Book Reviews - Random Olive

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Weekly Reads: December 1 to 7, 2025

Dec 9, 2025

The Writer and the Rogue by Lydia Drake (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Debutantes of London series. Caroline is in enough of a desperate financial situation to turn to blackmail to solve her problems. Her father is in possession of a letter which hints that the current earl of something might not actually be legitimate, so she uses this as a way to blackmail the man into marrying her. Gabriel is resistant at first, but wants to stall her until he can get a hold of this letter and decides on a lengthy courtship. Of course, he’s totally impressed by Caroline’s originality and direct personality and finds himself falling for her anyway. It’s a fairly straightforward blackmail-turns-to-true-love sort of story, which was super entertaining to read.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This was a really fun set-up where Andi and Nolan meet at a bar, have a somewhat awkward one night stand, and then don’t see each other for three years. But they run into each other at work, where Nolan is the Prime Minister’s new bodyguard and Andi is the Prime Minister’s wife’s personal assistant. And then somehow, Andi is rumored to be having an affair with the Prime Minister (which she’s not), so a fake relationship with Nolan will help distract the scandal. Nolan is all sorts of caring and sweet and I love how obsessed he is with Andi. We get a really nice dual POV story here. This is the first Amy Lea book that I’ve read, and I was under the impression that she writes Asian characters, so I kept trying to see if either Andi or Nolan had any Asian heritage. I was also given an ARC copy from the Berkley Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices as an Asian book reviewer. I didn’t happen to catch if either of these two main characters were Asian, but maybe I missed it.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Stella is ready to lose her virginity at a sex club and luckily meets an awesome guy there, Max. But things don’t go as planned and they end up with unfinished business before parting ways. Stella’s in for a rude surprise when Max ends up being the brother of her boss’s boss and at her workplace to launch a new AI writing tool for their company. This would seem like the perfect set up for an enemies-to-lovers situation, but they have very wisely kept their work separate from their personal lives and continue with a semi-secret relationship. This book is all sorts of spicy and the workplace conflict doesn’t affect the romance plot much at all. Loved seeing how Max treats Stella and how they very easily and quickly fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Game Changer by Rachel Reid (2018)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Game Changers series. Super steamy insta-lust, insta-love situation for hockey player Scott and smoothie maker Kip. Scott’s gotta keep his personal life secret because of macho sports reasons, but Kip is just excited to be with him. At first. The secret boyfriend situation will eventually be the big conflict of the book, but it’s super sweet to see these two get together and fall in love. Kip is absolutely adorable and you can totally feel his insecurities here being the big burly famous athlete’s secret. But Scott definitely has his own issues that he’s slowly working through when he realizes love is more important than anything else. Great setup for the rest of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

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Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Top 20 Historical Romance Books of 2025

Dec 8, 2025

Remember When by Mary Balogh (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Ravenswood series. We have another slow and sweet character-driven romance from Mary Balogh. We start with a not-very-tragic prologue for childhood friends Clarissa and Matthew, who have been friends and neighbors for years, but their lives are about to change because Clarissa is expecting a proposal the next day from a handsome and charming earl. And despite Matthew’s feelings for Clarissa, he knows that he is not a suitable match for her as a second son with no income. And so, they must part ways. Jump forward 33 years and Clarissa is widowed with grown children and re-evaluating her purpose in life. She’s decided to spend the summer alone at the family estate to find some solitude to think and plan. One of those plans involves renewing her friendship with Matthew, who just so happens to be the village carpenter for the past 20 years. They’ve interacted briefly and casually throughout the years, but maintaining their distance since their social stations are so different now. But of course, once they start truly talking again, the friendship sparks back to life, along with something more. Such a lovely comforting story to read. There’s still plenty of drama with Matthew’s backstory and his family, but in true Balogh fashion, everything resolves neatly.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

My Best Friend’s Earl by Bethany Bennett (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Bluestocking Booksellers series. If you’ve been looking for scenes with yearning, you need to read this book. First off, Constance and Oliver are total opposites and also cannot seem to stop thinking of each other. Secondly, Oliver has been engaged to his childhood friend and neighbor due to a deal their fathers made over cards many years ago and he’s being super honorable and sticking to the arrangement. But his fiancee is actively trying to get out of the engagement and even asks Constance for help in how to get Oliver to jilt her. It’s messy and chaotic and at some point when Oliver and Constance realize they have true feelings for each other, it’s all blocked by his honor and prior entanglements. Loved this book so much.

