Summertime Breeze: Unusual Historicals for June 2026

I'm in that time of year when The Day Job gets complicated and busy, leaving me barely functional and desperate that August would just get here already. It makes reading and maintaining this blog that much harder than it already feels these days and eyeballing my Unusual Historical tracking spreadsheet I was already exhausted before even starting to draft this post - but hey, good problem to have AMIRITE?!

We have 16 titles this month (2 of which are reprints) and appearances by trad publishers St. Martin's, Grand Central, Harpercollins and Kensington. Even though I'm old enough to remember the days when Harpercollins Avon was releasing a pile of historical romances every month, this still feels like a bonanza.  

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti

Eccentric heiress Lady Ruby Ballimore has had enough of the Marriage Mart. After offending yet another Very Important Marquess―and imperiling her father’s diplomatic career―Ruby flees London for the holiday house of a glamorous (and better yet, absent) princess. Armed with a forged invitation and accompanied by her like-minded friends, Ruby arrives at the Cornwall estate expecting a summer of blissful freedom.

Instead, she discovers a derelict mansion and the most suspiciously charming man she’s ever met.

Former privateer and current con artist Captain Malcolm Archer has dragged his ramshackle crew into a new life. Posing as staff at a princess’s abandoned estate provides the perfect cover for Archer’s smuggling scheme (not to mention free rent). Everything’s going according to plan―until an unorthodox London heiress crashes the party.

But when Archer and his crew attempt to frighten off their uninvited guests, Ruby’s unfazed by insect invasions and sham sea monsters. Harder to ignore? The scorching heat between the rakish pirate and the debutante who can see right through him. As sparks fly, deceptions run wild―because in this Great Cornish Fake Off, the only thing riskier than telling the truth is falling in love.

This appears to be the start of a new trilogy for Vasti (Flirty Rotten Scoundrels), and finds our heiress heroine looking for a respite from the marriage mart only to discover the country accommodations are derelict and a con artist hero in residence, leading to rom/com shenanigans.

Game of Rogues by Julie Anne Long

One disastrous night. One devastating man. One diabolical proposition.

Gabriel Marchand ruthlessly fought his way up from the gutters of St. Giles to preside over London’s most exclusive gaming hell. Few dare cross him. But when a young earl gambles away his inheritance, Marchand makes an enemy: a woman with wit like a dagger and the softest eyes he’s ever seen.

Spend a night in his bed, and he’ll call off the debt. This is the offer he makes Guinevere Woodville, the earl’s sister, when she blames him for her brother’s disaster. She’d rather die, of course. But when their seething enmity gives way to sizzling attraction at The Grand Palace on the Thames, his offer haunts them. Soon it seems a matter of not if, but when.

It's not long before Ginny is facing two stark truths: the so-called worst man in London is the best man she’s ever known....and keeping him would mean losing everything and everyone else she loves. But Marchand has one final card to play…and losing everything is a risk he’s willing to take if it means a chance to love her forever.

The 9th (!) book in the reader favorite The Palace of Rogues series features a wrong-side-of-the-tracks gaming hell owner hero and a heroine who has to pull her family back from the brink after her idiot brother gambles away his inheritance. The hero's answer to this problem? An indecent proposal, of course!

A Shop Girl's Guide to Wooing a Lord by Shana Galen

Tamsin Archer might just be having the worst year of her life. And that’s saying something, considering her father is dead, her mother was maimed at work, and her family regularly sleeps under London’s bridges. But when her younger siblings go missing, Tamsin decides it’s time to step up and fight.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Tamsin’s more than willing to take a few risks to reunite with her siblings. But while disguising herself to sneak into homes and steal from the rich, Tamsin is caught by Garret Kildare, the second son of an earl. Much to Tamsin’s surprise, Garret doesn’t want to turn her in. He wants to help her. Though Tamsin’s wary—she’s learned to never trust supposed “good luck”—the unlikely pair form an alliance, one that quickly muddles their class differences.

Garret knows he must be careful. Falling for a woman of a lower class could be the nail in the coffin for his family’s tenuous social standing, and there are eyes everywhere. Ignoring their attraction proves impossible, though, and soon the lines they’ve drawn around their partnership begin to blur. As more focus lands on Tamsin and Garret, they wonder if their red-hot connection means giving up everything—and everyone—they’ve ever known.

The start of a new series (The Heiress Hunters), a desperate heroine turns to cat burglary only to catch the attentions of a second son who wants to form an alliance. As they fall for each other, class difference raise their ugly head.

You Had Me at Heist by Christina Britton

Widow Iris Rumford has faced her fair share of hardships. Joining the Wimpole Street Widows Society has helped her start to heal—until she learns that her late mother's groundbreaking botanical work was stolen by her greatest adversary, who is about to publish the findings as his own. 

Determined to stop the thief at all costs, Iris refuses to let the dashing guard protecting the research threaten her plans. Even if he does tempt her in new, intriguing ways ... 

After a scandal cost Oliver Beckett his job as a Bow Street Runner, he’s spent the last year struggling to provide for his mother and sister. Guarding a lord's precious botanical collection seems too good to be true—who would steal a bunch of plants? But the appearance of a beautiful, maddening woman throws his hopes for a quiet future right out the window. 

As the two find themselves constantly thrown together, their resolve is tested—and so are their hearts.

The second book in the Wimpole Street Widows Society finds our heroine desperate to save her mother's groundbreaking botanical work from a charlatan, only to run up against a former Bow Street Runner felled by scandal who was not expecting a job guarding plants to take such a turn.

Dearest Beast by Felicia Grossman

Despite an unhappy first marriage, Roger Berab always took pride in being a good father. When his daughter's reckless behavior damages both their neighbor and her home, he's forced to reconsider. To pay reparations, he agrees to provide lodgings until the repairs are complete. Unfortunately for Roger, the victim is the same woman with whom he foolishly once shared a night of passion ... and then scorned for her lack of status.

With her sharp tongue and disdain for fashion, Rebecca Adler is not exactly a community darling. What she does have going for her are her midwifery skills. That is, until she injures herself saving Roger Berab's daughter.

With her profession at a halt and her haven in disrepair, she has no choice but to accept Roger's offer of shelter ... but never again will she believe a man of substance lies beyond his pretty face.

Trapped in the same house, neither Rebecca nor Roger can avoid each other—or the passion still burning between them. But their time together has a deadline, and Rebecca no longer trusts Roger.

Can he convince her his feelings are true? Or is their tale doomed before it's truly started?

