The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen (2022)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Hart and Mercy series. In a world where dead bodies are plentiful, Mercy is an overburdened undertaker running the family business, but she loves the job, even though her family thinks that she deserves something more or different or free. She does not get along with one of the local marshals, Hart, who often comes to bring her bodies. He’s got his own issues with being a loner demigod who is uncertain of his own mortality. While it took me awhile to get a mental grasp of the world-building, the animosity between Hart and Mercy (despite their internal physical attraction) is universal. And when they accidentally become anonymous pen pals, things turn more familiar with very clear You’ve Got Mail retelling beats. I loved meeting the full cast of supporting characters and the side romance between Mercy’s brother and Hart’s apprentice. Great intro to the series and looking forward to reading the next one.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 2 of the Hart and Mercy series. Twyla and Frank are best friends and neighbors and work together as marshals, who don’t have too much to do now that a big bad threat was eliminated at the end of Book 1. But they’re on their way to solving a new mystery involving dragons in the Tanria mist, plus finally dealing with their feelings for each other. Or realizing that there are feelings beyond friendship. The whole book is told from Twyla’s point of view as she’s grappling with her unappreciative adult children, dealing with her own middle-aged insecurity, and exploring the possibility of dating again. While Frank seems dismissive of her dating, she doesn’t know if he’s disgusted by the idea of someone dating her (unlikely) or jealous (more likely, but she doesn’t know it). After getting my head around the world-building aspects within Book 1, I was able to enjoy the story, the adventure, and the side characters even more in this one. Loved it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen (2025)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Hart and Mercy series. Loved this book and great conclusion to the series. The whole book is told from Rosie’s point of view. She’s an immortal demigod who’s really struggling with grief and the lonely life she has ahead of her. It’s been ten years since the events of the last book and she’s starting to see her coworkers and loved ones age. She’s also been somewhat pining over inventor and all-around genius Dr. Adam Lee for the past five years and not willing to do anything about it or get to attached, since she’ll live forever and everyone around her dies. But we get all sorts of forced proximity when we find that the portals in and out of the Tanrian mist have malfunctioned and need to be repaired. The romance is the slowest of slow burns while we work through our malfunctioning portals. We also get our favorite sidekick Duckers throughout this story and revisit the adorable dragons.

Advance ebook provided by Orbit Books via NetGalley.

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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.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Heartstrings series. Super cute and fluffy and had me laughing throughout the book. We have a Sleepless in Seattle retelling here with single mom Lucie finding that her pre-teen daughter has called into the radio station’s romance hotline to help her find a date. While the flailing radio show doesn’t have much of an audience, Lucie’s segment goes viral and somehow she’s roped into joining Aiden in the recording booth. Aiden is the ultimate grump who doesn’t believe in love (or rather, avoiding it altogether to prevent any heartbreak), but the chemistry between him and Lucie has got listeners tuning into the radio show in droves. They’re absolutely adorable together and the flirting is top-notch. I love Lucie’s whole support system who is rooting for her happiness. This book is the slowest of slow-burns, but the payoff is worth it. Loved it so much.

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

Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Sadie has the pushiest family ever, forcing her on dates with men she’s not into, and basically making her feel bad for working hard to keep her inherited antiques business afloat. So she takes advantage of her travel blogger sister’s injury and goes on a walking tour of the Camino. But of course, having never traveled before, she freaks out during some rough airplane turbulence and word vomits onto her seatmate Mal and is totally embarrassed. Bonus, Mal is also on the Camino tour and has her own issues with a recently deceased estranged father and an inheritance she doesn’t want. It’s a wild ride of self-discovery and learning to let go of all your hangups along this trip, plus a great cast of side characters along the way. Awkward Sadie learns to be a lot less awkward and we get to journey right alongside her discovering her newfound queerness.

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

Unromance by Erin Connor (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We start with a bang here with an elevator meet-cute and a one-night-stand for Sawyer and Mason. And then we find out that Mason is a famous actor who is being maligned in the press for a string of break-ups (none of which were his fault) and Sawyer is a romance novelist who is having major writers’ block. When they run into each other again, they decide to strike a deal where they hang out with each other doing cheesy romantic things so that Mason can desensitize himself from being a total romantic and so that Sawyer can find inspiration for their writing. And of course, they have a list of rules to go with their deal. The rules are clearly going to go out the window as these two people spend time together and get all emotionally entangled (on top of the physical attraction that started this whole thing). This book was both emotional and super funny and steamy all at once. The flirty witty banter was so much fun to read, plus all their meddlesome friends made a great supporting cast.

