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?

Giving Thanks: Unusual Historicals for November 2024

I'm not sure if it's just the fact of getting older (I have a big milestone birthday hitting next year - yikes!), the general stress of the last several years (2020, if not longer, to now has been a lot for all of us I think!) or that I'm closing out Year 21 (!) of this blog's existence - but I'm feeling maudlin. In honor of Thanksgiving, I want to thank all of you who still visit this most dinosaur of mediums (people still blog?!), take the time to occasionally comment, and just show your support in a multitude of ways. I appreciate all of you and you're a big reason why I haven't just thrown up my hands and let this space collect permanent mothballs. Now, let us give thanks and show our appreciation for some intriguing Unusual Historical titles landing this month:

The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her.

Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.  

After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….

An overlooked heroine starring down the barrel of spinsterhood decides to pose for the only man, an artist, who has ever truly seen her. What she gets instead is a marriage of convenience. This is the fourth book in the author's Belles of London series.  Miss Bates posted a recent review.

Duchess Material by Emily Sullivan

Phoebe Atkinson is what society might call unconventional. Instead of marrying well like other women born to wealth, she chose to be a schoolteacher. Not to mention she lives in a leaky flat in an unfashionable part of town rather than stay in her parents’ mansion. But when her most promising pupil goes missing she has only one option: beg her sister’s best friend, the powerful Duke of Ellis, for help. 

The last thing William Margrave ever expected was to inherit a dukedom. But now that he has it, he’s determined to act the part perfectly—and that includes marrying the perfect duchess. A bluestocking Bohemian schoolteacher is decidedly not duchess material. But he can’t resist her plea for help regarding her missing student. 

As they fall further into the mystery, William discovers that he never got over his childhood crush on Phoebe, and he doesn’t really want to.

A wealthy, unconventional heroine who lives in a leaky flat and is a schoolteacher (!) has no choice but to go to a powerful Duke (our hero) for help when one of her students goes missing. Our Duke needs to find a suitable wife, not get tangled up with some schoolteacher - but of course, tangled he gets. This sounds positively delightful, and oh look - another review from Miss Bates.

Her Warrior's Redemption by Michelle Willingham

They fought for their lives 

Now they must fight for their love!

Trapped in Constantinople’s brutal fighting pits, Brian of Penrith forms an unbreakable bond with his fellow captive, resilient maiden Velaria. Yet once they escape home to England, Velaria’s highborn status keeps her out of the humble warrior’s reach. 

But their shared struggle in returning to their former lives connects them once more. Though Brian is haunted by past guilt, and Velaria is destined to marry a nobleman, a thrilling attraction ignites! Soon Brian discovers the truth about his past, which gives him hope for redemption and could forever change their fates…

Constantinople! A hero and heroine imprisoned together! And then, of course, despite the bond they share, once back in England society deems him "not good enough" for her. This is the third book in Willingham's Legendary Warriors series and seriously, I just need to binge read them.

The Scandalous Widow by Elizabeth Rolls

She’s determined never to marry again… 

Is he the gentleman to change her mind? 

Left penniless by her late husband and disowned by her family, widow Lady Althea withdrew from polite society, and became infamous for indulging in not-so-secret liaisons with gentlemen of the ton. These days, Althea lives quietly with her beloved dog, Puck, and secretly pens salacious novels instead! 

Then handsome solicitor Hugo Guthrie arrives, with her orphaned nieces in tow, and turns her life upside down. For the girls need a home, and working with Hugo is making every emotion Althea thought she could live without come crashing back to life!

Please, please for the love of all that is holy let this heroine truly be "scandalous." Please, please let it be that she truly has taken a series of lovers, it's not some elaborate ploy and she's really not pure as the driven snow hiding a Big Secret - because hot damn this blurb is 100% pure Wendy catnip.

Mentor to the Marquess by Melissa Kendall

A survivor of spousal abuse, matchmaker Olivia Heather, the Dowager Countess of Allen, devotes her time to preventing the young ladies of society from following in her footsteps—until a series of newspaper articles accuse her of murdering her late husband.

Her plan to use her feminine wiles to convince the man responsible for the attacks to stop is stymied when the man in question, the infuriatingly handsome Thellusson Vaith, Marquess Lowell, requests that she find a love match for his daughter.

Nonetheless determined to make him pay for his misdeeds, Olivia vows to ignore the attraction simmering between them—until she learns that he hasn’t bedded a woman since his wife’s death nearly twenty years prior. Unable to resist the sensitive, guilt-ridden marquess, she takes on a new role: Mentoring him in the ways of pleasure.

But when they discover letters that suggest someone is manipulating Thel’s daughter using the same techniques that Olivia’s husband once used against her, they must delve into Olivia’s wounded past and resolve old family conflicts before the marquess’s daughter is in danger and Olivia is arrested for a crime she did not commit.

