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

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 1 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Odd-girl Bronwyn aspires to be a published entomologist, much to the dismay of her social-climbing parents. They push her to marry a titled gentleman and are even more abrasive after a past heartbreak and a recently lost chance at courtship by a duke. Meanwhile, Ash is trying to recover his runaway wards and shield them from his own dukedom’s cruel reputation. They literally bump into each other in the street, and unexpectedly meet again at his manor when she visits his playful and inquisitive wards. Ash gets the bright idea to marry a woman who will care for the wards and proposes to Bronwyn. We have a delightful marriage of convenience, where they do participate in the marriage bed, and a supportive friendship between the two. Loved seeing these two slowly learn to trust each other, but they’re both still hanging on the past hurts and betrayals. I love how quick Ash is to defend Bronwyn’s intelligence. Basically, any support of a partners’s aspirations as an A+ in my book.

Advance ebook provided by Forever via NetGalley. Print book provided by Forever.

Beguiling the Duke by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Lords in Love series. A duke’s carriage loses a wheel in a small village and he takes shelter in the small village of Marrywell. The village is completely pre-occupied with its annual matchmaking festival, so there’s no room at the inn and no workers to help fix the duke’s carriage. The local squire provides shelter for the week the the duke grows closer to the squire’s daughter. Sadie has been maintaining her father’s home and taking care of her four brothers for years and hopes that this year’s festival will prove fruitful for her marriage prospects. And this time, with the duke at her side, she’s actually getting the attention she deserves. But of course, Sadie and the duke are finding themselves drawn to each other instead. Relatively low on the angst and heartache scale here and a delightful read.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

The Duke by Kerrigan Byrne (2018)

So… the blurb on this one made me think it was an amnesia romance at first, but it wasn’t. Our guy just didn’t recognize the lady because she looked different and he met her in a different setting. This book reads more like a standalone than the others. We interact a little with previous characters, but it’s not as strong of a connection to the other books. Overall, I enjoyed this book and really liked how Imogen transformed herself over the years.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Duke Gone Rogue by Christy Carlyle (2021)

Historical romance in Victorian-era England; Book 1 of the Love on Holiday Series. This was the first book I’ve read from this author and I will definitely be reading more! The Duke of Ashmore has distanced himself and his reputation away from his rogue of a father as much as possible, but has gained himself a reputation as a curmudgeon and a bore. Sent away by his sister, he visits one of his properties in Cornwall for a seaside holiday. While there, he meets Maddie, a local nursery owner who works almost as hard as he does and is part of a dozen committees in town. They start to spend more time together and soften each other’s productive edges. Unfortunately, with their social class differences, they both know that they will have duties and responsibilities that will ultimately keep them apart. Unless someone is willing to compromise.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Never Kiss a Duke by Megan Frampton (2020)

Book 1 of the Hazards of Dukes series. Our guy Sebastian who starts the book as a duke isn’t actually a duke after all. His parents’ marriage was actually illegal because his mother was the sister of his father’s first wife. And apparently that’s not allowed in these times. He’s directionless and needs to find employment, so he asks for a job at his favorite gambling hell. The owner Ivy is skeptical of his competence at first, but gives him a chance. And with all that forced proximity and physical attraction, they can’t seem to resist starting an affair.

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

Sins of a Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan (2009)

Historical romance. Regency or Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Penwich School for Virtuous Girls series. We start with a tragic prologue of three girls who become friends at a terrible girls’ school where meals are withheld and punishments are severe. Fallon escapes the unwanted advances of her employer’s son, and meets a devilish duke who attempts to both save her and seduce her. She rejects him as well and decides to dress as a boy for her next employment. Unfortunately, the employment agency has sent her to the demon duke himself, where she obtains a position as a footman. Although she hopes to escape Dominic’s notice, she sees firsthand the wicked behavior that he engages in and can’t help expressing signs of disapproval. Dominic has his own troubled backstory with a pious grandfather and physically punishing governess and seeks to live up to his wretchedness. He’s baffled by his unease around the new footman and unsure why he cares so much about the boy’s approval. He doesn’t yet realize that the footman is the very same woman he can’t get out of his mind since that chance meeting long ago. This one was fun to read to see all the chaos and calamity unravel, which is often the case with a servant in disguise.

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

From Duke Till Dawn by Eva Leigh (2017)

Historical romance in Regency/Victorian era England. We have a grumpy and serious duke who was recently jilted by his fiancee. But he isn’t really heartbroken over her. He’s still kind of pining about another woman he met long ago that got away and he couldn’t find again. His two young friends (the main characters in the other two books in the series) drag him out gambling. And when he’s at the gambling hell, the lost lady of his heart is there, running the casino. There’s a bit of an encounter there, but ultimately he finds out that she had scammed him out of money all those years ago, and now he wants revenge. Sad news though, the next day, her partner in crime steals all the money and leaves her the target of a whole bunch of unpaid people. And so she needs to ask the duke for help, but he’s mad at her. It’s a huge mess, pretty much. This wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it does introduce the Orchid Club, which is a sex club that comes into play throughout the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean (2011)

Simon is known as the Duke of Disdain and has a perfectly proper match lined up since he hates being part of any sort of scandal. He’s attracted to Juliana when he first meets her, but quickly dismisses her when he realizes that she’s illegitimate. Despite Juliana being unworthy of his public courtship, he still seeks out her attentions in private and the two grow closer. It’s pretty heartbreaking for the fiery Juliana to be subjected to this type of rejection, but our duke does finally get it at the end. Even if he needs a push from others in his life.

