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.

Historical Romance Books with the Word “Devil” in the Title

Nov 15, 2023 | Book Reviews

The Devil’s Own Duke by Lenora Bell (2021)

Book 2 of the Wallflowers vs Rogues series. Hetty’s father is a totally uninterested duke who is overjoyed to find that a distantly related heir has appeared. Somehow her father comes up with the idea that Hetty and Ash should get married so that Hetty will be taken care of and that she will continue to live on the estate. These two disagree with what to do with the lands on the country estate. Hetty has plans for a vineyard and her winemaking, while Ash wants to start a horse breeding stable and operation. Even though these two are married early on in the story, it takes awhile for them to truly trust each other.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Devil Is a Marquess by Elisa Braden (2016)

Book 4 of the Rescued from Ruin series. Wealthy heiress Charlotte has not had success in finding a husband in her many London seasons, so her father decides to select Benedict, the wastrel impoverished marquess to be her husband. Benedict promises sobriety and fidelity to claim his payout after one year. Charlotte goes along with the marriage, but really has plans to take half the dowry in a year and establish her own independence. Somehow these two are stuck together in an impoverished country estate and need to fix it up. They start a tentative friendship… and once Benedict stops being a drunkard and actually works hard at his land, we get to see a really nice slow-burn romance develop.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne (2021)

Historical romance, Victorian England. Book 3 of the Devil You Know series. We start with another tragic prologue telling us about the Mont Clair Massacre, where the entire household was slaughtered and burned. It seems that Pippa (the cook’s daughter) has survived and now assumes the identity of Francesca (the new countess) and is seeking revenge. As she gets deeper into infiltrating her enemy’s lair, she catches the attention of a spy, Chandler, who is also targeting the same enemy. It turns out that Chandler is her childhood friend who she loved and saved her, but he was in love with Francesca and believes her to have truly survived the massacre. It’s a tangle of lust and secrets here and slightly heartbreaking for the woman who is actually in front of the man she loves.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Devil’s Submission by Nicola Davidson (2017)

Book 2 of the Fallen series. We start with the couple being estranged and the wife not really knowing why. She had enjoyed the marital bed, but tries to tamp down her enthusiasm, thinking that she’s supposed to be proper and docile and obedient. Meanwhile her husband is hiding the fact that he’s the submissive one and wants her to take charge in the bedroom. Neither of them talk about what it is that they really want, mostly because of propriety and all that. But they’ve got to have it out at some point if they’re going to get back together.

Shop this book via Amazon // Libro.fm

Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (2006)

Book 3 of Wallflowers Series. Evie Jenner is desperate to escape her overbearing guardians. She knows the only way to do that and to see her father before he dies is to wed. Evie proposes a marriage of convenience to an equally desperate gentleman: Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. After their elopement, they return to Evie’s father’s gambling club, where he is on his deathbed. Evie has assumed that she and Sebastian would lead separate lives after he collects her dowry, so she is surprised to find him integrating himself into running the club. As Evie finds herself in peril from others, Sebastian is compelled to protect her. Their marriage may turn out to be more emotionally entangled than initially intended. This one gets a lot of positive reviews for the reformed rake trope here. St. Vincent is essentially a villain towards Evie’s friend Lillian in the previous book, and Evie totally takes advantage of that desperation for her own purposes. It’s crazy to see the amount of turnaround that St. Vincent goes through over the course of the book when you see him slowly fall in love with his own wife.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (2017)

Book 3 of Ravenels Series. Pandora Ravenel is completely uninterested in marriage. She plans to build her business creating board games and is unwilling to hand over control to a husband. However, she gets herself stuck (literally, in fact) in a situation with Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent, and finds herself embroiled in scandal. Gabriel has been successfully avoiding marriage for many years, but still tries to do the honorable thing. After some advice from dear old dad (Sebastian from Devil in Winter, the previous Lord St. Vincent, and now the Duke of Kingston), the Ravenels are invited to the family house for a week. As Gabriel and Pandora get to know each other, he finds her charmingly irresistible, and she finds herself torn between wanting him and keeping her independence. Of the books I’ve read thus far, this one actually had a scene that made me laugh out loud. Pandora is my absolute favorite with her feminist ideals and outspoken nature. She speaks plainly and directly, leaving no room for misinterpretation of what she wants.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas (2019)

Book 5 of Ravenels Series. Phoebe and her entire family are at the Ravenel estate for the wedding of her brother Gabriel to Pandora Ravenel (our couple from Devil in Spring). Phoebe is just coming out of mourning for her late husband and childhood sweetheart and encounters West Ravenel, who was her late husband’s childhood bully. However, West has matured and is no longer that bullying oaf. As the estate manager, West gives a tour of the farms to Sebastian (Duke of Kingston, Phoebe’s father), Phoebe, and her son Justin (Lord Clare). Since Justin is set to run his own estate when he comes of age, it would benefit Phoebe to learn about land management. She grows closer to West in learning all these things, but he believes he isn’t worthy of her. This book overlaps the timeline for Devil in Spring and Hello Stranger, which I adore because I love reading different perspectives of common events. Oh, and we get to see our beloved Sebastian being an awesome dad. This book is where you see West’s transformation from Book 1 pay off. You really needed to meet West as a lazy drunkard back then to appreciate how knowledgeable and responsible he is now. And the bonus about West Ravenel is that he didn’t suddenly improve himself after meeting the lady he falls in love with; his entire transformation happens before he ever meets Phoebe, showing that it was for his own sense of self-worth and responsibility.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas (2021)