This is the second book in the author's Seductive Sleuths series and I'll be honest, the whole "she mentors him in the bedroom" thing just seems like piling on in a blurb that has more than enough plot going for it. But I'm intrigued by the set-up of the heroine trying to help women so they don't fall into the same trap she did so I'll undoubtedly give this one a whirl at some point.

The Countess's Christmas Groom by Fenna Edgewood

A festive house party, a forbidden attraction…

Returning home for the holidays, Lady Katherine Colworth hopes that the cozy glow of Christmas might bring her a reprieve from the painful rumors of her husband’s death. Instead, she finds herself drawn to an unlikely confidant—a handsome, young footman serving in her family’s household.

A man out of place but captivated…

Ashley Spencer has worked his way up from the stables to a temporary post inside the manor, but the glittering holiday gatherings seem worlds away from his life. Until he meets the countess. Beneath the festive garlands and candlelit halls, he discovers a woman he’s bound to protect—even as he’s falling deeply in love with her.

A love that defies all expectations…

Under mistletoe and moonlight, Katherine and Ashley cross the boundaries of class and age, drawn together by a love as fierce as it is unlikely. But with Katherine’s past threatening to shatter their newfound happiness, will the season’s magic be enough to protect their hearts?

A house party and an affair between a Lady and a footman.  These are the kind of holiday romance shenanigans I can totally get behind! This is also the first book in a series.

Knight of Mayhem by Sherry Ewing

As one of Empress Matilda's most trusted knights, Lord Richard Grancourt helps plan his monarch's escape when Oxford Castle is held under siege by King Stephen’s army. When a woman in Stephen’s forces discovers their plan, Richard is tasked with remaining behind and keeping her silent.

Lady Annora de Maris will do anything to save her son, who has been King Stephen's hostage since his men killed her husband and took her home. Though she’s forced to raise her sword against King Stephen's enemies, her loyalties are secretly with the Empress she’s compelled to fight against.

Richard takes Annora captive, but his tactics challenge his beliefs about honor and justice, and his feelings for Annora conflict with his duty.

The fourth book in the author's Knights of Anarchy series features a heroine hiding her true motives and a hero who takes her captive when she discovers his plans. I love that this series is set during The Anarchy and I really need to read Book 1....

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know by Mary Jo Putney (Reprint, novella)

He was going to be hanged on Tuesday

English-born Andrew Kane had enjoyed the adventurous life of a gambler in the Wild West, but after winning a ranch in Colorado, he was ready to settle down. Then his attempt to protect a young tavern girl led to a shoot out and a wrongful conviction for murder.

On his journey to the gallows, he meets despairing young widow Eliza Holden who intervenes when he's being beaten by his guards. Together, they find comfort and a stunning sense of connection. Can Eliza create a Christmas miracle for them both?

Originally published in the 1993 Rakes and Rogues anthology, I believe this might be Putney's only published western?  I love reading westerns and I like reading short so this one is going on the pile.

Christmas Through the Ages by Carla Kelly (Reprint, novellas)

In Christmas Eve Proposal, Christmas gets interesting when naval war hero Ben Muir returns home and takes lodgings in the village teashop with Mandy Mathison. For when her scandalous past is revealed, only he can save her future!

In A Father for Christmas, when Marine Ezra Eldridge manages to escape a hijacked ship, he knows he must complete his dangerous mission. But when he manages to find an empty house, he discovers beguiling widow Lissy and her young son… and they agree the perfect cover is for him to pose as her husband!

And in Christmas Dance with the Rancher, stranded, spirited Katie becomes chore girl on Ned Avery's ranch. When Ned asks her if she would marry a rancher, she laughs it off and teaches him to dance, promising him he will soon find a wife. But she’s unaware it’s her Ned has set his sights upon!

Christmas With a Naval Captain by Carla Kelly (Reprint, novellas)

In The Captain’s Christmas Journey, Captain Everard is escorting Verity to her governess job—and for propriety’s sake that means a convenient engagement!

In Captain Grey’s Christmas Proposal, Captain Grey had been fighting malarial fever in Savannah when he was nursed back to health by the captivating Theodora Winnings. He proposed by letter—but her reply was lost for a decade. The answer was “yes!”—but is she still willing to become his Christmas bride?

And in Christmas Promise, now that peace has broken out, Captain Jeremiah Faulk is at odds over what to do this Christmas, let alone with his life. Until a simple act of charity reunites him with his lost love—the unattainable Ianthe Mears …

Finally these last two anthologies by Carla Kelly feature stories that have all been previously published in multi-author Harlequin Historical anthologies, but it's the first time they've been packaged together. Kelly's Christmas stories are fan favorites and this is a great opportunity to have all of these stories in one place or pick them up if you missed them the first time around.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

Tricks and Treats: October 2024 Unusual Historicals

I'm squeaking in during the 11th hour to finally bring y'all October's crop of Unusual Historicals. What can I say, a brutal reading slump, work being work, and a trip home to see the family had me distracted. However there's nothing quite like Airplane Reading (I do my best reading on airplanes...) and a week of sitting around my parents' house quite literally doing nothing to revive a girl. So without further ado...