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

Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt (2025)

Contemporary romance. Book 2 of the Spunes series. Loved it so much! Get ready for all sorts of emotional turmoil. Wren and Ellis became parents at age 17 and 18, got married young, and got divorced about 5 years ago. Now, their son is off to college, and Ellis is suggesting a victory road trip, just the two of them. He’s clearly got motives of getting her back and it’s nice that he’s actually up front about it before they begin. This book is emotionally heavy as they deal with all the things they bottled up those years ago, and try to learn to communicate between in the present. I loved seeing these two work out their issues and actually talk to each other about their worries and dreams. There’s also a really good mix of humor and spice throughout the book. Excellent read.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Follow-up to Not in Love. I loved this book so much. Yet another humorous and steamy book from Ali Hazelwood. We’ve got a destination wedding in Italy and the groom’s younger sister Maya pining over her brother’s best friend Conor. But it’s not your typical age gap unrequited crush. We find out that they’ve been secretly friends for years and been talking to each other almost daily. The feelings are clearly there on both sides, but Conor is ever cognizant of his age and financial status and pretty much thinks Maya should do better, so he breaks off the friendship and we’re left with a rift between these two. We get a mix of chapters from the past with the present-day awkwardness and this book kept me completely hooked to find out how it all resolved. Excellent cast of side characters and super sweet to see everyone interacting in this dreamy Italian villa.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Stella is ready to lose her virginity at a sex club and luckily meets an awesome guy there, Max. But things don’t go as planned and they end up with unfinished business before parting ways. Stella’s in for a rude surprise when Max ends up being the brother of her boss’s boss and at her workplace to launch a new AI writing tool for their company. This would seem like the perfect set up for an enemies-to-lovers situation, but they have very wisely kept their work separate from their personal lives and continue with a semi-secret relationship. This book is all sorts of spicy and the workplace conflict doesn’t affect the romance plot much at all. Loved seeing how Max treats Stella and how they very easily and quickly fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Yin Yang Love Song by Lauren Kung Jessen (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute fake dating romance between an herbalist who is cursed in love and a rock cello player with a reputation of being a heartbreaker. Chryssy has pretty much sworn off relationships since she has been dumped so many times and chalks it up to the family curse of never having lasting love. A chance encounter with a rock cello player, Vin, at a kid’s birthday party, causes all sorts of public speculation. Vin needs the gossip to help him sell concert tickets, so he asks Chryssy for help. She also gets more business at her family’s inn as a side benefit, so she agrees to the fake dating scheme. Of course, these two end up super compatible with each other and a slow and sweet romance develops. I liked seeing these two work as partners with their respective struggles and really communicate well with each other. The story totally sucked me in and I read it in a day. Fade to black on the intimate encounters and no third-act break-up.

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

Game Point by Meg Jones (2025)

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

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

Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk (2025)

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

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

Ellie Hayes and the Himbos by Vanessa King (2025)

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

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

Love in Focus by Lyla Lee (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. I absolutely loved this second chance romance between a recently-dumped magazine writer and her ex-roommate girlfriend photographer who totally disappeared on her eight years ago. The tension between Gemma and Celeste was so good and I loved seeing them interact and talk through what happened all those years ago. Gemma’s besties are absolutely amazing in the face of Gemma’s recent break-up with longtime partner and fiance. And a new work project that brings Gemma and Celeste together built up so much opportunity for communication. I liked the structure of the story being mostly from Gemma’s POV, with bits of Celeste’s POV sprinkled in. Definitely spicy throughout, but with so much emotional work as well. Loved it.

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

Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee (2025)

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

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

How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin (2025)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister (2025)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Avery is the only Native American pop star around and she makes the horrible mistake of listening to her uninformed mother and team in the process of posing for the cover of Rolling Stone. And so, her reputation is totally tanked, and she’s sent off to stay with her estranged grandmother for awhile til the gossip dies down. Instantly, she’s on the wrong foot with Lucas, the extra handsome man who works at the grandmother’s ranch. Just about as instantly as she’s attracted to him. She’s learning to adapt to a totally new environment, while everyone around her is terribly unhelpful. But the attraction between her and Lucas is super strong, despite all the realities of their lives. This book was funny and emotional and I loved seeing Avery embrace her roots.