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

The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan (2020)

Book 1 of Wedgeford Trials Series. Chloe is a village-dweller preparing for the annual festival. She makes lists on lists on lists and is the ultimate planner and perfectionist. She’s hoping that this will be the year that her father’s Unnamed Sauce makes it big and they can build their sauce empire. Jeremy, who has visited the annual festival for years, hasn’t been seen for three years (not since Chloe last told him to “be serious”). He’s back to see Chloe and maybe finally tell her that he’s actually the Duke of Lansing who happens to own the whole village. Chloe is a neurotic list-making basketcase who doesn’t take care of herself; Jeremy is a jokester who is coping with his stressful station in life by being self-deprecating.

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

Catch a Falling Duke by Eve Pendle (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Fallen series. This book takes place about ten years after the first two books in the series, with Hugo (Emily’s brother) having just inherited the dukedom. While Hugo is looking through papers in the study, he finds that his family fortune is founded upon something horribly upsetting. As Hugo runs away from his estate to think, he encounters a woman at an inn and spends the night with her. Beatrice is a lonely widowed farmer, who’s parents have also died, and is looking to find a man named in a letter she found of her mother’s. She and Hugo spend the next day looking for the man, only to be met with disappointment. While Hugo ultimately admits his troubles to Beatrice (and also the fact that he’s a duke), Beatrice insists there’s no future between them due to the differences in social standing and they part ways. At some point, Hugo finds a way to try to prove his commitment to Beatrice, taking whatever part of her life he can get. We get to go back to Bea’s farm and meet all her farmhands and essentially her found family. This was a delightful way to tie things back together and we get to learn how Hugo copes with his grandfather’s ill-gotten wealth.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (2000)

Book 1 of Bridgerton Series. Regency-era romance. Daphne Bridgerton is in her second Season of the Marriage Mart and looking for a suitable husband. She’s been friend-zoned by all the reasonable candidates and only gets proposed to by old guys or the idiotic Nigel Berbrooke. Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings, is back in London after his father’s death. The Ambitious Mamas have identified Simon as an oh-so-very-eligible catch for their daughters and he wants to avoid them. Simon and Daphne decide to fake-court so that Simon will appear unavailable and Daphne will appear more desirable. But of course they’re actually attracted to each other. Problem is that Simon has no desire to marry or have children (because of his own experiences with his father). They get caught in a compromising position and need to marry anyway. Expect angst with poor communication between our two leads, the absolute worst motherly “talk” about how babies are made, and a trigger warning about non-consensual relations between our couple. Starts as a fake-relationship trope, but it doesn’t last that long.

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

.

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!

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.

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.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

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.

The Duchess Gamble by Sofie Darling (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the All’s Fair in Love and Racing series. Widowed duchess Celia is concerned with running her horse racing operation and is disappointed when a potential engagement to a wealthy duke doesn’t pan out. She’s also concerned over her own security when she finds that the solicitors have identified her late husband’s heir. Gabriel is a distant relation to the late duke and hardly believes that he is now the duke, but he seizes the opportunity to launch his younger sisters into society. When he first meets Celia, he thinks that she’s a title-hungry socialite since she had married a much older man, but he changes his stance when he gets to know her a bit better. With Celia wanting to keep her stables operable, she and Gabriel come to an agreement where he will finance her stables in exchange for her help with his sisters. It’s interesting to see the sparks between Celia and Gabriel and their ultimate affair. However, Celia does not think she’s good enough to be a Gabriel’s wife, mostly due to the mistreatment from her late husband. It’s nice to see Celia slowly start to trust Gabriel and also see his thoughtful treatment of her. We also gets to see hints of a potential relationship between Gabriel’s sister and a certain marquess, which will be featured in the next book in the series.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun (2022)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Last Christmas, Ellie spent a perfect snow day with a woman she met at a bookstore, but things fell apart the next morning. A year later, Ellie is in a rough spot, working at a coffee shop (not her dream job) and worrying about money. When the handsome property owner of the coffee shop offers her a chance at a temporary marriage in exchange for money (10% of his $2 million inheritance), she goes along with it. Ellie is introduced to his whole family during a Christmas trip to a cabin, where the she finds out that last year’s perfect woman is actually her fiance’s sister, Jack. Awkwardness ensues along with trying to keep loads of secrets from the family. This book was funny and sweet and absolutely delightful. The affectionate and drunken grandmothers might be my favorite part of the story. Watch out for family issues from all sides and the trials of finding career-related footing.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

