Top 5 Unusual Historicals for June 2018

Summer time! Sum-sum-summertime! The weather is warming up (for some of you it’s positively boiling…), my favorite sporting pastime time is in full swing (baseball!), and what better way to unwind during the busiest months at my day job than with some new historical romances. Here is what is catching my eye in June:

Pride and Passion by Carla Buchanan

Behind the soft smile, perfect manners, and helpful air, Constance Ray is a woman struggling to make it through the day. After her husband is killed in the Korean war, his death leaves her lost, knowing she can never be the woman she was before. Although, when a handsome navy officer shows up with a final word from the grave, Constance can’t ignore the message. She also can’t continue to be indifferent to the man who brought it, or his involvement in the war – the one for everyone’s right to be treated equally.

Nathaniel Kelly never means for it to happen, especially not with Constance. He is supposed to fulfill the final wish of the man he owed his life to, but he can’t help it when he instantly falls for the soften-spoken, bereaved preacher’s daughter. But as much as he wishes to court her, to love her, his loyalty to his friend and his obligation to make up for sins of the father, stand in the way. Remaining true to his friendship, and his mission, is hard when pride for the movement unites Nathaniel with Constance and his passion for her finally sets her free.

I know I have been featuring the latest Decades of African American romance book nearly every month, but seriously, how can I not?! These are settings you just don’t see every day in Romancelandia. A Korean War veteran? Seriously, tell me the last time (if ever!) you saw that in a romance novel. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

A Touch of Flame by Jo Goodman

 Dr. E. Ridley Woodhouse is like no physician Ben Madison has ever met--she's a woman. As the newly elected sheriff of Frost Falls, Colorado, Ben is tasked with welcoming Ridley to the community. But while Ben might be tempted by the new doc's charms, getting the town to accept a big-city, female doctor is no easy feat. To earn their trust she'll have to prove herself and Ben determines to help her...even if she's the most stubborn woman he's ever met.

When the husband of one of Ridley's patients threatens her, forbidding Ridley from treating his wife or children, all of Ben's protective instincts kick in. Ridley has come to rely on Ben's steady presence and the delicious tension that simmers just below the surface of their easy friendship--but as much as she trusts that his warnings to steer clear of Jeremiah Salt are sincere, she's never been one to back down from a challenge and she refuses to abandon her patient.

But sticking to your guns can earn you trouble in the rough terrain of the Wild West and danger threatens Ridley from unexpected places, forcing Ben to confront his deepest fear in order to save the woman he loves.

Goodman is a standard bearer in historical western romance, crafting well-developed historical worlds and creating meaty stories you can sink your teeth into. You’re not going to get a fluffy bit of brain candy with a Goodman western. She’s not an ideal candidate for me when it comes to pool lounging or beach reading - more like I want to shut myself in my bedroom one Sunday afternoon and not come up for air until I finish the last page.

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The Gunslinger’s Vow by Amy Sandas

Three runaway brides
Determined to escape their fates
Flee West to find freedom that can only be had in a cowboy's arms...

Alexandra Brighton spent the last five years in Boston, erasing all evidence of the wild frontier girl she used to be. Before she settles, she's determined to visit her childhood home one final time. But when she finds herself stranded far from civilization, she has no choice but to trust her safety to the tall, dark and decidedly dangerous bounty hunter, Malcolm Kincaid.

Now that Malcolm finally has the location of his brother's killer, he has no intention of wasting time protecting a pampered Eastern lady. But something about Alexandra speaks to the heart he long thought frozen—and her slow transformation from proper miss to wild-eyed beauty leaves him shaken. By the time they reach Montana, Malcolm must decide if seeking justice for past wrongs is worth losing a future with the woman he never expected to need…

A debut, of sorts. Sandas’ first three books for Sourcebooks were Regency England and she’s making the switch to the American West with this first book in a new trilogy. I’m a western fan from way back. I saw the mass exodus of western writers fleeing for English-set historicals in the early 2000s. Trust me, to have it happen the other way around is still not terribly common. I’m intrigued by the road romance premise of this one.

Secrets of a Wallflower by Amanda McCabe

A secret shared… But can she trust him?

In this Debutantes in Paris story, Diana Martin is thrilled to be a writer covering the Parisian Exposition. But her new role must be kept quiet—her parents would never allow it! When enigmatic Sir William Blakely discovers her ruse, he knows it could lead her into danger. With the sparks igniting between them, William realizes the only way to protect Diana is by staying as close to her as possible! 