We've had Cinderella and Snow White, so it's only fitting that the third book in Grossman's Once Upon the East End series gives us Beauty and the Beast.  She's the beast in this scenario, but the hero is the one who did her wrong. I still have the previous book buried in my TBR, I need to catch up because this one sounds great!

Her Forbidden Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham

A dangerous mission…

A distracting temptation!

As the daughter of an Irish King, Mairead MacEgan has dozens of suitors competing for her hand in marriage. And exiled warrior Balor Ó Phelan, the Demon of Éireann, knows he’s the last man on earth worthy of claiming it. But Balor isn’t a man who follows the rules and when Mairead’s brother is taken by the enemy, he agrees to help her find him. Worlds apart, he should have nothing in common with the forbidden lady, but the cold nights on the road are warmed by a shared passion neither can ignore… Yet falling for Mairead means going against the King, risking everything – including their lives!

This is the fourth book in Willingham's Legendary Warriors series that also shares some ties with her early MacEagan Brothers series. She's the daughter of a King who taps him, a lowly, exiled warrior, to rescue her brother, leading us down the path of my favorite medieval romance trope - a road romance!

A Deal at Dawn by Vanessa Riley

Katherine Wilcox Palmers, the Viscountess of Hampton, has lost custody of the daughter she secretly bore to Jahleel Charles, now the Duke of Torrance. The bitter court ruling was engineered by the duke himself, but now he is gravely ill. If he dies, Katherine, branded a scandalous bigamist by her late husband’s vengeful family, may never see her child again—unless she makes a bold offer...

Desperate, Katherine swallows her pride and proposes that she will nurse the Jahleel back to health, serve his every need, and keep up appearances, on one condition: he will secure her a respectable husband to silence society’s gossip. In private, she will be his mistress. . . .

But Jahleel has plans of his own. Pressured to produce an heir, he resolves to marry someone else. The hereditary blood sickness that plagues them both means Katherine can never be his bride again—no matter how fiercely their old passions reignite.

As dangerous forces gather, composed of those who would erase their child from the peerage for her mixed heritage, Jahleel and Katherine must confront the betrayals and deceptions that tore them apart. To protect their daughter, and fight for the future they were denied, they must jeopardize everything. Especially their hearts.

The third book in Riley's Betting Against the Duke trilogy, this is the book fans have been waiting for. She lost custody of her child thanks to him, and now he's gravely ill. She sees a way out of scandal, and all she has to do is be his nurse. Complications abound in the form of sickle cell anemia, and the fact that these two still love each other.

Maid for the Duke by Viola Thorne

May Carr stopped dreaming of her future long ago, content with her position as a lady's maid to her closest friend. But when one of England's richest dukes mistakes her for a lady at a masquerade, he offers her the deal of a lifetime: pretend to be his rich cousin for a month to test the intentions of his sister's suitor and earn an unfathomable sum, big enough for May to restore her mother’s only remaining heirloom into her possession. Except, May cannot keep the handsome Elias out of her head and out of her heart. As Elias' tantalizing proximity cracks her carefully curated façade and lights her body on fire, the entire ruse is in danger. But what will he do should he discover that she was an impostor all along...?

Elias Abigner, Duke of Southam is used to ladies pursuing him for his riches. But when a backwater member of the gentry wins the hand of his beloved sister, he knows he must make sure the match is true, for he won't let her fall for a ruse as he once did. Lady May is perfect for the job: recommended by a friend, charmingly witty and irresistibly beautiful, she is the one woman who could prove the truth of the pretender's affections. So why does she keep disturbing Elias' carefully guarded peace with her presence? Every time she's near, he cannot think of anything else but making her his. But dare he love a woman who would seduce another for money? And can he live with himself if he lets her go?

The first in The Fated Fetes series features a lady's maid heroine who agrees to a Duke's bargain so he can ferret out the true intentions of his sister's suitor. The problem, of course, is that these two crazy kids can't stop thinking about each other - putting the whole charade in jeopardy.

The Viscountess in Bloom by Kirsten S. Blacketer

Passion blooms when the viscountess falls for the gardener.

Hyacinth Corby, Dowager Viscountess Corby, adored her husband. When he died, a part of her heart remained with him. She mourned her loss while she raised their four children, but when her youngest finally leaves home, Hyacinth struggles to find purpose and companionship. She accepts her loneliness and tends to her flowers, pouring her heart and soul into her cherished gardens.

Oliver Blackwell returns from military service desperate to find employment. When he takes on the role of gardener at Viscount Corby’s country estate, he never expects to fall for the vivacious and passionate dowager viscountess. A dangerous prospect for a man hiding his heart as well as a sordid past.

Afraid to betray the memory of her first love, Hyacinth attempts to keep a distance from the handsome young gardener. But when a friend from her youth reappears seeking her affection, she realizes how much she truly cares for Oliver. Their passion blooms like a rare flower until a lifetime of secrets threatens to ruin not only their happiness—but end their lives.

Can they weather such a storm?

A widowed heroine madly in love with her first husband struggles after her youngest child leaves home (so she's "older!") and loses herself in tending to her prized gardens. Enter the hero, a former military man desperate for a job who becomes her "handsome young gardener." This is the second book in The Society of Wanton Widows series and needs to get in my eyeballs right now.

Where Mountains Pierce the Highland Heart by Paula Quinn

She saved his life and it cost her everything.

On a night meant for mercy, Elspeth Woodburn risks all to save a dying Highland prisoner in her father’s dungeon. By dawn, her home is ash, her family slaughtered, and the name burned into her soul is one she will never forget. Logan Cameron. For six long years, vengeance has been the only thing keeping her alive.

He should have died that night. Instead, he cannot forget the girl who saved him.

Logan Cameron remembers little of his rescue, only a fleeting glimpse of gentle hands and a soft voice that refused to let him die. He never expected to see her again, least of all as a lass with fire in her eyes and murder in her heart. 

Trapped within the unforgiving Highlands, they are bound together by decree. She waits for the perfect moment to strike. He watches her with a growing awareness he cannot explain.

Because beneath her fury is the same compassion that once saved him. And beneath his control is a pull he cannot deny. 

In a land shaped by blood and loyalty, where enemies are not meant to forgive, let alone desire each other, Elspeth must decide if vengeance will claim her heart…

Or if the man she swore to destroy is the only one who can reach it.

She saved him from death in her father's dungeon and as thanks her home is burnt to the ground and her family killed. She's not very happy about this and swears vengeance. Seriously, no subgenre does enemy to lovers quite like medieval romances y'all. This is the second book in the Where Heaven and Earth Collide series. 

