Review: Forbidden

"I'm a woman of color, Mr. Fontaine. A hard shell is necessary."

Confession time: I have to be in the mood for a Beverly Jenkins book and it took me a while to pinpoint exactly why that is. Once I did though, a lot of puzzle pieces fell into place. I read Jenkins, primarily, because she writes great heroines - but she also writes what I call "community-based" books.  Think of them like small town contemporaries but - well - they're historicals. She tends to include a large cast of secondary characters, there's goings-on about town, there's past couples and familiar surnames for long-time fans (like happy little Easter Eggs) and the main romance, while a focus, ain't the sole thing going on in her books.  As a reader who gravitates towards short and snappy (I dig on Harlequins after all...) I'm just not always in the mood for this.  Long-time readers of this blog will recognize that I read and review very, very, very few small town single title contemporaries for the same reason.

So yeah, it took me a while to pick up Forbidden even though readers in my trust network have really enjoyed it.  And despite all that word vomiting I did in the first paragraph of this post?  Yeah, once I started this book I didn't come up for air until I finished it - staying up way past my bedtime.

Rhine Fontaine has built a successful life for himself in Virginia City, Nevada. He's a member of the city council, he owns a local saloon, he's engaged to the daughter of an influential man, and he's got his eye on future political office.  Rhine is, also, passing as white. His mother a slave, his father the plantation owner. Rhine fought in the Civil War (for the Union cause) and headed west for a fresh start.  Only his business partner knows his secret and Rhine is comfortable with his decision, until he rescues a Black woman left for dead out in the middle of the desert.

There is nothing left for Eddy Carmichael in Denver and her dream is to head to California to open her own restaurant. However shortly after she purchases her train ticket she is robbed. It took her forever to save the necessary funds. She's given up her rented room, she's quit her job, there's nothing for it - she's got to find another way west.  She's doing pretty well until she lands in Nevada and is robbed (again) by a con artist who leaves her for dead in the desert.  It's a miracle that Rhine finds her and takes her back to Virginia City.

There's an instant and immediate attraction between Rhine and Eddy.  Rhine, while white, has done a lot to further the cause of the Black residents of Virginia City. Providing loans for businesses, buying real estate, allowing Blacks patrons in his saloon - and he's engaged to a proper (read: spoiled and pampered) white daughter of an influential man in town and local politics.  An attraction to Eddy complicates his life immensely.

While Forbidden doesn't surpass Indigo as my favorite Jenkins (thus far), Eddy might be my new favorite heroine. Jenkins tends to write strong, often feisty, heroines - which I love! Don't get me wrong!  But Eddy is a bit quieter. She knows her own mind. She's very forthright. And she's not a waffling sort of heroine.  She's a straight-shooter with Rhine. She's attracted to him, but tells him in no uncertain terms that it cannot happen. He's white, she's Black, and she has no interest in being a man's mistress. A romantic entanglement between them will only end in tears - hers. He'd walk away clean, she'd be the one paying the price. And, quite frankly, Eddy has dreams of her own that she's not willing to compromise.

And that's the wrinkle for me. Eddy ain't telling Rhine anything he doesn't already know - and yet once he extricates himself from his fiancée, the flirting kicks into high gear. Like, really dude?! I get it. You're warm for her form. You think she's smart and interesting. But he's still passing as white and she's still a Black woman. I mean, how complicated this is for Eddy should be something at the very forefront of his mind - and it's just...not. It's there occasionally, but not consistently. 

What I did really like about Rhine's character is that passing is something he feels he has to do. He was born into slavery. The power, the privilege, that passing will give him is a no-brainer - until it isn't. Rhine is running towards what he sees as a better life, but he's giving up an awful lot in the process. It's this process of reconciling his choices, and his dreams, that makes the happy-ever-after especially fraught and hard won.

All in all, I enjoyed this story quite a bit. Jenkins creates a great cast of secondary characters and while, in other books, the focus away from the main romance would annoy me - it doesn't here. I really liked the wide array of characters, especially in the boardinghouse that Eddy calls home, and it added a richness to the story.  The writing flowed, the pages easily kept turning, and before I knew it it was past midnight and well past my bedtime.

