Review: Reunited With His Long-Lost Nurse

Y'all, my reading mojo has been in the toilet for well over a month now. I'm getting TBR Challenge books read and I've gotten through an audiobook, but I'm not reading. Why? Fatigue, not having the spoons, torn with indecisiveness of what to read next - I mean, it's a lot of things. But I miss reading and I need to kick start my mojo somehow, so I thought a category romance might be in order. When I find a decent one I can inhale the story in one sitting, which is what happened with Reunited With His Long-Lost Nurse by Charlotte Hawkes.  This is Harlequin Medical I dug up from the depths of my Kindle and it is hardly perfect, but it was readable so I'm counting it as a win.

Liam Miller is on his way to the fictional Caribbean island of St. Victoria to take over a case from a heart surgeon who has been laid up thanks to an accident. The only reason he's going is because of his dedication to his work and ensuring patients get the best care possible, otherwise he'd avoid St. Victoria like the plague. It's her home. Nurse Talia Johnson. The woman who breathed color and life into his empty existence when they worked together in North Carolina, only for him to come home one day to find she had ghosted him. Poof! Gone. No call, no note, nada.

Talia returned home for "reasons" (it takes some time to find out why) and I feel some kind of way about folks who ghost lovers, but when you meet Liam you understand. This guy might as well have a neon sign blinking over his head that screams "Emotionally Unavailable." Liam isn't the one who got away so much as he was the one that was never hers to begin with, even though she was in love with him.  Nope, this guy is an emotional black hole. Doesn't believe in love. Thinks he's damaged beyond repair. Why? Daddy, of course. Liam's mother died in childbirth and from the cradle Daddy took his grief out on his son.  

The conflict in this story is all internal and, while highly emotional, it's one of those stories where if Talia just told Liam why she had to rush home and that part of why she left is because he's emotionally vacant - well, this story would have been 50 pages long. Which means we get some talking in circles and repetition. The author infuses a decent sense of place, and pours on some medical jargon (honestly, heavier than I've read in most Medicals) but it boils down to this - Liam is emotionally unavailable and needs therapy, Talia should probably have slapped him and said, "Come find me when you want to stop punishing yourself." 

Does this sound heartless of me? Probably. And yet still I zipped through the story. Hawkes can certainly bring the sexy times and while I found the internal conflict a little tedious at the start, it becomes more emotionally charged by the end.  That said, it all felt too long and drawn out, and Medicals are roughly the same length as Harlequin Presents (under 200 pages) - so, yeah.

This is fourth and final book in The Island Clinic multi-author continuity series and it stands alone amazingly well. I didn't fall in love but I kept turning the pages and I read it in one sitting, only coming up for air when I couldn't ignore the need for dinner any longer. There was enough on the page here that I'd read this author again.

Final Grade = C+

Review: Treachery on Tenth Street

I finished Treachery on Tenth Street, the third book in Kate Belli's Gilded Gotham historical mystery series weeks ago. As in, early July sometime and y'all I just haven't had the spoons to do much of anything involving my longtime hobby (reading, blogging...) lately. But since I blogged about the first two in the series and I'm about halfway through the final book in the series, well the completist in me started getting twitchy so here we are.

This is a tale of two stories for me.  There were parts of it I really liked and parts of it that fell flat. Society reporter, Genevieve Stewart, and her partner in crime, Five Points gang member turned a member of the Astor 400, Daniel McCaffrey, become embroiled in the murder of artist's model Beatrice Holler at the behest of Genevieve's friend Callie Maple. Callie was once a society girl like Genevieve, but she and her grandmother fell on hard times through a series of bad investments. Once grandma died, Callie, citing needing some time alone to figure out her life, slipped into the ether, only to return as an artist's model and wealthy man's mistress. She knew Beatrice casually through their social circle and the police, despite the woman being found with her throat slit, are saying her death was accidental. 

Genevieve and Daniel are still recovering from the events and trauma that happened in the first two books, but Callie is a friend and Genevieve smells a story. The police cover-up boggles the mind until they learn why it's happening. Beatrice isn't the only victim and they want to quell rumors that Jack the Ripper has left London and has set up shop in New York City.

The setting driving this story forward is really different and interesting - the art scene in late 19th century New York and the women within that community living, what would be seen, as very unconventional, even scandalous lives. On top of that it's summer in New York and an infernal heat wave is gripping the city. Unfortunately it's all wrapped up in a rather pedestrian serial killer plot with some uneven pacing. I'll admit, after the more imaginative suspense threads in the first two books, a serial killer feels rather passé. It takes a while for the plot to find it's footing and once we land on Coney Island I was getting bored for something, anything to happen. Luckily it does in Coney Island, and it's rather shocking - but fitting given we're working with a serial killer plot.

Unfortunately the denouement didn't entirely work for me. We get the ol' unhinged and "crazy" culprit, which doesn't fit entirely with that character's actions preceding in the earlier chapters. I don't like to compare one book by an author to another, but frankly that's hard not to do when you're talking about a series, and this one just lacks some of the more compelling juice I found in the first two entries.

That being said, the backdrop of this story is very interesting, the Daniel/Genevieve romance takes a major step forward, and at this point I'm so invested in the world and characters things would have to seriously run off the rails for me to hate this. It wasn't as compelling for me as the first two but it does move things forward and I didn't hesitate to grab the final book in the series.

Final Grade = B-

Hotter Than the 4th of July: Unusual Historicals for July 2025

My apologies for getting this month's Unusual Historicals post up at the 11th hour - July is always a busy time for me, but even more so this year because I celebrated a milestone birthday with a sisters trip to New York City where I wrecked my feet and back, ate lots of delicious food (Katz's = worth the line), saw a very funny play (highly recommend The Play That Goes Wrong), successfully navigated the subway and did a bunch of sightseeing.  Then, of course, it was back to The Day Job and my terrible no-good reading slump that I am determined to bust out of before the summer ends. Also waiting for me? Another lengthy list (yippee!) of unusual historicals - great for readers, not so great for my waning energy levels to sit down and write words. But, Dear Blog Readers, I do this for you. And also, historical romance.  Grab a snack and cold beverage, it's time to dig in.

The Paradise Petition by Carolyn Brown

Daisy Lindberg and Lily Boyle traded a colorful past for a fresh start as seamstresses in Autrie, Texas, and their aim to spark a women’s rights movement is raising eyebrows among the town’s dumbfounded men. But among the ladies? Tired of being treated like possessions, they have two words: Amen, sister!

Beulah, a sassy shop owner as formidable as a cannon shot, is on board. So is Alma, a timid preacher’s wife who hit her breaking point. Before long, a courageous female posse has a liberating petition of demands. Surprisingly, they also have an empathetic ear in sheep rancher Matt Maguire, who’s as keen on women’s independence as he is on Lily.

As Daisy and Lily make waves in the small town, their secrets threaten to come out. But they haven’t traveled this far to let their past define them. In fact, with love and the forging of new lives on the line, they’ve never felt more defiant.