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

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover (2025)

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

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball by Kate Spencer (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This book had so much good banter and flirting and it was such fun to read. Bex is the owner of a financially struggling racquetball club and one of her favorite clients has fallen and broken her wrist on the courts. Of course, that old lady’s nephew is some hotshot tennis star who is grumpy about his injured aunt and having his own struggles to make a tennis comeback. Nico and Bex are delightful to read together and the angry flirting is top notch. And then somehow they become pickleball partners, fake dating partners, and so much more. The community of all of Bex’s retiree friends in this sleepy little SoCal town is so much fun to read. I pretty much could not put this book down. It was a great time.

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

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Related to With Love, from Cold World. A defunct punk rock band is asked to join a teen drama revival cruise to perform their one-hit wonder that was played on the show’s big prom episode. And Micah is having all sorts of feelings about it because she’s the one who broke up the band all those years ago. Meanwhile, her childhood best friend and ex-bandmate John is also feeling apprehensive about the trip, because it’s super obvious to all of us that he was in love with her all those years ago buy stayed firmly in friendship territory. This book had so much emotional angst and longing. Watching the band reunite was so much fun because they all had to catch each other up on their time apart. The romance between Micah and John was both sweet and super steamy. And of course, the cruise ship comedy was also entertaining. Loved this book.

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

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.

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

Useful Resources:

Read more about getting the most out of your library card

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

Learn more about Kindle Unlimited

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

Read an introduction to fanfiction

Learn more about sources for reading fanfiction

Follow me on Instagram at @randomolive

Shop my handmade bookmarks on Etsy

Support this page with a donation

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

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

The Writer and the Rogue by Lydia Drake (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Debutantes of London series. Caroline is in enough of a desperate financial situation to turn to blackmail to solve her problems. Her father is in possession of a letter which hints that the current earl of something might not actually be legitimate, so she uses this as a way to blackmail the man into marrying her. Gabriel is resistant at first, but wants to stall her until he can get a hold of this letter and decides on a lengthy courtship. Of course, he’s totally impressed by Caroline’s originality and direct personality and finds himself falling for her anyway. It’s a fairly straightforward blackmail-turns-to-true-love sort of story, which was super entertaining to read.

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

The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. This was a really fun set-up where Andi and Nolan meet at a bar, have a somewhat awkward one night stand, and then don’t see each other for three years. But they run into each other at work, where Nolan is the Prime Minister’s new bodyguard and Andi is the Prime Minister’s wife’s personal assistant. And then somehow, Andi is rumored to be having an affair with the Prime Minister (which she’s not), so a fake relationship with Nolan will help distract the scandal. Nolan is all sorts of caring and sweet and I love how obsessed he is with Andi. We get a really nice dual POV story here. This is the first Amy Lea book that I’ve read, and I was under the impression that she writes Asian characters, so I kept trying to see if either Andi or Nolan had any Asian heritage. I was also given an ARC copy from the Berkley Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices as an Asian book reviewer. I didn’t happen to catch if either of these two main characters were Asian, but maybe I missed it.

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

Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal (2025)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Stella is ready to lose her virginity at a sex club and luckily meets an awesome guy there, Max. But things don’t go as planned and they end up with unfinished business before parting ways. Stella’s in for a rude surprise when Max ends up being the brother of her boss’s boss and at her workplace to launch a new AI writing tool for their company. This would seem like the perfect set up for an enemies-to-lovers situation, but they have very wisely kept their work separate from their personal lives and continue with a semi-secret relationship. This book is all sorts of spicy and the workplace conflict doesn’t affect the romance plot much at all. Loved seeing how Max treats Stella and how they very easily and quickly fall in love.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Game Changer by Rachel Reid (2018)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Game Changers series. Super steamy insta-lust, insta-love situation for hockey player Scott and smoothie maker Kip. Scott’s gotta keep his personal life secret because of macho sports reasons, but Kip is just excited to be with him. At first. The secret boyfriend situation will eventually be the big conflict of the book, but it’s super sweet to see these two get together and fall in love. Kip is absolutely adorable and you can totally feel his insecurities here being the big burly famous athlete’s secret. But Scott definitely has his own issues that he’s slowly working through when he realizes love is more important than anything else. Great setup for the rest of the series.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.