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

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Wimpole Street Widows Society series. Heloise and her band of widows plan to infiltrate a gaming hell to save her sister-in-law, and one of those schemes involves seducing one of the owners. Ethan is the very gruff and serious gambling hell owner who is suspicious of Heloise’s motives, but lets her close anyway so he can figure out what she’s up to. They’re both keeping secrets, but it’s clear that they’re totally falling for each other. Lots of sweet caretaking here that goes both ways, plus the added mystery of who’s running a crooked game at the club. Lots of action, both in and out of the bedroom, making this an enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Princes of London series. Super fun adventure-type romance between an outspoken bluestocking and a gruff Scotland Yard inspector. Alexandra (Allie to her friends and family) has been left behind to run the family antique shop while her siblings are off on an excavation and she overhears some possibly nefarious plotting at the coffee shop next door. She’s instantly off to Scotland Yard to warn someone and instantly connects with Ben, the serious inspector she meets there. Ben’s pretty much the only person to take her seriously, so she’s extra impressed by him. It’s most definitely instant attraction for both of these two, but they’re doing their best to keep things professional. Somehow, they end up entangled with each other through this mystery and have to team up to put all their clues together. Really enjoyable read.

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

Scoundrel Take Me Away by Louisa Darling (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Dukes in Disguise series. Lucy has had a crush on a highwayman named the Gentle Rogue for years and keeps scheming up ways to run into him. But he’s wary of the connection, so eventually tells her to leave him alone and grow up. So she goes. She’s off traveling for five years before she’s back while her sister-in-law is having a difficult pregnancy. Unfortunately, her least favorite duke Thorne has somehow become friends with her brother while she was away, and she’s still holding a grudge against him for the gossip he caused about her sister. She doesn’t know that Thorne is really the highwayman that she’s been pining for this whole time. He’s all sorts of emotionally stunted due to his upbringing and a traumatic history we get hints about, but he sure is jealous of himself since Lucy despises his daytime personality while preferring his nighttime alter ego. It all gets even messier when he has an accident and loses his memory and she unmasks him and learns she’s been duped. Loads of drama here with so many buried emotions.

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

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England and Mexico. Book 3 of the Luna Sisters series. I can’t believe this is the last book of the series and we need to leave the Luna sisters behind. I am super glad that Gabby finally meets her match in Sebastian, the duke who we knew would be trouble for her on their very first meeting. Gabby’s on her way to Mexico, fleeing a bad situation in England, and Sebastian is on the ship right along with her. Even though they start the journey as somewhat enemies, she definitely softens towards him when she realizes that he isn’t exactly the rake he seemed to be in the past. And of course, Sebastian is just trying to keep his sanity around him since it’s clear he’s totally besotted by Gabby. Loved seeing the flirtatious banter between them and the undeniable attraction here that they’re trying so hard to fight. Loved seeing it all wrap up and all our Luna sisters so happily wed.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (2025)

Historical Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Combine an emotionally traumatized exiled scientist with an upbeat and fairly emotionally happy kind of guy, and we get this absolute gem of a book. Phoebe is back in the country to deal with her late father’s estate, after having been exiled off to America for inventing a bomb that killed someone. She’s all sorts of detached and cold to everyone around her, and we learn that it’s because of her horribly abusive father. Somehow, the wealthy shop owner and newspaper owner Sam gets involved in her affairs, first by offering to buy her house and second by trying to court her sister. Sam’s just trying to improve his overall station in life and thinks a titled wife is the way to do it. But of course, Sam is more interested in Phoebe than anything else and wants to soothe all of her hurts. Tons of emotional angst here as we dig up all of Phoebe’s traumas and come to some resolution. Excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

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.

