Anne Gracie is a historical romance author who I find to be pretty middle of the road on the steam scale and pretty low on the angst and drama side. If you want a comfort read that doesn’t rile you up too much, but gives you all the happy relationship feels, you should read her books. The Chance Sisters series is one of found family: an older sister finds out her younger sister has been kidnapped into a brothel, so she goes to rescue her along with two other young women who are there. The four of them decide to stick together, thinking they’d have a better chance at survival that way. One night, the eldest sister breaks into the seemingly vacant house next door, but instead of finding jewels, she finds a neglected and abused old lady. The old lady ends up adopting all four women as nieces and so our romances begin…

1. The Autumn Bride (2013)

When the old lady’s actual nephew comes home, he wonders who all these swindling women are and what they’re doing to his aunt. We have an antagonistic relationship to start with the eldest sister, but they slowly realize that they both truly care for the elderly aunt.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

2. The Winter Bride (2014)

Fake-dating turned into true affection and defense against toxic family members. Oh, and our hero in this one has my favorite interpretation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

3. The Spring Bride (2015)

This one might have been my favorite of the series, with a meet cute, a mangy dog, and an unexpected love. When Jane thinks she wants steady and reliable, she meets a man who’s adventurous and dashing. And then when she realizes he’s in trouble, she figures out a way to save the day.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

4. The Summer Bride (2016)

Great conclusion to the series with a friends-to-lovers romance. Our gal Daisy just wants a dalliance and has no interest in marriage, while her lover Flynn is looking for a wife. Loved how this series wrapped up with all of our girls in love and gifted with their newfound family.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Christmas Bride (2020)

This holiday novella seems to take place between The Winter Bride and The Spring Bride but doesn’t really give away too many spoilers. Quick little read with a robbery, sick bed, and forced marriage after being compromised. I enjoyed this extra glimpse of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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I’ve talked before how I’m primarily a reader of ebooks, but I do receive copies of physical books from publishers or from giveaways. In order to keep my collection to a minimum, I resell the used books. Here are the platforms I’ve used before plus some tips for shipping supplies.

Photography Process

When I’m photographing books to sell, I try to make sure I’m in a well-lit environment and capture the book as clearly as possible. I will also try to photograph any flaws or signs of the condition of the book (such as dents, cracked spines, torn pages, etc). I’ll use a plain white poster board background in front of a window to set the book on top of and a piece of white foam board to help bounce light. After taking the photos with my iPhone, I’ll use an editing app to brighten the pictures or increase the saturation. This helps make the photos stand out in whatever selling platform I’m using.

Selling Platforms

Since I’m selling books that I’ve received at low or no cost, I have not been overly concerned with profitability. My main goal has just been to get the physical items out of my house and any minimal profit I get is acceptable.

Depop

It’s pretty easy to set up a Depop shop and sell whatever it is you want. There’s a category for books and the seller needs to input all of the title and description information by hand. You are able to duplicate listings, so you can carry over the category information from one product to another. You set your own prices and the shipping fees you want to collect. Shipping labels are not integrated onto this platform and you need to use a separate service to deal with your shipping. Before I realized I could be using Media Mail rates, I would purchase first class or priority mail labels with PirateShip. However, I’ve since learned that I can purchase Media Mail shipping online through PayPal with ShipStation. The listing, selling, and shipping process with Depop is fine, but I haven’t sold that many books on Depop and all of the book information is tedious to enter, especially when other platforms will import this information from a database.

Ebay

Ebay is pretty much your classic auction website for used items. For listing books, you’re able to search for a similar product and the database will import the book-specific information (such as title, author, and summary). There are sections that the seller fills in like the shipping weight and the selling price. You can also customize how the shipping charges are set. Since the traditional format is an auction sale, if a book gets bid on, the seller waits until the auction is over before collecting payment and shipping the item. The website generates a shipping label with USPS Media Mail that can be printed out and used to ship the item. With auctions lasting a limited number of time, unsold items need to be re-listed in order to sell at a later time. I was able to sell a few books though Ebay, but the relisting process for unsold inventory got to be annoying and tedious.

Mercari

I have tried to list a couple of books on Mercari but found the platform to be clunky for listing books. I couldn’t seem to find a feature that let me duplicate a listing (thereby carrying over the category and description) so it was tedious to enter all of the information for each product. I didn’t ultimately make any sales with the few books I listed here, so I did not continue to list books.

