Long Live: Unusual Historicals for August 2025

I know we've all been mourning the "death" of historical romance but y'all these posts are getting to be a lot of work for a sub genre apparently in it's death rattle phase. And while I realize some of the books featured this month are with traditional publishers who are dropping contracts, we still are managing to get seventeen books in August - and honestly there's likely a few more floating around out there. These are just the ones that landed in front of my eyeballs and made my "short list."  So I hope you're limbered up and grabbed yourself a snack, we're all going to be here for a while.

The Warrior's Forbidden Viking Bride by Sarah Rodi

A forbidden desire...

...for his enemy captor!

Mourning his wife and unborn child, Saxon warrior Ryce has found solace behind the walls of a monastery and become a priest-in-training. Then Viking shieldmaiden Alivia, blazing with righteous fury, attacks and takes Ryce captive.

Ryce must resist the spark between him and his captor. For he’s vowed to devote his life to the priesthood, and to her, he represents the enemy who killed her family. Forced to work together to protect their people, impetuous and fierce Alivia reignites his warrior instincts. Now Ryce has a choice: return to his duty, or embrace a new future with Alivia by his side?

Y'all this one might be my number one with a bullet for August. A hero in deep mourning decides to pack it all in and become a priest. She's a pissed off shieldmaiden who takes him captive "for reasons." Look, not gonna lie, the power dynamics in captive romances can get real icky, real quick, but the role-reversal and SHIELDMAIDEN!!!!!

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa 

As the youngest and most rebellious daughter of the overly protective Luna family, Gabriela Luna Valdés claws after her freedom in any way she can. This time, her hunger for adventure has led her aboard a windswept ship bearing for her homeland, away from a mob of fumbling British suitors. But Gabby can’t escape her father’s expectation that she settle down to find a proper husband—a compromise she’s unwilling to make.

For Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield, the trip to Mexico is his last chance. His last chance to rectify his family’s estate and refill their dwindling coffers. And his last chance to match wits with the sharp-tongued but deliciously tempting Gabriela.

When Gabby finds herself in need of a hasty escape, Sebastian agrees to assist her…but their close proximity sparks a red-hot passion that could ruin all their plans. With scandal looming, can Sebastian convince Gabby his regard is sincere or will she sail away with his heart?

The final book in The Luna Sisters trilogy features the youngest, rebellious (aren't they always?) sister determined to not settle for a milquetoast British husband but stuck due to her father's expectations. So she does what one must - she boards a ship to Mexico and lands straight into the arms of our hero, making the trip in the hopes of bringing his finances back up to scratch.

The Fortune Hunter's Guide to Love by Emma-Claire Sunday

How can Lady Sylvia save herself from financial ruin?

Step 1: Move to the seaside for the summer, where there will be no shortage of wealthy bachelors holidaying.

Step 2: Strike a deal with local farmer Hannah. If Hannah can help Sylvia bag a rich husband, Sylvia will fund Hannah’s dream of opening a cheese shop.

Step 3: Charm their way into luncheons, parties and exclusive balls, but do not start to confuse friendship with romantic feelings for Hannah.

Step 4: Focus on her fortune-hunting scheme and do not let her heart get carried away by her unexpected and magical kiss with Hannah!

Fortune hunter needs to marry, but make it Sapphic. She's a fortune hunter one step away from total ruin and seeks the help of a local farmer by dangling the promise of opening her own cheese shop.  The game, as they say, is afoot.  If they could only ignore the inconvenient attraction simmering between them.

Touched by a Traitor by Mihwa Lee

He destroyed her dreams. She'll destroy his heart.

Charlotte Grace fought her way from the gutters of London to become England's first female barrister—until the man she loved betrayed her with devastating precision. Forced into marriage with her betrayer, she discovers a truth that shatters everything she thought she knew about their relationship.

Andrew Creswell, the Earl of Carlisle, thought he was protecting what was his. Instead, he's unleashed hell. When forced to choose between his fortune and Charlotte's future, he makes a decision that will haunt them both forever. Now, as Charlotte flees and his empire crumbles, he faces the ultimate choice: cling to what he bled to build or sacrifice everything to become the man worthy of her forgiveness.

The question isn't whether love can survive betrayal—it's whether either of them will survive the flames of their own making.

First in The Daring Damsels series gives readers enemies to lovers, a marriage of convenience that heads south quickly, and a second chance romance wrapped around a wrong-side-of-the-tracks heroine who pulls herself up to become England's first female barrister. I'm kind of stupid excited about this one!

The Unexpected Heiress by Cassidy Crane

All Clara Cooper wants is something exciting to happen to her for a change. She chafes against the constraints of her society, which would rather see her married off than achieve her artistic dreams. A surprise inheritance turns her life on its head, opening doors she’d never dreamed of.

Addie Barnes is nothing if not pragmatic. Getting by on nothing but her wits and her looks, she turns her savvy eye to Clara and her secret fortune. If she can become Clara’s companion, she’ll be set for life. She initially sees Clara as a means to an end, but as their connection deepens, she grapples with conflicting emotions.

Amidst the tumultuous backdrop of the Great Depression, can they find redemption and love in the face of adversity?

An artist heroine who unexpectedly comes into a fortune and a heroine who marks said artist heroine as her meal ticket. Then, of course, those darn pesky feelings start to get in the way....

The Governess and the Rogue by Mimi Matthews

Stranded in India after being dismissed without a reference, governess Beatrice Layton exchanges her freedom for passage home to England, taking a position with the only family that will hire her. But Bea hasn’t reckoned for just how dreadful her new employers will be. Stuck with them at sea in increasingly desperate circumstances, she finds an unlikely champion in the injured ex-soldier traveling aboard their ship.

Colonel Jack Beresford has spent the last fourteen years serving in Her Majesty’s Army. Though time has lent him maturity, it hasn’t dulled the roguish impulses of his youth. When he’s confronted with the tantalizing prospect of a damsel in distress, he naturally steps in to rescue her. His solution? An engagement of convenience, of course. One that will last only as long as their voyage.

But once back on land, Jack and Bea’s simple arrangement is beset by complication after complication. There are former passengers to contend with, and meddling society matrons. Most complicated of all, there’s Jack’s family—his parents, siblings, and precocious nieces and nephews—all of whom seem to think that Bea might be perfect for him. Jack is beginning to think so too. All that remains is to convince bold, beguiling Bea that he’s perfect for her.

The sixth (and final?) book in the author's Somerset Stories series. Desperate heroine takes the only job available to her in order to get herself back to England finds a champion in a colonel who has spent the last fourteen years serving in the army. A fake engagement is only meant to help her out in her current situation, it's not actually supposed to lead to love.