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

Margaret Arden yearns to live like the passionate and daring women in her novel. The idyllic life at Mosely Cottage with her two younger sisters and mother is fine, but Margaret wants more than the demure and dainty existence she’s known. After a particularly brutal rejection from an annoyingly attractive publisher, Margaret fears being forced into marriage to protect her family if their financial situation doesn’t improve—until her cousin’s glamorous wedding masquerade brings her onto a collision course with scandal, notoriety, and even love. 

Captain Bridger Darrow is starting over after fighting for his country. Now home, he is struggling to save his family from destitution and succeed in a new venture of passion: book publishing. It’s all going rather poorly, until he stumbles upon loose pages of an astonishing novel while in attendance at his dearest friend’s wedding. Bridger knows he must publish it. But upon meeting the author, Bridger is stunned to discover that he—she—is a woman, and he has already told her off in grand fashion.

While Bridger is keen to gain her trust and rescind the initial rejection, Margaret can’t help but be skeptical of his intentions. Sparks fly between the two, just as the wedding of the season starts to descend into chaos when a masked dance leads to a case of mistaken identities.

This back cover blurb has Regency romcom written all over it. She wants a bold (re: not dull as dishwater) life and he wants to make a success as a book publisher - only to realize that the book he accidentally discovers that is sure to make his reputation is written by the woman (gasp!) that he's just told off.  The mention of a case of mistaken identity seals the deal.  

The Electrician and the Seamstress by Monica Granlove

Germany, 1936. Bruno, an electrician, and Karla, a seamstress, forge a powerful love amid the rise of the Nazi Party and Hitler’s ascent to power. Staunch opponents of the Nazi ideology, they live in perpetual apprehension as they risk being labeled dissidents, navigating a complex negotiation between moral principles and self-preservation. As World War II breaks out, Bruno faces a profound internal struggle when he is drafted into service, and he is eventually captured by the Russians and imprisoned in Siberia. His nearly two-year journey back to war-ravaged Germany reveals the devastating aftermath, with his city in ruins and family displaced.

Meanwhile, Karla, at home facing nightly bombings, struggles to raise their two young children and is forced into helping the Nazis. Through these tumultuous times, Karla and Bruno’s unwavering love becomes a testament to human strength and endurance amid adversity. 

Dissidents in 1936 Germany fall in love, only to face countless struggles as he's drafted, then hauled off to Siberia, and she's faced with hard choices to ensure the survival of herself and her children. This one is based on the true story of the author's grandparents. 

Love and the Downfall of Society by Melinda Copp

After turning society upside down with her debut story, provincial Charlotte Deveraux arrives in Paris poised for literary stardom. She’s not sure where her next rent payment will come from, but she’s determined to make a name for herself as a respected writer in the cultural capital of the world.

Antoine de Larminet is the last surviving son of an aristocratic family. In line to inherit a title, he has promised his parents that he’ll marry a peer and carry on the centuries-old tradition. He was raised in an antiquated world where love was often found outside of arranged society marriages. Even as the French aristocracy is losing relevance to modernity, Antoine never questioned this commitment to this family legacy--until his chance meeting with clever and beautiful Charlotte.

Their attraction is immediate, and the more they bump into each other at the clubs and salons of Paris, the stronger their attachment grows. But Antoine can’t marry Charlotte because she’s as proletarian as they come. And Charlotte will lose all credibility as a writer and social critic if she becomes the mistress of an aristocrat.

The world around them is changing, but if love is to win, one of them will have to give up everything they stand for.

Old world (him) clashes with new world (her). It's a relationship spelling certain doom for both of them: oh, only her credibility and his very way of life. High stakes conflict set against the backdrop of Belle Époque Paris.

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Darcy McGuire

Wallflower at risk of ruin…

Secret femme-fatale in training Millicent Whittenburg needs to escape her unpleasant betrothal. Taking matters into her own hands, she plans her eventual ruin! Then she can disappear from society to carry out the Queen’s deadly missions. Step 1: seduce the one man who despises marriage more than her!

However, she hugely underestimates her target. Major General Beaufort Drake. Fearsome private investigator, he’s notoriously cold and visibly battle scarred. But Millie’s scandalously public kiss awakens a deeply suppressed desire in Drake. Instead of allowing them both to succumb to shame he does the unthinkable, and offers for her hand in a convenient marriage.

