Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is March 19

Here we are, Happy 2025 and the start of another #TBRChallenge! Our inaugural #TBRChallenge day is set for Wednesday, March 19 and our theme is Rizz.

This suggestion came out of my annual theme poll, and yes I had to Google it because I'm old. Rizz is short for charisma. Charmers, smoothies, real slick operators. It doesn't necessarily have to be tied up in "good looks," but certainly that's not going to hurt. To borrow slang more ancient - these are folks that have that "it factor."  

I mean, romance novels are littered with these types of characters - playboys, rakes, characters so charming you're half in love with them before the end of the first chapter. However, remember the themes are completely optional. Remember our goal with this challenge is always to read something, anything, that has been languishing in your TBR piles.

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.

Little Miss Crabby Pants and the KU Whinging

I know. No opinion pieces in years and suddenly Little Miss Crabby Pants shows up twice in less than two months. I would have said this was inconceivable just a year ago, but the fracturing of Romancelandia amongst eleventy-billion social media platforms has a lot to do with. One thing I've learned in my post I-cannot-provide-Twitter-with-anymore-content life is that Threads is where all the hot takes have gone to die - which is why I'm not on there very much and it's also where I've seen most of the "discussions" lately on boycotting Kindle Unlimited, a part of the larger boycott Amazon calls that have become more vocal here in the States.

Before I get started I want to acknowledge a couple of things: 1) I'm coming from a place of privilege. I live in a well-populated, largely urban area and have a variety of shopping options. There are plenty of people in the US where if they're not shopping at Walmart they're not shopping anywhere. 2) I'm an Amazon customer. Books, eBooks, retail items, Prime - you name it, I've probably purchased it there at some point. All this to say that I'm acknowledging upfront that I'm a hypocrite.

This blog has existed for 22 years now and has, largely, been an apolitical space because that's the choice I've made. It doesn't mean I don't have strong political opinions and it doesn't mean that a lot of my online friends and acquaintances don't know what my political leanings are. Just means I keep this blog apolitical. You can think what you want about that, as is you right, but my blog = my choice. 

There's a wee bit of uncertainty in the US right now (as well as on the world stage - because duh) and everybody has their line in the sand. When that line is crossed people will, naturally, look for ways they can voice their displeasure and one of the time honored ways to do that is boycotting. Just as many folks made the decision to end their relationships with Twitter or Tesla, folks are now looking to end their relationship with Amazon, which has led to discussions (and calls) from within Romancelandia to boycott Kindle Unlimited.  Which, in turn, has raised concerns for indie authors, especially marginalized indie authors. 

For those of you living under a rock, Kindle Unlimited is a digital monthly subscription service where readers can read as much as they want from the KU library. Authors are paid by page views. The more pages read, the more authors make. It's been great for romance readers, who are voracious readers in general, and great for some authors. Here's always been my problem with it - exclusivity. If you're an indie author in KU that means readers cannot purchase (or read) your book(s) anywhere else. You're locked into the Amazon ecosystem, therefore, so are your readers.

Folks, I'm a librarian. I'm a little passionate on the subject of "access." This is not a secret and I've made my thoughts known on Amazon exclusivity clauses with digital for KU participants, their own publishing imprints and Audible exclusives. If it's cutting out the ability for public libraries to purchase it and provide access, I don't like it. Radical hippie that I am.

Also, overall, I think putting your eggs in any one basket isn't the greatest idea - no matter what those eggs are. However, over the years, I've just given up trying to explain why I think this is a bad thing. KU has been a godsend for many marginalized authors long shutout of traditional areas of the publishing ecosystem - and it's very hard to dismiss that. Marginalized authors were, and still are, making money via KU. On the other hand there were those folks who started lumping in public libraries with book pirates.  I'll never forget the time I stood up and walked out of an RWA panel where an agent said one of the reasons author income was suffering was because libraries were giving away books for free. 

Publishing is in the state it's in because instead of acknowledging the writing on the wall (digital is here, readers want digital), they buried their heads in the sand, decided price fixing was a grand idea, and basically rolled over and exposed their bellies to Bezos. Nature abhors a vacuum and instead of publishers being proactive, Bezos saw his opportunity, developed the Kindle and made digital reading so easy that a monkey wearing a diaper can do it. Kindle was not the first eReader on the market but Kindle was the first eReader that made digital reading easy. Meanwhile, publishers were trying to cram the genie back in the bottle, decided to completely ignore what had already happened with the music industry and instead decided public libraries were the enemy and have generally made our lives miserable with embargoes, limited access, metered access, and price gouging ever since. All the while begging for scraps from Bezos.

Feelings, I haz them. 

Now we get to current events. Certain segments of the US population are fed up with billionaires and boycotting is something they can proactively do. Indie authors are upset because in the grand scheme of things boycotting KU is only going to hurt them and will barely register a blip on Amazon's bottom line. Here's the thing, indie authors aren't wrong here. Bezos is not making his fortune on books. He never has. He's making it on all the other stuff you can buy on Amazon but mostly on AWS (Amazon Web Services). AWS is basically everywhere - including the company you work for and your local government. Good luck boycotting that.