This Gentleman of Mine by Collette Perri

Susanna’s husband is dead, and all she feels is relief. Or, rather, relief is what she would feel, if his death hadn’t left her penniless and in jeopardy of losing her estate. And then there is that other small matter she would prefer not to think about — someone is leaving her anonymous love notes, and the writer is growing bolder by the day.

It seems that everything is going wrong for Susanna, until Benedict Stanton, railway magnate and the man she has secretly loved since childhood, appears like her own personal knight on a white horse with an offer to help. But the gentleman she hopes will solve all her problems soon sparks complications of his own, chief amongst them an insatiable lust that proves as all-consuming as it is dangerous.

Because there is someone watching from the shadows, someone willing to kill to make Susanna his.

Someone who has, perhaps, killed before . . .

The death of an undesirable husband is just the start of the heroine's problems when she realizes she's now penniless and has picked up a stalker. He's a railway magnate and the man she's been in love with since childhood. This is the third book in The Tempting Tycoons trilogy.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

A stand-alone riff on Anastasia that is told in dueling first person point of view. Y'all that makes me feel some kind of way, but nobody wants to read my screed which will basically be chalked up to Middle-Aged Woman Yelling At Clouds. Will this attract readers who normally turn up their nose at historical romance? Time will tell.

A Lady's Rules for Seaside Romance by Arden Conroy

He’s always loved her. A seaside holiday provides his chance.

Anne Winthrop, the Dowager Marchioness of Litchfield, is a widow out of mourning. At her daughter’s encouragement, Anne decides their Brighton holiday will make for a good place to test the waters of romance. Though she knows firsthand how marriage puts women at risk, it would be fun to dance again. And a seaside romance does promise to be perfectly fleeting.

Victor McNab’s life is exactly how he wants it. His pub, The Harp & Thistle, is thriving. His brothers are happily married. After the three of them grew up as orphans on the streets of Whitechapel, Victor is satisfied with how their lives have turned out. Unfortunately, his unwanted destiny looms. Victor learns his grandfather, the Duke of Invermark, is dying. And Victor, who wants nothing to do with the ton, is next in line.

Horrified by the news, Victor confides in his closest friend, Anne. She encourages him to join his brothers in Brighton, where she will help him reenter the ton. Victor witnesses the attention beautiful Anne attracts and becomes unraveled by a revelation: he wants her for himself. But as someone who has never before desired romance in any form, Victor must uncover what this means or he risks ruining the most important friendship of his life.

Love and friendship may go hand in hand. But they can also crash and burn together.

Well of course he turns out to be the heir to a Dukedom which is about as unusual as the terrible lemonade at Almack's. But, and hear me out, he's also a tavern owner and she's a Dowager Marchioness whose daughter (implying said heroine is "older") thinks it would be good for Mom to get back "out there" and have some fun. This third book in The Harp & Thistle trilogy gives readers a friends to lovers trope and, apparently, a virgin hero!

Heart of the Hunter by Lois Templin

He’s never failed a mission…until her.

Hunter is the most lethal member of the infamous Band of Bastards, a warrior known for working alone, living by a strict code, and finishing every mission with cold precision. Distractions are dangerous. And no distraction is more dangerous than the lady goldsmith who’s haunted his dreams for two years and threatens to crack the shell around his unworthy heart.

Anora has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. With her father aging and her brother gone, the burden of protecting their goldsmithing business, and uncovering the thief sabotaging it, falls squarely on her shoulders. When clues lead her to Castle Whyte, she risks everything to sneak inside and recover the stolen jewels.

But she never expects to run into Hunter.

For two years, he’s shared meals with her father but ignored her completely. Now, not even her protests can stop the infuriating man from interfering with her mission, or protecting her at every turn.

Forced into an uneasy alliance, Anora and Hunter must navigate danger, desire, and the undeniable pull between them. She doesn’t know he’s in love with her. He doesn’t believe he’s worthy of her. But he’ll break every rule he’s ever lived by if it means keeping her safe.

Even if it means losing everything else.

The third book in the Band of Bastards medieval trilogy features a loner warrior hero partnered with a goldsmith (!) heroine determined to find the thief targeting her family's livelihood.  With her brother gone, and her father now an old man, the burden lands on her, and the warrior who has spent time at her father's table.

The Sound of Seduction by Sara Adrien

A prince in exile. A nurse with everything to lose. One scandalous kiss could destroy them both—or rewrite their fates forever.

Wendy Folsham has spent her life holding things together: her brother’s legacy, her patients’ lives, and the sterling reputation of 87 Harley Street. As the trusted nurse in London’s most daring medical practice, she’s the calm at the center of chaos. Falling for a man—let alone a prince—was never part of her plan.

Especially not this prince.

Prince Stan von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen has spent his life shielding others—from secrets, from scandal, and from the quiet political storm he finds himself at the center of. Everyone close to him becomes a target. That’s why he keeps his distance. But Wendy Folsham changes everything. She’s competent, composed, and utterly irresistible. She saved his life when no one else could. But when Wendy kisses him in the clinic, everything shifts. His wounds may have healed, but now his heart is at war. Because the closer she gets, the more he wants her. And the more he wants her, the more he knows he could destroy her.

Loving her isn’t safe. But letting her go might be impossible.

And he can’t touch her without risking everything she’s built – everything he admires.

She can’t let him go without risking her heart.

As secrets rise, lives and reputations hang in the balance, Stan and Wendy must decide: protect their futures—or surrender to a love that could ruin them.

Royalty in historical romance is not unusual but y'all I am trash for a nurse heroine and this one is named Wendy! Hey, it's my blog, I'm allowed to make up the rules as I go along. This is the fourth book in the Miracles on Harley Street series.

Seducing the Spy by Kelsey Swanson

A spy with nothing to lose. A lady longing for excitement. A passion neither can resist.

Oliver Black clawed his way out of the gutters of London, only to be thrust in the shadows once more—this time as a covert agent for the Crown. Wounded during a mission gone bad, he finds himself with nowhere to turn but the doorstep—well, balcony—of the one woman he knows he’ll never be able to forget.

Emily Tailor, the fiercely curious daughter of a notorious Covent Garden madam, has lived the sheltered life of a princess in a tower. But when Oliver crashes into her world, bloodied and desperate, she seizes the chance to have the adventure she’s always craved. Posing as his lover, she joins him on a dangerous journey to a hedonistic house party where nothing is as it seems.

With secrets swirling and seduction in the air, every glance ignites forbidden longing. As Emily and Oliver navigate a treacherous game of deception, the line between performance and reality blurs.

Danger waits in the shadows—but so does desire…

A wounded spy who came up from the gutter lands on the doorstep of a fairy tale princess, if said princess was the daughter of a notorious madam. He needs her to pose as his mistress to infiltrate a notorious house party and she desperately wants to escape her tower.  This is the second book in the Spy Society series.