PangoBooks

Of all the selling platforms, I have found PangoBooks to be the easiest to use and the one that consistently brings me the most sales. With the quantity of books I have available there, I usually sell about 5 to 7 books per week. The way to use it is to download the app onto your smartphone, register for an account, and start uploading photos of books. I will usually photograph the books, then edit them, and then start the listing. The app integrates a barcode scanning step that will import all the essential book information: title, author, summary, format, weight, etc. You just need to review everything and then set the price. After the book is listed and someone purchases it, you’ll get a notification and an automatically generated shipping label. The buyer pays the shipping fee (unless you have set up free shipping) and the package will ship via USPS Media Mail. As far as fees go, PangoBooks seems to take around 20% of the sale price and then there are no fees for bank deposits (though it will take 4 to 5 business days). The money is made available a few days after the book is tracked as being delivered to the buyer. Overall, this platform has brought me the most consistent sales and ease of shipping and payment.

Shipping Supplies

Label Printing

I usually print my shipping labels on 4×6 inch thermal label paper using my Munbyn thermal printer. Before I purchased a dedicated label printer, I would print with a black and white laser printer onto half-sheet label paper. If you don’t want to purchase label paper, you can print the shipping labels onto plain white paper and use clear packing tape to secure it to your packages.

Packaging Materials

For packing and sending out books, it’s important to protect the books from being bent or dented. I recommend using bubble mailers as a quick and easy way to protect your items. I have also used these heavy duty rigid mailers (which I was gifted by the company to try out) but they’re not as cost-effective as the bubble mailers.

I also like to throw in a thank you card, business card, and bonus bookmarks whenever people purchase my books. This makes for a fun surprise for buyers and they’ve left positive feedback on it.

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It was a mostly historical romance week and light on the fanfics. I’ve been working on my new YouTube channel that just launched this week, so didn’t spend as much time reading. I couldn’t pick a favorite of the week! The three historicals I finished were all great!

Blood Moon by Jillian Graves (2022)

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, novella in the Romancing His Stone Universe. Our witch Hazel has had a stressful week, with a new bar opening across the street from her and poaching her customers. She’s at a party looking for a one night stand to take her mind off of her work problems. When an attractive vampire named Vlad walks in on her taking a shower, a liaison takes off from there. However, she later finds out that he’s the owner of the rival bar. Really quick read and relatively low-angst once you realize that Vlad isn’t really a malicious competitor (he’s just got a really aggressive investor).

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Shop this book via Amazon

House of the Dragon Fanfic: now I’m covered in you by fkevin073

Sweet story between Jace and Heleana and how they might have stopped the war with their marriage.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 2 of the Merriwell Sisters series. Our second sister, Diana, is the main character here who is known to work at a newspaper as a grammarian. Her family thinks she secretly writes for gossip columns, but she actually secretly does hardcore investigative journalism (which is very dangerous). She warns family-friend Giles of an impending engagement, which he confront his emotionally distant father about. Turns out his father (a duke) is planning to marry in order to secure his succession due to a big secret from the past that renders Giles at risk for not being the true heir. After the duke’s sudden death, Giles has to clean up the estate and uncover the evidence before it can be used against him and he teams up with Diana to do so. Whew. Lots happening here. Plus Diana’s family being obnoxious matchmakers and pushing her to Giles. Enjoyable read, and the secret-hunting has a great payoff.

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

Bridgerton Fanfic: An Urgent Message by TeaBrigadier

Anthony/Kate one-shot. What if Lady Danbury set these two up from the very beginning? Cute and sweet.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

A Perilous Flirtation by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 3 of the Lovelocks of London series. The youngest Lovelock, Arabella has been in love with Dr. Alasdair Andrews since she first laid eyes on him by chance. However, the good doctor has not come to call, so after some time passes, she finds herself enjoying the attentions of another man. That man has ruined her reputation, turned out to be married, and left her to scandal. Arabella runs off to Scotland, where she hasn’t been seen by her family in two years. Meanwhile, Alasdair has been pining for Arabella the whole time and unable to believe he deserves her, so he never makes a move. When he finally asks Arabella’s sister where she is, he finds out about her scandal and disappearance. Circumstances bring Alasdair to Scotland and Arabella’s sister asks him to find her an bring her home. We then embark on a flirtatious road trip, snow storm, fake marriage, and a run-in with the ruiner from the past. This book was great with the delicious pining, the road trip hijinks, and you almost even felt sorry for the scandal-maker towards the end.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited. Advance ebook also provided by Felicity Niven.