Does this mean you shouldn't boycott KU because it won't do any good anyway?  I'm not saying that. As stated earlier, everybody has their line in the sand - you do you. And if you're looking for ways to stop feeding Amazon money, no longer buying books or laundry detergent through them is an easy, more expedient way (in most cases), to do that. Books and laundry detergent can be bought at other retailers - just not, you know, KU books. Ah, there's that pesky all eggs, one basket thing...

Where I think indie authors are missing the point is why folks might be "boycotting" KU - which is to say, they're not really boycotting it at all. For every faceless voice screeching on social media, there's plenty of other readers who may be severing their relationship with KU for that most time honored of traditions - they're freaked out about the household finances.

It's fun times right now if you're a government worker (federal, state, local - it sucks all the way around). Many folks have lost their jobs and more folks are looking over their shoulders and crossing their fingers. What's the first thing people do during times of financial uncertainty? They look for ways they can stretch their finances and start looking at where they can make cuts.

The only times in my life that I've subscribed to KU is when there was some killer deal I couldn't ignore, like 99 cents for three months access.  Otherwise, I've never subscribed long-term.  Why? Because even being in a place with some disposable income, it never made sense to me financially to do it. $11.99 / month comes out to $143.88 annually.  Just looking at the average number of books I read a month it didn't make financial sense. The percentage of my reading that comes from books in KU is miniscule. I come out ahead simply buying those books I want to read, and since there's a lot of indie authors in KU, the most I'm paying is $4.99/book.  The vast majority are actually in the ballpark range of 99 cents to $2.99. 

Again, place of privilege, but like a lot of romance readers I have amassed a huge TBR in both print and digital. I could not buy another book for the rest of my life and still not get through the TBR I've amassed before I die. Then there's my local public library, which is how I get all of my audiobooks (and have since I started listening to audiobooks 25 years ago). Is there the threat of Fear Of Missing Out because I'm not reading the book du jour on KU that's currently setting Romancelandia ablaze? I mean, maybe? But if I cared that much I'd just buy it and still come out ahead with my household budget in the long run. I guess having KU means I could read longer samples but the shorter free samples available on Amazon at no cost are serving my purposes just fine.

I think indie authors are feeling the pinch not from all this boycott talk but from problems that we're already aware of (ex. all those rumblings about KU's payment system that existed well before the election) and readers worried about their own bottom line. I don't have kids, but I know that if I was looking for ways to trim my expenses, a KU subscription only Mom enjoys is probably going to lose out to a streaming service the whole family (including Mom) enjoys. If I was Mom I'd learn to deal with any FOMO and figure out other ways to scratch my reading itch - so long as it's legal (because I've seen nonsense about pirating and all I gotta say is I hope you get a particularly virulent strain of malware). Reading through the TBR you've already amassed, learn more about what your local library has to offer, wait for sales and mark-downs - all perfectly legit things to look at if you're looking to sock more of your budget towards silly little things like groceries, utility bills, and the mortgage. 

I'm not unsympathetic towards indie authors - but, so long as it's legal, readers can make the choices they make. Does boycotting KU hurt Bezos in the long run? Heck, does one person not buying a sandwich from Chick-fil-a make a difference? Probably not if the drive-thru lines are any indication. But everybody has their line and everybody has to sleep at night. Some indie authors made the choice to flock to KU and they did so for a variety of reasons I completely understand and "get." However, the one basket system will never not be problematic - if that system collapses, what are you left with? 

That said, to point the finger at any potential boycott is just too soon. Do I have any proof to back that up? Of course not. But it stands to reason that it's more logical for the culprit to be Amazon's KU payment system (suspect for a while now) and readers freaked out about their own personal finances. $11.99 for my KU subscription this month? Or some store brand eggs and peanut butter in this week's grocery cart?  I know which one I'd choose.

Review: A Deal with the Devil

Last year I read Alyxandra Harvey's The Scandalous Spinster, the first book in The Spinster Society series about a group of women in Regency London who use their smarts, cunning, and spinsterhood to protect women from predatory men - of which there are more than a few. Despite some plot busyness, it was an enjoyable historical romance by a new-to-me author and I was captivated enough to preorder the second book in the series, A Deal with the Devil. Once I realized who the hero and heroine were going to be I was all in.

I think this book can still be enjoyed if you read out of order, but I also think it helps to start with Book 1 - mainly because the opening chapter starts during that timeline and some of the backstory might be a little less confusing.  Kitty Caldecott owns the most scandalous bookshop in all of London, a purveyor of filth sure to bring ruin to the women who dare darken her doorstep - because of course Kitty sells "naughty books." Outraged vicars and people throwing rotten vegetables at her front door are nothing new. It's a living, and it would probably be an OK one if not for the fact that her father is a degenerate gambler. To add insult to injury, he's not very good at it. Kitty is barely keeping the family, which consists of Daddy, a vile aunt and her younger sister afloat when Daddy and Auntie make a match for sister Evie with Lord Portsmouth, a man who has buried three wives already. Kitty is so desperate to protect her sister she does the one thing a girl should never, ever do - she steals from the Devil himself.

