Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is October 21

I'm not sure how 2026 can feel like it's flown by but also feel like it's been the longest year in the history of the world, but here we are in OCTOBER! We're down to the final three months of the TBR Challenge folks, which means it's time for me to think about planning for 2027 - gah!

This month's challenge is set for October 21 and the optional theme is The Hunt. I think this theme is a lot of fun because on the surface it seems pretty straight-forward for October - The Hunt = romantic suspense. Serial killers, characters in danger, characters looking to solve a mystery of some sort etc. But wait, you could also choose a historical romance, say a hero or heroine who is desperately looking to get married for XYZ Romancelandia Reason or a heroine trying to dodge her matchmaking mama and "ruin herself" with a Romancelandia Duke of Slut (of which there seem to be plenty to choose from).  This is a theme that you can tinker around with a bit.

That said, I can totally understand not having the bandwidth to deal with a theme right now. Sometimes you just gotta go to the TBR and grab the first book that piques your interest. 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: Girl Dinner

I don't think as readers that we talk enough about how the format in which we consume a story can effect our ultimate outcome with said story. Take Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake. I knew within the first 10% of this story that had I tried to eyeball read it I would end up DNF'ing it. But, strangely enough, it kept me engaged on audio, even though this ultimately ended up being a disappointing read. To explain the why, I'm going to do something I rarely do with my reviews - I'm posting the cover blurb verbatim:

Good girls deserve a treat.

Every member of The House, the most exclusive sorority on campus, and all its alumni, are beautiful, high-achieving, and universally respected.

After a freshman year she would rather forget, sophomore Nina Kaur knows being one of the chosen few accepted into The House is the first step in her path to the brightest possible future. Once she's taken into their fold, the House will surely ease her fears of failure and protect her from those who see a young woman on her own as easy prey.

Meanwhile, adjunct professor Dr. Sloane Hartley is struggling to return to work after accepting a demotion to support her partner's new position at the cutthroat University. After 18 months at home with her newborn daughter, Sloane's clothes don’t fit right, her girl-dad husband isn’t as present as he thinks he is, and even the few hours a day she's apart from her child fill her psyche with paralyzing ennui. When invited to be The House’s academic liaison, Sloane enviously drinks in the way the alumnae seem to have it all, achieving a level of collective perfection that Sloane so desperately craves.

As Nina and Sloane each get drawn deeper into the arcane rituals of the sisterhood, they learn that living well comes with bloody costs. And when they are finally invited to the table, they will have to decide just how much they can stomach in the name of solidarity and power.

If you read this and immediately thought "Dark Academia" and/or "Horror" - you would, sadly be mistaken. What it is is Contemporary Fiction masquerading as satire with one (yes, one) horror element. Blake backs into a delightfully compelling set up (sorority girls achieving it all thanks to cannibalism) but instead we get a litany of feminist current events (yes, it's depressing), girl bosses, trad wives, and the erosion of women's rights. Honestly I don't need a novel for this - I can just read the news and scroll social media, two things I probably need to be doing less of for my own mental health. 

We never really get much in the way of Nina's freshman year she would rather forget, and it's hard to sympathize with Sloane who won't tell her POS husband how much of a POS he is to his face. She instead just silently stews while she internally muses. She doesn't tell him she's drowning. She doesn't tell him she needs help. Instead of coming out and saying it, she tap-dances around it and he goes on being blithely clueless because...he's a man.

It's a lot of set-up. A LOT. The cannibalism revelation, which we all know is coming thanks to the back cover blurb, doesn't get revealed until 60%. And then it's largely hand-waved away by Nina and Sloane, while having a token moment of being horrified and disgusted, starts puzzling it out like the sociologist she is and we end up with a travesty of an ending - one that doesn't involve her gutting her husband whose sins eventually spill out into the open. 

Ultimately, here's the thing, I was invested enough to keep listening to this on audio but I was rewriting it in my head the whole time. What this could have been had the satire been biting and the author had leaned in hard on the horror the elements. A horror novel about cannibal sorority girls with a backdrop of biting satire about current events and the state of feminism?  Yes please. Instead we get a book that basically tells the reader that women can't have it all unless they become cannibals - and even then, do they really have it all? There's no righting of the universe here, it's just depressing.

Final Grade = C- 

Review: The Murder at World's End

Ever start a book and right from the jump you just know you're in for a delightful time? That was me with The Murder at World's End by Ross Montegomery, and I have AztecLady to thank for the experience. Well over a year ago now, she stumbled across the book on Netgalley and pointed it out to me thinking it sounded like something I might enjoy. She was right. 