Nothing prepares them for the fireworks when a fearless damsel collides with a dangerous Major General! And as their secret missions align they face their hardest test on the glittering battlefield – a week long wedding house party where there is nowhere to escape…only new and wicked lessons to be learnt!

Book two in The Queen's Deadly Damsels series features a heroine desperate to escape a betrothal in order to carry out deadly missions for Queen and Country. To that end, she picks our hero, a Major General and a private investigator to be the object of her ruination - except the man does the unthinkable and actually proposes marriage!

Tempted by Her Forbidden Warrior by Michelle Styles

The warrior she shouldn’t want

But can’t resist!

Viking Sibba has traveled to a Scottish island to attend a king’s wedding and maintain the fragile truce between their opposing clans. Not to engage in an impromptu archery contest with his son, Cal, with a kiss at stake if he wins…

The Celtic warrior should remain forbidden, so Sibba’s shocked by how much she wants to kiss him. She ought to stay away, but when the king’s bride is kidnapped, Sibba must join forces with Cal to retrieve her before unrest rages through their kingdoms…and their dangerous desire overwhelms them both!

Heroine attends a King's wedding as a goodwill "see we're really friends now!" gesture, only to find herself in an archery contest with the King's son, with a kiss on the line should he win and she "lose." They're soon thrown further together when the King's bride is kidnapped and they join forces before war erupts between their clans.

Mademoiselle from Armentières by Daniel Hall

In the ruins of war-torn Europe, upper-class officer Reginald Greaves finds more than just the enemy at his doorstep; he discovers Renée, a young woman navigating World War One by working at the Red Lamp, a place of refuge for those with no other options.

Amidst the chaos that the war brings, Reginald leaves Renée with an unpaid debt. Chasing him across Belgium, Renée becomes Reginald’s unwilling nurse, tending to his injuries. As they spend more time together, their initial animosity slowly shifts into a love neither saw coming.

Their relationship faces an unexpected threat when Elizabeth, the well-bred woman Reginald is expected to marry, arrives in France. With Elizabeth's arrival, a complex love triangle ensues, complicating their already tumultuous bond. As they battle their own demons and the advancing front lines, their lives intersect in ways they never imagined.

Against the backdrop of duty, Renée and Reginald grapple with choices that could change everything—choices about family, loyalty, and the future they dare to dream of, even if it seems impossible.

Look, I have issues with love triangles (as a general rule) but World War I and a prostitute heroine - I'm only human. Also, this promises the kind of high stakes conflict I'm kind of desperate for right now in romance. 

The Cornish Inheritance by Fil Reid

After her father’s suicide, Caroline Fairfield is left practically destitute and needing to find herself employment in a hurry. Her old friend, Ysella Beauchamp, now living in Cornwall, assures her that a family she knows is looking for a governess for nine-year-old Yves, the orphaned heir to his grandfather’s title and fortune, after the previous governess left under a cloud.

He’s described as weak and delicate, but turns out to be anything but, and Caroline soon discovers that Mrs Treloar, Yves’s formidable aunt, has a distinct lack of concern for his welfare. To the point of seeming to want to put him in danger. And then she discovers he’s being dosed every night, on his aunt’s orders, with something that could prove fatal.

Major Nathaniel Treloar, disfigured in battle and returning from Europe now Bonaparte is in captivity, travels down to Cornwall to recuperate at his grandfather’s estate while he decides what to do with his life. He’s touchy about his damaged looks and, although he seems friendly enough, and she’s strongly attracted to him, Caroline can’t get out of her head the fact that he would be the one to benefit if anything were to happen to Yves.

This, more than likely, isn't a Gothic, but c'mon. Cornwall, a father's suicide, a destitute heroine turned governess, her young charge whose life is in peril and a disfigured, battle-scarred hero. It might not be a duck, but it certainly seems to be quacking. This is the third book in the author's Cornish Ladies series.

Regency Glad Tidings by Carla Kelly

"Holly and Ivy"- The Napoleonic Wars are over. Troops are returning home to a joyous Christmas, except for Surgeon Jake Frost, who must escort a hypochondriac captain, barely wounded at Waterloo. Jake prepares to hate every minute of the ordeal, until he meets the hypochondriac's fiancé.

"Yours Sincerely" - Madeline and her widowed mother live in genteel poverty, at the mercy of overbearing in-laws. Despite this, they have managed well. Years earlier, they befriended an older gentleman who has since passed away. To their surprise, an American sea captain arrives, summoned for a reading of the will of that quiet gentleman. Kindness triumphs in ways unimaginable, except, perhaps, during the season of glad tidings.

