Giving Thanks: Unusual Historicals for November 2025

Just in time for American Thanksgiving, November's cornucopia of Unusual Historicals takes center stage here at the Bat Cave. Enjoy this bounty of thirteen titles now, because December, a notoriously slow month of publishing, is likely to feel like Diet Unusual Historicals in comparison. So have yourself another slice of pumpkin pie and happy browsing. Everyone knows the best kind of Black Friday shopping in book shopping. 

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

1968 New York City

News about the war might be keeping Patrick up at night--news in general might be keeping Patrick up at night--but he's doing fine. He's sure of it. He gets to spend his days selling books in the gayest neighborhood on the East Coast and his nights merrily sleeping his way through the rare book community. But when he takes in a drifter who seems to be hiding something, and his best friend and her newborn move into the apartment upstairs, his life gets turned on its head.

A sleepy little bookstore should be the perfect place for Nathaniel to lie low, waiting for his past to catch up with him, but it turns out Dooryard Books is full of political radicals and anti-war agitators. If the FBI isn't actively surveilling this place, it will be. Nathaniel should go anywhere else. The last thing he expects is to like these subversives. There's a grieving folk musician and her baby--a demon of a child who will only sleep if Nathaniel, of all people, holds her. There's a pair of rabble-rousing teenagers who, upsettingly, seem to be right about everything. And then there's Patrick, who can't walk past anyone who needs his help--and who is perplexingly determined to help Nathaniel.

As the world balances on the precipice of something new and scary and maybe even hopeful, Patrick needs to decide what he's willing to risk for this chaotic new community he's accidentally created. And Nathaniel needs to figure out whether he has a place in this messy, flawed world--and whether he can believe he deserves it.

My apologies to anyone who remembers 1968, but I'm counting this as historical. Hey, the shoe will be on the other foot in 2050 when some author writes a historical romance about two kids falling in love at Lollapalooza. Anyway, I'm digging the found family vibe of this blurb and I can't say no to a New York City setting, especially against the social upheaval of the Vietnam War era. On the pile it goes!

A Literary Liaison by Mihwa Lee

Edgar Marshal Albury, Duke of Lancaster, lives a double life—notorious rake by day, secret romance novelist by night. When the vicious critic E. Lovelace shreds his latest work, he strikes back as "Aengus Steele," launching a literary war that captivates London. But then he meets Elisha Linde, a fierce reformer whose sharp mind and hidden fire make him forget other women exist. He's falling hard for two women—never dreaming they're the same person. When he discovers Elisha's treasonous activities could get her hanged, this pampered duke will risk his title, his fortune, and his neck to save the woman who's made him love again.

Elisha Linde clawed her way from the workhouse to respectability, hiding behind the pen name E. Lovelace to savage London's literary pretensions. Her public feud with pompous author Aengus Steele is delicious revenge against the privileged—until the sinfully handsome Duke of Lancaster unveils the passion she didn’t know she possessed. She should resist his notorious charm, but their verbal sparring ignites something dangerous in her blood. Now her secret life writing seditious pamphlets threatens to destroy everything, and she must choose between her fight for reform or her own happiness.

He's a rake with a secret identity as a novelist and she's the critic with a secret identity for writing seditious pamphlets who has been shredding his work in the press. As the verbal sparring ignites into passion, they have to worry about their mutual secrets bringing everything down around their ears. This is the second book in Lee's The Daring Damsels series and all her books sound amazing. I really need to unearth what I have waiting in my TBR.

The Daring Times of Fern Adair by Cara Devlin

Scarred long ago in a deadly house fire, a sheltered young woman becomes entangled with a dangerous mobster in the electrifying time of 1925 Chicago.

Fern Adair has spent most of her life tucked away in her family’s Chicago home. There, she’s protected from startled stares and uncomfortable questions about the scarred half of her face. But when her parents begin to host elaborate weekly dinners to socialize Fern—and to find her a husband—the refuge of her sheltered life fractures.

Despite her wealth, and her father’s power as a district court judge, no potential suitor looks her way twice. Until one evening, a mysterious stranger takes a seat at the Adair's dinner table.

Calvin Rosetti, older brother and enforcer to one of the city's most dangerous criminal kingpins, doesn't have honorable intentions when it comes to the judge’s scarred daughter. He wants revenge against Fern’s brother, who recently wronged the Rosetti family in an unforgivable way, and Cal plans to use Fern to even the score.