Merritt Sterling is the daughter of Lillian and Marcus (who were the couple from It Happened One Autumn, Book 2 of the Wallflowers series) now all grown up, widowed, and running the shipping business her late husband left behind. Somehow, she meets Keir MacRae who is a Scottish whiskey distiller, probably trying to sell his product. Well, they meet, they hit it off, they tryst… but Keir is somehow a target for harm, so at some point, he’s attacked and loses his memory, and needs Merritt to take care of him. And… there’s an ongoing joke about him being as handsome as a certain duke that we all know and love from previous Kleypas books. So there’s some sort of connection there that is yet to be uncovered.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fm

The Devilish Mr. Danvers by Vivienne Lorret (2015)

Book 2 of the Rakes of Fallow Hall series. Hedley has inherited a crumbling cottage and decides she’ll live there to get away from her abusive family. Rafe wants access to the same cottage because of some family artifact hidden there and decides he should try to help Hedley marry someone else so that she’ll move out. Of course in their arguing and bickering, they end up with each other instead.

Shop this book via Amazon

The Devil of Downtown by Joanna Shupe (2020)

Historical romance set in Gilded Age New York; book 3 of the Uptown Girls series. This one has the youngest sister of the series out doing charitable works and asking the local crime boss for assistance. In exchange for his help, he wants to be seen in public with her to get closer to a business associate. And then after that, we snowball into their intense chemistry and attraction and then deal with their opposite stations in life.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George (2021)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Gilded Age Heiresses series. This book deals with August’s younger sister Violet and Evan’s best friend Christian in a road trip escape from the suitor that Violet’s parents have selected for her. Believing that she is safe from her parents’ meddling now that her sister has settled with the duke in Book 1, Violet is caught off guard when she realizes that her father has agreed to a match with a viscount. She plans to run away and is aided by an earl, Christian, who has his own designs on her and hopes to force a marriage when they’re caught together. Of course, during the trip, these two actually talk and get to know each other, so Christian feels guilty for his planned betrayal. Violet is also opening up to the idea of marriage, since she feels so connected to Christian. In the background, Violet is working on writing a novel and has based her main hero on Christian without him realizing it. This book has all the calamities you would expect in a road trip novel plus the added dread of uncovering Christian’s deception. We also introduce the pairing on Violet’s brother Maxwell with her friend Lady Helena when they team up to chase after the runaway pair.

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

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads!

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.

Weekly Reads: November 6 to 12, 2023

Nov 14, 2023 | Book Reviews

A Deal with the Earl by Sadie Bosque (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Julie is the daughter of a cruel and oppressive marquess and avoiding marriage during her Seasons while she waits for her childhood sweetheart to return home from war. Unfortunately, her father has set up a match with Robert, an earl and heir to a duke, and she can’t get out of it. Despite starting off angry at being managed and betrothed without her knowledge, Julie soon makes a deal with Robert that she will go through with the marriage if he helps get her sister out of an asylum and bring her home to live with them; in exchange, she will provide the heirs that Robert needs. While these two don’t trust each other at first, once we see how kind Robert is towards Julie’s sister, even Julie accepts that he is a good person and that their marriage is the only way to have rescued her sister. The romance here is incredibly slow-burn, but satisfying to read.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

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

An Agreement with the Soldier by Sadie Bosque (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Necessary Arrangements series. John is the third son of a baron and was sent off to war by his sweetheart’s father to keep him away from her; upon his return, he finds that he is now the baron of an impoverished estate. He needs to marry an heiress quickly and soon begins courting a wealthy duchess. Although they get along well enough and are expected to marry, John is friendly with and attracted to Samantha, who is quieter than her friend. John tries to stay away from Samantha, knowing that his own baggage from the war will bring her down, but somehow ends up in a situation where he needs to marry her. While Samantha tries to accommodate John’s emotional distance, she gets tired of that quickly, and resolves to understand and help him instead. John has a lot of self-loathing in this story, but it’s nice to see him slowly start to thaw around Samantha as well as feel a sense of belonging on his estate.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Chasing Lady Amelia by Maya Rodale (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series. This book takes place during the same timeline as Book 1 of the series, but it still makes sense to read it as standalone. Amelia is the youngest sister of a new duke, freshly arrived to the Ton from America, where she is constrained by all the rules of decorum. After a disastrous evening at Almack’s and a huge fight with her family, Amelia finds herself wandering the streets at night and being rescued by a stranger. Alistair is newly back in England after traveling for the past six years, summoned by his uncle to woo and marry one of the American girls. It’s his lucky day when he realizes that the girl he rescued is the most scandalous of those girls. While Amelia gives a fake name and identity, she and Alistair end up spending the day together, seeing all the sights that proper Lady Amelia has not been allowed to do. It’s a whirlwind perfect day that leaves both Amelia and Alistair nearly in love with each other; except that Alistair has known who she was all along and is starting to feel guilty for deceiving her all day. About half the book takes place over that one day, but then Amelia goes home and eventually learns about Alistair’s true motives. The question is whether he can successfully grovel his way into her good graces again.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Lady’s Rules for Ruin by Jennifer Haymore (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Lions and Lilies series. Frances is completely uninterested in marriage, despite the meddling of her family members. She decides to put herself in a ruinous situation so that she can finally be an unmarriageable spinster. Her plan works out quite well; with her unwitting kissing partner on a ship bound for Egypt, Frances has the freedom to pursue a variety of interests without the pressure of balls and soirees. One experiment in charity work brings her to a boys’ orphanage where she is to tutor a child on manners before he meets an important lord. Evan is a charming and amiable earl who has just found out that his father has been financially supporting an illegitimate son and he goes to meet the boy. When at the orphanage, he immediately realizes the mistreatment of the child and decides to bring his brother home with him. Luckily Frances has already formed a bond with the boy and is there to soothe the young child’s temperament when faced with his new situation. Frances and Evan have interacted with each other before at social events, but Frances was always suspicious of Evan’s gregarious nature even though he has always been intrigued by her outspokenness. We get to see Frances and Evan bond over the care of his newfound brothers (yes, plural, he definitely finds more) and develop a friendship and then affair. I loved seeing Evan take responsibility for his brothers and build a family with them.