The Trouble with Anna by Rachel Griffiths (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. I almost missed out on reading this book because I did not realize it was a historical romance. The cover design is fresh and fun but kind of confusing for which genre the book belongs in. Anyway, we have Anna, a socially awkward daughter of an earl who lives with her maternal grandfather and pretty much hates going to balls and parties. And then her grandfather dies and turns out he only leaves her the house, horses, and stables if she marries the earl next door. Julian is doing his best to do his duty and fulfill his obligation but he certainly does not want to marry Anna and thinks that the whole thing is a trap. But then he actually spends time with her and is honestly intrigued and a little bit smitten. And he’s terrible at communicating and she thinks he’s just courting her for duty-bound reasons, even though he kisses her every chance he gets. It’s basically all chaos in a book with an inheritance clause, a somewhat arranged match, and lack of communication. I enjoyed this book a lot and couldn’t wait to see how they resolved their issues.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Paris. Book 3 of the Las Leonas series. Our grumpy stuffy doctor friend Aurora gets her romance here with Apollo, the half-brother of Evan from Book 1 of the series. The set-up here is mostly a no-strings attached affair, since Aurora is busy running her illegal women’s clinics and Apollo is trying to cement his place into the English aristocracy. Except they catch all sorts of feelings and are insanely protective of each other. We get all sorts of drama in the form of Aurora’s traumatic past and Apollo’s political ambitions, which is interesting to read about. The book is super steamy, and I especially loved Apollo’s caretaking of Aurora. Great conclusion to the Las Leonas series.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley.

When the Marquess Needed Me by Lydia Lloyd (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rake Chronicles series. Leith is pretty much the most uptight and repressed sort of fellow I’ve ever read and basically beds all his mistresses completely clothed and in a perfunctory nature. It all changes with Beatrice though, who demands to be bedded with more skill and variety as she learns to be a courtesan. Of course, everyone gets their feelings involved and both of these people need to let go of their separate hang-ups, but it was really nice to see two people communicate well and let down their walls. Loads of spice, flirting, banter, and a whole lot of teary-eyed emotional support. Excellent conclusion to the series.

Advance ebook provided by Tule Books via BookSprout.

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Crinoline Academy series. Nell is the deputy headmistress and former pupil at the girls’ academy that Miles is lightly investigating, so she is doing her best to try to deter him. Unfortunately, they get caught in a compromising situation and the best course of action is to marry. Aside from that, she’s trying to solve the mystery of a missing pupil and he’s trying to find his missing gossip columnist. And of course, the two are connected and they get to partner up to solve the case. We get to see a lovely slow burn romance here, with them being equal partners with really strong communication. Loved seeing the serious Miles soften towards Nell and care for her, even when she’s being prickly.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Lady Who Left by Ginny B Moore (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Flower Sisters series. Loads of drama and angst with this book. Marigold is tired of being talked down to and takes a stand against her husband when he wants to send her sweet son off to a cruel school. She’s looking to divorce the man, but knows her case is shaky. She’s lucky that her new barrister, Archie, is so tenacious. She’s less lucky that they’re both attracted to each other and need to fight their feelings to keep things professional. Archie is super sweet and outgoing and charming, and also very protective of Marigold. Watching these two fall in love is an absolute delight. I loved how he was interested in almost anything that Marigold talks about and believes that she deserves care and love. He’s also absolutely amazing with her sons and treated them with so much respect. Loved this book.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B Moore.

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An Unladylike Secret by Amita Murray (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Marleigh Sisters series. Loads of action and mystery in this one. Mira is a secret gossip columnist who may have contributed to a man being accused of murdering his own brother. She’s at the Devonshire coast with her roommate and friend to find out more about the situation from the deceased man’s widow. And of course, she crosses paths with our dear fugitive Finn and maybe kinda sorta falls in love with him. But they’re got a mystery to solve and an innocence to prove, all while Finn does not know that Mira is the writer behind his downfall. Loved all the tangled web of plot in this book.

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

While the Duke Was Sleeping by Samara Parish (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. This book was so funny and all the things that could go wrong do. Adelaide is a lady’s maid to a duke’s daughter who runs away from her own high profile wedding. They swap dresses and run away, hoping to hide out for a bit. Then Adelaide has an awkward first meeting with Rhett, a gentleman returning to England at the request of his ducal brother. They meet, they get into a scuffle, they flirt a bit, and then part ways. But we know that’s not the end for them. The ducal brother somehow discovers a duke’s daughter is renting a cottage in the country from him, comes to propose marriage, and gets injured in the process. And now, we have Adelaide being forced by her employer to pretend to be her and break off the engagement to the duke when he wakes up. But he doesn’t wake up as quickly as everyone would like, and we get to re-meet Rhett and all sorts of chaotic sisters. It’s fate, but worse, since Adelaide is supposedly someone else and engaged to his brother. The yearning here was so good and this book was so much fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Final print book provided by Forever Books. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Earl That Got Away by Diana Quincy (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Sirens in Silk series. We start with an awkward first re-meeting between Naila and Hawk at the pre-wedding ball of her sister and his friend. Basically, everyone is surprised to see each other after 8 years, especially since Naila had rejected Hawk all those years ago due to his lack of title and fortune and now he’s a wealthy earl. And somehow the situation is made more sad by the fact that Naila has turned into a drab spinster who has been heartbroken all these years and regretting her mistake. We get this story told in flashbacks interspersed with their present-day experiences. So much angst and underlying resentment for Hawk and underlying guilt for Naila. We just need to be patient and see Hawk’s walls eventually come down.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