Drawn out of her reclusive life and into Cal's illicit underworld, Fern discovers a side of herself she's never known, proving she is much more than just a pawn to be played. Slowly, she and Cal realize what it is to love someone they shouldn't— and it comes with violent consequences. With Cal's scheme falling apart, and a crucial choice set before them, Fern will come to know what she's capable of, scars and all.

Definite Dark Romance vibes with a scarred heroine playing "princess in the tower" and an enforcer for a crime syndicate looking for revenge against her brother. This one sounds Messy AF but it's also set in 1925 Chicago and I'm just intrigued enough to kind of hate myself.

The Disgraced Knight's Redemption by Ella Matthews

A disgraced warrior…

Torn between duty and desire!

Sir Tristan must win back his honor. His orders from King Edward are simple: seek out the leader of Pwll Du Castle—the unmarried Lady Catrin—and demand she leaves. As Tristan is renowned for his lethal charm and handsome looks, how can she resist? But when the beautiful Welshwoman comes under siege from her covetous neighbor, Tristan finds himself fighting for her! Yet, is it a losing battle? For securing the castle and fulfilling his knightly duty will mean letting Catrin go…

Matthews wraps up her Knights' Missions trilogy with this final book featuring a hero with a mission to evict the heroine from her castle, only to turn around and help her protect her home when a villainous neighbor decides it's time for a siege. I mean, I'm sure all of this will greatly please King Edward...

The Cowboy's Convenient Wife by Carol Arens

A cowboy in London

…and a deal at the altar?

When his English business partner dies, Montana rancher Boone Rawlins becomes guardian of the man’s little girl, and heir to their family property in London. So when a storm destroys the ranch, they cross the Atlantic to start a new life!

Penniless Lady Ambrin is stunned when a real-life cowboy arrives on her doorstep. But she quickly comes to her senses when she discovers her dear brother has left Boone her house—and that he wants to sell it to fund a new farm! Ambrin’s determined to keep her home and her precious niece. Will a convenient marriage be the solution…or a whole new predicament?

Traditional publishers can't give us actual westerns, so instead we apparently need to settle for Americans going across the pond to muck around with those hoity-toity English. At least this time our American is a cowboy hero who heads to England to take over the guardianship of his dead partner's daughter and his property - only to run into the complication of the child's aunt, who isn't all that happy about being evicted from her family home. I mean, some women AMIRITE?!

The Hart's Rest by Sophia Nye

Conan O’Conor has never been more excited about burning bridges. His king’s rivals recently finished construction on a causeway meant to act as a blockade. The mission is simple: create a cover, infiltrate the town, destroy the bridge. Simple. Until Conan lays eyes on the bold and beautiful Alannah.

Alannah nic Lorcan lives to protect her sister. On their own from a young age, she’s had no choice but to guard Emer as they manage their inn–The Hart’s Rest. Men are constantly after Emer, looking to take advantage of her sweet disposition. Fading into the background as she stands guard over Emer, Alannah is rarely a target of their affections. Until a handsome bard comes to stay at the inn.

When the charming Conan propositions her for just one night, Emer pushes Alannah to take advantage of the opportunity and have a little fun. What harm could come of it from one night?

A lot, as it turns out. The longer the bards stay at The Hart’s Rest, the more difficult it becomes to keep Conan at arm’s length. And the more suspicious she becomes of his true purpose in town.

As Conan grows closer to Alannah, he realizes three things. First, he’s falling fast for the brave and clever owner of The Hart’s Rest. Second, keeping his identity a secret is a lot harder when he’s involved with her. And third, if she discovers his plans to destroy the bridge that’s holding up her business, she’ll never forgive him.

This is the fifth book in a series, and I'm super intrigued by this premise. He's posing as a traveling bard with a mission to burn an actual bridge. She's the overlooked proprietress of the local inn whose sole mission is to protect her beautiful and gorgeous younger sister. And yet, this handsome traveling bard is making eyes at her - I mean, what the wha?! What will happen when she finds out he wants to destroy the bridge that's keeping her business afloat?