Lord Birmingham (Rhys) is the aforementioned Devil. He has money but what he really wants is power, and he's been gathering that currency by collecting debt vowels and building a fabulous gaming hell. He runs into Kitty, literally, at a Devil's Night extravaganza hosted by the villain of the first book. It's only after that run-in he realizes the captivating redhead picked his pocket, stealing a debt vowel.  Honestly now, this will not do. He has a reputation to uphold and honestly, a woman who sells naughty books got the jump on him? Totally unacceptable. 

Kitty is desperate but not stupid, and figures making a deal with the Devil is the only way to keep her sister safe and out of the clutches of Lord Portsmouth.  After stashing Evie in a safehouse (with The Spinster Society, but of course!) she strikes a deal with Rhys.  Help me save my sister from a fate that will surely mean death and you get back your debt vowel. Rhys agrees mainly because our guy is gobsmacked from the jump and Kitty kicks up all his dormant protective instincts. 

There's a fair amount of set-up in this story and it does take a minute for our couple to spend quality time on the page together, but getting there is all good stuff.  If you're a heroine-centric romance reader, Kitty is the gal for you. I just adored her. She's smart, resourceful and won't back down from a fight. The interactions she has with her bookstore clientele are priceless, as are her run-ins with outraged vicars and society matrons. She's a badass spinster with a soft vulnerable center and y'all - these are my favorite types of heroines. More than half the books in my keeper stash are littered with them.

Rhys is also an interesting hero - accepting a commission during the war and surrounding himself with a motley, yet loveable, crew as he builds the finest gambling hell in all of London.  He also is completely smitten with Kitty and is ready to slay dragons for her.

"...I just want you to have everything you need. Let me take care of you.” 

“Why?” 

“Because no one else does,” he said severely. “And because it would be my fucking privilege.”

I mean, swoon.  Also, and this cannot be overstated, the banter these two share, the chemistry, it's truly delicious.

That being said, this is a book you can't think about too much otherwise it takes on unsavory overtones. Rhys is in the gambling business and collects debt vowels. The author doesn't spend any time in these weeds but it stands to reason that while some of these vowels belong to villains just as many belong to gambling addicts and desperate people.  All this in a bid to collect power and influence. And the motley band surrounding Rhys at his gambling hell?  Oh sure, men he served with on the Continent, but some of them are essentially hired muscle. There's definitely mob-like implications going on here. Look, I was intrigued by Rhys - I even liked him and Kitty together - the chemistry sizzles and I wanted them to live happily ever after. None of that changes the fact that Rhys can easily be a villain in someone else's story.

But, look - Romancelandia is riddled with morally gray heroes and a lot of readers don't bother to bat an eyelash. I liked Rhys as a hero but I'm also well aware that he's Problematic AF - his devotion to the heroine notwithstanding.

There's the plot of saving Kitty's sister and what happened to Lord Portsmouth's last wife (who is actually only presumed dead...) but this story is definitely more romance than romantic suspense. This bit of the plot serves the purpose of moving things along and throwing our couple together but it's not terribly complex.  The meat and potatoes here is Kitty being generally fabulous and the chemistry between her and Rhys. Have I mentioned the sizzle? 

I had a good time reading this, problematic elements I'm trying not to dwell on aside. I'll be ready to pre-order Book 3 once it's announced.

Final Grade = B

Candy Hearts: Unusual Historicals for February 2025

If January felt six months long, February has been blinked and you missed it - and yes, I realize February is the shortest month of the year, but still. I'm gearing up for my busy season at work (end of the fiscal year, June 30, is big hairy deal in my job and I basically start that process around this time) and I'll be going in for outpatient surgery the first week in March to take care of the hiatal hernia that has made my life miserable for the past couple of years. But, we still have books (well, at least for now...) and while February is a short month, it's a bonanza of options for unusual historicals - which, dead my ass. Again, historicals will only die on our watch, so if any of these look good to you - give them a whirl and spread the good word far and wide.  Here's what caught my eye this month:

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera

Paris, 1889

Physician Aurora Montalban Wright takes risks in her career, but never with her heart. Running an underground women’s clinic exposes her to certain dangers, but help arrives in the unexpected form of the infuriating Duke of Annan. Begrudgingly, Aurora accepts his protection, then promptly finds herself in his bed.   

New to his role as a duke, Apollo César Sinclair Robles struggles to embrace his position. With half of society waiting for him to misstep and the other half looking to discredit him, Apollo never imagined that his enthralling bedmate would become his most trusted adviser. Soon, he realizes the rebellious doctor could be the perfect duchess for him. But Aurora won’t give up her independence, and her secrets make her unsuitable for the aristocracy.

When dangerous figures from their pasts return to threaten them, Apollo whisks Aurora away to the French Riviera. Far from the reproachful eye of Parisian society, can Apollo convince Aurora that their bond is stronger than the forces keeping them apart?    

This is the third and final book in the author's Las Leonas trilogy and this back cover blurb positively sings for me. Paris, a physician heroine in the crosshairs for having the gall to provide women with health care and a Duke hero who is very much on the outside looking in. He's determined to make her his duchess and she's less than thrilled with the idea - sign me up!

