#TBRChallenge 2026: Sex, Lies & Secret Lives

The Book: Sex, Lies & Secret Lives by Thea Devine

The Particulars: Contemporary erotic romance, Simon & Schuster Gallery Books, 2010, In Print

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I'm not going to apologize for loving Thea Devine. Frankly, I don't think she gets enough credit for coming up through the Bodice Ripper Era and helping to kick off the first wave of Erotic Romance (as a subgenre) in the early 2000s (as one of the writers to help launch the Kensington Brava line). She also was writing unapologetic bad girl heroines back in the day when that was unheard of (and still is, mores the pity). Her writing and plots tend to be nonsensical but this woman has never met a soap opera plot she didn't love. Do I universally recommend her books? No. Do I get sucked in all the same? Yes. Look, I love me some trash, and Devine excels at writing trash.

I have an autographed print copy of this, which means I picked it up at an RWA conference and probably made a fool of myself meeting her.

The Review: Y'all, this book is trash and it features a heroine who suffers from magical thinking. It also has so many seedy sex scenes in it that I lost count - not only of the number of men the heroine boinks, but also how many scenes there actually were. One every chapter would not be hyperbole. 

Jillian Durant has disappeared, but not before she sent out a SOS text message to her twin sister Justine Durant. "Justine Time" - a play on the phrase "just in time," and developed during their hard scrabble childhood. An abusive household and an alcoholic father led to the girls getting split up in foster care. When Jillian used "Justine Time" - Justine knew her sister needed her and came running.

Justine goes to Jillian's apartment and soon learns the truth about her sister's life. She's Jillian Dare, high priced prostitute to powerful and wealthy men. Jillian's way of dealing with the trauma of their childhood? Get your hands on money, a lot of it. However when your clients are billionaire assholes you find yourself (sometimes unintentionally) privy to a lot of secrets - which is why Jillian has gotten in the habit of leaving behind bread crumbs for her twin every time she takes a new job.

So what does Justine do exactly to help find her sister? She falls into her life and pretends to be Jillian. That means moving into Jillian's New York City apartment and having a lot of sex with a lot of different men. Never mind that she learns in fairly short order that the last known whereabouts of Jillian was in London. I mean, staying in New York City and banging a bunch of random rich dudes will surely lead her to finding her sister - um, somehow. God, I love magical thinking in a heroine!  Anyway, she eventually ends up in bed with Doug Rawls who rocks her world for two straight days then treats her with contempt by literally throwing money at her - so of course he's our hero. 

The plot, if we want to call it that, is basically Justine walking a tightrope of pretending to be Jillian and hoping to fool people long enough to try to find out what's going on even though she's not actively doing anything to search for her sister other than banging a bunch of dudes. We eventually learn that Doug has ties to a dead billionaire back in London and one of the last times he was seen alive and well? Yeah, he was with Jillian. So when "Jillian" resurfaces, everyone, including our villain, start to become worried and Dougie boy steps into the protector role even though he's a sneering asshole who treats the heroine with contempt while banging her brains out.  He's not too good for sleeping with a whore but he's going to remind her constantly of what and who she is. 

You've got a heroine impersonating her twin and enough sex in this book to make you think about making a doctor's appointment to get multiple shots of penicillin. The whole thing is completely over the top, from the plotting to the characters to the sex. Seriously, I began to wonder how the heroine was able to walk around over the course of this book and every man in this story had to be drinking at least 3 gallons of water a day to stay hydrated. Is it remotely "realistic?" No. Is it utter trash? Yes. Can I recommend this book to anyone? I mean....

Devine's books take up space in a very Id part of brain. It's Thea Devine and 90% Harlequin Presents. It's pure escapist camp and I inhaled this book in a few hours. I also didn't skim, even though, and this cannot be overstated, this book is basically one giant sex scene. One after another. Take the sex scenes out and you probably have a 50 page short story left. 

Do I like myself for reading this? Hey, life is too short and the world is on fire. How I feel about myself after reading this book is the least of my worries. Is this high art? No. Could I tear myself away? Also, no.  I may have felt a little cheap and a lot dirty after, but I ain't mad.

