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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 . . .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Far too many of these, as usual!
ReplyDeleteHarlequin Historicals: I dream of a group of these authors joining forces, hiring a couple of freelance editors and cover designers for the group, an assistant/marketing person, set up a website, and sell their work as a cooperative.
(and I say this knowing some indie publishers that started this way have imploded, but fuck it, I hate that many of these authors just don't want to have to learn to be a full fucking publisher, and they shouldn't fucking have to,. And as much as DragonBlade seems to have taken over the historicals indie market, some authors have had poor experiences with them. /rant)