This was a good, solid read and a fine example of a "small town" romance that worked very well for me.  I'm looking forward to the next two books in the series featuring Eddy's nieces.

Final Grade = B+ 

#TBRChallenge 2021: Alison's Wonderland

The Book: Alison's Wonderland edited by Alison Tyler

The Particulars: Erotica anthology, Harlequin Spice, 2010, out of print, available digitally

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I like erotic short stories, plus Tyler and a few of the featured authors are known to me.  That's pretty much it.

The Review: There was a wave several years ago of publishers starting erotic imprints (Harlequin Spice, Avon Red etc.) and with it came the blurring of the lines between erotica and erotic romance.  No, they aren't interchangeable. So for the sake of clarity let me state this anthology which utilizes a fairy tale / folk tale theme, is most definitely erotica. They're too short (the stories average around 8-10 pages) to make compelling "romances," but as happy-for-now, let's have a good time together?  They're fine.  For readers familiar with the various Cleis Press anthologies, this collection is in a similar vein.

The Red Shoes (Redux) by Nikki Magennis features a heroine obsessed with a pair of shoes in a shop window. The store's owner sees her, asks her out, and brings the shoes. Naturally the shoes and the man have strings attached.

Fool's Gold by Shanna Germain finds our heroine having a spirited discussion at a bar with a man in her peripheral circle of friends about BDSM and naturally it's a conversation that continues to take up residence in her brain. They reconnect and what happens, happens.

The Three Billys by Sommer Marsden is about three gruff brothers who ruffle the feathers of a very proper librarian just trying to get through her work day. 

David by Kristina Lloyd is a twist on a vampire story featuring a submissive female vampire (!) who finds her perfect match.

Managers and Mermen by Donna George Storey finds our bored heroine fantasizing about a mermaid and spanking (yes, really) only to have her husband come home unexpectedly early from work. Gee, wonder what will happen next?

The Clean-Shaven Type by N.T. Morely might have been my favorite story in this collection. Belle, who has spent her life in servitude (yes, that kind...) to men finds herself now living with "The Beast" where she flips the switch to Domme and avails herself of him, and the hired help.

The Midas F*ck by Erica DeQuaya finds our heroine suddenly, magically, irresistible to men. They ALL want her. The spell is broken when she hooks up with the hunky bartender at her favorite watering hole.

Sleeping with Beauty by Allison Wonderland is an F/F story about two women who work as princesses at a theme park.

Unveiling His Muse by Portia Da Costa finds our artist hero obsessed with one of his recent commissions - the art work, not the patron. 

Always Break the Spines by Lana Fox is about a heroine who likes fairy tales and old books drawing the attention (and ire) of a cranky bookstore owner.

An Uphill Battle by Benjamin Eliot is about a musician hero who takes a job as a building supervisor to pay the bills and finds himself answering calls at all hours of the day from a female resident with a faulty toilet - which necessitates climbing a lot of stairs since the elevator is on the fritz.

Moonset by A.D.R. Forte features a couple who enters a pact to get "kinky" every full moon.

Mastering Their Dungeons by Bryn Haniver was one of the more problematic stories for me since I didn't "like" the heroine. Bored popular college girl crashes a Dungeons & Dragons game and blows the mind of three nerds.

A Taste for Treasure by T.C. Calligari was a weird story about a heroine obsessed with magic who takes magical objects from three brothers.  She eventually settles down with the youngest.

The Broken Fiddle by Andrea Dare finds the heroine and her gay BFF traveling Ireland working on a photo book about pub signage. The heroine ends up having a grand time with local musician who tells her the story of one interesting sign.

The Cougar of Cobble Hill by Sophia Valenti finds our divorced heroine taking in two college-age male roommates. Naturally close proximity leads to shenanigans.

Wolff's Tavern by Bella Dean spins Little Red Riding Hood when the heroine's car breaks down outside a bar and the owner giving her a ride to Grandma's house.

Slutty Cinderella by Jacqueline Applebee is a gender-bending story with the heroine and her partner getting ready to attend a fetish ball. He's the one wearing the dress...

Kiss It by Saskia Walker finds the heroine on a tour of Ireland where a stop at the Blarney Stone finds her rolling around in the forest with a mystery man.