Some Dukes Have All the Luck by Christina Britton (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England; Book 1 of the Synneful Spinsters series. Odd-girl Bronwyn aspires to be a published entomologist, much to the dismay of her social-climbing parents. They push her to marry a titled gentleman and are even more abrasive after a past heartbreak and a recently lost chance at courtship by a duke. Meanwhile, Ash is trying to recover his runaway wards and shield them from his own dukedom’s cruel reputation. They literally bump into each other in the street, and unexpectedly meet again at his manor when she visits his playful and inquisitive wards. Ash gets the bright idea to marry a woman who will care for the wards and proposes to Bronwyn. We have a delightful marriage of convenience, where they do participate in the marriage bed, and a supportive friendship between the two. Loved seeing these two slowly learn to trust each other, but they’re both still hanging on the past hurts and betrayals. I love how quick Ash is to defend Bronwyn’s intelligence. Basically, any support of a partners’s aspirations as an A+ in my book.

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

One Scandalous Season: Four Holiday Novellas by Grace Burrowes, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jennifer Haymore, and Christina Britton (2021)

Historical romance anthology of four novellas. I love reading quick and easy novellas in between other novels. I find them to be relatively short reads with pretty low-drama and low-angst. Since I had just finished reading a book by Christina Britton, I picked the one novella by the same author from this anthology to read next. It was a light-hearted, reconnected childhood friends story and took me less than 2 hours to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon

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:

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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

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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.

A former teacher at a ladies’ finishing school throws a house party and invites her unmarried students. Each book is novella length and a quick and easy read. I like how they all tie together and in a very short timeline. I recommend reading these in order. Entire series available on Kindle Unlimited.

The Matchmaker and the Marquess Scarlett Scott (2021)

Lady matchmaker is happy to stay unmarried and match up other couples instead. She gets caught in a compromising situation with a rake and they feign an engagement.

Print length: 129 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Angel and the Aristocrat by Merry Farmer (2021)

Sweet and naive lady has been sheltered for the past few years caring for her sick father. She’s instantly smitten with the marquess who was recently jilted by his former fiance.

Print length: 158 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Scholar and the Scot by Caroline Lee (2021)

Studious bluestocking gal would rather read an archeology journal than socialize. Luckily, she meets a gentleman archeologist at the house party.

Print length: 192 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Venus and the Viscount by Scarlett Scott (2021)

Opposites attract with a scandalous hoyden of a lady and a boring straightlaced viscount.

Print length: not available

Click here to get the book on KU

The Buccaneer and the Bastard by Merry Farmer (2021)

American heiress seeks a business partnership and instead finds a marriage of convenience with one of the other guests’ valet (and illegitimate cousin). All their friends are against the scheme and her father shows up to add to the drama. 

Print length: 156 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

The Doxy and the Duke by Caroline Lee (2021)

Over the course of the house party, single parent strangers meet at a lake with their kids, who become fast friends. The two families meet regularly but never reveal their identities. For some reason, they haven’t formally met even though they’ve both been guests at the same house party, neither realizing that she’s a proper lady and he’s a duke.

Print length: 202 pages

Click here to get the book on KU

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

Useful Resources:

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

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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.

If I’ve finally convinced you to start reading fanfiction, the next logical question is where to get it from.

Archive of Our Own

My favorite resource for fanfiction is Archive of Our Own (AO3). You can browse for fanfics by fandom and then sort and filter for ratings, characters, tags, etc. I’ve found their filtering system to be comprehensive and allow me to select the criteria I’m interested in reading. AO3 also has an extensive tagging system and authors who post there will utilize the tags to inform the reader of various plot devices, tropes, content warnings, etc. The tags are clickable so that you can find more stories using the same tags and/or romantic pairings.

When you’ve found a fanfic you want to read, there are a few options on how to go about reading it. In your web browser, you can read the story in the default setting chapter by chapter, you can click the entire work to read it all in one page, or you can download the story to read offline. Within the download button, there are a couple of choices to make there too depending on your preferred format. For multi-chapter fanfics, I’ll often download the entire work and send it to my Kindle (and it will be available on both the Kindle app on my iPhone and my Kindle Paperwhite e-reader). For short fics, I’ll just read it within the browser of my iPhone.

The video here has a bunch of really great Draco/Hermione fanfic recommendations as well as a tutorial on how to send fanfics to your Kindle.