A Waltz on the Wild Side by Erica Ridley

Advice columnist Miss Vivian Henry hates how the Wild Wynchesters flaunt so many privileges ordinary people could never emulate. But when her beloved cousin goes missing and the authorities shrug, Viv has no choice but to beg for help from the vigilantes she despises. 

 

Aspiring poet Jacob Wynchester prefers animals to people. He’d rather stay behind the safety of a quill than interact with prickly clients. But when he's appointed lead investigator, Jacob finds he admires Vivian's resourcefulness and intelligence—including the sharp wit he must parry. As they team up to rescue her kidnapped cousin, they discover just how compatible they are.

 

Together, they must not only save the day, but also decide how far they’re willing to go to be who they really are. And determine whether their partnership is a mistake… or the missing piece that completes them.

An advice columnist heroine with no love for the hero's family finds herself needing their help when her cousin goes missing. Our hero is a poet who would rather hide behind his pen and spend time with animals than his family's clients.  This is the sixth book in the author's Wild Wynchesters series.

A Lady of Letters by Andrea Pickens (Reprint)

Articulate and intelligent, Lady Augusta Peabody avoids Society's censure by secretly publishing her political essays under the pen name "Firebrand." But despite all outward efforts to behave like a proper lady at the balls she can’t avoid attending, she finds herself tripping into awkward encounters with the roguish Earl of Dunham and igniting a fiery war of words between them.

Bored with life as a rake, Marcus has decided to use his position in Parliament to champion Firebrand's cause, never dreaming that the reclusive writer is the headstrong young lady with whom he's constantly clashing.

When the truth comes out, Augusta reluctantly allows Marcus to help her investigate the gentleman she suspects of running a dastardly criminal enterprise. Sparks continue to fly between them—and accidentally ignites new passions that could destroy them both if their cunning enemy has his way . . .

Originally published in 2000 by Signet's traditional Regency Romance line, this is a self-published reprint the author is branding as Book Five in the Intrepid Heroines series. A heroine who writes political essays and a hero determined to change his rakish ways by championing the writers' causes - not realizing of course that the Firebrand is the headstrong young woman who vexes him.

A Lyon's Promise by C.H. Admirand

He has never forgotten how he failed her!

Gavin King has been with the Bow Street Runners for years, with twenty men who report directly to him—a handful of whom he trusts implicitly to handle any issues that come up regarding the Duke of Wyndmere and his family. King has investigated crimes that still keep him up nights. One of those crimes involved the gruesome sight of Lord Hughes’s body stuffed into a sea chest. Though he solved Hughes’s murder, and the killer was brought to trial, he will never forget the anguished look, nor the tears that followed, when he delivered the news to Lady Lucretia Montfort as he promised. God help him, he felt helpless bearing witness to her pain.

She has no choice but to enter the Lyon’s Den!

Widowed for a decade, Lady Montfort hoped to find contentment when Lord Hughes proposed a marriage of convenience. His brutal murder was the catalyst for the recent salacious rumors, and the wager in White’s betting book that threaten the widow’s reputation.

King vows to keep another promise, one that he made to himself—that he would place Lady Montfort under his broad wing of protection. The rumors escalate and turn ugly. King receives an urgent missive from one of his longtime contacts, Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon, advising that Lucretia has asked for her help finding a husband. King demands Bessie sever the contract. She refuses. Little does he know Mrs. Dove-Lyon has a plan of her own!

Part of the long-running Lyon's Den continuity world, our hero is a Bow Street Runner (in management no less!) who solved the murder of the heroine's intended, a Lord she was hoping to enter into a marriage of convenience with for "reasons" that soon threaten her reputation. Things get complicated when he finds out she's sent out a call to find another husband.

The Lyon Loves Last by Charlie Lane

What’s dangerous, necessary, and arranged at the Lyon’s Den? A marriage of convenience between childhood friends.

Felix Canterbury, Viscount Foxton will never return to his childhood home. Nothing but nightmares there. He’s happy to gamble the house away to win a bride at the Lyon’s Den. Especially since his beloved grandfather is demanding he marry… and soon. Felix never expects the prize bride to be his childhood friend, the woman he deliberately enraged.

Miss Caroline Maxwell needs a house for the women's refuge she’s building. Even if it means landing a husband along with it. She doesn’t need love, after all. She already gave her heart away to Felix, who promptly dropped it. With the Widow of Whitehall’s help, she snags a husband and a house with ease.

The house is perfect.

The husband—and arrogant and all too virile Felix—not so much.

They agree to a marriage in name only, but when circumstances trap them in the house he hates, desire tests their resolve.

Unless Caroline can help Felix overcome his childhood ghosts, fear will shape their futures instead of love.

Yep, another Lyon's Den book for August.  This one features a hero determined to gamble away a house that holds nothing but bad memories and a heroine who needs a house to build a women's refuge. She's not exactly keen on the idea of a husband coming along with said house, but needs must and all that.

Doubts and Desires by Charlotte Wren

Louisa Northcott faces her second Season with quiet resolve. Her first wasn’t disastrous, but it failed to deliver the heart-stirring romance she craves. She longs for more than a “suitable” match, she wants someone who quickens her pulse. She never expects to meet such a man before even leaving for London.

Maxwell Harlow, a tall, handsome, and aloof Anglo-Scottish industrialist, captures her attention the moment she encounters him in the stables at Highfield. He’s in Yorkshire to lease the vacant Northcott Manor, Louisa’s family estate, but he’s already engaged to an aristocratic bride. Disappointed, Louisa turns her focus back to the coming Season.

Maxwell, meanwhile, has never sought marriage. Focused solely on success during Britain’s Industrial Revolution, he has little interest in anything that might compromise his autonomy. But when Lord Dent, an indebted viscount, offers his daughter’s hand for a fee, Maxwell initially declines. Purchasing a bride leaves a bitter taste. Yet the appeal of securing a noble connection leads him to accept the deal. With a wedding planned, he seeks a home for his future wife, which brings him to Northcott Manor. There, he notices Captain Northcott’s eldest daughter, but Louisa is off-limits.

Still, fate intervenes. At a London society event, Maxwell and Louisa cross paths again. One innocent yet careless moment alters everything, throwing their lives into turmoil. Maxwell must choose between the rigid control of his career and the unpredictable stirrings of his heart.

Louisa refuses to give up hope. She believes Maxwell will come to love her, truly, deeply. But her faith is tested, again and again.

Just as happiness seems within reach, a devastating crisis threatens everything. Louisa begins to question whether Maxwell ever truly cared. Has she misjudged him? Has he deceived her all along?

The start of new Highfield Hall series finds our heroine wanting something more than a "suitable match" and unfortunately the man quickening her pulse is a industrialist who is already engaged to be married - no matter it's merely transactional involving her family connections and his money. But of course they run into each other again and of course complications ensue.

Whew! I won't tell you how long it took me to draft this post but we made it!  I hope you found something to tickle your fancy this month.  What are you looking forward to reading?