Brown's first historical in roughly 20 years (published by Amazon Montlake) is a prequel, of sorts, to her contemporary Paradise series which is launching with Sourcebooks in August. I know, two different publishers - I find that telling in our current historical romance landscape.  Anyway, Brown has written a metric ton of books and sometimes her folksy charm works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. I'm a sucker for a heroine with a "reputation" and this one features two of them. The blurb leans a bit historical women's fiction but I'm hoping Matt Maguire is suitable romance hero material.

Alliance with Her Renegade Knight by Lissa Morgan

The knight’s target…

Becomes his greatest desire!

From the moment wool merchant Isolda catches sight of Sir Henry, she senses a powerful bond. But the vigilante knight is tracking down the person penning seditious poems exposing corruption…poems she secretly wrote!

Henry is torn after discovering Isolda’s hidden identity, especially as he sympathizes with her cause. When Isolda’s apprentice is murdered, Henry joins forces with her, hiding out in his manor, where passions run high! Yet after the traumatic death of his family, Henry can’t let Isolda breach the walls around his heart. Still, he must find a way to earn her trust—their lives depend on it!

Morgan's latest medieval is set during the early years of the Wars of the Roses and the Rout of Ludford Bridge, and those circumstances find out heroine writing poems exposing corruption, which obviously will just not do. Enter our hero, a knight tasked with ferreting the poet out, only to fall in love with her instead.

A Desire Unbidden by Elisabeth Greythorn

He was an officer, a commander, the son of an Earl. She was a child of the French Revolution, taken from her home to serve the British army.

But love doesn’t follow orders.

When Christine Fournier is forced to serve as a camp follower, survival becomes her only goal—until she crosses paths with Acting Lieutenant Colonel George Ashford. Stern, duty-bound, and far above her station, he should have remained indifferent. But war softens rules, and something in her defiance sparks a desire that neither of them can resist.

What begins as reluctant fascination ignites into something raw and volatile—fed by her fearless longing and his silent denial. But when their passion leads to consequences they can’t ignore, George is torn between duty to his family and the woman he cannot forget. Christine must now decide how much of herself she’s willing to give to a man who may never truly be hers.

From the muddy war camps of southern France to the glittering drawing rooms of London, A Desire Unbidden is a sweeping, sensual tale of longing and passion—of love tested by duty, pride, and impossible choices.

He's the son of an Earl serving in the British army during the Napoleonic War. She's French and forced to serve as a camp follower and war makes unlikely bedfellows that lead to complications. Amazon is listing this at nearly 400 pages so I'm expecting drama and sweeping saga in this debut.

Bad Luck Bride by Laura Lee Guhrke

Third time’s a charm? For Lady Kay Matheson, it had better be. Her first engagement was a failed elopement; the second ruined by gossip about the first. Resigned to be a disgraced spinster, no one is more surprised than Kay when an American millionaire offers for her hand. Just when she’s convinced she will finally make it down the aisle, the scoundrel who broke her heart arrives with his own fiancée.

Devlin Sharpe has finally become a success. He has wealth, connections, and a lovely bride-to-be—and he won’t let an old flame derail all his hard work. But it turns out time has not dampened his grudge toward Kay—or the desire sparking between them. And one searing kiss threatens to ruin their wedding plans and their futures, and make Kay the bad-luck bride all over again.

The third book in Guhrke's Scandal at the Savoy series finds our unlucky in love heroine inexplicably engaged for a third time to an American millionaire, only to have her first engagement, the failed elopement, show back up on the scene at the most inopportune time (oh honey, they always do). Oh, and he's also engaged. This back cover description features shades of something that Guhrke has done very well in the past - and that is writing adversarial couples. When she nails it, it's pure magic.    

This Much Is True by Vivienne Lorret

Althea Hartley has lost her spark. As the youngest daughter of an eccentric family, playwrighting is in her blood. But two failed Seasons have left her disenchanted. In desperate need of inspiration, she takes matters into her own hands by creating a tale of a dashing highwayman. What could possibly go wrong?

But her stories prove to be a little too true for the actual highwayman living beneath the tons’ nose.

Jasper Trueblood, Viscount St. James, needs to put an end to the bewitching Miss Hartley’s incriminating tales. Society can never suspect that he isn’t the clumsy oaf he pretends to be. Or that, under the cover of darkness, he greets scoundrels and lightens their purses. Not too much. Just enough to keep those closest to him safe from his menacing uncle.

Then sparks fly when this unlikely pair meets one perfect night. And while she is eager to unmask him, he is determined to stay hidden. But there’s no denying the chemistry that neither of them are able to resist…

The only thing for certain is that Thea needs to guard her heart before the highwayman steals it.

She's a playwright whose latest work is about a dashing highwayman. He's an actual highwayman who discovers her play hits a little too close to the truth - which frankly will not do. The third book in Lorret's The Liar's Club series is a riff on the ever popular Scarlet Pimpernel trope.

One Secret Away from Ruin by Joanna Johnson

Trusting him means…

Risking a scandal!

Alicia Sanderson is keeping a secret that could ruin her family. She’s harboring both her sister and her sister’s illegitimate daughter…and their dastardly brother can never find out. So when Alicia is caught by handsome Colonel Brook Beaumont, she pretends the child is hers!

After being honorably discharged from the army, injured Brook’s struggling to find his place in Society. Helping Alicia find the child’s father is a welcome distraction. But believing Alicia still loves the man, Brook hides his growing attraction to her. As the secrets between them mount, can the truth of their desire win out?

Johnson's latest for Harlequin Historical features a heroine determined to protect her sister and niece from their odious brother, which leads to a teensy, tiny lie told to our hero, recently discharged from the army - that the child is actually hers and she needs help tracking down the father. But complications ensue when he starts to fall in love with her.

Holding on for a Hero by Lily Harlem

She’s a fearsome shield-maiden.

He’s a virgin Highlander.

And neither of them is ready for what comes next.

Astrid Rhalson sails hard, fights harder, and loves on her own terms, if she bothers loving at all. Feared across the Northlands as a legendary shield-maiden, she’s loud, lethal, and loyal only to her Viking kin. Men either run from her or worship her. And she prefers it that way.

So when a storm strands her on the foreign, Christian shores of Lothlend, the last thing she expects is a Highlander with honor in his eyes and heat in his veins.

Hamish MacCallum has lived a life of discipline, devoted to his village, his God, and his purity. But the moment he sees Astrid, flame-haired, battle-scarred, and unlike any woman he’s ever imagined, his resolve crumbles. She’s wild. Dangerous. Irresistible.

And when she catches him spying on her... things get messy. And very, very hot.

Now trapped in close quarters, one will push boundaries and the other will learn exactly how much pleasure sin can bring. Because when a Viking meets a virgin Highlander, the rules of war, and love, are made to be broken.