The Very Definition of Love by Sophia Benoit

1816—Harriet Bancroft doesn’t mind that she’s on her fifth season with no marriage prospects, it gives her more time to write her dictionary of modern slang. Words are her passion, especially the exciting, filthy ones men have kept hidden from women for far too long.

Enter the ultimate teacher . . .

When Harriet accidentally finds herself in a compromising situation with the notorious rake Lord Alexander, she has no choice but to sort of kidnap him and strong-arm him into an elopement. This arranged marriage has a very particular condition—it will be in-name-only, leaving each of them to follow their own interests. For Harriet that’s her work; for Alexander, that’s women.

But love has a different lesson in mind . . .

But soon Alexander’s rakish lifestyle is not nearly as fun as spending time with Harriet, and Harriet’s beginning to worry that she might actually like her husband. Behind the closed doors of their respectable home, things become a little . . . complicated. After all, who better teach her the very thorough meaning of these indecent words than the renowned lover, Lord Alexander Stirling? 

Perhaps this marriage will teach them both a little more about that word they’ve been avoiding—love.

She's obsessed with words, working on a dictionary of modern slang, and lands in a compromising position with a rake who she then strong-arms into an elopement...as you do. She proposes a marriage of convenience in order for them to blissfully follow their own pursuits, which of course doesn't turn out the way either of them expected.  

The Lyon Dares to Dream by Elizabeth Heights

All Marianne wants is to provide a safe and happy childhood for her young son. Instead, danger stalks them both. 

Following the death of her husband, suspicious events force her to flee to London. But gossip clings and the ton will not accept a young woman labelled an adulteress, however unfair the allegations. With whispers—and strange men—following her wherever she goes, Marianne reluctantly accepts that she needs a male protector. Determined to secure her son’s future, she enlists the services of a renowned matchmaker.

Benedict is a soldier returned from France, with wounds both visible and invisible. He has long been the black sheep of his exalted family, but now his late grandmother has bequeathed him her country estate and with it the chance of the peace and privacy he longs for. However, he is in desperate need of funds and the lure of a big win in the Lyon’s Den is impossible to resist.

A marriage of convenience, decreed by Bessie Dove-Lyon, soon promises more, with sparks of attraction burning brightly between two individuals who had given up on love. But dark secrets and insecurities threaten the foundations of their fledgling relationship. And then a figure from the past steps from the shadows to stake his claim on Marianne’s future.

Part of the sprawling Lyon's Den continuity series, she's a woman in peril determined to protect her son and he's a wounded soldier in need of funds and with a country estate. I mean, what could go wrong in this marriage of convenience, other than the apparent danger stalking the heroine?

The Lyon's Sweet Temptation by Sara Adrien

Rosine Cassis has mastered the art of blending in. As a Jewish baker in Regency London, her survival depends on her unparalleled skill in creating pastries that are the talk of the ton, and her ability to conceal her true identity. Safe within the kitchen of the Lyon’s Den, she works toward her dream of opening her own bakery and living freely—until a hateful enemy threatens to shatter the world she has carefully built.

The threats risk Rosine's livelihood, her chance at love, and the legacy of Mrs. Dove-Lyon's gambling hell.

Sander is more than just a staff member at the Lyon's Den; he is a chess master with a brilliant strategic mind, and the Den's silent guardian, protecting those who cannot protect themselves. He has to guard Rosine and she challenges his control in ways no game ever has. But when the master of strategy finally loses his heart, is it a winning move or the ultimate sacrifice?

This isn’t a love story about clients of the Den—it’s the staff themselves whose fates hang in the balance. As danger approaches and secrets threaten to unravel, the romance between Rosine and Sander could upend everything the Den stands for.

With the Den under siege and their secrets on the brink of exposure, the baker and her protector must forge a partnership as heated as it is dangerous. To win their happy ending, they must stop hiding who they are and trust that their love is strong enough to conquer the hate standing in their way.

More Lyon's Den shenanigans, but this time it's all below stairs. She's a baker laying low working in the kitchens and he's a brilliant chess master tasked with protecting her, and ultimately the future of the Lyon's Den itself.  

The Lady and the Lost Heir by Fil Reid

Miranda, Lady Madeley, was married at eighteen to Sir Geoffrey Madeley, a man far older than her. He left her a young widow with three growing daughters who are all much keener on their horses than on meeting suitable gentlemen. Unfortunately, Sir Geoffrey neglected to provide for his family in his will, and his dutiful solicitor has discovered a distant cousin who is to inherit his title, the Windrush estate, and even the inheritance Miranda herself brought to the marriage. She's left with just an old farmhouse.

Captain Harry Madeley, late of Wellington's army and veteran of Waterloo, where he was an army doctor, has no idea there's a title of any sort in his father's family. He’s been badly wounded and is very much in recovery—in no condition to run a country estate. However, he decides to go and see what he's so unexpectedly inherited. He learns Sir Geoffrey’s widow has vacated Windrush, a house far bigger than any he's ever known.

Soon enough, he encounters the youngest of her strong-willed daughters and is invited back to the farmhouse, where he discovers Lady Madeley is anything but the woman he was expecting. Miranda, upon finding out the lost heir is not married, determines to engineer a match between him and her oldest. However, her daughters have other ideas.

And to make matters even more complicated, Miranda's not-quite-sane neighbor launches himself into the fray: he’s been waiting to claim Miranda as his own. With a duel between him and Harry in the offing, everything begins to look dangerous in the extreme.

The 5th book in The Mismatched Lovers series features a widow with three daughters and bare coffers and a former Army doctor hero who saw action at Waterloo who unexpectedly inherits her dead husband's title - a bit of a shock for him since he had no clue there was any sort of title in his family tree. Our heroine thinks, hey - he's not married, maybe I can arrange a match with my oldest daughter - only for her daughters to have other ideas.

Princess of Shadows by Susan King (Reprint)

A Highland legend, an ancient curse, and a dangerous love . . .

Scandal nearly destroyed Christina Blackburn when she posed for a provocative painting that shocked Victorian Scotland. Now, a widow and antiquarian for the National Museum, she hides her beauty and her past behind prim spectacles and cool reserve. Sent to a Highland estate to authenticate an Arthurian site, she encounters the infamous painting, owned by handsome, compelling Sir Aedan MacBride of Dundrennan, who intends to build a government road through the site even if the museum tries to stop him.

Laird, civil engineer, and avowed bachelor, Aedan is fascinated by the painting depicting a legendary Dundrennan princess, yet dismisses its curse, which forbids his line from marrying for love. When he meets the painting’s model, the prim scholar determined to halt his plans, she challenges his beliefs—and his heart.