"Picture a Christmas" - To avoid the poorhouse, Mary Cooper finds employment in a notions shop belonging to a grouchy old dame. Coming into her life to upend this pleasant arrangement is Luke Wainwright, nephew of Mary's employer. He's a widower and shipbuilder with no time for anything except business. To Luke, Mary is an interloper in his aunt's affairs, until he sees someone else: a person as determined as he is to improve the hand dealt them. Together, perhaps?

Kelly's Christmas stories are fan favorites and this is copied and pasted directly from her website: So here you have Regency Glad Tidings, three Christmas stories that I wrote last year in summer’s heat, when most Christmas fiction is written. May your days be merry and bright!  You know what this means? BRAND NEW CARLA KELLY CHRISTMAS STORIES, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED!!!!!!!

A Brush with Scandal by Allison Grey

1882. An artist from the notorious Seven Dials will paint her way into London‘s heart…

Violet Latimer longs to escape her scandalous origins in the rookery of Seven Dials and finally make a name for herself as a painter. But her past is never far behind her, and nor is the notorious criminal, Archie Neville. Fresh out of prison, he's determined to make her his wife – and catch whoever put him away in the first place.

Calling on her high society friends for help, Violet finds herself in an unlikely alliance with the last man a girl from the rookeries should ever approach, undercover detective, John Barrow. A man from her side of the tracks – and dangerously handsome too – John offers Violet a bargain: he’ll help her escape from Archie if she’ll help him collect the information he needs to bring Archie down for good.

But neither Violet nor John have counted on the attraction that ignites between them. As their dangerous arrangement progresses, Violet feels all her plans for the future unravelling in the heat from John’s eyes. Can she dare to trust this man, despite the secrets she senses he’s keeping? Will surrendering to her heart be Violet’s salvation, or her downfall?

OMG, I am trash for everything about this blurb. Artist heroine who quite literally pulls herself out of the muck, only to have a dangerous man from her past slither his way back into her life. It's time to call in some favors with her new high society friends, and that gets her the hero, an undercover detective. She's a woman who can't not afford to lose her heart and he's a man who is obviously hiding secrets. 

Outlaw Hearts by Lori G. Matthews

Outlaw Elle Barstow spends her days robbing stagecoaches and her nights bedding women—all while keeping her heart safely locked away.

But everything changes when Isabella “Izzy” Collins enters her life. Banished by her family, the fiery suffragette from Boston is reluctantly traveling west to marry a man much older than herself.

When Elle rescues Izzy during a stagecoach robbery gone wrong, she plans to ransom Izzy for a hefty reward. But Elle soon finds herself drawn to the captivating woman who challenges her every instinct.

As Izzy insists on learning how to survive in the wild, Elle’s plan begins to unravel, and she faces a new peril—the growing attraction that threatens to melt her hardened heart.

Lesbians in the Old West. Even better? One of them is an outlaw and the other is a Boston suffragette whose family has deep pockets. What should be a simple ransoming a hostage scheme gets complicated by attraction and ugh, "feelings." Isn't that alway the way?

Another bumper crop of unusual historical options to peruse and sample. What are you looking forward to reading?

Fall-ing in Love: Unusual Historicals for September 2024

If there's one thing I miss since moving to California it's autumn. It was always my favorite season growing up in Michigan: the leaves turning, the crisp air, apple cider, homemade donuts, caramel apples.  Pumpkin spice my Aunt Petunia, everyone knows the superior fall flavor is apple.  However as much I like southern California, autumn leaves (ha!) a lot to be desired.  Mainly because "crisp" generally means the state is burning down around our ears. But while I might not have all the joys of autumn, I've still got the beauty of historical romance. Here's some unusual historicals debuting in September.

The Finest Print by Erin Langston

One sensational love story.

American journalist Ethan Fletcher traversed the globe to claim his late uncle’s Fleet Street print shop, only to find his unexpected inheritance is shackled by ruinous debt. To save his business and finally direct his own course, he needs to raise capital, and quickly. Good fortune comes in the form of Belinda Sinclair, the eccentric daughter of a respected London judge—and she just so happens to be a beautiful failure of a novelist.

Bruised by scandal, Belle has spent years writing a gruesome courtroom mystery no respectable publisher will touch. Until she meets Ethan—barely respectable, barely a publisher, but with two broad hands that can work a press and an enterprising spirit that breathes new life into her pages. Emboldened by the prospect of seeing her story in print, Belle agrees to Ethan’s plan: she will transform her grisly manuscript into a serialized penny dreadful, and he will sell it as a means to settle his accounts.

In the close confines of the print shop, Ethan and Belle discover their partnership is conducive to far more than fiction. Helpless to deny their deepening devotion, they dare to compose a future free of his financial burdens and her social constraints. But when a series of punishing obstacles jeopardizes the story they’ve been writing off the page, they must confront how much they are willing to lose… and what it will take to save everything.