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise

When the genteelly born, impoverished Frankie Turner's impulsive younger sister goes missing, Frankie has no idea where to begin the search to find her. But when she discovers hasty marriages materializing between “troublemaking” women and men who don’t deserve them, she knows her sister is somehow involved. The only thread connecting the groomsmen is a membership to Rockford’s, an exclusive gambling hell owned by the devilish Jasper Jones. And it just so happens that Jasper has recently become the guardian of a sullen fifteen-year-old.

Jasper suspects his new governess has an ulterior motive for being in his household, but he can hardly find the time to uncover it when his life is in a constant uproar. First, Frankie teaches his niece how to count cards and then she tries to break into his study. When he finally learns Frankie’s true reason for being there, he agrees to help the brilliant mathematician find her missing sister, even if it means giving her a fake dowry and watching men trip over themselves in her presence. As he and Frankie work together to dismantle a nefarious scheme, Jasper realizes that for the first time in his life, he’s gambled his heart—and possibly lost it.

Lovise is one of the few new writers working in historicals right now and this is the second book in her Secret Society of Governess Spies series.  A heroine with a penchant for numbers looking for her missing sister finds a connection at the hero's gambling hall, the same hero who has a sullen teenage ward. They're soon working together to bring down a dastardly plot, as one does...

The Viking's Princess Bride by Sarah Rodi

He’s won the throne… 

But she’s his royal prize! 

Victorious in his quest for revenge, Viking Njal takes the Saxon crown—and their princess! But while he’s wedding Cwen in the name of peace, he cannot deny the way she entices him. Even if it’s clear she’s holding something back… 

Princess Cwen has long accepted being used for her kingdom’s gain, but taking the enemy’s hand is the most outrageous request yet! Still, the rugged warrior ignites a fire inside her… Cwen just can't let Njal storm her carefully constructed walls. Because she’s harboring a secret that could rock the foundations of their marriage!

Rodi's latest stand-alone features a Viking hero who has taken a crown by force and decides to wed a princess in the name of "peace," while she, understandably is less than thrilled with the idea, even if she's always known that what she wants has very little to do with anything - oh, and look, she has a Big Secret!  Because what's a princess without a secret?

The Confessions of a Lady by Darcy McGuire

Dare she risk her secrets?

In the world of upstairs/downstairs, Housemaid Penny Smith anticipates her employer’s needs and blends into the background making her the perfect spy for the prime minister against a suspected member of the Devil’s Sons. There’s only one problem. When she meets the guilty marquess, his actions don’t match the evidence against him. Lord William Renquist defies her every expectation and sets her traitorous heart racing.

Lord William Renquist, Marquess of Stoneway and secret spy to Queen Victoria, must infiltrate the Devil’s Sons, tearing the brotherhood apart from the inside. His mission – to bring evil men to justice while atoning for the sins of his family, proving honour is stronger than tainted blood. There’s only one problem. A canny maid who is always in the right place at the wrong time and who deliciously challenges his every order.

Liam and Penny are unknowingly playing a dangerous game from opposite sides of justice. And at a masked ball, forbidden attraction burns into something far more complex as their secrets spin into daring confessions. This battle against their enemy will only be won if Penny and Liam can work together. But can a maid from downstairs ever trust an upstairs marquess?

This is the third book in the author's Queen's Deadly Damsels series and features a housemaid, who is a spy and a Marquess, who is a spy. Do either of them know the other is a spy? Of course not - there's no fun in that!  Also, and this cannot be overstated, I am trash for upstairs/downstairs "stuff" in historical romance.

Benefactor to the Baroness by Melissa Kendall

In a world of rules, surrendering to love is the only rebellion that matters.

Plagued by survivors’ guilt after escaping her impoverished childhood selling matchsticks, Fontaine Shepherd, the Dowager Lady Kerry, uses her position on the board of a charitable foundation to relocate starving orphans to the new world—until contact with the new office is abruptly lost. Fearing the foundation will discover she’s been clandestinely using funds to bribe workhouse owners to release children, she decides to travel across the ocean and re-establish communication herself.

Except the only captain who can transport her in time insists that she not travel alone.

Facing a lonely life after marrying off her nieces, Rosemary Summersby reluctantly agrees to attend a ladies’ charity group. There, she meets the vivacious Lady Kerry, who challenges her long-held beliefs of how a lady should look and act. Compelled by a desire to experience the excitement of which her niece often speaks, Rosemary accompanies the dowager baroness to a workhouse and witnesses the cruelty of poverty firsthand.

Then Lady Kerry stumbles into Rosemary’s cottage one night with an outrageous request: to travel across the ocean as her companion and help her uncover the mystery behind the missing orphans.

Unable to convince the dowager baroness of the dangers of her plan and remembering the sense of responsibility that drove her to accept three orphans into her life fifteen years prior, Rosemary decides to join Lady Kerry on her trip. But as the vast ocean and a noble mission stretches before them, a shared purpose and a single bunk ignite an unexpected passion that makes both women question what they truly want for themselves.