Originally published by Signet in 2003 under the title Waking the Princess, this is second book in the Hearts in the Highlands series features a scandalous antiquarian heroine sent to authenticate an Arthurian site owned by the hero, who just so happens to own the scandalous painting she posed for years before.

Warrior of Fire by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

The only man she ever wanted… was the man sworn to betray her.

Lady Carice believes she has only a few weeks left to live. Promised to a cruel king she cannot bear to wed, she flees the court, wanting to live her last days to the fullest… until a fierce Norman warrior looks at her as though she is something precious.

Raine de Garenne cannot afford distractions. If he fails to assassinate the king, his sisters will suffer the consequences. Helping Carice escape was never part of his mission…but every mile they travel together deepens their desire.

But when the moment comes to strike, Raine must choose between protecting his family…or the only woman who has ever set his soul on fire.

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2015, under the same title, this second book in a duology features a heroine who believes she only has weeks to live and flees a betrothal to live her final days in peace. He's the Norman warrior who has vowed to assassinate her betrothed in order to protect his sisters. He hadn't signed on to help the heroine escape, but well...here they are. 

Whew! I don't know about you but I feel like I just ran a marathon. I hope you found some titles to add to your TBR this month. What are you looking forward to?

Review: The Librarians

This was not good.

I know what you're thinking. The Librarians was written by Sherry Thomas, how can it not be good? 

Folks, trust me - this was not good. I can say with 100% certainty had I tried to read the languishing ARC I had on my Kindle it would have been a DNF. As is, I cannot believe I didn't DNF the audiobook. I have no excuse for this other than it was Sherry Thomas and surely it couldn't be this bad, could it?

Narrator: it was, indeed, that bad.

The story takes place in a suburb of Austin, Texas at a branch library of the Austin Public Library. The staff includes: Sophie, the branch manager, and lesbian single mom; Jonathan, a librarian, former standout high school athlete, former Navy man and gay; Astrid, another librarian who for completely inane reasons presents herself as Swedish, right down a fake accent and Hazel, the new library clerk who used to live in Singapore but moved to Austin to help take care of her grandmother after her husband was arrested for financial shenanigans. 

It's a couple days before Halloween and the library is gearing up for it's first ever game night (as in board games) and it turns out to be a success - that is until after hours that same night, two people are found dead. The first one is Perry, a British man who had a "situationship" with Astrid before he ghosted her and just recently returned to the scene of that crime, and another woman who had attended game night and whose appearance left Sophie (who has plenty to hide...) all spun up. 

The plot doesn't go anywhere for the first 50% of the book. What happens in that first 50%? Basically it's a big ol' character study, complete with shifting points-of-view, internal musings, and a non-linear timeline, complete with flashbacks. Boring. What it is is boring. 

Then at 50% the two dead bodies thing ramps up with enough police pressure that the characters end up sitting down, spilling their various secrets, and decide to play Scooby Doo, without the talking Great Dane bit. I think what Thomas was shooting for here was a Secret Lives of Librarians vibe, but it's all just so boring and clunky. The pop culture references are especially lumpy and egregious. Seriously, don't play a drinking game with this book and Game of Thrones references - you'll be dead from alcohol poisoning before you get to the final chapters.

This could work if you find the characters compelling, but only Jonathan and Hazel manage to elevate themselves to marginally interesting. Sophie is a panicked mess for the entire book and Astrid is so twee you just want to smack her into next Tuesday. Seriously, she fakes being Swedish - it's all just so...stupid. Astrid, girl, you know why you don't have any friends? Because you smell like desperation after it's rolled in a hot mess. And after a while even Jonathan gets to be too much. Look, I bought the former Navy thing but there's a throwaway bit near the end where we find out he was a NAVY EFFIN' SEAL. Y'all, if this guy was a SEAL start calling me Your Majesty because I'm the Queen of England. I'm not saying gay men can't be SEALs, what I am saying is Jonathan as a character carries himself through life with all the confidence of wet tissue paper. He barely carries himself like former military let alone a NAVY EFFIN' SEAL! 

It all turns out right as rain in the end and Thomas even gives readers two romantic storylines, which are nice inclusions but honestly a detriment to the mystery which hinges on a pile of coincidences. As I sit here typing this up I still can't tell you why I didn't DNF this. Honestly, that would make a more compelling mystery.

Final Grade = D

TBR Challenge 2026: Mr. and Mr. Smith

 The Book: Mr. and Mr. Smith by HelenKay Dimon

The Particulars: Romantic suspense, Penguin Random House Loveswept, 2016, first book in Tough Love trilogy, digital only

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I'm not sure I'd classify Dimon as an autobuy (she is an autobuy under her Darby Kane moniker) but I do tend to pick up most of her books. The details are extremely hazy now what with 2016 being 10 years ago (yes, I woke up this morning and chose violence) - but I think this might have been her first foray into writing an m/m romance, a romantic suspense at that. I was intrigued - but still left this languishing in my digital TBR for 10 years because I am not well. 

The Review: I made up my mind long ago that I was going to read something LGBTQ+ for this month's Pride theme and while I try to focus on my print TBR for this challenge, my choices are simply more diverse with options on my Kindle. I went diving in and unearthed this first book in an m/m romantic suspense trilogy that Dimon published with Loveswept 10 years ago. Y'all my TBR is a sickness, truly. However I am happy to report that even though I've done zero eyeball reading since mid-May, I read this story cover to cover in a couple hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's not perfect, but y'all it's a win.

Fisher Braun is a CIA operative whose silent alarm at his secret townhouse has just gone off. When he gets there he finds the place ransacked and his BFF and partner, Nathan March, already on the scene. Who is not on the scene?  Fisher's live-in boyfriend, Zachary Allen - the live-in boyfriend nobody knows about (heck his team in the CIA didn't even know about the second house....). Fisher is in the closet with his coworkers, although turns out it's not much of a secret. Anyway, it becomes apparent rather quickly that Zach has been taken and once Nathan stops busting his balls, he agrees to an impromptu rescue mission.

One small fly in the ointment, Zach isn't who Fisher thinks he is - it's revealed he's in bed with a super secret criminal organization that specializes in kidnapping for hire. This group takes a job, scoops up the victim (dead or alive - depending on the clients' wishes) and gets paid. Someone has hired this group to nab Fisher and Zach was ordered to "get close" to him. Fisher, needless to say, is pretty pissed off about this turn of events, but he's positively incandescent when Zach tries to sell him on the truth - which is that he's actually undercover CIA working to infiltrate this group and went rogue by getting close to Fisher in order to protect him. None of this is spoiler territory by the way, the whole thing is out in the open by the third chapter.

