While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rogue Files series. Poppy is a worker in a flower shop who is smitten with one of the regular customers, even though the duke doesn’t pay her much attention. When she sees him fighting in the street with another man and does not see an oncoming carriage, she pushes him out of the way, saving his life, but also rendering him unconscious. The man he was fighting with turns out to be his illegitimate half-brother, Struan, who he refuses to acknowledge. In the confusion of bringing the injured duke home, Poppy is assumed to be the duke’s fiance. Struan is skeptical of that, but still believes Poppy to be the duke’s paramour. The duke’s household and family are overjoyed the meet Poppy and enthusiastically welcome her to the family, causing her to feel even more guilty for the deception. Throughout all of this, Struan both antagonizes and physically pursues Poppy, which she both enjoys and rejects. Even though she isn’t truly engaged to the duke, she still isn’t free to pursue Struan, who is not offering anything honorable to her anyway. Still, this book was an entertaining story and I enjoyed meeting the duke’s warm and welcoming family.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Scandal of It All by Sophie Jordan (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Rogue Files series. Widowed duchess, Graciela, hesitantly seeks a night of fun at a pleasure club, but needs rescuing by her stepson’s best friend, Colin, so she isn’t caught by her stepson. There’s barely an age gap here with Graciela being only six years older than Colin, but everyone feels a little scandalous about it. Graciela was poorly treated by her late husband even though she tries to project a happy loving image to her stepchildren and daughter, and she tries to have a bit of an adventure at the cajoling of her best friend. She gets in way over her head at the pleasure club and somehow ends up kissing Colin to hide her identity. He proposes an affair with her, and she is both intrigued by his attention but also insulted that she isn’t worthy of courtship or marriage. Meanwhile Colin has his own family issues having been orphaned at a young age, and he’s been attracted to Graciela for years, but kept his honor and manners in check for the most part. Colin is pursuing Graciela pretty ardently here and she tends to give in, even though she knows it’s unwise. A fun book to read, especially when we start to see the fallout of everyone’s actions.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke Buys a Bride by Sophie Jordan (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rogue Files series. Marcus has run away from his ducal responsibilities after he catches his best friend with his stepmother in a compromising position and is on his way to his estate in the north of Scotland. On the way there, he happens across a village wife auction and buys/saves the girl who is being so crudely sold off. Alyse has been married in name only to her late father’s friend since the age of 15 and provided care of the man’s children and household. Her childhood friend was supposed to bid on her during the auction so they could start their new lives together, but that man disappeared and didn’t show up. Although she is purchased by Marcus, she has no idea who he is or if he’s trustworthy. He declares that theirs won’t really be a marriage and that he will employ her as a housekeeper at his estate. We end up embarking on a road trip romance here, traveling on horseback and stopping at various inns along the way. This book had a really interesting set up and it was nice to see Marcus slowly let down his walls and realize what a privileged life he has led thus far.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

This Scot of Mine by Sophie Jordan (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rogue Files series. Clara, the younger sister of a duke, gets herself into a scandal by declaring herself pregnant to break off an unwanted engagement. She banishes herself to her brother’s Scottish estate to preserve her family’s reputation. Her brother’s neighbor and local laird Hunt is visiting and quickly offers her marriage in light of the scandal. Hunt is eager and willing to take on another man’s child since his own family seems to be cursed. The men of Hunt’s family tend to die before their first child is born and has been doing so for five generations. Hunt has long denied himself a wife and children, and bringing up another child seems to be a way to circumvent the curse. The downside is that Clara isn’t actually pregnant and this betrayal and risk of Hunt’s death hovers over their entire relationship.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke’s Stolen Bride by Sophie Jordan (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Rogue Files series. Impoverished oldest sister Marian seeks to save her family’s circumstance by becoming a courtesan. However, she has no experience at all, so she seeks out the neighborhood depraved duke, Nate, for some lessons. He’s affronted at first, but then gives in, and the relationship is mostly him trying to get her to loosen up. It’s sad to see how very poor Marian and her family are and how their choices are limited, but Nate feels sorry for Marian and also desires her so much that he can’t stay away from her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the Rogue Files series. Prim and proper Charlotte suffers from terrible monthly cramps which are usually aided by a tonic provided by her sister. This month’s dose of tonic turns out to be an aphrodisiac and Charlotte pretty much accosts her brother-in-law’s stepbrother, Kingston, in the middle of the night. She feels horribly guilty since she’s engaged to someone else, but Kingston tries to convince her that she’s a passionate woman and much too good for her betrothed. Charlotte tries to avoid Kingston as much as possible so that she doesn’t submit to further indiscretion, but he is constantly underfoot. Kingston has his own feelings of inadequacy being the illegitimate son of a dissolute earl with no home or sense of belonging. He’s envious of Charlotte’s family and security and believes himself unworthy of her. Both of these characters need to get over their self-denial and admit to themselves (and each other) what they really want.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke Effect by Sophie Jordan (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 7 of the Rogue Files series. Youngest sister Nora studied healing with her father who was a doctor and has been serving as the village healer since his death. Unfortunately, she has also been corresponding with people who have written letters to her deceased father and signing her father’s name with her medical advice. When army colonel Constantine is back in England as the heir to a duke, he seeks out Nora’s father for a medical consult and is outraged to find that he has been corresponding with Nora and believes her to be a charlatan. With the threat to her reputation as a healer, she does everything she can to convince him that she is qualified and competent, including sneaking away from home to see Constantine in London. While it all works out for the pair romantically, it was strange that there wasn’t any fallout with Nora’s older sister after she snuck off.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

In Bed with the Stablemaster by Sophie Jordan (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Novella, part of the Rogue Files series. Super short story that takes place at the same time as the events of Book 6 of the series. One of the housemaids, Vera, and the stablemaster, Rufus, generally bicker at each other on the job. One day, Vera is caught in a rainstorm and rescued by Rufus and taken to a cottage for shelter. With wet clothes to remove and some quiet isolation (plus simmering attraction), these two end up having a tryst that leads to a honorable proposal. It’s a super quick story to read and a fun little interlude.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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One Night for Seduction by Erica Ridley (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Wicked Dukes Club series. A group of guy friends congregate at the local tavern own by two of the dukes in their group. One gentleman complains of his unmarriageable ward, and Cole sees a challenge he cannot refuse. He has until the end of the season to find Diana a husband with a bunch of stipulations set into place. Diana has been sneaking out into town and dressed as some sort of investigator to enforce uniform measurements for shopkeepers. It’s her way of serving justice for the common man. In order to keep this up, she blends in whenever she is in society and tries to be completely unnoticeable. Of course, after Cole meets her, he starts to notice her all the time and is quickly onto her scheme. This one was a relatively quick low-angst read with the duke falling first.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night of Surrender by Darcy Burke (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Wicked Dukes Club series. Isabelle is a widow and now governess and runs into her former love when her employer is staying at the duke’s house. Valentine, the Duke of Eastleigh, is being pressured by his grandmother and sister to marry again, though he’s hesitant of trusting women after the betrayal of his late wife. When he sees Isabelle again for the first time in a decade, he’s surprised that she is now working as a governess and wants to spend more time with her. Isabelle resists as much as she can because she needs to keep a spotless reputation if she ever wants to become the headmistress at a school. Circumstances cause her to lose her position as a governess and Val wants to assist Isabelle, even if it’s unwise for him to do so. This was a relatively quick and low angst story that was fun to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night of Passion by Erica Ridley (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Wicked Dukes Club series. Thaddeus is a mere mister looking for a love match; Priscilla wants to claim her inheritance once she’s officially a spinster so she can go adventuring with her father and grandfather. When these two meet (and start to banter), the sparks are instantaneous. Although Thad is earnest in his pursuit of Priscilla, she’s the one warning him away. Their romance is cute and fun and easy to read, with just a tiny bit of angst as Thad puts his heart on the line. Loved this one!

