In the month of September, I finished reading 24 books (20 historical romance, 2 contemporary romance, 1 young adult fantasy, and 1 nonfiction). Here are my five favorite books from the month! (listed in alphabetical order by author last name)
The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh (1992)
This one got recommended to me a couple of times by different folks on Instagram. It’s an older historical romance with a bang of a set up. Quite literally. Our two main characters are at the gardens with their friends, total opposites, and get stuck in a thunderstorm while out on a walk together. The lady is absolutely terrified of storms due to a past experience where a tent next to her was struck by lightning and four men were killed, so she inevitably has a panic attack. Our two people have found shelter in a covered picnic area and the gentleman distracts her from the panic by kissing her… and then proceeds to have sex with her. I’m not quite sure that a lady having a panic attack counts as consent in any instance, but this was written in the early 1990s, so let’s suspend disbelief for a second. This is all like the first chapter of the book, and then when the storm eases, he brings her to his mistress den and they do it again (with verbal consent this time). And then he proceeds to spend the rest of the book pursuing her, even though she just wants to say “Thank you, sir, see you again never.” Further on, there’s backstory of how he turned into a rake and it’s actually really sad and it made me really feel for the guy… so aside from the crazypants beginning, it’ll give you all the classic Balogh feels.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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The Duke Alone by Christi Caldwell (2022)
Historical romance in Regency/Victorian era England. Home Alone retelling with Lady Myrtle being left behind in her London house for the holidays. Myrtle is terribly sunshiney and makes the acquaintance of the grumpy duke next door. The duke, Val, has a terrible reputation and is rumored to have murdered his staff and fed them to his wolfish dog. He’s really just terribly depressed after his wife died in a tragic carriage accident. Over the course of a days, he comes to enjoy her relentless smiling and singing. Super sweet and funny. Warning that this one is fade to black… caught me off guard, but by that point, I was already enchanted by the story, so I didn’t mind too much.
Advance ebook provided by Montlake via NetGalley.
Dare to Love a Duke by Eva Leigh (2018)
Historical romance in Regency/Victorian era England; book 3 of the London Underground series. We have our newly inherited duke still mourning his father but dealing with his new responsibilities. Knowing that he has to protect his mother and sister’s reputations, he will have to cease going to flirt with the proprietress of the sex club he frequents. After he spends one last night with her, he finds out that his father actually secretly owned the club and he needs to decide whether to keep it open or shut it down. High drama there! Also, of course, I was on a page with a scene from the club when I realized my kid could read over my shoulder…
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2022)
Contemporary romance on the set of a sweet holiday rom-com movie for a squeaky clean network. Our heroine is a plus-sized adult entertainer and our hero is an ex-boy band member trying to rehabilitate his reputation. And of course, they each have a pre-existing crush on each other, so sparks fly and they start secretly spending naked time together. This book had all sorts of great callbacks to boy band hijinks (reality TV shows, rabid fans, and sketchy managers). We get to meet the other boy band members as well and I’m looking forward to reading their future stories.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Avon Books and BiblioLifestyle.
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.
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