Book Reviews - Random Olive

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

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

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

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

Weekly Reads: October 27 to November 2, 2025

Nov 4, 2025

The Marquess Married a Murderess by Michelle McLean (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Belsford Brothers series. Selena is the unluckiest woman ever when it comes to marriage, with four deceased husbands and one groom who jilted her at the altar. She’s swearing off marriage for now, even as she’s re-entering society. She quickly catches the attention of Edward, who originally had no designs on marriage, but something about Selena intrigues him. (Probably her reluctance to dally with him and her penchant for running away). It’s a series of pursuits and mishaps until he finally convinces her to give him a chance.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Books via NetGalley.

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Interesting setup here with Ingrid taking a break from her longtime partner Cory to experience dating others before making their own relationship more permanent. She tries and fails to make a move on her coworker and friend Macon, much to her mortification. But she rallies and starts dating around for real, gaining all those experiences that she set out to do. The first half of the book deals with her dating around and the eventual end of her initial relationship. The second half of the book is a lot more positive, with Ingrid finding a new purpose to her life and renewing her friendship with Macon. We end up with a delightfully slow burn friends to lovers romance with a full supporting cast of friends and family.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the League of Extraordinary Women series. Hattie is a painter who just wanted to go see the infamous Mr. Blackstone’s art collection, but finds herself meeting the mysterious man himself. Upon realizing who she is, Lucian decides to orchestrate conditions to collect her hand in marriage and elevate his own social standing. It’s trickery and seduction and he’s really not the brute that she thinks he is. It’s all a very slow burn development of their physical and emotional relationship, while also being hard to trust due to the trickery used to gain her hand. We get to learn a lot about the mistreatment of coal miners in this time period and how they team up to fight against that. Lots of discussion of timely politics in this book (and throughout the series) with all the relevant history there, so it may or may not be to your taste.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Claiming the Princess by Charis Michaels (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Hidden Royals series. Smuggling captain Luke has just been declared a national hero and the Prince Regent has allowed him the prize of marrying exiled princess Danielle. But when he goes to the village to collect his new bride, it turns out that she has no knowledge of her previous identity at all and really is just a village girl. He’s both attracted to her and guilty for needing to marry her, since his only aim is to use her as bait to get his friend released from French captivity. It’s all a huge mess with loads of secrets, but reading them flirt and fall in love was a lot of fun.

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

Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Fun premise here. Julia is all sorts of successful in her career, but that doesn’t count for her overbearing Korean family. She’s single at 30, so it’s time to buckle down and find a husband, especially when it’s her grandmother’s dying wish. Is her grandmother even sick? Not sure, but that’s a running theme throughout the book. She agrees to be set up on some dates, but she’s socially awkward and a bit too brash, so she asks childhood friend and neighbor Tae to be her dating coach. He’s hesitant and has his own stuff going on, but he’s had a crush on her forever and the all-around nice guy, so he eventually helps her. It’s adorable to see these two practice date and fall for each other for real. Nevermind that all her setups are total jerks. Cute and funny and a smidge steamy. Fulfills all your pre-teen race car bed dreams.

Advance ebook provided by Canary Street Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

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

The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the League of Extraordinary Women series. Lady Catriona just wants to stay home and work on writing her book, but she ends up in a very awkward first meeting with Elias, a supposed scholar there to visit her father. He’s on his own mission to recover some antiques that he believes were ill-acquired from his homeland, and plans to make arrangements for their return. These two definitely have that spark of chemistry together, but the circumstances are nearly impossible, and their social positions are not conducive to a romance. Plus, add in the part where Catriona is literally an awkward scholar with no plans to be a wife. I loved watching them fall in love and get together, even though it was most definitely a slow burn. We also get an epilogue that ties the whole series together.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Messy and emotional and such a great book. Louisa is dumped by longtime boyfriend and at a total loss for what to do because she was financially dependent on the guy. She can’t afford the rent on her lakeside cottage in Colorado, so she strikes a deal with landlord Henry to rent out the extra bedrooms as a bed and breakfast. And then while she’s at it, she might as well advertise the whole place as a place to recover from heartbreak. We get a fun and messy group of occupants, with their own breakups and heartaches. And we get to see Louisa and Henry learn more about each other (and their baggage) and slowly start to fall in love. I really enjoyed this one, but caution if you’ve just gotten out of your own relationship.