A Waltz on the Wild Side by Erica Ridley (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Wild Wynchesters series. Solid conclusion to the series, but a lot of the story could have been resolved earlier if Vivian communicated more clearly about her missing cousin’s adventures. Vivian and her young cousin always argue over his and his friends’ hero worship of the Wynchester family, with good reason, since Vivian is worried that a bunch of law-breaking adolescents will not have the same privileges as the wealthy family of a baron. He goes missing one day and Vivian pretty much lands on the Wynchester doorstep to ask for help. She’s terribly prickly and judgmental and spends most of the book getting to know each of the siblings (and their respective spouses) to learn that they really are more honorable than she originally judged. Her romance is set with Jacob, the animal trainer and poet of the group, and it’s pretty much attraction at first sight, even with her being totally closed-minded. He’s smitten from the jump and wants to do anything he can to help her. We end up with a lot of wacky miscommunication and go through a lot of hoops to find the cousin.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe (2025)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novel. This one is a really good Anastasia retelling with mystery and intrigue and steam. Leo is your basic con-man in Boston, and when he sees Josie singing in the street, he has a glimmer of an idea to pass her off as a long-lost heiress. And she has no idea that’s his game because he’s pretending to be a talent manager to get her on Broadway. They go to New York together and try to keep things professional, but that only works for so long when they spend literally all their time together. We get to uncover the mystery of the lost heiress and how Leo’s late father is involved in the mess. This book was so much fun to read and listen to.

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

Is This Real or Just Pretend by Emily Sullivan (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Follow up to Duchess Material. I love a fake courtship romance, especially one with a virgin MMC. Lucien is back in town after his supper club business collapses in Paris (not his fault, his partner did him dirty) and instantly becomes re-smitten with his longtime crush Freddie, the daughter at the estate where he grew up. But Freddie is nearly engaged to someone else and her big sister Alex wants to keep it that way. So Alex declares that there’s nothing going on between Freddie and Lucien because he’s courting her instead. She somehow manages to convince him to go along with the fake courtship so that he can make some business connections in London and so that Alex can continue working for her father’s company without as much criticism. And of course these two are attracted to each other and fall in love along the way. It seems that Alex is the insecure one in the relationship though, knowing that Lucien has long crushed on her sister and believing that she’s only good for business and not for love. It’s heartbreaking and emotional to see her suffer here, but also lovely to see her soften and fall in love.

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

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Belvoir’s Library series. Something suspicious is going on when two anonymous writers are publishing very similar gothic novels. Lady Georgiana is ready to fight this woman who is quite possibly copying her, but then gets all tongue-tied when she finds out it’s her teenage crush and former family butler’s daughter Catriona. They spend most of the book bickering and misunderstanding each other’s circumstances and there’s a huge element of self-denial for Georgiana who believes herself the cause of harm for the people around her. The banter and flirting is great though and I loved this awkward crush and slow-burn romance. There’s a bit of underlying mystery plot at a creepy manor house they’re visiting, so expect some problem solving from our Belvoir’s crew at some point. Overall, loved this book.

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

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Luna Sisters Historical Romance Book Series by Liana De la Rosa

