an impoverished duke in a hotel lobby. Brandon is in New York to seek a wealthy heiress to marry and is instantly smitten by Adeline and thinks that he’s super fortunate to find an heiress he likes in his hotel. Unfortunately, he realizes that she’s not wealthy and can’t really help him, so he’s got to begrudgingly meet and court other women. Meanwhile, Adeline is still working on her unique dress designs and finding ways to show them off. When Brandon suggests that Adeline help with inside scoop on the heiresses in exchange for her escort to the theater so she can show off her gowns, she agrees, but it’s painful pining for everyone involved. Brandon will have to work out how to deal with his money problem if he wants to end up with Adeline.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

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.

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.

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

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Scandalous Historical Romance Book Series by Caroline Linden

Dec 28, 2023 | Book Reviews

Love and Other Scandals by Caroline Linden (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Scandalous series. Joan is the plump and tall daughter of a baronet who is practically a spinster and has an overbearing mother. While she is delivering a message to her brother to attend an upcoming ball, she encounters her brother’s friend Tristan staying at her brother’s lodgings. Although Tristan does not typically attend society events, he’s intrigued and irritated by Joan so he seeks her out at the next ball. This ball ends up being pretty eventful for Joan and Tristan, as he scandalizes her with his behavior, insults her, but also dances with her and kisses her. It’s an amusing mix of actions here that leave Joan and Tristan totally confused about how they feel about each other. Joan’s mother disapproves of Tristan due to his scandalous reputation, and extracts Joan’s promise to avoid him in the future. However, as Joan’s parents and brother need to leave town soon after that, Joan’s brother asks Tristan to look after Joan and visit her. There’s a slow build up of real feelings between Tristan and Joan here, both getting over their initial reaction to the other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

It Takes a Scandal by Caroline Linden (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Scandalous series. We start with a tragic prologue for Sebastian, where he’s injured from war, his former best friend is accusing him of eloping with his younger sister, and his madman of a father has gone missing. Life is pretty awful for Sebastian. Fast forward six or seven years and the wealthy Weston family has moved to town so that heiresses Abigail and Penelope have the chance of meeting more gentlemen suitors. Abigail happens to meet Sebastian in the adjoining property when her mother’s puppy runs into the woods. He’s hesitant to introduce himself or spend any time with Abigail, probably due to his own tarnished and impoverished circumstances. Despite his reticence, Abigail is intrigued by him. They continue to accidentally meet in the woods until they start purposefully meeting there and it’s a slow burn romance as Abigail learns Sebastian’s secrets. At some point, Sebastian’s former friend Benedict joins the story to serve as a rival for Abigail’s affections, but her choice between the two men is pretty obvious to everyone else.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All’s Fair in Love and Scandal by Caroline Linden (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2.5 of the Scandalous series. Novella-length story. Douglas is wagered by his somewhat disreputable friend to dance with Madeline, the somewhat aloof widow who stands at the sidelines of balls. Upon rejection, Douglas is faced with an even bolder wager: unmask Madeline as the author of a scandalous pamphlet. While the reader is unsure of Madeline is the anonymous authoress, we do know that she writes some sort of column and passes it on to a publisher. She tries to maintain her distance from society, while still being invited everywhere, so that she can collect gossip from society events. She’s also completely wary of Douglas’ attentions, even though she is attracted to him. Douglas aims to spend more time with Madeline, escorting her places and attempting to flirt with her. Their acquaintance grows over the next few weeks until Douglas is convinced that he will not expose her in any way and Madeline is completely unsure of herself and her feelings for him. This all wraps up pretty quickly and was an enjoyable novella to read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love in the Time of Scandal by Caroline Linden (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Scandalous series. We start with a tragic prologue of Benedict’s upbringing to highlight just how cruel his earl of a father is and why he might behave in certain ways. The story starts with Penelope being bored and lonely at a ball now that her friend and sister have married (in Books 1 and 2 of the series). Penelope is trying to be supportive of her new friend’s suitor, but quickly realizes that she’s talking about Benedict, the man who previously courted Penelope’s sister and turned his back on a childhood friend. With this prior experience with Benedict, Penelope is wary of his affection for her friend. Benedict tries to make amends with Penelope, but they end up bickering instead, and ultimately Benedict blames Penelope for not being able to secure an engagement with the other lady. However, when Penelope ends up being the subject of scandalous rumors, Benedict decides to marry her. For two people who cannot seem to agree on anything, it’s interesting to see how they find common ground. This book has lots of drama here with a treacherous villain in the background, plus dealing with Benedict’s horrible father.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Study in Scandal by Caroline Linden (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Scandalous series. Quick novella here about an earl’s daughter who runs away from an unwanted engagement. Samantha’s cruel father has decided to punish her by arranging a marriage to a monstrous marquess’ son. She seizes the opportunity to run away, nearly gets kidnapped, but then is rescued. Gray is the son of a duke and also a painter who feels instantly protective of Samantha, even though she pretends to have forgotten who she is and will not reveal what she’s running from. In exchange for room and protection, Samantha assists Gray in his art studio and poses as his model. While the romanting relationship between Samantha and Gray develops swiftly, there is the looming danger of being caught by her father.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden (2016)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Secret of My Seduction by Caroline Linden (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4.5 of the Scandalous series. Quick novella here with Bathsheba asking for bedding lessons from Liam, the publisher of her anonymously penned naughty novels. Bathsheba is running out of ideas (and experience) for her books, so she figures some hand-on research is needed. While Liam tries to reject her at first, he soon realizes that he doesn’t want her turning to anyone else. As they spend more time together, Liam slowly realizes that he wants to keep Bathsheba in his life for good.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Trope Round Up: Historical Romance Books with Lady Painters