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:

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

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

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

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

Weekly Reads: October 20 to 26, 2025

Oct 28, 2025

The Hellion’s Waltz by Olivia Waite (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Feminine Pursuits series. I love a good swindle, especially when combined with some vigilante justice. Sophie is rightly skeptical of anyone being swindled, with her family’s recent downfall at the hands of a con-man. However, Maddie and her band of weavers have a plan for getting back at the local draper who has been taking advantage of them for decades. While Sophie is trying to figure out which side she wants to support, she’s definitely falling for Maddie’s seductions in the process. We have a bit of a fast-burn romance here, with Sophie quickly joining the weavers’ side and bringing her own ideas to the chaos. Loved this little village who support each other and I liked seeing how they were all tied to each other.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duchess Takes it All by Michelle McLean (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. This book seemed to drag a bit long for what seems to be a fairly straightforward plot. Widowed duchess Tamsin is secretly a satirical cartoonist trying to keep her identity under wraps, while also gaining entry into society so that her toddler duke son will have an easier time of things when he grows older. Except that her late husband’s cousin Christian is named co-guardian of the child and in charge of running the estates until the child is of age and he’s come to town to take control. They disagree on the methods for raising the boy and she’s trying to keep her occupation as a cartoonist a secret. It’s a lot of push and pull as they argue and banter, and somehow it turns into flirting and an affair. And then to make things more complicated, Christian comes from a country where his marriage prospects are dictated by some archaic and complicated set of laws. Messiness all around.

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

The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur (2025)

Paranormal romance. Standalone novel. Samantha is having a rough day after the love of her life Hannah rejects her proposal of marriage and tells her all the reasons why it won’t work. And then Sam comes across a demon named Daphne who is willing to grant Sam six wishes in exchange for her soul. Of course, every wish that Sam makes is in an attempt to win Hannah back. I enjoyed reading all the different scenarios where Hannah is actually kind of terrible and Sam slowly realizing that maybe she shouldn’t be pinning all her dreams on the lady. The romance between Sam and Daphne was a little rushed, even with the instant attraction, and I’m not entirely sure it was true love after only a few days together. Especially when Daphne is an actual demon antagonizing Sam, and Sam being totally in love with Hannah for more than half the book. It was fun to read, even if the romance part was a bit lackluster.

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

Her Hired Husband by Caroline Lee (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Scotland. Book 3 of the Surprise Heirs series. All the chaos and humor that I would expect from a Caroline Lee novel. Helena is a whiskey brewer in Scotland who was afraid she wouldn’t be taken seriously by the big burly Scotsmen, so she makes up a fake husband who has been giving directions on how to brew. And now they want to meet the husband. So Helena decides to hire a fake one. Hunter is tasked for the job and he does absolutely wonderfully, with all sorts of respect for Helena’s expertise, and some careful flirting along the way. Except he thinks she’s truly married and he feels all sorts of guilty for being attracted to her. And then things take a dangerous turn when an assassin boards their train and now they’re on the run together and find an inn with two beds and everything. It’s danger and humor and lots of steam.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Serving In The Snow by Meg Jones (2025)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Game, Set, and Match series. Supermodel Kit is trying to get away from it all for a bit and ends up at a freezing cold rental cottage in Scotland. Luckily, her next door neighbor Jonah is ready to give her some shelter. It’s fun and flirty and super steamy with this short-lived fling. I loved seeing these two people fall in love in their little wintery bubble. I especially loved how it all tied back to our favorite scandalous tennis player Scottie. Super fun holiday read.

Advance ebook provided by Meg Jones via NetGalley.

A Curse of Shadows and Ice by Catharina Maura (2025)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Shadowbound series. We’ve got some Beauty and the Beast vibes here with a cursed emperor and a princess who is prophesied to break the curse. Felix is the intimidating fellow known around the land as the Shadow Emperor and he’s come to claim Arabella as his wife. With his dastardly reputation, Arabella is naturally afraid of Felix, but she learns pretty quickly about the curse and her role in stopping it. She uses this as a bargaining chip for her freedom, and Felix agrees to the deal. Except he’s all sorts of lonely and it’s clear that he’s falling for Arabella. She’s also falling for him too, but insecure if his feelings are real or if he’s using her to break the curse on his kingdom. Lots of steam here, since Felix is using those feelings of lust to convince Arabella to stay with him. Interesting to learn how magic is wielded in this story and how the curse is ultimately broken.