Advance ebook provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

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

Investigating the Duke by Alexa Aston (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 8 of the Suddenly a Duke series. This one is the final book of the series, where we get to see how Shelby becomes an accomplished Bow Street Runner. We’ve seen Shelby at work many times throughout the series, solving cases for the other sudden dukes. This book features Jasper, a third son of a duke and vicar, who suddenly becomes a duke when his father passes away from illness, his oldest brother drunkenly falls down the stairs, and his second oldest brother dies at war. The timing of his oldest brother’s death along with his father’s death seems to be suspicious, so Jasper heads to hire a Bow Street Runner to investigate. The very accomplished Shelby is assigned to the case and she poses as Jasper’s new secretary to blend in with the household. The romance here was fairly straightforward, with Jasper deciding pretty quickly that he wants to marry Shelby after the investigation is over. However, finding out the cause of deaths for Jasper’s family members is much more complicated and kept me very invested in the story.

Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.

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

A Bargain with the Rake by Sadie Bosque (2021)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Necessary Arrangements series. Evie is a duchess in her own right, but her money and estates are controlled by guardians who wants to secure the dukedom for their own immediate family. She runs away from them after overhearing a plot to marry or murder her and proposes a marriage of convenience to Gabriel, who is a renowned rake. He agrees to her bargain and they set off on the road to elope. We get to see all sorts of road trip calamities here with broken carriage axles, brigands, rainstorms, and limited shelter options. Evie tries really hard to resist any physical relationship with Gabriel, since she believes he will someday break her heart. Gabriel has had a cold childhood and upbringing so he thinks that he won’t be able to love Evie, only that he’d be able to bring her pleasure. It’s a lot of back and forth between these two in terms of their emotional relationship, but their friendship is pretty strong as they make their way towards their wedding destination. Despite Gabriel’s overly flirtatious nature, he does care for and comfort Evie the best that he can and vows to always protect her.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Kilty Plea by Caroline Lee (2023)

Historical romance. Medieval Scotland. Book 2 of the Kilty Pleasures series. King’s Hunter Payton has taken care of some bandits at an Abbey and the creepy Abbot offers him a woman as payment. Somehow he has acquired the frail Flora as his maybe-wife and takes her away from the terrible commune where she’s been living. She’s happy to go with Payton so that she can search for her brother who she’s been separated from for many years. We get to see Flora and Payton get to know each other and develop a bond, even though both are terribly insecure about their own appearances: Flora believes that she’s plain and ugly, while Payton’s face is badly scarred from a previous assignment. This book is a pretty quick read, with lots of humor and steam, along with Payton’s overwhelming boisterous family and festive holiday cheer.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

This Spells Love by Kate Robb (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Gemma has just been dumped by her long-time boyfriend and she’s drunkenly doing some sort of cleansing ritual with her aunt, sister, and best friend, Dax. She wakes up the next day in an alternate reality where she had never met her ex, but then she had also never met her best friend Dax. In trying to get back to her own reality, she needs to re-do the ritual at the appropriate moon-phase, but will also need Dax’s participation. Gemma sets off to befriend Dax in this universe, but realizes that they have romantic feelings for each other instead. It seems she never got the chance to think of Dax as anything but a friend, since she quickly fell into a serious relationship with the other guy. This book was funny and sweet and also steamy. It was an easy, relatively low-angst, friends-to-lovers read.

Advance ebook provided by The Dial Press 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

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads!

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.