I'm going to be honest, I find this back cover blurb for the third book in the author's Seductive Sleuths series entirely too messy, but we've got a Dowager noblewoman who has known poverty, freeing children from deplorable workhouse conditions who needs a companion to travel across an ocean to unravel a mess. Also, while people are neither genre nor trope (says Wendy) - it's also Sapphic. At the very least it's worth reading a sample.

Complications in Paris by Melinda Copp

It was supposed to be a season in France, but then she decided not to go home.

Diane Talbot is an American in Paris and desperately wants to stay that way. Instead of returning to Woollett, New York, she and her sister didn't get on the boat. Now, nearly a year later, their father's fiancée and her stepson—at Daddy's behest—have come to Paris to bring them home. When they surprise Diane in a compromising situation with French party boy Guillaume Allard, she improvises and claims they're engaged.

It's the perfect plan. As long as she can convince her family that she's getting married and has established herself in Paris, they can't take her home. The best part is that Diane won't really have to get married—not to the man her father wants or to Guillaume.

Handsome and charming Guillaume barely knows Diane. But she's fun, and he owes her a favor. He goes along with the fake engagement, but that's a decision he soon regrets.

As Diane and Guillaume spend more time together, the ruse gets harder to perpetuate, and her family gets more involved. Soon, this perfect solution is far trickier than anticipated, and their feelings for each other have grown so complicated that it can only be love. Ultimately, they're forced to face an impossible obstacle to their happily ever after: he wants a lifelong commitment, and she believes marriage is a trap best avoided.

Three words: Belle. Époque. Paris. If that isn't enough, an American heiress in Paris not all that anxious to return home (I mean, I'd stay in Paris just for the croissants and macaroons, so I hear you girl!) fakes an engagement with a "French party boy," as one does.  Of course it all soon gets complicated, as it always does.

The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall by Syrie James

She vowed to solve a murder.

Now she’s in danger of losing her heart … and her very life.

Diana Taylor, a bright and spirited governess who has sworn off love, is sent to Pendowar Hall in Cornwall to honor a pledge. She vows to teach her godmother’s niece and to find out who was behind the suspicious death of the former baronet. But her new charge is also a mystery, as is the man who inherited the ancient coastal estate—the charismatic but brooding Royal Navy Captain William Fallbrook, who is home on leave to recover from an injury.

As Diana investigates, her feelings for the enigmatic Captain Fallbrook blossom, and her guard goes up. Pendowar Hall is brimming with secrets as well as a frightening legend about a Mermaid’s Curse. What is behind the mysterious footsteps in the night? Is there more to the story of the tragic deaths of the former baronet’s wife and son? What secrets is Captain Fallbrook hiding? Can she trust the man who has stolen her heart?

He looks to be entranced by Diana, even though her determination to dig up the past seems to get on his last nerve. Soon, Diana’s bold quest to unmask his uncle’s killer leads her into terrifying danger, for someone is determined to end her life before she can discover the truth.

The first book in the Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire series has all the touchstones of a Gothic - Cornwall, a suspicious death, a governess, and a brooding hero (in this case a Navy Captain!) who has inherited an "ancient coastal estate." Also there's a curse, because of course there's a curse.  I am trash for Gothics, so this one is more than worth a look.

Evidence of Evil by Mary Lancaster

Pursuing murder and fighting love…

Several weeks after they parted company, courtesan Constance calls on the wealthy business-man Solomon Grey to request his help solving another mystery. Her old friend Elizabeth, now the wife of respected magistrate Sir Humphrey Maule, is being accused of murder.

Solomon, bored and restless, happily agrees, before he realizes they are expected to pose as husband and wife. While this presents its own challenges, the case itself is elusive. The young woman fished out of the lake in her nightgown is the Maules’ neighbor, and there is nothing to show how she died except that it was not by drowning.

Hunting for evidence, Constance and Solomon turn their attention to the complicated victim herself, who may have harboured more than one deadly secret.

Sigh. The second book in the Silver and Grey trilogy and I've had Book 1 in my immediate TBR for the past two months. Soon, my pet, soon. Anyway, our couple, a courtesan heroine and a wealthy businessman hero, pose as husband and wife to find a killer. 

A Diamond in the Rough by Andrea Pickens (Reprint)

Determined not to follow in the footsteps of his weak-willed wastrel father, Adrian, Lord Marquand, has designed a life for himself based on order and reason . . . and a passion for creating the most beautiful gardens in England. However, he must keep his true identity as England’s most acclaimed landscape designer a secret. But when his father gambles away Adrian’s beloved ancestral estate, he’s sure all is lost . . . until he’s offered a way to win it back.

Adrian isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Derrien McClellan, a fiery, unconventional Scottish lass must disguise herself as a boy to play golf on the hallowed course at St. Andrews. She’s the best golfer. . . which is why a dear family friend asks her help in teaching Adrian how to play so he can beat an unprincipled cad at his own game and win back Woolsey Hall. Derrien has good reason to dislike an English lord, but she grudgingly agrees.

And so the games begin! Secrets tangle with misunderstandings as the mismatched pair struggle to work together. And suddenly the stakes are higher as they head into the final match . . . with their hearts now in play, will Love conquer all?