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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.

Remember When by Mary Balogh (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Ravenswood series. We have another slow and sweet character-driven romance from Mary Balogh. We start with a not-very-tragic prologue for childhood friends Clarissa and Matthew, who have been friends and neighbors for years, but their lives are about to change because Clarissa is expecting a proposal the next day from a handsome and charming earl. And despite Matthew’s feelings for Clarissa, he knows that he is not a suitable match for her as a second son with no income. And so, they must part ways. Jump forward 33 years and Clarissa is widowed with grown children and re-evaluating her purpose in life. She’s decided to spend the summer alone at the family estate to find some solitude to think and plan. One of those plans involves renewing her friendship with Matthew, who just so happens to be the village carpenter for the past 20 years. They’ve interacted briefly and casually throughout the years, but maintaining their distance since their social stations are so different now. But of course, once they start truly talking again, the friendship sparks back to life, along with something more. Such a lovely comforting story to read. There’s still plenty of drama with Matthew’s backstory and his family, but in true Balogh fashion, everything resolves neatly.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

My Best Friend’s Earl by Bethany Bennett (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Bluestocking Booksellers series. If you’ve been looking for scenes with yearning, you need to read this book. First off, Constance and Oliver are total opposites and also cannot seem to stop thinking of each other. Secondly, Oliver has been engaged to his childhood friend and neighbor due to a deal their fathers made over cards many years ago and he’s being super honorable and sticking to the arrangement. But his fiancee is actively trying to get out of the engagement and even asks Constance for help in how to get Oliver to jilt her. It’s messy and chaotic and at some point when Oliver and Constance realize they have true feelings for each other, it’s all blocked by his honor and prior entanglements. Loved this book so much.

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

To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton (2025)

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

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

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.

Scoundrel Take Me Away by Louisa Darling (2025)

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

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

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England and Mexico. Book 3 of the Luna Sisters series. I can’t believe this is the last book of the series and we need to leave the Luna sisters behind. I am super glad that Gabby finally meets her match in Sebastian, the duke who we knew would be trouble for her on their very first meeting. Gabby’s on her way to Mexico, fleeing a bad situation in England, and Sebastian is on the ship right along with her. Even though they start the journey as somewhat enemies, she definitely softens towards him when she realizes that he isn’t exactly the rake he seemed to be in the past. And of course, Sebastian is just trying to keep his sanity around him since it’s clear he’s totally besotted by Gabby. Loved seeing the flirtatious banter between them and the undeniable attraction here that they’re trying so hard to fight. Loved seeing it all wrap up and all our Luna sisters so happily wed.

Advance ebook provided by Berkley via NetGalley. Advance print book provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett (2025)

Historical Romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Damsels of Discovery series. Combine an emotionally traumatized exiled scientist with an upbeat and fairly emotionally happy kind of guy, and we get this absolute gem of a book. Phoebe is back in the country to deal with her late father’s estate, after having been exiled off to America for inventing a bomb that killed someone. She’s all sorts of detached and cold to everyone around her, and we learn that it’s because of her horribly abusive father. Somehow, the wealthy shop owner and newspaper owner Sam gets involved in her affairs, first by offering to buy her house and second by trying to court her sister. Sam’s just trying to improve his overall station in life and thinks a titled wife is the way to do it. But of course, Sam is more interested in Phoebe than anything else and wants to soothe all of her hurts. Tons of emotional angst here as we dig up all of Phoebe’s traumas and come to some resolution. Excellent read.

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

The Scot’s Seduction by Megan Frampton (2025)

