Book Reviews | Random Olive

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Book Cover Inspired Nail Polish Colors

May 1, 2023

Sometimes you just see the prettiest romance book covers and the color palettes are super inspired. As a partner of Olive&June nail products, I thought it would be fun to match up their nail polish colors to the book covers that catch my eye. Affiliate links are used throughout this post and if you use the code “OliviaP20” at the Olive&June website, you’ll get 20% off manicure kits there. I hope that you find these match-ups just as fun as I do!

Click to Shop: Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron // Pomodoro // Carrot Juice // Blue Canoe

Click to Shop: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams // CHM // Into the Trees // Prom

Click to Shop: Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune // This Lettuce is Radicchio // CS // Strawberries Are in Season Right Now

Click to Shop: Best Men by Sidney Karger // Carrot Juice // Yes Please // Blue Canoe

Click to Shop: Sugar, Spice, and Can’t Play Nice by Annika Sharma // TLG // Golden Afternoon // Cucumber Sandwich

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.

April 2023 New Releases in Historical Romance Books

Apr 28, 2023

Romancing the Heiress by Darcy Burke (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Lords in Love series. Leah is back in Marrywell for the annual matchmaking festival as a companion to a young debutante in search of a husband. Of course Leah is still enamored with her childhood friend Phineas, who is considering marrying an heiress to save his secretly impoverished estate. This one is a relatively quick read, with somewhat tragic backstories for everyone involved: Leah had an abusive childhood so she was desperate to escape the village of Marrywell; Phineas had a gambling father who left the estate in dire financial condition; and even the young debutante who is not at all who we’re concerned with has an overbearing managing mother. However, the attraction between Leah and Phineas was a delight to read and their shared history made for a stronger connection. And we get to see the couple from Book 1 of the series again for the festival.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

Rogue Awakening by Cara Maxwell (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Wicked Widows’ League series. Sylvia is recently out of mourning for her much older husband of a decade and is ready to join the wicked widows. She’s at a ball looking for a gentleman to take to bed and settles on her younger brother’s best friend, Jasper, who has recently returned to England. Jasper has been in love with Sylvia for years and is hoping that this is the beginning of a courtship and marriage, but Sylvia doesn’t want to give up her freedom. This is a novella-length book that is a pretty quick and steamy read and the conflict does ultimately get wrapped up in short order. I love mixing in shorter reads in between longer more epic angsty ones.

Advance ebook provided by Cara Maxwell via BookSprout.

Shop this book via Amazon

Surrendering to the Duke by Stevie Sparks (2023)

Historical romance. Interwar-era England. Book 1 of the Lords of Desire series. Content warnings galore on this one for violence, post-war substance abuse, and history of sexual assault. We have a duke’s widow, Emmaline, living with her late husband’s family with her young daughter, with a history of abuse at the hand of her uncle who raised her after she was orphaned at the age of 3. Michael, her late husband’s younger brother, and now duke, is back at home after completing his war-related duties after the Great War. His mother suggests that he marries Emmaline to provide her with more children and provide the dukedom with an heir. Of course Michael had been in love with Emmaline since he first saw her, but has had extreme guilt over coveting his brother’s wife. These two embark on a courtship of convenience with the possible goal of marriage, but both have secrets and traumas that may prevent them from living happily ever after. Loads of drama in this book and all the angst. Excellent read!

Advance ebook provided by Stevie Sparks.

Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Matthews (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Somerset Stories series. Take the son of the couple from Book 1 and the daughter of the couple from Book 2, throw them together, and you get Book 3. Kate and Charles have a chance meeting in a London street when Charles rescues a stray dog (much like his mother) and Kate finds herself completely enthralled and ready to pursue him. Kate is uninterested in any of the other gentlemen she’s met this year and Charles is newly returned from serving in the Navy. The romance here is pretty straightforward and we get to revisit the families we loved from the previous books. Plus, there’s a nice setup for Book 4, which comes out later this year.