When Araminta Greaves Traded Her Dignity for Bliss by Andrea Jenelle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Wainwright Sisters series. Arie is the widow to a much older man still living with her stepson’s family as housekeeper/governess in exchange for dowries for her younger sisters. Arie has pretty much had it rough with the terrible husband and now her terrible stepson. While throwing the annual Christmas party, she meets Thaddeus, another local landowner and widowed war-hero. He’s had a crush on Arie for years and takes the opportunity to try to flirt with her at the party. Thad has his own tragic history with going off to war and coming home for find that his wife and half his kids died, leaving him four daughters to care for alone. All of these rambunctious daughters have asked Thad to find a wife. When Arie comes to visit Thad’s house with her stepson’s daughter, they all end up stuck there for a week due to a snowstorm. Thad is pretty clear in his honest (and scandalous) intentions towards Arie, but she’s only open to the affair part and not the potential marriage. It’s a steamy next few days, but we’re all just waiting for Arie to realize she should just marry Thad.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Her Majesty’s Rebels series. How many tropes can you roll into a single book? We’ve got a virgin widow, female detectives, one-night stand in disguise, widow with her late husband’s heir, and marriage of convenience all in one. Tess becomes a widow to her much older husband on her wedding night and then uses her newfound freedom and independence to open an investigative agency with her two best friends. Two years later, wealthy shipping merchant Justin is identified as the next duke and stops by a scandalous house party on his way to claiming the title. There, he meets Tess is disguise and they have an amorous encounter as strangers, neither realizing that they will soon meet under different circumstances. When they properly meet at a ball, Justin immediately proposes a marriage of convenience to Tess, since it will save Justin the trouble of finding a proper wife and they get to continue their physical relationship. From there, we navigate a relationship where Tess is trying hard not to fall in love, and Justin denying that he has a heart. We also have Tess and her friends working on a case in secret in the background. With all the things going on in this book, it was definitely a page-turner and kept me entertained.

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

You’re the Duke That I Want by Lenora Bell (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Thunderbolt Club series. This book is a super fun Grease-retelling, with Sandrine being the sheltered young miss who meets Lord Dane (pretending to be a mere Danny) at the seaside. Lord Dane is typically a scoundrel and a rake, but is kind and sweet and enjoys the simple things when he’s with Sandrine. He leaves the seaside town unexpectedly when his brother is gravely injured and is concerned that he’s the heir to the dukedom. Sandrine ends up traveling to London to petition a certain duke to restore an old manor house, and is pretty angry to find that Dane has both lied to her and related to the duke that owns the manor. With a new set of lady friends, Sandrine gets to experience more of London adventures away from her overly strict mother while also continuing to run into Dane. There’s lots of interesting plot going on in this book, with Dane dealing with a blackmailer and Sandrine breaking free from her mother’s constraints. This book was a very enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books 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.

.

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!

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.

Some Winter’s Evening by Erin Langston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Related to Forever Your Rogue. We get to see Cora’s barrister brother Gavin find his match in this holiday novella. Gavin is struggling with an ethical dilemma in whether or not to represent some unsavory client in attempts to boost his own chances at a promotion. While he is stressed and mulling this over, he is also on his way to his sister’s house for the holidays and ends up at an inn due to a snowstorm. Emilia is also stuck at the inn overnight on her way to her new governess position and meets Gavin. They share a lighthearted night together with no exchange of last names or contact information. Luckily though, Emilia is on her way to being the governess of Gavin’s very own nephew, so they meet again a couple days later when Gavin shows up at the house. They try to stay away from each other at first since she needs to keep her job and he needs to focus on being an upstanding gentleman, but that doesn’t last long, especially as Gavin’s brother-in-law (the ever-charming Nate) catches onto their obvious feelings for each other. From there, we get to see the uptight and serious Gavin learn to let loose and go with his emotions rather than strict adherence to the logical. His caretaking and worry for Emilia is delightful to read. It was also fun to see the boisterous family dynamics of the house and the affection between Gavin and his sister.

Advance ebook provided by Erin Langston.

A Rose Blooms in Brooklyn by Ginny B. Moore (2023)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Book 3 of the Flowers Sisters series. The beautiful and spoiled Rose has not had a success of her many Seasons in London and now she faces a pending engagement to a man she doesn’t love or to serve as companion to an elderly relation. She told her parents that she’s bound for Boston to reconcile with her twin sister, but she’s really headed to New York City to enjoy the high society her cousin lives within. However, she’s shocked to learn that her cousin is living in Brooklyn, estranged from her family, and working to support herself. Rose is completely out of her element and has to adapt to such unfamiliar surroundings. Ben is a widower and political activist who owns the building where Rose has landed and scoffs at Rose’s naivete. He’s also uncomfortably attracted to her even though his heart is all sorts of closed off after the death of his wife in childbirth. The romance between Rose and Ben involves a lot of push-and-pull, with Rose realizing that she has been completely sheltered all her life and with Ben learning to embrace life and joy again. Running through the entire book is the opposition towards laws that prohibit the distribution of contraception and the movement for women’s suffrage. We get to admire Ben’s selfless dedication to the cause as well as Rose’s increased awareness and understanding of such matters. A great read, with lots of support from Ben’s found family.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

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.

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.

Project Duke by Mariah Stone (2023)

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

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

Bed Me, Earl by Felicity Niven (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Bed Me, Books series. Caroline decides to bed her long-time crush Phineas when he’s at her country home with her brother’s hunting party. The easy-going Phineas is delighted that a woman has come to his bed and thinks he’s got the best luck ever. When he realizes that he slept with his friend’s sister and that he might be forced to marry her, he thinks that wouldn’t be a hardship at all. Of course, Phineas says this out loud to Caroline and upsets her in the process. Despite all this, Phineas has decided that he wants to pursue Caroline and dismisses all his mistresses upon his return to London. Caroline was really only looking for a tryst and doesn’t aim for any type of relationship with Phineas, as her lisp and stutter were cruelly disparaged by her father. She’s been hidden away in the country for the past decade and has no interest in letting anyone know about her condition. After her father’s death, her brother brings her to London, hoping to make up for his neglect over the years. There, she finds an eager Phineas wanting to court her. There’s a lot of back-and-forth here as Caroline tries to push Phineas away, but their physical attraction is much too strong and gets them into trouble. Even though Phineas gives the impression of a confident and charming man, we see hints of his insecurity every time Caroline rejects him. When we finally do see them settle down together, we get to see Caroline step up and take charge of the household with utter confidence. I loved seeing this side of Caroline, even if it leaves Phineas questioning his own worth and competence. I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing how these two very opposite personalities come together.