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

The Governess and the Rogue by Mimi Matthews (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the Somerset Stories series. Bea is a governess in a tough position and needs rescuing from Jack on the ship home. And he proposes a fake engagement between them to protect her from dastardly employers and to protect him from fortune-hunting young ladies. Fairly straightforward plot here, with the promise that they’ll fall in love. I enjoyed Jack’s protecting nature and how everything turns to chaos when his family gets involved.

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.

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

Weekly Reads: October 13 to 19, 2025

Oct 21, 2025

Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Super funny with lots of chaos and a crazy cast of side characters. Laura is about to sublet an apartment from a total stranger who is off to pastry school in Paris, but she ends up walking in on the man totally naked. And then his parents stop by and assume that she’s the girlfriend that he’s been telling them about all year. Callum is basically trying to avoid returning back to his home in Scotland with his overbearing parents and tales of family legacy, so he’s been making up a fake girlfriend named Caroline for the past year. After the parents leave, Laura pitches the idea of traveling with Callum to his home as his fake girlfriend. Lots of mishaps all the way through the book, and so entertaining to read, along with watching Callum and Laura falling in love. Such a great book.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Pierce has been estranged from his mother for reasons totally unknown (but we discover in this book) and his mother’s companion Camilla has taken it upon herself to write a letter to Pierce saying his mother is ill. It all blows up the moment he arrives at the dower house, but something (or someone) compels him to stay for awhile. As an add-on to the Hellions series, I expected this to be a novella, but it was a full-length story with Pierce and Camilla slowly learning to trust each other, Pierce being a total arse, and finally learning what caused his mother’s estrangement. Solid addition to the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Earl Like You by Anna Bradley (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Games Earls Play series. Quick and straightforward novella. Cass is a recently inherited earl who’s got a scandalous reputation and trying to distance himself from his childhood friend Hattie for her own protection. As Hattie hears about Cass’s exploits, she plans to leave the country and go to London to save her friend from going down a ruinous path. They meet again face to face for the first time in a decade and of course all sorts of sparks fly. Clearly, they’re meant for more than friendship and luckily, we resolve everything fairly quickly.

Advance ebook provided by Oliver Heber Books via NetGalley.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters (2025)

Historical mystery romance. 1930s England. Standalone romance. A sleepy little country village has been overrun with a string of mysterious murders, drawing tourists to the town, and a whole lot of suspicion. Georgie is a village native who’s good with plants and solved a handful of the crimes, and now she’s concerned that the latest death isn’t due to natural causes. She writes to some famous detective for help, but his himbo secretary Sebastian comes instead. He’s flirtatious and funny and flusters our dear Georgie. We get to see them get to know each other and solve a crime all at once. Humor and mystery all in one book.

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

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs (2025)

Fantasy romance. Standalone novel. A medieval Legally Blonde retelling with hints of magic and some new creatures we’ve never heard of. Also, super open to all types of romantic pairings and a major nonbinary character as part of the ensemble. Princess Clia has just been rejected by her longtime friend and partner in royal alliances Prince Domhnall, who basically says she’s not warrior queen material. She decides to enroll at the prestigious warrior training program to prove herself. She’s definitely a fish out of water, but she’s determined to work hard. It’s definitely a story with a lot of action and adventure and personal growth for Clia. The romance between her and the prince’s guard Ronan runs throughout the story, but is definitely secondary to the action plot. Lots of intrigue and fighting. A bit of world-building to set things up in the first third of the book, but still an enjoyable read overall.

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.

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

Weekly Reads: October 6 to 12, 2025

Oct 14, 2025

While the Duke Was Sleeping by Samara Parish (2025)

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

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

Mate by Ali Hazelwood (2025)