The publisher marketed this as Knives Out meets Downton Abbey and that's a fairly apt description. It's 1910 in Cornwall and Stephen Pike is making his way to Tithe Hall (AKA World's End) with a letter from a do-gooder society promising him employment. Stephen is fresh out of prison and desperate for a second chance, but when he arrives he finds the butler wasn't expecting him and the house in an uproar. The house is in a state because Halley's Comet is approaching and the master of the house is convinced there will be catastrophic repercussions. Remember Y2K? That's kind of what we're talking about here. Every half-baked and ludicrous "scientific theory" is being touted by the Viscount who has ordered the house be sealed from top to bottom. Family, servants, everybody, will be locked in their rooms for the night, with every crevice sealed from the inside (candle wax in the key holes, cotton batting used under doors, windows and chimneys boarded up etc.). 

The butler is a Christian man, and frankly is desperate for the help, so Stephen squeaks into a job by the skin of his teeth. He's the new second footman (not the under butler as the blurb suggests!) and between preparing the house for the end of the world as they know it, he's tasked with keeping Miss Decima out of everybody's hair. Aunt Decima is an elderly maiden aunt who terrifies everyone in the household and is a trial for her family. What Aunt Decima really is is an intelligent, spinster woman who doesn't suffer fools - and frankly she's surrounded by nothing but fools. I mean, no wonder she's cranky.

Halley's Comet appears and naturally nothing happens. The rivers don't start running backwards, the gas from the comet doesn't permeate the Earth's atmosphere and asphyxiate people etc. This is also when Stephen learns how he came to be summoned to Tithe Hall, but I won't give it away. Anyway, it's the next morning when he's tasked to unseal the Viscount's study where he spent the night and gasp! There's the Viscount, sitting in his desk chair, with a crossbow bolt through one of his eyes. The man is dead - murdered in the locked study sometime during the night. And Stephen, having only been a member of staff for 24 hours, and with a prison record, he might as well have scapegoat tattooed on his forehead.

Stephen's alibi is Miss Decima, and while she loathed her idiot nephew, she also was incapable of committing the murder due to physical limitations. The local law isn't much help and the detective from Scotland Yard turns out to be an idiot, so there's nothing for it - she'll have to solve the murder herself, but she'll need help - which means Stephen.

I really enjoyed this unconventional crime solving duo, but I can see how they may not work for every reader. The nice way to describe Stephen is "he lacks confidence." The sort of bloke who embarrasses and blushes easily. How this guy survived prison is another mystery. Aunt Decima vacillates between Humorously Disagreeable and Just Plain Disagreeable. She also comes off as a know-it-all but will begrudgingly offer praise and admiration when warranted - it's just in her experience she's not use to it being warranted. I don't see any in-between here - readers are either going to love them or loathe them with no middle ground.

Is there anything better than a locked room mystery? Honestly, not much and Montegomery really sinks his teeth into it by also having the house be on an island that is inaccessible during high tide when the causeway floods. When looking up more information about this book, there was more than on instance of "Golden Age" being used as a descriptor and certainly the author plays up all the hallmarks of what makes a "Golden Age Mystery." That said, when something is described as such, there are certain expectations by some readers - namely, language. Y'all Miss Decima swears like a sailor on shore leave. Look, I admired the colorful use of expletives, but if you're a reader who wants a "Golden Age Mystery" but gets their nose out of joint over the use of the f-word, don't say I didn't warn you. I have a theory Montegomery included Miss Decima's frustrated expletives because it's his first adult book - having previously only published children's fiction. He likely had a stock pile of f-bombs just dying to get out before he exploded 😂.

There's plenty of red herrings and blind alleys to keep the reader guessing although I'll admit I'm a bit ashamed of myself for not puzzling the whole thing out sooner. I mean, I really should have - but I'm chalking this up to the author doing a good job in providing enough potential theories as distractions that I was a slow on the uptake. Including Halley's Comet as background was inspired (and very interesting!) and oh happy day, there's going to be a book two featuring our unconventional sleuthing duo. One of my better reads so far this year and a dynamite listen on audiobook.

Final Grade = B+

Back to School: Unusual Historicals for September 2026

Here we are at the end of September and my reading output this year is on pace to hit an all-time low since I joined the Romancelandia community back in 1999. I'm not sure what the answer is to correct this - probably some combination of waking up independently wealthy and removing myself from all social media so I stop doom-scrolling. For now I keep on keeping on, browse and collect books, and hope that one day I can kick my flagging mojo into gear. Which brings us to this month's crop of Unusual Historicals. As they say, hope springs eternal.

By Any Means by E.M. Caro

New York City, 1905.

Investigative journalist (and fierce anti-capitalist) Laurie Tulley is no stranger to the sins rich men commit in the name of profit. He’s made a front-page career out of unearthing the injustices of industry.

But when his editor turns his sights onto wealthy glass industrialist Charles "Chary" Wright, Laurie sees neither injustice nor sensationalism. All the openly queer and once-disowned Fifth Avenue businessman seems to have is a dead brother, a bizarre inheritance of a blueberry farm, and a lotta trauma.

Chary has his secrets, however: the big, life-ending kind. When Laurie comes snooping, he’s determined the reporter won’t find them out, no matter how handsome he is.