Advance ebook provided by Felicity Niven.

Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Regency Fairy Tales series. Cinderella-retelling, where our dear Cynthia is enthralled by the Prince’s sister Ammalia. We get Ammalia serving as both fairy godmother and love interest, when she comes to see Cynthia before the ball to bring her a gown and slippers. Even though Cynthia has captured the Prince’s interest, she runs away from him because she’s not into him at all. Quick read and lots of fun.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

The Duchess Gamble by Sofie Darling (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the All’s Fair in Love and Racing series. Widowed duchess Celia is concerned with running her horse racing operation and is disappointed when a potential engagement to a wealthy duke doesn’t pan out. She’s also concerned over her own security when she finds that the solicitors have identified her late husband’s heir. Gabriel is a distant relation to the late duke and hardly believes that he is now the duke, but he seizes the opportunity to launch his younger sisters into society. When he first meets Celia, he thinks that she’s a title-hungry socialite since she had married a much older man, but he changes his stance when he gets to know her a bit better. With Celia wanting to keep her stables operable, she and Gabriel come to an agreement where he will finance her stables in exchange for her help with his sisters. It’s interesting to see the sparks between Celia and Gabriel and their ultimate affair. However, Celia does not think she’s good enough to be a Gabriel’s wife, mostly due to the mistreatment from her late husband. It’s nice to see Celia slowly start to trust Gabriel and also see his thoughtful treatment of her. We also gets to see hints of a potential relationship between Gabriel’s sister and a certain marquess, which will be featured in the next book in the series.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Lots of banter and bickering here between Vesper (daughter of a duke) and Aspen (the duke next door and former childhood friend). Somehow these two had a falling out as teenagers, grew apart, and then Aspen spurned Vesper at her debut ball. Now it’s many years later, Aspen has been off looking for fossils and back in England to deal with his wretched mother. Despite multiple offers of marriage, Vesper is still unwed and ruling society with her perfect poise. Aspen believes Vesper to be a spoiled society miss and tries to avoid her, even though he needs her help in preparing his mother’s ward for the Season. Despite Vesper’s outward appearance and reputation, she’s still the same outspoken and fiery lady she’s always been in the presence of her trusted friends. There’s a lot of push-and-pull between Aspen and Vesper as they fight, and kiss, and push each other away.

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

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.

The Earl I Want for Christmas by Colleen Kelly (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Soon-to-be spinster Lydia is contemplating accepting a proposal from her latest suitor, the local vicar. When her dashing and rakish neighbor Gabriel returns to his estate, she is distracted by the memory of her first kiss with him six years prior. Before committing herself to a boring marriage with the vicar, she proposes an affair with Gabriel to experience passion while she has the chance. Gabriel is definitely not marriage material after being spurned by his previous fiance but he does intend to follow through with Lydia’s demands. While their affair is definitely very steamy and their expectations are made clear up front, we also get to see the honorable side of Gabriel as he interacts with others in town along with the care and tenderness he shows Lydia. Quick to read, with lots of spice and heart.

Advance ebook provided by Colleen Kelly

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.

A Lady’s Rules for Ruin by Jennifer Haymore (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lions and Lilies series. Frances is completely uninterested in marriage, despite the meddling of her family members. She decides to put herself in a ruinous situation so that she can finally be an unmarriageable spinster. Her plan works out quite well; with her unwitting kissing partner on a ship bound for Egypt, Frances has the freedom to pursue a variety of interests without the pressure of balls and soirees. One experiment in charity work brings her to a boys’ orphanage where she is to tutor a child on manners before he meets an important lord. Evan is a charming and amiable earl who has just found out that his father has been financially supporting an illegitimate son and he goes to meet the boy. When at the orphanage, he immediately realizes the mistreatment of the child and decides to bring his brother home with him. Luckily Frances has already formed a bond with the boy and is there to soothe the young child’s temperament when faced with his new situation. Frances and Evan have interacted with each other before at social events, but Frances was always suspicious of Evan’s gregarious nature even though he has always been intrigued by her outspokenness. We get to see Frances and Evan bond over the care of his newfound brothers (yes, plural, he definitely finds more) and develop a friendship and then affair. I loved seeing Evan take responsibility for his brothers and build a family with them.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

.

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!

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.