These Violet Delights by Madeleine Roux

Violet Arden is a burgeoning painter who insists on a life of passion, but scandal is heaped on humiliation at her artistic debut in London. It would be one thing to withstand withering critiques, but the night goes from bad to worse when an illicit affair with her art instructor is exposed. She flees the London limelight to her cousin Emilia Graddock’s country estate, where she plans to leave all thoughts of love in the past where they belong . . . until she comes face-to-face with the man who scorned her paintings in front of her friends and family, Alasdair Kerr.

Alasdair has recently set aside his life of travel to return to his family’s estate— the site of a tragic fire that claimed his cherished father’s life. He’s finally ready to rebuild the home that was lost and step into his role as man of the house. But his rakish younger brother Freddie can’t seem to leave the off-limits Graddock woman alone, and his mother has brought an overbearing clergyman into their home who appears keen to stick around.

Violet is determined to ignore Alasdair, which shouldn’t be difficult considering that their families have been in a long-standing feud . . . if only their attempts to end Emilia and Freddie’s secret relationship would stop bringing them together. And when new fires threaten their safety, Violet and Alasdair reluctantly join forces to uncover the identity of the arsonist. But can they ignore the feelings kindling between them, which are but an ember away from igniting into a full blaze?

She's a painter whose debut goes up in flames more so for the affair she's having with her instructor as opposed to the damning reviews of her work. So off our heroine goes to the country, only to run into our hero who scorned her paintings so openly. He's there to rebuild his family's estate and they both want to thwart the burgeoning relationship between his brother and her cousin. Oh, and arson is afoot. How can they possibly resist each other if they keep getting thrown together? The answer is, of course, they can't. 

How to Court Your Wife by Amanda McCabe

Falling for her husband

…all over again!

When Sandrine was forced to give up her dressmaking dreams to wed Alain, Comte d’Alency, she never expected to fall for her convenient husband at first sight! Only, her hopes were dashed after their wedding night, when she discovered Alain loved another, so she fled…

Years later, Alain encounters his wife again! Now a successful modiste, Sandrine no longer needs him. To make amends and reclaim his runaway wife, he’s determined to give her the courtship they never had. But Alain’s not the only one with a past to reconcile—Sandrine’s also been keeping a little secret…

Exiled thanks to the Revolution, we have a French modiste and the husband who broke her heart, never mind it was an arranged marriage. Anyone want to place odds on if her little secret is a child conceived during their one night together? Or is that the definition of a sucker's bet...

For a Viking's Heart by Laura Strickland 

At the hall of a Scottish chief deep in the western Highlands, a bard sings and plays on his harp, spinning tales to the gathered company. The hour grows late indeed, but his listeners, caught deep in the enchantment woven this night, beg for one more tale. From his heart he tells of a woman so brave and strong that his words, however beautiful, can scarcely do her justice.

Hulda Elvarsdottir is a woman striving to make her way in a man’s world. Devoted to the idea that no man should ever give up his life to defend hers, she has learned to fight and battle in her own right. But when her beloved brother dies while raiding on a Scottish shore, she sets her sights on revenge.

Quarrie MacMurtray’s ancestors have held the settlement on Scotland’s western coast for generations uncounted. He knows his duty is to follow in his father’s footsteps as chief. For him, that means watching the horizon for black sails and spending his life against the Norse, if necessary.

The last thing he expects when he meets the woman who’s come seeking vengeance is to feel an irresistible pull toward her.

Fourth book in a series with the framework of a traveling bard telling stories. This story centers around a beautiful shieldmaiden who sets her sights on revenge against those who killed her brother. That turns out to be the hero, the heir apparent chief of a settlement on Scotland's western coast.

Bedding the Marquess by Kelsey Swanson

Gideon Bray, Marquess of Swanleigh, has always been a rake—a reckless, charming scoundrel never meant for happily-ever-afters. Yet, behind his careless smile lies a man scarred by neglect, and desperate for the family he was denied. Only one woman has ever seen past the mask: Caroline Wells, his dearest friend and the lone female in his notorious circle of comrades.

Cast out by both her family and Society after a youthful scandal, Caroline long ago learned to live by her own rules. Gideon stood by her, offering his loyalty when the rest of the world turned its back. But when one night of unbridled passion shatters this boundary between them, Gideon shocks them both with an offer of marriage, though neither of them knows quite how to transform years of friendship into the intimacy of husband and wife.