Dec 3, 2025

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Luna Sisters series. Due to French occupation of Mexico, Ana Maria and her sisters have been sent to England for their safety. Away from her overbearing father, Ana Maria has the opportunity to learn more about herself and her own desires, rather than just following the rules set out for her. She meets and is instantly attracted to the stern and serious Gideon, who seeks to make parliamentary changes to fight against slave trading. These two just keep running into each other at various social events and a romance seems doomed due to Ana Maria being already engaged to someone else and Gideon prioritizing his political career. I did enjoy seeing them admit their feelings for each other and the drama that forces them to act.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Luna Sisters series. Middle sister Isabel is often overlooked by everyone, making her perfect for sneaking around English manor houses looking for useful information to aid the Mexican government. While Isabel and her sisters have fled Mexico for the safety of England, she’s doing her best to aid in any way possible. Unfortunately, that puts her in the sights of Captain Sirius Dawson, who has his own assignments to learn about potential connections to the French government. Sirius has cultivated a reputation as a rogue as he seduces his way into his information, and thereby earned Isabel’s disdain. However, when he spends more time with her, he finds that there is a lot more to her than it seems and he develops a newfound respect and appreciation for her intellect. There’s a lot of hiding and spying and getting stuck together in precarious circumstances and pretty soon, a fiery affair begins. Super steamy and emotional and perfect for all the overlooked bluestockings.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England and Mexico. Book 3 of the Luna Sisters series. I can’t believe this is the last book of the series and we need to leave the Luna sisters behind. I am super glad that Gabby finally meets her match in Sebastian, the duke who we knew would be trouble for her on their very first meeting. Gabby’s on her way to Mexico, fleeing a bad situation in England, and Sebastian is on the ship right along with her. Even though they start the journey as somewhat enemies, she definitely softens towards him when she realizes that he isn’t exactly the rake he seemed to be in the past. And of course, Sebastian is just trying to keep his sanity around him since it’s clear he’s totally besotted by Gabby. Loved seeing the flirtatious banter between them and the undeniable attraction here that they’re trying so hard to fight. Loved seeing it all wrap up and all our Luna sisters so happily wed.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Weekly Reads: November 24 to 30, 2025

Dec 2, 2025

Take a Hike by Katie Ruggle (2025)

Romantic suspense. Book 3 of the Beneath the Wild Sky series. Crazy chaos, as expected from Katie Ruggle. We’re running from the militia, treasure hunters, and more when Charlie and her sister and brother-in-law try to lay a trap for their wayward mother. Of course, Charlie meets the grumpiest firefighter ever Kieran and decides she’s smitten. The romance here is way too easy and no angst whatsoever, but we do get some fun grumpy flirting. There’s plenty of action in the form of fires, breaking and entering, and car chases to keep us entertained.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Crinoline Academy series. Nell is the deputy headmistress and former pupil at the girls’ academy that Miles is lightly investigating, so she is doing her best to try to deter him. Unfortunately, they get caught in a compromising situation and the best course of action is to marry. Aside from that, she’s trying to solve the mystery of a missing pupil and he’s trying to find his missing gossip columnist. And of course, the two are connected and they get to partner up to solve the case. We get to see a lovely slow burn romance here, with them being equal partners with really strong communication. Loved seeing the serious Miles soften towards Nell and care for her, even when she’s being prickly.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Wedding the Marquess by Stevie Sparks (2025)

Historical romance. Interwar-era England. Book 4 of the Lords of Desire series. Savi is suspicious of her father’s payment to a sanitorium, so she agrees to an arranged marriage to the owner of that sanitorium to gain access. Alex is a marquess who needs a wealthy wife and Savi fits the bill. Luckily, he’s an all-around good guy and he and Savi fall quickly in love with each other. Drama unfolds in the form of that nasty sanatorium business, but Savi and Alex and steady partners throughout.

Advance ebook provided by Stevie Sparks.

Face Off by Chelsea Curto (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the DC Stars series. Super steamy sports romance here. Emmy is the first female player in the National Hockey League and doing her best not to fall prey to the womanizing team captain, Maverick. They totally get off on the wrong foot when he tries to flirt with her, not realizing that she’s the new teammate. But fighting turns to flirting turns to a friends-with-benefits situation. Loved seeing Emmy become part of the team and seeing how protective the guys were of her. Definitely a great start to the series, with an awesome bunch of teammates I can’t wait to read more about.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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

The Love Audit by Lucy Eden (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Childhood friends who have been estranged for 13 years are stuck in a fake marriage while they research a small town in Florida. Oh, and they’re also competing for the same position at work. Jasmine and Derek are both in the public relations industry and are sent on a scouting mission to a small town to determine its potential for tourism or more on behalf of their corporate boss. A quick assumption by their driver that they’re a married couple force them to play pretend while they’re there. We get all sorts of small town charm, which I loved reading about, and these two getting to know each other again. There’s some lingering resentment and a mystery of why their families had a falling out, which was also super intriguing.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Her Majesty’s Rebels Historical Romance Book Series by Kate Bateman

Nov 26, 2025

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.

