The Countess’s Christmas Groom by Fenna Edgewood (2022)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Blakely Manor series. Quick and steamy novella, where widowed countess Kat is at her family estate for a Christmas house party and she starts a flirtation (and more) with temporary footman and stable groom Ash. They’re basically pushed together through a series of meddlesome acts by others, but the attraction is simmering there and they definitely follow through. Kat is all sorts of skittish with her abusive late husband, but Ash is gentle and patient and kind. Excellent set up for the rest of the series which will feature Kat’s siblings.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Beyond the Sunrise by Mary Balogh (1992)

Historical romance. Napoleonic Wartime Portugal. Standalone novel. We start with the typical aristocratic girl meets illegitimate son romance where they’re torn apart by disapproving parents. And then ten years later, we’re dumped into wartime Portugal, where Robert is an army captain who has worked his way up the ranks, and Joana (formerly Jeanne) is a widowed marquesa flirting her way through society. Robert recognizes Joana almost immediately and is wary of her French origins, while Joana does not realize the current Robert who avoids her advances is the same Robert of her youth. Throw in a bunch of complicated military espionage, and Robert thinks Joana is the enemy, when really, she’s deceptively skilled at her own wartime role. This book is angsty and fiery and full of intrigue. Really masterful work here showing how these two people fall in love despite their tenuous circumstances.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Clover Lake series. Small-town charm with a dash of celebrity here. Ramona is a small-town diner waitress with long-buried dreams of being a costume designer, but shelved everything to come home and help raise her younger sister when her single father is injured. Her sister is finally going off to college and Ramona’s meddling best friend encourages her to branch out. Lucky for them all, a rom-com is being filmed in their small town that summer and Ramona has her chance. One of the movie stars Dylan has her own issues with breaking out of her tabloid gossip cycle and finds comfort in hanging out with Ramona. Things get all sorts of messy with Dylan being the subject of internet fame and gossip and Ramona gets caught up in the whirlwind. The romance here is sweet and genuine in addition to scorching hot. I enjoyed seeing what wacky thing would happen next and I loved the whole cast of supporting small town characters.

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

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Linz McLeod (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Austentatious series. Mrs. Charlotte Collins has just become a widow after four years of marriage and contemplating the next steps for her life. While in mourning, her best friend’s sister Mary Bennet has come to visit and Charlotte starts to have less-than-friendly feelings for the woman. Mary is a self-proclaimed spinster who enjoys her academic pursuits and living with her aunt. She’s bold and original and Charlotte can’t stop thinking about her. We get the whole story from Charlotte’s point of view, with all her insecurities, self-doubts, and general hesitance at life. It’s definitely a slow-burn romance and a learning experience for Charlotte, who has been lonely and sheltered all these years. Loved it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Collins Audio.

Crossing Paths by Katie Ruggle (2025)

Romantic suspense. Book 2 of the Beneath the Wild Sky series. Absolute chaos in all the best ways. Norah and her sisters are bounty hunters, but Norah’s usually a behind the scenes gal doing research from behind her computer screen. Until one of their targets hacks into her computer and sends creepy chat box messages. Along with all that, she’s also taking self-defense lessons from Dash, the local ex-MMA fighter and gym owner. The romance here is super cute and Dash is the ultimate gruff and protective sort. But the real drama revolves around Norah’s digital stalker, plus some other close calls with danger. I mean, we go from drinks on the couch at Dash’s apartment to fire bombs being thrown in the window real fast. It’s the kind of crazy danger that just makes the book more funny than fearsome. Definitely a fun ride.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Until the Rake Surrenders by Darcy Burke (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Rogue Rules series. Fairly straightforward friends to lovers story, with a smidge of danger and drama. Lady Minerva is at a house party and knows that the hostess has been charged with matchmaking while her mother is not in attendance. Luckily or unluckily, her brother’s friend Evan is injured while doing tricks on his horse and Min plays the sister-friend card to go spend time with him while he’s recuperating. And while they’re together, they actually become friendlier and closer together. Fast forward a few weeks and they’re both in Bath for a mini-social season and Min’s mother is encouraging her to find a titled lord to marry. But she’s too busy thinking of Evan, even though her mother doesn’t approve. We get some family drama revealed related to Min’s parents and Evan is dealing with his own scandal. It was fun to read these two interact with each other and how easy their relationship developed out of their friendship. Definitely a solid read.

Advance ebook provided by Darcy Burke.