Let Down Your Libido by Rachel Kramer Bussel features an out of work heroine who signs up for a study that asks her to be celibate for two months. That's a tall order, especially when a mystery man starts slipping dirty notes underneath her door.

Dancing Shoes by Tsaurah Litzky features an older heroine who getting back her groove thanks to a local shoe repairman.

Gold, On Snow by Janine Ashbless was another high point for me, a twisted take on Snow White. Snow White isn't so pure or innocent and the "evil queen," her stepmother ends up spying on her with the seven dwarfs.

After the Happily Ever After by Heidi Champa answers the question of what happens when Cinderella marries Prince Charming, only to find out that the Prince is a neglectful husband. No matter, the Prince's wastrel brother is availing himself of the swimming pool...

Cupid Has Signed Off by Thomas S. Roche spins a Psyche / Cupid story if Psyche were a kinky college student who likes online fetish chat rooms.

The Walking Wheel by Georgia E. Jones is a 15th century story where the spinning maiden has to pay for her father's debts, hopefully will get to marry a nobleman as a result, but not before our friend Rumpelstiltskin shows up with a proposal.

Rings on my Fingers by Alison Tyler finds the heroine fielding concerns from well-meaning married friends, but it's the hunky tattoo artist next door who is getting her motor revving.

The Princess by Elspeth Potter is a story that is literally one paragraph long about a princess rescuing another princess.

Like most anthologies this one was definitely a mixed bag. There was only one story I outright disliked, but the "meh, OK" definitely outweighed the stories that really stuck with me.  Nothing inspiring but it's been in my TBR forever and now it's not.

Final Grade = C

Review: The Obsession

Sometimes I fall for a book for nostalgic reasons. Such was the case with The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto, a YA suspense novel about a girl with a mountain of secrets under the thumb of a creepy teenage boy stalker. Simply put, Teenage Wendy would have loved this book.  She would have probably read a copy from the school or local public library, then desperately saved up money to buy her own copy so she could draw little hearts in the margins.  Have I mentioned that Teenage Wendy was kind of bloodthirsty?  I occasionally strayed but by and large if the book didn't have at least one dead body in it, I wasn't interested.  I also was drawn to competent women from a very early age. Oh sure, the women could be in danger (see every book Mary Higgins Clark ever wrote) but they always pulled themselves out of it in the end.  So yeah, I was primed to love The Obsession from the start, and I did.

Delilah is a Daddy's Girl left adrift after her father dies in an industrial accident (that also was an environmental disaster). Her mother, also adrift, eventually starts dating Brandon, a local cop. Turns out though that Brandon is an abusive asshole, with both Delilah and her Mom bearing the brunt of his rages. They're stuck. They can't go to the cops. Brandon IS the cops. Now her Mom is talking about quitting the job she loves to keep control freak abusive Brandon happy and Delilah has to tread lightly if she wants to keep going to Draycott Academy, a ritzy prep school that her Dad's insurance policy is paying the tuition for. On her first day of school she catches the eye of Logan and that's when things go from bad to worse.

Logan was obsessed with a girl name Sophie. A girl who got hooked on drugs and tragically died. In fact, someone is dealing drugs out of Draycott, a case Brandon has been working on. Every one tells Logan that Sophie is just toying with him, using him, but he's IN LOVE and naturally goes off the deep end when she dies.  His mother finds evidence of his stalking, he tries to kill himself, and he's seeing the school counselor.  The kid is, quite frankly, a scary AF nutbag.  And then he sees Delilah, who looks so much like Sophie that it shocks him out of his funk and suddenly Logan is back to his old stalkerish ways.

The problem being that Delilah doesn't know yet that Logan IS stalking her.  One day, when she's home alone with Brandon, she snaps and Brandon ends up dead (Delilah definitely kills him, but to say more is a spoiler because oh it's just so fantastically gory!).  Logan, of course, catches the whole thing on camera - because he's a stalker. When Delilah finds out the cutest boy in school who likes her is actually a creepy AF stalker?  Well, she's stuck.  Because of course Logan is now blackmailing her with the video.