Y'all I am trash for Viking Shieldmaidens and if you team them up with a virgin hero - well, I'm a mere mortal. This is the second book in the Vikings Rock series and is being marketed as steamy.

Hastily Wed to the Duke by Sadie King

“I’ll marry the next eligible lady

…who walks through the door!”

After the death of his dissolute older brother, Dr. Ted Scott’s grief is twofold, for he’d rather remain a physician than become the new Duke of Falstone. Reluctantly he must now do his duty and find a bride—whoever that might be!

Charlotte Pearson only has herself to blame that she’s still on the shelf, living with her unpleasant mother after a failed elopement, so Ted’s impulsive proposal is impossible to refuse. He’s clear their marriage is purely for convenience—but that doesn’t address the fact that he needs an heir!

He's a doctor who never expected to become a Duke and she's an on the shelf spinster after a failed elopement. Of course these two crazy kids are going to enter into a marriage of convenience and of course they're going to get more than they bargained for.

An Earl's Sacrifice by Kathy L. Wheeler

A ruined earl. A fierce reformer. A village steeped in secrets—and a marriage forged in treachery.

Lucius Oshea, the new Earl of Pender, returns to Cornwall burdened by scandal and haunted by his father’s sins—only to find his estranged wife knee-deep in restoring the castle he once abandoned. But beneath the surface of the Penhalwick tin mines lies a legacy of betrayal, corruption, and death—one that threatens his family’s name and the future of everyone under his care.

Meredith Jepson-Oshea, daughter of the ruthless Duke of Rathbourne, hides a fire behind her a well-honed composure. Reviled in the village for her husband’s past neglect, she fights back with unrelenting resolve—secretly championing the women and children ensnared by the mine’s cruelty. And she will stop at nothing to protect them… even if it means confronting the very man who broke her heart.

Their union, arranged in childhood by ambitious fathers, was rooted in greed and shattered by lies. Now, as long-buried secrets rise and powerful enemies close in, Lucius and Meredith must navigate a treacherous path of deception, desire, and dangerous loyalties.

Not a marriage in trouble so much as a disaster from the word go. He's ruined and she's a reformer determined to help the village's women and children, which is proving tough since everyone hates the hero's, you know her husband's, guts. Secrets, treachery, Cornwall, TIN MINES! Oh, and it's part of Dragonblade's Flame line, so we should also be getting some steamy sexy times. This is the third book in the Clandestine Sapphire Society series.

The Doctor and the Duchess by Karyn Gerrard

A runaway duchess desperate to heal her damaged soul.

The recent discovery that he is the illegitimate son of an infamous duke has turned Doctor Drew Hornsby’s life upside down. Adopted at age ten by Viscount Hawkestone, Drew left his impoverished life behind, but he never forgot his roots. Now, as a physician, the memory of his late mother drives him to assist those in need. But he’s not the only one…

Selena Seaton Woodhouse, the Duchess of Barnsdale, an arranged marriage to an older duke left her feeling empty emotionally. After years of dealing with her husband’s cruelty, she runs away and becomes The Golden Angel, a mysterious lady who helps those less fortunate in London’s most notorious slum. She hopes helping others will help heal her own heart. But that isn’t touched until she meets the young, earnest Doctor Hornsby.

When Selena’s charitable works run afoul of the local rookery boss, the spectacled, self-contained doctor turns into a ferocious protector. And as the danger heightens, so does their mutual passion.

But overcoming the obstacles standing in their way to a future together may prove to be a bit more difficult.

The final book in The Duke's Bastards series features a doctor hero who has just found out he's the illegitimate son of a duke and she's a runaway duchess whose charitable works in London's slums puts her in the crosshairs of a local boss. As if that weren't enough? These two crazy kids fall in love.

To Catch a Thief by Anne Stuart

What happens when you take a 1930s comedy like My Man Godfrey and turn it into a Victorian romance? Chaos ensues.

Georgiana Manning has finally found something she wants, something worth fighting for—her family's mysterious, newly hired butler.

Rafferty is a thief, out to find a cache of money belonging to his former boss. When he’s unexpectedly offered the job of butler in the house where it’s hidden, he jumps at the chance, even though the Manning family's younger daughter has an inconvenient crush on him.

Rafferty is a lone wolf who plans to stay that way—there’s no room in his life for Georgie. He could find pleasure in romancing her, but he sees no happy ending for a young lady and a thief, or even worse, a butler. Complicating matters, a criminal mastermind is pressuring Rafferty to locate the money, and that mastermind is not above threatening what Rafferty holds dear—Miss Georgiana Manning.

All Georgie wants is the beautiful butler with the piercing blue eyes, though she knows he’s beyond her touch. All Rafferty wants is the hidden money and his freedom. Too bad he’s falling in love.

Yep, the same Anne Stuart who has written a ton of books dating back to the 1980s. He's a thief posing as a butler, she's a daughter in the household he's infiltrated who develops a complicating crush on him - and of course he can't stay away. Anyway you slice it, a proper young lady falling for a thief or butler just will not do.

The Lady's Sweet Revenge by Allison B. Hanson

Can revenge be a matchmaker between two souls weary of marriage?

Harlow Haverston woke up on a ship gagged and bound after being kidnapped from Hyde Park. However, she refused to be a damsel in distress, and she won’t allow her father to pay her ransom. She manages to escape and decides when she gets back to her life, she’s going to make some changes. She’s going to find a husband and live her life. But after learning her beloved uncle was an accomplice in her kidnapping, she puts her plans aside to focus on revenge…

The Earl of Breckenridge has been hunted by a ton full of marriage-seeking misses. But Reese didn’t expect his own mother would attempt to trap him too. Feeling betrayed, he escapes to his quiet castle in Scotland, only to find a beautiful woman has washed ashore.

As the two plan Harlow’s quest for revenge, another danger lurks, and secrets revealed might endanger a love they thought was finally real.

Stop the presses! SHE SAVES HERSELF! THE HEROINE SAVES HERSELF! And when she finds out her dastardly uncle was behind her kidnapping?  Trying to salvage a respectable marriage can wait, she wants revenge. She finds an ally in the hero, whose shores she literally washed up on. This is the third book in the Safely in Scotland series.

A Wanton Adventure by Ramona Elmes

A proper widow and notorious rogue—London’s most shocking match.

A discovery in more ways than one . . .

Diana, the most proper lady in London, has grown restless. After joining an antiquities club for female scholars, she volunteers to write a newspaper column about traveling abroad to visit historical sites. Yet much to her dismay, Diana has been partnered with the rake Sebastian Devons, whom she loathes.

Sebastian, owner of London’s most notorious gentlemen’s club, engages in vice to forget a failed love. Needing a change, he agrees to partner with the antiquities club and is shocked to set sail with Diana, an annoying, intriguing, and familiar face.

The start of a new series, The Brazen Curators, features a heroine who joins an antiquities club and a hero who decides he needs to turn over a new leaf.  Complications ensue when they discover they're setting sail together.  Another one from Dragonblade's Flame line this month which means more of the steamy shenanigans.