Advance ebook provided by Perfectly Proper Press via NetGalley.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Regency Vows series. Viscount Penvale (older brother to Diana, from Book 2) finally has the opportunity to purchase his family’s estate back from his uncle, but he needs to marry his uncle’s ward, Jane, as part of the deal. Jane is socially awkward and kind of sharp, so Penvale’s group of happily married friends are all skeptical of the union. After the arranged marriage takes place and Penvale and Jane are back at the estate, she starts to enact her plan of haunting the castle to drive Penvale away. Jane thinks that he’ll just go back to his life in London, leaving her alone in the seaside as she desires. This one is definitely a slow-burn towards friendship and then love, with lots of humor as Penvale figures out pretty quickly that Jane is the culprit of the haunting. And we get to see everyone back together for a house party towards the end of the book. Since I read an advanced copy of this book, there wasn’t a sneak peak of the next book that the author is working on. I’m hoping that we will finally get the romance between Sophie and West (the older brother of James from Book 1), which has been strongly hinted at through the course of four books. I was absolutely delighted by all four books in this series and looking forward to reading anything that Martha Waters writes in the future!

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

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

A Beginner’s Guide to Scandal by Alivia Fleur (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series. Childhood friends and neighbors Iris and Hamish are separated when Hamish suddenly becomes the heir to an earldom, losing his mother and older brother in a carriage accident. When Hamish returns to town twelve years later, he’s been instructed by his father to find a suitable wife, but he plans to thwart his father’s plans and create a scandal instead. Meanwhile, Iris has been assisting with her father’s merchant company, traveling the world, and learning the business for the past decade. However, her father’s mental state has been declining for many years and Iris has been keeping it secret. As Hamish and Iris reunite, they have to deal with her heartbreak after he left, their differences in social station, and her need to stay proper so that the board of directors will approve of her joining the leadership of her father’s company. It’s a huge mess competing interests and Hamish is mostly an idiot throughout the book. I did enjoy reading about all of the quirky neighbors on the street and am looking forward to reading more from this series.

Advance ebook provided by Alivia Fleur via NetGalley.

Two Scandals and a Scot by Tracy Sumner (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Duchess Society series. Theo runs away from her pre-wedding ball when her fiancee’s pregnant mistress shows up. Of course, she gets into the carriage of Dash, the friend she helped learn to read and write so that he could publish his book of gambling cheats. When he realizes that she’s run away from her duke of a brother-in-law’s house, he chases after her. Of course they cause an even bigger scandal when they’re at an inn on the road and pretty much forced to marry when Theo’s family catches up to them. Since the two are friends who are very much attracted to each other, Theo proposes that they stay friends with their own independence, not to fall prey to the obsessive love that surrounds the other couples in their social sphere (basically all the other couples from past books of the series). Bargain made, they go onto marry and settle into their new life a bit, trying so very hard not to involve their emotions. Which goes exactly how you’d expect it to go if you’re a frequent romance reader. I really enjoyed this book and learning more about Dash’s background, how he basically worships Theo, and her strength and stubbornness that most people underestimate. Another great addition to the series!

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner and Wolf Publishing via NetGalley.

Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Lords in Love series. Titus is the grumpiest earl you ever did meet, eschewing all social niceties and events. He’s tasked by his godmother to take on a twenty-year old ward and comes to the Marrywell festival to meet her. But before he can do that, he’s kissed a stranger behind the potted plants at the assembly, and is aghast to realize that he’s kissed his ward Matilda. She’s out of mourning from her parents, nearly reaching her majority and inheritance, and wants to socialize and make friends with people. This one is very much a grumpy-sunshine story, with tragic backstories for both Titus and Matilda, but they differ greatly in how they’ve moved from their respective tragedies. Another fun and quick read from this series!

Advance ebook provided by Erica Ridley via NetGalley.

The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Lover by Cassandra Morann (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. The author has said that this will be Book 1 of a series involving the Marston family, but no official series title is available right now. We start at a ball at the Viscount Marston’s London home, where Samira is a young woman crashing a ball to steal loose cash and trinkets from the lord’s study. Rowan, the viscount, dislikes balls and soirees but is captivated by Samira’s appearance, so he follows her to his own study. After stealing a kiss from her, he calls her out on her thievery and lets her go. The next day, Rowan calls upon Samira at her home to ask for her assistance in stealing incriminating letters away from a slimy earl. Since Samira has her own grudge against that earl, she agrees. The story continually deals with Rowan and Samira’s attraction for each other, his need to uphold his duties, and her insistence to never become a man’s mistress. Both characters need to open themselves to trust each other and their intentions, and they’re both terribly stubborn. I especially liked learning about Samira’s backstory and how she grew to be so skeptical of the men of society. It’s interesting to see the family dynamics of their respective families and how the stage is set for future books in the series.