Writing Girls Historical Romance Book Series by Maya Rodale

Nov 13, 2023 | Book Reviews

A Groom of One’s Own by Maya Rodale (2010)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Writing Girls series. Sophie gets jilted on her wedding day in a horribly embarrassing prologue. A year later, Sophie has become a well-known newspaper writer with a column featuring weddings of the aristocracy. She has a meet-cute with a duke (who she doesn’t know is a duke) and is later shocked to find that he is engaged to be married and that she will need to report upon the wedding. Brandon is the ultra-serious and responsible double duke who has decided to marry an equally respectable lady. However, he’s completely distracted and besotted by Sophie, but cannot break his duty to his fiancee. It’s all tricky business being an upstanding fellow. Luckily, his fiancee isn’t actually in love with him and has another suitor in the mix. This book was a fun countdown towards the wedding day and left me wondering how everything would all work out for all four players involved.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Tale of Two Lovers by Maya Rodale (2011)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Writing Girls series. Lady Juliana Somerset is the secret author of the gossip column at the weekly paper and has written that Lord Roxbury may have been trysting with another man backstage at the theater. Roxbury’s now-questionable proclivities have made him a social outcast and also forced his father to issue an ultimatum: Roxbury needs to marry within the month or be financially cut off. He doesn’t really want to marry, but even if he did, no proper ladies will receive him with his current reputation. He seeks retribution from the paper and finds that Juliana is the cause of his downfall. They start needling each other at every instance, until they get caught in their own scandal. Juliana is wary of Roxbury, especially since he’s a rake, because of her experience with her late husband (who died in a drunken carriage accident with his mistress), so he has a lot of work to do to get her to trust him. In the background, we’re also trying to uncover the identity of the rival gossip columnist from the rival newspaper, which is a fun little mystery to follow.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Tattooed Duke by Maya Rodale (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Writing Girls series. One of the Writing Girls, Eliza, is tasked with getting all the scoop on the newly returned duke in town. She applies for a position as a housemaid in the duke’s house and is able to find out all sorts of gossip to use about him in her new column, The Tattooed Duke. While Sebastian is part of a family infamous for its rakish and inappropriate treatment of female staff members, he is trying to stay vigilant and keep his hands off of the ever-attractive Eliza. Despite finding his estate in disarray and in debt, Sebastian would rather be sailing the world and leading an expedition to Timbuktu. Unfortunately, all of the press about his scandalous reputation does not help him acquire the funding he needs for the expedition. Meanwhile, Sebastian and Eliza seem to be growing closer while she’s in his employ, even though he doesn’t know that she’s the one betraying all his confidences. We also get some fun twisty secrets about both Sebastian and Eliza as we progress through the book, with tons of dramatic fallout along the way.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Three Schemes and a Scandal by Maya Rodale (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3.5 of the Writing Girls series. Lady Charlotte is a walking disaster with all of her scheming. As the sister of a duke, she gets away with quite a bit, but still somehow wreaks havoc on society. She gets herself into a tangle with her once-childhood friend James, which leads to his father’s ire and banishment of James. In trying to help them make up with each other, they get into more trouble together. But as they’ve reconnected after all these years apart, both James and Charlotte are beginning to develop stronger feelings for each other. This novella was quick and humorous to read, with all of the chaos that happens at every turn.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale (2012)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Writing Girls series. Annabelle has been in love with the newspaper editor and owner Derek Knightly for ages, but he has not noticed her in the least. Finally tired of being overlooked, Annabelle turns to her own advice column to ask the people of London for tips on how to attract her man. Meanwhile, Derek is being influenced by a marquess who has the ability to shut down the newspaper but also wants Derek to court and marry his sister. This scheme has the benefit of protecting the newspaper as well as gain entrance into proper society by marrying the sister of a marquess. Clearly, Derek has his own hang-ups being the illegitimate and unacknowledged son of an earl, and is a complete workaholic to prove his worth. As Annabelle starts to enact her schemes of wooing Derek, he’s completely baffled by her behavior and wondering why he’s suddenly noticing her. It’s pretty heartbreaking to watch him be completely oblivious to her efforts, proving that he really is the idiot that’s mentioned in her column. He finally does wise up to Annabelle’s charms, but there’s definitely a lot of drama along the way.

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.

Whitechapel Wagers Historical Romance Book Series by Christy Carlyle

Nov 9, 2023 | Book Reviews

Scandalous Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Super quick novella with Elizabeth, the police boss’ daughter, going to proposition Ian for a tryst. Elizabeth would like to prioritize teaching in her charity school for the underprivileged and doesn’t see herself as a good match for marriage, but wants to experience carnal relations before she’s a permanent spinster. She seeks out Ian, one of her father’s employees, since she’s desperately attracted to him. Ian is equally attracted to Elizabeth and has actually been waiting to court her properly after getting a job promotion and earning more money to be able to provide for her. Their tryst is interrupted by a violent crime in the neighborhood and there’s a bit of drama the next day when it seems like her father disapproves. However, this super short novella wraps up pretty quickly without too much angst.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

Wanton Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Will and Ada meet under less-than-ideal circumstances when Will comes to call upon Ada’s younger sister, thinking that she was his friend’s mistress. Unfortunately, the young and impressionable Beth thought that she was in a loving affair with Will’s friend and has also been missing for several days. Although Ada is insulted by Will’s assumptions, she continues to bump into him as she searches for her sister. These two end up teaming up to locate Beth and very quickly fall in love with each other in their time together. This was a chance meeting type of romance and it was pretty short and easy to read.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

Reckless Wager by Christy Carlyle (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Whitechapel Wagers series. Kate, the sister of Will from the previous book, has been secretly volunteering at a medical clinic in the poor part of town. She knows that she will likely have to give up her charitable work when she finally accepts the proposal of a long-time friend of hers. One of her last patients is a woman who was badly beaten, but will only speak with a specific detective. When Kate seeks out this detective, she finds Ben to be drunk and needing assistance to his own residence. Eventually, he sobers up, and the two team up to find the patient who has gone missing from the clinic. These two have their own past hurts from previous relationships, but it’s nice to see them become so smitten with each other so quickly. We also get rid of Kate’s almost-fiance here and showcase his boorish behavior. Overall, another relatively quick read in this series and good for when you’re looking for a less complex plot.