An Eye for the Chance by Emily EK Murdoch

She wants to paint him. He’s not what he seems. And neither of them are prepared for the passion that follows.

Lady Evelyn Chance has no patience for Society’s expectations. She’s a scandal in silk, and proud of it. While others court suitors and guard reputations, Evelyn is far more interested in oil paints and brushwork.

And she needs a model.

When she advertises for a male subject, she doesn’t expect to find someone tall, handsome… and entirely unwilling to remove his clothes.

Richard Sempill, Viscount Sempill, has his own reasons for answering the ad under false pretenses. But once he meets the fiercely independent artist, curiosity turns to captivation, and he agrees to keep his identity a secret. For now.

Late-night sittings turn into stolen kisses. Secrets turn into something dangerously close to affection. But just as Richard prepares to reveal everything, scandal strikes, and the truth might cost them the one thing neither of them expected: a future together.

The seventh book in a series about the Chance family, our heroine is an artist in need of a model - ahem, a male model. The man who answers her ad is a viscount who, surprise surprise, isn't being entirely honest with her. 

The Scot's Secret Love by Elizabeth Heights

He’s a spy with a secret love. She’s the lady who has forgotten him.

Lady Frida de Neville has learned that love makes fools of us all.

Just once, her head was turned by a handsome knight. Amidst the pulse-pounding excitement she suffered a terrible accident that changed her life, forever. Now she has turned her back on romance and riches, choosing to live a simple life in the northern hills.

A life free of men!

Sir Callum is half Highlander and half English, making him the perfect spy for Scotland. In recent years, he has hoped for peace between the two countries, but a devastating raid on his Highland home ignites his desire for vengeance. When he receives orders to infiltrate a powerful English family, Callum does not hesitate to ride south. The name Ember Hall means nothing to him – the last person he expects to find guarding the gates is his lost love.

Callum’s faux allegiance with Frida’s brother is enough to secure him a welcome, but with his band of men baying for blood – and suspicion mounting against him on all sides – he faces an impossible decision. Should his loyalty lay with kin and country? Or with the beautiful woman who has haunted his dreams since a Twelfth Tide Ball more than two winters ago?

A woman who claims to have no memory of the last time they met.

The first book in the new Sisters of Ember Hall series is a 14th century medieval that features a heroine living a life of solitude after an accident and a hero that she has no memory of - oh and he's a spy sent to infiltrate her family's household while trying to quell a rebellion amongst his own men. The heroine who doesn't remember him from their encounter a couple of winter's ago is a complication he doesn't need.

Match Made in Heaven by Margaux Thorne

He’s the wrong brother… but the right man for her.

Lady Ella has spent months quietly dreaming of Lord Oliver Sutton, the handsome and sought-after Duke of Hawkridge. When his carriage plunges into the Serpentine, Ella doesn’t hesitate, she dives in to save him. In the shock of the moment, with the duke unconscious and near death, she whispers that he was the man she was going to marry.

She never expected anyone to hear her.

But someone does.

Believing the duke’s “fiancée” has miraculously saved him, his grateful family insists Ella move into their home to aid his recovery. Though Oliver suffers from amnesia, everyone is thrilled he has finally chosen a respectable, kind-hearted woman. Everyone except his younger brother.

Lord Jack Sutton is not fooled. A seasoned shipping captain who’s dealt with con artists across the globe, Jack is determined to expose Ella as the fraud he’s sure she must be. Yet the more time he spends with her, the more he begins to question his instincts, and his own heart.

Ella is equally conflicted. Jack is nothing like the fairytale duke she once adored. He’s brash, blunt, and utterly wrong for her. And yet… he sees her, challenges her, and makes her feel truly alive. 

But the truth can’t stay buried forever. And when it surfaces, Ella must decide if she has the courage to choose love over lies, and risk breaking more than one heart in the process.

The fifth book in The Cricket Club series is a riff on the movie, While You Were Sleeping, with our heroine rescuing an unconscious Duke and his family welcoming his fiancée and rescuer with open arms.  The fly in the ointment? His brother, our hero, a shipping captain with a wealth of experience in con artists and who is determined to expose the heroine and her lies.

Whew! Another 16 books this month, all new, no reprints! This summer has really been a bonanza for for unusual historical romance releases.  What's catching your eye this month?

#TBRChallenge 2025: Rain Shadow

The Book: Rain Shadow by Cheryl St. John

The Particulars: Historical romance, Harlequin Historical #212, 1994, Technically Book 2 in Dutch Country Brides series although it was first one published, Out of print but self-published eBook available.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Cheryl St. John is an autobuy and this was her debut back in 1994.  I was in my first year of college so this one fit the Back In My Day theme this month to perfection.  

The Review: Let's be honest, when you take a ride in the Romancelandia WayBack Machine you just never know what you're going to get and y'all I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  There's a ton of potential minefields in this story but St. John skirts a good many of them and, in some ways, it's shockingly progressive (more on that in a bit).

Rain Shadow is a white woman with no memory of her family.  When she was just three-years-old, her adoptive father, a Lakota Sioux named Two Feathers, found her wandering around the remains of a burned out wagon train heading west. Nobody else survived and Two Feathers knows that this poor child will soon follow that fate once night falls if he doesn't rescue her - so he does. Albeit she has violet eyes, but with her black hair and tanned skinned due to the outdoors, she can pass as Indian (uh, somewhat) and the two eventually land with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. It's the closest Two Feathers can get to a life that is vanishing and, now a single mother to 7-year-old Slade, Rain Shadow plays the role of Indian princess in the show. They're on their way through Pennsylvania Dutch Country to their winter camp site when one of the trains derails. Animals are hurt, as are people - including Slade.  In the chaos, local farmer Anton Neubauer rescues Slade, gets the doctor to set his broken leg, and takes him back home until his family can be found.  It's Rain Shadow who knocks on his door.

Anton is a widower with a young son, Nickolas, right around Slade's age. His marriage was not a happy one, and his mail-order bride died tragically.  He lives on the same land as his father and two brothers (and their families) and they all work the farm together. He knows he needs to remarry, Nicky needs a mother and he needs a wife to keep house, but pickins' are kind of slim and frankly his heart isn't totally in it.  Then he meets Rain Shadow who is so unlike any woman he has ever known, well ever - and naturally these two rub each other in all the right and wrong ways.

Romancelandia does not have a great track record with Native characters, but St. John handles the subject with a lot more sensitivity that other writers weren't in 1994.  Rain Shadow loves Two Feathers and she knows his way of life is vanishing. She also yearns to learn more about where she came from and wants to provide opportunity for her son (mainly schooling), which means learning to adapt in a white man's world. To that end she's going to enter into a sharpshooting contest against the famed Annie Oakley in the spring.  Surely when she bests Annie the notoriety and publicity might lead her long lost family into recognizing and finding her.  The only thing she has from that time?  A heart-shaped locket that she constantly wears.