Advance ebook provided by Cassandra Morann.

The Lady Knows Best by Susanna Craig (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Goode’s Guide to Misconduct series. Daphne stumbles onto a meeting of the anonymous writers of a forward-thinking women’s magazine and somehow gets assigned the task of writing a reply to a young lady asking what to do after catching her arranged fiancee with another woman. Miles, a terribly rakish viscount, ends up the victim of the advice column when his fiancee calls off the engagement. He realizes that Daphne is the anonymous authoress and blackmails her into finding him a suitable replacement or else he’ll expose her writing. Meanwhile, her mentor at the magazine encourages her to write an essay about troublesome rakes and use the attentions of the viscount as research. Daphne offers herself up for marriage, mostly to gather research about Miles until he calls it off, but also because she’s attracted to him anyway. Over the course of the book, we find that Miles is more than what he seems and we’re just waiting for Daphne to realize it too. It’s a fun set up for a series and also a nice callback to Daphne’s older siblings who are the main characters of some of Craig’s previous books.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

How Not to Marry a Duke by Tina Gabrielle (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Daring Ladies series. We follow the duke friend from Book 1 here about a year after that book ends into the country where he is working on his inventions. The Duke of Warwick (known to his sweet godmother as Daniel) is not your typical duke: he’s socially inept and awkward and focuses mostly on his passion for science and technology. While hiding in the country to escape the bustle of town and the matchmaking efforts of his godmother, he meets his new neighbor Adeline, who has her own problems. Adeline is the banished half-sister of an earl who is in the country to work as the village healer; however, her brother has tried to arrange her marriage to a moneylender to pay off his debts. When Warwick overhears the argument between Adeline and her brother, he steps in and says that she cannot marry another because they are courting. We start a fake courtship here so that Warwick can avoid his godmother’s pressure to marry and so that Adeline can avoid her brother’s arranged betrothal. Both characters are pre-occupied with their own individual goals and not looking to marry, especially not to each other. Of course, as they spend more time with each other, they learn to appreciate each other’s strengths, even if typically dismissed by society. I especially loved how Warwick was supportive of Adeline’s work as a healer. The romance built up slowly in this book, but the respect they had for each other was a strong foundation for their partnership.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction by Eva Leigh (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Last Chance Scoundrels series. It’s been nearly a year since Dom abandoned Willa at the altar, and his friends and her brothers Kieran and Finn have conspired to bring them both the same isolated island house party in Scotland. Dom and Willa have to finally talk out their issues if they have any hope of moving on. We quickly see that while they were courting and engaged, each were playing a bit of a role and enjoyed the shock value of the other person’s status, rather than the person they truly were. From dockworker to wealthy son of a shipping magnate, Dom has been considered an outsider to the aristocracy. Willa, daughter of an earl, has been brash and outrageous, and delighted in shocking the ton with her brutish suitor. Likewise, Dom viewed Willa as an unattainable prize, who he first felt proud to court, and then felt guilty that he was so far below her standing… ultimately leading to his abandonment. Now that they’re in the same place again, they start to realize that they treated each other superficially in their courtship and engagement and a marriage at that time would have been unhappy. But the spark and attraction continues to exist between them and now that they’re being more honest with each other, they’re starting to give into those desires, even if they’re not quite willing to risk their hearts yet.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Widow Rules series. The prologue consists of a very charming proposal from Julian to Beth, but things didn’t quite turn out the way they expected. Eight years later, Beth is now one of three widows of a duke’s younger brother, and was not in fact married to the scoundrel at all. In a quest to recover her lost dowry and get away from her older brother’s influence, she seeks out the destitute Julian, now a marquess, for assistance, offering him half the money in payment. We follow with a road trip and second chance romance, though Beth is adamant that she never marry and she knows that her reputation will be detrimental to the honorable Julian’s reputation. Julian however just wants to convince Beth that he’s sorry for walking away all those years ago when her brother denied his proposal and that he’s still in love with her. I mostly empathized with poor Julian there who just can’t catch a break. And of course all of those road trip adventures are a fun read as well.

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

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.