Then a worker from the glass factory is murdered. Chary himself is brutally attacked. As Laurie uncovers murder after past murder, he realizes there’s a story to be written after all… so long as he can keep a professional distance.

And when Chary finds himself in the arms of the very man meant to be his ruin, he must confront exactly how far he’ll go for love—and just which ghosts he’s willing to bring forth from the past.

Early 20th century New York, a muckraker hero and a wealthy industrialist. The Smut Report recently reviewed this and it sounds like the history is a bit more forward-facing than the romance, but that history sounds positively fascinating. 

Heartbreak for the Irish Midwife by Seána Tinley

Can their love survive a community at war?

When World War Two is declared, Maisie Canavan is working as a newly-qualified midwife in Belfast's Royal Maternity Hospital, helping women and babies across community divides. In a city already torn apart, Maisie now faces the terrifying prospect of helping new life enter the world under the blitz of a bombing raid.

Teaming up with Dr Alex Lowe to plan for the worst, Maisie starts to fall for his kind grey eyes and gentle heart. Despite being from opposite sides of the political divide, Maisie and Alex find themselves drawn together - but the world around them isn't ready to accept love between a Catholic and a Protestant. With the war worsening tensions between neighbours, they have no choice but to keep their feelings a secret...

As bombs begin to rain on Belfast, and she sees Alex risking his life to care for the whole community, Maisie can't help but wonder why two people in love should be kept apart.

Tinley, who has written for Harlequin Historical under the name Catherine Tinley, brings readers the third book in her Irish Midwives series.  1939 Belfast. World War II. Catholic heroine. Protestant hero. I mean, none of this sounds complicated at all....

Changing Times at Calico House by Maisie Thomas

Manchester, 1920. As a mannequin in an exclusive fashion salon, Kate Hunter lives for the moments she can step into a beautiful gown and leave her worries behind.

But when Kate is cheated out of her home and then suffers a terrible accident, she suddenly loses everything: her job, her independence and her future.

Miss Hawes, the well-to-do owner of Calico House, provides her with a chance beyond her wildest dreams. Could Kate use her eye for fashion to secure her future?

Meanwhile, ambitious young furniture dealer Finn Mercer is determined to expand his business – he and Kate could be a wonderful partnership. Maybe even more than that…

However, Miss Hawes’s aggrieved godson will not just stand by and let them triumph.

Can Kate, along with friends old and new, fight for the happiness – and love – she dreams of?

A mannequin / fashion model heroine loses everything but has a shot at a second chance thanks to a benefactor and an ambitious furniture dealer who thinks a partnership will make all their dreams come true. Standing in their way? A villain, of course. This is the first book in a new series for Thomas.

The Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience by Elizabeth Jane Adams

JD Morrison has one plan: survive the winter, then ride on. He’s spent years drifting toward a dream—his own ranch, his own name on something permanent. But the struggling homestead on the Leon River comes with an unexpected complication: a fiercely independent woman hiding a secret that could get them both killed.

Andie Meadows has already lost her father. She refuses to lose his land. Hiring a stranger feels like desperation. Falling for one feels like betrayal. But with ruthless neighbors tightening their grip, and a lie about to shatter everything, the quiet cowboy who showed up at her gate may be her last hope and her greatest risk.

What begins as a practical arrangement slowly becomes the one thing neither of them bargained for.

In 1873 Texas, survival is hard. Trust is harder. And love? Love sneaks up on you like a West Texas sunrise—soft, unstoppable, and impossible to ignore.

OMG A WESTERN!!!!!! A HISTORICAL WESTERN!!!!!! Someone bring me my smelling salts. Better still, it's a debut and the first book in a projected four book series.

The Jack of Hearts by Maddison Michaels

London, November 1893

A woman is found sawn in half in a narrow alley—her body laid inside a magician’s coffin, hands folded in prayer, a white rose in her palms. Between her fingers: a playing card. The Jack of Hearts. Inked with a chilling message… The first of six.

Inspector Tobias Flint of Scotland Yard has spent fifteen years hunting killers—but nothing like this. The murder is no random act of violence. It is precise. Theatrical. A macabre recreation of an illusion devised by the long-dead stage magician, the Magnificent Maguire. And the killer—already christened by the press as The Coffin Conjurer—has promised this is only the opening act.

But Maguire’s legacy was never buried. For fifteen years, Jaqueline “Jack” Maguire has lived as a ghost. Presumed dead after the fire that killed her father, she has built a new life in the shadows—using the very skills he taught her: sleight of hand, misdirection, and the art of disguise. Now, as the secret force behind one of London’s most formidable private investigation agencies, she protects the women society overlooks… and keeps her past locked firmly away. After all, magic took everything she loved. She has no intention of letting it take anything more.