Dec 27, 2023 | Book Reviews

Portrait of the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

The Madness of Viscount Atherbourne by Elisa Braden (2015)

Lucien seeks revenge against the man who caused his sister’s suicide and killed his brother in a duel, so he sets out to seduce and ruin that man’s sister.

He successfully compromises Victoria at a ball, proceeds to marry her, and then ban her from speaking to her brother ever again.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

The Week the Wallflower Was Wanton by Eva Devon (2021)

Lucy is a debutante who would rather be painting than finding a husband, so she propositions a renowned rake to ruin her. They spend a week together doing whatever needs to be doing for her ruination and somehow she cracks into his hardened heart after all.

Shop this book via Amazon

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Recently widowed countess Eliza finds that her inheritance is dependent on her staying away from any scandal. The new earl, Lord Somerton, is the nephew of her late husband and happens to be a former suitor that was rejected when Eliza’s parents forced her to marry. As a widow, Eliza finally has a small taste of freedom when she spirits herself (and her cousin) away to Bath to visit before she makes her way back to her family’s home. Eliza ends up meeting the charming and scandalous Lord Melville and tries very hard to avoid him due to his reputation. Eventually Melville convinces Eliza to paint his portrait and she seizes this opportunity to utilize her artistic talent. Additionally, Somerton has renewed his acquaintance with Eliza and they confront their romantic past. We have a slowly building love triangle here, where you’re mostly rooting for Eliza to break free of her oppressive marriage and reunite with her long lost love, but then we start to see her friendship with Melville develop and wonder where that will lead. Since this book was a single POV (only Eliza’s), it wasn’t clear who the ultimate love interest is going to be, and I was intrigued to find out who she ended up with. There are also some delightful side pairings that we discover along the way as well. Despite this being a super low-steam book, the emotional build-up was really well done and it was an enjoyable book to read.

Advance ebook provided by Penguin Random House via NetGalley.

Painting the Duke by Georgina North (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Vivienne is an orphaned lady who lives with her aunt and uncle and is known for refusing multiple marriage offers. She actually has a secret life as an oil painter and many of her anonymous works are showcased at royal exhibitions. This season, a handsome duke, Brick, is back in town after being banished for many years. He’s not exactly looking for a wife, but is intrigued by Vivienne and is somehow egged into betting that he is able to secure her hand in marriage. He definitely has his work cut out for him, since she is very outspoken with him about her desire to not marry. However, he is refreshed by her opinions on art and equality and enjoys spending time with her. She also enjoys his company but refuses to give up her art and worries that he will be scandalized by her secret. This book is definitely a slow-burn romance with Vivienne being the one to learn to let down her walls and share her secret with the world; we also have Brick learning to eschew societal expectations and support Vivienne in every way possible. When she catches him in a lie, he delivers on meaningful displays of affection and support. Excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by Georgina North via BookSirens.