Final Grade = C+

Review: Lowdown Road

This is likely going to be one of those blog posts that 99% of my regular readers have zero interest in, but y'all - I can't help it. I've got a thing for pulp crime novels and Scott Von Doviak, while not terribly prolific, writes really good ones. In the case of Charlesgate Confidential it was his plotting, but in Lowdown Road it's the world-building. There's only one redeemable character in this entire book (who ends up dead - honestly, that bit did annoy me...) but it's such an immersive ride through the 1970s I couldn't help but get sucked in.

Think of this like a much darker Smokey and the Bandit. Or better yet, if Guy Ritchie made movies set in the 1970s about Texas rednecks only to have the whole thing careen into a blood-soaked Quentin Tarantino extravaganza at the finish line.

Chuck Melville has only been out of prison for six months when he once again finds himself in trouble. Stopping to enjoy a beer at a local Texas icehouse, he spies a beautiful woman at the bar and soon they're leaving together. One teensy problem. Said woman is married to a local Sheriff's deputy, who just so happens to pull them over doing 100+ mph. He's not terribly happy to see his wife in the passenger seat and ends up less happy when she shoots him dead. Chuck knows he's been fingered for the role of patsy and before she can get the drop on him, he shoots her dead. Second problem? The dead deputy radioed in his license plate prior to pulling them over and, um, Chuck may have "borrowed" his cousin Dean's car.

Dean is a pretty boy manwhore who was working a taco truck near the university campus. He was making a killing for his boss at it too since Dean was also selling marijuana with the tacos for his supplier, Antoine, who owns a local salvage yard. Dean owes Antoine money, which normally would not be a problem, except his taco truck boss gave his primo location to a family member - and now Antoine wants his money that Dean doesn't have. Then his cousin shows up and even though Dean had nothing to do with the dead Sheriff's deputy and his wife business, he's now dragged into it. That's when Chuck tells him his great idea. Hey, we have to get out of Dodge anyway, let's take 250 pounds of marijuana off of Antoine, load up the taco truck, and head to Twin Falls, Idaho. Evel Knieval is going to jump Snake River Canyon, and Chuck is working a deal with the guy who is running the concessions.  They'll make a killing, enough to start whole new lives. 

After stealing the marijuana and loading up the now stolen taco truck, our "heroes" hit the road - only to have a lot of company trailing after them. Bud Giddings, the County Sheriff out for vengeance, not for killing his deputy, but the man's wife. Bud was having an affair with her and fancied himself in love, but turns out he's a psychopath. Then there's Antoine, the salvage yard-slash-marijuana-kingpin. He wants his product back. And of course along the way the Melville cousins make lots of new "friends" - including a now pissed off member of an outlaw biker gang. 

The whole thing culminates when the motley crew arrives at Snake River Canyon and further devolves into a stew drugs, booze and violence. By this point the Sheriff has run totally off the rails, Chuck is still trying to work a deal that's now gone south (surprise!) and Dean keeps getting further sucked into the undertow. This is where the one sympathetic character ends up dead (again, not happy) but how else was this 1970s petty criminal swimming with the sharks story going to end up? Frankly, no other way. It ends the only way it probably could have. 

This was a book that started out like a house on fire for me but did peter out a bit towards the end in the blood-soaked final chapters. That said, Von Doviak is a heck of a writer and the world-building is excellent. If the film rights haven't sold the author needs to find a new agent because in this doe-eyed romance reader's opinion, this would make a dynamite throwback style movie. The kind that makes you wish drive-in movie double features were still a thing.

Final Grade = B+ 

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is April 15

I'm not sure how it's April and now the fourth month in our 2026 #TBRChallenge, but here we are. I'm still struggling to get eyeball reading done (audiobooks seem to be going OK for the moment ::knock on wood::) so if nothing else my self-imposed monthly deadline for this Challenge is at least making me get one book read every month. Success? Not quite, but I'll take it. Anyway, our next TBR Challenge is set for April 15, and this month's optional theme is Fool's Errand.

This came out of the yearly Theme Suggestion poll. Basically any book where one of the characters comes up with some harebrained idea or scheme, some sort of desperate Hail Mary idea to worm their way out of a situation. A lot of Fake Relationship / Engagement stories fall here. Also, if reading a Presents, what I call Presents Hero Logic - the elaborate plan for revenge that makes no sense to anyone other than our hero and inevitably it involves using the heroine to get back at her father. Absolute no clue what I'm going to yank out of my pile for this month, but I'm sure I'll have fun digging for something.