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night of Scandal by Darcy Burke (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Wicked Duke Club series. Viola, younger sister to a duke, dresses up as a man to visit the tavern and collect stories for her newspaper column. She gets involved in some sort of political gossip and tries to investigate, but is thwarted by Jack, a member of parliament and friend of her brother’s. He’s known for awhile that Viola was in disguise but has not revealed it to anyone. They work together to investigate the political mystery and grow closer through the process. Another quick-ish read from this series and a relatively low-angst romance.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night to Remember by Erica Ridley (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Wicked Dukes Club series. Lady Felicity who is the sister of a duke who grew up in poverty and is looking for a wealthy and titled husband so that she will find financial security plus have money to be able to start a charity to assist poor children. Secretly, she is a mechanic who loves to fix up her brother’s carriages. Her brother enters a curricle race and has tasked local blacksmith Giles with riding in the race and working with Felicity to make sure the vehicle is in the best racing condition. Giles is gruff at first with having to work with a partner, but very quickly becomes impressed with Felicity’s skill. These two are obviously a perfect match for each other; Felicity just needs to get over her desire to wed a wealthy and titled lord.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night of Temptation by Darcy Burke (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Wicked Dukes Club series. Penelope, daughter of a marquess, sets out to ruin herself and her arranged betrothal to an elderly earl by faking her kidnapping. The neighborhood rector, Hugh, ends up rescuing her from a very real kidnapping and also helps her hide from her parents for the night. Penelope hopes that the appearance of a kidnapping with help call off the betrothal. With all their hiding and running around town through the night, Penelope and Hugh very quickly develop camaraderie, friendship, and affection. Despite their differences in social station, Penelope just wants to be happy and useful, and Hugh has friends in high places to assist him when needed.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Love and Other Scandals by Caroline Linden (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Scandalous series. Joan is the plump and tall daughter of a baronet who is practically a spinster and has an overbearing mother. While she is delivering a message to her brother to attend an upcoming ball, she encounters her brother’s friend Tristan staying at her brother’s lodgings. Although Tristan does not typically attend society events, he’s intrigued and irritated by Joan so he seeks her out at the next ball. This ball ends up being pretty eventful for Joan and Tristan, as he scandalizes her with his behavior, insults her, but also dances with her and kisses her. It’s an amusing mix of actions here that leave Joan and Tristan totally confused about how they feel about each other. Joan’s mother disapproves of Tristan due to his scandalous reputation, and extracts Joan’s promise to avoid him in the future. However, as Joan’s parents and brother need to leave town soon after that, Joan’s brother asks Tristan to look after Joan and visit her. There’s a slow build up of real feelings between Tristan and Joan here, both getting over their initial reaction to the other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Plaid to the Bone by Caroline Lee (2021)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 1 of the Bad in Plaid series. We’re onto a new generation of the Oliphant family with a laird who has six daughters, no sons, and a scheme to declare the next laird. The first daughter to marry and birth a son will have her husband become the next laird. Leanna is the youngest of the sisters and has no intention of marrying (unless she finds love and desire with the man she’s to marry) and has a chance meeting at the waterfall with a stranger. That stranger, Kenneth, is one of the King’s Hunters who is searching for his missing colleague and suspicious of the Oliphants. He soon realizes that the Oliphant clan doesn’t have anything to do with the missing man, and pretty quickly falls in love with Leanna. There’s about a 20 year age gap between these two, but that’s barely apparent here because Leanna is brash and bold in going after what she wants.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Not Half Plaid by Caroline Lee (2021)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 2 of the Bad in Plaid series. The shy and quiet Fenella serves as the cook of the castle, preferring to stay in the kitchens than venture outside her domain. Brodie is a warrior who is recovering from injury, learning to walk again on his shattered knee, and spending too much time in the kitchens. He volunteers too much advice about cooking for Fenella’s liking, even though they’re both shyly attracted to each other. Somehow, they end up in a cooking competition with each other, with judges and everything. This one is mostly a humorous story, with Brodie learning to find a new purpose in life and Fenella learning to share her space with another person.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Ye Give Love A Plaid Name by Caroline Lee (2022)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 3 of the Bad in Plaid series. Wynda is the intellectual of the group, with massive book knowledge and the ability to invent a leg brace. She also communes with the ghosts of the castle, including one ghost who shares all sorts of positions for couples to find passion and pleasure and is writing a book to collate all this advice. This lady ghost strongly encourages Wynda to pursue her own pleasure and test out the positions from the book with Pherson, the clan’s falconer. Pherson is pretty much the sweetest single father you’ll ever read, caring for his young daughter who speaks little and has a disfigured foot. It turns out that Pherson found the abandoned baby in a field and he decided to keep and care for her. Wynda grows closer to the girl, as she assists in creating a walking brace and in teaching the girl to read. Although Pherson is keeping secrets about his past and does not feel worthy of Wynda’s attentions, it’s clear they’re both attracted to each other.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Don’t Give A Damn About My Plaid Reputation by Caroline Lee (2022)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 4 of the Bad in Plaid series. Robena has fallen in love with castle visitor Kester, but it turns out he’s already engaged to the daughter from a rival clan to stop a feud. Since Kester and his men are set to travel to the Highland Games to deliver a message and to meet his betrothed, Robena decides to tag along disguised as a lad so that she can compete in the bagpiping competition. Kester knows it’s Robena immediately and is completely appalled that no one else recognizes her. They both know that Kester is to marry someone else, but they decide to make the most of their time together anyway.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