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

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

The Trouble with Anna by Rachel Griffiths (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Standalone novel. I almost missed out on reading this book because I did not realize it was a historical romance. The cover design is fresh and fun but kind of confusing for which genre the book belongs in. Anyway, we have Anna, a socially awkward daughter of an earl who lives with her maternal grandfather and pretty much hates going to balls and parties. And then her grandfather dies and turns out he only leaves her the house, horses, and stables if she marries the earl next door. Julian is doing his best to do his duty and fulfill his obligation but he certainly does not want to marry Anna and thinks that the whole thing is a trap. But then he actually spends time with her and is honestly intrigued and a little bit smitten. And he’s terrible at communicating and she thinks he’s just courting her for duty-bound reasons, even though he kisses her every chance he gets. It’s basically all chaos in a book with an inheritance clause, a somewhat arranged match, and lack of communication. I enjoyed this book a lot and couldn’t wait to see how they resolved their issues.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era Paris. Book 3 of the Las Leonas series. Our grumpy stuffy doctor friend Aurora gets her romance here with Apollo, the half-brother of Evan from Book 1 of the series. The set-up here is mostly a no-strings attached affair, since Aurora is busy running her illegal women’s clinics and Apollo is trying to cement his place into the English aristocracy. Except they catch all sorts of feelings and are insanely protective of each other. We get all sorts of drama in the form of Aurora’s traumatic past and Apollo’s political ambitions, which is interesting to read about. The book is super steamy, and I especially loved Apollo’s caretaking of Aurora. Great conclusion to the Las Leonas series.

Advance ebook provided by Harper Collins via NetGalley.

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.

The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (2025)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Crinoline Academy series. Nell is the deputy headmistress and former pupil at the girls’ academy that Miles is lightly investigating, so she is doing her best to try to deter him. Unfortunately, they get caught in a compromising situation and the best course of action is to marry. Aside from that, she’s trying to solve the mystery of a missing pupil and he’s trying to find his missing gossip columnist. And of course, the two are connected and they get to partner up to solve the case. We get to see a lovely slow burn romance here, with them being equal partners with really strong communication. Loved seeing the serious Miles soften towards Nell and care for her, even when she’s being prickly.

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

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.

An Unladylike Secret by Amita Murray (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Marleigh Sisters series. Loads of action and mystery in this one. Mira is a secret gossip columnist who may have contributed to a man being accused of murdering his own brother. She’s at the Devonshire coast with her roommate and friend to find out more about the situation from the deceased man’s widow. And of course, she crosses paths with our dear fugitive Finn and maybe kinda sorta falls in love with him. But they’re got a mystery to solve and an innocence to prove, all while Finn does not know that Mira is the writer behind his downfall. Loved all the tangled web of plot in this book.

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

While the Duke Was Sleeping by Samara Parish (2025)

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

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

The Earl That Got Away by Diana Quincy (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Sirens in Silk series. We start with an awkward first re-meeting between Naila and Hawk at the pre-wedding ball of her sister and his friend. Basically, everyone is surprised to see each other after 8 years, especially since Naila had rejected Hawk all those years ago due to his lack of title and fortune and now he’s a wealthy earl. And somehow the situation is made more sad by the fact that Naila has turned into a drab spinster who has been heartbroken all these years and regretting her mistake. We get this story told in flashbacks interspersed with their present-day experiences. So much angst and underlying resentment for Hawk and underlying guilt for Naila. We just need to be patient and see Hawk’s walls eventually come down.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

A Waltz on the Wild Side by Erica Ridley (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 6 of the Wild Wynchesters series. Solid conclusion to the series, but a lot of the story could have been resolved earlier if Vivian communicated more clearly about her missing cousin’s adventures. Vivian and her young cousin always argue over his and his friends’ hero worship of the Wynchester family, with good reason, since Vivian is worried that a bunch of law-breaking adolescents will not have the same privileges as the wealthy family of a baron. He goes missing one day and Vivian pretty much lands on the Wynchester doorstep to ask for help. She’s terribly prickly and judgmental and spends most of the book getting to know each of the siblings (and their respective spouses) to learn that they really are more honorable than she originally judged. Her romance is set with Jacob, the animal trainer and poet of the group, and it’s pretty much attraction at first sight, even with her being totally closed-minded. He’s smitten from the jump and wants to do anything he can to help her. We end up with a lot of wacky miscommunication and go through a lot of hoops to find the cousin.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe (2025)

Historical romance. Gilded Age New York. Standalone novel. This one is a really good Anastasia retelling with mystery and intrigue and steam. Leo is your basic con-man in Boston, and when he sees Josie singing in the street, he has a glimmer of an idea to pass her off as a long-lost heiress. And she has no idea that’s his game because he’s pretending to be a talent manager to get her on Broadway. They go to New York together and try to keep things professional, but that only works for so long when they spend literally all their time together. We get to uncover the mystery of the lost heiress and how Leo’s late father is involved in the mess. This book was so much fun to read and listen to.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Harper Audio via NetGalley.

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

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

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

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti (2025)

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

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

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