As they navigate a marriage of fiery attraction, Gideon locates Oliver, the half-brother he’s sought for decades. At last, the dream of family feels within his reach. But shadows cling to Oliver’s past…and enemies soon strike at the women the brothers cherish most.

Third book in the Spy Society series and THE HEROINE IS RUINED! At least she better be truly ruined. I can't handle another "ruined" heroine who is still somehow magically a virgin because her "ruination" was all just some silly misunderstanding. The hero is one of her only true friends, and imagine the shock when one night of passion leads to him...proposing marriage? What the deuce?

When He Was a Duke by Tess Thompson

Once, Sebastian Ashford was a duke's son—until his father's hanging stripped him of his name, his home, and his future. Branded by scandal and hardened by war, Sebastian returns to England with a single mission: uncover the truth behind his family's ruin. Disguised as a humble gardener, he infiltrates the estate of the very man he suspects of orchestrating it all.

Lady Rose Wentworth knows her place in Society—but that place is a prison. Raised in luxury yet suffocated by duty, she dreams of a life beyond her father's control. Now, she's being forced into marriage with a ruthless baron twenty years her senior—a match designed to secure power, not happiness. When she meets the new gardener, she's drawn to his quiet strength and piercing gaze—unaware that he's the enemy her family helped create.

As their forbidden romance deepens, Sebastian and Rose must choose between loyalty and desire, vengeance and redemption. But in a world where titles define worth and secrets can destroy everything, loving him could cost them their lives.

A Regency romance of slow-burn longing, forbidden attraction, hidden identities, and the intoxicating thrill of enemies becoming lovers.

A Duke's son who lost everything when his Daddy met the wrong end of a hangman's noose. Now he's back home, disguising himself as a gardener, to dig up dirt (ha!) on the man he thinks is responsibility. Instead he falls for the man's sheltered daughter, desperate to escape her father's gilded case. 

Snowbound Regency Christmas by Carla Kelly, Joanna Johnson and Samantha Hastings

Three snow-kissed Regency romances

In one festive volume!

In A Christmas Houseguest by Carla Kelly, when a snowstorm stops their mailcoach, Rosie offers a fellow passenger sanctuary at her farm. War-weary from the navy, Andy will find his Christmas angel hard to leave…

In Their Yuletide Reunion by Joanna Johnson, rejecting Lieutenant Fitzjames’s proposal is Jane’s greatest regret. Now, her future is in peril. Until an unexpected Christmas invitation leads to a second chance!

In The Christmas Husband Charade by Samantha Hastings, Devin finds himself snowed in with Julia—the woman who jilted his brother! When he is forced to masquerade as her husband, their mutual hatred evolves into an irresistible connection…

I know, the Regency era is typically not "unusual" but this one makes the cut thanks to two military heroes - one of which is written by Carla Kelly. This looks like a great option for a little Chistmas Eve reading.

Twelve Days to Win a Count by Alessandra Alma

After her father’s death, Esperanza discovers her inheritance rests in the hands of an elusive Spanish count. Desperate for money, she leaves a war torn Puerto Rico to claim what is hers. But when she arrives in Spain on Christmas Day, she’s given an impossible condition: she must marry by her twenty-first birthday, which falls on Three Kings Day, or become a nun. With only twelve days to find a husband, Esperanza is urged by her mother to charm the count. In her efforts to seduce him, she works as his secretary. Esperanza’s plans are complicated when he hires a matchmaker, forcing her to choose between following her heart or securing a practical match.

With his mother gone to Barcelona and no one to manage the estate, Don Pedro is under pressure to either hire a capable housekeeper or marry his mother’s choice for a bride. Determined to avoid an unwanted match, he hires a matchmaker. He is caught off guard when a beautiful sugar heiress arrives at his doorstep… and somehow ends up in his care. Can he find a suitable bride without falling for his spirited new secretary? Or will thematchmaker arrange a match before time runs out and she marries someone else?

