Weekly Reads: Aug 3 to 9, 2026 (historical romance, contemporary romance)

The Marquess Move by Valerie Bowman (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Whitmorelands series. Lady’s maid Madeline sneaks into a ball and meets a handsome stranger. Justin is a world-weary marquess who avoids debutantes, but finds himself charmed by Madeline. And of course, they have an instant connection. Things get messier when Madeline is fired from her job and Justin’s sister hires her instead. They try (and fail) to stay away from each other, and each believe that they’re undeserving of the other. Everyone just needs to own up to their feelings and take a step forward here. But I enjoyed this one and I liked reading more about the Whitmoreland family.

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

Shop this book via Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Libro.fm

Yes, Chef by Grace Reilly (2026)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Loved this one. Influencer Poppy teams up with chef Jack to reopen his late mentor’s restaurant in small town Florida. This is after some public humiliation for both of them at her father’s fancy restaurant in New York City. The grumpy chef and sunshiney influencer are constantly bickering, but definitely grow closer along the way. And it was nice watching them learn more about each other and find a new purpose in life. This book reminded me a lot of It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, in a good way, because I love that grumpy-sunshine pair working on a team project.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by HarperCollins Audio.

Lost and Found by Tarah DeWitt (2026)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Spunes series. Super angsty and emotional, definitely dealing with grief here. It’s mostly Bea’s story with a side of Silas and his yearning for her. Bea has recently lost her best friend, Merritt, to cancer and has been bequeathed her eggs. And of course Bea decides to go through with carrying and having her best friend’s baby, much to the dismay of her mother. Add in some on-again off-again drama with Silas, who is pretty much the one who got away, mostly because Merritt had a long-time crush on him. Bea and Silas end up roommates and he’s basically the most supportive guy ever in Bea’s journey. He has his own stuff to work though after having survived a wildfire as a firefighter, but that plot felt a bit undercooked compared to Bea’s story. I liked reading the flashback chapters and all the missed opportunities for Bea and Silas to get together, and I really do think they work well together.

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