Hit the Books: Unusual Historical Spotlight for August 2022

August has shaped up to be a busy reading month because Past Wendy volunteered to do some contest judging that Present Wendy had conveniently forgotten about. Y'all, next time hold me back from doing these sorts of things, will ya? I've had a pretty good reading year (73 books so far!) but it's been coming in fits and starts. In the meantime, oh my look at all these Unusual Historicals landing in August! It's enough to distract a girl when she's got assigned reading to do...

To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins 

Lying and cheating may be sins to some people, but for Raven Moreaux, it is a way of life. She comes from a long line of grifters and couldn’t be prouder…Until she’s forced to help the government. 

A former Confederate official is suspected of stealing the Declaration of Independence, and Raven, posing as his housekeeper, is tasked with getting it back. Her partner is the too handsome Braxton Steel. Masquerading as a valet/driver, Brax is also supposed to be her “husband.” He has his own reasons for doing this job, but when their pretend marriage ignites into fiery passion, they’ll have to put everything—including their hearts—on the line.

Jenkins excels at writing great heroines and crafting community in her stories (I think every librarian should recommend her historicals to folks who devour small town contemporaries).  I'm intrigued by this one because while the heroine certainly sounds very Jenkins-esque, we've basically got a spy story, so it'll be intriguing to see how the community atmosphere manifests itself here. I'm looking forward to this one because Raven sounds magnificent!

 

Compromised into a Scandalous Marriage by Lydia San Andres 

From island scandal 

To dutiful vows! 

When heiress Paulina Despradel is banished from the family quinta in a storm, she seeks shelter with her dashing new neighbor, Sebastian Linares. Their attraction may be as electrifying as the lightning outside, but the night they spend together is totally innocent. Barely more than strangers, they must now marry. But left alone with their simmering chemistry, can they build a true union from the ashes of scandal?

I have an ARC of this that I wanted to read soon and...well, see this blog post intro. Anyway, it's set in the Dominican Republic in the early 1900s! And if that weren't enough, thanks to this review at The Smut Report, I know I'm going to get a dastardly brother and some Drama Llama! This one is on tap soon for me.

The Scoundrel Falls Hard by Sophie Jordan 

A devil’s bargain burns the hottest…. 

For years, fiercely independent Gwen Cully has worked as the village blacksmith, keeping her family’s business going. But when a local rival threatens her livelihood, Gwen has nowhere to turn ... until a devastatingly handsome fugitive takes shelter in her shop and sparks fly. 

Unrepentant rogue Kellan Fox’s entire existence has been a dangerous game of deception that leads him into a fight for survival—and straight into the arms of a tall, fiery beauty. When Gwen protects him from an angry mob of villagers, Kellan sees the perfect solution to both their troubles. A marriage—in name only—that will last a single year. 

Only a marriage of convenience can’t hide their searing attraction. It glows hotter than Gwen’s forge and reaches deep below the tempting mask Kellan wears for the world. With every sizzling glance and scorching kiss, Gwen surrenders more of herself to the molten passion she finds in Kellan’s strong embrace. But can she ever truly trust her heart to a scoundrel?

This is Book 3 in Jordan's Duke Hunt series and y'all I typically glance right over most historicals with "Duke" mentioned somewhere.  But, but, but....the heroine is working as a blacksmith! And yeah the hero is a fugitive and will probably turn out to be a Duke in hiding but THE HEROINE IS A BLACKSMITH!

The Bluestocking's Whirlwind Liaison by Bronwyn Scott 

The quiet sister 

And the only man to charm her! 

Rebecca has always been the inventor of the family, much preferring her workshop to a ball. But she’s thrust out of her familiar life when she meets Jules Howells, a member of a manufacturing family that is interested in her latest invention. At first, Jules seems a carefree rogue…until their ever-more-passionate encounters show Becca a depth to him she cannot resist!