Paranormal romance. Sequel to Bride. Serena has just found out that she’s not fully human and actually a human-Were hybrid that everyone just wants to study. And the alpha leader Koen has told her that she’s his mate, but that he’s not going to do anything about it. Right. It’s clear that there’s something biological or hormonal happening between these two, but there are some political reasons why it can’t happen. And also, someone’s trying to kidnap Serena for scientific and/or political purposes. It’s all sorts of danger and scent glands, and if you’ve read enough omegaverse fanfiction, you also know what it means when a female wakes up from achy night sweats. Super fun read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Gabe is the daredevil of the siblings, racing carriages and wreaking havoc, but mostly he feels guilty over the death of his best friend Roger who died seven years ago when they raced each other at a particularly dangerous track. And then Roger’s sister Virginia issues her own challenge to race Gabe. He has a better idea and would rather court and marry her to make amends and also fulfill his grandmother’s ultimatum. She’s totally resistant, but don’t worry, he wears her down with his skills of seduction.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super awkward one night stand turns into a co-workers situation when Chandler is brought in to ghost write Finn’s memoir. And then he asks for assistance with his lack of skills in the bedroom, so that add that to the mix. This book was so much fun to read, with following Finn along his life as a C-list actor on the convention circuit and watching Finn and Chandler get to know each other. Steamy and flirty and humorous all in one book.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Celia is the last of the siblings left to marry to fulfill her grandmother’s ultimatum, so she sets her sights on three potential suitors. And of course, she asks the stern and serious Bow Street Runner Jackson to investigate them. But if you’ve been reading this series all the way through, you know that Jackson is actually interested in Celia for himself, even if he feels he’s way below her social station. More meddling from her grandmother makes things worse, implying that he’s a fortune hunter. We get to see how these two idiots work their way to each other though, plus conclude the mystery of how her parents died almost twenty years ago. Excellent conclusion to the series. Even though there’s on more book left.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Only Rakes Need Apply by Kate Pearce (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rakes of London series. Widowed Carenza doesn’t miss her husband, but maybe she misses the bedroom aspect a little bit. Her friend puts up a newspaper advertisement looking for a lover for her and her late husband’s friend and her own longtime family friend Julian rises to the challenge. The romance and relations are fairly straightforward here, with Carenza and Julian finding time for frivolity at every turn and lots of instances of activity throughout the book. More drama unfolds with Julian’s messy family dynamics and some stuffy society members who are cruel to Carenza. Considering the setup of the story with Carenza saying she missed the marital bed, it felt a bit inconsistent to learn later on that her late husband was actually not that great to her in that aspect. For having such a steamy set up, I was more interested in Julian’s family issues.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books 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.

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

Top Five Favorite Books from September 2025 – Historical Romance and Contemporary Romance

Oct 11, 2025

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Big Shots series. This book was quick and punchy and steamy and I loved it. Skylar is a college softball pitcher who is dragged to an impromptu ball game between her baseball player brother and a bunch of hockey players. Of course, she overhears Robbie, a rookie hockey player, saying some sexist bullshit before the game and gets all indignant about it. And he is smitten at first sight. Somehow, this all turns into Robbie inviting himself to her house over Spring Break to be her partner in her family’s chaotic outdoorsman challenge and also be her fake boyfriend so she can make her brother’s best friend notice her. Oh, and then she decides to ask him for flirting lessons while they’re at it. I loved how fast-paced this was, even if totally unrealistic, and it’s very clear that he fell first and harder.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Scot’s Seduction by Megan Frampton (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Heirs and Spares series. This one was a lot of fun to read. Drusilla is the ultimate spinster, taking lovers and refusing marriage proposals. Mostly due to a past heartbreak and a need to stay independent. She spends most of her time as an eccentric lady helping out women and children who need assistance. And somehow, she gets entangled with a young lady who needs guidance with her debut and the lady’s grumpy uncle Murdoch. He’s a Scottish earl who’s in town with his orphaned niece and pretty much has no idea what he’s doing. Drusilla is great with the niece and also great at seducing the burly earl. It’s a no strings attached arrangement, except for all those pesky feelings that develop. Loved it.

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

Jewel by Beverly Jenkins (2008)

Historical romance. 1880s Michigan. Book 2 of the Grayson Family series. Eli just needed a pretend wife for one dinner with a big city newspaperman to earn an investment, but ended up with a real wife instead when gossip gets out. Jewel is the only daughter of the gruff and surly lumbarjack and used to caring for her many older brothers. She never expected to marry, and especially not to Eli, the man she’d had a teenage crush on. She tries to make sure this is a marriage in name only, but he’s trying to convince her to make a real go of the relationship. It’s a lot of flirting and seducing on Eli’s part to get Jewel to comply. The romance is here is fairly predictable, but it was nice catching up with this town again and seeing everyone work together to built Jewel and Eli’s new house. Danger comes back into town in the form of cousin Nate’s ex-wife and we get to see all the chaos she brings with her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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