Ebook purchased from Amazon.

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.

Rogues and Roses Historical Romance Book Series by Lorraine Heath

Nov 8, 2023 | Book Reviews

A Duke of Her Own by Lorraine Heath (2009)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Rogues and Roses series. At twenty-six years old, Louisa determines that she has no marital prospects as the impoverished sister of an earl so she takes a job as a chaperone for American heiresses that need assistance navigating through society. Her brother and his two friends are terrible candidates for her charges, so she warns them away. Hawk is one of those determined friends who needs a wealthy duchess so that he can bring his secret and illegitimate younger sister into society. Knowing that Louisa’s approval is necessary, Hawk sets out to soften Louisa’s stance on his courtship of her charge. Of course, Hark is distracted by Louisa herself and is more attracted to her than the woman he’s supposed to be courting.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Just Wicked Enough by Lorraine Heath (2007)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Rogues and Roses series. An impoverished marquess holds an auction with the wealthiest American fathers to sell himself in matrimony to the highest bidder. We end up with an arranged marriage between Kate, the younger daughter of an American banker, with Michael, a cold and unemotional marquess. They’re both keeping secrets from each other, but still try to very slowly get to know each other after the wedding. Michael is lonely and unloved, mostly because his mother can’t remember him with her dementia and is kept in an asylum. Kate is pining over her lost love, who her parents accused of being a fortune hunter and has now married someone else. That leaves both Michael and Kate terribly unsure of themselves and in a bit of an animosity-filled relationship. Even with the physical attraction that’s apparent from the beginning, this one is a slow-burn relationship with each person slowly learning to trust the other.

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.

Weekly Reads: October 30 to November 5, 2023

Nov 7, 2023 | Book Reviews

Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Scandalous series. This book starts with a heartbreaking prologue where Olivia and James meet as youths, are nearly engaged, and then Olivia is married off in exchange for money for her father’s debts. Ten years later, Olivia is widowed and being pursued by one of her late husband’s associates looking for smuggled treasure. When Olivia flees London to investigate a lead, she’s soon caught by James who vows to assist her and secure her safety. He’s been feeling guilty and regretful ever since he missed his chance to marry her all those years ago. We get these two partnering up to solve the mystery her late husband left behind and rekindling their lost love. Super interesting to uncover the mystery and see it tie back to characters from previous books in the series. And we eventually unmask the writer of the notoriously scandalous pamphlet that has been circulating in London.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Secret of My Seduction by Caroline Linden (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4.5 of the Scandalous series. Quick novella here with Bathsheba asking for bedding lessons from Liam, the publisher of her anonymously penned naughty novels. Bathsheba is running out of ideas (and experience) for her books, so she figures some hand-on research is needed. While Liam tries to reject her at first, he soon realizes that he doesn’t want her turning to anyone else. As they spend more time together, Liam slowly realizes that he wants to keep Bathsheba in his life for good.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

Project Duke by Mariah Stone (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Dukes and Secrets series. Lady Calliope has no interest in marriage since she’s so independent and outspoken and has goals of opening her own sleuth agency. However, when the dastardly marquess who hurt her many years ago announces his intentions to marry her, she needs to find a protector in short order. She’s hoping to gain the information to rescue her missing brother, but instead ends up entangled with Nathaniel, a handsome but impoverished duke. His late father has been trying to dictate his actions by withholding his inheritance until Nathaniel marries and provides an heir and time is running out. Nathaniel proposes a marriage of convenience to Calliope in exchange for assisting her find her brother. Although these two are very much attracted to each other, their personalities are completely ill-suited. Calliope is brash and independent and always getting herself into danger, while Nathaniel has emotional scars from being unable to protect his mother from danger and he wants to keep his new wife and sisters safe from harm. I found both characters a little irritating in their incapacity of empathizing with their partner’s stance. However, we slowly uncover more information about Calliope’s missing brother and continue to interact with her warm and loving family.

Advance ebook provided by Mariah Stone via BookSprout.

Not the Duke You Marry by Jess Michaels (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Kent’s Row Duchesses series. With both of her widow friends married now, Bernadette is feeling lonely and undesirable. She expresses her interest in finding a lover to Theo, a childhood friend who she recently reconnected with. His aghast reaction makes her feel horribly rejected and insecure, but she rallies and finds her way to a pleasure club. When Theo spots her there, he tries to emphasize how dangerous her actions are, but really he just lusts after her himself and is conflicted about his feelings. These two go back and forth a bit, but end up having an affair, and try very hard not to fall in love with each other. Add in a backstory where Theo had long ago rejected a chance to marry Bernadette and we’re just waiting for her to be heartbroken by the revelation. Lots of steam and internal revelations in this one, without too much external drama.

Advance ebook provided by Jess Michaels via NetGalley.