Every month there's usually at least one book written by an author I know nothing about, and here we are. A heroine who leaves Puerto Rico to travel to Spain to claim an inheritance that has a complicated provision attached to it. Amazon has this listed at just over 200 pages and this blurb has a lot going on in it - but I'm definitely intrigue enough to read a sample.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Library Loot Review: A Murderous Business

I cut my reading teeth on mystery and suspense novels. While other girls were reading about those pretty Sweet Valley High bitches, I was thwarting bad guys with Nancy Drew. From there I graduated to Mary Higgins Clark, Victoria Holt and Barbara Michaels. But my true loves? Sue Grafton and Marcia Muller. To this day I am utter trash for lady private detectives and the more competent they are? The harder I fall. So when I read Azteclady's recent review for A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau, I leveraged my library card and snapped it right up.

It's New York City in 1912. The Titanic disaster is all over the newspapers and everyone seems to agree that ladies have no business running companies. Such is the life of Margot Baxter Harriman, who took over the running of the family business, B&H Foods, after her father died. Between her father's well-meaning associates (now her employees) and the board of directors, Margot spends just as much time trying to convince them of her worth, skill and knowledge as she does in the actual running of the company. And running the company is what she's doing when she shows up at the office early one morning to collect some documents, only to find Mrs. Gilroy, her father's long-time devoted and former assistant, dead.  Next to Mrs. Gilroy's body? A half finished note, addressed to Margot, implying that there are shenanigans happening at the company - shenanigans that are hurting people and that Mrs. Gilroy's conscience can't take it any more. The company and Margot's good name would be lost if these vague allegations are true. The scandal would be too much. So she pockets the note before calling the police, who rule Mrs. Gilroy's death as natural causes, although the whole thing seems hinky enough to them that they start sniffing around.  What Margot needs is a private investigator, a very discreet one.

Who she gets is Loretta "Rett" Mancini, a young woman running (and covering) for her father who has gotten increasingly agitated and forgetful of late. When Margot offers her the job of investigating B&H Foods, Rett jumps at the offer.

Readers say all the time they love competent characters, but what I've noticed over the years is that they're not easy to write. Authors can sometimes confuse competent with perfect - and y'all perfect is boring as hell. Nobody wants to read about perfect, it makes for a dull story. Neither Margot nor Rett are perfect in the sense that they have challenges. Besides being women running businesses, they're both lesbians. 1912 is not safe for them by any stretch of the imagination. They have very few rights as women (hell, they can't even vote yet), and homosexuality is a crime. But these women are smart and intuitive without being insufferably perfect know-it-alls. They're the type of women I'd want to be friends with. 

The other great thing about this book? The mystery. Y'all I have been out here in these suspense streets for many years and while I read all manner of books within the genre, I'll admit I do get burnt out on serial killers and violence against women. The shenanigans that Mrs. Gilroy's half-finished note implies are directly tied to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the increased enforcement of that law. The implication being that B&H Foods is cutting corners and that people are getting sick. The question being, who what and how. That's what Margot and Rett need to find out before a scandal erupts and Margot loses everything. 

There is a faint whiff of romance in this story, but not between Rett and Margot. Rett's in a committed relationship and Margot has a dalliance (will it turn into something more in future books?) with an acquaintance of Rett's who helps them out while on the case. 

This read like a breath of fresh air to me. Dynamic, interesting and competent heroines, a well-drawn setting, and a well-thought out compelling mystery that didn't feel like a tired retread of plots we've seen a million times before. I sank right into this and am crossing my fingers we get more Harriman and Mancini adventures.

Final Grade = B

#TBRChallenge 2025: The Bikini Car Wash

 The Book: The Bikini Car Wash by Pamela Morsi

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, 2010, Mira, Out of print, self-published reprint 2020, very loosely connected series, The Business Between Us.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I discovered Morsi through her Americana historical romances and like a lot of historical romance authors, she eventually moved over into contemporary settings. This was one I didn't have in my print TBR, but several years ago I think the digital edition was discounted, which is how it ended up on my Kindle. 

The Review: Pamela Morsi passed away in December 2024 and y'all we lost a frickin' queen. She had a way of writing "cozy" without ignoring harsh realities in her romances, and this book illustrates that perfectly. It's a small town romance that feels cozy and connected, but the author acknowledges the elephant in the room, which is small town living is not all idealized roses and bonbons. 