This sounds suitably dark and twisted - which, it is. What makes it great is that Delilah is a bit of a mouse on the outside, but when pushed to the breaking point our girl is all vengeful Valkyrie. Brandon's ex-partner is now sniffing around, Logan is controlling her every breath, and she's still got yet another whopper of a secret that she has to keep under wrap.  Delilah may seem like a mouse but ultimately she is a survivor, and when you back a survivor into a corner?  Bad things happen.

Is this nice book?  Well, no.  There's no ambiguous to the moral choices that Delilah makes over the course of this story.  She "wins" but at the expense of doing some really terrible things.  Is she justified in those terrible choices?  Certainly yes, you could say that - for some of them.  But like I said, Delilah has got many, many secrets.

Is Delilah a "bad girl?" Is she a "good girl?" Yes. And that's why I loved this book.  It's the how she's going to wiggle her way out of the mess that makes for compelling reading and the fact that our girl is a study in contrasts is a reason why, I'm sure, Sourcebooks has already tapped Sutanto to write a sequel.  Oh sure, everyone in Romancelandia may be talking about Dial A for Aunties right now, but I'll be over here hanging out with cunning, bloodthirsty Delilah thank you.  I'll also be watching my back.

Final Grade = A

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is May 19!

Hey, hey - it's that time again! Time for the monthly #TBRChallenge!  Whether you are participating or just following along, #TBRChallenge Day is Wednesday, May 19.  This month's (always optional) theme is Fairy Tale / Folk Tale.

Fairy Tale and Folk Tale tropes / retellings are a favorite for a lot of romance readers, so hopefully this month's theme will make a lot of you happy.  

But remember, the themes are always optional.  If you've read every single Beauty and the Beast trope in your TBR, if you're just not in the mood for Cinderella - hey, no problem!  The goal of this challenge is always to pull something, any book!, out of your neglected TBR pile.

To learn more about the challenge and links to the participants blogs, check out the 2021 TBR Challenge Information Page.

Review: His Perfect Fake Engagement

When I found out Shannon McKenna had written a category romance there was no way I wasn't going to read it.  Back in the early days of erotic romance, McKenna made a name for herself writing for Kensington Brava. Romantic Suspense stories featuring barely housebroken heroes.  Readers loved them.  I liked some of them, and loathed others - such is the fate of heroes I want to smack on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.

His Perfect Engagement is the first book in the Men of Maddox Hill series, about a group of guys (former Marines) who work for a ritzy architecture firm. Drew Maddox is company CEO and hanging on by his fingertips. He was photographed at a notorious playboy / drug dealer's party in bed surrounded by a bunch of prostitutes.  Despite Drew's protests that he was "set up" - his own bad boy reputation proceeds him.  Needless to say the company CEO in bed with a bunch of hookers isn't the image his uncle wants projected on the family business.  Stepping in to save Drew's bacon is his sister, Ava, who is a PR wizard.  Think of her like a political spin doctor. She knows just what to do - Drew will fake an engagement with her college BFF, Jenna Sommers. Jenna is so clean she squeaks - plus she's smart and cute.  She's a scientist working on neural implants, prosthetic limbs, and her fiancé (who she met at work) has just dumped her to marry his intern (because, of course).  Ava's been working with her in a PR capacity and thinks this is a win-win.  Drew can show his family and the world he's settling down, that he's ready to turn over a new leaf, be responsible, and Jenna can raise the profile of her research and work.  

Jenna thinks it's a terrible idea, given that she's had a thing for Drew since she spilled a pitcher of sangria on him when she was in college.  No one is going to believe that gorgeous walking sex god Drew Maddox would be with her, a nerdy scientist.  But Ava convinces her and they manage to sell it to the paparazzi hanging outside the office of Maddox Hill. Soon these two are running from one PR "event" to another and attraction, inevitably, builds.

Here's the thing about Harlequins - they always seem to think that paparazzi are hounding people with "normal" jobs - like architects.  So just roll with that. What works here is that you have two people who don't think they're near good enough for each other but for entirely different reasons.  He might be CEO, he might be an insanely gifted architect, but Drew is coming to realize that thanks to his personal life people see him as "not very serious" or a joke.  Jenna has your typical smart-not-pretty girl baggage that women seem to lug around with them, even though by all accounts she is very pretty. She's a romance heroine - of course she's pretty even though she's "unconventional" and wears hipster glasses.