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The Runaway Heiress by Harper St. George (2025)

Historical romance. American West. Book 0 of the Gilded West series. Super short read here. Sophie is the niece of some unscrupulous miner and she’s being married off to some other shady character. She’s also got a crush on Gray, who works for her uncle as a gunslinger. Of course, Gray is actually working undercover to bring down the evil uncle for his crimes and he’s also got a crush on Sophie. She tries to run away from the wedding, but he catches her and needs to bring her back, but maybe not before spending a night in his rooms. Quick and steamy little novella.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Copper Heir by Harper St. George (2025)

Historical romance. American West. Book 1 of the the Gilded West series. Emmaline is the stepdaughter of an outlaw who gets kidnapped by a rival outlaw gang as revenge. Although Hunter is no ordinary outlaw, since he’s also a wealthy miner and incredibly kind to Emmaline. But you know, she can’t really trust him, so she escapes and then somehow ends up at a brothel auction for her virginity so she can get enough money to run away with her sisters. And of course, Hunter finds her. Lots of action and adventure and shoot outs here with Emmaline and Hunter falling in love despite their impossible circumstances.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Bastard Heir by Harper St. George (2025)

Historical romance. American West. Book 2 of the Gilded West series. Caroline is not happy about her parents’ stipulation that she get married before going to medical school, but she’ll deal with that after her trip out West for a family wedding. Except she runs into a bit of danger on the train and gets entangled with an outlaw, who just happens to be the brother of the groom at the wedding she’s attending. Castillo wants to make sure Caroline keeps quiet about his dual-identity, and she bargains with him to snag a fake courtship so her parents will stop nagging about marriage. But of course, these two are intensely attracted to each other, despite their very different goals in life. It’s high drama and high steam in this quick read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

The Gilded Lady by Harper St. George (2025)

Historical romance. American West. Book 3 of the Gilded West series. Glory is the owner and proprietress of the opulent local brothel and she’s being blackmailed. She seeks the assistance of the friendly neighborhood outlaw Zane to find the blackmailer. He takes it upon himself to be her personal bodyguard and protector while he does the job. Glory and Zane have been circling around each other for awhile now, but she’s got past traumas that keep her away from men and Zane has his own tragic backstory when it comes to love. However, their forced proximity causes them both to confront their demons and try to find some joy with each other. It’s a mess of danger with Glory’s blackmailer and past demons coming for her, so this book is definitely action-packed. I really enjoyed watching Glory open up to Zane and reveal all her secrets.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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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Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine Heath (2018)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Sins for All Seasons series. One of my favorite tropes is the revenge plot, and Lorraine Heath does it so well in this book. Mick Trewlove is the illegitimate son of a duke who won’t acknowledge him, so he sets his sights on financially ruining the legitimate heir and ruining the man’s fiancee. Lady Aslyn is basically a sheltered miss, the ward of the duke, and has had an understanding of an arranged marriage with the Earl of Kipwick her whole life. Except a chance encounter with Mick has her questioning basically everything, especially her own attraction to the man. Loved seeing the tough and grumble Mick turn into a doting suitor around Aslyn and the build up of his revenge. Although the idiotic earl makes everything much easier. Get ready for a really good final confrontation with the duke too. Loved it so much.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Dani’s life has kind of imploded after a break-up and getting fired from her job, so she’s off on a new adventure and new job in Amsterdam. Except her apartment sucks, her job is totally sketchy, and she crashes her bike into her old flame. Wouter was an exchange student living in her house and they had a secret relationship going until he went back home and broke her heart over text. Now they’ve run into each other and Wouter ends up bailing Dani out from her apartment woes, and eventually her visa-related woes. We get an awkward marriage of convenience plot here, and you can feel the tension between these two with every interaction. It’s emotional and steamy and loads of banter. I really enjoyed reading this book. Always a bonus when the first-love learns some bedroom moves and dirty talk while they’re apart for 13 years.

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

When a Duke Loves a Woman by Lorraine Heath (2018)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Sins for All Seasons series. The Duke of Thornley is having a no-good very bad day when he gets left at the altar, attacked by thugs, and left for dead in the alleyway behind a tavern. Luckily, tavern-owner Gillie rescues him and sets him back to health. She’s never felt attraction for a man before and generally keeps to herself and is the rough and tumble tavern owner, but she’s instantly attracted to Thorne when he shows up in her life. Learning that he’s a duke has not deterred her attraction, even as she knows it’s a terrible idea to get involved with him. But he needs help finding his missing fiancee and believes Gillie can provide that assistance. He’s realizing that he prefers Gillie’s company over anyone else’s, but it’s still all a bad idea due to their differences in social station. I loved seeing these two people banter and communicate and finally come together.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super steamy flirting and banter between these two workplace rivals stuck together on a training retreat. Tris is your typical woman of color in a white male-dominated workforce, overlooked for many promotions, and losing out leadership positions to the boss’s son Rafe. She’s totally surprised when she’s selected to go on a training retreat in Maui, but irritated that she’s stuck traveling with her rival Rafe. Being forced to share a room might actually force them to call a truce though, and we get all sorts of angry flirting along the way. Once we get away from the taunting each other and get to the actual relationship-building, I loved this book, and loved how sweet Rafe actually was (and not the dude-bro persona he gives off).

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

The King of Whitechapel by Barbara Russell (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 7 of the Victorian Outcasts series. Loved this quick second chance romance read. Elizabeth is the youngest daughter of an earl who is curious about the new secret visitor to her house. Christopher is the illegitimate son of a duke who was expelled from Eton and sent to the earl’s house to stay temporarily. They grow closer together when they get stuck in a terrible snowstorm, but are pretty much forced to separate upon their return to the big manor house, and also need to keep their time together a secret. We jump forward five years and Elizabeth is pretty much coerced into a courtship with Christopher’s brother and current duke. It was interesting to see how they work out their relationship after being separated all these years and for Elizabeth to finally push back against her parents. We get to see Christopher’s new domain in Whitechapel and how he allows a false but vicious reputation surround him. Loved seeing these two together again.

