Top 3 Unusual Historicals for October 2018

I can hardly believe it, but this month I surpassed my reading totals from 2017. Don’t ask me how, because I feel like I’m currently mired in a hopeless slump. If it weren’t for audiobooks keeping me engaged during my daily commute I’d be in an even sadder state. And that’s just, well, sad. But even with the slump that still hasn’t kept me from browsing for new off-the-beaten path historicals. Something other than Regency and Almack’s horrible lemonade.

Master of None by Kate Pearce

When mill heiress Miss Emily Marsham agrees to a marriage born out of tragedy and hardheaded necessity, her hopes for future marital bliss aren’t high. Adam Blackthorn, the ambitious manager of one of her father’s mills is not what she expected in a husband. Can she make the best of her situation and be a dutiful wife, or will Adam challenge her to become something else entirely?

I caught some Twitter promo (I think?) for Master of None, which happens to be the second book in the author’s self-published series centered around the fictional northern English town of Millcastle. I LOVE stories set around the Industrial Revolution and Pearce has described this as Pride and Prejudice and North and South having a baby. Grabby hands!

His Rags-to-Riches Contessa by Marguerite Kaye

From the streets of London…to Venetian high society!

A Matches Made in Scandal story

To catch his father’s murderer, broodingly arrogant Conte Luca del Pietro requires help from a most unlikely source—Becky Wickes, London’s finest cardsharp.

Against the decadence of Carnival, Becky’s innocence and warmth captivate Luca, but as their chemistry burns hotter, the stakes of their perilous game are getting higher. For Luca is no longer playing for justice—but also to win Becky’s heart…

I’m currently behind on this series but I love the set-up, a mysterious woman only known as The Procurer provides introductions to people in need of services the other can provide. This is the third book and the author drew inspiration from three sources: her editor who suggested Carnival, toughening up Eliza Doolittle by adding a dash of Helena Bonham Carter’s Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and the 1973 film, Don’t Look Now, which is set in Venice.

A Western Christmas Homecoming by Lynna Banning, Lauri Robinson and Kathryn Albright

Three festive romances: Christmas in the Wild West!

In Christmas Day Wedding Bells by Lynna Banning, buttoned-up librarian Alice is swept away by US marshal Rand Logan on a new adventure.

Then, Welles is Snowbound in Big Springs in this novella by Lauri Robinson, where he must confront Sophie and their undeclared feelings…

Finally, rugged outlaw Russ rescues Abigail from spending the festive season alone in Christmas with the Outlaw by Kathryn Albright!

It’s the time of year when Harlequin decides to separate me from my money by publishing a bevy of Christmas romances (I’m a sucker for Christmas romances - yes, I’m part of the problem). There’s always a couple of Harlequin Historical holiday anthologies and besides being a western (grabby hands!) the Lynna Banning story features a librarian heroine! It’s an unwritten rule that I have to one-click this otherwise I might lose my secret librarian decoder ring.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Top 4 Unusual Historicals for July 2018

I have a love/hate relationship with July. I love fireworks (well except when my idiot neighbors are still shooting them off on July 14th…), it’s my birthday month, and I’m generally able to attend the Romance Writers of America annual conference (this year held in Denver). However, it is also my busiest, craziest month at my day job. This entails a lot of time doing math and looking at spreadsheets (yes, it’s just as glamorous as it sounds!). I come home from work mentally exhausted and looking for anyway to unwind. Which leads us to this latest batch of unusual historicals! Who doesn’t love to unwind reading and browsing for new books?

The Gaucho’s Lady by Genevieve Turner

After a self-imposed exile in Argentina, Juan Moreno is ready to return home to California, wiser, wearier, and a widower. But the night before his departure, a wealthy landowner’s daughter appears in his simple room with a gun and demands that he kidnap her.

Eliana Suarez never wanted to leave home; the pampas are deep in her blood. But when her cruel father insists she marry a man even crueler than he is, she must flee. Luckily for her, one of her father’s gauchos is leaving Argentina—and only if she can convince him to take her along, will she be saved.

Juan never could resist a lady’s desperate appeal and soon they’re racing to Buenos Aires, barely two steps ahead of their pursuers. They’ll have to deal with outlaws, anarchists, and her father’s fury in their flight to freedom and safety. But no matter how fast they run, they can never escape their growing attraction… and their own hearts.