There's also very intriguing plot points that unfortunately aren't explored given the Desire length.  For one thing, Drew is drugged at that party leading to the photographic set-up.  A hero, drugged and unconscious.  Rape isn't mentioned, but it's definitely implied that everything after the drugging was against his will.   

He hadn’t told anyone about the drugged perfume or the blackout. The words stopped in his mouth before they could come out. Humiliation, maybe. Or macho embarrassment. Who knew, but he just couldn’t talk about it. Not to anyone.

Whew! There's a lot to unpack there and none of it ever is.

Instead we get a mustache-twirling villain, an over-the-top ending complete with marriage proposal and a lot of not-so-thinly veiled Not Like Other Girls nonsense.  Drew's ex-girlfriends, the situation at the party - well none of those women are "good" like Jenna. It's about as subtle as a chainsaw.

It was OK, but not great.  If you're familiar with McKenna's backlist I will say that while Drew is Team Alpha he's Alan Alda (old lady reference at 12 o' clock) compared to some of her Brava heroes.  I didn't want to smack him with a rolled up newspaper - not even once!  Also, the Ava character is so dynamite that I'm hoping she's a future heroine and I pray to all the gods that McKenna doesn't neuter her.  This girl is a pitbull.  A PR spin doctor, steamrolling her way over the romantic couple.  Not prickly per se, but a real ball-buster.  She's not the heroine in the second book, here's hoping for Book #3.

Some intriguing moments but mostly "just OK."

Final Grade = B- 

May Day: Unusual Historical Highlights for May 2021

It's a blue ribbon day here at The Bat Cave - COVID vaccine shot #2 was jabbed into my left arm this morning.  I'm using it as an excuse to lounge about, be lazy....and browse new Unusual Historicals.  Never mind that I seem to be in a wee bit of a reading slump at the moment.  Since when has that ever stopped me from ogling at books?  Here's what is catching my eye for May:

The Lady Has A Past by Amanda Quick

Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly disappears. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and tracks down her last known appearance at an exclusive hotel and health spa. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. What Lyra lacks in investigative experience she makes up for in gut instinct, and her gut isn’t happy that she’s saddled with a partner by Luther Pell, Raina’s dangerous lover, who wants to bring in someone with more experience to help. 

Instead of the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected, though, Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and a cool, remote gaze. Lyra suspects that Simon is much more than what he seems, and her instincts are confirmed when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina. 

The unlikely duo falls down a rabbit hole of twisted rumors and missing socialites, discovering that the health spa is a façade for something far darker than they imagined. With a murderer in their midst, Raina isn't the only one in grave danger—Lyra is next.

This is the 5th book in Quick's Burning Cove series, set in 1930s southern California and each book follows a different couple.  This blurb carries a whiff of paranormal to it (the mention of the hero's "unique gift") and certainly there's a mystery afoot.  But really, I'm in it for the bookish hero partnered with female PI apprentice.  This is a hardcover release, hence the sticker price.

Kidnapped by the Viking by Caitlin Crews

Stolen by the enemy… 

In thrall to his touch! 

Mercian princess Aelfwynn’s hard-earned escape from a tumultuous life at court to a nunnery is thwarted when she’s kidnapped by rugged Viking Thorbrand from a rival clan. She expects this dark-hearted warrior to have wicked intentions, but he’s not the savage beast she expects. There’s something about him that calls to her and soon it’s the shockingly addictive pleasure she finds with her captor that’s the biggest danger of all…

Well, well, well - isn't this interesting? Crews has written a mess of books (she's also Megan Crane) and Harlequin readers predominantly know her from her work with Harlequin Presents and Harlequin Dare.  This right here is her first Harlequin Historical (and I'm pretty sure her first historical period).  I've been reading romance a long time. I can't tell you the number of historical authors I've seen jump ship to contemporary.  It's pretty rare to see the reverse (not that I think Crews is jumping ship - more like just adding to the yacht club!).

Her Lady's Melody by Renee Dahlia

Two women, both widowed on the same day, find new love after loss. 