But when the Coffin Conjurer begins using her father’s illusions as a blueprint for murder and sends her a Jack of Hearts—the nickname her father gave her— playing card, Jack knows her past has finally caught up with her. After Inspector Flint catches her searching his office for clues to the killer’s identity the morning after the first murder, he refuses to let the rare woman to pull one over on him disappear again. Together, they may just have a chance of stopping him. She knows the world of magic and illusions. He knows how to catch a killer. But in London’s most murderous magic show, the Coffin Conjurer has always been ten steps ahead—and has already chosen the star of the final act… Jack Maguire.

This is being marketed as a mystery, but there's enough in the blurb to get our hopes up for the romance. A heroine who works as a private investigator joins forces with a Scotland Yard detective when a serial killer is discovered to be using her dead father's illusions as a calling card for his crimes.  Also, looks like this is the first in a new series.

The Case of the Curate by Mary Lancaster

Once allies in mischief, a new partnership is forming…

When a housemaid is murdered during Lord Chadbon’s country house party, it is his most convenient assessment that the curate did it. Rupert Grande is new to the neighborhood, clearly disreputable, and he discovered the body in suspicious circumstances.

Moreover, the curate’s discreet arrest ensures no scandal touches Chadbon or his important guests.

Only Kate, young wife of an ambitious politician, knows that Rupert is innocent—at least of murder—and refuses to let the accusation stand. But then, no one else knows his true identity or grew up as his best friend.

The ton always treated the ordination of amiable rakehell Lord Rupert Grande as a huge joke. So did Rupert. So why has he turned up incognito as an apparently dutiful rural curate? And what was the murdered maid to him?

Hampered by childhood loyalties and her host’s insistence on discretion, Kate must discover the real culprit and free her old friend. Along the way, she learns some unpleasant truths about those she has regarded as decent men.

Worse, being thrown together with Rupert again stirs up old and new emotions—an improper attraction that must never be spoken.

The prolific Lancaster is back with the first book in a new romantic mystery series which finds our curate hero accused of murdering a housemaid specifically because he is "new to town." The only one who thinks he's innocent? His former best friend, our heroine, who knows very well the curate isn't who he says he is, but a murderer? Nope, she's not buying. 

Betrothal Between Enemies by Bronwyn Scott

If their ruse fails…

They must marry!

On a mission in Naples to deliver a letter to his father’s oldest friend, Alistair never expects to discover he’s inheriting the man’s business—and is betrothed to his daughter, Ismay! Once his childhood nemesis, Ismay’s grown into a great beauty, but she’s just as infuriating as ever!

Reeling from a recent heartbreak, Ismay cannot walk down the aisle with devilish rakehell Alistair. So, they come up with a plan: prove to everyone just how unsuitably matched they are! But when their recklessness stokes a blazing attraction, can they resist temptation and stay true to their ruse?

Your father asks you to deliver a letter, only to find out upon your arrival that you're inheriting that man's business and are expected to marry his daughter, your former childhood sparring partner! Neither of you are keen on the idea, so you agree on a mutual plan of sabotage, which of course doesn't go according to plan. Oh will these romantic couples never learn? This is the second book in Scott's Regency Tour in Italy series.

Maid for the Duke by Laura Martin

A fateful summer…

A forbidden attraction!

With maid Amelie’s father languishing in debtors’ prison, her employer’s offer to be housekeeper of his summer cottage is the perfect opportunity to support her family. But now in close quarters with the dashing duke, she soon finds herself getting to know William on more intimate terms…

After promising his dying sister to set aside his responsibilities and chase happiness, William has taken the summer to write. But he soon finds even greater joy—with Amelie! Yet, as the season wears on and a suitable marriage beckons, will he be able to surrender his forbidden true love? 

With her father in debtors' prison, a job at your employer's summer cottage is the miracle she needs to help support your family. Falling in love with her boss, a Duke no less, well, that's complicated.  I'm expecting a lot of Cinderella vibes in this new stand alone from Martin. 

The Marchioness Makes a Bargain by Kirsten S. Blacketer

An unlikely romance rises when the marchioness makes a deal with the devil.

Victoria Smythe, Dowager Marchioness of Winstead, had always longed to start her own bakery. During her short marriage to a man twice her age, she discovered her love of creating complex pastries and cakes. When her husband passed without an heir, Victoria continued to indulge in her secret passion. Until the perfect opportunity arose from an unlikely ally.

Declan Harrow uses his wits and fists in service to the Lord of Devil’s Acre. As the crime lord’s right-hand man, he takes on many unsavory tasks—like protecting his employer’s investments. But his priorities shift when he meets the lovely Marchioness of Winstead. His protective nature drives him, but he cannot allow it to consume his sense or he’ll fall completely for the delectable widow.

When a mysterious threat appears to have taken aim at the marchioness’s new bakery, Declan decides his services are better served in protecting her instead of his lord’s investment. But being in such close quarters ignites a burning desire that neither can deny. Will their unconventional romance bring her ultimate ruin?