In order for Slade's broken leg to heal properly they have to stay put in Pennsylvania, with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show moving on without them. Rain Shadow hates the idea but she'd do anything for her son - so stay they must. As Two Feathers and Anton's father become friends, and Slade and Nicky become inseparable, Rain Shadow and Anton are drawn together - just in time for Rain Shadow's past to come a callin' - and let's just say she's not terribly happy to see the man who seduced her, left her pregnant with Slade, and then dumped her when someone better (and richer) came along. 

The romance started out a bit slow and rocky for me given the prickly natures of our couple. Also, to be blunt, Anton has very traditional ideas of marriage and women so someone like Rain Shadow who is hopeless in a traditional white household setting but can hunt, shoot and do men's chores is something he has to wrap his mind around.  Blessedly the author doesn't overly harp on this and once our villain shows up on the page, a lot of the needless bristling between our couple moves along in favor of them working together to defuse the threat.

Original Cover

The setting is lovely, the characters interesting, and the whole thing has a Found     Family-like vibe given Rain Shadow's past and the large, agreeable Neubauer family.  There's not really any red flags, more like rosy-colored ones. The villain turns a bit crazed at the end, complete with leaving a dead kitten for them to find (ugh), Anton's dead first wife obviously had some sort of mental illness but it's not as egregiously handled as I've read in other romances, and the word "exotic" is used to describe the heroine, albeit I only saw the word used once - which for 1994 feels progressive.

Speaking of progressive, Slade is the result of an affair Rain Shadow had and obviously she was never married.  She doesn't lie about this and is very matter of fact. Slade isn't something she's ashamed of so here he is, here she is, go suck eggs if you can't deal.  And for his part? While Anton has ideas about traditional womanhood he never looks down on Rain Shadow nor belittle her for the circumstances of her becoming a mother. He sees it as the fault of a villain who seduced a young girl (Rain Shadow was 16 at the time) and then abandoned her.

It all turns out right as rain in the end, with Rain Shadow competing against Annie Oakley and finally finding out more about her birth parents - which is another notable thing about this book.  St. John solves the mystery for the reader but doesn't pour on a heavy layer of syrup, which I appreciated.  Sometimes less truly is more.

This was a good solid read and if you're a St. John fan I do recommend it.  It was her first published romance and all the hallmarks found in her future books (especially the American-set Harlequin Historicals) are present here. After being in a dreadful slump it was so nice to finally pick up a winner.

Final Grade = B

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is July 16!

The Day Job is still kicking my butt and I'm in a dreadful reading slump. But hope is on the horizon. I celebrated a milestone birthday this past week and in honor of that SISTERS TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY BITCHES!  My fabulous sisters and I are heading to the Big Apple on Wednesday, July 16 - yes, #TBRChallenge Day.  Which means if I'm serious about hitting my own deadline I better find something to break my slump this weekend. This month's theme is Back in My Day...

This suggestion came out of my annual theme poll, and you can take this one a couple of different ways. I was sort of envisioning it as a riff on the Old School theme we've done in years past, but it also fits nicely if you just want to pull a historical out of TBR.  However, remember, the goal of this challenge is to always read something, anything, that has been languishing in my TBR pile - so straying away from the theme is perfectly acceptable if your fragile reading mood carries you off in a different direction.

Also, a reminder that it's not too late to sign-up for the Challenge (fun fact: it's never too late to sign up!).  For more details and for a list of participants, you can check out the 2025 #TBRChallenge page.

Library Loot Review: Betrayal on the Bowery

Is there anything better than getting hooked on a series and wanting to glom through the whole thing? Not really.  After finally reading the neglected Deception by Gaslight by Kate Belli in my TBR pile, I wasn't letting any moss grow under my feet.  I immediately went diving into Book 2, Betrayal on the Bowery. 

We're back in Gilded Age New York City and girl reporter, Genevieve Steward (now working the society beat for the Globe) and Daniel McCaffrey (raised in Five Points, now incredibly wealthy) are at the docks to see their friends Rupert and Esmie Milton off on their honeymoon.  The two are sailing to Italy and will eventually settle in Rupert's crumbling English estate that Esmie's money will fix. However the ship ends up leaving without them. Marcus Dalrymple, who at one point asked Esmie to marry him, charges into their stateroom ranting about demons, collapses, and dies. In his pocket is a "coin" from Boyle's Suicide Tavern, the coins given out to anyone who can spend the night and not die. It's the roughest, scariest of dive bars and apparently the privileged and fast younger set have been going there because rich people are stupid.

The lead detective who shows up on the scene is known to Daniel, and he realizes quickly this is going to get messy. The man lacks imagination and there's Rupert standing in front of the dead body of a young man who at one point proposed to his wife. Needless to say, Rupert and Esmie are told to not leave town and in order to protect their friends, Genevieve and Daniel are teaming up once again to solve a very messy and dangerous mystery.

This story picks up right where the first book left off, and nearly all the characters and backstory are holdovers. For that reason, I would recommend starting with book one and not reading out of order.  Book two started out a little shaky for me, mainly because Genevieve acts a little too Girl Reporter Stamping Her Foot early on for my liking (admittedly my tolerance is beyond low for these sorts of antics). However, once her and Daniel are "hired" to find the missing daughter of a sugar baron and learn her disappearance may be tied to Dalrymple's death it was off the races. 

This is where the story gets very, very good.  The bodies start dropping (another young man ranting about "demons" throws himself off a rooftop), there's a haunted, abandoned mansion, and our couple soon find themselves in several high-stakes, dramatic scenes.  As in, how are they going to get out of this with both of them alive?  It made for thrilling, edge-of-my-seat reading and I didn't want to come up for air during the second half, which did not disappoint.  There's a pretty darn good twist at the end that I'm ashamed to admit I didn't see coming (which honestly made it better) and the author manages to tie all her various threads together in one big bow. 

Another thing I liked quite a bit is that the author doesn't ignore the unsavoriness of the Gilded Age. How exactly the rich got rich (colonization, slavery's legacy, exploitation of workers etc.), the desperate poverty, and the double-sided coin of Genevieve's privilege and the misogyny she faces. It adds layers and nuance to the story, firmly establishing the historical setting without beating the reader over the head with a history lesson. 

I still have two books to go, but the romance also takes a step forward in this entry and I feel pretty good (at the moment) recommending these first two books to romance readers. It's four books, so obviously it's a slow burn, but while things between Daniel and Genevieve are complicated for various reasons, they make a good team and they're not dead below the waist.  There's some really well done tension between these two that I'm hoping pays off dividends in the final two books in the series.  Which, speaking of? Book three is next on tap.

Final Grade = B+

So Many Choices: Unusual Historicals for June 2025

There's another recent article out about the abandonment of historical romance by traditional publishers and readers and this month's post might be a good place to start if you're sad about that. June brings us 18 (!) Unusual Historical titles to tempt you. If you're sad about the state of the subgenre, maybe put down that romantasy title, try some of these, and talk up the ones that tickled your fancy.  Now, do you have a snack? Something to drink?  Good - let's get started....