Dr. Luciana Stanmore wondered if this stoic fragility would haunt her forever. The Great War officially ended on 11 November last year, but the wounded weren’t magically healed by the signing of the armistice. Eventually, the hospital at Remy Siding near Ypres emptied enough for Luciana to head home to England, but a letter from her Oma in Amsterdam took her there instead. She should be taking the time to heal and grieve for her lover Maggie who died in the war. When the neighbour’s son breaks his arm falling out of a tree, Luciana must confront her war trauma to help him. It would be a lot easier if the boy’s mother wasn’t so beautiful and empathetic towards her shocked state. A plot to kidnap the boy gives Luciana a reason to emerge from the shell she’s built around her heart, and a reason to spend more time with Therese. 

Therese De Seletsky is a widow with a secret, or two. In hiding from the Bolsheviks, she lives quietly in Amsterdam with her seven year-old son, Count Pavel de Seletsky. Her husband, Alexandre, the previous Count, was killed during the Russian Revolution, with Therese watching on as she hid in the cupboard with Pavel wrapped in her arms. With Russia in turmoil, she needs to keep her son safe, so when Pavel is almost kidnapped, Therese panics. Her neighbour, the elusive gorgeous Dr Stanmore, helps her figure out the threat to Pavel, and together they must travel to England to find the final piece of the puzzle. It’d be easy, except Luciana reminds Therese of all the feelings she’s buried deep since she was pulled out of music college in scandalous circumstances and quickly married to the Count.

A doctor with trauma from World War I gets entangled with a beautiful widow hiding her son from the Bolsheviks. So much drama, so much Wendy Catnip. My wee little nerdy history-loving heart has just skipped a beat.  

The Wedding Night Affair by L.C. Sharp

An unlikely pair explores the darkest corners of London society in this thrilling historical mystery.  

 The year is 1748, and Lady Juliana Uppingham awakens in a pool of blood, with no memory of how her new husband ended up dead beside her. Her distaste for her betrothed was no secret, but even so, Juliana couldn’t possibly have killed him…could she? 

Juliana’s only hope is Sir Edmund Ashendon, a dashing baronet with a knack for solving seemingly unsolvable crimes—and a reputation for trouble. A man as comfortable in the rookeries of St. Giles as he is in the royal court, Ash believes Juliana is innocent, though all signs point to her as the killer. He doesn’t expect to develop a soft spot for the spirited widow, one that only grows when escalating threats against Juliana force Ash to shelter her in his home. 

When another body is found, it becomes clear that Juliana has been dragged into something much, much bigger than simply her husband’s murder. With a collection of deadly black-tipped feathers as their sole clue and a date at the end of a hangman’s noose looming, they’ll have to find the real killer—before it’s too late.

Carina Press seems to be marketing this one as a historical mystery and a second book featuring this same couple is on the horizon - but I'm featuring it here because it smells romantic suspense to me.  Also, it's a Georgian which is something different beyond the usual Regency or Victorian historical mystery crop.

  

Candace Sweet's Confectionary by Bonnie Dee (Kindle Unlimited)

Decadent chocolate inspires romance for two confectioners. 

After suffering indignities at the hands of her guardian, Candace Sweet sheds the shackles of an aristocratic upbringing to open a confectionery. There she delights in creating decadent chocolate truffles, but memories of her ordeal continue to embitter her new life. When an irresistible salesman enters her shop, he introduces a new element into the confusing recipe of emotions. Candace struggles to reconcile her growing feelings for Monsieur Moreau with the purely business agreement he proposes. 

With his family business failing, chocolatier Alain Moreau works to expand the venerable Moreau brand beyond Paris. While peddling chocolates to a new shop in London, he is struck by exquisitely decorated truffles… and their equally appetizing creator. Soon, he isn’t certain whether he’s more interested in selling to or wooing the proprietress, yet there are serious impediments in his life to any romantic entanglement. 

Figures from both of their pasts keep the sweet makers apart. When an old friend comes to Candace for support during her time of need, Candace begins to understand that some barriers should be broken and true happiness may require sacrifice. 

The finest chocolate is created by combining the bitter with the sweet.

