Summer in the City by Alex Aster (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Lots of witty banter here and a very fun fake-dating story. Elle pretty much hates New York City and especially hates it when a stairwell hook-up at a club goes wrong. Two years later, she finds herself back in the city with major writer’s block trying to finish a screenplay that takes place there. Oh, and that stairwell hook-up lives next door. Parker is some tech billionaire who totally insulted her all those years ago and sort of rage-fuels Elle’s writing. He also needs a fake girlfriend for the Summer and asks Elle to take on the role. She figures she needs a sight-seeing buddy and there’s that whole writing muse thing, so she goes along with it. We get to see her slowly start to trust Parker, him being a strange mix of stoic and sweet, and a true relationship develop. I had a lot of fun reading this book and definitely recommend it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Princes of London series. Super fun adventure-type romance between an outspoken bluestocking and a gruff Scotland Yard inspector. Alexandra (Allie to her friends and family) has been left behind to run the family antique shop while her siblings are off on an excavation and she overhears some possibly nefarious plotting at the coffee shop next door. She’s instantly off to Scotland Yard to warn someone and instantly connects with Ben, the serious inspector she meets there. Ben’s pretty much the only person to take her seriously, so she’s extra impressed by him. It’s most definitely instant attraction for both of these two, but they’re doing their best to keep things professional. Somehow, they end up entangled with each other through this mystery and have to team up to put all their clues together. Really enjoyable read.

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

How to Get Away with Marriage by Fenna Edgewood (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Must Love Scandal series. Fake engagement for inheritance plot. We’ve met the amiable Hugh Cavendish in a previous book, but now he’s up for a fake engagement plot to show his aunt that he’s mature enough to collect his inheritance. He does not want to marry the spoiled and vain Edith who he had a childhood crush on, so would rather advertise for a fake fiancee in the newspaper. He never ends up doing that because he fake proposes to a schoolteacher in trouble instead. Triss is in need of a new position due to unwanted advances from a patron of the school and very hesitantly takes the fake fiancee job, despite the vast differences in her and Hugh’s social station. I loved seeing Hugh demonstrate what a great guy he is and Triss slowly start to trust him. I also enjoyed seeing Hugh’s loving relationship with his family and that we get to see all our favorite characters from Edgewood’s previous books.

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

Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James (2025)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 2 of the Accidental Brides series. Clara is a walking scandal after hitting the prince with her reticule. On her way to Scotland to stay with her aunt, she hitches a ride with another carriage who’s there to pick up a new housekeeper. She’s clearly not a housekeeper and an even worse fake housekeeper, but she’s befriended the driver and she’s on her way. Caelan is the widowed laird who has basically let his estate go to rot because he’s completely apathetic and rustic. But the whole town thinks that he’s heartbroken over the loss of his wife and he doesn’t even have the interest to correct them. When Clara shows up as the new housekeeper, he knows she’s really a lady, but he’s instantly attracted to her and eventually decides he wants to keep her. I loved how delightfully messy these two people are and how they’re able to be fairly direct and honest with each other. It was a lot of fun to read their romance develop and get to know that meddlesome town Caelan oversees.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

The Lady Who Left by Ginny B Moore (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Flower Sisters series. Loads of drama and angst with this book. Marigold is tired of being talked down to and takes a stand against her husband when he wants to send her sweet son off to a cruel school. She’s looking to divorce the man, but knows her case is shaky. She’s lucky that her new barrister, Archie, is so tenacious. She’s less lucky that they’re both attracted to each other and need to fight their feelings to keep things professional. Archie is super sweet and outgoing and charming, and also very protective of Marigold. Watching these two fall in love is an absolute delight. I loved how he was interested in almost anything that Marigold talks about and believes that she deserves care and love. He’s also absolutely amazing with her sons and treated them with so much respect. Loved this book.

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

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.

An Impulsive Kiss by Alexa Aston (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Captivating Kisses series. Judson has a tragic backstory here with being bullied at school and then beaten and punished by his guardian uncle at home, to the point where he thinks that he’s dark inside and doesn’t deserve love. He meets Lucy, who’s in her debut season, and even though he’s attracted to her, he thinks she deserves someone better and stays away. Until he can’t. Lucy is equally attracted to Judson, but she’s trying her best to enjoy her first season and look for a serious prospect to marry. But we all know she’s going to end up with Judson anyway. I loved how Judson slowly starts to open up to Lucy and some new friends and starts to yearn for love and affection for himself. We get some bonus drama with some villainous bullies and that terrible uncle, but it all resolves pretty quickly without leaving us hanging. An easy and comfy read.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

