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

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck (2025)

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

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

Only Earl in the World by Amalie Howard (2025)

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver (2025)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Forever and a Duke by Christy Carlyle (2025)

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Earl for the Summer by Christy Carlyle (2025)

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Season of the Scoundrel by Christy Carlyle (2025)

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

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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Useful Resources:

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A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews (2019)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews (2020)

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

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

We Met Like This by Kasie West (2025)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (2025)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Scoundrel Take Me Away by Louisa Darling (2025)

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

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

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

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

Advance ebook provided by Ginny B. Moore.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

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Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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

An Heir Unraveled by Jane Maguire (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Rockliffe Dynasty series. If you’ve been reading this series from Book 1, it’ll be fun to see dear little Benedict all grown up. If not, this book totally still works as an accidental marriage of convenience. Benedict is on his way to his uncle’s unkempt property to take charge and care for the estate when he comes across a young lady, Violet, in an abandoned cottage. She’s there to meet another man, and when that man shows up and sees her with Benedict, he promptly leaves and starts all sorts of terrible gossip about her. It’s all bad news for poor Benedict whose servants are gossiping about him the moment he steps into his new house. He does the only honorable thing and proposes marriage, even if she’s reluctant at first. We get a really nice slow burn romance here, with hints of sabotage from the neighbor and dealing with Benedict’s general hangups with his family history. I really liked how this story played out, with an extra dose of drama towards the end too.

Advance ebook provided by Jane Maguire.

Lovelight Farms by BK Borison (2021)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Lovelight series. Super cute setup in a super cute small town. Look, sometimes a friends-to-lovers romance annoys me because of course they’ve been in love with each other this whole time. They have been “friends” for ten years, stay at each other’s apartments, talk all the time, and are pretty much in a relationship without the sex. So when Stella needs a fake boyfriend for a contest she’s entered for her Christmas tree farm, Luka is more than ready to step up. And of course the whole town is ecstatic that they’re finally together. We’ve got your typical small town situation here, with nosy neighbors, a farm saboteur, and hints of future romances brewing. Loved it.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Ladies in Waiting Anthology (2025)

Historical romance-adjacent. Regency-era England. This was a collection of short stories based on various side characters from Jane Austen novels. It was fun to see some of my favorite authors in historical romance writing about these characters and also to read some new-to-me authors. I’m not terribly familiar with Jane Austen’s books, having only seen the 2005 movie version of Pride and Prejudice and Clueless as my form of Emma, so a lot of these stories just read as fresh new short stories to me. I enjoyed some of the creativity in placing the characters outside of Regency England and also in the stories that take place in universe. I think if you’re an Austen fan, this is a nice collection to read in-between heavier novels.

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

The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews (2018)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Parish Orphans of Devon series. I love a marriage of convenience story and especially when there’s danger lurking and someone needs protection. Helena has answered an advertisement in the newspaper for a wife and shows up to meet Justin, a scarred and reclusive army veteran. She’s running from danger and is glad to be in an isolated seaside town. They’re both keeping secrets, but the main priority is that Justin is able to keep her safe. Really nice slow burn romance here, and an interesting plot, once we find out what Helena is running from. Loved it and can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook purchased from Audible.

Ellie Hayes and the Himbos by Vanessa King (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. The himbos made the whole book worth it. Ellie is in a rough spot with the impending doom of a possible diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and a boyfriend who breaks up with her over it. She goes to check out a room for rent and finds a bunch of college age guys in residence. They are all super sweet and caring and embrace Ellie into their home so easily and quickly. She also maybe has a thing going on with one of the roomies’ older brother, Ian, who is also the boss and owner at the gym where all the guys (and now Ellie) work. Super entertaining and steamy all in one, and if you’re ever looking for some endometriosis representation, this book is for you.

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

A Modest Independence by Mimi Matthews (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Parish Orphans of Devon series. The slowest angstiest road trip ever. We’re on a journey from England to India searching for a presumed dead earl. Jenny has been given a large sum of money, her independence, and she’s ready to set out on an adventure. But her steady and serious solicitor Tom impulsively joins her for the ride. He’s not so much interested in adventure, but he is interested in spending more time with Jenny. It’s an impossible situation with both of them wanting totally different things in life, making their coming together and apart all the more heartbreaking. But the journey is totally worth it, as we learn more about Tom’s history and background and see him be so caring towards Jenny.

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

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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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.

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

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.

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:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

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.

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