Weekly Reads: September 29 to October 5, 2025

The Scot’s Seduction by Megan Frampton (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Heirs and Spares series. This one was a lot of fun to read. Drusilla is the ultimate spinster, taking lovers and refusing marriage proposals. Mostly due to a past heartbreak and a need to stay independent. She spends most of her time as an eccentric lady helping out women and children who need assistance. And somehow, she gets entangled with a young lady who needs guidance with her debut and the lady’s grumpy uncle Murdoch. He’s a Scottish earl who’s in town with his orphaned niece and pretty much has no idea what he’s doing. Drusilla is great with the niece and also great at seducing the burly earl. It’s a no strings attached arrangement, except for all those pesky feelings that develop. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Good Spirits by BK Borison (2025)

Paranormal romance. Book 1 of the Ghosted series. A Christmas haunting gone slightly askew. Nolan is a ghost who’s there to haunt Harriet, but she’s not a bad person who even needs the haunting. She’s got a terrible mother and kind of a sad and lonely childhood, but she’s living life on her own terms now. Nolan is a grumpy ghost, having been a ghost with no signs of moving on for the past century. But watching Harriet and Nolan fall in love has got to be the sweetest thing to ever exist. And who knew relations with a ghost could be so steamy. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan (2025)

Young adult fantasy. Book 1 of the Never Ever After series. Lots of action and adventure here. Our main character Yining gets a major upgrade in life after being orphaned and living with her step-aunt to becoming a resident of the palace as a guest of the prince. There’s political maneuvering all around and danger in process. Nothing is quite as it seems and Yining is never quite sure who to trust. We get Cinderella vibes in this loose retelling, but there’s magic and danger lurking ahead. Loved seeing what surprises were in store as I was reading and I enjoyed all the twists and turns.

Advance ebook provided by Little Brown Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Lord Jarret is up next of our merry band of siblings with an overbearing grandmother. Jarret has been set up to take on the grandmother’s brewery while she’s ill and he’s negotiating with her that if he can keep it running well for a year, then he doesn’t need to follow her stipulation to marry. Grandma is up for the bargain, but she’s still secretly hoping he finds a wife. That’s why he’s super skeptical with the beautiful Annabel lands in his office with a business proposition. Except she has a legitimate proposition to combine their resources to aid her smaller brewery in the country. He’s resistant, so it comes down to a scandalous wager, and of course she wins. She’s got her own secrets with a drunkard brother and an illegitimate son that she calls nephew. But the romance here is delightfully steamy and Jarret is not the scoundrel he seems to think he is. Loved this continuation of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Enchanting Kiss by Alexa Aston (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Captivating Kisses series. Semi-tragic prologue for Rupert, an army major and second son of a viscount who was neglected for most of his life. He’s being called home by his brother who is on his deathbed. Left to clean up the mess, Rupert immediately takes on all responsibilities as the new viscount, including the care of his five year old illegitimate niece. The bond between Rupert and his niece is probably the sweetest part of this book, made even better when he meets Lady Lia, the daughter of a duke who is visiting her cousin at the neighboring estate. It’s a really easy going friends to lovers story here, with the only hiccup being Rupert needing to let himself fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Minerva has had a crush on her brothers’ friend Giles for years but had her heart trampled after a kiss from him at age 19. It’s nine years later and she’s an independent gothic novelist with no need for a husband, except for her grandmother’s pesky ultimatum. She tries to hold husband interviews, but Giles shows up instead, wanting to actually marry her. She decides he will make a very good fake fiance to scare her grandmother off. Except that he really does mean to court her. I love the set up where the guy has a fake rake reputation because he’s secretly a spy, so everyone has the wrong impression of him. We get all sorts of drama and intrigue with Giles’ background and we’re all still investigating what happened to Minerva’s parents all those years ago. Lots of plot and steam here, which makes for an enjoyable read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.