Andrea "Andi" Wolkowicz had a well-paying corporate job she loved in Chicago but she quits and promptly moves back to her small hometown of Plainview after her mother unexpectedly passes away. Her parents were a great love match, her father is now retired living on a small pile of savings, and is the sole caregiver to her developmentally disabled twin sister, Angela AKA "Jelly." Unfortunately the economy has taken a downturn, and jobs are hard to come by in the area - a lot of folks are out of work, including Andi. After losing out on a part-time job that she was grossly over-qualified for at the local grocery store, Andi is at a low ebb - until she learns that the her father still owns the building where he ran his car wash business for many years.  After her original idea for a drive-thru coffee shop runs afoul of local zoning ordinances, and a villain on the town council, she decides to reopen it as a car wash. The problem is she doesn't have the money to modernize, so she needs a gimmick. Something to get people to show up and pay a little more. That's when she hits upon the idea to hire women and The Bikini Car Wash is born.

Needless to say, women wearing bikinis and washing cars is not met with enthusiasm by all the good townsfolk, but Andi does have one ally on her side - Pete Guthrie. Pete runs the town grocery store, a family business he took over from his father, who he has a strained relationship with. His father never thought anything Pete did was good enough, and that has carried over now that Pete is running a business he's trying to save. The economy being the way it is, his prices being undercut by corporate competitors, anything that will get more traffic into downtown Plainview is a good thing in his opinion. Also, Andi's ability to fill out a tiny red bikini has not gone unnoticed by him.

The dance around Andi and Pete gets off to a rocky start because they went to high school together. Pete was Mr. Popular and kind of a jerk. Andi being a nerd and her sister's disability led to few friends and a fair amount of teasing (bullying feels like too strong a word here - but teenage boys have a gift for being jerks, and that's what Pete was back in the day). Adding to the complication is that Andi had a crush on Pete, and time has only made him more attractive. Also, he's grown-up. Seriously y'all, Pete is a genuinely nice guy but escapes Gary Stu territory because he has some edges to him.

Oh, and did I mention it's Pete's father who does everything in his power to thwart Andi's plans and leads the charge to shut down the Bikini Car Wash? This guy is a very realistic villain, one who suffers from Big Fish, Little Pond Syndrome, who thinks he's Big Man on Campus, and rules over the town with a manipulative iron fist. And just to make him more odious? He's a notorious womanizer who hasn't been faithful to his wife a day of their marriage - an open secret everyone in the town is aware of, which probably explains why Pete's mom has spent retirement avoiding her husband by traveling the globe.

Original cover

This is a curious mix of women's fiction and contemporary romance. The Andi/Pete romance is a main plot thread, but there's a lot of "small town shenanigans" bookending it with a wealth of secondary characters who get page time. I wasn't entirely enamored with the storyline involving Andi's widower father's romance but the two women who work with Andi at the car wash are great, as is the "executive secretary" that Pete's Dad has been using and stringing along since their college days. And Jelly? I'm happy to report that her disability is treated respectfully and she's not shoved into a "mystical oracle" box to serve the story, teaching the non-disabled characters "life lessons" along the way. Jelly has a way of cutting to the heart of a matter when her sister or another character overly complicates the issue, but she's mainly there to round out the story. Also, I'll admit, I loved her obsession with Law & Order. The original, none of that SVU crap. She religiously watches the show and speaks in L&O lingo at times, which this fan found humorous. Also, she's not wrong. Mike Logan is a hothead and I didn't like ADA Serena Southerlyn as much either.

Honestly, it's one of the better small town romances I've read in a while. It doesn't ignore the realities of small town life (struggling economies, less opportunity, busybodies all up in your damn business...) but still retains that cozy charm that Morsi was so well known for. Also, and this cannot be overstated, I inhaled this single title in two greedy gulps. Never, ever discount good world-building. 

Final Grade = B

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is November 19

Our next #TBRChallenge is set for Wednesday, November 19 and this month's optional theme is Change of Plans. 

This one came out of last year's annual theme survey, and it really is a great one. You can spin this one off in several different directions and the vast majority of romances can fit in here somewhere. I mean, how many books are out there where a character's life isn't going exactly according to plan?  Some suggestions to help you dig through your TBR piles include: job/career crossroads, sudden custody of kid(s), time travel, death in the family, accident, dystopia, left at the altar etc.

Y'all it's NOVEMBER! I mean, how did that happen when 2025 has felt like the longest year ever? That means it's time to start thinking ahead to the 2026 #TBRChallenge. The theme poll for next year is now open, so put those thinking caps on and help a girl out yo 😂.  Sign-ups for 2026 will start sometime early December.