The Duke Disaster by Kathleen Ayers (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the League of Extraordinary Widows series. Widowed Celia is living it up after getting out from under the overbearing thumb of her brother-in-law. She was basically unloved and discarded by her husband immediately upon marriage, so she’s doing her best to find some fun and affection. Unfortunately, it has caused her to collect a scandalous reputation and the family duke, Oliver, is called in to corral her behavior. Oliver is the model of propriety and rigid in all his standards, mostly due to the influence of his very strict mother, so he is instantly aggravated by Celia’s behavior, despite being intensely attracted to her. His anger/attraction is clearly about the boil over at any moment, and we’re not sure if it’ll lead to a proposal or an affair. Celia really is just looking for any shred of affection and her reality is not as scandalous as her reputation appears, but she does love to thumb her nose at all of Oliver’s strict mandates. It’s pretty tense to read how much they dislike each other and I did wonder how they would eventually work it out. Overall, a solid steamy read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Princes of London series. Super fun adventure-type romance between an outspoken bluestocking and a gruff Scotland Yard inspector. Alexandra (Allie to her friends and family) has been left behind to run the family antique shop while her siblings are off on an excavation and she overhears some possibly nefarious plotting at the coffee shop next door. She’s instantly off to Scotland Yard to warn someone and instantly connects with Ben, the serious inspector she meets there. Ben’s pretty much the only person to take her seriously, so she’s extra impressed by him. It’s most definitely instant attraction for both of these two, but they’re doing their best to keep things professional. Somehow, they end up entangled with each other through this mystery and have to team up to put all their clues together. Really enjoyable read.

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

A Duke Never Tells by Suzanne Enoch (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. A quick little trip to spy on Meg’s future husband has turned into total disaster in this very funny historical rom-com. Basically, Lady Meg is in an arranged marriage to a duke with a terrible reputation, so she and her aunt Clara go playing a part of a lady and companion to visit the duke’s estate. Except James is a grumbly sort of duke who is not interested in playing tour guide, so he pretends to be the butler and introduces his man of business Elliot as the duke. We have four different people pretending to be someone they’re not, and it all gets worse when Meg injures her ankle and they have to stay there (and keep up their roles for two weeks). And of course, we get a double romance here with Clara and Elliot pairing off and Meg and James growing closer together, no one knowing the other person’s true identity. It’s mostly funny and sweet and an enjoyable read, especially since we get to see all four characters POVs along the way.

Advance ebook provided by Bramble via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Dreamscape Media.

Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James (2025)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 2 of the Accidental Brides series. Clara is a walking scandal after hitting the prince with her reticule. On her way to Scotland to stay with her aunt, she hitches a ride with another carriage who’s there to pick up a new housekeeper. She’s clearly not a housekeeper and an even worse fake housekeeper, but she’s befriended the driver and she’s on her way. Caelan is the widowed laird who has basically let his estate go to rot because he’s completely apathetic and rustic. But the whole town thinks that he’s heartbroken over the loss of his wife and he doesn’t even have the interest to correct them. When Clara shows up as the new housekeeper, he knows she’s really a lady, but he’s instantly attracted to her and eventually decides he wants to keep her. I loved how delightfully messy these two people are and how they’re able to be fairly direct and honest with each other. It was a lot of fun to read their romance develop and get to know that meddlesome town Caelan oversees.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Lords of Hazards series. Jon comes back from a French prison after being detained for 11 years to find himself a duke. And the daughter of his mentor now lives in his house as his sister’s governess. Due to Jon’s guilt over his mentor’s death, he decides to secretly give Tori a dowry to see her settled into marriage, but he knows he’s not a prospective husband because she’ll end up hating him for what happened with her father. Tori’s totally uninterested in marriage due to her own secrets, and she’d rather use the money to open an art school. There’s a whole lot of bickering and banter between Jon and Tori, but they’re very much attracted to each other, and can’t quite seem to stay away. I enjoyed reading this book and learning all of the backstory and secrets our main characters are hiding. And of course Jon is a much better man than he’s giving himself credit for.

Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Recorded Books.

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Second chance romance time after crashing on a deserted island. Piper is on her way to her best friend’s destination wedding and a cancelled flight puts her on a private plane with her ex-boyfriend Wyatt piloting. And then they crash and are stuck together on an island til rescue can come. Awkward. But also gives them a chance to actually talk to each other and make-up. We get a split of present-day and past-day chapters, all from Piper’s POV, so we get to slowly see how they got together as high schoolers and then we slowly see how they become more comfortable around each other on the island. Between the survival terror and the emotional angst here, it makes for a higher-stakes read than most contemporary romances. I enjoyed it and thought that Wyatt’s caretaking of Piper was really nice. Spice level is fade-to-black.