Lady Bridget’s Diary by Maya Rodale (2016)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Keeping Up with the Cavendishes series. The Cavendish family consists of a newly inherited duke and his three sisters, all new to England from America. They’ve all been taken under the wing of their aunt and duchess, learning all the stuffy rules of society. Bridget is the middle sister who seems to want to embrace the rules and try to fit in so that she isn’t mocked so easily. At her first ball, she meets the charming and handsome Rupert and his super stuffy and cold older brother Darcy. While it seems that Bridget and Rupert are headed towards courtship, Darcy is the one who cannot stop staring at and thinking about Bridget. Nevermind that he’s almost engaged to the ton’s latest mean girl, Francesca, who tries to disparage Bridget at every instance. While there’s a lot of chaos with the unconventional Cavendish family, we get to see the bickering relationship between Bridget and Darcy turn into something more. This book was a lot of fun to read, with all its parallels to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Earl I Want for Christmas by Colleen Kelly (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novella. Soon-to-be spinster Lydia is contemplating accepting a proposal from her latest suitor, the local vicar. When her dashing and rakish neighbor Gabriel returns to his estate, she is distracted by the memory of her first kiss with him six years prior. Before committing herself to a boring marriage with the vicar, she proposes an affair with Gabriel to experience passion while she has the chance. Gabriel is definitely not marriage material after being spurned by his previous fiance but he does intend to follow through with Lydia’s demands. While their affair is definitely very steamy and their expectations are made clear up front, we also get to see the honorable side of Gabriel as he interacts with others in town along with the care and tenderness he shows Lydia. Quick to read, with lots of spice and heart.

Advance ebook provided by Colleen Kelly

Get the ebook from the author’s website.

The Phantom of Drury Lane by Kate Bateman (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Scandals and Scoundrels of Drury Lane series. Lucy has recently returned to London after traveling extensively with her family and is quickly met by Will, her childhood crush and brother’s friend who soundly rejected her after a kiss five years ago. While sharing the latest gossip with her, Will challenges Lucy to unmask the mysterious Phantom who sits in a private box at the theater. Since Lucy loves a challenge, she agrees to the scheme. In the course of her investigation, she and Will spend more time together and she is reminded of her past feelings for him. It’s interesting to read about Will’s perspective of the long ago kiss as well, since he was the one who broke Lucy’s heart. And since this is a fairly quick novella, we can pretty much guess who the Phantom is and see how it plays into Will’s determination to win Lucy’s affections.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard (2023)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Taming of the Dukes series. Lots of banter and bickering here between Vesper (daughter of a duke) and Aspen (the duke next door and former childhood friend). Somehow these two had a falling out as teenagers, grew apart, and then Aspen spurned Vesper at her debut ball. Now it’s many years later, Aspen has been off looking for fossils and back in England to deal with his wretched mother. Despite multiple offers of marriage, Vesper is still unwed and ruling society with her perfect poise. Aspen believes Vesper to be a spoiled society miss and tries to avoid her, even though he needs her help in preparing his mother’s ward for the Season. Despite Vesper’s outward appearance and reputation, she’s still the same outspoken and fiery lady she’s always been in the presence of her trusted friends. There’s a lot of push-and-pull between Aspen and Vesper as they fight, and kiss, and push each other away.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Forever Books.

It Had to Be a Duke by Vivienne Lorret (2023)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Liar’s Club series. Verity is the oddball of her family, being sensible and plain, rather than an outrageous actor. Faced with an embarrassing situation with her catty neighbor, she makes up a lie that she’s engaged to a duke. When Magnus hears a rumor about this from the father of the heiress he means to marry, he hastens to the village where Verity lives to settle this issue. Magnus and Verity are longstanding family rivals from a time when Magnus’ father lost a lot of money in an investment and Magnus has blamed Verity’s father for the swindle. He definitely does not want to be associated with Verity or her family, but he seems to need to rescue her from her own clumsiness and daring. He’s also annoying stiff and proper and sometimes even mean to her. Of course, he’s only mean to her because he’s attracted to her when he doesn’t want to be. They continue a temporary fake engagement so that he doesn’t appear outwardly cruel, and he slowly starts to soften towards her. There’s definitely a lot of grudge-holding and angry bickering in this story, so it’s interesting to see how these two find common ground.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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

Useful Resources:

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

Thanks for reading Random Olive Reads!

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.