A Plaid Case of Loving Ye by Caroline Lee (2022)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 5 of the Bad in Plaid series. Healer Nicola needs to get away from her hypochondriac mother, so she decides to visit the convent and assist healing the nuns there. While there, an injured Ramsay does not remember who he is or how he was injured, but Nicola knows exactly who he is (and that he might believe her family to be an enemy). They grow closer together as Nicola attempts to save a dying woman and Ramsay cares for that woman’s baby. We get to see Ramsay be an excellent caregiver of the baby and struggle to remember if he has his own kids (don’t worry, he doesn’t). As Ramsay’s memory comes back, Nicola fears her time with him is limited, but they easily work out that misunderstanding.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

He Kens if Ye’ve Been Plaid or Good by Caroline Lee (2022)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 6 of the Bad in Plaid series. Evander is one the King’s Hunters and his next mission is to arrest a woman accused of stealing cows from another clan. He approaches the castle as a lost wanderer, hoping to gain more information before making the arrest. Lady Ysabel leads a small and impoverished clan, victims of the neighboring laird’s rumors and theft. When Evander is found nearly frozen at her doorstep, she takes him in despite the meager offerings of her castle. He sees the kindness that she shows to her people and how little they have, so he helps out by bringing firewood and hunting food. Evander and Ysabel very quickly fall in love and Evander sees that she’s not guilty of the crimes she’s accused of. This one was the super quick holiday novella of the series, with an introduction of Evander’s Hunter friends.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Plaid Attitude by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 7 of the Bad in Plaid series. The last book of this series settles the question of who becomes the next laird of the clan. Eldest daughter Coira has been running things for the clan for the past several years and is resentful that her father has made this decree about marriage and birthing a son. She has not been ladylike or interested in becoming anyone’s wife, despite being attracted to the clan commander, Doughall. He’s also attracted to Coira, but believes that she’s uninterested in marriage (and him). With the stress of planning a big Easter feast, plus her father’s ill health, Coira ends up enjoying Doughall’s comfort and support. He’s clearly smitten with her and waiting for her to accept him into her life. Doughall is also the single father of a teenage daughter who could benefit from guidance from Coira. We get to see all the couples from previous books again in this book and discover who will be the next laird.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Kilty as Sin by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 1 of the Kilty Pleasures series. Barclay’s next mission from the King is to track down a lady who has run away, and bring her back to her father so she can marry the neighboring laird. He finds and rescues Grace from a gang of men who captured her outside the convent where she was hiding, and then proceeds to bring her home. Grace is adamant that she not marry the man she’s engaged to, since that man is cruel and monstrous. Although Barclay is desperately attracted to Grace, he attempts to fulfill his duty to the King and remain honorable. We get to see how Barclay’s past ties into Grace’s future when he finally decides to rescue her from her betrothal. We get the reappearance of the nuns from the previous series, which is always fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Harry Potter Fanfic: Binding Darkness by enigma125

Severus/Hermione, Multi-chapter, 235k+ words, 6th and 7th year retelling. Hermione gets targeted during a Death Eater raid and is bonded to Severus with a lust-inducing curse. Dumbledore’s solution to their problem is to bond them further in marriage. While the steam starts early in this fic (with the lust curse and all), the romance is believably slow-burn as they start to form a friendship and partnership. A lot of the plot regarding the war against Voldemort is the same as the books, so we get to mostly focus on the romance here and how their relationship builds over time.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Her Princess at Midnight by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Regency Fairy Tales series. Cinderella-retelling, where our dear Cynthia is enthralled by the Prince’s sister Ammalia. We get Ammalia serving as both fairy godmother and love interest, when she comes to see Cynthia before the ball to bring her a gown and slippers. Even though Cynthia has captured the Prince’s interest, she runs away from him because she’s not into him at all. Quick read and lots of fun.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

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

His Mistress, His Muse, and Other Madness by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Art of Love series. The youngest son of a marquess is completely cynical of those who lead an artistic lifestyle, since he has seen the financial destruction such patronage has caused his own family. As one of the remaining loose ends of his father’s will, Theo has been finding new patrons for artists that his father supported, so that the family will finally be released from this financial burden. When he meets Cordelia, he is resentful of lush accommodations since his own siblings had to work hard and go without. He’s even more irritated to learn that she doesn’t have any artistic talent whatsoever and has no idea why she was supported at all. Cordelia fell into lonely circumstances after her father died and her fiance abandoned her, so she is grateful to the old marquess for saving her. In trying to become independent now that she’s at risk of being kicked out of her home, she aims to open an art school, but needs donations to run it. Theo and Cordelia agree to work together in attending an artistic house party so that he can collect gossip for his satirical cartoons and so that she can try to solicit donations for her school. Although Theo and Cordelia have had an antagonistic relationship so far, they need to pose as lovers to attend the party, and all their physical desires bubble up during the course of the party. We get to see these two open up to each other about their past hurts and work together in creating artwork.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

Yule Be My Duke by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Prequel novella to the Matchmaking Chronicles series. Cecilia and John dislike each other because of some mishaps that happened five years ago while they were young and immature. Now they’re at a house party where their parents are trying to set them up together. Both insist that the other will not suit, but they end up stranded together in a snowstorm. With the forced proximity, they talk out their issues and anger at each other, discovering that they can get along and that they’re attracted to each other. It’s a pretty quick turnaround there from hate to love, but still fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon (2023)

Fantasy Romance. Book 1 of the Hurricane Wars series. Talasyn and Alaric fight on opposite sides of a war, each wielding a different powerful form of magic. While they haven’t yet killed each other, the yearning is there. Amidst one of their skirmishes in territory where they’re both trespassing, Talasyn learns that she might be the long lost heir, living as an orphan after being sent away during a civil war. She ignores this newfound connection and returns to her comrades at the height of war. After Alaric’s side wins the war and Talasyn is forced to retreat, she begs for sanctuary inside her homeland. In exchange, Talasyn must take her rightful place as heir and learning politics and diplomacy at her grandmother’s side. Months later, Alaric is trying to gain control of this territory and a political marriage to the heir is proposed. He has no idea that the heir in question is Talasyn, and he is both shocked and pleased to find her alive and his betrothed. We spend the rest of the book in marital and diplomatic negotiations in preparation for the wedding and alliance, with lots of angry banter and fighting. Both of these characters are insecure due to their respective upbringings and are completely unable to trust each other due to being on opposites sides of the battlefield. With them truly being enemies, glimmers of attraction and tenderness between them are all the more meaningful.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Voyager via NetGalley.

Who Needs a Duke by Amanda Mariel (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Fated for a Rogue series. Catherine is the sister of a duke who does not want to marry because she likes her independence and wants to continue her charity work with orphans. She believes that she needs to do this secretly and any future husband of hers would forbid her from continuing. Charles is tired of the title-hungry mothers and debutantes and would like to avoid being targeted for matrimony this season; when he hears that his friend’s sister would also like to avoid marriage, he develops a plan that will hopefully satisfy them both. Catherine and Charles then spend the rest of the season in a fake courtship, then fake engagement, and with all the time they’re spending together, they actually fall in love. Loved this low-angst read.