That said, if you don't feel like digging or twisting this theme into a pretzel, remember the themes are completely optional.  If you just want to pick a random book out of your pile and call it good? That's OK! The goal of the Challenge is to read something, anything, that has been languishing.

It's never too late to sign up for the Challenge.  You can learn more about it, and see a list of who is participating, over at the #TBRChallenge 2026 information page.

Library Loot Review: The Harvey Girl

Never let it be said that blog reviews can't still get eyeballs in front of books. I first heard about The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow thanks to a review over at Books of My Heart. You don't read mysteries for long as I have, nor been a librarian for as long as I have, and not know who Dana Stabenow is. That said, I don't think I've ever read her before (I know, slightly surprising). But I'm only human and frankly I can't be expected to resist a historical mystery novel about a female Pinkerton agent who goes undercover as a Harvey Girl. That was enough for me and I secured myself an audiobook copy leveraging one of my library cards.

It's 1890 and Fred Harvey has a newer Harvey House located in the burgeoning city of Montaña Roja in New Mexico Territory. It's proving to be just as successful as his other Houses, just one small fly in the ointment - someone keeps robbing the trains carrying his supplies. There's been several robberies, always occurring during a full moon, occurring at such track junctures where the robbers can have an engine waiting to conveniently hook up the cars and ride away. Besides losing a fair bit of money, the train's conductor was murdered during the last robbery, so Harvey heads to Chicago to retain the services of the Pinkerton Agency. 

He gets Clare Wright, coming off a successful assignment. Clare will go undercover in Montaña Roja as Fred's latest Harvey Girl and start snooping around. What she didn't plan on? The amount of backbreaking work required of her to maintain her cover, that the local law is more than useless (and drunk half the time) and that a fresh dead body is going to turn up to complicate matters.

This is a story that runs on the shorter side, clocking in around 270 pages and just 7 hours on audiobook. Nothing wrong with that, it works at this length, but there are a ton of characters. The print version features a printed cast of characters and there are 26 of them. It did take a little while to find my sea legs and keep track of who was who and what was what - but I got there.

This is one of those books where real historical figures and events are featured in the story. Historical events in fiction usually work for me, but historical figures? It depends. Mightily. Here it's a mixed bag. Fred Harvey is necessary to the story given the plot. As are William and Robert Pinkerton, now running the agency after their father's passing. There's also Bat Masterton, a charming, interesting addition who is marginally needed for the proceedings. But Mark Twain? Totally unnecessary. Like why is he even in this book if only to add historical flavor where it's not really needed. Because by this point Stabenow has totally nailed the world-building. It's honestly the best part about this book. I never used to be a reader who would harp on things like world-building and craft but the older I get, the more I appreciate it - and Stabenow really immerses the reader in this world. Mark Twain may feel like filler, but so many other historical figures and tidbits do not.

What doesn't feel like filler? The historical events that play a role in this story. Robber Barons doing their scummy Robber Baron things. US relations with Mexico. All the talk about the McKinley Tariff. I also appreciated that the author didn't whitewash the business of the Pinkerton Agency. Fun fact: they went where the money was, and if that money wanted them to break strikes and bust unions?  Guess what happened.

The story moves along at a good clip and Clare is an agreeable and amiable sleuth. That said, this is not a neat and tidy ending. The mystery is solved - sort of. Clare has discovered what's going on, she just can't prove it. Will this carry over into a future book featuring Clare or will she move on to her next assignment? Time will tell, because all indications as of right now say this is the first book in a new series. 

Final Grade = B

Review: We Are Watching

I believe that Alison Gaylin is one of the very best suspense writers working today, but it still took me a year to finally read We Are Watching (actually, longer than that - I had an ARC). Why? Because I knew this book was likely to be intense and it took me that long to pull up my big girl panties and just start it already. Is this my favorite of Gaylin's work so far? No. Was I still white-knuckling my way to the end? Yes.

Meg Russo and her husband, Justin, run a bookstore in a tiny upstate New York town and are driving their only daughter, Lily, to Ithaca College. She's an accomplished bass player and is attending on a music scholarship. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a car of skinheads pulls up along side them, their phones hanging out the window filming them. In the chaos of trying to get away from them there's an accident, Lily is OK, Meg's arm sustains some permanent damage, but Justin? Justin is dead. 