I Love the Earl by Caroline Linden (2011)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Prequel novella of The Truth About the Duke series. Margaret has been a dowdy spinster with no success in finding a husband. When her brother unexpectedly inherits a wealthy dukedom, he settles a large dowry on her. Suddenly, Margaret is besieged with suitors of the fortune-hunting variety. Rhys is an impoverished earl who is hesitant to marry for money, but is intrigued by Margaret’s forthright style of speaking. He decides to slowly court her and win her favor, as he’d very much like to spend the rest of his life with her.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night in London by Caroline Linden (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of The Truth About the Duke series. Three sons of a duke are forced to deal with a sixty year old scandal after their father’s death when it turns out that the duke had legally married a woman (and never divorced her) before marrying their mother. That woman had disappeared and it’s unknown if the duke’s second marriage was bigamous or not, which may make his sons illegitimate. Second son Edward is the responsible and industrious one set on hiring the best solicitor to resolve the situation. Unfortunately, he has stolen away that best solicitor from Francesca, who needed legal assistance in seeking custody of her niece. While agitated and upset, Francesca confronts Edward and insists upon his help in securing a new solicitor. He reluctantly agrees and the rest of the book is focused on Edward helping with Francesca’s problems in locating and gaining custody of her niece.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Blame It on Bath by Caroline Linden (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of The Truth About the Duke series. This book follows the youngest son of the duke Gerard who was an army officer on leave from his duties after his father’s death. With the rumors surrounding his father’s secret wife, Gerard is contemplating marrying an heiress to secure his finances. Luckily for him, he has been proposed to by a quiet and unassuming widow, Katherine, who seeks to free herself from marrying her late husband’s nephew. Gerard agrees to the proposal and also tries to gain Katherine’s affections in the process. After a hasty wedding, they’re off to Bath where Gerard attempts to find the person who was blackmailing his father with knowledge of the long-ago secret marriage. While Gerard is good-natured and easy-going with his new wife, she is insecure and wary of his motives. She’s had a history of being brow-beaten by her social climbing mother and poor treatment by her late husband. It takes quite a bit of effort on both Gerard and Katherine’s parts for her to trust him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Way to a Duke’s Heart by Caroline Linden (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of The Truth About the Duke series. It’s the eldest son Charlie’s turn to take up the fight for his family’s legacy. We start with a prologue which explains the rift between Charlie and his father and the descent into his rakehell ways. As we start Chapter 1, we overlap a bit in time with the previous book and Charlie’s appearance in Bath to assist Gerard with his search. While checking into the hotel, a young widow Tessa seems to be aggrieved by him and callously mentions him being indolent. Tessa and her companion are in town to discuss an investment opportunity with a local mill owner. That mill owner is the man that Charlie seeks as a suspect for the blackmailing, so Charlie arranges an introduction via Tessa. Charlie is the ever-charming and rakish aristocrat he has always been, but this demeanor causes Tessa to be suspicious, since she once had her heart broken by a man who seemed to charm her. Tessa is analytical and unladylike and not used to having this type of attention. With all the time that Charlie and Tessa are spending together, she realizes that he has more depth than she originally thought and he realizes that he likes her prickly directness. We do also learn about what happened to the duke’s first secret wife and who was responsible for the blackmailing.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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.

The Devil’s Own Duke by Lenora Bell (2021)

Book 2 of the Wallflowers vs Rogues series. Hetty’s father is a totally uninterested duke who is overjoyed to find that a distantly related heir has appeared. Somehow her father comes up with the idea that Hetty and Ash should get married so that Hetty will be taken care of and that she will continue to live on the estate. These two disagree with what to do with the lands on the country estate. Hetty has plans for a vineyard and her winemaking, while Ash wants to start a horse breeding stable and operation. Even though these two are married early on in the story, it takes awhile for them to truly trust each other.

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

The Devil Is a Marquess by Elisa Braden (2016)

Book 4 of the Rescued from Ruin series. Wealthy heiress Charlotte has not had success in finding a husband in her many London seasons, so her father decides to select Benedict, the wastrel impoverished marquess to be her husband. Benedict promises sobriety and fidelity to claim his payout after one year. Charlotte goes along with the marriage, but really has plans to take half the dowry in a year and establish her own independence. Somehow these two are stuck together in an impoverished country estate and need to fix it up. They start a tentative friendship… and once Benedict stops being a drunkard and actually works hard at his land, we get to see a really nice slow-burn romance develop.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne (2021)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 3 of the Devil You Know series. We start with another tragic prologue telling us about the Mont Clair Massacre, where the entire household was slaughtered and burned. It seems that Pippa (the cook’s daughter) has survived and now assumes the identity of Francesca (the new countess) and is seeking revenge. As she gets deeper into infiltrating her enemy’s lair, she catches the attention of a spy, Chandler, who is also targeting the same enemy. It turns out that Chandler is her childhood friend who she loved and saved her, but he was in love with Francesca and believes her to have truly survived the massacre. It’s a tangle of lust and secrets here and slightly heartbreaking for the woman who is actually in front of the man she loves.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Devil’s Submission by Nicola Davidson (2017)

Book 2 of the Fallen series. We start with the couple being estranged and the wife not really knowing why. She had enjoyed the marital bed, but tries to tamp down her enthusiasm, thinking that she’s supposed to be proper and docile and obedient. Meanwhile her husband is hiding the fact that he’s the submissive one and wants her to take charge in the bedroom. Neither of them talk about what it is that they really want, mostly because of propriety and all that. But they’ve got to have it out at some point if they’re going to get back together.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (2006)

Book 3 of Wallflowers Series. Evie Jenner is desperate to escape her overbearing guardians. She knows the only way to do that and to see her father before he dies is to wed. Evie proposes a marriage of convenience to an equally desperate gentleman: Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. After their elopement, they return to Evie’s father’s gambling club, where he is on his deathbed. Evie has assumed that she and Sebastian would lead separate lives after he collects her dowry, so she is surprised to find him integrating himself into running the club. As Evie finds herself in peril from others, Sebastian is compelled to protect her. Their marriage may turn out to be more emotionally entangled than initially intended. This one gets a lot of positive reviews for the reformed rake trope here. St. Vincent is essentially a villain towards Evie’s friend Lillian in the previous book, and Evie totally takes advantage of that desperation for her own purposes. It’s crazy to see the amount of turnaround that St. Vincent goes through over the course of the book when you see him slowly fall in love with his own wife.