Ah, Paris. Who doesn’t love Paris in the springtime? McCabe has a varied historical backlist, having written everything from mysteries, to Regencies, to Elizabethan. I’m looking forward to this one, a start of a new series for Harlequin Historical.

Beguiled by the Forbidden Knight by Elisabeth Hobbes

He’s her enemy…
…and she must not fall for him!

When her mistress is claimed as an enemy knight’s betrothed, handmaiden Aelfhild knows it would be too dangerous for her lady; she must go in her place. But there’s more to the scarred knight than she first thought—she isn’t expecting to fall for him! As the line between friend and enemy blurs, Aelfhild realizes she might be protecting her mistress, but not her heart…

I’ve hopscotched around her backlist, but so far Hobbes’ has been a very consistent writer for me and I’ve enjoyed all the medievals I’ve read by her. I love the high stakes often found in this era (where a matter of loyalty could get one killed) and enemies-to-lovers works really well within that framework. I can’t wait to dive into this one.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

TBR Challenge 2010: Because I'm Scared Of KristieJ

The Book: Never Love A Lawman by Jo Goodman

The Particulars: Historical western romance, Zebra, 2009, In Print

Why Was It In The Bat Cave TBR?: Hello? Are you new here? Wendy love, love, loves historical western romances!

The Review: I normally like to dip a lot further back in the TBR when picking a TBR Challenge read. I broke that "rule" this month for one reason, and one reason only. I'm rooming with KristieJ at RWA next week and if she had found out that I still hadn't read this book? OMG, there would have been no living with her. Seriously.

Rachel Bailey is an attractive newcomer to Reidsville, Colorado and has set up shop as a seamstress. Half the men in town are crazy about her, including the sheriff, Wyatt Cooper, who takes to watching her walk down the street when she's running errands. However, Rachel pays none of these men any mind. To say she's standoffish and aloof is a bit of an understatement. She keeps to herself, minds her own business, and expects everyone else to mind theirs. However it all comes crashing down around her ears when Wyatt delivers her a telegram stating that her former benefactor has died.

That telegram sets off a chain of events, including Rachel's inheritance of the railroad that runs through town, and the stipulation in her benefactor's will that she has to marry Wyatt. Yep, before you can say "marriage of convenience" these two are hitched. Which is a good thing, since it appears that Rachel is going to need Wyatt's protection. Yep, an old enemy is lurking in the shadows....

I've never read Goodman, but from various comments about her past work I've read online, Never Love A Lawman seems typical in the sense that she takes her time setting the stage. For readers who have been complaining of late that historical romances feature watered-down characters and thin plots (and I know you're out there - I've seen you on Twitter!), this book is a must read. Goodman takes a huge chunk of this story setting her stage, introducing her characters and essentially painting an entire fictional Colorado town with her pen (or computer keyboard - whatever). Yes, I know it's not set in Regency England and it's a western. But honest, there are no such thing as western romance cooties. That I'm aware of at any rate...

Wyatt sells this book to me. He's just....amazing. Amazing in a charming, intelligent sort of way. He's the kind of guy, if he existed in real life, that I would adore flirting with. Back when I was still single and knew how to flirt (sort of). These days I'm so out of practice I'd likely just embarrass myself. Rachel is a much harder sell for me. I understand why she's standoffish and aloof to the townsfolk - but she also comes off that way to the reader. I never really felt like I was "let in" to her character until much later in the story, and by that point, it seemed a bit late to me. She's smart, a nice girl - but I just never really warmed up to her much. For that reason, for a good chunk of this story, the romance lacked "anticipation" for me. I liked Wyatt. I liked Rachel well enough. But it took a long time for me to get invested in them being a couple. Not until the halfway point or so (and we're talking 200+ pages here!).

I did have that anticipation (and in spades!) with the secondary romance featuring Wyatt's deputy and the town madam. I'll be honest, I wanted that romance. A ton of it. And instead the author gave me paltry crumbs that I was ravenously flipping forward in the book to get to, and at the end? Let's just say the lack of closure on that score didn't please me. I'm currently deluding myself into thinking this means a full-length book down the line, although it's more likely they'll continue to be "secondary characters."

I appreciate this novel for it's scope, the writing, and the richly detailed characters. But I didn't love it. Which probably isn't going to help my reputation for being a completely unreasonable hard-ass. Oh well. I totally "get" why so many people out there loved this book. The characters and writing really are extremely well done. It just didn't sink it's claws into me as much as I wanted it to. Bad timing? Me being a hard-ass? Or feeling that disconnect with Rachel's character for too long in the story? I'm going with the latter two. Still, I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Goodman can flat-out write, and that's never something to scoff at.

Final Grade = B