The Viking's Royal Temptation by Roxy Harper

Duty vs. desire… 

Which will win? 

Princess and healer Theadora doesn’t flinch at the sight of armed soldiers. Yet when another uprising threatens to disturb Constantinople’s peace, and Varangian guard Erik bursts into her sanitorium, she’s stunned by her body’s immediate reaction to the rugged Viking… 

After the tragic loss of his family, Erik vowed to never love again. So he refuses to let his inconvenient attraction to Thea distract him from his duty: escorting her to marry the king of Macedonia.  

If Thea doesn’t wed, her people will suffer, so can the star-crossed lovers fight their feelings, as well as their enemies?

A Viking hero, a princess / healer heroine, and Constantinople! This is the author's debut romance, having been plucked from the pile during Harlequin's Warriors Wanted! blitz.

Daring to Fall for the Prince by Heba Helmy

To Prince Saleem, 

With Love 

When Elise agrees to pose as her friend Lady Olive in a few letters with a faraway prince, she never dreams she’ll actually meet the man. Yet when they travel from England to Egypt, and Olive runs away, Elise finds herself alone with Prince Saleem and fighting a forbidden attraction! 

It might be a tactical match, but Saleem’s all but betrothed to her best friend, and fiercely independent Elise is wary of his royal world. As they team up to solve a dangerous mystery, dare Elise reveal she’s the one who wrote the letters and surrender to this impossible desire?

Helmy's third book for Harlequin is the start of a new series and features a fan favorite trope - the marriage of convenience mix-up. The heroine wrote the letters sent to her BFF's intended and when the BFF turns into a runaway bride? Well our heroine finds herself fighting a forbidden attraction.

Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.  

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,’ Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both.

The second book in The Doves of New York series features an American heiress wanting one last taste of adventure before settling down into a respectable (dare I say it - passionless) marriage, only to get her head turned by a completely inappropriate boxer from Whitechapel.

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell

Elfreda Marsden has finally made a major discovery—an ancient amulet proving the Viking army camped on her family’s estate. Too bad her nemesis is back from London, freshly exiled after a scandal and ready to wreak havoc on her life. Georgie Redmayne is everything Elfreda isn’t--charming, popular, carefree, distractingly attractive, and bored to death by the countryside. When the two collide (literally), the amulet is lost, and with it, Elfreda’s big chance to lead a proper excavation. Now Elfreda needs new evidence of medieval activity, and Georgie needs money to escape the doldrums of Derbyshire. Joining forces to locate a hidden hoard of Viking gold is the best chance for them both. 

 Marsdens and Redmaynes don’t get along, and that’s the least of the reasons these enemies can’t dream of something more. But as the quest takes them on unexpected adventures, sparks of attraction ignite a feeling increasingly difficult to identify as hatred. It’s far too risky to explore. And far too tempting to resist. Elfreda and Georgie soon find that the real treasure comes with a steep price… and the promise of a happiness beyond all measure.

Enemies to lovers and make it queer. She's an budding amateur archeologist whose exciting discovery is lost thanks to her nemesis, back in the countryside after kicking up a scandal in London. 

Savannah Royals by Lindsay Barrett

By day, Katarina Quinn masquerades as a well-bred lady of Savannah. At night, she runs with a ragtag gang of con artists and thieves. She’s a downright professional. And pros never make rookie mistakes like falling for the target—especially when they’re already in love with the criminal underlord of the city.

Enter Matthew DaMolin, a wittily charming, newly minted physician, who just so happens to be the son of one of the great American dynasties. Matthew is Kat’s ticket into a highly exclusive club, a place to rub shoulders with the likes of the Rockefellers and the Astors. The thief inside Kat is salivating, but much to her surprise, so is the woman. When her interest shifts from professional to personal, it threatens her place in both Savannah’s criminal underworld and high society.

With a street war brewing amongst the city gangs of Savannah and a jewel heist against Matthew’s family on the horizon, Kat’s two worlds collide in a clash of knives and double-crosses. Caught between the cunning, indomitable rogue she’s loved since childhood and the captivating, earnest man targeted by her schemes, she must choose…

Whose throat will Kat press her dagger against when the dust settles?

 A con woman in Savannah, Georgia on the cusp of Prohibition makes the fatal mistake of a falling for her mark, a doctor from a monied American dynasty. In this debut, shenanigans, as they say, are afoot.

The Lord's Maddening Miss by Lucy Morris

A sunny Miss, a scowling bachelor 

A recipe for disaster…or romance? 

Since returning from Waterloo, Lord Hawksmere has been a bad-tempered recluse. Having sworn never to burden a wife with his dour disposition, Hawk plans to spend the season helping his impoverished sister. But her annoyingly cheerful friend Miss Maggie Mackenzie is a distinct distraction! 

Whisky heiress Maggie prefers brewing alcohol to being wooed. Or that’s what she tells herself from her place on the shelf! Hawk is imposing, interfering, yet, as their heated animosity melts into something even hotter, will the self-proclaimed spinster admit he’s also infuriatingly attractive?

The final book in the multi-author Season to Wed series features a grumpy hero looking to make a match for his sister, only to become distracted by her spinster whisky heiress BFF.

Out with Lanterns by Hillary Bowen

Ophelia Blackwood has a choice: continue to evade a parade of her father’s ill-advised suitors, or seize control of her future and join the war effort with the Women’s Land Army. Ophelia finds camaraderie and confidence through hard work on a Somerset farm, and the independence she has always craved. But a year into her assignment, Silas Larke arrives, and she is irritated to discover that he is just as intriguing and attractive as he was during their intense summer friendship, years ago.

Injured on the front lines of World War I, Silas has spent a year convalescing, focused on returning to his work as a tenant farmer. When the British government unexpectedly assigns him to lend a hand on a local farm, he finds himself thrown together with the woman he couldn’t forget. But Ophelia has new dreams for her future, none of which include marriage. Forced to examine the future he always imagined, he will have to decide if love is worth changing all your plans for.

When pressure from the War Office raises the spectre of the farm’s repossession, should the harvest fail, the WLA women must pull together harder than ever to meet the required wheat quota. Ophelia knows she can’t afford distraction, no matter how beguiling the man, but the feelings kindled during her and Silas’s 1915 summer have returned as a blaze. Desperate to produce more for the war effort and save the farm with the people who have become her family, Ophelia and Silas push against the rising tide of their attraction, but Ophelia begins to wonder if they could be a force to be reckoned with, together.

The English countryside during World War I where a heroine desperate for independence is reunited with the hero, injured and returned home from the front. When the farm where they work is threatened they must band together to save it. Another debut this month!

Not Quite a Countess by Bliss Bennet (novella)

Five squabbling guardians. Three rivals for an earldom. And one dashing cavalryman threatening to overset it all...