Review: The Wife Deserved It

I love novellas, but fully acknowledge and recognize they're tricky to pull off - especially in suspense. The author has to successfully build the tension, twists, red herrings, all the stuff that makes a great suspense novel and convincingly deliver it in a smaller package. A couple things working in Darby Kane's favor with The Wife Deserved It are her background in romance (where she wrote a handful of novellas along with short, snappy Harlequin Intrigues under her other name, HelenKay Dimon) and her background as a lawyer specializing in contested custody cases.  All this to say that she probably didn't have to go deep into her imagination to come up with the idea for this book, and boy howdy, it's a humdinger.

Reid Cavanagh thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. He's fit, he's handsome and he's also a narcissistic, whiny man baby who has decided that tonight is the night he's going to murder his wife, Anna. Anna, who has "unrealistic" expectations about family, money, and a white picket fence life who is now dragging him through a divorce that is all her fault. Because certainly it's not HIS fault. Well, he's had enough. He's been laying the groundwork for weeks and tonight is the night.  However once he's inside his former home, stalking his wife, cracks in his perfect plan start to show. It's not going exactly how he expected and then the bomb goes off. Everything Reid thought he knew, everything he planned for, yeah turns out Reid doesn't know shit. 

This story is only 117 pages long and the audiobook is a speedy 2.5 hours. To give anymore details or say anything more about the story is a giant honking spoiler. Half the fun is the twist Kane throws in as Reid is stalking through his former home, in the dark, with rain pouring down outside. The tension starts on page one and doesn't let up for the entirety of the story. And the dialogue? Fantastic. It's more than a little satisfying to hear Reid get verbally slapped over the course of this story because Good Lord this guy is the Literal. Worst. That's what I tend to like about Kane's stories - disgusting, vile characters tend to get exactly what's coming to them and no, they don't fail up. It's bloody refreshing as I do my 1000 mile stare into our current hellscape timeline. 

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook and a word on that edition - it's a dual narrator extravaganza and I'm old school when it comes to audiobooks (I started listening back in the days of cassettes - excuse me while my bones crumble to dust). I just don't care for dual narrators, which seems to be the trend du jour these days. Eva Kaminsky is fine but I wasn't that wild about Johnathan McClain. To be fair, the character of Reid is angry and indignant for the entire story - and anger is hard to read convincingly. McClain tries, but it came off sounding strained and forced to me. He's not horrible, so it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story and as with all things audiobook narrators - mileage gonna vary.  Still, I would have much preferred to read this one I think, but I wasn't about to look a gift advanced copy of an audio edition in the mouth, so here we are.

I really liked this one a lot and I think even folks who aren't wild about novellas should give it a whirl because Kane keeps it tight and tense. It was perfect at this length, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything, no dangling threads or I wish we got more of this or that. Just what the doctor ordered for my flailing reading mojo.

Final Grade = B+

#TBRChallenge 2026 Theme Poll

As a Romancelandia institution, the TBR Challenge has been around since the mid-2000s and I picked up hosting duties in 2011 - which means, doing the math, that 2026 will be my 15th year hosting. Where has the time gone? Along with all my spoons? A mystery to be sure. But yes, I fully plan to host again next year because, if nothing else, it causes my sense of duty to kick in and forces me to finish reading a book ever month out of the labyrinth maze that is my TBR.

I hope all of you are considering joining me again because if wasn't for you all, I probably would have chucked hosting a few years back. I was facing burnout because life, and then someone (sorry, I can't recall who!) gave me the brilliant suggestion to ask Romancelandia for theme ideas - and here we are.  I've taken suggestions for Challenge themes for the last several years and it's honestly been one of the smarter moves I've made. Y'all seem to outdo yourselves every year and outside of the occasional tweaking to make a theme more "broad" - every single monthly theme has been an anonymous suggestion coming in from the poll (I don't retain email addresses). 

So if you're interested in participating in the 2026 TBR Challenge, and hey, even if you're not, please consider putting those thinking caps on and submitting some theme suggestions for next year.  I'll shoot to the keep the poll open through November, with sign-ups for next year's Challenge happening sometime early December.

Fill out the #TBRChallenge 2026 Theme Suggestions poll.