Anyway, bang-bang fists of fury and they escape - but Fisher and Nathan do not believe Zach, whose cover is now officially blown. It's not until they make their way to a safe house, the rest of the team shows up, and Zach's boss arrives that the whole thing spills out into the open. Doesn't change the fact that Fisher is still butt hurt about being lied to - never mind he was also lying to Zach. Semantics, AMIRITE?!

Stylistically this reminded me quite a bit of Dimon's work for Harlequin Intrigue. She doesn't waste any time and hits the ground running. It's an action movie, with that level of character development, in book format. Oh, the reader will get some character development over the course of the story, but it's fairly light in the pants, sprinkled in between gunfire, explosions and sexy bits. Most of the heavy lifting is done in the middle part of the book, when the entire team is stuck in a safe house together trying to figure out how to take down the bad buys. While there's several secondary characters running around, this middle portion takes on a claustrophobic feel similar to a snowed-in cabin vibe and keeps throwing our couple together to work out their problems and acknowledge their fee-fees. Seriously, these two dudes have baggage, but Fisher is especially pig-headed. The book clocks in at category length and that's a good thing - because all the mistrust and stubbornness would have worn me down to the nub had this been a single title.

It's not deep and it's not perfect but like any decent action movie it is entertaining. Also it does a very amiable job of setting up the second book in the series, which I plan on starting next. My reading mojo has been nonexistent and here's a wave coming along to take me out to sea. I'm grabbing my surf board.

Final Grade = B-

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is June 17

Hey, so you've probably noticed that this blog has been a dead zone of late - and I have no excuses other than 1) I haven't been reading and 2) Work is kicking my butt into next Tuesday. That's right ladies and gents - it's End Of Fiscal Year Time, which is a big hairy deal for the type of librarian I am. I've now been through this process 12 times with my current employer - which would imply it's gotten easier. Narrator: It has, in fact, not gotten easier. Every year there's some new fresh hell of unexpected shenanigans to throw a wrench in my plans for a low-stress, totally ordered Year End. Hence, my reading being in the toilet. At the end of the day I only seem to have bandwidth for Law & Order reruns and crushing candies. However...

The TBR Challenge waits for no librarian, especially when she's the hostess, and our next Challenge is set for June 17. This month's optional theme is Pride.

This was another suggestion that came out of my annual theme poll and June is Pride month. The obvious choice here would be an LGBTQ+ romance.  Or you could spine this into pride as an emotion - as in a prideful main character. Basically every Harlequin Presents hero ever written 🤣

That said, I can totally relate to the fragile state of reading mojo - and sometimes you just have to go with the book calling your name in the hopes of finding something to lose yourself in for a few hours. 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.

#TBRChallenge 2026: Gray Hair Don't Care

The Book: Gray Hair Don't Care by Karen Booth

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Self-published, 2021, Book 1 in Never Too Late series, In Print, Kindle Unlimited for digital (as of when this post went live)

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: There was a decent amount of chatter in Romancelandia about this book back in 2021, but it mainly ended up in my TBR because at some point in 2022 Booth made it a freebie. Free + her experience in writing category romance (she published quite a few books with Harlequin Desire before that line folded) was enough for me to one-click this bad boy.

The Review: I normally try to focus on my print TBR for the Challenge, but I failed to prepare (typical) and being out of town last week meant a dive into my Kindle to see what I could unearth to fit this month's New Beginnings theme. Folks, this book could not have been more perfect. 

Our story opens with our heroine, 47-year-old make-up artist Lela Bennett - fresh off a divorce she's still a bit fragile over, coming across a wedding in a New York City park. Despite the divorce, Lela is a sucker for weddings and stops to watch. Imagine her surprise when another on-looker to the proceedings is Donovan James, her best friend and unrequited crush from college, when they attended NYU together. Oh, and they slept together once - which turned out to be a bit of a disaster. Donovan ended up marrying his on-again-off-again girlfriend shortly thereafter and slipped out of Lela's life "for reasons."

Donovan is also divorced (three times over...) and is in town for his daughter's college graduation. Echo was the product of Marriage #1, that on-again-off-again girlfriend from his college days. Marrying Genevieve meant cutting ties with Lela, plus he's moved around a lot in the intervening years - so these two literally haven't spoken in 20+ years. They decide to spend the day together and whoopsie doodle - have sex for the second time, only to have Lela blurt out her unrequited feelings for Donovan from all those years ago and this guy runs scared the minute Lela is asleep.

My hero AMIRITE?!

Fast forward 3 years, Lela is now 50 and has completely changed her life. Something broke in her when Donovan slunk out of her apartment after the mind-blowing orgasm. She decided to own her age, went completely gray, and started her own make-up line. She gets word that a lifestyle brand wants to bring her make-up line on board - and it's just the thing that could really launch her. So she meets with the owner only to discover that it's Echo, Donovan's daughter. And who is back in New York helping his daughter with the marketing side of her business? Yep, you guessed it. 

Donovan may have been married three times, but this guy does not do well when it comes to "feelings" - which is why he's been divorced three times and keeps bungling things so badly with Lela. He's completely in love with her (has been for years) but is too dense to figure it out. 50-year-old Lela is strikingly beautiful, with a newfound confidence, but nothing brings out her vulnerability quite like Donovan does. And now here's the universe throwing him back into her orbit. As Lela looks to the future, she keeps getting confronted with her past - will these two crazy kids figure it out the third time around?

The answer, of course, is yes - and this is a well-done, well-paced contemporary romance featuring grown-ups. Oh, they're still a bit messy, but there's not a lot of silly contrivances or big misunderstandings mucking up the works. The main conflict here is Donovan, who is a hot mess when it comes to emotions - feeling them, owning them, you name it - this guy is clueless.  For that reason I felt rather strongly that he didn't remotely deserve Lela for the first 1/3 of this story because Lela is a wonderful heroine. Especially after her disastrous morning after with Donovan when she decides eff all men, I'm growing gray, I'm starting my own make-up line, it's Lela Time!

There's so much Booth does right with this story. Donovan's journey to catching a clue is satisfying. Lela is confident and sexy, but with an underlying streak of vulnerability that makes her extremely appealing. There's Donovan's daughter, Echo, and her fiancé on the cusp of a wedding being planned into submission by Donovan's ex, who is NOT painted as the shrew other woman who back-bites and spares with Lela (thank you sweet baby Jeebus), and Lela's BFF who is getting ready to propose to her girlfriend. All set against a well-done New York City backdrop - I inhaled every word in a greedy gulp.