I'm currently in low carb, low sugar Hell and last night I dreamt I was scooping up mountains of chocolates off the ground. I miss sugar y'all. Also, painful honesty time - I've never gotten the appeal of guardian/ward romances. Too much "ick" for me.  A heroine wronged by her guardian who opens up a confectionary and falls for a Frenchman looking to save the family business.  Yes, please! This is the third book in Dee's Providence Street Shops series.

The Knight's Runaway Maiden by Nicole Locke

She hates all Warstones. 

Can this one win her love? 

Balthus of Warstone secretly loved Séverine, even though she was unhappily married to his brute of a brother, then she fled six years ago. Now that her husband is dead, Balthus must find Séverine and reclaim her sons as his father’s heirs. Balthus’s desire is to claim her, too, and despite his battle-maimed arm and her distrust of his family, he’ll prove he’s a suitor worthy of such a courageous woman…

She ran away from an abusive marriage and now her smitten brother-in-law has to track her down because she's raising the heirs. I wish this guy the best of luck.  He's going to need it.

The Duke's Wife by Jess Michaels

After she found out her husband was a bigamist with three wives, Abigail Montgomery’s world fell apart. She was still reeling when she found out he was courting yet another woman, the sister of the Duke of Gilmore. She intervened anonymously and Gilmore’s reaction brought her world down around her. She has seen him as an enemy ever since. An arrogant, interesting, very handsome enemy.  

 No one can push Gilmore’s buttons more than the fascinating Abigail Montgomery. They constantly butt heads and yet he can’t get her off his mind. But now that her year of mourning for the husband who betrayed them all is over, she is showing up in his life a lot more. When a series of playful wagers leads to a passionate moment, everything changes. 

Now forced to marry after being caught together, the two must navigate a tangled past and a cloudy future. Could these enemies ever be more than lovers? Or will their stubborn hesitation to get closer keep them from being truly happy together?

The final chapter in Michaels' The Three Mrs series. Wife #3 saves Would-Be Wife #4 from her fate only to have the woman's brother be a thorn in her side ever since. Enemies to Lovers meets Michaels' reputation for writing sizzling and steamy.

Vanquished by Hope Tarr (Reprint)

A devil’s bargain… 

“The photograph must be damning, indisputably so. I mean to see Caledonia Rivers not only ruined but vanquished. Vanquished, St. Claire, I’ll settle for nothing less.” 

Known as The Maid of Mayfair for her unassailable virtue, unwavering resolve, and quiet dignity, suffragette leader, Caledonia – Callie – Rivers is the perfect counter for detractors’ portrayal of the women as rabblerousers, lunatics, even whores. But a high-ranking enemy within the government will stop at nothing to ensure that the Parliamentary bill to grant the vote to females dies in the Commons – including ruining the reputation of the Movement’s chief spokeswoman. 

After a streak of disastrous luck at the gaming tables threatens to land him at the bottom of the Thames, photographer Hadrian St. Claire reluctantly agrees to seduce the beautiful suffragist leader and then use his camera to capture her fall from grace. Posing as the photographer commissioned to make her portrait for the upcoming march on Parliament, Hadrian infiltrates Callie’s inner circle. But lovely, soft-spoken Callie hardly fits his mental image of a dowdy, man-hating spinster. And as the passion between them flares from spark to full-on flame, Hadrian is the one in danger of being vanquished.

Originally published by a small press in 2006, both Men of Roxbury House books are now available as self-published digital editions (in related news 2006 was 15 years ago...). A hero desperate for money takes a job from an odious government official to bring down a bothersome suffragette. I highly recommend checking out the 2006 review at All About Romance - because while none of us really did "content warnings" back in the day, Ellen wrote a detailed review that discloses the hero as a rape survivor and an anal sex scene, which would have been a rarity in historical romance back in 2006.

Whew! That's a lot of books to choose from this month.  What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

General Housekeeping: Subscribing By Email

For those of you who like to get new posts emailed to you - Google Feedburner will be discontinuing this service starting July 1.  Because, sure, why not? Sigh.

As an alternative, I have signed up for a new service called Follow.It. I'm testing it out with this post and let's all hope it's not completely terrible.  I'll also leave the registration button near the top of my sidebar for a while for less-scrolling-easier access.