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is August 20

Y'all I cannot believe it's August and we're over halfway through the 2025 #TBRChallenge. Our next challenge is set for Wednesday, August 20 and this month's option theme is Do the Hustle.

This suggestion came out of my annual theme poll, and I'll admit I'm a sucker for a musically inspired theme.  I always encourage free interpretation of the themes but the first thing that springs to my mind for this month are characters, well, hustling. Single moms or dads struggling to make ends meet, characters with work-related struggles, or characters with shady or ulterior motives. However, remember, the goal of this challenge is to always read something, anything, that has been languishing in my TBR pile - so straying away from the theme is perfectly acceptable if your fragile reading mood carries you off in a different direction.

Also, a reminder that it's not too late to sign-up for the Challenge (fun fact: it's never too late to sign up!).  For more details and for a list of participants, you can check out the 2025 #TBRChallenge page.

Review: Opulence and Ashes

Opulence and Ashes by Kate Belli is the fourth, and more than likely, final book in the author's Gilded Gotham Mystery series that I've glommed my way through the past couple of months. The author could likely keep things going but if this truly is the end, it's a solid finish to the series that neatly ties up a number of new and existing plot threads.

After the previous books' ho-hum (yeah, I said it) serial killer plot, it was nice to see our crime-solving couple sink their teeth into something a bit more unique, there appears to be a serial arsonist on the loose, but finding connecting threads is proving challenging.  Society reporter Genevieve Stewart and former Five Points gang member turned wealthy man, Daniel McCaffrey, are engaged, mere weeks away from their wedding, and building a new home of their own. They're also continuing their reform work, teaming up with police photographer, Dagmar Hansen to shed light on the House of Refuge, a children's workhouse and conditions in Five Points.  Genevieve is also looking into a fire that destroyed the Sunflower Mission House, a home for women of color who escaped from sex trafficking. 

However, someone isn't happy about what Daniel and Genevieve are doing. Dagmar's studio is set on fire, with both he and Daniel trapped in it, and Genevieve barely escapes a fire set at the home of a doctor providing health care (including contraception, illegal during this time thanks to the Comstock Act) to women. As if this weren't enough? One of Daniel's long-lost siblings, Connor, kidnapped off the streets as a young child and packed off on an orphan train, has returned to New York.  Genevieve and their friend Rupert don't trust the man, but Daniel's feelings are much more fraught and complicated. As the arsonist heats up, so does the danger to both Genevieve and Daniel.  Will they survive to defeat the arsonist and see their wedding day?

The author does a good job ratcheting up the tension in this story. Truly, from the beginning, it's hard to see how all these episodes and incidents tie together other than fire is involved - and fire in New York City during this time wasn't exactly a rarity. It takes time for the author to set the stage and start her characters down a path that ultimately leads to their highest stakes yet - Genevieve getting kidnapped. This is when the story really started to cook for me. Daniel out of his mind and Genevieve in a horrific situation, trapped with other women in a 19th century mental hospital.

I'll admit it, after Genevieve's various bouts of foot stamping and feistiness in previous (and this one as well) entries, there was a certain amount of satisfaction (not the right word, but you get my meaning) to see her get a bit of comeuppance. Should she have been forcibly institutionalized? Of course not - but it sure was fun to read about how she was going to wiggle herself out of that nightmare - and wiggle she does.

Ultimately this last book in the series does what all good last books should do - that is tie everything up, including a few callbacks to earlier entries, to a satisfying conclusion. To that end, I cannot stress enough that these four books should be read in order. With some series a reader can hop around (I do it all the time actually) but not here. The author builds each book off the foundation of the books preceding it which leads us to a very satisfying conclusion, and yes - a happy ending for both romance and mystery fans.

I've had a really good time reading this series. It's the first one I've read in a long time that satisfied both parts (mystery and romance) of my genre loving brain. I'm a little sorry to see Daniel, Genevieve and their menagerie family and friends go, but better a satisfying conclusion than a slow and disappointing descent into banality.

Grade = B

Review: Reunited With His Long-Lost Nurse

Y'all, my reading mojo has been in the toilet for well over a month now. I'm getting TBR Challenge books read and I've gotten through an audiobook, but I'm not reading. Why? Fatigue, not having the spoons, torn with indecisiveness of what to read next - I mean, it's a lot of things. But I miss reading and I need to kick start my mojo somehow, so I thought a category romance might be in order. When I find a decent one I can inhale the story in one sitting, which is what happened with Reunited With His Long-Lost Nurse by Charlotte Hawkes.  This is Harlequin Medical I dug up from the depths of my Kindle and it is hardly perfect, but it was readable so I'm counting it as a win.

Liam Miller is on his way to the fictional Caribbean island of St. Victoria to take over a case from a heart surgeon who has been laid up thanks to an accident. The only reason he's going is because of his dedication to his work and ensuring patients get the best care possible, otherwise he'd avoid St. Victoria like the plague. It's her home. Nurse Talia Johnson. The woman who breathed color and life into his empty existence when they worked together in North Carolina, only for him to come home one day to find she had ghosted him. Poof! Gone. No call, no note, nada.

Talia returned home for "reasons" (it takes some time to find out why) and I feel some kind of way about folks who ghost lovers, but when you meet Liam you understand. This guy might as well have a neon sign blinking over his head that screams "Emotionally Unavailable." Liam isn't the one who got away so much as he was the one that was never hers to begin with, even though she was in love with him.  Nope, this guy is an emotional black hole. Doesn't believe in love. Thinks he's damaged beyond repair. Why? Daddy, of course. Liam's mother died in childbirth and from the cradle Daddy took his grief out on his son.  

The conflict in this story is all internal and, while highly emotional, it's one of those stories where if Talia just told Liam why she had to rush home and that part of why she left is because he's emotionally vacant - well, this story would have been 50 pages long. Which means we get some talking in circles and repetition. The author infuses a decent sense of place, and pours on some medical jargon (honestly, heavier than I've read in most Medicals) but it boils down to this - Liam is emotionally unavailable and needs therapy, Talia should probably have slapped him and said, "Come find me when you want to stop punishing yourself." 

Does this sound heartless of me? Probably. And yet still I zipped through the story. Hawkes can certainly bring the sexy times and while I found the internal conflict a little tedious at the start, it becomes more emotionally charged by the end.  That said, it all felt too long and drawn out, and Medicals are roughly the same length as Harlequin Presents (under 200 pages) - so, yeah.

This is fourth and final book in The Island Clinic multi-author continuity series and it stands alone amazingly well. I didn't fall in love but I kept turning the pages and I read it in one sitting, only coming up for air when I couldn't ignore the need for dinner any longer. There was enough on the page here that I'd read this author again.