Forgery, Love, and Other Lies by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Art of Love series. There was once a financially irresponsible marquess who spent his money on art instead of his estate and family and after his passing, he had given away all of the art except for a select few paintings that his children would earn by creating a their own piece of art to their mother’s satisfaction. Unfortunately, the paintings left in their house were forgeries, orchestrated by second son Zander, who rented out the originals in times of financial need. Now that the family knows which paintings are meant to be the inheritance, Zander tries to reclaim the originals but finds the old woman he dealt with (and the artwork) missing. His investigation leads him to find the art forger, who is the daughter of a jeweler, Fiona, and is just as distressed with the disappearance of the old woman and many other counterfeit paintings that could see her hanged. Zander and Fiona team up to track down the woman and the paintings and find themselves in love along the way, although Zander is hesitant to offer anything permanent as he’s in no financial position to marry.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane via NetGalley.

Daring Miss Danvers by Vivienne Lorret (2014)

Book 1 of the Wallflower Weddings series. This one is an inheritance scheme. Quincy needs to convince his grandmother that he’s seriously engaged before his inheritance is released to him, so he picks his best friend’s sister to fake-propose to. She goes along with it… maybe because she had a crush on him all along, but also, she doesn’t want anyone to find out that she’s secretly a painter, which is somehow unladylike. I’m not sure, but everytime they try to call it off, it doesn’t quite work and then somehow end up married before they talk everything out.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Society of Sirens series. Cornelia is the niece of a duke but has built her reputation as a scandalous painter. She and her friends are trying to raise funds to build an institute for women and she needs a place to exhibit her latest collection of paintings. One seemingly random day, her uncle’s heir, Rafe, and now the duke comes to visit to inform her of her inheritance, which hinges on her being married. The surprise is that she’s already married to Rafe himself, and he suggests they go public with the marriage so she can claim her inheritance. What follows is a non-chronological story of how these two ended up married twenty years ago and then estranged in all the time since then. I mostly kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened, but the story itself wasn’t terribly interesting to me. Rafe is a smooshy sort of fellow who falls in love too freely and scares off all his partners with his enthusiasm and Cornelia is adamant about her independence and does not want the complication (or obligation) of love. He’s an overzealous puppy for most of the book and she’s the reluctant and selfish one, protecting her own isolation. And then there’s the political stuff happening in the background that wasn’t super interesting to me. On the plus side, Rafe is unapologetically bisexual here and one of his male lovers joins in for an encounter with Cornelia. So you know, if you like that stuff, here it is in a traditionally published historical romance.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Painting the Earl by Lexi Post (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Marrying a Mabry series. Amelia is the youngest Mabry sister who is focusing on her painting and aims to paint a masterpiece before settling into marriage. When a handsome earl proposes to her unexpectedly, she offers him a counterproposal: serve as her nude model before they marry. Andrew is in dire financial circumstances due to debts his father left behind and needs to marry for money quickly, but he is intrigued by Amelia’s proposition and agrees to it. As they spend more time together, he quickly falls in love with her and hopes that she will someday see him as a desirable husband rather than just a handsome subject of art. We get to interact a bit more with Amelia’s sisters, and there’s definitely a strong set up for sister Mariel’s future book. This one was relatively low-angst and easy to read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

All Duke and Bothered by Mariah Stone (2023)

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Weekly Reads: December 18 to 24, 2023