We (and by “we” I mean the United States) tend to think of the western as our creation. I mean, it kind of is but Canada, Mexico, and Australia (just to name a few) have their own history of ranching and cowboy culture. Argentina does as well (as does Venezuela - seriously I could keep going…), which is where Tuner takes us with her latest release. As someone who has enjoyed western historicals set outside the United States, I’m excited to try this one!

Unfit to Print by KJ Charles (novella)

When crusading lawyer Vikram Pandey sets out in search of a missing youth, his investigations take him to Holywell Street, London’s most notorious address. He expects to find a disgraceful array of sordid bookshops. He doesn’t expect one of them to be run by the long-lost friend whose disappearance and presumed death he’s been mourning for thirteen years.

Gil Lawless became a Holywell Street bookseller for his own reasons, and he’s damned if he’s going to apologise or listen to moralising from anyone. Not even Vikram; not even if the once-beloved boy has grown into a man who makes his mouth water.

Now the upright lawyer and the illicit bookseller need to work together to track down the missing youth. And on the way, they may even learn if there’s more than just memory and old affection binding them together...

My gripe with Victorian-set romances is that so often the author gives me pseudo-Regency instead. Repeat after me: Victorian and Regency are nowhere near the same thing. Ahem. Anyway, Charles writes about Victorian London with a wonderful atmospheric style and I was sunk after reading “lawyer” and “bookseller” in the description. Andrea at Love in Panels really enjoyed this story noting it was emotional, sensual, accessible and atmospheric (see, there’s that word again!). Please note, this is a novella.

Diary of a War Bride by Lauri Robinson

July 1942
Dear diary, despite the war raging around me, I find I can’t stop thinking about the American officer, Sergeant Dale Johnson. I’ve never known anyone as brave, kind and handsome! But I promised myself I wouldn’t care this much about a man again, especially when he could be transferred at any time. Yet that only makes me want to relish our time together. Now fighting my heart feels like the biggest battle…

Robinson, predominantly having published westerns, has a sizeable Harlequin Historical backlist that also includes a 1920s trilogy. This book (with a gorgeous cover, says me) gives readers a World War II romance, a setting oft-used in inspirational but rarely seen in secular romance circles. I’ve liked some of Robinson’s westerns, so I’m anxious to try to this one.

A Gentleman Never Scores by Cat Sebastian

Once beloved by London's fashionable elite, Hartley Sedgwick has become a recluse after a spate of salacious gossip exposed his most-private secrets. Rarely venturing from the house whose inheritance is a daily reminder of his downfall, he’s captivated by the exceedingly handsome man who seeks to rob him.

Since retiring from the boxing ring, Sam Fox has made his pub, The Bell, into a haven for those in his Free Black community. But when his best friend Kate implores him to find and destroy a scandalously revealing painting of her, he agrees. Sam would do anything to protect those he loves, even if it means stealing from a wealthy gentleman. But when he encounters Hartley, he soon finds himself wanting to steal more than just a painting from the lovely, lonely man—he wants to steal his heart.

Cat Sebastian returns with a new book in her Seducing the Sedgwicks series. One hero who used to move in fashionable circles but now a recluse (oh, do tell!) is certainly intriguing. However, if I’m being honest, it’s the character of Sam Fox that had me sitting up a little taller in my seat. A former boxer turned pub owner turned housebreaker to help out a friend? I am so there.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to reading this month?

Top 5 Unusual Historicals For February 2018

This month marks a new venture, of sorts, for my Unusual Historicals column.  It will now be cross-posted over at Love in the Panels!  Suzanne and I worked together at Heroes & Heartbreakers (RIP), and this seemed like a happy marriage of getting more eyeballs on new historical romance titles (always my nefarious goal!).  So what is catching my eye this month?  So glad you asked!

Westerns Galore!

The Cowboy Who Came Calling by Linda Broday

A Former Texas Ranger on a mission
A determined woman slowly losing her sight
A love neither could have predicted
...and a danger that may steal their happy ending before it can even begin.

Glory Day may be losing her vision, but that doesn't mean she'll ever stop fighting. Determined to provide for her struggling family, she confronts an outlaw with a price on his head. But when a mysterious cowboy gets between her and her target, Glory accidentally shoots him instead. Flustered, she has no option but to take the handsome stranger home to treat his wounds.