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

The Lady Who Left by Ginny B Moore (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Flower Sisters series. Loads of drama and angst with this book. Marigold is tired of being talked down to and takes a stand against her husband when he wants to send her sweet son off to a cruel school. She’s looking to divorce the man, but knows her case is shaky. She’s lucky that her new barrister, Archie, is so tenacious. She’s less lucky that they’re both attracted to each other and need to fight their feelings to keep things professional. Archie is super sweet and outgoing and charming, and also very protective of Marigold. Watching these two fall in love is an absolute delight. I loved how he was interested in almost anything that Marigold talks about and believes that she deserves care and love. He’s also absolutely amazing with her sons and treated them with so much respect. Loved this book.

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

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.

Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James (2025)

Historical romance. Georgian-era England. Book 2 of the Accidental Brides series. Clara is a walking scandal after hitting the prince with her reticule. On her way to Scotland to stay with her aunt, she hitches a ride with another carriage who’s there to pick up a new housekeeper. She’s clearly not a housekeeper and an even worse fake housekeeper, but she’s befriended the driver and she’s on her way. Caelan is the widowed laird who has basically let his estate go to rot because he’s completely apathetic and rustic. But the whole town thinks that he’s heartbroken over the loss of his wife and he doesn’t even have the interest to correct them. When Clara shows up as the new housekeeper, he knows she’s really a lady, but he’s instantly attracted to her and eventually decides he wants to keep her. I loved how delightfully messy these two people are and how they’re able to be fairly direct and honest with each other. It was a lot of fun to read their romance develop and get to know that meddlesome town Caelan oversees.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Single Player by Tara Tai (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Cat and Andi have the worst first meeting ever where they make awful first impressions; Cat being rambly and awkward and Andi being cold and standoffish. And Cat gets to be the unwanted temporary employee at Andi’s company, so the work tension is definitely high. Oh, and Andi was totally cold because she was busy being distracted by her intense attraction towards Cat. We have a lot of messy miscommunication here and it’s complicated by the fact that Andi is basically afraid of the world after having been doxxed, stalked, and reviled for years, and Cat is a chronic people pleaser who fakes her personality to match whatever she thinks someone else wants her to be. It’s definitely a slow burn romance as these two very very very slowly become friends and then more. Throw in a bit of workplace sabotage, and we get a very interesting story to read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

What Dreams May Come by Christina Dodd (2025)

Historical romance. Book 1.5 of the Daughter of Montague series. Basically just a one-night adventure story. Rosie has discovered that her younger sister and her friend, the princess, have gone out at night dressed as boys and the princess lost her mother’s ring at a brothel. Rosie goes out to recover the ring and ends up in a series of misfortunes before being rescued/captured by her betrothed. Quick little novella.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke Disaster by Kathleen Ayers (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the League of Extraordinary Widows series. Widowed Celia is living it up after getting out from under the overbearing thumb of her brother-in-law. She was basically unloved and discarded by her husband immediately upon marriage, so she’s doing her best to find some fun and affection. Unfortunately, it has caused her to collect a scandalous reputation and the family duke, Oliver, is called in to corral her behavior. Oliver is the model of propriety and rigid in all his standards, mostly due to the influence of his very strict mother, so he is instantly aggravated by Celia’s behavior, despite being intensely attracted to her. His anger/attraction is clearly about the boil over at any moment, and we’re not sure if it’ll lead to a proposal or an affair. Celia really is just looking for any shred of affection and her reality is not as scandalous as her reputation appears, but she does love to thumb her nose at all of Oliver’s strict mandates. It’s pretty tense to read how much they dislike each other and I did wonder how they would eventually work it out. Overall, a solid steamy read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Duke Report by Fenna Edgewood (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Must Love Scandal series. Tragic prologue for all where Cherry is a single mother grieving the loss of her husband and in a different time and place, Cross is a single father grieving the loss of his wife. Both swear never to love again to avoid another heartbreak. Years later, Cross runs into Cherry in a darkened room, has no idea who she is, mistakes her for a lady he was going to have an assignation with, and kisses her neck. It’s not a good start because Cherry is completely indignant at the situation and tells him off. Cherry is also alarmed that a maid who was supposed to meet her to discuss a secret group of men who have harmed women didn’t show up. There’s a wicked mystery going on in this book with powerful men causing serious harm, and Cherry is the investigative journalist who’s on the case. Until she writes a column blaming the wrong man, and gets entangled back up with Cross, as he clears his name. I loved the flirty banter here and how well their families blended together once their children meet up. We also continue with the mystery that was left hanging from the previous book and learn more about these cruel abductors.

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

The Thrashers by Julie Soto (2025)

Young Adult Thriller. Standalone novel. This book was a lot of fun to read and kept me hooked to find out what happens next. We’re in a high school setting where one girl has committed suicide and five students who make up a tight-knit popular friend group are accused of bullying. We get the whole story from Jodi’s perspective, one of the five, but who often feels like the odd one out. It was super interesting to see the friend group dynamics change over the timeframe of the criminal investigation for these teens. Add in some possible haunting and we’ve got some eerie things happening.

Advance ebook provided by Wednesday Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.

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.