Top 5 Unusual Historicals for March 2018

March seems to be roaring in like a lion for most of us in North America and having once lived in an area prone to 70 degrees one day, blizzard the next, I know the importance of having warm blankets, emergency lighting, and plenty of books at the ready - you know, just in case.  This month’s highlights in Unusual Historicals features a lot of variety, including two of my personal favorites - the 1920s and a new western!

All That Jazz!

Love’s Serenade by Sheryl Lister

Escaping an arranged marriage, Leigh Jones flees her southern hometown for Harlem's vibrant jazz scene to pursue her dream of becoming a singer. She finds more than she expected, namely Miles Cooper. The smooth-talking musician walked out on her three years ago, taking her music and her heart with him. Leigh has no intentions of falling for Miles or his charms again, until he tempts her with the one thing she can’t resist: a recording contract. But when her past comes calling, she realizes Miles is the one person who can save her from a man who won’t take no for an answer. 

Miles isn’t one for putting down roots or staying in one place for longer than a season. Yet, memories of Leigh's sultry voice, beauty and sass make him long for the life and love he forfeited. Having walked away once, but never again, Miles sets out to prove he's a changed man willing to go to any lengths to protect his woman. He's determined to show Leigh, one passionate note at a time that the music they make together will last a lifetime.

I adore the 1920s as a setting for historical romance because it’s such a fascinating time period in women’s history.  As if that catnip weren’t enough, I love musical backdrops and reunited lovers (where one of those lovers needs his comeuppance).  This appears to be Lister’s first published historical, and I’m curious to see how she handles the time period.

From Russia, With Love!

From Governess to Countess by Marguerite Kaye

The scandalous truth about the count’s new mistress! 

Count Aleksei Derevenko has hired governess Allison Galbraith for her skills as a herbalist, not a mistress! But when rumors spread, Allison is more shocked by her wanton reaction to Aleksei—inscrutable and impossibly handsome, his icy blue eyes promise white-hot nights of sin. She knows too well how fragile her reputation is, but will the price of their passion be worth paying?

Kaye is one of my favorites in the Harlequin Historical stable, and this kicks off her new series, Matches Made in Scandal.  This story is set in St. Petersburg and features a down-on-her-luck herbalist heroine masquerading as a governess.  There’s also a murder mystery afoot!  I’m really excited to dive into this one!

Smuggler!

Counting on a Countess by Eva Leigh

For a shameless libertine and a wily smuggler in the London Underground, marriage is more than convenience—it’s strategy... 

Christopher “Kit” Ellingsworth, war veteran and newly minted Earl of Blakemere, buries his demons under every sort of pleasure and vice. His scandalous ways have all but emptied his coffers . . . until a wealthy mentor leaves him a sizeable fortune. The only stipulation? He must marry within one month to inherit the money. Kit needs a bride and the bold, mysterious Miss Tamsyn Pearce seems perfect. 

Husband hunting isn’t Tamsyn’s top priority—she’s in London to sell her new shipment of illicit goods—but she’s desperate for funds to keep her smuggling operation afloat. When a handsome earl offers to wed her and send her back to Cornwall with a hefty allowance, Tamsyn agrees. After all, her secrets could land her in prison and an attentive, love-struck spouse could destroy everything. 

But when an unexpected proviso in the will grants Tamsyn control of the inheritance, their arrangement becomes anything but convenient. Now, Kit’s counting on his countess to make his wildest dreams a reality and he plans to convince her, one pleasurable seduction at a time.

I have complicated feelings about Avon’s cover art - which is to say I hate their historical romance covers roughly 90% of the time.  But this cover?  It has haunted me since the moment I laid eyes on it.  I love it.  The wind-swept heroine, the jewel tones, and did I mention green is my favorite color?  Anyway, I also love that the heroine is the smuggler in this story!  OMG, where has this role reversal been all my life?  Leigh writes interesting historicals and I always appreciate her lighter touch while not throwing out the history with the baby’s bathwater.

Western!

Bright Montana Sky by Debra Holland

Sweetwater Springs, Montana 1896 

Jilted seamstress Constance Taylor travels to Sweetwater Springs to live with her estranged father, the livery stable owner. She plans to open a dressmaking shop and bring sophisticated clothing styles to the frontier town. 

Doctor Angus Cameron is bitter and discouraged from his work with upper class Londoners and the wretched poor in the East End slums. He arrives in Sweetwater Springs to join the medical practice of his brother, the town doctor. 

Sparks fly when Constance and Angus clash over her fashionable creations, which he believes are unhealthy. Every encounter worsens their relationship, and the pair fights their ill-suited attraction. For love to grow, two stubborn souls must call a truce to their battle of wills. 

As always, Debra Holland enchants readers with her warm, uplifting portrayal of life and love in a small town. 