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

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti (2025)

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

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

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 29 to October 5, 2025

Oct 7, 2025

The Scot’s Seduction by Megan Frampton (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Heirs and Spares series. This one was a lot of fun to read. Drusilla is the ultimate spinster, taking lovers and refusing marriage proposals. Mostly due to a past heartbreak and a need to stay independent. She spends most of her time as an eccentric lady helping out women and children who need assistance. And somehow, she gets entangled with a young lady who needs guidance with her debut and the lady’s grumpy uncle Murdoch. He’s a Scottish earl who’s in town with his orphaned niece and pretty much has no idea what he’s doing. Drusilla is great with the niece and also great at seducing the burly earl. It’s a no strings attached arrangement, except for all those pesky feelings that develop. Loved it.

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

Good Spirits by BK Borison (2025)

Paranormal romance. Book 1 of the Ghosted series. A Christmas haunting gone slightly askew. Nolan is a ghost who’s there to haunt Harriet, but she’s not a bad person who even needs the haunting. She’s got a terrible mother and kind of a sad and lonely childhood, but she’s living life on her own terms now. Nolan is a grumpy ghost, having been a ghost with no signs of moving on for the past century. But watching Harriet and Nolan fall in love has got to be the sweetest thing to ever exist. And who knew relations with a ghost could be so steamy. Loved it.

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

Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan (2025)

Young adult fantasy. Book 1 of the Never Ever After series. Lots of action and adventure here. Our main character Yining gets a major upgrade in life after being orphaned and living with her step-aunt to becoming a resident of the palace as a guest of the prince. There’s political maneuvering all around and danger in process. Nothing is quite as it seems and Yining is never quite sure who to trust. We get Cinderella vibes in this loose retelling, but there’s magic and danger lurking ahead. Loved seeing what surprises were in store as I was reading and I enjoyed all the twists and turns.

Advance ebook provided by Little Brown Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Hachette Audio.

A Hellion in Her Bed by Sabrina Jeffries (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Lord Jarret is up next of our merry band of siblings with an overbearing grandmother. Jarret has been set up to take on the grandmother’s brewery while she’s ill and he’s negotiating with her that if he can keep it running well for a year, then he doesn’t need to follow her stipulation to marry. Grandma is up for the bargain, but she’s still secretly hoping he finds a wife. That’s why he’s super skeptical with the beautiful Annabel lands in his office with a business proposition. Except she has a legitimate proposition to combine their resources to aid her smaller brewery in the country. He’s resistant, so it comes down to a scandalous wager, and of course she wins. She’s got her own secrets with a drunkard brother and an illegitimate son that she calls nephew. But the romance here is delightfully steamy and Jarret is not the scoundrel he seems to think he is. Loved this continuation of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Enchanting Kiss by Alexa Aston (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Captivating Kisses series. Semi-tragic prologue for Rupert, an army major and second son of a viscount who was neglected for most of his life. He’s being called home by his brother who is on his deathbed. Left to clean up the mess, Rupert immediately takes on all responsibilities as the new viscount, including the care of his five year old illegitimate niece. The bond between Rupert and his niece is probably the sweetest part of this book, made even better when he meets Lady Lia, the daughter of a duke who is visiting her cousin at the neighboring estate. It’s a really easy going friends to lovers story here, with the only hiccup being Rupert needing to let himself fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Minerva has had a crush on her brothers’ friend Giles for years but had her heart trampled after a kiss from him at age 19. It’s nine years later and she’s an independent gothic novelist with no need for a husband, except for her grandmother’s pesky ultimatum. She tries to hold husband interviews, but Giles shows up instead, wanting to actually marry her. She decides he will make a very good fake fiance to scare her grandmother off. Except that he really does mean to court her. I love the set up where the guy has a fake rake reputation because he’s secretly a spy, so everyone has the wrong impression of him. We get all sorts of drama and intrigue with Giles’ background and we’re all still investigating what happened to Minerva’s parents all those years ago. Lots of plot and steam here, which makes for an enjoyable read.

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.