The third book in Blacketer's Society of Wanton Widows series features a Dowager Marchioness with a passion for baking (and her own bakery) who catches the eye of a crime lord's hired goon, our hero. He soon becomes her protector, which puts him at odds with his boss, and well that's complicated. I need to find my reading mojo and start this series already, it sounds totally up my alley. 

Secrets for a Seductress by Laura Linn (novella)

An uncompromising man

Samuel Evans, Principal Officer for Bow Street, carves order from anarchy in London’s violent slums. He has neither the time nor inclination for self-indulgent drivel, and he certainly will not yield to the lust that dogs him every time he sets eyes on Anna Briggs. The madam of the city’s most infamous brothel, she is the very personification of sin—a drop hemlock in every spoonful of honey. She barters secrets as readily as she does her body, and it’s those secrets alone that draw him to her door.

A notorious courtesan

Anna refuses to apologize for who or what she is. She hasn’t reached these insurmountable heights by following the rules, and there’s no reason to start now. Besides, the men who preach morality rarely practice it, and those who do are too busy congratulating themselves to notice the futility of their modest contributions. Worse still, their decency is laced with judgment. Nevertheless, Anna cannot help teasing the strait-laced Bow Street runner who repeatedly comes sniffing at her door, delighting in the tension that gathers through his broad shoulders whenever she steps too close.

A seductive entanglement

When a regular at The Silken Lotus turns up dead, desperation and opportunity collide, bringing the unlikely pair together. What begins as a tenuous alliance soon becomes something far more dangerous, as the lies they each rely upon to carry them through the day begin to unravel in the shadows of the night. Caught between moral certainty and necessary deception, two people on opposite sides of order discover that the truth is seldom simple and often perilous.

He's a Bow Street Runner, she's a notorious courtesan who is now a madam of an infamous brothel. He's trying to keep his lust in check and she loves to tweak his nose every chance she gets. Then a regular turns up dead in her establishment. This is the fourth book in the multi-author A Society of Scandal series, most of which are novellas. This one runs a little longer, being listed at 192 pages.

A Divorcee and her Captain by Steffy Smith (novella)

Edith Whitmore, Countess of Kipton is drowning in her loveless marriage. Her husband is a cruel cold philanderer. Accepting he will never change and even more importantly that she will never forgive him she seeks a divorce-an uncommon occurrence for a female of her rank and her family refuse to support her. Edith is an emotional wreck, desperate and daring she needs to escape. Her last outburst resulted in her husband uttering the idle threat of Hanwell Asylum.

Captain Charles Barton grew up next door to Edith Whitmore, then the only daughter of a duke. They shared a privileged upbringing, Edie being prepared for prestigious marriage and Charles, a second son, a distinguished career in the navy. Charles never dared reveal his true feelings for her, knowing their union was impossible and harboured his burning flame from afar, oceans apart helping to dull the ache of disappointment she would never be his.

Docked in London and visiting his parents, the last thing he could ever imagine was Edie bounding through the shared door, desolate and frantic to escape her marriage. Charles hated to leave her in this state but he had a duty to the Royal Navy, how could he explain this? And he had no solution for her. Her mere utterance of the word divorce would set off a scandalous chain of events her family and husband would never allow. But Charles knew he had to think of something, he would never forgive himself if he turned his back on her. Before Charles even has a chance to consider how he could help, Edie takes their destiny into her own hands and leaves him no choice.

This would be the fifth story in the above mentioned A Society of Scandal multi-author series and this one is a shorter novella, listed at 94 pages.  She wants a divorce from her cruel husband, and he's a Navy man, a second son and frankly, not good enough for her. How's this going to work? And in 94 pages? I'll admit it, I'm curious.

The Trick of It by Ava Devlin

Rhys Caradoc has built his life on misdirection, sleight of hand, and the firm belief that Persephone Boswell exists solely to ruin his fun.

This pickpocket-turned-illusionist is perhaps the least respectable of Brighton's Starling prodigies, and that's just the way he likes it. Rhys delights in trickery, mystery, abstraction, and irreverence. When a mysterious invitation arrives in three languages, sealed with a dead woman's handwriting and addressed to both Rhys … and to his avowed nemesis, he has to make a choice. If he wants to untangle the puzzle, he'll have to face the only person on Earth who gets under his skin.

Persephone "Seph" Boswell built her shop, her composure, and her carefully fixed life from scratch.

Brighton's premiere illusionist and proprietress of its most peculiar curiosity cabinet, Seph has spent years putting down roots and sticking to them, even when her Traveller family moved on without her. She's managed every inconvenience life has thrown at her with steady hands and a determined disposition, and that includes the particular inconvenience of Rhys Caradoc, thank you very much.

They were friends once. Partners. They built the Changeling: a legendary act of illusion and folklore that made audiences believe in something real. And then it all went wrong.