Advance ebook provided by Amanda Mariel via BookSprout.

The Earl Was Wrong by Britt Belle (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Greydon series. Sebastian is trying his best to be the stuffiest earl in town, since his debaucherous parents were embarrassing and his father was incapable of being financially responsible. When he finds that his younger sister is skirting ruin, his friend advises that he take a wife. Sebastian asks his aunt for a recommendation and she points out Emmaline, the sister of a viscount who appears to be practical and responsible. Emmaline is surprised to find the handsome earl asking her to dance and then asking to court her, but she believes that he would be her only chance at marriage and children and agrees to marry him. While Emmaline tries her best to be a good wife and member of her new family, Sebastian is cold and distant. He has an underlying fear of love and passion, believing that he will turn into his flighty and irresponsible father if he gives into such emotions. Basically, Emmaline is awesome throughout this book and Sebastian is the one who needs to grow and realize the woman and family he has in front of him. This was an entertaining debut from Britt Belle and I’m looking forward to reading more about the Greydons.

Advance ebook provided by Britt Belle.

Dreaming of a Duke Like You by Sara Bennett (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Romancing the Dukes series. Vivienne is the sister of a young baronet who has gotten himself into a load of gambling debt after the bad influence of his friends. She tries to appeal to the gambling hell owner Gabriel for a reprieve, since they’re really very poor and unable to pay the debts. He’s a shrewd businessman and refuses, leaving her to worry over her brother’s financial situation. Gabriel soon learns that he is actually the legitimate son and heir to a duke, despite being abandoned at an orphanage after his mother’s death. He has inherited an impoverished estate, a dragon of a grandmother, and six unruly sisters. He and his sisters all need polishing in order to fit in with London society. Vivienne and her brother are still worrying over their debts to Gabriel with their stepfather’s treachery looming over them, but Gabriel hasn’t had the time to deal with that yet. Eventually, Gabriel comes to an arrangement with Vivienne where he will forgive the debt completely, if she will assist in tutoring his sisters for society. This book had a bit of a slow start as Gabriel and Vivienne deal with their circumstances separately for awhile. Their bargain and proximity to each other doesn’t really begin until halfway through the book. However, once Vivienne starts to see how Gabriel interacts with his many sisters, it’s clear that she’s falling in love with him.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Christmas Notch series. Ex-boy band member turned pizza mogul Kallum is set to star in a sexy Santa movie after gaining notoriety after a sex-tape was leaked. Former child actor and all-around good girl Winnie is in a tough spot following her divorce and an illness that prevented her from starring in last year’s Christmas movie, and is now given the opportunity to rebrand herself by co-starring with Kallum. She’s super hesitant at first, but finally decides to give it a try. Upon her first meeting with Kallum and the movie’s intimacy coordinator, Winnie soon realizes she’s totally in over her head and has no idea how to portray sexual satisfaction on screen (having never experienced it off screen). She’s got plenty of homework to do there, but her super conservative purity-based upbringing is definitely creating a lot of blocks there. Kallum has his own insecurities of being the least sought after boy band member and always being looked at as a hook-up rather than relationship material. He’s totally excited to work with Winnie after having had a crush on her since they were teenagers. With Winnie’s insecurities in the bedroom, she asks Kallum to help her in that department, agreeing that it’s all for the sake of research and her performance in the movie. There’s definitely a lot of steam in this book, as Kallum takes on the role of tutor for Winnie. While the physical attraction between Winnie and Kallum definitely exists, neither of them are sure about their long-term compatibility, being total opposites in personality and in family dynamics. It’s takes a bit of emotional growth for both of them: for Winnie to learn to trust someone and for Kallum to behave a bit more responsibly. A super humorous read with tons of support from our favorite characters from Book 1 of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Devil of Drury Lane by Tracy Sumner (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Scandals and Scoundrels of Drury Lane series. Mercy is the awkward daughter of an earl who would rather draw than comport with society; she’s definitely pining after the youngest son of the duke next door and draws his picture. Many years later, Mercy has become a lady who follows all the rules of society in public while pursuing her art in secret and even taking commissions from Drury Lane. When Damien sees her artwork in a shop window, he spends more time at the theater, trying to track her down. Once these two reconnect, they share a liaison along with their stories. It’s a maddening few days where Mercy gets to indulge in her girlhood fantasies and Damien questions whether fate exists. Quick and steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner.

Training the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 7 of the Suddenly a Duke series. Finola is the daughter of an earl who was orphaned and then neglected by her much older sisters only to be taken in by a lonely baron. In her first Season in London, Finola was publicly humiliated by a viscount who led her to believe he was courting her. After that, she retreated back to the country where she works to train hunting dogs. Many years after that, we meet Cy who has recently left the army after an accident left him blind in one eye. Cy is the younger son of a duke, neglected by his father and older brother. When he returns home, he finds that his father has died and his brother is now the duke. His brother allows Cy to live at the hunting lodge at the edge of the property. One day when Finola is walking her dogs, the dogs discover and befriend Cy and his charge Bertie. Finola’s and the duke’s lands border each other, though Cy does not admit that he is the brother of a duke. We have a quick and easy friendship between Finola and Cy, with Bertie needing the use of Finola’s schoolroom and learning to train dogs with Finola. The romance here builds very naturally and it seems that these two are perfect for each other and will be well-situated at Finola’s home. However, we have Cy’s looming secret and the fact that his brother is quite ill. I enjoyed this book and seeing another woman in an unconventional profession.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

A Duke’s Lesson in Charm by Sophie Barnes (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Callum and Emily have known and avoided each other for years because they keep having physical mishaps and calamities with each other (trodden toes, ruined gowns, falling in water, and even a dress burn). It’s fairly obvious to the reader that Callum is clumsy because he’s nervous around Emily, though she has not seen it that way. One day at the park, Callum’s orphaned ward seems to perk up when coming across Emily’s dog, and Callum arranges for the boy to spend more time with the dog. Callum and Emily talk out their clumsiness and misunderstandings and slowly develop a friendship with each other. It’s nice seeing them interact and form a bit of a family unit around Callum’s ward, and when Emily’s grandmother is ill, she lies about a courtship with Callum to make her happy. We also get to catch up with the couples from the previous two books of the series and see the progress of the romance novel that the three gentlemen friends have written.

Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.