How to Fall for a Scoundrel by Kate Bateman (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Her Majesty’s Rebels series. A scoundrel with a fake name makes the acquaintance of wallflower Ellie, and offers his thieving experience to help with her investigative firm. Harry is not at all what he seems and is definitely hiding secrets, but he and Ellie work very well together and also make for a flirtatious and clever pair. They’re involved in a series of investigations which involve disguises, sneaking, and fake identities. But the romance is sweet and steamy and fairly low-angst. We get even more mysteries to solve when it comes to proving Harry’s identity, and Ellie is ultra-competently on the case. Fun, light, adventurous read.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of Her Majesty’s Rebels series. I love a good road trip romance, especially when our two travel partners are clearly pining for each other and denying their own feelings about it. Daisy is on a mission to thwart an elopement and runs into Lucien, her brothers’ friend and longtime crush along the way. What she doesn’t know is that he encouraged the elopement of his nephew and an heiress. And she gets thoroughly distracted by Lucien. We’ve got highwaymen, cramped quarters, and even a kidnapping in this chaotic adventure. Loved seeing these two connect and talk to each other, with the most excellent banter.

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

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Weekly Reads: November 17 to 23, 2025

Nov 25, 2025

Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto (2025)

Contemporary fiction. Standalone novel. To her granddaughter Izzy, Magnolia seems like this totally secure and confident elder who has everything going for her. But when Magnolia tells Izzy the story of how she moved to America for college in 1998 and met the love of her life, we get a really interesting coming of age story. We follow Magnolia’s friendships and relationships with her sister and parents and I had to keep reading to find out what happens next. Lots of angst and emotional turmoil here as Magnolia (and Izzy) grapple with their identity and how it goes against their very rigid societal expectations.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Part of the Surprise! Dukes series. Cute and steamy quick novella. Lady Amanda is the sister of a duke who has been traveling the world with her brother’s butler Hiro. He happens to be her very own protector and lover. She wants to make their match more permanent, but he’s struggling with their social class differences. Luckily, she’s stubborn and has the full support of her family to pursue him for real.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Sam’s having a rough time of things when the pandemic derailed her academic plans. Now she’s living in the spare bedroom of her mom’s condo, working at a bar, and unsuccessfully applying to grad school. Single dad Nick moves in next door and somehow, Sam and Nick keep crossing paths. It’s a fairly straightforward romance here, with Nick being deliciously competent and being direct with his communication style. But Sam has all sorts of trust issues with men (because her dad totally sucks) and needs to get her life in order. Lots of humor and steam.

Advance ebook provided by Dial Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Only Earl in the World by Amalie Howard (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Briar and Jasper have been bickering for years, but there’s always an undercurrent of flirtation and attraction. She even may have based the heroes of her erotic novels on his likeness. But Briar is engaged to a boring and steady guy, until he catches her supporting women’s suffrage and breaks it off. Jasper is ready to rescue her reputation in a fake engagement, but we all know it’s not that fake. Delightfully flirty and steamy and nice wrap-up to the series.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance angst mixed with professional career advancement in the form of a trip to Iceland. Mona finally has the chance to travel internationally and write for her travel magazine job, but she’s paired up with her childhood friend/love/heartbreak Ben as the photographer. It’s all sorts of awkward, especially when she won’t just let him explain what happened all those years ago, despite his multiple attempts at adult-like communication. She’s annoying in that aspect because why wouldn’t you just let him talk? But the trip is amazing and they do finally start to get along, with her slowing thawing towards him. Mona definitely needs to increase her own self-confidence and work on her issues of inadequacy in her career and her boisterous family, but the trip helps with her personal journey. The romance is steamy and sweet, and I liked that this was a second chance romance without the split-timeline storytelling style.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Forever and a Duke by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Bridewell Sisters series. Short, low-angst book here. Griffin witnesses his best friend’s death in a duel, feels terribly guilty, and then even worse when he finds out the man’s sisters are at the mercy of their cousin. He comes calling at the estate next door, finding Lily burying their treasures to hide from the cousin. And then he gets the bright idea that they should marry. It’s a marriage of convenience, but they have conveniently been attracted to each other the whole time. Only one cranky grandmother to deal with, but it’s pretty much a smooth sailing love story.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Earl for the Summer by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Bridewell Sisters series. Daphne has sworn off men after being the subject of a wager among scoundrels, and she’s especially suspicious of the earl that’s courting her friend. But see, Cassian is merely pretending to be his twin brother Julian who is out of commission due to a broken leg. Cassian is distracted by Daphne and not doing a great job of courting the woman his brother loves. And it’s all a pretty stupid scheme anyway, especially when Daphne can tell there’s something strange about the man she’s seeing now. Hopefully, she can get over the deception and find true happiness.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Season of the Scoundrel by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Bridewell Sisters series. Ivy is not interested in marriage and more interested in being an investigative journalist, so it’s super convenient that her brother-in-law has a duke friend who runs a newspaper. They get thrown together because of work, and then somehow get into a fake engagement to ward off potential scandal. Ross is not your average duke though and totally respects and encourages Ivy’s sleuthing, to the point where he wishes the fake engagement was a real engagement. He just needs to convince Ivy that he’s serious about her.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Weekly Reads: November 10 to 16, 2025