Forced together by a dying illusionist's final wish, Rhys and Seph must rebuild what they destroyed: their act, their history, and the truth about the night everything fell apart. The old man wants to believe in magic one last time before he goes. He's chosen the right two people. He's also chosen the worst possible moment.

Some tricks only work when the performers stop pretending.

He's a pickpocket turned illusionist and she's a rival illusionist with her own shop. Even though they drive each other crazy, they're soon joining forces to grant a dying old man one last wish. To do so they'll need to reconcile their shared past, which sounds thorny. This is the third book in The Starling Legacy series. 

The Scholar's Spy by Ava Bond

She seeks recognition.

He seeks a criminal.

She’s his main suspect, and he’ll go to any lengths to catch her in the act.

Clever, stubborn, and studious Abigail dreams of finding a discovery that will win her fame, recognition, and enough fortune to be independent. The trouble is no one in her family or society thinks a woman is capable of being a geologist. That is, until a handsome Irish gentleman comes to town.

Robert seems too good to be true: an ordinary fellow more than willing to believe and help Abigail. Together, they explore the coves, rocks, and beaches of the Dorset coastline. As their unlikely friendship grows, so does their unusual attraction.

Soon they find an ancient artifact that could make Abigail's future, but on the brink of leaving for London, Abigail discovers that Robert may have ulterior motives for wanting to get to know her. Is he who is claims to be? And will they be able to trust each other again after such revelations?

She's a geologist desperate to prove herself and he's a man with an ulterior motive - and that's how we know he's a romance hero 😂. This is the first book in a new series, the Lyme Ladies.

Sir Durham's Disarming Asset by Cerise Deland

When Rafe Durham rescued a young lady from prison, he planned to nurse her back to health. Not discover she is the very air he breathes.

Sir Raphael Durham is a man on a mission. He not only catches spies and consults his Government about policy, but also he has, over the years, rescued women. From family, vices, opportunistic men—and even from themselves. Most have survived. A few have questioned his wisdom. Some have refused his help.

But one young woman whom he spirits away from the bowels of a Paris prison does more than that.

Near death and savagely abused, Zephora Butler accepts all Rafe does for her and fights to recover her senses and her health. She is an American with guts and gusto. His ‘Lady of the Winds’ as he calls her, whisks away the storms of his past and infuses fresh air to his ordered life. She is undoubtedly the most courageous, obstinate woman Rafe has ever known.

And when she makes it clear to him that she loves him, how can he deny he adores her?

But when he does, what does he expect her to do?

Walk away?

He's a spy with a White Knight Complex, having rescued women over the years from various unsavory circumstances. When he rescues our heroine from prison he didn't expect to fall in love, which is, of course, exactly what happens. This is the seventh book in the Scarlett Affairs series.

A Chance of a Lifetime by Emily EK Murdoch

Michael Chance, future Viscount Pernrith, is immigrating. Secretly.

It isn’t that he doesn’t love his family, but he certainly doesn’t love the expectations put upon him, or the boredom of Society, or the dull existence stretching out before him. He craves adventure, excitement—anything but another card party! So, immigrating it is.

Without telling his family. He can’t face the tears.

Unfortunately, his plans for adventure go awry because no ships in London are leaving for anywhere exciting for at least two weeks. And he certainly doesn’t expect to quite literally collide with a sea captain with a bosom to die for and a mouth that could curse better than his own.

Captain Phylis Seaton has known nothing but the sea. Raised by her father on the Dreamer before inheriting the ship, she lives a life on the move, going where the wind—and the work—takes her.

An unlikely friendship. A passion neither of them can deny.

But there’s just one problem: Michael is still determined to immigrate, and Phylis is just as determined to prove to him that the noble landlubber is not prepared for a life at sea.

And if someone were accidentally to get their heart broken in this debate, would it be the nobleman struggling to face his future or the wild woman of the sea struggling to out sail her past?

Neither Michael nor Phylis are prepared for this chance of a lifetime…

A future Viscount seeking adventure plans to chuck away a life of privilege and immigrate, uh to somewhere. Anywhere. So long as it's exciting. And he plans to slink off without telling his family because why be a Viscount when you can be a Prince AMIRITE?! Anyway, she's a sea captain trying to convince him that he's ill-equipped for a life at sea.  This is the fourteenth (!) book in the The Chances series.

Lyon of Least Resistance by Emily Royal

To marry him…would be to destroy him.

Sold into prostitution by her uncle, Cordelia Flowers endured a life of torment before securing employment at the Lyon’s Den as a courtesan. Hiding behind a mask and a pseudonym, she earns enough to amass a fortune, but there’s one thing she can never afford—love. When she falls for the shy lord who paid her to introduce him to pleasure, she knows it’s time to leave, and Mrs. Dove-Lyon offers to find her a husband.

Impoverished viscount James Bedford has no taste for London’s debutantes, with their brittle beauty and avaricious hearts. If only they were like the masked doxy who has given him companionship and, lately, the most exquisite pleasure. But they both know that a viscount could never marry a prostitute.

