The Taming of a Highlander by Elisa Braden (2020)
Historical romance. Regency-era Scotland. Book 2 of the Midnight in Scotland series. Kate Huxley is in Scotland visiting her brother and trying to finish writing her novel (or play) so that she can be financially independent and never need to get married. Except that she may or may not have witnessed a man committing murder and is now in some sort of legal entanglement with a sergeant who wants to know what she saw. Broderick had been wrongfully imprisoned, beaten to near death, and scarred last year and after his recovery, seeks revenge on the man who orchestrated his downfall. Unfortunately, Kate’s disruption in the woods has caused his quarry to escape, plus the unwanted attention of the law. Kate and Broderick end up in a marriage of convenience to prevent the law from compelling her to testify against her husband. They fall in love in pretty short order and Broderick’s protective instincts flare when Kate becomes a target for the madman.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto (2024)
Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Love Through a Lens series. Sweet, funny, and super steamy all in one book. Dallas is our single dad football player almost ready to retire from the game since he cannot find a reliable nanny to take care of his daughter June. Apparently, they’re all just trying to get into his bed instead of actually doing their jobs. Meanwhile, newbie team photographer Maven (who’s also the coach’s goddaughter) needs some extra cash to pay her rent and Dallas offers her the job. Lucky for everyone involved, Maven is great with June and definitely prioritizes her care and needs. But of course, Dallas and Maven are very attracted to each other – they resist at first due to their working relationship and the fact that it would be against the team rules at their other job. But you know, that only lasts so long. This was delightful and steamy and relatively low conflict. It’s my fave kind of book to pace myself with for glimpses of joy and happiness.
Advance ebook provided by Chelsea Curto via LoveNotesPR.
The Love Remedy by Elizabeth Everett (2024)
Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Lucy is the intelligent and outspoken owner of an apothecary and she has hired an investigator to find out who has stolen one of her recipes. Jonathan is a prior prizefighter and single father who takes on the job. While Lucy suspects that arrival apothecary has stolen the recipe since the scoundrel had run off with a different recipe in the past, Jonathan isn’t so sure this time. As part of Jonathan’s payment, he and his daughter take up residence in an empty apartment above the apothecary. We get a fun mix of characters here with Lucy’s siblings, Jonathan’s daughter, and the shopgirl who works at the apothecary and I enjoyed seeing them all interact. While the romance between Lucy and Jonathan is slow-burn, I appreciated seeing Jonathan support Lucy’s intellect while also providing emotional support. We also get to find out the answer to the mystery of the missing recipe while catching up with a few of our favorites from Everett’s previous series.
Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
Silhouette of a Spinster and Other Seductions by Charlie Lane (2024)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Art of Love series. Lord Andrew is the straightlaced, icy cold, emotionless workaholic who runs an employment agency for governesses, companions and tutors. And he is seriously disturbed by the fact that his ultra-competent, no-nonsense, straightlaced secretary is wearing a pink dress instead of grey to his brother’s wedding. He’s your typical oblivious male character with no idea that Amelia has been secretly in love with him for all these years. When he tells her that he’s planning to marry for money in order to expand his business, she’s internally heartbroken and leaves on a month-long vacation to her estate in Scotland to get her feelings in order. Well, Andrew is all sorts of confused about his own feelings and why he’s betrayed by her abandonment, so he runs off after her. And he’s still totally incapable of feeling his feelings, even when faced with the attractive woman he finds there. This one is a heartbreaker of a book, in all the best ways.
Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.
It Started with a Scandal by Julie Anne Long (2015)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 10 of the Pennyroyal Green series. Lord Philippe Lavay is recuperating from a brigand attack in a rented house in the country, where the servants who came with the house can’t seem to find any work ethic. He hires new housekeeper, Elise, who had to leave her position as a teacher at the local girls’ school. The gruff Lavay gives her a two-week trial run to see if she can survive the job. Elise doesn’t really have much choice since she doesn’t have anywhere else to go with her six-year-old son. She puts on her schoolteacher demeanor and puts the rest of the servants to work. Along the way, she and Philippe learn to deal with each other more amicably and realize that they’re both hurt and injured and lashing out. And although Philippe should really be working on courting an old family friend with a dowry, he’s increasingly intrigued by his outspoken, bold, and caring housekeeper. Elise is trying to resist the best she can, knowing that she’s not a suitable match for the lord of the house, but his care and concern for her and her son breaks down a lot of those walls.
Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.
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