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

Weekly Reads: September 22 to 28, 2025

Sep 30, 2025

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. Oliver and his siblings are given an ultimatum by their grandmother to all marry within the year to maintain their allowance and inheritance. Oliver tries to force the grandmother to back off by bringing home a totally unsuitable fiancee in the form of a brash and outspoken American woman. Maria is only in England to find her actual fiance and gets entangled into Oliver’s schemes. Lucky for them that they ultimately fall in love, plus all of Oliver’s siblings are loads of fun. Lots of drama and scandal in terms of the circumstances of how their parents passed away.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Road Trip with a Vampire by Jenna Levine (2025)

Paranormal romance. Book 3 of the My Vampires series. Witch Zelda is just trying to live her yoga studio life without magic, but her old friend Reggie sends the amnesiac vampire Peter to her door. He needs help finding his memories and she needs to let some magical steam off, so they go off on a road trip to meet at a mystery location in a threatening note he received. It’s chaos and humor as they try real hard not to hook up with each other. I loved this soft and funny approach to interacting with vampires. And Zelda’s backstory is loads of fun to learn about. Fun and easy read.

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

Through the Storm by Beverly Jenkins (1998)

Historical romance. Civil War America. Book 1 of the Le Veq Family series. Loads of drama here. Sable is a slave who is about to sold to a cruel master, so when her great aunt provides a distraction, she runs away. She meets the charming Raimond at a refugee camp and they almost maybe sort of start a romance. The flirting between these two is really fun to watch though, with the brazen and outspoken Sable not giving in and fawning all over the handsome Raimond. But danger comes calling again and she runs off, possibly betraying him in the process. They cross paths many months later when Sable is going by a different name and having befriended Raimond’s mother in New Orleans. From there, we’ve got an arranged marriage, more flirting and fighting, and maybe they finally fall in love. Oh and don’t worry, that nasty villain from the beginning of the book is lurking throughout.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance by Kate Robb (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. I would say the romance plot here is secondary to Jules getting her life together and learning more about her late friend Kitty. Prologue has a one night stand between Jules and Reeve that seems magical, but does not work out, for reasons to be explained later. Two years later, Jules is at a funeral for Kitty St. Clair, lively resident at the retirement home where Jules works. And unexpectedly, Jules inherits the abandoned dance hall next door. We get glimpses of Kitty’s past through her super old diary that Jules has and through Jules’ super-realistic dreams where she’s transported to the past as Kitty’s best friend. Jules has lots of decisions to make regarding her application to medical school and what to do with the dance hall property. She also happens to find a second chance with Reeve who pops back into her life at just the right time. He’s super sweet and almost too perfect, but don’t worry, we’ll have some trust issues later on. I enjoyed the ride of this book and the anticipation of learning what Jules does with the dance hall. I also loved the Kitty back story along the way.

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

The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes by Amy Rose Bennett (2025)

Historical fantasy romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Parasol Academy series. Super light on the fantasy; the nannies just have some basic magical powers like Mary Poppins. Otherwise, this was your fairly standard story about a duke with rambunctious orphaned wards who falls in love with the outspoken nanny. Emmeline is a graduate of the prestigious Parasol Academy and accidentally lands a job with Xavier, the clock-obsessed duke with unruly wards. They meet, she’s great with the kids, they fall in love. There’s a bit of drama with a villain trying to sabotage Xavier’s life, but otherwise, it’s a pretty predictable story.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books 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.

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

Weekly Reads: September 15 to 21, 2025

Sep 23, 2025

The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 5 of the Dream Harbor series. Super fun second chance, not-quite-enemies-to-lovers romance. Annie and Mac have been sniping at each other in every previous Dream Harbor book and this book finally lets us know why. Apparently, one December many years ago, Annie and Mac had a quasi-relationship going on. But then Mac leaves town to explore the country and find himself and doesn’t come back when he promises to. Of course this makes Annie write him off for good, and makes his actual permanent return to town chilly and awkward. He’s still totally hung up on her and doesn’t quite know how to win her back. A weekend of wedding hijinks for their friends is the perfect occasion for forced proximity and bringing back all those old feelings. Cute and flirty and steamy.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton (2025)

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

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

An Introvert’s Guide to Life and Love by Lauren Appelbaum (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Loved this book about an introverted homebody finding herself in a quiet little beach town. Mallory is the work-from-home hermit who adores online shopping and staying in her cozy apartment. But her life is a bit blown up when she inherits her a seaside cottage across the country from her late grandmother, in exchange for taking care of Gramps. I loved seeing Mallory grow closer to her grandfather and develop such a strong bond to him and the community where he lives. We also get to see Mallory juggle that remote job she hates and the home improvements she needs to make to the cottage to get it in rentable condition. The romance here comes in the form of a charming property manager Daniel, but it’s really more a story about Mallory’s journey and growth and the Daniel-based romance is just a bonus.