Nov 18, 2025

A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Parish Orphans of Devon series. Awkward first meeting for Alex and Laura when he tries to save her from drowning in a pond when she’s really just swimming. Alex is in the country holding some debts over a gentleman’s head to get an introduction to court an heiress. Of course, Laura is the one he prefers even though she does not have her own money and is in a precarious situation herself. He also does not want to be distracted by feelings, since he feels guilt over betraying his friends many years ago. Laura knows not to get her hopes up when it comes to Alex and she needs to work on solving her own problems independently. But I do love it when the heartless rogue is super kind to her family and shows glimmers of the goodness within. Another excellent addition to the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Parish Orphans of Devon series. The gang’s all together for the holidays, with three of the orphans married off, and our sweet Neville the last man standing. He has a speech impediment after an accidental fall from the cliffs and struggles in company. He’s extra flustered when the beautiful lady’s companion Clara is on the scene. But they slowly start to form a friendship and affection for each other, even though they have very different plans for their lives. I enjoyed seeing all the couples together here and seeing Neville and Clara grow closer.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

We Met Like This by Kasie West (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Margot and Oliver have the worst first date ever, but it’s three years later now and they’ve been running into each other on the dating apps all this time. Maybe it’s time for a second chance. But it’s all a bit messy since Margot has had an on-and-off secret thing with her boss, has quit and started a new venture, and has a pain-in-the-ass overbearing older sister. The flirting and banter between Oliver and Margot is super entertaining though. Steamy and flirty and fun, with just the right amount of drama.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Jonah and Sadie have been rivals for the past fifteen years, but we learn pretty early on that Jonah has had a crush on Sadie from the very start. They’re both in the running for the same very scarce teaching position at a university and both have valid reasons to be the top pick. But there’s only room for one, and then somehow they finagle their way to a marriage of convenience to snag a partner hire at the university. The romance itself is excellent and delightfully slow burn, with Jonah and his caretaking abilities. The real drama here is in the form of their respective families and the drama that their marriage-on-paper causes. Entertaining and sweet and steamy.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Scoundrel Take Me Away by Louisa Darling (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Dukes in Disguise series. Lucy has had a crush on a highwayman named the Gentle Rogue for years and keeps scheming up ways to run into him. But he’s wary of the connection, so eventually tells her to leave him alone and grow up. So she goes. She’s off traveling for five years before she’s back while her sister-in-law is having a difficult pregnancy. Unfortunately, her least favorite duke Thorne has somehow become friends with her brother while she was away, and she’s still holding a grudge against him for the gossip he caused about her sister. She doesn’t know that Thorne is really the highwayman that she’s been pining for this whole time. He’s all sorts of emotionally stunted due to his upbringing and a traumatic history we get hints about, but he sure is jealous of himself since Lucy despises his daytime personality while preferring his nighttime alter ego. It all gets even messier when he has an accident and loses his memory and she unmasks him and learns she’s been duped. Loads of drama here with so many buried emotions.

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

How the Rogue Stole Christmas by Ginny B. Moore (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Flower Sisters series. Fairly quick novella here. The whole family is gathered for Christmas and Lily’s estranged husband Philip shows up at the front door. He left her the day after their wedding eight years ago and has been in no contact with her this whole time. Turns out he’s been battling an opium addiction for all these years and is finally sober enough to return. He’s got a bit of groveling to do to win his wife back though. It was good to catch up with all the other sisters and their husbands and watch them support Lily. Just the right mix of steam and plot and of course, plenty of angst for a novella.

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

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

Useful Resources:

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