The Somerhart Series by Victoria Dahl / Historical Romance Book Series

Apr 27, 2023

To Tempt A Scotsman by Victoria Dahl (2010)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Somerhart series. Lady Alexandra has been thoroughly ruined and is hiding away at her duke brother’s estate. She was the cause of a duel of honor that left Collin Blackburn’s brother dead and her lover fleeing the country. Collin has come to seek information on her wayward lover to exact revenge for his brother’s death. Of course, when Collin actually meets Alex, he’s stunned to find that she is not exactly as she was rumored to be. There’s a push and pull of attraction between them and multiple somewhat clandestine meetings. We eventually see Collin go from an upstanding and honorable fellow to an insanely jealous beast of a man. (Seemed like a quick turn of personality there) Oh, and Alex’s past lover is trying to swindle her out of money.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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.

One Week As Lovers by Victoria Dahl (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Somerhart series. Lord Lancaster, an impoverished viscount, catches his wealthy fiancee with another man at a ball, but knows he’s stuck marrying her anyways. When he gets a letter that his childhood friend Cynthia has died, he rushes back to his childhood hometown to pay his respects. When he’s there, he finds that she is not dead after all, but faked her death to escape an arranged marriage to a horrible suitor. Lancaster is fighting his own demons from his history of a happy childhood turning to a darker adolescence and also trying to resist his attraction for Cynthia. That doesn’t last long though, as they team up to find some buried treasure in the caves on Lancaster’s land.

Ebook 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:

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.

Weekly Reads: April 17 to 23, 2023

Apr 25, 2023

Super heavy reading week as I’ve started to integrate audiobooks into my routine. With my commute to work and the ten minute walk to pick up my kid from school, I realized that I could make some serious progress on the books I’m reading by using audiobooks. I like to pick up an audiobook where I’ve left off on the ebook to get ahead on the next chapter or so while I’m in situations where audiobooks make sense. That way, I still get to enjoy bits of the story and then I get to jump ahead the next time I’m free to pick up the ebook. With all my different reading apps, I just use bookmarks liberally and try to break off at chapter breaks to remember where I am.

Once Upon a Wedding Night by Sophie Jordan (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Derrings series. Meredith is a widow to an earl and she’s worried that the new earl is coming to take over the estate and kick her and her aunt and father out. She and her aunt come up with a plan to make it seem like she is pregnant with the next air so that she can stay on the estate. Nick is the younger half brother of the previous earl who has been found out his gambling hell and told that he is the new earl. Nick wants nothing to do with being a titled gentleman and wants to pass it on to someone else. He’s somewhat relieved to find that he might not be the next earl after all if Meredith delivers a son. Meredith and Nick are terribly attracted to each other, but he goes back to London to avoid her; when he learns that she has deceived him, he is brutally vindictive and insists that she marry someone else to become someone else’s responsibility. Except that he gets jealous and desires her for himself. Both characters are extremely stubborn and do not want to fall in love at all and both have seen pitfalls of falling in love.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Too Wicked to Tame by Sophie Jordan (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Derrings series. After five unsuccessful seasons, Portia is sent off to the country to make a match with Heath, a bachelor earl. That earl has no interest in marriage whatsoever because he believes that madness runs in his family and he will not subject the next generation to that sort of madness. Even though Portia is not interested in marriage, he thinks that she is trying to trap him and he tries very hard to resist her until one day he can’t. I’m not sure if this counts as enemies to lovers or not, but there’s definitely animosity and him being stubborn and not believing her when she says that she’s not interested in marriage. I did enjoy reading about Heath’s conniving grandmother and seeing her throw these two together as often as possible.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Polishing the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Suddenly a Duke series. An old duke reveals a deathbed secret that his first love and their child is not actually a bastard and is indeed the next duke and hires the Lady Nalyssa to polish him up for Society after the solicitor informs him of his change in circumstance. Nalyssa has been ruined by her father’s debts and subsequent suicide and has made a business of cleaning up long lost relatives to titles and making them proper gentlemen. She meets Pierce and his mother and sister when he becomes the new duke. While he has held a grudge against his father for many years, he quickly learns that many people will rely on him now that he has the title. Add in a younger half-brother who thought that he was the heir and is suddenly not. Though Nalyssa has no hopes of marrying, she and Pierce are instantly attracted to each other. I liked how well she got along with Pierce’s family and the way that she explains how seemingly frivolous spending leads to employment and income for others. I also enjoyed Pierce’s ability to be both stubborn and logical when faced with his new challenges. Quick and enjoyable read!