Fast forward several months and Lily is taking a "gap year" and dodging therapy. For that matter, so is Meg - but she is finally reopening the bookstore, although the shadow of Justin is everywhere. Not only that, bizarre things start happening. Out-of-town customers making weird accusations, vandalism, strangers starring at the store, holding out their phones and filming them. As the incidents increase and become more disturbing, Meg and Lily soon stumble across the truth - there's a group of paranoid conspiracy theorists targeting them. Meg's father, a former musician in a moderately successful rock band in the 1970s, was accused of being a Satanist. And Meg, having won a writing contest as a teenager, published a long out of print book titled The Prophesy, that these people think foretold climate change, COVID, and ultimately the end of the world on 12/12/2022.  And with 12/12/2022 fast approaching, Meg and Lily begin to suspect that the car accident that killed Justin was no accident at all...

This one takes a while to get going, and it's an instance where I lay much of that blame at the feet of the publisher. Whoever wrote the back cover copy for this book didn't do the author any favors.  The first 40% of the book is basically what is set up on the back cover copy - meaning I spent the first 40% going "yeah, yeah, this is all on the back cover - let's move it along." What the reader is waiting for here is the second half, which is when things really start to cook. It's when the conspiracy theorists get much more brazen and we get into life or death stuff.  Because these people believe that the only way to save the world from ending on 12/12/2022?  Is for Meg and her father to "repent." And repent in this case basically means death.  This family has to die in order for the world to survive.

Once we're past the set-up this one basically turns into a white-knuckled paranoia-inducing fever dream. Meg has always felt safe in her small town, the town where she built a life with her family, but it soon becomes evident that some people she thought she could trust? Yeah, she can't trust them. Because this group has members everywhere, even in Meg's own back yard.  

I'll be honest, I knew where this one was going before it got there - which just goes to show that either I have serious trust issues or I've read too many suspense novels (probably both). But despite that? I still could not tear myself away. Gaylin can write tension and she slathers it on with a trowel here. 

I've been a public librarian for more years than I care to admit and when working a public service desk I used to joke that there wasn't a conspiracy theory I hadn't heard before. But the reality is we live in a world where everything can and is manipulated. That seemingly sane people fall down these rabbit holes and believe the most bizarre nonsense - which is what makes this book so terrifying. It's also a suspense novel that ends on a question - which I normally loathe with every fiber of my being, but Gaylin is getting a pass from me on this one. Why? I mean, how else can you end a book about a group of conspiracy theorists targeting innocent people? 

Not my favorite by Gaylin thus far, but well worth the time and a genre book that would make a dynamite book club pick.

Final Grade = B

Hope Springs Eternal: Unusual Historicals for March 2026

I realize I say this every month, but March is coming on strong with the historical romance offerings. I also realize that even though I purport to be a champion of historical romance, I haven't been reading much of it lately. To be fair, I haven't been reading much of anything lately - so there you go. But I'm determined to get myself back on track, and just like the offerings this month, hope does spring eternal.  Now, let's get on to writing our shopping lists....

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman who has lost her fortune must be in need (not want) of a husband. Beautiful, cunning Verbena Montrose must marry to save herself and her odious family from abject poverty. Fortunately, what she lacks in a dowry, she makes up for in the currency of gossip.

When she hears an alarming rumor about her very dear, very queer friend Étienne that could ruin him, she comes to his aid with a proposal—for a marriage of convenience, that is. But when Verbena discovers that a mysterious and celebrated poet by the name of Flora Witcombe has been publishing verses that hint she is onto their scheme, Verbena has no choice but to pretend to be a poet herself to confront her in a local salon. And—unexpectedly—be charmed by her.

Flora, in turn, is terrified by and smitten with Verbena in equal measure. But she holds a secret of her own: he is also William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and fifth son of a minor noble family. And if circumstances don’t allow Flora to woo Verbena, perhaps William can. Faced with two suitors and a fiancé, Verbena, who has always had to be clever to survive in society, starts to realize she may need to think outside of society’s constraints to find true happiness.