Fanfiction.net

One of the original websites I started on for reading fanfiction is Fanfiction.net. They organize the website by type of media and then by fandom. When you’re browsing within any particular fandom, you can toggle the type of story you want, characters your interested in, the rating, etc. These days, I rarely read fics from this site because it’s clunky to navigate and there are ads all over the place. People have said that the app-version is much better, but I haven’t tried it. Most of the stories I’m interested in reading are available on Archive of Our Own and there are only a few exceptions where I’ll need to find the story on Fanfiction.net.

Wattpad

Wattpad is another resource for both fanfiction and original fiction. I have no experience navigating this site whatsoever, so you’ll have to poke around yourself if you’re interested in reading there.

How to Find Fics You Will Like

A few weeks ago, someone somewhere on the internet suggested that AO3 become more algorithm-based so that readers could be served up relevant fics to read. However, the filtering system is so good at fine-tuning your results, that it really isn’t necessary. Plus, who wants their long-form fictional entertainment served to them from an algorithm? Fanfic author SenLinYu posted on her Twitter feed a thread on how she finds new fics to read and I completely agree (and have used) with this method.

Where to Get More Fanfiction Recommendations

If you want fanfiction recommendations with a bit more of a personal touch than the search results of a database like AO3, there are lots of resources depending on your fandom of choice. I will often share romance fics for Harry Potter and Bridgerton. There are subreddits for Harry Potter fanfic in general, Dramione, or Harry/Hermione. Facebook groups can also be great sources of recommendations, there’s one for Dramione and for Tomione (Tom Riddle/Hermione). If your TikTok For You Page is optimized for your interests, then you’ll see some fic recs there as well.

Want 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!

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I was first exposed to Michelle McLean’s book from a PR package sent to me from the publisher and figured I’d read it eventually. I don’t actually read physical copies of books these days, so I looked for an ebook to borrow. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easily found as an ebook from my local library so I set it aside and completely forgot about it. Eventually, the second book in this series was available to review on NetGalley, so I requested it and by then, I was able to get the first one from the library. I’m so glad that I did! Both of these books were delightfully funny and entertaining.

1. Hitched to the Gunslinger (2021)

From fake engagement to a marriage of convenience, this book has pretty great communication between our two main characters. And I love how the town has basically adopted our hero as the town sheriff (even though he’s an outlaw).

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Print book provided by Entangled Books.

2. The Gunslinger’s Guide to Avoiding Matrimony (2022)

It’s a rare case to see an accidental marriage in a historical, but that’s what we have here during a mass wedding ceremony in the town square. Hilarious setup, plus we get to see our guy being a walking disaster throughout the town.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Books via NetGalley.

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!

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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.

If you’ve been around bookish content on social media, you’ll sometimes see different creators receive free books. Or even other promotional materials related to a book. I’m sure that this is all part of the social media marketing strategy for publishers and a way to promote the book to a larger audience. As a reader and content creator, here’s how I’ve joined in and received my own book mail.

Publisher Influencer Programs

The best way I’ve found to know when your favorite publishers are looking for new influencers to join their teams is to follow their social media accounts. For limited time opportunities, this will let you know exactly when applications are open and when they are closed.

Last Summer, I put in my first application for the Avon Books Influencer Program and was delighted to have been selected. At that time, I was posting about the books I’d been reading a little bit, but not as extensively as I am now, so I was a little surprised to have been approved. I’m really glad they gave me the opportunity because my bookish content keeps growing all the time. (And I read a ton of their books anyway). As part of their program, they mail one to two physical copies of titles I select monthly and then some surprise advance reader copies occasionally.

There are other publishers who are looking for influencers all the time without a deadline. Google your favorite publisher plus “influencer program” and there may be an open application system without a deadline. This is an example from Forever where you can put your name in at anytime by joining their influencer newsletter. My experience with Forever is that they place a strong emphasis on a diverse group of reviewers and influencers to promote their diverse range of novels. They will prioritize reviewers that are similar to the characters or authors of their books. They’re open to all reviewers, but with a limited number of physical book copies, that’s how they determine who receives them. I will usually stick to historical romance book requests from them and I end up receiving about a book every couple of months in the mail.

Independently published authors will often run their own influencer teams and you can look at their author websites for any open opportunities.

It’s important here to apply to partner with publishers that you’re already reading and not just collecting free books with no intention of reading or promoting them.