Final Grade = C+

Review: Treachery on Tenth Street

I finished Treachery on Tenth Street, the third book in Kate Belli's Gilded Gotham historical mystery series weeks ago. As in, early July sometime and y'all I just haven't had the spoons to do much of anything involving my longtime hobby (reading, blogging...) lately. But since I blogged about the first two in the series and I'm about halfway through the final book in the series, well the completist in me started getting twitchy so here we are.

This is a tale of two stories for me.  There were parts of it I really liked and parts of it that fell flat. Society reporter, Genevieve Stewart, and her partner in crime, Five Points gang member turned a member of the Astor 400, Daniel McCaffrey, become embroiled in the murder of artist's model Beatrice Holler at the behest of Genevieve's friend Callie Maple. Callie was once a society girl like Genevieve, but she and her grandmother fell on hard times through a series of bad investments. Once grandma died, Callie, citing needing some time alone to figure out her life, slipped into the ether, only to return as an artist's model and wealthy man's mistress. She knew Beatrice casually through their social circle and the police, despite the woman being found with her throat slit, are saying her death was accidental. 

Genevieve and Daniel are still recovering from the events and trauma that happened in the first two books, but Callie is a friend and Genevieve smells a story. The police cover-up boggles the mind until they learn why it's happening. Beatrice isn't the only victim and they want to quell rumors that Jack the Ripper has left London and has set up shop in New York City.

The setting driving this story forward is really different and interesting - the art scene in late 19th century New York and the women within that community living, what would be seen, as very unconventional, even scandalous lives. On top of that it's summer in New York and an infernal heat wave is gripping the city. Unfortunately it's all wrapped up in a rather pedestrian serial killer plot with some uneven pacing. I'll admit, after the more imaginative suspense threads in the first two books, a serial killer feels rather passé. It takes a while for the plot to find it's footing and once we land on Coney Island I was getting bored for something, anything to happen. Luckily it does in Coney Island, and it's rather shocking - but fitting given we're working with a serial killer plot.

Unfortunately the denouement didn't entirely work for me. We get the ol' unhinged and "crazy" culprit, which doesn't fit entirely with that character's actions preceding in the earlier chapters. I don't like to compare one book by an author to another, but frankly that's hard not to do when you're talking about a series, and this one just lacks some of the more compelling juice I found in the first two entries.

That being said, the backdrop of this story is very interesting, the Daniel/Genevieve romance takes a major step forward, and at this point I'm so invested in the world and characters things would have to seriously run off the rails for me to hate this. It wasn't as compelling for me as the first two but it does move things forward and I didn't hesitate to grab the final book in the series.

Final Grade = B-

Hotter Than the 4th of July: Unusual Historicals for July 2025

My apologies for getting this month's Unusual Historicals post up at the 11th hour - July is always a busy time for me, but even more so this year because I celebrated a milestone birthday with a sisters trip to New York City where I wrecked my feet and back, ate lots of delicious food (Katz's = worth the line), saw a very funny play (highly recommend The Play That Goes Wrong), successfully navigated the subway and did a bunch of sightseeing.  Then, of course, it was back to The Day Job and my terrible no-good reading slump that I am determined to bust out of before the summer ends. Also waiting for me? Another lengthy list (yippee!) of unusual historicals - great for readers, not so great for my waning energy levels to sit down and write words. But, Dear Blog Readers, I do this for you. And also, historical romance.  Grab a snack and cold beverage, it's time to dig in.

The Paradise Petition by Carolyn Brown

Daisy Lindberg and Lily Boyle traded a colorful past for a fresh start as seamstresses in Autrie, Texas, and their aim to spark a women’s rights movement is raising eyebrows among the town’s dumbfounded men. But among the ladies? Tired of being treated like possessions, they have two words: Amen, sister!

Beulah, a sassy shop owner as formidable as a cannon shot, is on board. So is Alma, a timid preacher’s wife who hit her breaking point. Before long, a courageous female posse has a liberating petition of demands. Surprisingly, they also have an empathetic ear in sheep rancher Matt Maguire, who’s as keen on women’s independence as he is on Lily.

As Daisy and Lily make waves in the small town, their secrets threaten to come out. But they haven’t traveled this far to let their past define them. In fact, with love and the forging of new lives on the line, they’ve never felt more defiant.

Brown's first historical in roughly 20 years (published by Amazon Montlake) is a prequel, of sorts, to her contemporary Paradise series which is launching with Sourcebooks in August. I know, two different publishers - I find that telling in our current historical romance landscape.  Anyway, Brown has written a metric ton of books and sometimes her folksy charm works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. I'm a sucker for a heroine with a "reputation" and this one features two of them. The blurb leans a bit historical women's fiction but I'm hoping Matt Maguire is suitable romance hero material.

Alliance with Her Renegade Knight by Lissa Morgan

The knight’s target…

Becomes his greatest desire!

From the moment wool merchant Isolda catches sight of Sir Henry, she senses a powerful bond. But the vigilante knight is tracking down the person penning seditious poems exposing corruption…poems she secretly wrote!

Henry is torn after discovering Isolda’s hidden identity, especially as he sympathizes with her cause. When Isolda’s apprentice is murdered, Henry joins forces with her, hiding out in his manor, where passions run high! Yet after the traumatic death of his family, Henry can’t let Isolda breach the walls around his heart. Still, he must find a way to earn her trust—their lives depend on it!

Morgan's latest medieval is set during the early years of the Wars of the Roses and the Rout of Ludford Bridge, and those circumstances find out heroine writing poems exposing corruption, which obviously will just not do. Enter our hero, a knight tasked with ferreting the poet out, only to fall in love with her instead.

A Desire Unbidden by Elisabeth Greythorn

He was an officer, a commander, the son of an Earl. She was a child of the French Revolution, taken from her home to serve the British army.

But love doesn’t follow orders.

When Christine Fournier is forced to serve as a camp follower, survival becomes her only goal—until she crosses paths with Acting Lieutenant Colonel George Ashford. Stern, duty-bound, and far above her station, he should have remained indifferent. But war softens rules, and something in her defiance sparks a desire that neither of them can resist.

What begins as reluctant fascination ignites into something raw and volatile—fed by her fearless longing and his silent denial. But when their passion leads to consequences they can’t ignore, George is torn between duty to his family and the woman he cannot forget. Christine must now decide how much of herself she’s willing to give to a man who may never truly be hers.

From the muddy war camps of southern France to the glittering drawing rooms of London, A Desire Unbidden is a sweeping, sensual tale of longing and passion—of love tested by duty, pride, and impossible choices.

He's the son of an Earl serving in the British army during the Napoleonic War. She's French and forced to serve as a camp follower and war makes unlikely bedfellows that lead to complications. Amazon is listing this at nearly 400 pages so I'm expecting drama and sweeping saga in this debut.

Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke

Third time’s a charm? For Lady Kay Matheson, it had better be. Her first engagement was a failed elopement; the second ruined by gossip about the first. Resigned to be a disgraced spinster, no one is more surprised than Kay when an American millionaire offers for her hand. Just when she’s convinced she will finally make it down the aisle, the scoundrel who broke her heart arrives with his own fiancée.

Devlin Sharpe has finally become a success. He has wealth, connections, and a lovely bride-to-be—and he won’t let an old flame derail all his hard work. But it turns out time has not dampened his grudge toward Kay—or the desire sparking between them. And one searing kiss threatens to ruin their wedding plans and their futures, and make Kay the bad-luck bride all over again.

The third book in Guhrke's Scandal at the Savoy series finds our unlucky in love heroine inexplicably engaged for a third time to an American millionaire, only to have her first engagement, the failed elopement, show back up on the scene at the most inopportune time (oh honey, they always do). Oh, and he's also engaged. This back cover description features shades of something that Guhrke has done very well in the past - and that is writing adversarial couples. When she nails it, it's pure magic.    

This Much Is True by Vivienne Lorret

Althea Hartley has lost her spark. As the youngest daughter of an eccentric family, playwrighting is in her blood. But two failed Seasons have left her disenchanted. In desperate need of inspiration, she takes matters into her own hands by creating a tale of a dashing highwayman. What could possibly go wrong?

But her stories prove to be a little too true for the actual highwayman living beneath the tons’ nose.

Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, needs to put an end to the bewitching Miss Hartley’s incriminating tales. Society can never suspect that he isn’t the clumsy oaf he pretends to be. Or that, under the cover of darkness, he greets scoundrels and lightens their purses. Not too much. Just enough to keep those closest to him safe from his menacing uncle.

Then sparks fly when this unlikely pair meets one perfect night. And while she is eager to unmask him, he is determined to stay hidden. But there’s no denying the chemistry that neither of them are able to resist…

The only thing for certain is that Thea needs to guard her heart before the highwayman steals it.

She's a playwright whose latest work is about a dashing highwayman. He's an actual highwayman who discovers her play hits a little too close to the truth - which frankly will not do. The third book in Lorret's The Liar's Club series is a riff on the ever popular Scarlet Pimpernel trope.

One Secret Away from Ruin by Joanna Johnson

Trusting him means…

Risking a scandal!

Alicia Sanderson is keeping a secret that could ruin her family. She’s harboring both her sister and her sister’s illegitimate daughter…and their dastardly brother can never find out. So when Alicia is caught by handsome Colonel Brook Beaumont, she pretends the child is hers!

After being honorably discharged from the army, injured Brook’s struggling to find his place in Society. Helping Alicia find the child’s father is a welcome distraction. But believing Alicia still loves the man, Brook hides his growing attraction to her. As the secrets between them mount, can the truth of their desire win out?

Johnson's latest for Harlequin Historical features a heroine determined to protect her sister and niece from their odious brother, which leads to a teensy, tiny lie told to our hero, recently discharged from the army - that the child is actually hers and she needs help tracking down the father. But complications ensue when he starts to fall in love with her.

Holding on for a Hero by Lily Harlem

She’s a fearsome shield-maiden.

He’s a virgin Highlander.

And neither of them is ready for what comes next.

Astrid Rhalson sails hard, fights harder, and loves on her own terms, if she bothers loving at all. Feared across the Northlands as a legendary shield-maiden, she’s loud, lethal, and loyal only to her Viking kin. Men either run from her or worship her. And she prefers it that way.

So when a storm strands her on the foreign, Christian shores of Lothlend, the last thing she expects is a Highlander with honor in his eyes and heat in his veins.

Hamish MacCallum has lived a life of discipline, devoted to his village, his God, and his purity. But the moment he sees Astrid, flame-haired, battle-scarred, and unlike any woman he’s ever imagined, his resolve crumbles. She’s wild. Dangerous. Irresistible.

And when she catches him spying on her... things get messy. And very, very hot.

Now trapped in close quarters, one will push boundaries and the other will learn exactly how much pleasure sin can bring. Because when a Viking meets a virgin Highlander, the rules of war, and love, are made to be broken.

Y'all I am trash for Viking Shieldmaidens and if you team them up with a virgin hero - well, I'm a mere mortal. This is the second book in the Vikings Rock series and is being marketed as steamy.

Hastily Wed to the Duke by Sadie King

“I’ll marry the next eligible lady

…who walks through the door!”

After the death of his dissolute older brother, Dr. Ted Scott’s grief is twofold, for he’d rather remain a physician than become the new Duke of Falstone. Reluctantly he must now do his duty and find a bride—whoever that might be!

Charlotte Pearson only has herself to blame that she’s still on the shelf, living with her unpleasant mother after a failed elopement, so Ted’s impulsive proposal is impossible to refuse. He’s clear their marriage is purely for convenience—but that doesn’t address the fact that he needs an heir!

He's a doctor who never expected to become a Duke and she's an on the shelf spinster after a failed elopement. Of course these two crazy kids are going to enter into a marriage of convenience and of course they're going to get more than they bargained for.

An Earl's Sacrifice by Kathy L. Wheeler

A ruined earl. A fierce reformer. A village steeped in secrets—and a marriage forged in treachery.

Lucius Oshea, the new Earl of Pender, returns to Cornwall burdened by scandal and haunted by his father’s sins—only to find his estranged wife knee-deep in restoring the castle he once abandoned. But beneath the surface of the Penhalwick tin mines lies a legacy of betrayal, corruption, and death—one that threatens his family’s name and the future of everyone under his care.

Meredith Jepson-Oshea, daughter of the ruthless Duke of Rathbourne, hides a fire behind her a well-honed composure. Reviled in the village for her husband’s past neglect, she fights back with unrelenting resolve—secretly championing the women and children ensnared by the mine’s cruelty. And she will stop at nothing to protect them… even if it means confronting the very man who broke her heart.

Their union, arranged in childhood by ambitious fathers, was rooted in greed and shattered by lies. Now, as long-buried secrets rise and powerful enemies close in, Lucius and Meredith must navigate a treacherous path of deception, desire, and dangerous loyalties.

Not a marriage in trouble so much as a disaster from the word go. He's ruined and she's a reformer determined to help the village's women and children, which is proving tough since everyone hates the hero's, you know her husband's, guts. Secrets, treachery, Cornwall, TIN MINES! Oh, and it's part of Dragonblade's Flame line, so we should also be getting some steamy sexy times. This is the third book in the Clandestine Sapphire Society series.

The Doctor and the Duchess by Karyn Gerrard

A runaway duchess desperate to heal her damaged soul.