Y'all this book sounds like a straight up comedy of errors mixed with a healthy dose of farce. She needs to marry to save her family from poverty and proposes a lavender marriage of convenience - only to fall for a female poet who is transgender - and she in turn is captivated by our heroine and knows she cannot woo her as a woman, but maybe she can as a man.  Oh, and for good measure?  Toss in Lord Byron. The Smut Report has a review for this one up already and apparently there is much pining to be had 😍

A Scoundrel for the Suffragist by Melissa Oliver

Can a rebel with a cause…

Love a rogue without a care?

As an ardent campaigner for women’s rights, Cecily Duddlecott is accustomed to exasperating men. But gaming-hell proprietor Dominic Marsden beats them all! Wherever she goes, he’s there—smirking. Most infuriating of all? Their friction makes sparks fly…

Then Dominic reveals why he’s tailing her: He suspects her latest suitor of conducting criminal activity in his club. Cecy joins his cause, and the attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore! As do Dominic’s hidden depths… Cecy determined long ago she’d never again risk her heart. So why is she tempted to stake it all on a scoundrel?

She's a champion for women's rights and he's a roguish, disreputable owner of a gaming hell.  Seriously, how quickly can this get into my eyeballs?

Never Spar with a Viscount by Lindsay Lovise

The rules are simple: fake a relationship and solve a mystery. That should be easy ... right?  

Ivy Bennett has escaped the marriage mart once already—by becoming a governess to the new Lord Brackley’s unruly little sisters. Spending her days in the schoolroom and her nights running a secret self-defense class for women, she has absolutely no interest in a husband. So when Ivy is handed a secret assignment by the spymaster known as the Dove, she sees an opportunity: fake a courtship with the enigmatic Owen Brackley to avoid her conniving father’s attempts to marry her off, complete the mission, and finally secure her freedom. Simple. Until it’s not.

Women across London are succumbing to a strange madness, and they all share a connection to Brackley—the same man who looks at Ivy like he sees right through her and is none too bothered by her lack of ladylike charm. As Ivy gathers gossip like breadcrumbs and dodges increasingly dangerous attempts on Brackley’s life, she realizes two things: someone wants the viscount gone, and the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to tell what’s real and what’s just part of the game.

She's a governess and self-defense teacher with zero interest in marriage who falls into a fake courtship to solve a mystery and thwart her father's plans to marry her off. Our hero is the other half of the fake courtship and at the center of said mystery - oh it sure seems like someone wants him dead. 

The Warrior's Rescued Bride by Denise Lynn

The warrior’s mission:

rescue his first love!

The King can order Edan of Roul to rescue Lady Amice but, years after she jilted him on their wedding eve, Edan doesn’t have to like it. Though he embarks on the dangerous journey to bring the stubborn beauty to safety, Edan must resist the undying pull between them…

When her loved ones were threatened, Amice fled her betrothal to protect Edan. Now reunited, she still sees pain, anger—and desire—burning in his eyes. Telling him the truth will only stoke the fire that once consumed them… And with battle approaching, can they risk everything to make the vows they always intended?

She jilted him on the eve before their wedding and now he's tasked by the King (no less!) to rescue her. Awkward!  This medieval is set in 12th century England.

The Irish Midwife at War by Seána Tinley

1939. Kathleen Gallagher is training to be a handywoman - an illegal midwife in West Belfast - when war is declared. As soon as a call goes out for volunteers to join the home front, she jumps at the chance to aid the ambulance service. She won't let her community down when they need her the most.

When Liam Flynn, the older brother of her best friend - and her very first kiss - also volunteers, the two of them are suddenly thrown together once more. Kathleen still dreams of the bells ringing in the New Year and the snow falling as their lips brushed, all those years ago. But she has a secret. And it's one that means they can never be together . . .

But with the Belfast Blitz raining chaos and destruction, and the volunteers pushed to their limits, the pair can't help but grow closer, the secrets of their past starting to feel insignificant against the backdrop of war.

This is the second book in Tinley's Irish Midwives trilogy that straddles that line between historical saga and historical romance. A heroine training to be a midwife (illegally I might add) at the start of World War II volunteers for the ambulance service and is thrown together with her BFF's brother, who just so happened to be her very first kiss. Then comes the Belfast Blitz....