The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Duke Hunt series. A new duke and his housekeeper have gotten off to a rocky start and now seem to have a contentious relationship. Susanna has been the housekeeper at the estate, despite her relatively young age for the role, and is peeved by the arrogance of the new duke. Lucian had lived in poverty with his younger sisters until it was discovered that he was the duke and has a scandalous secret of how he earned the money to support his family. These two don’t trust each other much, but Lucian’s irritation is mostly due to the stress of his new role and the attraction he feels for Susanna. A house party that Lucian hosts sets up more trouble as Susanna is confronted by a man who knew her when she was young. We get to find out Susanna’s secrets and what brought her to work as a maid and then housekeeper all those years ago. The romance between Lucian and Susanna is pretty straightforward once we get past the disgruntled misconceptions they have of each other, and we get to see these two become open and honest with their secrets.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Kilty as Sin by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 1 of the Kilty Pleasures series. Barclay’s next mission from the King is to track down a lady who has run away, and bring her back to her father so she can marry the neighboring laird. He finds and rescues Grace from a gang of men who captured her outside the convent where she was hiding, and then proceeds to bring her home. Grace is adamant that she not marry the man she’s engaged to, since that man is cruel and monstrous. Although Barclay is desperately attracted to Grace, he attempts to fulfill his duty to the King and remain honorable. We get to see how Barclay’s past ties into Grace’s future when he finally decides to rescue her from her betrothal. We get the reappearance of the nuns from the previous series, which is always fun to read.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

The Rake and the Rose by Eva Devon (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Once Upon a Wallflower Series. Many years ago, Alex’s father was a patron of an artist and then withdrew his support when that man behaved badly. This caused the entire family to end up in dire financial condition, including Alex’s childhood friends Harry and Rose. While Alex and Harry were able to continue their friendship as adults, Harry insisted that Alex stay away from Rose completely, as his rakish reputation would harm hers. Present day Rose works as a writer and is way too pious and self-righteous in my opinion. With her history of being let down by her father’s rakish behavior, she seeks to right the wrongs of humanity by exposing the harms of such behavior. When she needs access to a club, she ends up asking Alex for help, who does so with Rose in disguise as his mistress. This book has Rose being the morally uptight person needing to let go and let joy into her life, along with accepting that Alex is not the depraved soul that she thinks he is. Alex is mostly a charming positive sort of fellow who uses his money to support artisans to the best of his ability.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

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Duke Gone Rogue by Christy Carlyle (2021)

Historical romance in Victorian-era England; Book 1 of the Love on Holiday Series. This was the first book I’ve read from this author and I will definitely be reading more! The Duke of Ashmore has distanced himself and his reputation away from his rogue of a father as much as possible, but has gained himself a reputation as a curmudgeon and a bore. Sent away by his sister, he visits one of his properties in Cornwall for a seaside holiday. While there, he meets Maddie, a local nursery owner who works almost as hard as he does and is part of a dozen committees in town. They start to spend more time together and soften each other’s productive edges. Unfortunately, with their social class differences, they both know that they will have duties and responsibilities that will ultimately keep them apart. Unless someone is willing to compromise.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Lady Meets Earl by Christy Carlyle (2022)

Historical romance set in Victorian England. Book 2 of the Love on Holiday series, but it doesn’t seem connect to the first book from what I can tell. Our poor guy James is being threatened by a loan shark after losing all his money from his shipping business; he’s inherited and earldom from his estranged uncle but finds that estate in debt with only one property potentially worth selling. In another part of town, Lady Lucy is living her ever-helpful nearly-spinster life and gets invited to visit her feisty aunt for awhile. While traveling to the estate via train, she bumps into James and they make friendly acquaintance with each other. Unfortunately, they soon find out that they’ve ended up in the same destination: Lucy’s aunt is occupying the house that James needs to sell. While it seems like this could be a major conflict, Lucy is mature about the situation and strives for transparency in communication. It’s delightful reading these two open up to each other and communicate.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Duke Seeks Bride by Christy Carlyle (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Love on Holiday series. Our guy Alex is a new duke with a marriage stipulation in his father’s will, stating that he needs to marry in six months in order to keep his castle in Ireland. His annoyingly meddlesome aunt has tried to matchmake him with a wealthy widowed countess and invited her to the castle for a supposed equestrian charity event. The countess sends her secretary instead, mostly to avoid the matching making. Evie is the ultra-organized secretary who has been working with the countess for the past three years but also secretly pens romance novels in her spare time. When she shows up at the castle, she’s shocked to find that they were expecting the countess, even though a letter should have explained the switch. Alex and Evie have actually met briefly once before in the garden of a ball, but Evie is very much aware of her social status and that a romance between her and a duke is impossible. It’s not actually impossible, since this is a romance novel after all, but it takes some time for each person to realize that they really do want and need each other. This book is a relatively low-angst straightforward romance with a quick resolution to external conflict.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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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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To All the Rakes I’ve Loved Before by Anne Barton (2013)

Historical romance, Regency-era England. Book 1.5 of the Honeycotes series. Novella connected to the Honeycotes, but can be read as standalone. Amelia is the daughter of a tradesperson who hides away at home after a huge embarrassment years ago at a ball. The man she was courting had eloped with someone else, and now is at her home, bringing in tow his injured friend. The friend, Stephen, had shown Amelia kindness in those trying days and now needs some nursing back to health. As a novella, this one was a pretty quick read with a very quick falling in love, but it was fun to read. I adore a cute sickbed romance.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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And the Miss Ran Away with the Rake by Elizabeth Boyle (2013)

Book 2 of the Rhymes with Love series. Daphne answers a newspaper ad for a wife just to complain about how awful it is. Henry responds to Daphne’s letters since they’re argumentative and intriguing. Both are using false names and don’t know that the person they’re writing to is a family enemy. When they make plans to meet, they are confronted with the person that they really should be avoiding. But somehow, it gets turned into these two seemingly run away together.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

A Rake’s Guide To Pleasure by Victoria Dahl (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Somerhart series. Emma is an orphan who is posing as a widowed baroness to gamble her way through London before the Season begins. She’s trying to save up enough money to escape to a seaside cottage and support herself and her maid. With her scandalous gambling, she’s caught the attention of Hart, who is a stern and serious duke with a history of debauched behavior. He insists that she’ll become his mistress, but she is hesitant and shy about it. There’s a lot of chasing each other and bickering in this story, and it seems like Hart is mostly just a distraction from Emma’s real goals. He does sort of ultimately redeem himself, but it’s a long and humbling road for him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Spinster and the Rake by Eva Devon (2021)

Book 1 of the Never a Wallflower series. Georgiana is hiding out in a library during a house party and gets caught there by Edward. Not realizing he’s a duke, they bicker, they kiss, and they get caught. Now they need to get married, but Georgiana has no idea how to be a duchess, so Edward’s family assists with that. I actually don’t know that the guy is a rake necessarily, but this one is a pretty easy, low-angst read.