Cavensham Heiresses Series by Janna MacGregor / Historical Romance Book Series

Nov 6, 2023 | Book Reviews

The Bad Luck Bride by Janna MacGregor (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Alex is out to avenge his sister’s death by buying up a certain lord’s debts and having him jilt his fiancee. To save the fiancee Claire from ruin, he proposes to her himself. Claire has her own problems and is known for having a curse around her due to the losses of previous fiances to death, disease, and dismemberment. She’s wary of losing yet another one and feels pressured to go through with the marriage to Alex. She also has trauma and fears related to the death of her parents as a child and she tries to hide her unease from Alex to prevent him from thinking she’s insane. Alex meanwhile is still dealing with his vengeance plot and keeping that a secret from Claire. It’s a big huge mess of people hiding things from each other and waiting for it all to blow up. This story went a little longer than it probably needed to, but it was a good introduction to all the other key players in the series: Claire’s cousins and Alex’s surviving sister.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Bride Who Got Lucky by Janna MacGregor (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Nick is an earl who has been treated horribly and financially cut off from his ducal father, so he prioritizes business and avoids all emotional entanglements. However, he seems to always be drawn to Emma, a duke’s daughter and cousin-by-marriage to Nick’s only friend. Emma has been distraught over the loss of her friend and is attempting to prove that her friend’s husband is responsible for her death. This all involves some reckless and dangerous action that worries Nick when he finds out about it. These two people are clearly in love with each other, but neither of them know it. Emma doesn’t want marriage since she’s seen how horrible the institution is for women; Nick doesn’t want to crack open all the walls he’s built around his cold and lonely heart. However, all of the external conflict somehow pushes them together since Emma is constantly in danger and Nick swoops in to rescue her. Both of these very stubborn folks need to learn to compromise a bit and let the other person in and they definitely both need prodding from outside counsel to make it all work out.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Luck of the Bride by Janna MacGregor (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Things are sad and tragic in the prologue for the Lawsom family who have lost their parents to influenza. It’s now up to oldest sister March to take care of two younger sisters and a baby brother. Eight years later and still destitute with no support from any appointed guardians, March forges the Marquess of McCalpin’s signature to withdraw funds from her own dowry to care for her home and family. McCalpin, heir to a duke, isn’t great with numbers, so it takes awhile for the embezzlement to be caught and identified. He and March meet and they’re instantly wary of each other (and attracted): she’s upset that he hasn’t been paying attention to his duties or correspondence, and he’s concerned that she might really be stealing money for nefarious purposes. Nevermind that March is friends with McCalpin’s sister Emma or that her clothing is very obviously threadbare. We do eventually see McCalpin’s family provide much needed food and assistance to the Lawson family and it’s all going fine until March’s horrible cousin stirs up more trouble. The romance between these two is a bit fraught since March in insecure about her station and does not want to accept pity or charity; plus McCalpin is hiding the fact that he’s bad at math and doesn’t want March to find out he’s an idiot. Luckily, McCalpin has a supportive family and pushes them together when necessary.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Good, the Bad, and the Duke by Janna MacGregor (2018)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Lady Daphne accidentally gets left in London alone at Christmastime in a mix-up of whether she’s traveling with her brother or her mother. She decides to use this time to focus on her goals of setting up a home for unwed mothers and to establish her own residence. While mulling over her options in the park, her reticule and personal journal are stolen by a young boy and she gives chase. Eventually tracking the boy to a gambling hell, she bumps into Paul, her brother’s former friend and now nemesis who tries to rescue Daphne and protect her reputation. Over the next few days, Daphne and Paul team up to try to recover her journal, while also rekindling their long ago childhood friendship. Daphne is caring and compassionate towards Paul, who has acted the villain in previous books in this series. It turns out he was treated horribly by his father, even after his father’s death with cutting notes and reminders of his wastrel ways. There’s a tiny disagreement about the purchase of a property that Daphne wants to use as her charity house and Paul wants to use as a hospital in honor of his brother’s illness, but that scuffle is pretty minor compared to the risk of scandal Daphne is under if her journal is discovered. And of course when Daphne’s family comes back and starts meddling, we get even more drama.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor (2019)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 5 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Thea is supposed to be a countess in her own right, but the local duke is contesting her title and claiming that the earldom should also be his as the male heir to Thea’s grandfather. With the ensuing legal battle, Thea considers marriage and asks for her neighbor’s assistance in finding a match. Our dear old neighbor has a beloved great-nephew who might be perfect for the job. William is the second son of a duke who is generally resistant to marriage because of a previous heartache when he was younger. When Thea and William meet, both agree that a hasty marriage is not ideal and they become friends. Friends who are highly attracted to each other. As Thea meets the Cavensham clan, she quickly becomes smitten of the entire family and sees what a loving household William belongs to. Feeling like a total outsider, Thea doesn’t think that she is a suitable match for William, even though William thinks of himself as unworthy of Thea. This book was a fun slow-burn romance with delightfully meddlesome aunts.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Wild, Wild Rake by Janna MacGregor (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Cavensham Heiresses series. Avalon suffered a terrible marriage with a marquess, but now has freedom as a widow to pursue charitable endeavors at her country estate. Her son’s guardian is suspicious of the funding for the charity, so he sends his vicar brother Devan to the village to investigate. Avalon and Devan have bickered in the past, mostly because she jilted his best friend once upon a time, and Devan has seen her become a cold and icy marchioness. She really just developed a coping mechanism to deal with the horrible husband that her parents forced her to marry and then realized that being cool and distant could prevent her from suffering any further heartbreak. Of course, Avalon is wary of Devan’s new role in her village, especially with his debaucherous reputation and the naughty vicar. As they spend more time together, they slowly develop a friendship and get to know a bit more of each other’s true personalities. I loved how Devan turned out to be such a charismatic and responsible vicar, despite the rakish personality we’ve seen in previous books. Add in a bit of drama with one of the local debutantes, and we see both Avalon and Devan coming to each other’s rescue.

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.