At fourteen, Arabella Audley inherited her father's Scottish barony—but was denied his English earldom. Shuffled between five quarrelsome guardians for six long years while Parliament dithers over determining the Earl of Audley's rightful heir, Belle's tired of being reduced to the role of pawn. This year, at the King's Birthday Ball, Baroness Culmaily will finally risk a gambit of her own.

The prize? Her beloved Audley Priory, and the chance to serve its people. The plan? Broker a betrothal to one of her rivals for the earldom. A perfectly sensible scheme—until a rakishly handsome cavalry officer checkmates Belle's schemes, challenging everything she thought she ever wanted....

Caught between legacy and love, audacious Belle must decide how far she'll go to secure the life—and heart—she truly desires.

This Georgian-set prequel novella in the Audacious Ladies of Audley series is loosely drawn on the real life inheritance of Elizabeth Sutherland, 19th Countess of Sutherland. Our fictional heroine, tired of being a pawn amongst squabbling "guardians" looks to form an alliance with the hero, and naturally gets more than she bargained for.

What Happens in the Highlands by Anna Bradley

In the months since their father, Rory, died, the MacLeod sisters have had to contend with bands of smugglers convinced he left a treasure buried within the walls of their home at Castle Cairncross. Only the most mystifying occurrences have foiled the thieves—stirring whispers that the sisters are sorceresses. Yet, they have no treasure, nor are they witches. However, each inexplicably possesses a unique ability. The eldest, Catriona, is a brilliant healer and alchemist—a skill she is about to put to unforeseen use . . .

Hamish Muir, the charismatic Marquess of Ballantyne and son of Rory’s business partner, has come to claim his share of the treasure. When he spies fiery-haired Cat in the village, he follows her. But the tables turn, and Hamish finds himself at Castle Cairncross—emerging from a daze . . .

Persuaded the castle harbors no treasure, Hamish remains certain Rory hid it somewhere. Cat offers a proposal: She will help Hamish decipher her father’s notes if he takes her on the treasure hunt with him—and her sisters are not left alone. Reluctantly, Hamish summons two Lairds to the castle. But as he and Cat set off to navigate a maze of maps and danger, a mutual respect—and attraction—ignites between them. Perhaps the real treasure isn’t gold after all . . .

The start of a new series for Bradley, set in Georgian era Scotland. Rumored buried treasure, fortune hunters, and a heroine rumored to be a sorceress but actually a healer and alchemist joins forces with her father's former business partner. But can she trust him?

The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James

She risks everything for the truth.

He guards secrets that could tear them apart.

When Athena Taylor opens the Darkmoor Bridge School for Girls at the grand and storied Thorndale Manor, she hopes for a new beginning. But the estate’s dark past quickly resurfaces when a maid is found dead under suspicious circumstances—and whispers stir of a murder committed nine years earlier, a crime for which Ian Vernon’s sister was convicted.

Athena believes the two cases are connected. Ian Vernon, Thorndale’s brooding former heir, insists she’s wrong—and warns her to leave the past buried. But Athena is as fearless as she is determined, and her investigation brings her into close quarters with the man who should be her adversary… yet soon proves to be something much more.

As secrets unravel and a killer grows desperate, Athena finds herself in terrifying danger, caught between the pursuit of justice and a powerful attraction that threatens to derail everything.

Book two in the Gothic Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire series finds the heroine's school in danger when a pesky dead body turns up. Is it related to previous death connected to the hero's sister?

A Scoundrel's Guide to Heists & Hearts by Arden Conroy

He rescues the runaway bride. She steals the scoundrel’s heart.

Evelyn Sparrow is a celebrated art conservator at the National Gallery in London. It’s an unprecedented position for a woman, and the life she has built is a dream come true. But she’s been harboring a secret: not only is she the daughter of a baron, but she’s betrothed to a much older and terrifying earl. Her dream life will end the moment they marry. At their wedding, and with nothing to lose, Evelyn does the unthinkable—and runs from the altar.

Ollie McNab has skated through life on the coattails of his brothers’ hard work, as well as his own good looks and charm. When he makes a major error at their pub, The Harp & Thistle, he realizes how little his brothers respect him. Previously tasked with overseeing the restoration of one brother’s prized art collection, Ollie is determined to prove his dependability by seeing it through. It doesn’t hurt, either, that the paintings are being restored by the beautiful and intelligent Miss Sparrow, who fascinates him endlessly. So when she shows up unexpectedly at his pub in a soaking-wet wedding dress, he promises to do everything he can to help her.

With nowhere else to go, Ollie offers Evelyn a room at his home. Naturally, Ollie’s brothers are not happy with this improper arrangement, and Evelyn’s family is tearing apart London to find her. But when a painting under their care is stolen by a famous thief, Evelyn and Ollie must find it before anyone realizes it’s gone, or the final thread of their reputations are destroyed.

That is, if they don’t create their own scandalous trouble first.

A heroine who lands her dream job only to have it threatened by marriage to an odious man runs straight into the arms of a charming rogue determined to change his ways when he realizes how little his brothers respect him. This is the second book in The Harp & Thistle series.

Again, Scoundrel by Kay K. Denner

Three years ago, American heiress Violet Goodwin shared a charged, “almost-kiss” with the dashing Captain Alistair Crawford. But when fate reunites them in Victorian London, they are no longer the same starry-eyed young dreamers they once were.

Now a determined nurse fighting for better maternal healthcare, Violet has sworn off marriage in favor of her mission. Alistair, once a hopeful naval officer, has returned from his time with the East India Company disillusioned, nearly penniless, and drowning his disappointments in vice. With a dream of launching his own trading company, he strikes a desperate bargain with a clever fellow captain—help him woo a wealthy heiress, and the funds will follow.

The only problem? The heiress in question is Violet.

As their undeniable chemistry reignites, Alistair must decide: will he fight for his future or for the woman he can’t forget? And can Violet risk her carefully built independence for the one man who could truly break her heart?

She's a nurse who has sworn off love in favor of her cause and he's a disillusioned former naval officer now penniless determined to right his ship by starting his own trading company.  For that he needs money, which means he needs an heiress. Guess who the heiress is. Reunited and it feels so good? Also, another debut this month!

A Most Unlikely Lady by Darcy McGuire

She may be innocent…but she's also deadly!

When seemingly fragile Miss Ivy Cavendale takes the headmistress position in an orphanage, it is her chance to stay anonymous in society. But not all is what it seems with Miss Ivy. When an intruder breaks in one night, she’s quick to draw her weapon, and while fear - her constant companion - has mysteriously disappeared, one thing is very clear: she and her charges are the next target of The Devil’s Sons.

Commissioner Edward Worthington owes the head of The Queen’s Deadly Damsels a debt. So, he must keep an eye on the Duchess’s new protégé. How much trouble can the shy Miss Cavendale be? Rather a lot, actually. The diminutive wallflower has been overlooked and forgotten by society's elite, but Edward sees a woman full of fascinating contradictions he’s compelled to unravel.