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

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (2017)

Book 3 of Ravenels Series. Pandora Ravenel is completely uninterested in marriage. She plans to build her business creating board games and is unwilling to hand over control to a husband. However, she gets herself stuck (literally, in fact) in a situation with Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, and finds herself embroiled in scandal. Gabriel has been successfully avoiding marriage for many years, but still tries to do the honorable thing. After some advice from dear old dad (Sebastian from Devil in Winter, the previous Lord St. Vincent, and now the Duke of Kingston), the Ravenels are invited to the family house for a week. As Gabriel and Pandora get to know each other, he finds her charmingly irresistible, and she finds herself torn between wanting him and keeping her independence. Of the books I’ve read thus far, this one actually had a scene that made me laugh out loud. Pandora is my absolute favorite with her feminist ideals and outspoken nature. She speaks plainly and directly, leaving no room for misinterpretation of what she wants.

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

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas (2019)

Book 5 of Ravenels Series. Phoebe and her entire family are at the Ravenel estate for the wedding of her brother Gabriel to Pandora Ravenel (our couple from Devil in Spring). Phoebe is just coming out of mourning for her late husband and childhood sweetheart and encounters West Ravenel, who was her late husband’s childhood bully. However, West has matured and is no longer that bullying oaf. As the estate manager, West gives a tour of the farms to Sebastian (Duke of Kingston, Phoebe’s father), Phoebe, and her son Justin (Lord Clare). Since Justin is set to run his own estate when he comes of age, it would benefit Phoebe to learn about land management. She grows closer to West in learning all these things, but he believes he isn’t worthy of her. This book overlaps the timeline for Devil in Spring and Hello Stranger, which I adore because I love reading different perspectives of common events. Oh, and we get to see our beloved Sebastian being an awesome dad. This book is where you see West’s transformation from Book 1 pay off. You really needed to meet West as a lazy drunkard back then to appreciate how knowledgeable and responsible he is now. And the bonus about West Ravenel is that he didn’t suddenly improve himself after meeting the lady he falls in love with; his entire transformation happens before he ever meets Phoebe, showing that it was for his own sense of self-worth and responsibility.

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

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas (2021)

Merritt Sterling is the daughter of Lillian and Marcus (who were the couple from It Happened One Autumn, Book 2 of the Wallflowers series) now all grown up, widowed, and running the shipping business her late husband left behind. Somehow, she meets Keir MacRae who is a Scottish whiskey distiller, probably trying to sell his product. Well, they meet, they hit it off, they tryst… but Keir is somehow a target for harm, so at some point, he’s attacked and loses his memory, and needs Merritt to take care of him. And… there’s an ongoing joke about him being as handsome as a certain duke that we all know and love from previous Kleypas books. So there’s some sort of connection there that is yet to be uncovered.

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

The Devilish Mr. Danvers by Vivienne Lorret (2015)

Book 2 of the Rakes of Fallow Hall series. Hedley has inherited a crumbling cottage and decides she’ll live there to get away from her abusive family. Rafe wants access to the same cottage because of some family artifact hidden there and decides he should try to help Hedley marry someone else so that she’ll move out. Of course in their arguing and bickering, they end up with each other instead.

Shop this book via Amazon

The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe (2020)

Historical romance set in Gilded Age New York; book 3 of the Uptown Girls series. This one has the youngest sister of the series out doing charitable works and asking the local crime boss for assistance. In exchange for his help, he wants to be seen in public with her to get closer to a business associate. And then after that, we snowball into their intense chemistry and attraction and then deal with their opposite stations in life.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. This book deals with August’s younger sister Violet and Evan’s best friend Christian in a road trip escape from the suitor that Violet’s parents have selected for her. Believing that she is safe from her parents’ meddling now that her sister has settled with the duke in Book 1, Violet is caught off guard when she realizes that her father has agreed to a match with a viscount. She plans to run away and is aided by an earl, Christian, who has his own designs on her and hopes to force a marriage when they’re caught together. Of course, during the trip, these two actually talk and get to know each other, so Christian feels guilty for his planned betrayal. Violet is also opening up to the idea of marriage, since she feels so connected to Christian. In the background, Violet is working on writing a novel and has based her main hero on Christian without him realizing it. This book has all the calamities you would expect in a road trip novel plus the added dread of uncovering Christian’s deception. We also introduce the pairing on Violet’s brother Maxwell with her friend Lady Helena when they team up to chase after the runaway pair.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads!

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 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.

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.

A Lady’s Rules for Ruin by Jennifer Haymore (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lions and Lilies series. Frances is completely uninterested in marriage, despite the meddling of her family members. She decides to put herself in a ruinous situation so that she can finally be an unmarriageable spinster. Her plan works out quite well; with her unwitting kissing partner on a ship bound for Egypt, Frances has the freedom to pursue a variety of interests without the pressure of balls and soirees. One experiment in charity work brings her to a boys’ orphanage where she is to tutor a child on manners before he meets an important lord. Evan is a charming and amiable earl who has just found out that his father has been financially supporting an illegitimate son and he goes to meet the boy. When at the orphanage, he immediately realizes the mistreatment of the child and decides to bring his brother home with him. Luckily Frances has already formed a bond with the boy and is there to soothe the young child’s temperament when faced with his new situation. Frances and Evan have interacted with each other before at social events, but Frances was always suspicious of Evan’s gregarious nature even though he has always been intrigued by her outspokenness. We get to see Frances and Evan bond over the care of his newfound brothers (yes, plural, he definitely finds more) and develop a friendship and then affair. I loved seeing Evan take responsibility for his brothers and build a family with them.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled 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.