Book Tours

Book tours are usually run by a public relations/marketing team that are providing a service to the publisher by looking for influencers to promote books. They may require a full review of the book or simply a feature of the book on your social media pages during a pre-specified timeframe. I have had the most experience with BiblioLifestyle, which opens up application for book tour hosts every few months. (If you’re interested in working with them in the future, sign up for the email newsletter there to get notified about future opportunities) I will usually get an email invitation to host a book tour and then I fill out a book-specific form if I’m interested in the book; after that, I’ll get an email with the date I’m scheduled to post and I will receive the book in the mail. I will generally only accept the books that I’m genuinely interested in reading or learning more about. For other book tour opportunities, I recommend searching in Google for your genre of choice (e.g. romance or thriller, etc) plus “book tour”.

Bookish Merch and Small Businesses

A lot of independent artists or book box subscription services will also have influencers that they work with. I’m not a part of any of these, so I don’t know specifics. However, if you follow your favorites on social media, you’ll be able to know when they’re looking for new influencers to join them.

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

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It’s been an all-historical week this time with five recent releases. Not much in the way of fanfic reading this time, but if you want to get links to those in the future, subscribe to this page so you don’t miss any updates. I’ve also indicated my favorite of the week below with a “💖“.

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When Ardor Blooms by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, prequel novella to the Lovelocks of London series. A banker’s daughter is out of mourning from her father’s death and makes her debut into society. She’s very wealthy, but looked down upon by our viscount hero because she’s not of noble blood. When the viscount’s brother makes a derogatory claim on the young woman, the viscount sets himself up as her protector. Slow and steady build of attraction here. Quick read. And we get to meet the Lovelock family members who will feature in the rest of the series.

Ebook available free from the author’s newsletter. Visit the author’s website to get the ebook.

💖 Convergence of Desire by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Lovelocks of London series. I pretty much picked this up because Julia Quinn (author of the Bridgertons series) posted about it on Instagram. We have a neurodivergent heroine in this one who aims to solve a missing mathematics proof (tbh, the math in this book went over my head and I skimmed it) but her stepmother insists she participates in society. Our hero is a destitute earl who needs to marry rich to salvage his estate. It takes probably 25% of the book for them to meet and contrive a chaste marriage of convenience (which the heroine proposes). Once they start interacting and get married, we’re off to their country estate and we get to see the sweetest slow burn ever with caretaking galore. It was absolutely delightful to watch these two people slowly fall in love. And the heartbreak when they each think the other isn’t interested. The last third will have you tearing up from the longing. Such a great read. (Also, sets up the future couples in Book 2 and 3 nicely as well).

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Impeccable by Darcy Burke (2022)

Historical romance, Book 7 of the Phoenix Club series. If you’ve read all the books in the series including the prequel, you’ll know that Mrs. Evangeline Renshaw is a fake identity for the Phoenix Club manager and patroness. She was actually previously a very sought after courtesan. When she ended his liaison with the son of a duke, he asked her to help him manage his new club. She’s been living under her assumed identity of a respectable widow since. When she visits her sister (who she cannot publicly claim as her sister, since she was also previously a courtesan), she rescues a puppy and befriends the younger brother of the marquess next door. He wishes to court her, but she doesn’t want marriage, so he proposes an affair instead. He’s the absolute sunshiniest fellow ever, probably a bit too good to be true. Their bond over the puppy they find is absolutely adorable though.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke via NetGalley.

Clandestine Passion by Felicity Niven (2022)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 2 of the Lovelocks of London series. This book takes place in the same timeframe as Book 1 and is the romance between the stepmother of the Lovelock family, Catherine, and the rogue of a best friend James. James was the second son of a duke, but when his older brother died, he became the heir and is now known as a drunken rake. However, the drunkeness is all an act and he’s really doing some mini-missions for the Crown. When he first meets Catherine, he’s instantly attracted, though he needs to maintain his act as an immature bachelor. Catherine is likewise instantly attracted, but she’s wary (and ashamed) of her own lust. She eventually forms a friendship with another more sedate and age-appropriate suitor. Their paths continue to cross as James’ mission involves her suitor and eventually they start an affair. But really, with their age-difference (she’s 17 years older) and her social class (former farmgirl, former actress, and widow of a banker), Catherine resists any serious attachment with the man. Lots of plot going on and Catherine’s ongoing shame over her own lust was a bit annoying, but still an entertaining read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath (2021)

Historical romance in Regency-ish era England, Book 1 of the Merriwell Sisters series. A carefree and jovial earl prevents his mother’s matchmaking from America by writing to her about a fictional fiancee and her tragic tales that have prevented them from marrying. When his mother comes to visit, he hires a woman to pretend to be his fiancee. This book is full of far-fetched tales and silliness and it totally works. Expect a light-hearted and humorous story here. Though there is actually heartbreak in both characters’ pasts, those experiences have made them stronger and most of the book contains witty banter and calamity.