This was a very well done contemporary romance that kept me entertained on a cross country flight. It's worth a read regardless, but if you're desperate for an "older" romantic couple, you need to drop everything and read this now. Why aren't all romances I pick up for free this good?

Final Grade = B+

May Days: Unusual Historicals for May 2026

 On one hand our crop of Unusual Historicals making their debut in May feels positively hopeful. On the other hand I can't help but wonder if this is the last gasp of "unusual" for the Harlequin Historical line, even though it's not discontinuing until fall of 2027. That line publishes five books a month, and four of them landed in this post. Ah, don't question it Wendy. Just enjoy the bonanza of options and applaud authors for keeping up the good fight even as traditional publishing continues to turn their backs on historicals. I'm hopeful there's still a readership out there, it's just going to take a little elbow grease to bring it all back around. Hence, me doing my very teeny tiny part. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the browsing!

The Dove and the Rogue by Harper St. George

American heiress Jenny Dove thought a marriage of convenience would solve all her problems, until her heart decided to rewrite the terms…

Jenny Dove has spent her life training to become an opera singer, determined not to repeat her mother’s mistake of sacrificing her career for love. But when her younger sister needs her help, Jenny strikes a daring bargain. To save her sister’s future, she’ll marry a titled gentleman long enough to unlock both their inheritances, then return to Paris to live out her dream.

Lord David Felding, heir to a dukedom and unapologetic rake, has no interest in finding a wife, until Jenny walks into his life with an audacious marriage proposal. She’ll give him one night in her bed in exchange for the protection of his name. It’s supposed to be a simple transaction—no emotions, no complications. But when their wedding night reveals unexpected passion and a startling connection, walking away is anything but easy.

Instead of continuing his roguish life in London, David follows Jenny to Paris—and begins to court his own wife. As their sham marriage deepens into something real, Jenny glimpses the wounded man behind his charm and feels her carefully guarded heart begin to yield. But falling in love means a slow, irresistible unraveling of everything they thought they wanted…and trusting in something neither dared to hope for.

The first two books in The Doves of New York series were published by Penguin Random House, and publishing being what it currently is, they declined this third book, which St. George opted to self-publish (may she be richly rewarded!). Late Victorian / Gilded Age set with an opera singer heroine who strikes a marriage of convenience bargain with a rakish Lord. I've seen some early chatter from folks who scored ARCs and word on the street is that there's plenty of steamy sizzle. 

The Scandalous Lady Mina by Lara Temple

Setting sail with the enemy…

and a reckless temptation!

Lady Wilhelmina, once the darling of the ton, fled England in shame after jilting her fiancé. Following a decade in disgrace, Mina’s returning to Society’s ballrooms on a luxury steamship…and encounters her ex-fiancé’s distractingly handsome cousin, Max Cavendish—her once friend, now enemy!

Max’s guard is up, yet being in close quarters with Mina sparks a wave of dangerous attraction that makes him want to discover the truth behind the scandal. Wealthy engineer Max is used to being in command of his world and his emotions, but his complicated feelings for Mina are making him feel decidedly out of control…

Engineer hero reunites with the heroine, once his friend until she jilted his cousin and fled England on a wave of scandal. Now she's back, along with his attraction towards her - which just will not do. 

Navy Captain's Convenient Wife by Carla Kelly

A favor for the Captain…

A new life as wife and mother?

Battle-worn Captain John Beattie is dealt another blow on his return from Trafalgar. His motherless young son, Allan, has been heartlessly abandoned by those hired to care for him. Required to return immediately to active duty, John throws himself at the mercy of his late friend's sister, Anna Fontaine…

Anna can’t say no—the Captain’s desperate struggle to protect his son and his country touches her gentle heart. But temporarily caring for Allan backfires when rumors threaten unwed Anna’s reputation. Honorable John insists on marriage—but will Anna’s place in his family ever be more than convenient?

Woot! A new Carla Kelly! Navy Captain hero back from Trafalgar discovers the folks caring for his motherless son have abandoned the child. He needs help, and fast, given he's expected to return to active duty. The answer to his prayers? The heroine. Until the rumors kick into high gear and a marriage of convenience is born. 

Fighting for His Forbidden Maiden by Ella Matthews

Finding freedom…

in her prisoner’s arms!

Comtesse Jehanne de Balladur is desperate to avoid marrying a cruel knight. Escaping her father’s French fortress is impossible—until an opportunity arises to flee with an escaping prisoner, a dashing English baron!

Lucan must make it home to his young son. His accomplice, Jehanne, might be enchanting, but with her father, fiancé and the French army chasing them, she’s nothing but trouble! Yet, if they are to survive the journey, he must earn Jehanne’s trust—not easy, as she seems wary of all men. Lucan swore never to complicate duty with emotion, but now the biggest fight on his hands is resisting Jehanne!

Medieval France! Wanting to avoid an undesirable marriage, the heroine escapes her father's fortress with a prisoner, who happens to be an English baron!, in tow. He just wants to get home to his son and having the heroine along for the ride, when her father, fiancé and an army are chasing after them complicates his goal mightily. As does their growing attraction...

Rescued by the Rakish Lord by Sarah Mallory

A man of such dubious reputation…

that he was called Devil Blackbourne!

When Lord Deveril Blackbourne meets Selina Wynter, he is intrigued. For she has all the accomplishments of a lady, but the fiery temper and spirit of a tavern maid! Then she is abducted by a dastardly suitor, and Deveril—for all his roguish reputation—can't stand idly by…

Lord Deveril is Selina’s least likely rescuer, but when they’re stranded together in a snowstorm and her reputation is at risk, he surprises her with a gallant proposal! Deveril’s no honorable suitor, yet his actions say otherwise… Just who is the real Devil Blackbourne? Selina’s determined to find out!

If he doesn't have the nickname of "Devil" are we even reading a historical romance? Late Georgian set, he rescues her from a "suitor" and is rewarded by becoming stranded in a snowstorm with her. I mean, whatever shall they do? 

The Lawman's Fiery Pugilist by Nicki Pascarella

One feminine fist to his nose and his heart would never be the same.

Five years ago, a beautiful pugilist broke Bow Street Runner Edward Robinson’s nose and stole his heart. When someone tries to burn down her new gymnasium, he shows up ready to lend assistance.

Not only has someone tried to burn down Frances Valentine’s business and injured her loved ones, but an infuriatingly arrogant man she wants nothing to do with has also inserted himself in her life and she can’t seem to get rid of him.