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.

Kilty Plea by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 2 of the Kilty Pleasures series. King’s Hunter Payton has taken care of some bandits at an Abbey and the creepy Abbot offers him a woman as payment. Somehow he has acquired the frail Flora as his maybe-wife and takes her away from the terrible commune where she’s been living. She’s happy to go with Payton so that she can search for her brother who she’s been separated from for many years. We get to see Flora and Payton get to know each other and develop a bond, even though both are terribly insecure about their own appearances: Flora believes that she’s plain and ugly, while Payton’s face is badly scarred from a previous assignment. This book is a pretty quick read, with lots of humor and steam, along with Payton’s overwhelming boisterous family and festive holiday cheer.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

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.

.

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!

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 Groom of One’s Own by Maya Rodale (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Writing Girls series. Sophie gets jilted on her wedding day in a horribly embarrassing prologue. A year later, Sophie has become a well-known newspaper writer with a column featuring weddings of the aristocracy. She has a meet-cute with a duke (who she doesn’t know is a duke) and is later shocked to find that he is engaged to be married and that she will need to report upon the wedding. Brandon is the ultra-serious and responsible double duke who has decided to marry an equally respectable lady. However, he’s completely distracted and besotted by Sophie, but cannot break his duty to his fiancee. It’s all tricky business being an upstanding fellow. Luckily, his fiancee isn’t actually in love with him and has another suitor in the mix. This book was a fun countdown towards the wedding day and left me wondering how everything would all work out for all four players involved.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Tale of Two Lovers by Maya Rodale (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Writing Girls series. Lady Juliana Somerset is the secret author of the gossip column at the weekly paper and has written that Lord Roxbury may have been trysting with another man backstage at the theater. Roxbury’s now-questionable proclivities have made him a social outcast and also forced his father to issue an ultimatum: Roxbury needs to marry within the month or be financially cut off. He doesn’t really want to marry, but even if he did, no proper ladies will receive him with his current reputation. He seeks retribution from the paper and finds that Juliana is the cause of his downfall. They start needling each other at every instance, until they get caught in their own scandal. Juliana is wary of Roxbury, especially since he’s a rake, because of her experience with her late husband (who died in a drunken carriage accident with his mistress), so he has a lot of work to do to get her to trust him. In the background, we’re also trying to uncover the identity of the rival gossip columnist from the rival newspaper, which is a fun little mystery to follow.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Tattooed Duke by Maya Rodale (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Writing Girls series. One of the Writing Girls, Eliza, is tasked with getting all the scoop on the newly returned duke in town. She applies for a position as a housemaid in the duke’s house and is able to find out all sorts of gossip to use about him in her new column, The Tattooed Duke. While Sebastian is part of a family infamous for its rakish and inappropriate treatment of female staff members, he is trying to stay vigilant and keep his hands off of the ever-attractive Eliza. Despite finding his estate in disarray and in debt, Sebastian would rather be sailing the world and leading an expedition to Timbuktu. Unfortunately, all of the press about his scandalous reputation does not help him acquire the funding he needs for the expedition. Meanwhile, Sebastian and Eliza seem to be growing closer while she’s in his employ, even though he doesn’t know that she’s the one betraying all his confidences. We also get some fun twisty secrets about both Sebastian and Eliza as we progress through the book, with tons of dramatic fallout along the way.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Three Schemes and a Scandal by Maya Rodale (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Writing Girls series. Lady Charlotte is a walking disaster with all of her scheming. As the sister of a duke, she gets away with quite a bit, but still somehow wreaks havoc on society. She gets herself into a tangle with her once-childhood friend James, which leads to his father’s ire and banishment of James. In trying to help them make up with each other, they get into more trouble together. But as they’ve reconnected after all these years apart, both James and Charlotte are beginning to develop stronger feelings for each other. This novella was quick and humorous to read, with all of the chaos that happens at every turn.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Writing Girls series. Annabelle has been in love with the newspaper editor and owner Derek Knightly for ages, but he has not noticed her in the least. Finally tired of being overlooked, Annabelle turns to her own advice column to ask the people of London for tips on how to attract her man. Meanwhile, Derek is being influenced by a marquess who has the ability to shut down the newspaper but also wants Derek to court and marry his sister. This scheme has the benefit of protecting the newspaper as well as gain entrance into proper society by marrying the sister of a marquess. Clearly, Derek has his own hang-ups being the illegitimate and unacknowledged son of an earl, and is a complete workaholic to prove his worth. As Annabelle starts to enact her schemes of wooing Derek, he’s completely baffled by her behavior and wondering why he’s suddenly noticing her. It’s pretty heartbreaking to watch him be completely oblivious to her efforts, proving that he really is the idiot that’s mentioned in her column. He finally does wise up to Annabelle’s charms, but there’s definitely a lot of drama along the way.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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.