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

Jewel by Beverly Jenkins (2008)

Historical romance. 1880s Michigan. Book 2 of the Grayson Family series. Eli just needed a pretend wife for one dinner with a big city newspaperman to earn an investment, but ended up with a real wife instead when gossip gets out. Jewel is the only daughter of the gruff and surly lumbarjack and used to caring for her many older brothers. She never expected to marry, and especially not to Eli, the man she’d had a teenage crush on. She tries to make sure this is a marriage in name only, but he’s trying to convince her to make a real go of the relationship. It’s a lot of flirting and seducing on Eli’s part to get Jewel to comply. The romance is here is fairly predictable, but it was nice catching up with this town again and seeing everyone work together to built Jewel and Eli’s new house. Danger comes back into town in the form of cousin Nate’s ex-wife and we get to see all the chaos she brings with her.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Duke of Eccess by Mariah Stone (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Seven Dukes of Sin series. Temperance is on the run from her life as Lady Agatha, daughter of an earl, and known as the Mad Heiress. She’s trying to escape her stepmother’s machinations and just needs to lie low until her birthday when she can claim her inheritance for herself. And that comes in the form of a governess position for Octavius’ wild charges. The three children lost their parents earlier this year and have run off half a dozen governesses. Lucky for them, Temperance is an unconventional sort and they start to bond with her, and become better behaved in the process. Octavius also needs some tutoring in better behavior and turns to Temperance for his own improvement. We get loads of drama with Octavius’ friend also eyeing Temperance, and all that hiding she’s doing from her stepmother. Excellent addition to this series.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone.

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

Useful Resources:

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

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

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

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

Weekly Reads: September 8 to 14, 2025

Sep 16, 2025

The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn by Valerie Bowman (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Honeycrisp Orchard Romance series. Super cute little small town romance. Ellie has a dramatic firing from her big city job and luckily has a place to land at her family’s small town inn, where she’ll be helping to plan the autumn harvest festival. But she’s paired up with grumpy apple farmer, Aiden, who is skeptical of her return. They were childhood friends who drifted apart in high school and he’s a bit resentful that she left for the big city and never looked back, even though he’s stuck around and supported both their families’ businesses. It’s tons of flirty banter here, even with very different dreams and goals. We’re mostly just waiting for Ellie to realize she can achieve her dreams right there in town, with a built-in partner and community.

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

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

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

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

Game Point by Meg Jones (2025)

Contemporary Romance. Book 2 of the Game, Set, and Match series. Ooh, I loved this friends to lovers romance. Dylan is a tennis star who has lost so many grand slam finals and is almost ready to quit the sport. Somehow, she strikes up a friendship with Oliver, who also somehow convinces her to let him coach her. The development of their friendship and the slow burn into more is so good. The banter, the flirting, the ease of communication and joking. I loved it so much. Not much to say except it was an excellent read.

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

People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Watch out for heavy themes amidst the flirty banter here. Prue has lived the small town life working at her family gas station and grocery store and caring for her mother with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Her father is trying to encourage her to get a bit more of a life, and she finds that in Milo, new to town to help his brother open a brewery. Milo has his own issues with emotionally and physically abusive parents and guilty at leaving his younger sister behind when he left the family home. But he’s a massive flirt and definitely makes Prue’s life a bit lighter. They embark on a friends-with-benefits scenario and try real hard not to catch feelings. Except the feelings are blooming strong and there are these bits of fate tying these two together. Loved this book.

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

How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super steamy one night stand romance. Emerson is a kindergarten teacher who gets recruited into a skincare company by her boss and school principal and meets a stranger at a rooftop bar after the convention. Luke is all sorts of skilled and handsome and it all blows up when she realizes that he’s got disparaging things to say about the new company she just joined. Oh, and then we find out that he’s the father of one of her students. Oops. We get to navigate the world of sisters in skincare and learn just how sinister these companies can be, all while dealing with all of that tension between Emerson and Luke. Lots of cute and flirty banter here and everyone is probably a little too good to be true.

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:

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