Pickens has written a lot of books (she's also published under the names Cara Elliott and Andrea Penrose) and my sleuthing confirms this is a reprint of a Traditional Regency published by Signet in 2001.  This is a sports romance (golf!) and a Trad. I mean, if that's not an unusual historical nothing is. Also, god bless All About Romance, I was able to find a review they published for the book back in 2001, written by old friend of the blog, Blythe.

A Rogue to Watch Over Me by Tara Kingston

A woman in danger . . . a bold Scot who’s vowed to protect her . . .

AMELIA STEWART is no man’s damsel in distress. When a dashing Scottish rogue storms into her orderly library claiming he is there to defend her from a mysterious threat—summoned by a letter her brother wrote before his death—she rebuffs him as a cruel fraud. Amelia has had her fill of charlatans seeking to profit off her raw grief. But when she’s targeted by ruthless criminals hunting a treasure tied to her brother’s suspicious death, Amelia joins forces with the brash rake to bring the cutthroats to justice. As danger closes in, Amelia and the tempting Scot are brought together, day and night. She knows better than to fall for a man like him, but Logan MacLain might well be the rogue she’d never dreamed she wanted . . . never dreamed she needed . . . with—or without—his kilt.

Honor bound to watch over her, he’ll risk everything . . . except his heart . . .

LOGAN MacLAIN made his fortune taking risks. Now settled into a comfortable life running his tavern in Queen Victoria’s London, he’s content with a rogue’s existence and the hard-won certainty that love is mere fantasy. Until a message from a dead man calls upon him to repay a debt of honor. Now, Logan must risk his life to shield his murdered friend’s sister from the sinister menace which stalks her. But soon, protecting Amelia is no longer about a duty spawned by a long-ago vow. Drawn to her, he desires the clever beauty above all others. He wants Amelia in his arms. By his side. And in his bed.

A rogue’s passion . . . a woman’s heartfelt need . . .

But Amelia needs more than his desire. More than his passion. She believes in love. She trusts that Logan will watch over her. He will defend her, no matter the cost. But can he give her the heart he encased in ice all those years ago?

She's in danger from criminals looking for treasure and he's a OMG TAVERN OWNER (!!!!) who has vowed to protect her having been summoned by her brother from beyond the grave. She believes in love, he of course does not. And, you know, there's that whole minor threat on her life thing....

The Detective and the Baroness by Karyn Gerrard

Detective Sergeant Mitchell Simpson’s only purpose is his job with London’s Metropolitan Police. But when he’s seriously injured in the line of duty, he has no idea what to do. So, when he’s offered a private investigation to work on while he recovers, he jumps at it. The problem? His client is the baroness who nursed him back to health…and stole his heart while doing it. And worse, she’s newly married…

After tirelessly working as a nurse for a decade, Lady Corrine Addington entered an arranged marriage to save her family from financial ruin. But it’s not long before she realizes her estranged husband is up to something, so she hires Mitchell to follow him. But even she realizes that she enjoys Mitchell’s company a little too much. Then a murderous turn of events changes everything…

Suddenly a widow, Corrine is free to follow her heart. But Mitchell has figured out what the baron’s murderer was looking for, and fears that Corrine will be the killer’s next target. While Mitchell desperately wants to make her his, it’s more important that he keep her safe, even if it kills him. And it might…

The first in the Duke's Bastards series features a detective hero taking a private job while recovering from an injury. Minor detail that his client is the woman who nursed him back to health and she needs him to follow her estranged husband to find out what he's up to.  Turns out hubby soon gets up to getting dead and our heroine is in danger.

Heartbreaker of the Ton by Emily Royal

A ruined woman, a virgin vicar, a forbidden love.

Debutante Juliette Howard’s attempt to ruin her sister out of envy and spite ended badly—with Juliette herself ruined, disgraced, and pregnant. Consumed by regret, and reviled by Society, Juliette fled her family’s disappointment to hide in obscurity in a remote seaside village. As an outsider, she’s viewed with suspicion by all except the vicar with the gentle voice and kind eyes, whose compassionate soul threatens to breach her defenses.

Andrew Staines followed his calling when he entered the church. But his faith is continually tested in the country parish where the gentry consider those of lower rank to be disposable commodities. His is a lone voice speaking out against the injustices of the world—until a mysterious widow arrives with her young son. Her soulful eyes speak of past tragedy, but despite the hardships she endures, she becomes a champion for the cause of the downtrodden, and Andrew finds himself in danger of falling in love.

Despite vowing to protect her heart, Juliette finds a soul mate in Andrew—a man struggling with his faith, as she struggles to reconcile herself with her past sins.

But a fallen woman with an illegitimate child is no suitable match for a chaste vicar, a man revered as the model of morality. And when Juliette discovers Andrew’s connection to her family, she realizes that some sins can never be forgiven.

Y'all, this book was written just for me - I'm convinced of it. I am trash for a virgin hero paired with a heroine who has "a reputation." Also, it sounds like this heroine was a villain in a previous book and just get in my eyeballs already!   This is the sixth book in the author's Misfits of the Ton series.

Whew! I feel like we all just ran a marathon - 12 unusual historicals for our consideration to keep us warm during the remaining winter months.  What are you looking forward to picking up?