Scandalous Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Super quick novella with Elizabeth, the police boss’ daughter, going to proposition Ian for a tryst. Elizabeth would like to prioritize teaching in her charity school for the underprivileged and doesn’t see herself as a good match for marriage, but wants to experience carnal relations before she’s a permanent spinster. She seeks out Ian, one of her father’s employees, since she’s desperately attracted to him. Ian is equally attracted to Elizabeth and has actually been waiting to court her properly after getting a job promotion and earning more money to be able to provide for her. Their tryst is interrupted by a violent crime in the neighborhood and there’s a bit of drama the next day when it seems like her father disapproves. However, this super short novella wraps up pretty quickly without too much angst.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

Wanton Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Will and Ada meet under less-than-ideal circumstances when Will comes to call upon Ada’s younger sister, thinking that she was his friend’s mistress. Unfortunately, the young and impressionable Beth thought that she was in a loving affair with Will’s friend and has also been missing for several days. Although Ada is insulted by Will’s assumptions, she continues to bump into him as she searches for her sister. These two end up teaming up to locate Beth and very quickly fall in love with each other in their time together. This was a chance meeting type of romance and it was pretty short and easy to read.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

Reckless Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Kate, the sister of Will from the previous book, has been secretly volunteering at a medical clinic in the poor part of town. She knows that she will likely have to give up her charitable work when she finally accepts the proposal of a long-time friend of hers. One of her last patients is a woman who was badly beaten, but will only speak with a specific detective. When Kate seeks out this detective, she finds Ben to be drunk and needing assistance to his own residence. Eventually, he sobers up, and the two team up to find the patient who has gone missing from the clinic. These two have their own past hurts from previous relationships, but it’s nice to see them become so smitten with each other so quickly. We also get rid of Kate’s almost-fiance here and showcase his boorish behavior. Overall, another relatively quick read in this series and good for when you’re looking for a less complex plot.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

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

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 Duke of Her Own by Lorraine Heath (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Rogues and Roses series. At twenty-six years old, Louisa determines that she has no marital prospects as the impoverished sister of an earl so she takes a job as a chaperone for American heiresses that need assistance navigating through society. Her brother and his two friends are terrible candidates for her charges, so she warns them away. Hawk is one of those determined friends who needs a wealthy duchess so that he can bring his secret and illegitimate younger sister into society. Knowing that Louisa’s approval is necessary, Hawk sets out to soften Louisa’s stance on his courtship of her charge. Of course, Hark is distracted by Louisa herself and is more attracted to her than the woman he’s supposed to be courting.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Just Wicked Enough by Lorraine Heath (2007)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Rogues and Roses series. An impoverished marquess holds an auction with the wealthiest American fathers to sell himself in matrimony to the highest bidder. We end up with an arranged marriage between Kate, the younger daughter of an American banker, with Michael, a cold and unemotional marquess. They’re both keeping secrets from each other, but still try to very slowly get to know each other after the wedding. Michael is lonely and unloved, mostly because his mother can’t remember him with her dementia and is kept in an asylum. Kate is pining over her lost love, who her parents accused of being a fortune hunter and has now married someone else. That leaves both Michael and Kate terribly unsure of themselves and in a bit of an animosity-filled relationship. Even with the physical attraction that’s apparent from the beginning, this one is a slow-burn relationship with each person slowly learning to trust the other.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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.

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.

Project Duke by Mariah Stone (2023)

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

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

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.

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.

The Earl I Want for Christmas by Colleen Kelly (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Soon-to-be spinster Lydia is contemplating accepting a proposal from her latest suitor, the local vicar. When her dashing and rakish neighbor Gabriel returns to his estate, she is distracted by the memory of her first kiss with him six years prior. Before committing herself to a boring marriage with the vicar, she proposes an affair with Gabriel to experience passion while she has the chance. Gabriel is definitely not marriage material after being spurned by his previous fiance but he does intend to follow through with Lydia’s demands. While their affair is definitely very steamy and their expectations are made clear up front, we also get to see the honorable side of Gabriel as he interacts with others in town along with the care and tenderness he shows Lydia. Quick to read, with lots of spice and heart.

Advance ebook provided by Colleen Kelly

The Phantom of Drury Lane by Kate Bateman (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Scandals and Scoundrels of Drury Lane series. Lucy has recently returned to London after traveling extensively with her family and is quickly met by Will, her childhood crush and brother’s friend who soundly rejected her after a kiss five years ago. While sharing the latest gossip with her, Will challenges Lucy to unmask the mysterious Phantom who sits in a private box at the theater. Since Lucy loves a challenge, she agrees to the scheme. In the course of her investigation, she and Will spend more time together and she is reminded of her past feelings for him. It’s interesting to read about Will’s perspective of the long ago kiss as well, since he was the one who broke Lucy’s heart. And since this is a fairly quick novella, we can pretty much guess who the Phantom is and see how it plays into Will’s determination to win Lucy’s affections.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Lots of banter and bickering here between Vesper (daughter of a duke) and Aspen (the duke next door and former childhood friend). Somehow these two had a falling out as teenagers, grew apart, and then Aspen spurned Vesper at her debut ball. Now it’s many years later, Aspen has been off looking for fossils and back in England to deal with his wretched mother. Despite multiple offers of marriage, Vesper is still unwed and ruling society with her perfect poise. Aspen believes Vesper to be a spoiled society miss and tries to avoid her, even though he needs her help in preparing his mother’s ward for the Season. Despite Vesper’s outward appearance and reputation, she’s still the same outspoken and fiery lady she’s always been in the presence of her trusted friends. There’s a lot of push-and-pull between Aspen and Vesper as they fight, and kiss, and push each other away.

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

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

.

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!

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.