The recent discovery that he is the illegitimate son of an infamous duke has turned Doctor Drew Hornsby’s life upside down. Adopted at age ten by Viscount Hawkestone, Drew left his impoverished life behind, but he never forgot his roots. Now, as a physician, the memory of his late mother drives him to assist those in need. But he’s not the only one…

Selena Seaton Woodhouse, the Duchess of Barnsdale, an arranged marriage to an older duke left her feeling empty emotionally. After years of dealing with her husband’s cruelty, she runs away and becomes The Golden Angel, a mysterious lady who helps those less fortunate in London’s most notorious slum. She hopes helping others will help heal her own heart. But that isn’t touched until she meets the young, earnest Doctor Hornsby.

When Selena’s charitable works run afoul of the local rookery boss, the spectacled, self-contained doctor turns into a ferocious protector. And as the danger heightens, so does their mutual passion.

But overcoming the obstacles standing in their way to a future together may prove to be a bit more difficult.

The final book in The Duke's Bastards series features a doctor hero who has just found out he's the illegitimate son of a duke and she's a runaway duchess whose charitable works in London's slums puts her in the crosshairs of a local boss. As if that weren't enough? These two crazy kids fall in love.

To Catch a Thief by Anne Stuart

What happens when you take a 1930s comedy like My Man Godfrey and turn it into a Victorian romance? Chaos ensues.

Georgiana Manning has finally found something she wants, something worth fighting for—her family's mysterious, newly hired butler.

Rafferty is a thief, out to find a cache of money belonging to his former boss. When he’s unexpectedly offered the job of butler in the house where it’s hidden, he jumps at the chance, even though the Manning family's younger daughter has an inconvenient crush on him.

Rafferty is a lone wolf who plans to stay that way—there’s no room in his life for Georgie. He could find pleasure in romancing her, but he sees no happy ending for a young lady and a thief, or even worse, a butler. Complicating matters, a criminal mastermind is pressuring Rafferty to locate the money, and that mastermind is not above threatening what Rafferty holds dear—Miss Georgiana Manning.

All Georgie wants is the beautiful butler with the piercing blue eyes, though she knows he’s beyond her touch. All Rafferty wants is the hidden money and his freedom. Too bad he’s falling in love.

Yep, the same Anne Stuart who has written a ton of books dating back to the 1980s. He's a thief posing as a butler, she's a daughter in the household he's infiltrated who develops a complicating crush on him - and of course he can't stay away. Anyway you slice it, a proper young lady falling for a thief or butler just will not do.

The Lady's Sweet Revenge by Allison B. Hanson

Can revenge be a matchmaker between two souls weary of marriage?

Harlow Haverston woke up on a ship gagged and bound after being kidnapped from Hyde Park. However, she refused to be a damsel in distress, and she won’t allow her father to pay her ransom. She manages to escape and decides when she gets back to her life, she’s going to make some changes. She’s going to find a husband and live her life. But after learning her beloved uncle was an accomplice in her kidnapping, she puts her plans aside to focus on revenge…

The Earl of Breckenridge has been hunted by a ton full of marriage-seeking misses. But Reese didn’t expect his own mother would attempt to trap him too. Feeling betrayed, he escapes to his quiet castle in Scotland, only to find a beautiful woman has washed ashore.

As the two plan Harlow’s quest for revenge, another danger lurks, and secrets revealed might endanger a love they thought was finally real.

Stop the presses! SHE SAVES HERSELF! THE HEROINE SAVES HERSELF! And when she finds out her dastardly uncle was behind her kidnapping?  Trying to salvage a respectable marriage can wait, she wants revenge. She finds an ally in the hero, whose shores she literally washed up on. This is the third book in the Safely in Scotland series.

A Wanton Adventure by Ramona Elmes

A proper widow and notorious rogue—London’s most shocking match.

A discovery in more ways than one . . .

Diana, the most proper lady in London, has grown restless. After joining an antiquities club for female scholars, she volunteers to write a newspaper column about traveling abroad to visit historical sites. Yet much to her dismay, Diana has been partnered with the rake Sebastian Devons, whom she loathes.

Sebastian, owner of London’s most notorious gentlemen’s club, engages in vice to forget a failed love. Needing a change, he agrees to partner with the antiquities club and is shocked to set sail with Diana, an annoying, intriguing, and familiar face.

The start of a new series, The Brazen Curators, features a heroine who joins an antiquities club and a hero who decides he needs to turn over a new leaf.  Complications ensue when they discover they're setting sail together.  Another one from Dragonblade's Flame line this month which means more of the steamy shenanigans.

An Eye for the Chance by Emily EK Murdoch

She wants to paint him. He’s not what he seems. And neither of them are prepared for the passion that follows.

Lady Evelyn Chance has no patience for Society’s expectations. She’s a scandal in silk, and proud of it. While others court suitors and guard reputations, Evelyn is far more interested in oil paints and brushwork.

And she needs a model.

When she advertises for a male subject, she doesn’t expect to find someone tall, handsome… and entirely unwilling to remove his clothes.

Richard Sempill, Viscount Sempill, has his own reasons for answering the ad under false pretenses. But once he meets the fiercely independent artist, curiosity turns to captivation, and he agrees to keep his identity a secret. For now.

Late-night sittings turn into stolen kisses. Secrets turn into something dangerously close to affection. But just as Richard prepares to reveal everything, scandal strikes, and the truth might cost them the one thing neither of them expected: a future together.

The seventh book in a series about the Chance family, our heroine is an artist in need of a model - ahem, a male model. The man who answers her ad is a viscount who, surprise surprise, isn't being entirely honest with her. 

The Scot's Secret Love by Elizabeth Heights

He’s a spy with a secret love. She’s the lady who has forgotten him.

Lady Frida de Neville has learned that love makes fools of us all.

Just once, her head was turned by a handsome knight. Amidst the pulse-pounding excitement she suffered a terrible accident that changed her life, forever. Now she has turned her back on romance and riches, choosing to live a simple life in the northern hills.

A life free of men!

Sir Callum is half Highlander and half English, making him the perfect spy for Scotland. In recent years, he has hoped for peace between the two countries, but a devastating raid on his Highland home ignites his desire for vengeance. When he receives orders to infiltrate a powerful English family, Callum does not hesitate to ride south. The name Ember Hall means nothing to him – the last person he expects to find guarding the gates is his lost love.

Callum’s faux allegiance with Frida’s brother is enough to secure him a welcome, but with his band of men baying for blood – and suspicion mounting against him on all sides – he faces an impossible decision. Should his loyalty lay with kin and country? Or with the beautiful woman who has haunted his dreams since a Twelfth Tide Ball more than two winters ago?

A woman who claims to have no memory of the last time they met.

The first book in the new Sisters of Ember Hall series is a 14th century medieval that features a heroine living a life of solitude after an accident and a hero that she has no memory of - oh and he's a spy sent to infiltrate her family's household while trying to quell a rebellion amongst his own men. The heroine who doesn't remember him from their encounter a couple of winter's ago is a complication he doesn't need.