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Rakes and Radishes by Susanna Ives (2010)

Historical romance, Regency era England. Standalone novel. Henrietta is a fanciful, foolish, and selfish girl. She basically hates the small village that she grew up in and longs for a life in London and a love like she reads in her gothic novels. When she finds out that her not-quite-betrothed is nearly betrothed to the diamond of the Season in London, she recruits her farmer neighbor best friend (the Earl of Kesseley, who is in love with her and was previously rejected) to wash up, dress better, and seduce the girl away from her beloved. Can she get any more cruel? Somehow, they all find their way to London, and there’s a back and forth of Kesseley and Henrietta fighting their feelings and fighting with each other, to the point where Kesseley is fed up and snaps. He goes to fix his clothes and hair as recommended and sets out to rake his way through London. By this point, Henrietta has realized her feelings for Kesseley, but it’s too little, too late, as he’s been heartbroken and now risen up as a terrible person. There’s drama with his mother and her past love going on in the background, plus whatever happened with Henrietta’s first love. I enjoyed the book overall, but I’ve had enough of spoiled overreaching female main characters for awhile.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas (2015)

Book 1 of Ravenels Series. Devon Ravenel has inherited an earldom when his cousin Theo dies after being thrown from a horse. He finds his inherited estate in massive debt, along with three cousins with no dowries and Theo’s widow, Kathleen. Devon and Kathleen clash over what to do about the estate, the tenants, and Theo’s sisters (Helen, Pandora, and Cassandra – who all get their own novels later on). We get to learn about Kathleen and Theo’s previous relationship (he died when they were only married for 3 days), Devon’s history as a rake, his equally indolent brother West, and see the two hot-tempered leads find their way to each other, even though Kathleen is supposed to still be mourning her dead husband.

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Only Rakes Would Dare by Charlie Lane (2022)

Book 5 of the Debutante Dares series. Childhood friends meet again and strike a deal for a fake engagement. Griffin is avoiding passion and emotions at all cost to prevent himself from turning into his rake-ish father and late brother. Edith is licking her wounds after disastrously trying and failing to compromise another lord. She is much too emotional and spirited to suit Griffin, but he feels his ice walls melting around her. And since he’s the only male in her life to treat her with any kindness and respect, she’s at too much risk of falling in unrequited love (again). Being pushed to marry others by their fathers, they strike a bargain for a fake engagement. Until they realize their feelings cannot be ignored. Super sweet book and I love how Griffin comes to Edith’s defense.

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My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Union of the Rakes series. Lady Grace is a bookish researcher interested in reptiles and amphibians, but unfortunately, the gentlemen of the ton are not interested in her as marriageable material. In order to catch the attention of her long-time crush, she recruits her bookish friend Sebastian to play the part of a rake and pay her court. Shy and awkward Sebastian is willing to go along with it to help Grace, but struggles with crowds and strange people. Of course, as these two spend more time together, they realize their feelings run deeper than friendship (but each thinks the other person is only interested in being friends). It’s just a bad case of both being complete cowards and unwilling to communicate what they really want.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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The Rake of Tamarix Hall by Georgina North (2023)

Historical romance. Regency England. Standalone novel. So this one is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers type of romance with an awkward first meeting. Lucius is a new marquess and on his way to his new estate, he stops in town, and already hears gossip about how horrible the old marquess is and how the new one can’t possibly be better. Of course he finds that a pretty young lady Cressida and her sister are the ones gossiping, and they most definitely get off on the wrong foot when the ladies discover who he is. The first half of the book moves pretty slowly with getting to know the family dynamics of each of our characters: Lucius has a reputation as a rake in London, but he seems to care about his tenants at his new estate; Cressida has an abusive father and three sisters who have been neglected and not considered out in society, despite their ages, plus a shady history with the previous heir to the marquessate. These two argue and bicker every time they encounter each other, until finally, they’re caught in a room together and need to marry to save both their reputations. From there, we have more arguments and misunderstandings with tons of emotional angst. Despite the slow start to the book, when you realize Lucius and Cressida are both emotionally invested in the status of their relationship, so are you.

Advance ebook provided by BooksGoSocial via NetGalley.

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Falling for a Rake by Eve Pendle (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Fallen series. We start with a prim and proper lady who hunts for ferns and a rake of a man following her through the woods and trying to flirt with her, even as she politely puts him off. And then they fall down an abandoned mine and get stuck there overnight. Well, now that they’re basically ruined, they need to marry. But both of them have secrets from the past and neither are exactly what they seem. Lady Emily, daughter of a duke, has been engaged before, but her fiancee had died in a hunting accident, so now Emily doesn’t participate in any physically strenuous activities and only hunts ferns and not foxes. But there’s something more to the story there because she keeps having nightmares about her ex-fiancee. The rakish earl Oscar has admitted the worst of himself to Emily: that he has dallied with the younger sister of a woman he was courting, got her with child, and refused to marry her. The young lady and their illegitimate daughter now live in the country and he is not part of their lives. But he’s also not exactly the rake that he seems to play in the world; he’s kind and caring of Emily and doesn’t actually take advantage of her when they’re trapped together. This book had a lot of interesting reveals of Emily and Oscar’s pasts, presents, and learning to accept each other for who they are. And there’s a meddlesome anonymous gossip writer adding to the drama.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

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Taming the Rake by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lords in Love series. Gladys the wallflower is at the Marrywell Matchmaking Festival for the fourth time and needs to find a marriage match before her dowry is given to her delightful younger sister. She finds herself kissed in a garden and expected a proposal from the handsome gentleman, but he never shows up, and she was spotted in a disheveled state, so now she’s publicly ruined as well. Her family cuts her off completely and she has to survive on her own. Five years later, she returns to Marrywell to find the man who ruined her and seek revenge. But he’s a lot less rakish than he seemed before and Gladys is at risk of falling in love. I really enjoyed Gladys’ transformation to a confident woman and the development of her relationship with Reuben.