A hero desperate to save an inherited print shop and forge his own future finds his savior in the scandalous daughter of a respected judge who has written a gruesome courtroom drama no one wants to touch with a ten-foot pool.  That's when the hero has the idea to serialize it as a penny dreadful. This story has Wendy Catnip written all over it, I'm looking forward to it!

A Naval Surgeon to Fight For by Carla Kelly

Return to her respectable life…

Or take a scandalous path to marriage?

As her snobbish aunt’s companion, penniless vicar’s daughter Jerusha Langley is sent to take a donation to the local naval hospital. There she meets dashing surgeon Jamie Wilson and embarks on a secret mission—sneaking out to help him care for injured sailors!

With his life in peril fighting Napoleon, Jamie has never considered taking a wife, yet he’s impressed by Jerusha’s nursing ability—and beauty inside and out. Jamie knows she’s risking a scandal by helping him. Can he risk his heart and save her reputation with a marriage offer? 

Oh happy day, a new Carla Kelly! A vicar's daughter with zero prospects throws caution to the wind and starts sneaking out to volunteer as a nurse. Kelly's characters are always interesting and never run-of-the-mill. I'm expecting more of the same here.

The Trouble with Inventing a Viscount by Vivienne Lorret

Honoria Hartley enjoys flirting far too much to consider marrying. And besides, she’s been betrothed since birth to the long-lost Viscount Vandemere. But no one has actually ever met the viscount and, without an heir, the title will soon become extinct. So she’s willing to do anything to keep her viscount alive, even if she has to invent him herself.

Oscar Flint is a first-rate gambler. Estranged from his father’s side of the family his entire life, he grew up beneath the tutelage of a legendary con artist. There isn’t anyone who could pull the wool over his eyes. Not until he crosses paths with Honoria. Losing to her puts him in a bind… Until he remembers her story about a lost heir to a viscountcy. An heir that no one has ever met. Not yet, anyway.

When Oscar arrives on Honoria’s doorstep, claiming to be Vandemere, she is thrown for a loop. This rogue is not her viscount. The only problem is, he’s quite convincing, and when he kisses her, the line between the lie and the truth becomes hazy in all the steam they create. Honoria refuses to gamble with her heart. But Oscar has never played by the rules and he’s determined to win, no matter the cost.

The second book in the author's The Liars' Club series finds our gambler hero getting even with the heroine by pretending to be the long lost heir to a viscountcy, oh who just so happens to be her betrothed. Our heroine knows he's a liar but damn if the man isn't convincing...

The Scandalous Spinster by Alyxandra Harvey

From Spinster to Scandal…

Lady Clara has a secret.

She may play the part of a proper wallflower, but in reality she writes the scandalous romances taking Society by storm. No one knows, not her fellow members in the Spinster Society, not her friends.

Only her blackmailer.

Luckily, the Spinster Society takes great delight in knocking down the fortune hunters and powerful lords of Mayfair. Who better to deliver a comeuppance than the very ladies who are overlooked and ignored?

So when the need arises for someone to attend an extremely notorious house party, Clara jumps at the chance. One of the Spinsters has gone missing on assignment, and Clara knows no one will even notice her.

Except for Captain Bram Thorn.

He knows there is more to Clara than meets the eye. And he refuses to let her walk into danger—or scandal—alone.

This first book in the author's Spinster Society is a spin-off of her earlier Cinderella Society series. Our heroine is a secret novelist being blackmailed and agrees to take an assignment to find a missing comrade at a notoriously wicked house party.  She didn't plan on having a protector, our hero, along for the ride. AztecLady reviewed this earlier in the month and it's my next read on tap.

Temptress by Jade Lee

COMPETITION TO BECOME EMPRESS

The time has come for Emperor Xian Feng to choose a wife. All noble virgins must come to the Forbidden City to compete, hoping to become Empress. They will endure three trials of purity before they meet their emperor. And they must find favor from the dowager empress, her greedy eunuchs, and most dangerous of all…the Master of the Festivity. Sun Bo Tao.

THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE

Sun Bo Tao is the emperor’s best friend and the only other male in the Forbidden City who is not a eunuch. He has no time for virgin games. Not with a rebellion in the north, a Dutch envoy seeking trade status, and opium choking the country. But the emperor cannot trust the greedy eunuchs to help select his bride, and so Bo Tao must weed out those who are weak, spoiled, or stupid. He never expected to find a brilliant mind in the delectable body of a virgin.

THE VIRGIN DETERMINED TO WIN

Chen Ji Yue is prepared to be a political wife. She knows how to appear chaste, bribe where appropriate, and navigate the bitter rivalries inside the Forbidden City. But she never learned how to resist the temptations of the emperor’s best man. Sun Bo Tao holds her future in his hands. He also touches her body with reverence and kisses with passion. How can he stir such desire in her when she knows her purpose?