Match Made in Heaven by Margaux Thorne

He’s the wrong brother… but the right man for her.

Lady Ella has spent months quietly dreaming of Lord Oliver Sutton, the handsome and sought-after Duke of Hawkridge. When his carriage plunges into the Serpentine, Ella doesn’t hesitate, she dives in to save him. In the shock of the moment, with the duke unconscious and near death, she whispers that he was the man she was going to marry.

She never expected anyone to hear her.

But someone does.

Believing the duke’s “fiancée” has miraculously saved him, his grateful family insists Ella move into their home to aid his recovery. Though Oliver suffers from amnesia, everyone is thrilled he has finally chosen a respectable, kind-hearted woman. Everyone except his younger brother.

Lord Jack Sutton is not fooled. A seasoned shipping captain who’s dealt with con artists across the globe, Jack is determined to expose Ella as the fraud he’s sure she must be. Yet the more time he spends with her, the more he begins to question his instincts, and his own heart.

Ella is equally conflicted. Jack is nothing like the fairytale duke she once adored. He’s brash, blunt, and utterly wrong for her. And yet… he sees her, challenges her, and makes her feel truly alive. 

But the truth can’t stay buried forever. And when it surfaces, Ella must decide if she has the courage to choose love over lies, and risk breaking more than one heart in the process.

The fifth book in The Cricket Club series is a riff on the movie, While You Were Sleeping, with our heroine rescuing an unconscious Duke and his family welcoming his fiancée and rescuer with open arms.  The fly in the ointment? His brother, our hero, a shipping captain with a wealth of experience in con artists and who is determined to expose the heroine and her lies.

Whew! Another 16 books this month, all new, no reprints! This summer has really been a bonanza for for unusual historical romance releases.  What's catching your eye this month?

#TBRChallenge 2025: Rain Shadow

The Book: Rain Shadow by Cheryl St. John

The Particulars: Historical romance, Harlequin Historical #212, 1994, Technically Book 2 in Dutch Country Brides series although it was first one published, Out of print but self-published eBook available.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Cheryl St. John is an autobuy and this was her debut back in 1994.  I was in my first year of college so this one fit the Back In My Day theme this month to perfection.  

The Review: Let's be honest, when you take a ride in the Romancelandia WayBack Machine you just never know what you're going to get and y'all I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  There's a ton of potential minefields in this story but St. John skirts a good many of them and, in some ways, it's shockingly progressive (more on that in a bit).

Rain Shadow is a white woman with no memory of her family.  When she was just three-years-old, her adoptive father, a Lakota Sioux named Two Feathers, found her wandering around the remains of a burned out wagon train heading west. Nobody else survived and Two Feathers knows that this poor child will soon follow that fate once night falls if he doesn't rescue her - so he does. Albeit she has violet eyes, but with her black hair and tanned skinned due to the outdoors, she can pass as Indian (uh, somewhat) and the two eventually land with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. It's the closest Two Feathers can get to a life that is vanishing and, now a single mother to 7-year-old Slade, Rain Shadow plays the role of Indian princess in the show. They're on their way through Pennsylvania Dutch Country to their winter camp site when one of the trains derails. Animals are hurt, as are people - including Slade.  In the chaos, local farmer Anton Neubauer rescues Slade, gets the doctor to set his broken leg, and takes him back home until his family can be found.  It's Rain Shadow who knocks on his door.

Anton is a widower with a young son, Nickolas, right around Slade's age. His marriage was not a happy one, and his mail-order bride died tragically.  He lives on the same land as his father and two brothers (and their families) and they all work the farm together. He knows he needs to remarry, Nicky needs a mother and he needs a wife to keep house, but pickins' are kind of slim and frankly his heart isn't totally in it.  Then he meets Rain Shadow who is so unlike any woman he has ever known, well ever - and naturally these two rub each other in all the right and wrong ways.

Romancelandia does not have a great track record with Native characters, but St. John handles the subject with a lot more sensitivity that other writers weren't in 1994.  Rain Shadow loves Two Feathers and she knows his way of life is vanishing. She also yearns to learn more about where she came from and wants to provide opportunity for her son (mainly schooling), which means learning to adapt in a white man's world. To that end she's going to enter into a sharpshooting contest against the famed Annie Oakley in the spring.  Surely when she bests Annie the notoriety and publicity might lead her long lost family into recognizing and finding her.  The only thing she has from that time?  A heart-shaped locket that she constantly wears.

In order for Slade's broken leg to heal properly they have to stay put in Pennsylvania, with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show moving on without them. Rain Shadow hates the idea but she'd do anything for her son - so stay they must. As Two Feathers and Anton's father become friends, and Slade and Nicky become inseparable, Rain Shadow and Anton are drawn together - just in time for Rain Shadow's past to come a callin' - and let's just say she's not terribly happy to see the man who seduced her, left her pregnant with Slade, and then dumped her when someone better (and richer) came along. 

The romance started out a bit slow and rocky for me given the prickly natures of our couple. Also, to be blunt, Anton has very traditional ideas of marriage and women so someone like Rain Shadow who is hopeless in a traditional white household setting but can hunt, shoot and do men's chores is something he has to wrap his mind around.  Blessedly the author doesn't overly harp on this and once our villain shows up on the page, a lot of the needless bristling between our couple moves along in favor of them working together to defuse the threat.

Original Cover

The setting is lovely, the characters interesting, and the whole thing has a Found     Family-like vibe given Rain Shadow's past and the large, agreeable Neubauer family.  There's not really any red flags, more like rosy-colored ones. The villain turns a bit crazed at the end, complete with leaving a dead kitten for them to find (ugh), Anton's dead first wife obviously had some sort of mental illness but it's not as egregiously handled as I've read in other romances, and the word "exotic" is used to describe the heroine, albeit I only saw the word used once - which for 1994 feels progressive.

Speaking of progressive, Slade is the result of an affair Rain Shadow had and obviously she was never married.  She doesn't lie about this and is very matter of fact. Slade isn't something she's ashamed of so here he is, here she is, go suck eggs if you can't deal.  And for his part? While Anton has ideas about traditional womanhood he never looks down on Rain Shadow nor belittle her for the circumstances of her becoming a mother. He sees it as the fault of a villain who seduced a young girl (Rain Shadow was 16 at the time) and then abandoned her.

It all turns out right as rain in the end, with Rain Shadow competing against Annie Oakley and finally finding out more about her birth parents - which is another notable thing about this book.  St. John solves the mystery for the reader but doesn't pour on a heavy layer of syrup, which I appreciated.  Sometimes less truly is more.

This was a good solid read and if you're a St. John fan I do recommend it.  It was her first published romance and all the hallmarks found in her future books (especially the American-set Harlequin Historicals) are present here. After being in a dreadful slump it was so nice to finally pick up a winner.

Final Grade = B