The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle

Dominic Prince is passionate, tenacious, and determined to carve out a legendary name for himself—just like his famous treasure-hunting father. When an American tycoon funds his expedition to uncover a Viking hoard in Norfolk and ship it across the Atlantic, Dominic sees his chance to claim glory. If he can unearth a treasure trove so magnificent it lands him on the front pages of newspapers in both England and America, his success will finally be undeniable.

Tess Hawthorne doesn’t quite know what to make of the entirely too handsome scoundrel who shows up in her village seeking the very treasure she's been hoping to find all her life. When he asks to employ her knowledge and familiarity with the locals to assist on the dig, she accepts.

But she doesn't want whatever treasure they find to leave England, and she certainly doesn't want to lose her heart to the man determined to claim it…

The hero in Carlyle's second book in the Princes of London series is hired by a wealthy American to uncover a Viking hoard in Norwalk and he sees his own chance at fame and fortune. Our heroine is a local Norfolk girl who has dreamed of finding that rumored hoard her whole life and now here's this scoundrel purposing she assist with the dig and smooth things over with the locals. She agrees, if only to try to find a way to make sure the treasure never leaves England. 

The Duchess Pursues Her Pleasure by Kirsten S. Blacketer

Cassandra Sterling, Dowager Duchess of Tolland, despised her husband. When he died, she mourned her wasted youth and not the man who abused her. With her son now the new duke, she emerges from mourning and joins the ranks of the Mayfair Widows, who encourage her to embrace her newfound freedoms.

Reuben Evans desires a woman he cannot possess. After serving as the Duke of Tolland’s valet, he sets his sights on seduction, intent on showing the dowager duchess the true meaning of passion. However, the differences in their ages and social status may be too vast to overcome. Still, he remains in her loyal service as her new butler.

When the late duke’s indiscretions come to light, the duchess and the former valet will have to face the demons of their own pasts in order to forge their future. When Cassandra and Reuben surrender to the simmering desire pulling them together, a lifetime of secrets bubble to the surface—including murder. Can their love survive such a scandal?

She's a very happy widow not mourning the death of her abusive husband. He's her despicable dead husband's former valet who has pined after her for years. This needs to get in my eyeballs like yesterday. I am utter trash for cross-class romances - and for a nice change of pace, our heroine is the one with all the social standing and power.

My Fair Scot by Sara Bennett

Callum MacKenzie, the Marquess of Morven, is sent south to London by his father, the Duke of Bonnyrigg, to find the sort of wife who will bring the family the respectability it needs to rise in the world. After a disastrous start, and with invitations drying up, his aunt decides Callum needs a tutor in social etiquette, rules, and manners. And the best tutor in London is Penelope Armstrong.

Penelope is not just any tutor. She is a fallen woman with a murky past who is trying to reinvent herself. Turning Callum from a Scottish barbarian to a charming gentleman might be her biggest challenge yet.

As soon as Penelope and Callum set eyes on each other, sparks fly. Can Penelope tutor the highlander to appeal to London ladies without falling in love with him herself? And can Callum do his father’s bidding and find a suitable wife, when he knows he would rather marry his teacher?

You know why author's keeping writing Pygmalion romances? Because readers love them. He needs to find a wife but is making a disaster out of his poor attempts. She's a fallen woman (!!) trying to reinvent herself, and turning this "Scottish barbarian" into a charming gentleman is just the sort of feather she needs in her cap. Then these two silly kids fall for each other and it gets complicated (as it does). 

Oath of Blood by Sophia Nye

Broccan, a notorious grump, finally crosses the line when he insults a beloved friend of the Fianna. Though he’s the first to admit it wasn’t his finest hour, the punishment his companions force upon him does not—in Broccan’s estimation—fit the crime. As penance for his beastly behavior, Broccan is assigned to guard the incorrigible woman and help her run the inn—or lose his place among the Fianna.

Emer’s life isn’t always easy, but she has no trouble making the best of it—until she crosses paths with Broccan. Angry, loud, and rude to boot, he’s the first person to break through her sunny personality and make her lose her temper. The only reason Emer agrees to put up with the brute is because of the guilt she feels over their first meeting.

Forced to run the inn together, this beauty has no choice but to try to tame the beast.