 

This is the fourth book in Scott's Peveretts of Haberstock Hall series and OMG, so much Wendy catnip here. The quiet sister! And she's an inventor! And the hero comes from a manufacturing family!  Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Beauty and the Thief by Shana Galen 

Callahan Kelly is a conman, pure and simple. With his dark hair, dark eyes, and dimpled smile, he can smooth talk anyone out of anything and has a keen nose for sniffing out liars and thieves. So clearly someone somewhere made a mistake including him on a train heading toward a training ground with an elite group of agents for the Crown. But Baron, the leader of the newly formed Royal Saboteurs, makes a deal with Callahan: stay until his troubles in London die down, and if he still wants to go, he’ll be paid and discharged. But Cal finds the training at the camp fascinating, and even more intriguing is Bridget, the red-haired beauty who’s immune to his charm. When Cal is asked to partner with Bridget to infiltrate a group of Irish separatists or return to London, the choice is neither simple nor easy. 

Bridget Murray was sent from London to serve as Baron’s secretary. She never expected to be given the chance to carry out a mission for the Royal Saboteurs. She doesn’t like Callahan Kelly from the moment she meets him. But when they’re paired to infiltrate the Irish nationalists, she reluctantly agrees to pose as his wife. Living in close quarters with Callahan isn’t as awful as she expected, and that’s just the problem. The closer they become and the more real the danger surrounding him, the more she realizes she doesn’t ever want to let him go.

A conman hero who stumbles his way into a modicum of respectability. I call this the Han Solo Complex. And then there's the heroine who shows up to do one respectable job (secretary) and finds herself thrust into spy games. It's like if Moneypenny was shoved out into the field (which, come to think of it, happened in the Craig Bond Universe).  Anyway, this looks like it could be fun and Smexy Books has a nice review for it. It's also the start of a new series.

The Viking's Runaway Concubine by Caitlin Crews 

The Viking’s captive 

Bonded by more than chains…? 

Renowned Viking warrior Ulfric can’t stop thinking about his runaway concubine, Eithne. Their powerful connection seared his soul…and still she’d escaped, scarring his face in the process! But now he’s found her. He intends to teach her a lesson, but the white-hot passion between them has only grown hotter, wilder. Is he the one in danger of falling captive to the emotion only Eithne rouses in him…?

Crews also writes as Megan Crane, but under the Crews name I'd say she's best known for her Harlequin Presents work. And just like a Harlequin Presents, this historical sounds like it could go one of two ways. It's either going to be a problematic hot mess or else I'm going to inhale every delicious
word and not come up for air for a few hours. Y'all I love this game!

Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry 

The four McBride brothers have their worlds turned upside down when their precocious younger sister secretly places an advertisement for a mail-order bride. 

Kit McBride knows that Buck's Creek, Montana, is no place to find a wife. Between him and his three brothers—plus little Junebug—they manage all right on their own, thank you very much. But unbeknownst to Kit, his sister is sick to death of cleaning, cooking, and mending for her big brothers, so she places an ad in The Matrimonial News to get them hitched. 

 After Maddy Mooney emigrated from Ireland, she found employment with an eccentric but poor widow. When her mistress decides to answer an ad for a mail-order bride, Madd​y is dragged along for the ride to Montana. But en route to the West, Maddy is suddenly abandoned and left to assume the widow's name, position, and matrimonial prospects…. 

With no other recourse in the wilderness, Maddy must convince Kit she’s the wife he never knew he needed.

I'm going to be honest here - I'm including this book because it's a historical western and if y'all know me - IT'S A HISTORICAL WESTERN!  But, but, but...pretty sure this is going to be a Funny Ha Ha western and y'all - not my favorite. By a long shot. Give me ALL the Will We Survive Winter westerns, Funny Ha Ha? Not so much.  But, it's a western. Which means yes I'll have to try it but yes it's gonna be a library read.  It also appears to be the first book in a new series.  Barry has written a few westerns in the past under the name Tess LeSue.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?