I recently read a prequel novella to this series and really enjoyed it, so I’m definitely curious to read more Holland.  The series seems to fall into the “cute western small town” mode, as opposed to the “will we survive the winter or get murdered by outlaws” mode, and I love the premise of this one.  For Kindle Unlimited users, this entire series is available to make all your binge-reading dreams come true.

Bonus Story!

A Bittersweet Moment by Vanessa Riley

A second son must find his place in the world, but can he trust his heart and not the heavy-handed antics of his father, the Earl of Crisdon. 

Ewan Fitzwilliam needs his life to change. Unwilling to follow in the footsteps of his abusive father, he gathered the strength to break free. Saving a young flower picker from troubles upon his father's estate may prove the opportunity he needs to become a man of honor. 

Theodosia wants a better life, and she intends to build a flower business that caters to the perfumers in Town, but can she trust a rich man's son to teach her better diction to impress potential clients? Or will she learn a different lesson, succumbing to the dangerous attraction she feels for the tortured playwright?

If you couldn’t get enough of Riley’s The Bittersweet Bride, featured in February's column, you’ll be happy to see that there’s now a short story prequel featuring the same couple!  This looks to give more insight into the reunited couple’s backstory and provide a glimpse into the heroine’s life prior to her inheriting an estate.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Note: Unusual Historicals is now cross-posted at the Love in Panels site.  Stop on by and see them sometime!

Mini-Reviews: Princesses and Ranchers

I stumbled across Bad Princess: True Tales from Behind the Tiara by Kris Waldherr while reading something "work related."  Don't ask me what it was now and if I saw the book featured on a recommended list or merely saw an ad for it.  Whatever it was, it was apparently enough to have me check the catalog at work, and I breezed through this in short order on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

This is Children's Non-Fiction and I'd gauge the age range somewhere between 9 and 12.  The whole premise of the book is that being a princess isn't necessarily as cracked up as Disney makes it out to be, and Waldherr regales her audience with tales of historical princesses and a few modern day ones.

Waldherr covers the history of "fairy tales," and the cold reality that, throughout history, princesses were used as political pawns.  She also covers some rather gruesome subjects, including Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous "Blood Countess" (something to keep in mind depending on the reader's maturity and comprehension levels!).  It's also a bit unfortunate, but not terribly surprising, that Waldherr tends to keep this book pretty European-centric - although Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii gets a healthy mention and three modern day princesses, Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini, Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, and Sarah Culberson are included.

Finally, I'll admit it was a bit weird to read about Princess Diana from the perspective in this book - namely, that the intended audience wasn't even born yet when Diana died.  Diana is painted with broad strokes, largely as a victim, which is one I've never wholeheartedly embraced.  But I'm an adult who is supposed to see all those shades of gray in a person and certainly the girls reading this book will get there in due time.

Final Grade = B

Dorine read Beneath Montana's Sky by Debra Holland for last month's TBR Challenge and I was suitably intrigued (Holland is a local author for me, plus it's a western).  One of my library cards (yes, I have a few...) paid off when I found this one in their digital collection, so I downloaded and started reading.  Darn you Dorine!  Now I'm going to have to get the rest of the books in the series.

This is a prequel to the author's Montana Sky series and even though it's a novella, it feels like a large story.  John Carter is a prosperous rancher in Montana.  He has just buried his best friend, the man's wife, and their young daughter.  Only their son, Nick, is left and John, the boy's godfather, is now his guardian.  They're both grieving but John realizes that the boy has to be his first priority.  And the most pressing matter?  The boy needs a mother figure.  But eligible single women of marriageable age in the wilds of Montana aren't exactly growing on trees, so he writes his great-aunt Hester. He's taking the train to Boston with the singular mission of finding a wife.

Pamela Burke-Smythe is a plain debutante who is resigning herself to the fact that she will be "the maiden aunt" for the rest of her days.  Her plain looks haven't done her a lot of favors, but the downturn in the family business means her dowry is paltry at best.  Needless to say, suitors aren't beating down her door.  She meets John at a charity gala, where Hester has introduced him to Pam's BFF, Elizabeth - thinking they'll be a good match.  However, Elizabeth is still in mourning over the death of her parents and her fiance' - plus it's plain to see that Pam and John are the more suited match.

I really liked this story and it's refreshing change of pace.  The hero having to go back East to find a wife, the whirl of society outings, and the chaperoning of great-aunt Hester, then Pam, then Elizabeth (once John sets his sights on Pam).  Once the marriage occurs, they're back on the train to Montana where new challenges await.

This is a sweet, gentle story (that's your no-sex-scenes warning!) but John and Pam are such a good fit, I didn't miss them.  The final chapter got to be a little too much for me on the cutesy scale (the whole countryside shows up to welcome home the newlyweds), but it was an enjoyable read that has me curious about the rest of the series.  I'll be adding more Holland books to my TBR.

Final Grade = B