This is the sixth book in the Warriors of Fianna series, and features a Beauty and the Beast, grumpy/sunshine thang going on. He's uncouth and insults a friend of the group. Said friend is the heroine, a cheerful innkeeper who finally snaps when said hero is uncouth. To make up for his behavior, the group assigns him to stay behind, guard the heroine and help her run the inn.  I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Merciful Conquest by Violetta Rand

Noelle Sinclair has always fought for what she believes in. But when her treacherous brother bargains her away to save himself from a ruthless Viking raid, she is forced into the unthinkable—becoming the unwilling captive of Jarl Randvior Sigurdsson.

Cold, powerful, and dangerously compelling, Randvior is nothing like the savage brute she expected. As he takes her across the wild, unforgiving landscapes of Norway, Noelle vows to resist him at every turn and find a way back home. 

Yet the longer she remains at his side, the harder it becomes to deny the truth. Beneath his commanding presence lies a fierce honor—and a passion that awakens desires she cannot control.

Torn between loyalty to the life she lost and the powerful pull of the man who claimed her, Noelle must decide: will she risk everything to escape… or surrender to the Viking who is steadily conquering her heart?

A heroine who is shuttled off to marry a Viking Jarl by her brother looking to save his own neck. Romancelandia brothers are the worst, AMIRITE?!  This sounds like we have a bit of old school captive romance tossed into the mix but Norway! Vikings! Always worth a shot.

A Knight on Duchess Square by Meara Platt

Love has never been a consideration for hardened and cynical Gideon Knight until he meets his lovely neighbor, Lady Berry Thane, a woman completely out of his reach. Gideon grew up in an orphanage, never knowing who he was or where he came from, while the lovely Lady Berry has a lineage to rival the kings of England. Clearly, they are never meant to be together. But that is not going to stop him from showing the ton he is as good as any of them, for he has worked his way up from nothing to now owning the most profitable gambling clubs across London. Purchasing the elegant townhouse next door to Berry’s on Duchess Square in the heart of elite Mayfair is his way of thumbing his nose at all those titled lords and ladies who consider him worthless and dismiss his success. Yet Lady Berry is different. She accepts him and cheers him on. All the barriers he has erected around his heart crumble before this innocent spinster, and he knows he will risk everything to keep her safe when her life is suddenly in danger. But even after saving her, will he ever stand a chance with her?

Lady Berengaria Thane, known as Berry to her friends, is certain she will never find love now that she is nearing thirty and has never had a serious beau. She is not short of gentlemen callers, but most only want her for her fortune and she has felt not even a tingle of excitement for the others who might be worthy. Then Gideon Thane moves in next door, and her heart melts, her body tingles, and hope springs awake. But she and her new neighbor, an impossibly gorgeous man with a dangerous reputation, are worlds apart. She represents everything in elite Society that he detests. Can they ever be a true love match? When Berry is abducted by a fortune-hunting viscount and her life is placed in danger, it is Gideon who risks all to save her. Is it possible this rough and rugged man is her knight in shining armor?

He's a poor little orphan boy who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, smitten with a heroine way above his station. She's a Lady who is firmly on the shelf at 30, although still turning away suitors who are only interested in her fortune. When our hero moves in next door, sparks fly.  Dollars to donuts this guy probably turns out to be the by-blow of some Duke but there's unrequited love and kidnapping. Romances have been built on less.

To Tempt a Viking by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

She belongs to another man. But he’s about to claim her heart…

Ragnar Olafsson has lived with the torment of watching his best friend claim the woman he secretly loves. To bury his desire, he’s become a ruthless warrior, his heart locked behind iron walls.

When Elena is kidnapped, Ragnar risks everything to save her—only to find themselves stranded together, far from rescue. Alone in the wilds, every stolen glance and forbidden touch awakens a hunger neither can deny.

She belongs to another man, and he has sworn an oath to protect her. But temptation burns hotter than loyalty… and some passions cannot be caged.

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2014, this is the second book in a duet, the first being To Sin with a Viking, which was featured in February's Unusual Historical post.  The heroine, married to the hero in the first book, is kidnapped - and riding to her rescue is her husband's BFF who has been in love with her for years. Her marriage is in it's final death throes and ultimately dissolves - but the hero's pride, his lack of standing, and the fact that he's her ex's BFF complicate matters. I reviewed this back in 2014 and gave it a B-, mostly because the first half runs on a parallel timeline to the first book (which I had read) and I was impatient to move on to "new stuff." The second half though? Dynamite. Willingham can really slather on the angst. Anyway, go read my review because while this new reprint cover is very nice, the originally Harlequin Historical cover is quite lickable. 