Sparks sizzle and romance blooms as the unlikely couple battle their dangerous enemies to save The Silk Knuckles Saloon.

He's a Bow Street Runner and five years ago she broke his nose. If that isn't he start of true love nothing is! They're reunited when someone tries to burn down her gym. This is the first book in a new series about Regency era female pugilists.

Favors from a Gentleman by Lauren M. Hayworth

Duty is her strength . . .

Sophie St. Quinton’s life did not end when her brother died, but her purpose for living diminished considerably: marry a nobleman to protect the family estate and ease her parents’ worries. Armed with wit, beauty, and a charitable heart, Sophie expects the task will be simple—until a ghostly reminder of the past resurfaces to rattle her world. She will stop at nothing, not even blackmailing the handsome stranger she just met, to bid her brother farewell one last time.

And his worst enemy . . .

Merchants’ sons are not welcomed in polite society, but Rafe Balfour elbows his way in for the same reason he does all things—to do the bidding of his tyrannical father. If his loyalty proves successful one last time, he’ll earn his long-sought independence. But when his secrets land him in a dark room and a second stint in servitude with a beautiful woman far above his touch, the effect could be disastrous.

What begins as a threat to their goals soon expands to more: a threat to duty, to decency, and to two grieving hearts that promised never to risk love.

He's a merchant's son well aware of his place in society (which is to say, nowhere) and she's her family's last hope since her fool brother, the heir, got himself killed after joining the Navy. This is being marketed as "perfect for fans of Meredith Duran and Cecilia Grant" which is a tall order - but certainly does intrigue. 

Whispers and Spies by Sheridan Jeane

To stop a conspiracy, they must become lovers. To survive it, they must become partners.

The Black Rose Society is plotting treason, and the Crown needs agents inside. Lady Helena Ashford—diplomat's daughter, brilliant observer, and keeper of too many secrets—is the perfect choice. But infiltrating the Society's inner circle requires the one thing she's never had to fake before: a devoted fiancé.

Enter Major James Westwood, a war-scarred soldier with ghosts he can't outrun and a limp that reminds him daily of the men he failed to save. He'll play Helena's devoted fiancé. He'll charm Society matrons and infiltrate treasonous gatherings. What he won't do is fall for a woman who deserves far better than a broken soldier with nothing left to lose.

But as Helena and James wade deeper into the conspiracy—navigating masked balls, decoding secret meetings, and dodging the Society's suspicions—their pretend devotion starts feeling dangerously real. The Raven, the Society's enigmatic leader, is planning something catastrophic: the assassination of a Crown diplomat that could plunge Britain into chaos.

Racing against time, Helena and James must unmask the traitor before the Society strikes. But in a world where one wrong move means exposure and death, the greatest danger isn't the conspiracy they're hunting—it's the feelings they can no longer deny.

This is being marketed as a mystery, but there's enough of a whiff of romance in the blurb that I'm including it. It's also the first book in The Shadow of the Black Rose series. She's a diplomat's daughter and the perfect choice to ferret out a treasonous plot - but a fake fiancé would go a long way in helping keep her cover from getting blown. Enter our hero, a war-scarred soldier with plenty of ghosts and a limp to remind him of his various failures. 

A Secret Elixir by Katherine Lyons

By day, Janelle Caddick is the perfect baron's daughter—elegant, demure, and newly engaged to the powerful Lord Benedict. By night, she becomes Betty Gill, a skilled midwife slipping through London's tenements to deliver babies in places where no respectable lady would go. She's kept her dangerous double life hidden for years, until Major Gabriel Vance is assigned as her bodyguard.

Gabriel is Lord Benedict's right-hand man. When he discovers Janelle sneaking around, he expects scandal. What he finds instead is a woman risking everything to save lives that society has deemed unworthy.

Now Gabriel must choose: destroy Janelle by exposing her secret or protect her from dangers she can’t even see. Worse, the more time he spends guarding her, the harder it becomes to remember she belongs to his closest friend.

As Janelle fights to save mothers and babies, Gabriel fights his growing feelings for a woman he can never have. And Lord Benedict watches them both, hiding secrets of his own—secrets that could either shatter their world or forge something far more extraordinary than any of them dared to imagine.

In Regency London, a lady's reputation is everything. But some secrets are worth protecting... and some loves are worth every risk.

This is the fourth book in My Lady's Potions series and features a baron's daughter who has a secret life as a midwife. She's been successful at keeping her secret for years, until he fiancé hires her a bodyguard....

Laird of Storms by Susan King (Reprint)

On the misty Hebridean Isle of Caransay, legend holds that when a kelpie, a sea-god who can take the form of a man, claims a bride on a sea rock, the isle will be blessed with great fortune. Honoring the ancient tradition one stormy night, Meg MacNeill expects nothing eventful–until she is swept into the arms of the handsome stranger who rises from the waves. When danger and passion both vanish with the dawn, Meg is left with a powerful memory–and a secret.

Seven years later, Dougal Stewart returns to the isle where he was once a castaway in a storm. Now a brilliant engineer and deep-sea diver assigned to build a lighthouse on the very rock that changed his life, his only obstacle is the wealthy baroness who fiercely opposes his plans. Soon Dougal discovers that the proud baroness is the mysterious girl who once saved his life and stole his heart—and the golden-haired child by her side is his son. To protect her child and the people of her island from unwanted change, Meg must keep her secrets, knowing that Stewart once claimed her heart and soul, then betrayed her . . .

Originally published as Taming the Heiress by Signet in 2003, this reprint features newly added content. Mid-Victorian Scotland, legends, plenty of secrets (namely, a son!) and a hero assigned to build a lighthouse. What romance reader worth their salt doesn't love a lighthouse?!

How to Lose a Laird by Anna Bradley

Despite their village's wild, insistent rumors, middle sister Freya MacLeod is no more a witch than her extraordinary siblings. Quiet and observant, she can't control the weather—although her magnificently skilled drawings often predict it. But now a very different sort of storm has besieged their home of Castle Cairncross. When Freya’s fearless younger sister disappears and is accused of murder, Freya is determined to prove her innocence—and bring her back. That means matching wits with a warrior—no matter how dangerous he may be . . .

A reluctant laird, Callum is glad to escape his clan’s intrigues. But helping to protect Castle Cairncross as a favor to a friend is far more difficult than he thought. Especially when the seemingly timid Freya eludes him, his battle-honed instincts—and enrages the village into putting a bounty on both their heads . . .