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

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A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone (2023)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Christmas Notch series. Ex-boy band member turned pizza mogul Kallum is set to star in a sexy Santa movie after gaining notoriety after a sex-tape was leaked. Former child actor and all-around good girl Winnie is in a tough spot following her divorce and an illness that prevented her from starring in last year’s Christmas movie, and is now given the opportunity to rebrand herself by co-starring with Kallum. She’s super hesitant at first, but finally decides to give it a try. Upon her first meeting with Kallum and the movie’s intimacy coordinator, Winnie soon realizes she’s totally in over her head and has no idea how to portray sexual satisfaction on screen (having never experienced it off screen). She’s got plenty of homework to do there, but her super conservative purity-based upbringing is definitely creating a lot of blocks there. Kallum has his own insecurities of being the least sought after boy band member and always being looked at as a hook-up rather than relationship material. He’s totally excited to work with Winnie after having had a crush on her since they were teenagers. With Winnie’s insecurities in the bedroom, she asks Kallum to help her in that department, agreeing that it’s all for the sake of research and her performance in the movie. There’s definitely a lot of steam in this book, as Kallum takes on the role of tutor for Winnie. While the physical attraction between Winnie and Kallum definitely exists, neither of them are sure about their long-term compatibility, being total opposites in personality and in family dynamics. It’s takes a bit of emotional growth for both of them: for Winnie to learn to trust someone and for Kallum to behave a bit more responsibly. A super humorous read with tons of support from our favorite characters from Book 1 of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Heiress in Red Silk by Madeline Hunter (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Duke’s Heiresses series. Kevin is distressed and annoyed that his uncle gave partnership of his business to a stranger. When he finally discovers that Rosamund is a milliner in a country town, he sends his cousin-in-law to inform her of her inheritance. At first, Kevin is anxious to meet her so that he can convince her to sign away her decision-making rights to his enterprise, but she’s far savvier than that and wants to have an equal say in anything that happens. Rosamund has her own history of having worked as a maid, then becoming an milliner’s apprentice and ultimately opening her own shop for fine hats. She anticipates that her newfound fortune will help improve her and her sister’s station. Once Kevin realizes that Rosamund is not a total pushover, he tries to befriend her to gain influence instead. Along the way, there’s the meddling of his family, the mystery of his uncle’s death, and Rosamund’s attachment to a former love. I loved seeing Kevin and Rosamund interact with each other and Rosamund demand to have things her way. She’s clever and strong-willed and is delightful to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Duke’s Lesson in Charm by Sophie Barnes (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Gentlemen Authors series. Callum and Emily have known and avoided each other for years because they keep having physical mishaps and calamities with each other (trodden toes, ruined gowns, falling in water, and even a dress burn). It’s fairly obvious to the reader that Callum is clumsy because he’s nervous around Emily, though she has not seen it that way. One day at the park, Callum’s orphaned ward seems to perk up when coming across Emily’s dog, and Callum arranges for the boy to spend more time with the dog. Callum and Emily talk out their clumsiness and misunderstandings and slowly develop a friendship with each other. It’s nice seeing them interact and form a bit of a family unit around Callum’s ward, and when Emily’s grandmother is ill, she lies about a courtship with Callum to make her happy. We also get to catch up with the couples from the previous two books of the series and see the progress of the romance novel that the three gentlemen friends have written.

Advance ebook provided by Sophie Barnes via NetGalley.

The Daring Debutante by Tracy Sumner (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Christmas Belles Anthology and the Duchess Society series. We have the next generation of the Leighton cluster here with Nigel and Arabella. Nigel was a street orphan adopted by Tobias and Hildy and now runs the gambling hell owned by Arabella’s father. These two grew up together as close family friends and now Arabella is all grown up and going after the man she wants, despite his general feelings of unworthiness and the age difference between them. Super quick and steamy novella, where both people get the full support of their families in this relationship.

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner.

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Drop It Like It’s Scot by Caroline Lee (2020)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 5 of the Hots for Scots series. Alistair is too busy running the clan to find a bride. Even though his father has stated that the first son to marry and sire an heir will become the next laird, Alistair is still stuck being a workaholic. The housekeeper’s daughter, Lara, has had a crush on Alistair for ages even though he has never noticed her. She’s determined to assist Alistair in relaxing and finding pleasure and he is very happy to go along with it. It’s your classic oblivious male main character type of story with our gal finally being bold enough to go after what she wants.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Rake and the Rose by Eva Devon (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Once Upon a Wallflower Series. Many years ago, Alex’s father was a patron of an artist and then withdrew his support when that man behaved badly. This caused the entire family to end up in dire financial condition, including Alex’s childhood friends Harry and Rose. While Alex and Harry were able to continue their friendship as adults, Harry insisted that Alex stay away from Rose completely, as his rakish reputation would harm hers. Present day Rose works as a writer and is way too pious and self-righteous in my opinion. With her history of being let down by her father’s rakish behavior, she seeks to right the wrongs of humanity by exposing the harms of such behavior. When she needs access to a club, she ends up asking Alex for help, who does so with Rose in disguise as his mistress. This book has Rose being the morally uptight person needing to let go and let joy into her life, along with accepting that Alex is not the depraved soul that she thinks he is. Alex is mostly a charming positive sort of fellow who uses his money to support artisans to the best of his ability.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

The Heiress Bride by Madeline Hunter (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Duke’s Heiresses series. New duke Nicholas is still adjusting to his inherited status and feeling the stresses of his responsibilities. He’s surprised when he receives a visit from the last of the late duke’s heiresses, Iris. She is a rare book dealer and has come to inquire about a particular rare book that the late duke had said that he would assist her in finding. Iris had only recently learned that the duke had passed away and is completely surprised by her inheritance. Nicholas agrees to assist her in finding this book, but is also suspicious of Iris, so he intends to keep a close eye on her. This one is another book in the series where the two main characters really start on opposite sides of an argument but also can’t seem to stay away from each other. This book was super interesting in terms of Iris’s family history and scandal with her grandfather. We also re-open the investigation into the late duke’s death and wonder if Iris or Nicholas become targets for violence as well. And I also enjoyed the big reveal at the end when we start to dig into the attics.

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Scot to the Touch by Caroline Lee (2020)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 6 of the Hots for Scots series. Kiergan is the charming rake of the clan with no desire to marry or to inherit the lairdship, so he’s shocked to find that his father has arranged for him to marry a lady from another clan. But not to worry, Davina is not interested in marrying him either, so she’s disdainful and rude to Kiergan when she and her family arrive at the castle. However, Katlyn is the sister who catches Kiergan’s attention and affection, even though she believes she’s cursed and destined to not marry. Spending time with Katlyn is enough to cause Kiergan to change his tune on marriage, and support from Katlyn and his father boosts his confidence in his ability to serve a purpose to the clan. We get all sorts of humor and hijinks in the secret passages of the castle here, along with discovering the reason why Davina is so hesitant to marry.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Scot Under the Mistletoe by Caroline Lee (2020)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 7 of the Hots for Scots series. Nessa is tired of her father setting up betrothals to Henrys who keep dying before she even gets a chance to meet them. She’s determined to convince the man she actually loves to stand up for himself and ask her father for her hand. Brohn is the son of the housekeeper and feels that he’s unworthy of marrying Nessa, so he shrinks back and allows her father to continue to arrange her betrothals. Luckily Nessa is super insistent and forces Brohn to realize the depths of her feelings. This was a quick novella with an easy resolution once everyone declares their feelings out loud.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Too Scot to Hold by Caroline Lee (2020)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 8 of the Hots for Scots series. We get the conclusion of the great baby race for the lairdship in this book, with so many of the wives soon to give birth. Davina is back at the castle to assist her sister Katlyn, along with Graham, the man that her grandfather had disapproved of previously. Graham turns out to be a seventh son of the laird and is also a doctor, so having him around for all his sisters-in-law proves to be very useful. We get to see Davina and Graham reunited after a six month long separation (where their letters were intercepted) and they quickly reconnect and try to convince her grandfather to support their marriage. It was fun to catch up with all of the previous couples of the series with the wives in varying stages of pregnancy. And we do ultimately find out which couple bears a son first and will become the next laird.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Some Winter’s Evening by Erin Langston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Related to Forever Your Rogue. We get to see Cora’s barrister brother Gavin find his match in this holiday novella. Gavin is struggling with an ethical dilemma in whether or not to represent some unsavory client in attempts to boost his own chances at a promotion. While he is stressed and mulling this over, he is also on his way to his sister’s house for the holidays and ends up at an inn due to a snowstorm. Emilia is also stuck at the inn overnight on her way to her new governess position and meets Gavin. They share a lighthearted night together with no exchange of last names or contact information. Luckily though, Emilia is on her way to being the governess of Gavin’s very own nephew, so they meet again a couple days later when Gavin shows up at the house. They try to stay away from each other at first since she needs to keep her job and he needs to focus on being an upstanding gentleman, but that doesn’t last long, especially as Gavin’s brother-in-law (the ever-charming Nate) catches onto their obvious feelings for each other. From there, we get to see the uptight and serious Gavin learn to let loose and go with his emotions rather than strict adherence to the logical. His caretaking and worry for Emilia is delightful to read. It was also fun to see the boisterous family dynamics of the house and the affection between Gavin and his sister.