I hope you enjoyed browsing this month's offerings and if you're struggling with your reading mojo as I am, here are to sunny days ahead.

#TBRChallenge 2026: His Diamond of Convenience

The Book: His Diamond of Convenience by Maisey Yates

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin Presents #3324, 2015, Out of print, Available digitally, Book 4 in The Call of Duty series

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Yates is an autobuy for me in the Presents universe because she understands the assignment. The emotions run intense and she leans in hard on the fairy tale. I have a signed print copy of this, which means I picked it up at an RWA conference back in the day.

The Review: There was never any doubt that I would dig up a Presents for this month's Tropetastic! theme. This is the very definition of low-hanging fruit. That said, given my reading mood and output of late (dreadful), I knew if I was going to pick up a Presents I was going to entrust my fragile reading mojo to a pro - and Yates is, if nothing else, a total pro in the Presents line. She's since moved on to single title glory, but I feel strongly that if you strapped her into an office chair and tied one hand behind her back, she could still churn out a total banger Presents. 

Twelve years ago an impressionable 16-year-old Victoria Calder fancied herself in love with a much older man, a business associate of her father's. While the relationship never turned sexual, this man used Victoria's naivete to his advantage, breaking her heart and stealing away her father's business. And ever since then? Victoria has been throwing herself on the pyre, determined to win back the business and Daddy's love. And now? She's landed on the perfect plan.

Dmitri Markin is a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, plucked from the streets and underground fighting scene in Moscow by his mentor, since passed. Dmitri parlayed his success in the ring into a thriving business portfolio (because of course he did...) and one of those businesses? You guessed it, Victoria's family business. What Victoria also finds out is that Dmitri wants to start his own charity to honor his late mentor, but his reputation is preceding him. Nobody's real anxious to throw money at a guy who wants to help children when said guy has a reputation for being a hot-headed, uncouth man-whore. Victoria, being of the silver spoon set, with loads of experience stumping for various charities, knows this - and proposes a deal. She'll help him drum up support for his charity by hosting various galas and putting a little polish on his tarnished reputation by pretending to be his oh-so-suitable fiancé. In return? He gives her back Daddy's business. 

On the surface these two couldn't be more different. Dmitri from the streets, fighting his way through just to survive. Victoria, the blue-blooded princess, raised to want for nothing, only to be scorned by Daddy the minute she steps out of line. However, as Yates peels back the layers, you realize how alike these two characters are. Not to put too fine a point on it - they're both fighters - and honestly, my money is on Victoria. Cruelly used by a villain taking advantage of a 16-year-old girl (!), faced with Daddy's disapproval after the fallout, she wraps herself in an Ice Princess cloak and wears it with style. This heroine puts the cold in cold fish - because when she wasn't cold, when she wasn't the Ice Princess? The people who should have loved and protected her turned their backs on her. Eventually through Dmitri she learns that she can't keep paying for one past "mistake," and on top of that she's not the bad guy in that scenario (not by a long shot). She's vulnerable, and certainly falling in love with Dmitri makes her more so, but does that mean when the third act break-up hits she curls into a little ball and cries her eyes out?

No.

Because she's a fighter. And she's past taking shit from anyone - and that includes Dmitri. 

Dmitri is an OK sort, prototypical Presents hero with a wounded past that's practically slathered on with a trowel. I mean, if you didn't think the street kid fighting in seedy Moscow bars was tragic enough, we find out later how he ended up in such a predicament (Daddy and Mommy issues - because, Presents). He has serious self-worth issues, despite the success he's had in MMA and in business, so naturally the third act break-up is all his doing - not being good enough for Victoria, control issues stemming from those Mommy and Daddy issues, along with the general Presents ickyness surrounding Victoria's "innocence" (of course she's a virgin before they do the mattress mambo, this is a Presents y'all).  

Ultimately Victoria is the bigger, more mature person even though her heart is broken and Dmitri comes crawling back begging for forgiveness.  It doesn't exactly tread new ground, but that's not what I want in a Presents. I want the intensity, I want the passion, yes I want the drama llama third act break-up where the hero comes crawling back in order to ultimately win the heroine's heart. Yates understands this, and delivers.

Final Grade = B