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

How to Train Your Baron by Diana Lloyd (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the What Happens in the Ballroom series. A duke’s troublesome youngest daughter Elsinore gets caught in a compromising situation at a ball with Quin, a baron from Scotland. They’re quickly betrothed to marry, but Elsinore is terribly accident prone and causes calamity everywhere she goes and Quin is keeping secrets about the deaths of his parents, his wife, and his child. He’s torn between wanting Elsinore, being irritated with her, and wanting to keep her away from him for her own protection. Elsinore is also at a loss for how to keep Quin in her life and resorts to using a dog training manual for advice. It’s chaos in a book with some awkward mishap after another, and we ultimately find the culprit of all the treachery in Quin’s life. Definitely an entertaining read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

Dancing with the Duke by Suzanna Medeiros (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Prequel novella of the Landing a Lord series. Alex has promised his sister and mother that he would dance with his sister’s friend Charlotte at her first ball. When he sees her for the first time in many years, he finds a beautiful woman in place of the awkward gangly teen who had a crush on him before. He’s surprised that he’s so attracted to her and tries to avoid her after that ball, but as he keeps crossing paths with her, he cannot seem to resist. It’s a quick low-angst story here to introduce his friends, who have longer stories.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Loving the Marquess by Suzanna Medeiros (2013)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Landing a Lord series. Nicholas was the second son of a marquess and now is the marquess after his father and brother both succumbed to an unexplained illness. Nicholas is now showing the same signs of that illness and worries for his health and the possibility of passing on the disease to a future generation. When he stumbles upon Louisa’s cottage, he is nursed back to health after passing out, but he knows that his uncle has wronged her family and feels terrible about it. When his grandmother pressures him to marry, he considers asking Louisa to be his bride. In fortuitous timing for him, Louisa shows up to ask for Nicholas’ assistance after his cousin is forcing her to pay rent that she cannot afford or pay with alternative means. Nicholas proposes a marriage of convenience and offers protection for Louisa and her two younger siblings. However, he is planning for her pregnancy to be sired by someone other than him so that his illness isn’t passed on. Of course, when Louisa finds out about his plan, she’s rightfully upset and these two need to figure out how to be honest about their feelings towards each other. Bonus, we do ultimately solve the mystery of Nicholas’ illness to a happy ending for all.

Ebook purchased via Amazon.

Beguiling the Earl by Suzanna Medeiros (2014)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Landing a Lord series. We pick up a few months after the end of the previous book, with Louisa’s younger sister Catherine being out in Society. She’s had a crush on her brother-in-law’s friend Kerrick ever since they met last Fall and now she has a chance to see him at ball and events. Kerrick is trying to resist his attraction for Catherine due to their age differences and because she’s his friend’s sister-in-law, but that resistance doesn’t last long. He decides he will court her in earnest, but his work as a spy forces him to pay court to another woman to investigate her father. The romance between Catherine and Kerrick is pretty straightforward, with both understanding the need for pretense due to his work. There’s a little bit of uncertainty on both sides since Kerrick is a charming fellow and Catherine has many other gentlemen paying attention to her, but you can see that they’re both serious about each other. It was fun to see the mystery unraveling and the set up for the next book in the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Highlander’s Heart by Jennifer Haymore (2015)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Prequel novella of the Highland Knights series. This book is the older version; a new version has been edited and repackaged as To Love a Scot. Estranged married couple Claire and Rob are reunited amidst the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo. They hadn’t seen each other in a year or so after a family tragedy that caused harsh words between them. Both were stubborn and unable to see the other person’s true feelings underneath the bluster. This was a nice set up for how the soldiers transition to a different set of duties on English soil. It’ll be interesting to see how the story is adapted in its new version.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

One Night With You by Sophie Jordan (2007)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Derrings series. Oppressed widow Jane accidentally sees her childhood friend Seth at a scandalous masked party that her friends dragged her to attend. Seth had previously been in love with Jane’s sister and was humiliated by her family before going away to war; upon his return to the country, he finds that his father and older brother had died, leaving him the earl and responsible for his blind younger sister. Although Seth is interested in a tryst with the masked lady he met one night, he is looking for a respectable wife that can cause no heartbreak to help protect his sister. When meeting Jane again in the daylight, he’s attracted to her but refuses to become entangled with her. It was interesting to see how Jane steps away from her terrible circumstances through the support of her friends. I also liked reading more about Seth’s sister and her secondary romance within the book, even though Seth was a stubborn idiot for most of the book.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Like None Other by Caroline Linden (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone short story. Sweet little story about a widow and a retired naval captain who has struck up a friendship over the garden wall that separates their townhouses. He wants to court her, but doesn’t really know how, and she is afraid of looking too much into his friendliness. Super quick bit of fluff, perfect for reading in between more dramatic books.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon

Surrender to Me by Sophie Jordan (2008)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Derrings series. Lady Astrid’s fugitive of a husband left his family years ago but has been spotted in Scotland under an assumed name and ready to marry an heiress. Astrid feels responsible somehow and hies off to Scotland to confront the man. Along the way, she meets Griffin, who rescues her from highwaymen. For the most part, Astrid is trying to cling to propriety and avoid any physical or emotional entanglement with Griffin. She’s got a tragic backstory of a mother who left her family for an unsuitable man and a father who was rigid and forced her to be proper and unfeeling. Astrid believes that following any emotions will lead to ruin and scandal, so she always does what she is supposed to. Meanwhile Griffin is dealing with his own issues, but his need to protect Astrid becomes his priority. This story has Griffin being the one to pursue a physical relationship with Astrid, despite her protests and comes across as lacking in full consent, reading it now in 2023. It was still an interesting story, especially as we find out more about Griffin’s family and the shady dealings of Astrid’s husband.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Scandalizing the Scoundrel by Charlie Lane (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 9 of the Wicked Widows League series and related to the Cavendish Family series. Freddy is a quiet unassuming widowed viscountess with two young daughters. When she decides that she would like to become a bit more wicked, she decides on having a tryst with the ever-so-handsome horseman, Grant, from her cousin’s circus. Grant has been secretly pining for Freddy for awhile now and has been resisting her since he knows he could easily fall in love. He’s worried about getting too attached since his performing could be dangerous and decrease his lifespan. Meanwhile Freddy has no interest in emotional entanglements or marriage since she does not want her children to suffer through the loss of another father. Both are clear that they don’t want anything more from each other, but it’s obvious that they care for each other a great deal, and their problems could easily be solved by Grant giving him his stuntwork (or at least cutting back). This was a fun addition to the Cavendish stories and it’s always nice to see a seemingly demure lady find joy.

Advance ebook provided by Charlie Lane.

Want more Harry Potter fanfic? Here’s a spreadsheet of my all-time favorites.

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.

Book Cover Inspired Nail Polish Colors

Apr 24, 2023

Sometimes you just see the prettiest romance book covers and the color palettes are super inspired. As a partner of Olive&June nail products, I thought it would be fun to match up their nail polish colors to the book covers that catch my eye. Affiliate links are used throughout this post and if you use the code “OliviaP20” at the Olive&June website, you’ll get 20% off manicure kits there. I hope that you find these match-ups just as fun as I do!

Click to Shop: Happy Place by Emily Henry // Golden Afternoon // Can’t Lose // XOXO

Click to Shop: Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon // You’re a 10 // Into the Trees // Blueberry Smash

Click to Shop: Bear with Me Now by Katie Shepard // XOXO // Golden Afternoon // Green Canteen

Click to Shop: The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Lover by Cassandra Morann // Lipstick Stain // Lemony Lemon // Cucumber Sandwich

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.

The Trap Trilogy by Tracy Anne Warren / Historical Romance Book Series

Apr 20, 2023

The Husband Trap by Tracy Anne Warren (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Trap Trilogy series. This book starts right with the action (which I love). Violet is on her way down the aisle to marry Adrian, except that she’s pretending to be her twin sister Jeannette who wanted to call off the wedding two hours earlier and somehow convinced Violet to take her place. Shy and bespectacled Violet knows that she won’t get another chance like this and takes it because she’s already been in love with Adrian. The rest of the book involves Violet playing the part of a spoiled and bratty Jeannette, while sometimes slipping into her actual good-natured self, and hoping that her husband won’t notice. Of course Adrian can’t believe his good luck that maybe his snobby and shallow bride actually has kindness and depth, so he doesn’t suspect anything at all. But you know that the secret will eventually come to catch up with Violet in the most heartbreaking ways. Such a good book that I dived right into the second one immediately!