Burdened by secrets and childhood trauma, Ivy is stunned as Edward ignites a breathless curiosity within her. And when he asks her to join forces to identify the dangerous intruder at The Widow’s Ball, she cannot refuse. She may not trust many, but something tells her she should trust Edward… with more than just this mission.

The fourth book in The Queen's Deadly Damsels series features a heroine hiding as the headmistress of an orphanage who finds herself in danger, and our Commissioner hero comes riding to her rescue. Although who ends up rescuing who is the question....

Keeping the Countess by Lille Moore

A man obsessed with justice

Reverend Jonah Sinclair survived the deadly streets of London due to divine intervention and two well-trained fists. Determined to bring his father's killer to justice, he’ll risk his vocation—and his life—for answers. When the notorious Earl of Rochford offers him a position as tutor to his young ward, Jonah accepts, believing the mysterious Ravenglass Hall could lead him to the murderer. But instead, he finds himself drawn to the earl’s abandoned countess, a woman whose fierce strength stirs a forbidden temptation.

A lady with a dangerous secret.

Faith Trenton, Countess of Rochford, is struggling to defend her crumbling estate from an embezzling steward. To keep her enemies at bay, she disguises herself as a man, until Jonah's arrival threatens to expose her perilous secrets. Despite their irresistible chemistry, she must push him away to keep her home and her family safe.

But when a succession of attacks threatens everything Faith has fought to protect, she’s forced to place her trust in Jonah, and pray he won’t unravel the truth, or her heart.

Helping Faith could sabotage Jonah’s mission. Loving her might cost him everything.

Ready for it? Another debut. A reverend hero hungry for revenge takes a tutor position because he believes the estate will provide answers. Instead he quickly finds himself entangled with his employer's wife, who's been abandoned in the country and is trying to save the crumbling estate from an embezzler. 

Here I Rogue Again by Brenna Ash

He’s in dire straits. She has a secret. Can they overcome all odds to be together?

Gunn Burnett, Laird of Leys, has returned from war only to face a new battle, keeping his struggling inn and pub from financial ruin. The last thing he needs is another mouth to feed. But when a fragile, bruised woman shows up on his doorstep, clearly desperate and in need of shelter, he can’t turn her away.

Jocelyn Townsend has finally escaped her abusive husband, fleeing England for the quiet anonymity of a Highland village. Renting a small room in a failing inn is a risk, but it’s safer than the life she left behind. Determined not to be a burden, she offers to work for her keep, but the brooding laird refuses her coin, and her distance.

Gunn senses she’s running from something. Or someone. And he’ll protect her with his life before he lets the pain of her past catch up to her. But when the truth comes to light, and with it, a secret she’s hidden for far too long, they’ll have to face the past head-on if they hope to claim a second chance at happiness.

I feel the need to apologize upfront for the Whitesnake earworm.  He's returned from war and working to save his business. She's running from an abusive husband and offers to work at his inn in exchange for room and board. This is the fifth book in the Rogues of Redemption series.

Verity's Choice by Elizabeth Donne

A man with a past could change her future.

Having failed to win the hand of the woman he loves, William Cole returns to his childhood home the same vain, shallow gentleman who relies too much on his charm and good looks. He wants to join the military, but his father decides William should take over the reins from the retiring vicar and—while he’s at it—marry the vicar’s daughter.

Unlike William, Verity Lockhart has changed in the five years since he saw her last. While he might remember her as a quiet, mousy sort of girl, she has developed opinions and habits deemed unsuitable for a young lady, the worst of which is a fascination with science and—gasp!—insects. No man, says her mother, would want a wife who is always running off with a butterfly net.

William and Verity can agree on one thing only: they have no desire to marry each other. They will have to encounter an utterly shameless rogue, an unusually honorable gentleman, and a very real war to form a love so deep, it could be the best choice either has ever made.

The third book in the Ladies of Munro series features a feckless hero strong-armed by his father to take over for the retiring vicar and marry the man's daughter. The fly in the ointment, the daughter is no longer some quiet, mousy girl willing to go quietly. 

To Love a Spy by Andrea Pickens 

When a mission of critical importance arises, Lord Lynsley, the enigmatic head of Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Extraordinary Young Ladies, is forced to take on the assignment himself. But when things take an unexpected turn, he has has no choice but to ask for help from a former agent whose injury during a botched mission ten years ago forced her to retire from the elite unit of unconventional lady spies.

Can old wounds—both physical and emotional—be put aside in order for them to work together to destroy a new weapon that may give Napoleon and the French an insurmountable edge in the war against Britain and its allies? The mission takes them into the heart of enemy territory, where danger threatens from all angles, and to have any hope of survival they will have put aside old hurts and trust each other . . .

The first three books in Mrs. Merlin’s Academy for Extraordinary Young Ladies are definitely reprints, originally published by Hachette in the mid-2000s. This one is, I'm pretty sure, not a reprint but rather the first time appearance of a fourth entry to the series. The hero who runs the academy of lady spies is forced to take an assignment himself and he's going to need the help of the heroine, a former agent who retired ten years ago after a job went wrong. Spy games, danger, intrigue and a road romance!

The Accidental Debutante by Jane Dunn

At Prebbles Flying Circus. the daring Eliza Gray captivates audiences with her breathtaking feats on horseback. Yet beyond the applause, she harbours a longing to find the family she lost as a child and discover who she truly is.

Fate, however, takes an unexpected turn when Eliza is unceremoniously knocked down by a curricle driven recklessly by Raven, Earl Purfoy. Dazed but intrigued, she cannot help but notice Purfoy’s commanding presence.

For his part, the dashing lord, is mortified at his carelessness and resolves to assist the spirited yet intriguing young woman. He deposits her in the care of his dearest friends, Corinna and Alick Wolfe, who encourage Miss Gray in her search for her family and sponsor her entry into London society. The glittering balls and scurrilous gossip of the ton are a far cry from the circus ring and Eliza finds herself the subject of intense speculation and unwelcome advances.

As a most accidental debutante, Eliza has to navigate the complexities of high society and her new friendships. Her quest for family and belonging becomes perilously entwined with Zadoc Flynn, an American heir of a New York plutocrat, who intends to take home with him the finest racing horse money can buy...and an English bride.

Can Eliza uncover the truth of her past and the family she longs for? And will it be Mr Flynn or Lord Purfoy, or indeed her new female friends, who help her find her place in the world?

In a tale of courage, passion, and self-discovery, this lost orphan must decide where she truly belongs.

A heroine with no notion of her past who performs in a circus (!) soon captivates society and must  make a choice between two men, all while trying to find answers about her family and past.  This one is listed at nearly 350 pages but it sure is giving me all sorts of Traditional Regency vibes.

I won't tell you how long it took me to draft this post but what I will say is I hope you enjoyed reading about this month's crop of Unusual Historicals.  Now go forth, save the subgenre, and happy reading!