Advance ebook provided by Olive Heber Books via BookSprout.

A Touch of Steele by Cathy Maxwell (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Gambler’s Daughters series. Excellent mystery-adventure plot here. Beckett Steele is seeking answers about the dreams he’s been having about someone who he believes to be his mother, and to do this, he’s decided to infiltrate a country house party of the father he has never met. Beckett enlists Gwendolyn’s help to go to the party and provide a card-playing distraction, but when they get there, nothing is quite what it seems. We get some early hints throughout the book about Beckett’s identity and danger lurking behind every corner. I loved how easy the romance part was, so that these two could quickly team up against the dangers that surround them.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

When the Duke Loved Me by Lydia Lloyd (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Rake Chronicles series. If you enjoy historical romances that involve a mystery or quest, this one will definitely be for you. We start with a garden tryst that ends badly when a duke’s heir and a country miss find out that the person they’re trysting with is a longtime family enemy due to prior scandal. We jump seven years later to find that John, the new duke, is stuck executing an arduous component of his father’s will in order to prevent further scandal to be heaped upon his sister’s reputation. He needs to find his father’s former lover and give her an annuity to fulfill the will and save his sister’s dowry. John needs the help of the woman’s niece, Catherine, who has also borne the brunt of the old family scandal and now lives in poverty with the family of a baronet. Over the course of the book, we learn that the old duke’s indiscretion was revealed loudly and caused a great deal of upheaval for both families involved. Catherine agrees to help John locate her aunt in exchange for money, but she has little hope of finding the woman who ran off and was never seen again. While John and Catherine try to stay serious and professional with each other, it’s clear that they are still attracted to each other, and wish that their family circumstances weren’t so complicated. I really enjoyed learning more about the past scandal as bits and pieces of history unfolded as these two try to locate her aunt. Everything tied together so well and was really interesting to uncover. And of course, the steamy romance between John and Catherine was exceptional.

Advance ebook provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley.

When the Viscount Wanted Me by Lydia Lloyd (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Rake Chronicles series. Henrietta is a beautiful and sought after debutante who has a tryst with a man she believes to be her friend, but is now being pushy about marriage. Trem overhears the man lamenting over Henrietta’s rejection and suspects that the man is trying to ruin Henrietta’s reputation. Being Henrietta’s brother’s best friend, Trem tries to resolve the issue by questioning the lady. Turns out the pushy guy’s accusations were true and now Trem sees Henrietta in a new (and attractive) light. They pretty quickly start their own affair and end up engaged in the process. Henrietta has had a longstanding crush on Trem and is pleased that he desires her in return, but is keeping secrets about her parentage and worries over Trem’s reaction. This book was high on the steam, quick on the getting together, and also high in external drama. An entertaining adventure.

Advance ebook provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley.

When the Earl Desired Me by Lydia Lloyd (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Rake Chronicles series. This one is a second chance romance between an earl and a former maid in his house who he has not seen in thirteen years. Augustus and Olivia has a secret relationship many years ago until she disappears out of the blue and leaves him heartbroken. It turns out that she received a note from him dismissing her and asking her to leave. Clearly, he was not the one to have left this note, but that doesn’t change the fact that she leaves the country. She’s back now as a lady’s companion and these two have a chance to reconnect. Augustus is determined to never let her out of his sight again and is serious in his intentions for her. It also turns out that his rakish reputation is not what it seems and I love how he reveals all of this to Olivia. Super steamy and sweet all at once.

Advance ebook provided by Lydia Lloyd via BookSprout.

When the Lord Adored Me by Lydia Lloyd (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Part of the Rake Chronicles series. Lady Petunia is off on an adventure through Europe with her mother after rejecting her best friend Lord Edgar’s proposal. And when she’s busy with another man, she realizes she made a horrible mistake and would rather be with Edgar. As soon as she gets home, she goes to belated accept his proposal, but he’s spent the past year trying to get over her and realize that they’re total opposites and might not be able to build a marriage together. Somehow, they end up in a 12 days of Christmas bargain at Edgar’s brother’s townhouse that’s used for liaisons. We’re in for a steamy treat for most of the book, but still with amazing emotional connection and depth. Loved this quick and dirty read.

Ebook provided by Lydia Lloyd.

When the Marquess Needed Me by Lydia Lloyd (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rake Chronicles series. Leith is pretty much the most uptight and repressed sort of fellow I’ve ever read and basically beds all his mistresses completely clothed and in a perfunctory nature. It all changes with Beatrice though, who demands to be bedded with more skill and variety as she learns to be a courtesan. Of course, everyone gets their feelings involved and both of these people need to let go of their separate hang-ups, but it was really nice to see two people communicate well and let down their walls. Loads of spice, flirting, banter, and a whole lot of teary-eyed emotional support. Excellent conclusion to the series.

Advance ebook provided by Tule Books via BookSprout.

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

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

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