The League of Dukes Series by Scarlett Scott / Historical Romance Book Series

Nov 2, 2023 | Book Reviews

Nobody’s Duke by Scarlett Scott (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the League of Dukes series. Second chance romance between a newly widowed duchess and the illegitimate son of a duke. Eight years have passed since Ara and Clay have seen each other, but now that Ara’s husband was brutally murdered by Irish vigilantes and Ara herself is also a target, the Home Office has assigned special agent Clay to protect her and her son. These two definitely have lots of tension and bitterness towards each other, mostly because they each believe that the other person betrayed them all those years ago, even though the reader knows that it was all orchestrated by Ara’s disapproving parents. We get to read some chapters from the past and see the neighbors Ara and Clay meet and fall in love in the forest between their lands. However, in the present-day, it’s all angry bickering and fighting and the epitome of the miscommunication trope because they won’t just come out and say why they’re mad an betrayed by the other one. Even though the physical attraction is still there among the heartbreak. Add in the fact that Ara’s son (and new duke) is the spitting image of Clay, we have yet another layer of betrayal and anger. The external danger drives a lot of the story forward and emotions and adrenaline is running strong and I think we eventually finally get some truth-telling in the last quarter of the book.

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

Heartless Duke by Scarlett Scott (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the League of Dukes series. This book overlaps a bit with the previous one and will make more sense when read in order. Leo is the head of the special league of agents tasked with fighting some Irish crime organization. When he arrives at his half-brother’s house for a wedding, he finds himself intrigued by his nephew’s governess. Bridget is actually there pretending to be a governess so she can kidnap the young duke in exchange for her own brother’s freedom. A standoff in the woods leads to Leo shooting her and taking her prisoner. A lot of this book has Leo and Bridget at odds with each other since they’re sworn enemies, but they’re also fiercely attracted to each other, and sometimes try to use that attraction to manipulate each other. The manipulation doesn’t work very well since they both lose their heads when they surrender to their lust. It is interesting to learn more about Leo’s backstory, since he’s the stern and serious duke when it comes to his work, but he has a debaucherous reputation to throw everyone else off, and then claims to be completely heartless and untrusting of women. Quite the combination there, and it all makes Bridget’s secrecy all that more painful for him. I did enjoy seeing his relationship with his half-brother’s mother, who was more caring and nurturing than his own mother ever was.

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

Dangerous Duke by Scarlett Scott (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the League of Dukes series. Griffin is a secret agent duke in the special league, but he is currently being accused of treason and being kept locked up in another stuffy duke’s house. That duke’s sister Violet seems to have caught Griffin’s attention, while he has also ignited her passions. Unfortunately, Violet is engaged to someone boring and dull who prefers his botany and overbearing mother to Violet. She doesn’t actually think that Griffin and guilty of treason and proposes to work with him to clear his name. Griffin needs all the help he can get and enjoys Violet’s company, so he agrees to her offer. Both slowly start to open up to each other about their past traumas related to the deaths of their parents, and we see their dangerous scheme fall into place. Plus, the actually traitor is still out there making trouble, so we eventually see how that crime is solved.

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

Shameless Duke by Scarlett Scott (2019)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the League of Dukes series. After the events of the previous book, secret league leader and duke Lucien has been assigned a partner from America to assist with his investigation of the Irish terrorists. The overbearing and arrogant duke is of course completely surprised when the agent who shows up is the ultra-competent female, Hazel. They spend the first quarter of the book arguing with each other until Lucien starts to begrudgingly accept Hazel’s input. Things get even more fiery when they give into their attraction to each other and start a physical affair. Meanwhile, they’re still trying to solve the case of the Irish terrorists. Lucien starts the book as someone totally judgmental, but slowly starts to realize his own limitations and softens towards Hazel. Both Lucien and Hazel have tragic histories in relation to love and it was nice to see them open up to each other about their pasts.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Scandalous Duke by Scarlett Scott (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the League of Dukes series. Everyone’s keeping dangerous secrets here. Johanna has renamed herself Rose, given herself a fake background, and become a world-famous actress. Unfortunately, her terrorist of a brother has found her and is forcing her to do some of his bidding, like sneaking documents and explosives from America to England. Meanwhile, Felix, a duke working with the Home Office, has decided to get closer to Rose, believing her to be the terrorist’s mistress. She doesn’t realize he’s part of the Home Office and that he’s just an entitled duke who wants to bed her, but resists anyway due to her own damaged history with men. They’re both trying to prevent their own feelings from getting involved, but they’re terribly attracted to each other and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Lots of drama involved with explosions and threats of imprisonment, but ultimately Felix is willing to use all of his power to keep Johanna out of trouble.

Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.

Fearless Duke by Scarlett Scott (2020)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 6 of the League of Dukes series. Grumpy duke Benedict has scared off three typists (who he thought were incompetent) and their typing school owner Isabella has come to pick a fight. They start the encounter completely at odds and somehow Isabella is tasked with proving her competence by serving as Benedict’s typist for the next week. Isabella tries really hard to hold onto propriety and professionalism (as she has learned her lesson in the past with a lord who didn’t marry her), while Benedict can’t seem to keep his hands off Isabella. Add in Benedict’s meddlesome younger sister and we have lots of chances for compromising situations. Eventually, we run into some danger with those Irish terrorists looming in the background of the entire series and Benedict starts to realize the depth of his feelings for Isabella. However, Isabella insists that they cannot be together due to their differences in social station (pretty similar to the other books of the series).

Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby. 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:

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