#TBRChallenge 2025: Snowdrops and Scandalbroth

The Book: Snowdrops and Scandalbroth by Barbara Metzger

The Particulars: Traditional Regency, Fawcett Crest, 1997, Out of print, eBook publication by Belgrave House 2010.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: This one has been in my TBR for literal decades because of two words: Virgin. Hero.

The Review: For this month's optional theme, Previously, In Romance..., I decided to not only go Old School, but to go with a subgenre that no longer exists - Traditional Regency. For you young'uns, Trads were category length, Regency-set historicals often defined by the manners of the era and "just kisses" romances. They had a hearty following back in their day with numerous publishers having their own lines. By the early 2000s however we were in the final death throes and once Signet killed their line in 2006 it was pretty much over. But you can still find many of them floating around in digital reprints, and, of course, in all the places you can find used books.

I picked up Snowdrops and Scandalbroth, quite literally, decades ago because I am nothing if not trash for a virgin hero - and this story has one. What I didn't realize is that this turns out to be one virgin hero who does his damnedest to turn me off his brethren entirely. A more sanctimonious prig you'll never meet - despite the fact he has one really great scene where he talks about the common double standard between men and women being "pure" until the marriage bed. It's not enough to make up for how insufferable I generally found him.

Kathlyn Partland is in a bind. Her mother, gone for many years, was disowned by her blue-blooded family when she married Kathlyn's father, a poor tutor. He, in the fine tradition of Romancelandia Fathers, makes no arrangements for Kathlyn, financially or otherwise, so when he dies she's quite literally on her own. She manages to secure a job as a governess in London but her mail coach is quite delayed through a series of misadventures and when she finally arrives she finds out the family has given up on her, gone to the country and hired someone else.

Riding to her rescue is Courtney Choate, Viscount Chase, who can't just leave the damsel in distress when he spies her lost, carrying her own luggage, down a seedy London street. She's pretty much accosted in no time flat. Courtney is in a bind of his own. He was engaged, but unceremoniously dumped his betrothed after finding out she's had two lovers already. Our Courtney is very principled and having witnessed the pain his father's infidelities caused his mother has vowed to 1) wait until marriage and 2) to never, ever take a mistress. He has vowed to stay true to his future wife, whomever she turns out to be.  Of course the broken engagement gets tongues wagging, and soon Courtney's manliness and sexual preference is called into question (the author doesn't come out and say "everybody thinks he's queer" but it's definitely implied between the lines). Anyway, Courtney goes off to war, and despite coming back a hero with a bullet wound and gimpy leg, the rumors persist. 

We all can guess what happens next. Kathlyn is flat broke with no options. Courtney needs to convince the gossipmongers and the ton he likes girls. She puts up a token resistance but before you can say bingo-bango, she's going by an assumed name and masquerading as Courtney's mistress - for a new wardrobe and a pile of coins, of course.

This sounds pretty straight-forward but it's actually an Everything and the Kitchen Sink romance. It's a farce y'all. Not only do you have the Fake Mistress thing going on, there's also a jewel heist involved (remember Kathlyn's delayed mail coach?) which brings Bow Street calling, along with the dead thief's compatriots he swindled - and they all think that Kathlyn knows where the missing jewels are. There's also a misunderstanding thrown in - Kathlyn thinks Courtney needs a fake mistress to convince the ton he's "still a man" because she speculates the wartime bullet wound damaged his, uh, "little soldier." Courtney, of course, isn't forthcoming as to the why he needs the fake mistress subterfuge so speculation is all our girl has.

The cast soon bloats like a drunk on a 3-day bender to include future appearances and mentions of Courtney's former fiancée (hello, slut-shaming, followed by fat-shaming - because of course she married a decrepit old man after Courtney dumped her and put on some pounds), Courtney's former nanny, two rascally Lords he pals around with (well, sort of), two Bow Street Runners, three members of the jewel thief gang, the nannie's grandchildren, Kathlyn's loathsome aunt, Courtney's mother, and a partridge in a pear tree.

For the record, Trad Regencies are category length, and this one clocks in at a little over 200 pages. The author takes many writing short-cuts to trim down word count (a lot is mentioned but takes place off page), coupled with the farce and the large secondary cast means very little time is given to the actual romance. Which probably isn't a bad thing since what is on page largely didn't work for me. Courtney has one good scene where he talks about "purity" and the double-standard between men and women and why aren't men held to the same standards, yada yada yada - but otherwise he's entirely too smug and self-righteous for my tastes. There's one really good scene where Kathlyn fires both barrels at him - but otherwise there's just not enough here to make be buy into these two falling in love. A lot of what I would consider "courtship moments" take place off page.  The whole thing is entirely too overcrowded by the farcical comedy (Kathlyn gets kidnapped TWICE!) and the wide cast of secondary characters.  Basically folks what we have here is a screwball comedy set in Regency England and it just didn't work for me.

That said, I know there's a readership out there for farce and certainly it can work very well in a Trad Regency setting. However, Courtney nearly putting me off virgin heroes entirely (which I thought was basically impossible - who knew?) coupled with the strong Not Like Other Girls vibe to Kathlyn and the general overall writing of Courtney's former fiancée (deplorable) means that this is a Old School romance that just hasn't aged all that well.