The second book in Lee's Forbidden Pleasure series tells that age old story of a heroine vying to become an Emperor's wife and making the mistake of falling for his best friend instead. These heroines, they'll never learn...

Her Secret Vows with the Viking by Sarah Rodi 

“The lady is already married.

To me.”

A year ago, Viking Stefan’s clandestine marriage to Saxon maiden Ædwen was torn apart by the shocking discovery that her father murdered his family. Unable to forgive his wife for hiding the truth, Stefan left. Until word reaches him that Ædwen is about to wed again…

Forced to marry at her father’s command, Ædwen’s stunned when Stefan bursts through the church doors and announces that she’s already wed—to him! As the warrior steals her away, passion reignites, but can Ædwen ever trust him again, when Stefan left her alone, devastated—and carrying his baby…!

Speaking of heroines who never learn, the heroine in Rodi's latest stand-alone secretly marries our hero, has it all go horribly wrong, and is about to commit bigamy because, well, Daddy when she's "saved" from that predicament by getting kidnapped by her husband. Only in romance AMIRITE?!

 

Counting on Love by Carol Coventry

When the Honorable Reginald Taverston, third son of the Earl of Iversley, is unceremoniously dumped by his mistress, what bothers him most is how little it bothers him. To the amusement of his older brothers, Reginald prefers translating ancient Greek texts to the hedonistic pursuits of his peers. Nominated “the brilliant brother,” Reginald is assigned the task of balancing the account books after the death of the family’s steward. He dutifully tackles the work, only to be perplexed when the numbers don’t add up.

Lady Georgiana Stewart, a duke’s daughter who possesses beauty, wit, and a dowry of twenty thousand pounds, is dreading a second London Season. She knows she can’t keep rejecting suitors just because they’re…boring, but wonders what is it that makes a young lady look at a gentleman and think: Yes, this is the one!

Georgiana is pressured by her mother to encourage the attentions of Lord Jasper Taverston. The handsome heir to the ailing Earl of Iversley is the most eligible man in the ton, and he believes Lady Georgiana will make a perfect countess. She goes through the motions of courtship, bored by the lord’s easy charm and frustrated that their betrothal seems to be a foregone conclusion. Until she discovers Jasper’s younger brother struggling to solve an arithmetical puzzle. Numbers are Georgiana’s secret passion. When Reginald accepts her help rather than scorning it, she learns that poring over ledgers together can be more seductive than a sultry waltz or stolen kiss.

An heiress heroine bored by every suitor that's been paraded in front of her has resigned herself to the fate of marrying a boring son of an Earl when she gets her head turned by, oh darn it all, his brother. I mean, really, she can't help it. He's trying to clean up the estate's accounting books and she can't say no to a mathematical puzzle. 

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennet (Reprint)

Alex Stanton just inherited a dukedom, but his true passion is uncovering charlatans and frauds wherever he finds them. Spiritualist and medium Evangeline "Evie" Jones is the biggest fake of all, and he's determined to expose her lies for all of London to see. Her prim manner and ladylike airs don't fool him. He sees the hunger beneath and recognizes a worthy opponent. He can't deny the dark undercurrents of lust between them.

Evie worked her way up from the gutter, and she's not about to abandon the life she's built for fear of this aristocratic dilettante. She knows his type. She sees the attraction simmering beneath his animosity, and she knows how to use it to keep him off balance. They strike a bargain. He has one week to prove she's a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she'll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.

Neither expects to find anything in common, not to mention anything to love, in the other. Both are blindsided by the affinity and blossoming tenderness between them. But even if it were possible for a lowly charlatan to live happily ever after with a duke, more is going on than either suspects. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own.

Check your TBRs, this second book in the Harcastle Inheritance series was first published in 2020 by Entangled. A Victorian-set Gothic, this one features a hero determined to expose the medium heroine as a fraud and to do that, he proposes a wager he's sure he'll win. Naturally she has other ideas.

And there we have it, eight potential books to add to the TBR to keep us warm on the encroaching winter nights.  What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

Reading Year In Review 2020

Well, that wasn't very much fun. I think most of us are ready to put 2020 firmly in the rearview mirror and move forward into 2021 hoping for better.  Dear Lord, please be better.  2020 was a challenging year for many of you, for a variety of big and small reasons, and I'm no different.  My reading challenge every year is always to get through 100 books. I'm a slow reader by Romancelandia and blogging standards - so hitting 100 books is a pretty big deal for me. Yeah, 2020 saw me getting through 74.  Not great, especially when you consider I count DNFs, novellas, audiobooks - I count everything y'all, my challenge my rules. Here's how the number broke down:

5 Stars (A grade): 4
4 Stars (B grade): 21
3 Stars (C grade ; low B-): 28
2 Stars (D grade): 11
1 Star (F grade): 3
DNF (Did Not Finish): 7
Audiobooks: 13

These numbers are all in my usual ballpark, but 2020 saw more 3-Star reads than 4-Star reads and I always find that depressing.  Here's hoping that ship gets righted for 2021.  