Mrs. Dove Lyon tempts James into one of her infamous matchmaking schemes, and when he discovers his bride’s true identity, James is both furious and devastated, believing that Cordelia tricked him into marriage for his title.

But Cordelia has more to lose than James’s love. If her past is exposed, it will ruin the Bedford name, and destroy the man she would sacrifice everything to protect.

Part of the long-running Lyon's Den continuity series, a sex-trafficked heroine who has risen up the ranks to sought after courtesan makes the mistake of falling in love with a man (our hero, natch) who paid her to introduce him to the ways of....well, you know. She decides it's time to get out of the life and he ends up falling for one of the proprietress' notorious matchmaking schemes. Fireworks erupt when he learns the identity of his new bride.

I won't tell you how long it took me to put this post together. Short answer is too long - my blogging mojo apparently occupying the same vast wasteland as my reading mojo. Do better, be better Wendy. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed browsing this month's offerings and I hope you found something to pique your interest. What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

#TBRChallenge 2026: Never After

The Book: Never After by Alexis Hall

The Particulars: Historical Fiction / Romance (more on this in a bit...), Amazon Montlake, 2026, stand alone, In Print

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: In terms of my TBR, this is a more recent addition. I've had the ARC for more than a hot minute but it's an April 2026 release that happened to fit this month's Lush Life theme to a T. Also, in case you're new here, I am an Angst Junkie with a capital A and J. 

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, drug addiction

The Review: I have zero patience for folks who tar and feather genre fiction as not "serious." In that same vein, folks who label all romance as unserious smut read by bored women looking to get their rocks off. Hall's done some interesting things with this book. I'm not sure they always work, but it's interesting and likely one I'm going to churn up in my brain for a few days. Meaning, this would be a dynamite book club discussion assuming your book group isn't a bunch of assholes. 

Reverend Thomas Mandeville is a third son (actually a twin, born second) which means he was destined for the church - his father being nothing if not unimaginative. His older by seconds twin went to the military, barely survived Crimea and is now the heir - their oldest brother Edward having died in a "hunting accident." It's that accident that haunts Thomas, a secret he's keeping at his mercurial father's request. So our guy has plenty of his own baggage when he discovers a opium-addicted whore lying in a gutter. 

Michael "Micha" Dashword became a whore after arriving in London, having been spurned by a lover. He continues to be a whore to feed his opium addiction, which Hall doesn't mince words on. This guy is a mess y'all. This would be a chicken or the egg scenario - has Micha fallen ill because of his addiction or is his addiction making his illness worse. Doesn't really matter, he's passed out in a gutter when Thomas finds him, and taking that whole "help / love thy neighbor" thing to heart, Thomas hauls him back to the family's home (currently vacant) in London to nurse him back to health. Just to reiterate, Thomas doesn't know Micha from Adam but can't leave a man dying in the gutter without doing something - so yes, he's that brand of Christian. 

This is very much a slow build book. The author spends the first part of the story setting up backstory, interspersing the narrative with first person accounts (displayed in italics) for both Micha and Thomas - but mostly for Micha, which gives us more information on how unsettling his life is. Sex isn't always about caring or love and if you believe it is, maybe don't read this book and have your illusions shattered. Micha's work is often upsetting to read about, as is his addiction. You're watching a man destroy himself on page and, in turn, taking other folks down with him. Micha is an addict, Micha has problems, doesn't mean I didn't, at times, think Micha was an asshole. He is. 

This isn't an inspirational book but given that Thomas is a man of the cloth expect a lot of religion talk and Thomas wrestling (somewhat) with his faith and occupation. But not much, because he reconciles his faith and his feelings for Micha in short order with the belief that "God cannot hate love..."  I'm not saying Thomas is wrong (I actually agree with him - coming from a God Is Love school of religious thought...) but it feels too pat, too easy. Also, naïve. Thomas doesn't spend any time dithering about actions and consequences which, come on man. Do you spend any time paying attention to the world you live in? The answer is - not so much. His fascination and feelings for Micha also come on fast, at first struck by Micha's beauty - which c'mon. He's an opium addict you found lying in a gutter. I don't care how beautiful the man is, I'm thinking he looked rough.

The story carries the reader through London and back to Thomas' country parish, which is where the relationship work of the story really cooks. Hall populates the story with well-rounded secondary characters (Mrs. Clark the housekeeper steals this book) and our couple falls in love, thereby creating more complications because hello, two gay men in love in Victorian England. I think it's important to note that while there is a romance and Hall does end it happily per se, this is a very melancholy read. It has to be. Queer people have always existed and Victorian England was not safe for them. Hell, today isn't safe for them. Certainly better, but not safe. Hall is navigating this story through the realities of that time frame. It ends on the note that Thomas and Micha love each other and end up together, but not in the way a modern 21st century reader might want. It's not unicorn farting rainbows happy. It's more pragmatic, compromise with the time you're living in happy. This book is very much romantic, but a romance as we define and look at the genre today? That's stickier. Also possibly why a lot of the tags I'm seeing on this book at retail sites lean towards "historical fiction." 