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Wife Trap by Tracy Anne Warren (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Trap Trilogy series. Well, after Jeannette is found out for the scandal from Book 1, she’s banished from her home and sent to Ireland to live with her elderly cousins. On the way, she meets a middle-class Irishman, Darragh O’Brien who is brash and boorish. Glad to be rid of him, she’s surprised to see him again at her cousins’ home, where he’s the architect in charge of renovations on the property. So, for most of this book Jeannette is a spoiled and bratty snob with no regard to country life, hard work, or character. She interferes with estate construction on multiple occasions just because she wants to sleep late, like her usual party going London ways and doesn’t realize that her actions can withhold laborers’ ability to get paid. This type of story usually involves some sort of maturation of the spoiled main character, but it was a painfully slow sort of growth here. Add in the part where the plain old architect is actually an earl who works hard to pay off his family debts, Jeannette looks even more selfish and spoiled in comparison.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Wedding Trap by Tracy Anne Warren (2006)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Trap Trilogy series.

Shy and bookish Eliza is about to enter her fourth Season with newfound wealth from her aunt’s inheritance. Her longtime crush Kit, the younger brother of a duke, is recruited to help build her confidence in order to secure a suitable match. Of course, once she’s gotten new hair and clothes, Kit notices how attractive she is and is baffled by his reactions to her. This book was about as predictable as you would expect, but still fun to see Eliza build her confidence (and her backbone) with her successful relaunch into society. Watch out for villainous spiteful cousins and unexpected jealousy (except Kit doesn’t realize it’s jealousy). And we get to interact with the couples from the previous two books of the series.

Ebook 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:

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.

Weekly Reads: April 10 to 16, 2023

Apr 18, 2023

The Lady Knows Best by Susanna Craig (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Goode’s Guide to Misconduct series. Daphne stumbles onto a meeting of the anonymous writers of a forward-thinking women’s magazine and somehow gets assigned the task of writing a reply to a young lady asking what to do after catching her arranged fiancee with another woman. Miles, a terribly rakish viscount, ends up the victim of the advice column when his fiancee calls off the engagement. He realizes that Daphne is the anonymous authoress and blackmails her into finding him a suitable replacement or else he’ll expose her writing. Meanwhile, her mentor at the magazine encourages her to write an essay about troublesome rakes and use the attentions of the viscount as research. Daphne offers herself up for marriage, mostly to gather research about Miles until he calls it off, but also because she’s attracted to him anyway. Over the course of the book, we find that Miles is more than what he seems and we’re just waiting for Daphne to realize it too. It’s a fun set up for a series and also a nice callback to Daphne’s older siblings who are the main characters of some of Craig’s previous books.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.

To Love a Scandalous Duke by Liana De la Rosa (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. Childhood friends who were separated by tragic circumstances (and possible family betrayal) are reunited here. Declan has returned to England after being sent away for the past twelve years following the tragic death of his father; upon his return, he finds that his brother has died and is now the duke. Lady Alethea is the daughter of an earl, Declan’s childhood neighbor and friend, and is instantly drawn to Declan again, despite his hurtful accusations about her father before he left the country. There’s definitely a bit of mystery here between the two families, with Declan’s father being blamed for a huge financial scandal before killing himself, and Declan’s older brother dying under suspicious circumstances. While Declan is trying to uncover the truth, he’s distracted by Alethea’s presence. Alethea is mostly just trying to get by and assert her independence, not believing her own father capable of the misdeeds Declan suspects of him. The romance part of this book was fairly straightforward, and I was mostly captivated by the mystery element and wanting to know the truth of the scandal that happened all those years ago. And with our luck, we got to uncover another juicy secret in the meantime.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Resist a Scandalous Rogue by Liana De la Rosa (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. After the scandal that Alethea uncovers in the previous book, her twin brother Finley is at a bit of a loss of direction. At an earl’s debaucherous house party, he meets a woman in the garden and spends one night with her before she disappears on him. Charlotte is a widow who was left with no money, no family, and no protection. She ended up at an earl’s house party thinking to get a maid’s position, but was dismayed to learn that her cousin has offered her an opportunity to be a courtesan. Although she rejects that role, she ended up in Finley’s bed anyway, and runs off before she’s tempted to become his mistress. A year later, Finley is seeking a position in Parliament and Charlotte has become a schoolteacher at a foundling home, and the two cross paths again. With their social class differences, his secrets, her secrets, and his political aspirations, this match is certainly unwise. We get to see them both slowly bring the other person into their confidence and become emotionally entangled. I enjoyed reading this one too and it was a great follow-up to the first book in the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Widow Rules series. The prologue consists of a very charming proposal from Julian to Beth, but things didn’t quite turn out the way they expected. Eight years later, Beth is now one of three widows of a duke’s younger brother, and was not in fact married to the scoundrel at all. In a quest to recover her lost dowry and get away from her older brother’s influence, she seeks out the destitute Julian, now a marquess, for assistance, offering him half the money in payment. We follow with a road trip and second chance romance, though Beth is adamant that she never marry and she knows that her reputation will be detrimental to the honorable Julian’s reputation. Julian however just wants to convince Beth that he’s sorry for walking away all those years ago when her brother denied his proposal and that he’s still in love with her. I mostly empathized with poor Julian there who just can’t catch a break. And of course all of those road trip adventures are a fun read as well.