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:

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

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.

If you’re a romance reader like I am, I think that you will appreciate the many fanfics written by LovesBitca8 (aka Julie Soto). She primarily writes Hermione/Draco fic in the Harry Potter fandom. Her massive multichapter, multific series is the Rights and Wrongs Universe and I highly recommend these three fics and to read them in order. While you could read them in any order, the mystery within Part 1 will be spoiled by reading Part 2, and the backstory and motivation of Draco in the alternate universe (Part 3) will make much more sense when you’ve read the flashbacks from his POV from Part 2.

Part 1: The Right Thing to Do

Post-Deathly Hallows, Hermione POV. Draco is on trial for possible release from Azkaban. Hermione speaks on his behalf, mostly because it’s “the right thing to do” and partly because she’s harboring a crush on him from when she was in school. He gets released and starts interacting with Hermione at her weekend job at a bookstore. She’s flustered. Is he flirting with her? Why is his mom being so nice to her? Why does his dad want her to take random etiquette lessons? The story is essentially a rom-com full of pining and messy communication. Must read to prepare yourself for the third and most fulfilling story of the series (The Auction). 

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Part 2: All the Wrong Things

It’s the same basic plot as The Right Thing To Do, from Draco’s POV. How does he really feel about Hermione? What’s going through his mind when he talks to her at the bookstore? Also, flashbacks from Draco about their Hogwarts days and how he dealt with Voldemort living in Malfoy Manor. Must read before the third story; the flashbacks are essential to understand Draco’s motivations in The Auction. 

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Part 3: The Auction

Third installment of the Rights and Wrongs series, Hermione’s POV. Alternate universe. Voldemort kills Harry at the Battle of Hogwarts. Death Eaters round up enemies to be auctioned off. Hermione ends up in the possession of Draco. She doesn’t know why she is in a bedroom suite with a closet of clothes in her size and bookshelves with her favorite books. Why is she here? Why did Draco acquire her? Who is going to defeat Voldemort now that Harry is dead? (Yes, Harry is really dead) There is still a villain to be defeated in this story and a relationship to develop between Draco and Hermione, despite the circumstances. Huge epic beautifully written amazingness. Seriously.

Read this fic on Archive of Our Own

Other Fanfics

Julie has also posted several one-shots that are generally on the fluffy side but can definitely bring a smile to your face. Usually around December, there will be a fluffy (or steamy) one-shot to satisfy you. My favorite of the bunch is Ribbons Down Her Back, which is a multi-year Christmas tale. Ugh, the pining in this one is great.

Traditionally Published Novel Coming Soon

Julie is another fanfic turned traditionally published author that I’m totally excited for. Knowing that I’ve previously enjoyed her writing, I’m super excited to read her upcoming work. Her debut contemporary romance novel, Forget Me Not, will be released in July 2023. Pre-order via Amazon or Bookshop.org.

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

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

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As a historical romance reader, books by Lorraine Heath have been on my to-read list for quite awhile. However, her backlist is so extensive that I was intimidated on where to start. Using that trick of requesting an advanced copy to force my hand, I started with her latest series. The three books advance quite nicely between each other and I recommend reading them in order. There’s a gasp-worthy event in the middle of Book 1 that leads to the events in Book 3. (If you’ve read Heath’s series directly preceding this one, the family’s sister has her story in Beauty Tempts the Beast and you may have already read what happens).

1. Scoundrel of My Heart (2021)

Best friend’s older brother romance where the heroine completely overlooks him because he’s a second son and untitled (meaning she won’t be able to claim her inheritance since the will stipulated that she needed to marry a man with a title). I loved this book so much, especially the callbacks to earlier details that were seemingly minor at the time. I’d say that this book was the perfect introduction to Lorraine Heath’s emotional writing.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

2. The Duchess Hunt (2021)

A duke tasks his secretary with finding him a wife after his first attempt was unsuccessful. From the very first page, I knew I was in for an angsty ride. I especially loved the longstanding quiet companionship between these two. And the fact that all the important people in the duke’s life knew how essential Penny was to him.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

3. The Return of the Duke (2022)

The first son of a traitorous duke out to clear his father’s name goes to visit his father’s mistress to find any clues. This one was my least favorite of the bunch, since I’m not generally a fan of spy/espionage plots. However, it was interesting to see how the story unfolds and how everything about the heroine wasn’t exactly as it seemed.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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

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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.