Publishing, she's a fickle mistress. Some months are a bonanza for unusual historicals, see August 2022 which had 7 titles (7!) that caught my eye. September 2022? Just three. At least the lighter months slow down the exponential growth of Ye Olde TBR - that's something right?
Claiming the warriorFor one night of pleasure!When Glynnis had to make a noble marriage, Iain Mackenzie Cameron’s illegitimacy stood in the way. She married another—but now she’s returned to the clan a widow, and Iain is an assured warrior, the chieftain’s heir. Glynnis would make him a more than suitable bride—except for her inability to produce heirs. Iain must marry elsewhere…but only after she claims one precious impassioned night with him!
This book immediately jumped up several spots in my TBR queue after finishing the previous book in the series, The Highlander's Inconvenient Bride, just last week. Glynnis was featured prominently in that story, assigned to the heroine betrothed to the future laird to help get her settled in, make her feel at home etc. Glynnis was not an evil other woman in that book but she was seen as something of a paragon, the type of heroine raised from the cradle to make the ideal nobleman's wife. And wouldn't you know it? She's in love with the guy born on the wrong side of the blanket. I'm expecting a lot of pining and angst and OMG CANNOT WAIT!
She’s rescued a knightNow she needs the favor returned…When widowed Lady Johanne happens upon an injured knight, she sees an opportunity to form an alliance and protect her home, Castle Brae, from her enemies. The betrothal she proposes might be merely for appearances, but the very real attraction between her and Sir Alewyn thrills and disturbs her. For it’s clear he’s hiding something…Can she trust him with so much at stake?
Nothing gets me from the jump quite like a resourceful historical romance heroine. The kind of gal who is very much aware of how the world operates around her and finds a way to circumvent those challenges. In other words, I like sneaky, resourceful heroines. And Lady Johanne here sounds right up my alley. There are enemies. Her home is threatened. So naturally when she stumbles across an injured knight she sees a potential solution to her problems. This is the third book in The King's Knights series.
Countess of Scandal by Amanda McCabe (Reprint)
As children, Eliza Blacknall and William Denton ran wild over the fields of southern Ireland and swore they would be friends forever. Then fate took Will away to England, while Eliza stayed behind to become a proper Irish countess.Years later, Will finally makes his way home-as an English soldier sent to crush the Irish uprising. When he spies the lovely Eliza, he is captivated by the passionate woman she has become. But Eliza's passions have led her to join the Irish rebel cause, and Will and Eliza now find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous conflict.When Ireland explodes in bloody rebellion, Will's regiment is ordered to the front lines, and he is forced to choose between his duty to the English king and his love for Eliza and their Irish homeland.
This former RITA finalist was originally published by Hachette in 2010 under McCabe's Laurel McKee pseudonym and is the first book in her Daughters of Erin series. Set in Ireland in the late 18th century, y'all need to ignore the fact that Amazon has this currently listed under subject headings for Victorian and Regency (Go home Amazon, you're drunk. Also time periods and eras should actually mean something...) Ahem, anyway. An Irish hero who leaves behind a childhood sweetheart and comes home to quash a rebellion in the name of the enemy while the heroine is on the other side of the fence. My own personal catalog (yes, I'm a nerd) tells me I have a print copy of this buried somewhere in the TBR Mountain Range of Doom. It's probably past time for me to unearth it.
What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?
2 comments:
Okay, so now, I'm looking forward to all three of these, thank you (my TBR can now be seen from Alpha Centauri)
I do like Terri Brisbin and I have been wanting to read more category historicals as they tend to be set in times and settings regular novels don't seem to have anymore. Its all boring regency haha
Post a Comment