With all the talk of faith and religion, the prose runs a little flowery for my tastes, Thomas runs naïve and Micha runs towards asshole on more than one occasion. But you understand as the reader why all this is. I wasn't in love with this book, but it's angsty, meaty and there's a lot to chew on here. I might not be clutching it to my breast and sighing dramatically, but I'm also going to end up thinking about it for a few days after. For all those reasons, don't be shocked if this ends up on my Best Of list at the end of the year.

Final Grade = B-

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is September 16

Brace yourself kids, we only have four months left in the 2026 TBR Challenge. I know! I can't quite believe it either. I'll be on the road when this post goes live, having traveled across the country to attend a family wedding. Will I have gotten my book read before my trip? Will I have read it on the airplane? Will I get my post up in time? Your guess is as good as mine at this point!

This month's challenge is set for September 16 and the optional theme is Lush Life.  Don't blame me, blame the person who suggested it in my annual theme poll (OK, maybe blame me, I was intrigued and picked it out of the pile!). This is a theme that you can run with in any direction you think makes sense. Some definitions of "lush" include: luxuriant, thriving, prosperous, savory, drunkard, curvaceous. 

That said, I can totally understand not having the bandwidth to wrap your head around this particular theme. 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.

Review: The Jills

I promise that one day I'll get back to reading romance, but my slump continues it's hold on me with a vice grip, which means any book that can hold my attention right now, regardless of the genre, I'm counting as a win. Since my baseball team is officially circling the drain on what's left of the season, it's now time for me to turn my attention to being disappointed in my football team, the Buffalo Bills. Which brings us to Karen Parkman's debut suspense novel, The Jills. For those who don't know or follow the NFL, like many NFL teams, Buffalo had professional cheerleaders up until 2014, when a lawsuit by former cheerleaders blew the lid off all manner of grossness that was going on - everything from outright wage theft to telling the women how often they should be changing their tampons. Parkman's debut takes place somewhere in the window of 2010-2012, which we know since she name drops then head coach Chan Gailey and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

Virginia is a Jill - a job she takes very seriously and loves with her whole heart. Since she was a young girl, dancing has been her obsessive first love. So much so that she puts up with a lot of nonsense for the privilege of dancing before thousands of fans at Sunday home games. Her BFF on the squad is Jeanine and one Sunday Jeanine just doesn't show up for a game. This is a major infraction, a huge no-no, and Virginia is worried. She had been out with Jeanine on Friday night and here comes Sunday and she's nowhere around. She's also not answering any of her texts, which is really odd. Jeanine, for any other faults she may have, always answers Virginia's texts right away. But Virginia's the only one who is really worried - everybody else figures it's Jeanine just being Jeanine - until she continues to stay gone...

I'm not sure if it's my luck lately or if this is "a trend" I'm just now picking up on, but The Jills is one part suspense novel and one part book club fiction - and honestly, it's a marriage that doesn't always work for me. The librarian in my head objectively can tell you that this would make a dynamite book club selection, Parkman gives readers a lot to chew on, but as a reader it feels, at times, overly long. 

The world building is top notch. Parkman nails Buffalo, "a drinking town with a football problem." Virginia has Dead Daddy Issues, a former accountant for a local mob boss (who then took on the role of surrogate father), a complicated relationship with her mother, and a very strained relationship with her recovering addict sister, Laura. Virginia, bless her heart, has a White Knight Complex. You know the type. She has abandonment issues that manifest into her wanting to rescue people, essentially saving themselves from their own poor choices. Honestly, she's borderline manic in this behavior and, not gonna lie, she's an exhausting character. Since she carries this book you're trapped in her head the entire time.  I spent the entire book wanting to shake her senseless and tell her to cut these people loose, but of course she's tenacious like a terrier. She gets there, eventually, but the author spends a lot of time on diving into the characters, setting everything up, it takes a long time to really dive into the suspense thread (which, and this can't be overstated, is why I picked up this book in the first place).

That said, as manic and exhausting as Virginia is as a character, I got sucked in. Have I mentioned the world building? Have I mentioned I lived in Buffalo for nearly 6 years? And the more emotional scenes with her sister Laura? Tears leaked out. Maybe my soul isn't a dried up charred, smoking husk?

The ending to this book would normally be one that would annoy me in most suspense novels, but Virginia gets her answers, learns some hard truths, and does grow as a person over the course of this story - so it's a win in that respect. Part of me wonders what this story could have been had Parkman decided to subvert the cheerleader stereotype and created Virginia as competent and savvy - but maybe that would have made for a less interesting read for some. Or maybe, and more likely, I spent too much of my impressionable teen years reading mysteries featuring competent female sleuths. Honestly, my money is on the latter. 

Final Grade = B-