Dec 26, 2023 | Book Reviews

A Scot to the Heart by Caroline Linden (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. Army captain Andrew is the nearest heir to the Duke of Carlyle and on a mission to take care of his affairs to return to Carlyle Castle for training as the heir. As he returns home to inform his mother and sisters of the news, he meets and is instantly smitten by an intriguing widow in town. Luckily for him, the widowed Ilsa is friends with his sister, so they run into each other often. The flirtation and affair between them seems ill-timed, since he’ll need to marry proper duchess material, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other. It was fun reading how their flirtation turns into a deeper emotional connection as time goes on amidst the chaos of both their families.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How the Scot Was Won by Caroline Linden (2021)

Historical romance. Georgian-era Scotland. Book 2.5 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. Companion to Book 2 of the series, where we follow the sister and best friend of Andrew. We’ve seen hints of the romance between Agnes and Felix in the previous book, but we get the whole story here. There’s a sweet coffee shop flirtation, that leads to a scandalous tryst at an assembly, then a somewhat insulting marriage proposal, and finally avoiding each other until forced to interact with each other again. Quick whirlwind of a relationship here and so much better once Felix actually talks to Agnes directly.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Surrender to the Devil by Lorraine Heath (2009)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden (2022)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Desperately Seeking Duke: The Ultimate Epilogue by Caroline Linden (2022)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 3.5 of the Desperately Seeking Duke series. This book is a compilation of epilogues featuring all the couples we’ve met throughout the series. It’s pretty much a bunch of bonus information, especially as Andrew and Max each learn that they do not need to worry about ever inheriting the dukedom. And if you wanted more information about Will’s family history, it’s explained here too.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

A Halifax Holiday by Alexandra Vasti (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Halifax Hellions series. Super cute follow up to the series. It’s maybe a decade later and everyone is gathered together for Christmas with the next generation of hellions. It’s loud and boisterous and our Halifax spouses are all very glad to have stumbled into this loving family. Excellent holiday treat.

Ebook provided via author’s newsletter.

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.

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.

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Merriwell Sisters Historical Romance Book Series by Virginia Heath

Dec 25, 2023 | Book Reviews

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Merriwell Sisters series. A carefree and jovial earl prevents his mother’s matchmaking from America by writing to her about a fictional fiancee and her tragic tales that have prevented them from marrying. When his mother comes to visit, he hires a woman to pretend to be his fiancee. This book is full of far-fetched tales and silliness and it totally works. Expect a light-hearted and humorous story here. Though there is actually heartbreak in both characters’ pasts, those experiences have made them stronger and most of the book contains witty banter and calamity.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 2 of the Merriwell Sisters series. Our second sister, Diana, is the main character here who is known to work at a newspaper as a grammarian. Her family thinks she secretly writes for gossip columns, but she actually secretly does hardcore investigative journalism (which is very dangerous). She warns family-friend Giles of an impending engagement, which he confront his emotionally distant father about. Turns out his father (a duke) is planning to marry in order to secure his succession due to a big secret from the past that renders Giles at risk for not being the true heir. After the duke’s sudden death, Giles has to clean up the estate and uncover the evidence before it can be used against him and he teams up with Diana to do so. Whew. Lots happening here. Plus Diana’s family being obnoxious matchmakers and pushing her to Giles. Enjoyable read, and the secret-hunting has a great payoff.

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

Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Merriwell Sisters series. Venus and Galahad have been at odds with each other since their first meeting without a real reason. However, things will probably become a lot messier when Galahad purchases the property next door to Venus’ orphanage to build his new gambling hell. With a negligent wastrel father, Venus has little tolerance for vice and believes the worst of Galahad. Add in Venus’ general distrust of men (and her own reaction to men), she is constantly wary of Galahad’s overtures of friendship. Galahad doesn’t want a potential war on his doorstep, so he aims to enter a truce with Venus before telling her about the gambling hell plans. In spending more time with her, Galahad shows his honorable nature and kindness towards the orphans and makes Venus start to question her perception of him. Of course, it all comes crashing down when she learns about the property purchase and she’ll have to figure out if he’s worth forgiving. This book was a nice wrap up of the series, showing how far the sisters have come from their desolate circumstances in Book 1. I also enjoyed reading about Galahad’s history and why he is so emotionally closed off.

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

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