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

The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Lover by Cassandra Morann (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. The author has said that this will be Book 1 of a series involving the Marston family, but no official series title is available right now. We start at a ball at the Viscount Marston’s London home, where Samira is a young woman crashing a ball to steal loose cash and trinkets from the lord’s study. Rowan, the viscount, dislikes balls and soirees but is captivated by Samira’s appearance, so he follows her to his own study. After stealing a kiss from her, he calls her out on her thievery and lets her go. The next day, Rowan calls upon Samira at her home to ask for her assistance in stealing incriminating letters away from a slimy earl. Since Samira has her own grudge against that earl, she agrees. The story continually deals with Rowan and Samira’s attraction for each other, his need to uphold his duties, and her insistence to never become a man’s mistress. Both characters need to open themselves to trust each other and their intentions, and they’re both terribly stubborn. I especially liked learning about Samira’s backstory and how she grew to be so skeptical of the men of society. It’s interesting to see the family dynamics of their respective families and how the stage is set for future books in the series.

Advance ebook provided by Cassandra Morann.

To Tame a Scandalous Lady by Liana De la Rosa (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. Lady Flora, daughter of a duke and sister to a marquess with political ambitions, disguises herself as a man to become the assistant trainer at a horse racing operation. While she has set herself up to learn how to run a racing stable, she is surprised to find herself attracted to the marquess who owns the place. Christian aims to rebuild his family’s legacy after a stable fire took the lives of his father and many prized racehorses; after spending all his money to rebuild the stables, he needs this new horse to win in order to recoup the costs. When he finds out his horse trainer is actually a woman, he first wants to dismiss her, but keeps her on after Flora stubbornly defends her actions. They start a dalliance while they aren’t busy with the horses, but the truth of Flora’s identity could leads to scandal for them both if she’s caught. I loved reading about the defiant and competent Flora here and how she doesn’t cower to the men in her life.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Tempt a Scandalous Lord by Liana De la Rosa (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Once Upon a Scandal series. Flora’s older brother Niall is in the race for Prime Minister, but is being maligned in a series of political articles. He’s focused on his work and wants to find the culprit of the articles, but is suddenly distracted when he meets Alicia, the widow of an earl. When she experiences a wardrobe malfunction which may lead to potential ruin, he declares them engaged to save both their reputations. While the two are most definitely attracted to each other, Alicia is keeping secrets from everyone. She’s actually the anonymous writer of the political articles that are meant to provoke thought and incite action from the politicians. With such a big secret hanging over her head, we’re just waiting for the fallout. I liked reading about Niall’s interactions with the orphans from the foundling home he supports and how Alicia softens towards him when she realizes his care for the children. I also liked seeing all the men from the previous books of the series rally around Niall and support him. Excellent ending to an enjoyable series.

Ebook 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:

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.

Book Cover Inspired Nail Polish Colors

Apr 17, 2023

Sometimes you just see the prettiest romance book covers and the color palettes are super inspired. As a partner of Olive&June nail products, I thought it would be fun to match up their nail polish colors to the book covers that catch my eye. Affiliate links are used throughout this post and if you use the code “OliviaP20” at the Olive&June website, you’ll get 20% off manicure kits there. I hope that you find these match-ups just as fun as I do!

Click to Shop: Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall // OBVI // CNH // You’re Invited

Click to Shop: The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur // Nuance // Prom // OJPAS

Click to Shop: Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat by Sonya Lalli // This Lettuce is Radicchio // Yes Please // SD

Click to Shop: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton // Touchdown // Lavender Stems // Honest & True

Click to Shop: The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton // Geometry // Art Class // Make a Res

Click to Shop: The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton // JLR // Social Studies // Grape Soda

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