Former Texas Ranger Luke McClain didn't plan to fall in love, but there's no denying the strength of Glory's will or the sweetness of her heart. But Glory's been burned before, and Luke will have to reach into the depths of his own battered soul to convince her to take a chance...

This is a reprint, originally published by Dorchester and now reissued by Sourcebooks with a lovely new cover.  I reviewed the Dorchester release an online lifetime ago, and back then I found this an enjoyable story with a mix of folksy charm and grittier elements.

Married to Claim the Rancher’s Heir by Lauri Robinson

To claim his heir…

…he must marry his enemy!

Gabe Callaway is outraged when feisty Janette Parker lands on his doorstep with her orphaned niece—though he soon realizes little Ruby is heir to his ranch! If Janette wants money, he’ll pay her off to keep the little girl in her rightful place. But all Janette wants is Ruby… Will Gabe do whatever it takes to claim his heir—even marry Janette?

It’s a Harlequin Historical western, which means I’m obligated by some unwritten law to add this to my TBR Mountain Range (hey, I don’t make this stuff up!).  Also, color me intrigued.  My first instinct was move this set-up to a contemporary setting and it could be published by Harlequin Desire.  One-click!

A Gambler’s Pleasure by Michelle Beattie

Ten years after strolling out of Marietta without a backward glance, Mitch McCall wins a land deed in a game of poker that has him returning to his hometown, ready to collect his winnings. A few weeks later, he's surprised when he doesn't want to leave. Not only is he working a saloon and unknowingly putting down roots, he's also trying to convince the town's good girl that he's not the rake she believes he is. But love isn't a game and if the successful gambler wants to win, he'll have to bet it all.

Melissa lives her life to please her parents. Suffering from their son's abandonment, Melissa puts her own desires and dreams aside to save them more heartache. But a late night encounter with the completely unsuitable Mitch McCall changes everything. With one night becoming many, Mitch helps her uncover the woman she really is and dares her to chase her dreams. But when shocking news arrives about her brother, will Melissa retreat back into her peacemaker role or will she fight for the man she loves?

It’s like there’s Wendy catnip sprinkled all over this book.  You’ve got a rascally hero who is really a good guy and a heroine weighted down by a sense of obligation.  And it’s a western.  One-click!

Across the Pond!

The Bittersweet Bride by Vanessa Riley

Widow Theodosia Cecil needs a husband to help protect her son. The former flower seller turned estate owner posts an ad in the newspaper, and no one is more surprised than she when her first love, the man she thought dead, reappears.

Ewan Fitzwilliam has been at war for six years. Now, the second son of a powerful earl is back but his beloved Theo needs a husband and will not consider him. She believes Ewan left her—in desperate straits—so she denies the feelings she still harbors for the handsome, scarred soldier. Theo and playwright Ewan must overcome bitter lies and vengeful actions that ruined their youthful affair. Theo must reveal her deepest secret in order to reclaim the love that has long been denied.

“Second son of a powerful earl,” yeah OK. Honestly? I’m reading this book because I’m dying to find out how a former flower seller becomes an estate owner!  And pray tell, when was the last time you saw a flower seller heroine in a historical romance?  The heroine’s backstory has me itching to read this one.

Historical Fiction / Romantic Elements!

Hearts of Resistance by Soraya Lane

At the height of World War II, three women must come together to fight for freedom, for the men they love—and for each other.

When Hazel is given the chance to parachute into Nazi-occupied France, she seizes the opportunity to do more for the British war effort than file paperwork. Alongside her childhood friend, French-born Rose, she quickly rises up the ranks of the freedom fighters. For Rose, the Resistance is a link to her late husband, and a way to move forward without him. What starts out as helping downed airmen becomes a bigger cause when they meet Sophia, a German escapee and fierce critic of Hitler who is wanted by the Gestapo. Together the three women form a bond that will last a lifetime.

But amid the turmoil and tragedy of warfare, all three risk losing everything—and everyone—they hold dear. Will their united front be strong enough to see them through?

Technically this is historical fiction but I’ll be perfectly frank - how can I be expected to resist that cover?!  And three Nazi-fightin’ heroines?  I feel like this is relevant to Romancelandia’s interests.  Lane has written a number of books, including some very good Harlequin Romances.  I’m curious to see what she does with a historical setting.  Oh, and it's free to Kindle Unlimited folks.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?