Advance ebook provided by Erin Langston.

The Lady Is Tempted by Cathy Maxwell (2002)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. Deborah and Tony have a happenstance meeting at an inn during a rainstorm and have an instant attraction for each other. They fall into a tryst during their stay, but both have totally separate obligations that keep them apart. Deborah is a country widow who has also been responsible and cared for her younger sisters, while Tony is a somewhat disgraced earl with scandalous parents. Oh, and Tony is also already engaged to a proper young lady to improve his social station. It was interesting to see how these two end up together and work through their respective family issues.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti (2022)

Historical romance novella. Margo is a scandalous young lady known for causing trouble with her twin sister. When her twin has eloped with a much older man, Margo seeks out the calm and steady Henry (her brother’s solicitor friend) to assist in chasing her down. Of course, Henry has been in love with Margo forever, knows it’s a bad idea to be in close proximity to her, and goes with her anyway. Steamy road trip romance that’s a quick read and I highly recommend it.

Ebook provided free by subscribing to the author’s email newsletter.

In Which Matilda Halifax Learns the Value of Restraint by Alexandra Vasti (2023)

Historical romance, Regency England. Book 2 of the Halifax Hellions Series. There’s so much going on in this book that it’s hard to summarize it all in one line. Matilda is a twin and scandalously known as one of the Halifax Hellions; she and her sister Margo have a reputation of behaving outrageously and getting into trouble. However, Matilda has a secret that no one knows about: she draws naughty pictures and sells them to printers who put together erotic pamphlets. Christian finds himself the subject of these naughty drawings and confronts Matilda. He has his own problems with scandal and speculation since he was rumored to have murdered his wife. Matilda is apologetic and wants to make it up to Christian, but he won’t allow it; she finally wears him down and convinces him to let her come to his home to serve a painting tutor for his younger sister and they set off on the road. Matilda leaves a note for her sister that she’s eloped, hoping that she won’t be followed. (We see twin sister Margo’s perspective in the previous book) From there, we have an easygoing road trip, a confrontation with Margo, a rescued cat, arrival at a dusty castle, a reluctant sister, and finally an honest conversation with Christian. This book will keep all the pages turning for you because you want so badly to find out what happens next.

Advance ebook provided by Alexandra Vasti.

In Which Winnie Halifax Is Utterly Ruined by Alexandra Vasti (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Halifax Hellions series. Winnie just wants to rent a cottage and start a sheep farm but isn’t able to secure the lease as a single woman, so she makes up a fake estranged husband by the name of Spencer Halifax to secure her position. Ten years later, Spencer is notified by his solicitor-best friend of the possibility of actually being legally married to a conwoman using his name. He travels to her farm in Wales to find her and to bring her back to London to settle their annulment. Along the way, Spencer and Winnie find themselves attracted to each other and wanting more. However, Winnie is hesitant to overburden Spencer since she has already inconvenienced him with the fake marriage and she is wary of becoming selfish and manipulative like her mother was. Spencer is an all-around nice guy here and hungrily lusts after Winnie. This book is humorous and steamy in all the best ways and we get to hear about Margo and Matilda’s respective exploits from Spencer’s POV. An excellent addition to the Halifax Hellions series!

Advance ebook provided by Alexandra Vasti.

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A Good Debutante’s Guide to Ruin by Sophie Jordan (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Debutante Files series. Stepbrother romance, but make it historical. Rosalie has overstayed her welcome at the girls’ school her mother sent her to, so the headmistress has dumped a 20-year old Rosalie in the care of her ducal stepbrother Declan, who she hasn’t seen in many years. She had idolized and adored him as a child, but knows that he’s the cold and distant rakish duke now. Declan’s plan is to offer a dowry for Rosalie and get her out of his house and hair as soon as possible, especially since he despises her mother. It’s not a very successful plan since Declan and Rosalie are very much attracted to each other, and then happen to run into each other at a scandalous club where Rosalie is in disguise. Loads of scandal and drama, especially when Rosalie’s horrible mother gets involved.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Heiress for All Seasons by Sophie Jordan (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1.5 of the Debutante Files series. Quick, relatively low-angst novella. Violet is an American heiress being shown off around England by her title-seeking mother. She has no intention of marrying anyone in England, since she has a suitor back home, but goes along with her parents until they accept her other suitor. Will is an impoverished earl being set up by his mother to meet Violet, but has no interest in marrying until he actually does meet Violet and is intrigued by her. He spends most of his time trying to pursue her, even though she rebuffs him, and at some point they get stuck in a cabin together during a snowstorm. Easy peasy with fun flirty spice.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All the Ways to Ruin a Rogue by Sophie Jordan (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Debutante Files series. Aurelia has been in love with her brother’s best friend Max since first setting eyes on him at the age of 9. However, at age 15, she witnesses him having a tryst with a maid in the greenhouse, and broken-heartedly draws a caricature of him which accidentally gets discovered and setting him up for humiliation. From that day on, they’ve endured a bickering and spiteful relationship. We are many years later, with Aurelia having been uninterested in the social season or finding a match, until she realizes that she will be a burden on her newly married brother’s household and attempts to find a husband before she and her mother move to Scotland. Max is critical of all of Aurelia’s suitors, even though he has no desire to marry her himself. Max has his own issues stemming from the death of his mother and sister and his father’s subsequent suicide and swears he will never fall in love and set himself up to be in such a vulnerable position. However, all those years of angry bickering has caught up to Max and Aurelia who can’t seem to keep their hands (and mouths) to themselves this year.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

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