As they flee, Freya is stunned to see how caring—and vulnerable—Callum can be. . . . But he must keep his growing feelings for her hidden in order to honor a secret promise to his clan. Yet as their peril increases, they may find that battling side-by-side will uncover something more precious than gold . . .

Set in Georgian Scotland, the heroine's biggest problem used to be that everyone thought she and her sisters were witches. Well, now her younger sister has vanished and is being accused of murder. Proving her innocence means teaming up with the hero, a reluctant laird who has been tasked with protecting Castle Cairncross, only to find himself fleeing with the heroine when the village fully turns on them. This is the second book in the Cairncross Castle trilogy. 

Tangled Up in Tartan by Matilda Madison

Jane Atherton and her sister Cora have been turned out by their half-brother and sent to live with their deceased mother’s family in Scotland. But upon their arrival they learn a terrible family secret that leaves them disinherited. But all is not lost. Mrs. Milton, mother to millionaire Samuel Milton needs a secretary, and Jane is perfect for the job.

Samuel Milton is on a mission. Having grown up poor, he believes he can change the world for the better by building a state of the art hospital in his beloved Glasgow. But to do so, he needs to get support for the latest reform bill. While Jane is the perfect hostess for Samuel’s guest, he can’t concentrate whenever she’s in the room.

As Jane and Samuel work side by side, they grow closer as an underlying passion begins to bubble just below the surface. But Samuel is a man of principles, and he won’t take advantage of his position as Jane’s employer. Though Jane has been warned her entire life not to trust men, she can’t help but fall for Samuel, who slowly chips away at her fears.

Turned out by her half-brother, the heroine learns upon her arrival in Scotland that she and her sister are disinherited. Luckily she soon secures employment as a secretary and enters the orbit of our hero, determined to build a hospital in Glasgow, and while our heroine might be the perfect hostess to help him wine and dine politicians, she's mighty distracting. This is the fourth book in the Seduced in Scotland series.  

When Jack Fell by Anna Valleria

A stolen kiss, a family secret, and a second chance at love in Victorian London.

Jillian was always the wild thing.

The daughter of the notorious Bad Baron Beckforth, a girl with racing thoughts and a heart too big for her father’s cruelty and crumbling estate. Her only sanctuary was her childhood best friend, John Longley, the future Marquess of Camborne.

But when a May Day kiss under the fireworks turns into a nightmare of murder and accusation, Jillian’s world shatters. Her brother is branded a killer, and Jillian is forced to flee into a marriage of convenience in a distant land, led to believe that a man of John’s station would only ever have her as a mistress.

Years later, Jillian returns as a widow, hardened by loss and convinced she is an albatross who brings only sorrow to those she loves. John, now a powerful shipping magnate, has never stopped looking for her. Driven by a promise to clear her brother’s name, he finds that the girl he loved is now a woman shrouded in mystery.

From the treacherous ballrooms of the ton to the bustling docks of Gibraltar and a mysterious volcanic island, they embark on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. But as the shadows of the past threaten to sink them both, Jillian must decide: is she destined to bring only ruin, or is John the stopping place her heart has always craved?

Torn apart when they were younger, our heroine returns to England as a widow and our hero has made himself over into a shipping magnate. She's determined to clear her brother's name and he's confronted by a woman markedly different from the girl he once knew. Settings include Gibraltar (!) and "a mysterious volcanic island" so expect these two to set sail as they search for the truth.  First in the Lords Fall First series.

Merciful Surrender by Violetta Rand

A woman who prayed for a hero… and found her enemy instead.

Orphaned young and left to fend for herself in a harsh and unforgiving England, Rachelle Fiennes has long dreamed of rescue. When her only surviving kinsman vanishes in the wake of the Battle of Stamford Bridge, she defies fear—and propriety—to search the blood-soaked battlefield herself.

A warrior cursed to survive…

Jarl Tyr Sigurdsson should have died with his men. Branded by guilt and haunted by the gods’ cruel favor, he hides among the fallen, waiting for nightfall to make his escape. But when a bold and determined Saxon woman discovers him, his fate takes an unexpected turn.

Bound by necessity, divided by bloodshed…

With enemies on every side, Rachelle and Tyr are forced into an uneasy alliance—one that soon ignites into something far more dangerous than war. As vengeance, loyalty, and desire collide, they must decide if love is worth betraying everything they’ve ever known…

Or if some wounds—and some wars—can never truly end.

Second in the Heart of a Viking series, our heroine resorts to searching a bloody battlefield to look for her only surviving kinsman, and instead meets the hero, essentially playing dead among his fallen men to make his escape come nightfall. Desperate times make for strange bedfellows...

A Bride for Griffin by Jacqui Nelson

Can a sister who’s lost her voice find harmony with the right man?

Singing with her sisters was Wren’s refuge until they tried to flee their sadistic troupe manager, who retaliated by choking her until he crushed her voice. She only survived because a huge Welshman, with a personality as fiery as his red hair, taught her how to fight. She’s dreamed of sharing a future with him—if she can alter his misconceptions about both of them. Can she convince him they belong together, or is she destined to a silent life alone?

Working with his two brothers to raise their younger sister was Griffin Llewellyn’s purpose until all three of his siblings got married in the space of a month, leaving him alone to safeguard the woman he’s dreamed of marrying. But he can’t because she’s lived a life of oppression, only asked for his help, and he’s vowed to protect her from every threat, including himself. Can he save her from his temper and the violence that first fractured his family, or will he be her ultimate downfall?

A western (!) and third book in the Songbird Junction series. The first two books were published in 2019 and 2020 - so there's been a bit of a wait for this final book about singing sisters fleeing a villainous manager. Our hero is the last single man among his brothers, and despite being in love with the heroine, he has vowed to protect her - and that includes from himself. 

Whew! Fifteen books for May and I feel like I just ran a marathon getting this post written. What books are you looking forward to?

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is May 20

I have a knack for scheduling time off in advance at The Day Job, only to discover that when the time comes, it's the absolute worst possible time for me to be away from the office. Oh well, there's nothing for it, and by the time this post goes live I'll be packing up and flying back to reality after enjoying a week visiting family in lovely Michigan. Did I think about the TBR Challenge before I left on my trip? Of course not, which means a dumpster dive into my Kindle to find something suitable for our next Challenge, which is set for May 20. This month's optional theme is New Beginnings.

This was another suggestion that came out of my annual theme poll and there's a lot of flexibility with this one!  Some ideas off the top of my head - Second chance, starting over or marriage in trouble tropes, characters coming off bad relationships / jobs / family situations, or the first book in a series.

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

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