Final Grade = D+

Note: It's not lost on me that I have referred to a book published in 1997 as "old school." Excuse me while I go crawl into my coffin...

Mini-Reviews: Bring On The Fluff!

I recently had my first DNF of 2025, a suspense novel featuring vile, hateful characters and y'all I just couldn't even. What's a girl to do? Well this girl decided to dive head first into a pile of cotton candy fluff and it was just what the doctor ordered.

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter was the inspiration for a short-lived American sitcom, Not Yet Dead, that lasted two seasons. I never watched the show, but based on the synopsis of it I'm fairly confident in saying it diverges wildly from the book - other than some of the characters sharing the same names and the obituary writing job thing. 

Nell is on the other side of forty and her life has imploded. Her business (a bookstore / café) went bust right along with her engagement. She's now single, broke, and with no other option than to tuck tail and head back to London. A couple of problems with that is she has no prospect of a job, she's broke, and rents in London are through the roof. All her friends are happily married with a couple of kids meaning not only is she a fifth wheel, she can't impose on them by couch surfing until she gets her shit together. Nothing for it, she answers an ad to rent a room from a wound-tight eco-warrior wannabe who controls the thermostat like the Gestapo, borrows a little money from her parents, and tries to work her contacts to find a job. Which she does - writing obituaries. That's how she meets Cricket, an 80-something widow with her own challenges. The two become fast friends and naturally help each other heal and commiserate along the way.

I came back to the romance genre in the late 1990s through Chick Lit, and that's what this is. Chick Lit with a 40-something heroine. She wants a husband and children, and well life hasn't exactly turned out the way she's planned. Having been in the States (New York, then California) for the last several years, she's now back home to lick her wounds and has discovered life (along with her friends and family) has kept on moving along without her.

It's a very character driven read and you're inside Nell's head for the duration. If you don't find her funny and interesting from the jump, save yourself some time and DNF early. I've always been one of those readers who can find Chick Lit great fun so long as I don't consume a steady diet of it, and this book largely worked for me - but like a lot of romantic comedy stuff these days, readers should be warned there's some heavy themes underpinning the story that, even with foreshadowing, still pop out to slam the brakes on the overall fluffy mood. That said, the author does say some interesting things about the expectations placed on women by themselves and society that still stand out even with the lighter tone. I had a good time with this and it's a crackin' good listen on audiobook, which I highly recommend. 

Content warning: infertility, miscarriage

Final Grade = B+

Everybody's favorite rich girl social media influencer and part-time serial killer, Kitty Collins, is back for her second adventure in I Bet You'd Look Good in a Coffin by Katy Brent.

Poor Kitty. She really doesn't want to kill men, but they make abstinence so darn difficult! She's trying to break her social media addiction, has pretty much stopped her work as an influencer, is attending an anger management group, and settling into a blissful existence with her boyfriend Charlie. A Chick Lit version of Dexter, Kitty only ever killed men who really, really deserved to die but she's determined to be good - until a social media influencer, a misogynistically vile incel going by the name of "Blaze Bundy" starts targeting her. On top of that her vulnerable gang rape survivor friend has just declared she's fallen in love with her therapist (but it's OK since he's no longer seeing me as a patient, so why aren't you happy for us Kitty?!) and Kitty's estranged, fabulously wealthy mother is getting married to a man Kitty didn't know existed until the wedding invitation showed up in the mail.

Can you take this book seriously? Absolutely not. Kitty continues to think she's smart but bungles her way through her murder spree - and in this day and age of cell phone tracking and DNA it's a wonder the cops don't at least know she exists. But it's not that kind of book. It's a female rage book with an undercurrent of dark humor - and that's either going to work for you or not. It naturally doesn't take Kitty long to get up to her old tricks and soon her relationship with Charlie is on life support.  Be advised this does not stand alone well at all, with events from the first book playing a heavy role and the ending got a little bit "out there" even for me - the moral of the story apparently being the family that kills and covers up murders together apparently stays together.  But it all goes down like a candy-flavored cocktail even when it turns bleakly dark.  The ending isn't entirely "happy" as far as the romance goes, but the author leaves the door wide open for potential future books. It's not high art but I had a good time reading it and inhaled it in a couple of greedy gulps. Also, and this cannot be overstated - terrible, awful, asshole men getting exactly what they deserve....

Content warning: Murder, violence, attempted rape

Final Grade = B

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is February 19

Here we are, Happy 2025 and the start of another #TBRChallenge! Our inaugural #TBRChallenge day is set for Wednesday, February 19 and our theme is Previously, In Romance...

This suggestion came out of my annual theme poll, and was one my favorites because it tickled the long buried part of myself that used to gobble up daytime soap operas. Some suggestion ideas for this theme include, a book that's part of a series, an author you haven't read in a while, or something Old School.

However, remember the themes are completely optional. If this all sounds like too much work and you'd rather blindly reach for a random book in my pile, go to work!  Remember our goal with this challenge is always to read something, anything, that has been languishing in her your TBR piles.

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.