Now, on to the fun part - the actual books. As a reminder, and for those of you new here, my "best of year" list is the best books I READ during said year. It's not specific to books published in that year.  There's older titles featured - mainly because I am always perpetually behind in my reading.  Now, on to the books:

The Romance (in no particular order):

The Lady's Companion by Carla Kelly (Traditional Regency, 1996) - This was my best romance read of the year and the fact it was published in 1996 isn't exactly lost on me. Gentry spinster heroine whose Daddy has ruined them financially decides to take her destiny in her own hands and accepts a job as a lady's companion to a cantankerous widow. She finds an ally and friend in the widow's bailiff. Compelling conflict, emotionally gut-wrenching, and tightly plotted. It's amazing, it's available digitally. Just read it.

To Dream Again by Laura Lee Guhrke (Historical romance, 1995) - This was a reread for me and the title link will take you to my original blog review from 2005. Second son comes home to England with the dream of making children's toys and buys the heroine's factory after the bank calls in her loan after her husband dies. Never mind she's the one keeping the business afloat while her husband chased one get rich quick scheme after another. A prickly heroine written in a time when those weren't the norm who is all out of f*cks when it comes to men. That said, parts of the story have not aged well which I detail a more in my GoodReads review. At one point the self-published digital edition was widely available but at the time of this post it's available via Kindle Unlimited.

Slow Dance with the Best Man by Sophie Pembroke (Harlequin Romance, 2017) - The Harlequin Romance line is one of my favorites because the books feel like warm hugs. Typecast Hollywood actor falls for the heroine, who is gunning for a managerial position at her hometown's Gothic manor that's been converted to a posh hotel. A fluffy concoction with the pleasing Hollywood star falls for A Nobody fantasy. I'm glad I have more Pembroke in my TBR.

Redemption of the Maverick Millionaire by Michelle Douglas (Harlequin Romance, 2020) - A hero who did the heroine dirty swoops into her adopted hometown looking to make amends, only to end up making a muck of things.  Basically this book is one long grovel, because boy howdy did the hero screw up.  Also, it's a small town romance where the author doesn't completely sweep the challenges of small town living under the rug.

Cinderella Unmasked by Susannah Erwin (Harlequin Desire, 2020) - Erwin wrote a book featuring a hero running for political office and I ended up really enjoying it. That's some kind of miracle for 2020. Heroine whose family was done wrong by hero's family ends up falling head over feet. A smitten hero in pursuit who is genuinely a nice guy (not a brooding, angsty playboy!), compelling family conflict, and a Cinderella trope that avoids heavy-handed rescue fantasy. After just two books Erwin is my newest autobuy.

Not Romance, Still Great (in no particular order):

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (Nonfiction, 2018) - I read this based off Miss Bates' recommendation and this was easily the book of the year for me. At the end of 1972, Jean McConville, mother of 10, was dragged from her Northern Ireland home by the IRA, never to be seen again. It's a story of violence, of politics, where there are no heroes, and it was by far the most riveting book I had read in a dog's age. I cannot recommend it enough. I made all the incoherent great book noises during and after I finished it.

Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright (Nonfiction, 2017) - I've got Sasha Devlin to thank for this recommendation and this was a great listen on audio. Kind of weird to read a book about plagues that was written pre-COVID, and frustrating in that humans have this uncanny knack for repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Engaging, written with the layperson in mind, with a touch of gallows' humor. I really enjoyed this and even learned some stuff.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (Dystopian, 2020) - A dystopian western that's queer and feminist AF.  Fleeing an arranged marriage when her best friend (and lover) is murdered, the heroine hooks up with a subversive band of traveling librarians. It's a slim book (category romance length) so the world building isn't terribly intricate, but I loved the feminist themes of the story and got sucked into the western world like whoa.  Not a typical read for yours truly, and one that I'm hoping will become a series.

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park (Historical children's fiction, 2020) - After her mother dies, 14-year-old half-Chinese heroine moves with her white father to the Dakota territory. The author grew up loving the Little House series, while recognizing all the inherent problems with that series.  There are a lot of heavy themes in this story (racism, injustice, and the heroine is assaulted at one point - not raped) but it never feels like a heavy book. It's hopeful, with a lovely sense of place and history.  

When I started thinking about this blog post my impression was that I had a pretty dire reading year - but as I looked back I realized that there were gems - it's just said gems were buried in between mediocrity and books I'd rather forget. So long 2020. Please do let the door smack you on the way out.