The Struggle Continues: Unusual Historicals for October 2023

For those playing along at home, Amazon's trash advanced search function is still trash.  The good news is that I'm a librarian and have access to other industry tools that allow me to get a better handle on searching for traditionally published unusual historical romances.  The bad news is that Amazon has such a stranglehold on the self-published market that their search function being trash means I'm undoubtedly missing a wide swath of self-published titles when putting together these posts.  Sorry folks, I'm one woman and doing the best I can. Sharing is caring, so be sure to leverage the comments is you know of a self-published title I've missed. 

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles

Major Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he's beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan. 

The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer—exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find. 

But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on…and what they're willing to do for love.

The second book in Charles' Doomsday Book series is actually a September release I missed because Amazon is trash. Ahem, anyway - I've seen scads of reviews for this already in Romancelandia, but I'm going to highlight Miss Bates' because, well because. What Charles I've read, I've liked - I really need to read more.

The Duke's Proposal for the Governess by Eleanor Webster

A wedding to save her from scandal 

A bride to save his heart? 

After the death of his beloved brother and mother, Randolph, the Duke of Elmsend, feels his life is empty. So, he’s in no mood to entertain the rambunctious Harrington family while they’re in London. Then he meets Abigail, their governess. When her reputation is in jeopardy, he does the unimaginable—propose! But whilst Randolph can offer her a ring, can he ever offer her a real marriage? 

I'm a sucker for a cross-class romance, mainly because I have this morbid fascination to see if the author can pull it off and make me believe it won't be an utter disaster. Our hero is a Duke, our heroine a governess - and naturally he does the honorable thing when her reputation comes under scrutiny. Webster has a book in my keeper stash, I really need to read more.

The Cutthroat Countess by Minerva Spencer

Before Josephine Brown began working as a blade expert for Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre, she'd never stayed put for long. She'd never had friends, either. Nor had she allowed herself to open her heart to a man. Yet now, as part owner of the circus, she's suddenly forming real friendships. And then there is her attraction to clever, handsome Honorable Elliot Wingate—whose life she happened to save. After forever fleeing her past, the last man she should choose is one who ferrets out secrets on behalf of King and Country . . . 

Elliot was fascinated by Jo “Blade” Brown even before he witnessed her lethal gifts, firsthand. He's never met a woman who is such an intoxicating combination of self-sufficiency, beauty, and mystery. He's never been in love before, but there is no denying he's fallen hard. Yet each time Elliot tries to get closer to Jo, she slips farther away. If he reveals what’s in his heart, will he risk driving her away for good? 

As their investigation—and her feelings for Elliot—stir up Jo’s deeply buried, extremely dangerous secrets, she'll have to decide whether to run once again, or trust somebody at last...

This is the third book in Spencer's Wicked Women of Whitechapel series and y'all I need to go on a historical romance reading tear because I still have the first two books in my TBR. A heroine with secrets, who also knows how to handle a blade - I might be a little in love with her already.

The Highlander's Unexpected Bride by Nicole Locke

Is the wife the Highlander seeks 

…already by his side? 

Back from battle, Hamilton of Clan Graham makes a bet with his brother to find a wife by summer’s end. So, the Scottish warrior enlists the help of his childhood friend, Beileag, to help him woo his perfect woman. But like Hamilton, Beileag has changed whilst he’s been away…and she intrigues him like never before! His focus should be on winning a bride. Yet why is Beileag all he can think about? 

I'll be honest, I tend to skim over "Highlander" the way I skim over "Duke" because Scottish historicals have never really gone out of fashion in Romancelandia. But this one is a medieval, set in the late 13th century and is the second book in Locke's Lovers and Highlanders series. Also, it's a friends-to-lovers romance, one of my favorite tropes and not one we see all that often in historicals.

The Duke Starts a Scandal by Sophie Jordan

A duke with secrets. 

Lucian, the newly minted Duke of Penning, has much to prove— to himself, his family and the ton. Craving spotless respectability, he must find an aristocratic wife. Unfortunately, he can’t keep his eyes—and thoughts—off his deliciously distracting housekeeper. Such a dalliance can only mar the facade he's constructed to protect his sisters' future from the demons of his past...but this fiery passion is a temptation he cannot resist. While Susanna may not the bride he needs, she is everything he desires. 

A woman with a past. 

As the housekeeper to one of the grandest estates in England, Susanna Lockhart has worked determinedly to become all that is proper and efficient, and she never steps over the line. Romance is an indulgence for the upper class, not for her—and most especially not with her employer. But every smoldering glance from the surly, handsome duke calls to the long-buried reckless wanton inside Susanna. A love between them can never be, but will Lucian and Susanna risk being together… 

Even if it starts a scandal... 

I remember this cover making the rounds on social media and honestly - the hero looks in pain...or like he's trying to identify some foul odor 😂.  Anyway, this fourth book in Jordan's Duke Hunt series is another cross-class romance - a Duke hero, a housekeeper heroine. Will it be compelling? Will it be a hot mess? That's half the fun!

Second Chance with His Viking Wife by Sarah Rodi 

Back to claim his crown 

…and his wife! 

Prince Teon married the Viking chief's daughter Revna to prevent a war, only to leave immediately to fight another one. Now, he’s returned to claim his crown! He’s stunned to discover the love his people have for Revna, and by the intensity of their unexpected connection. Teon tells himself he only needs Revna as an ally, until the passion of their belated wedding night promises they could be so much more… 

This stand-alone from Rodi is a marriage of convenience with a Viking twist. An alliance was needed to keep peace, only for the hero to find himself off at war and returning home to a wife he doesn't know. I love this set-up and this one is going on the pile...because of course it is.

The Captain Who Saved Christmas by Bronwyn Scott

Reunited with her captain 

…under the mistletoe! 

Mounting debts mean that Elanora is about to lose her family home, Heartsease. When her childhood friend, Captain Tristan Lennox, returns from war, she’s embarrassed by her reduced circumstances. Especially as Tristan has made his fortune and is excited about his first English Christmas in years! Yet she can’t help being swept up by Tristan’s festive spirit, even if she should ignore the intoxicating new attraction to her old friend…

 

This stand-alone from Scott is a Victorian, set in 1846 - so it predates the Crimean War but there were plenty of skirmishes our Captain hero was likely involved in, being what sounds like a career Army man. Also, it looks like our hero isn't the brooding one here, happy to be home over the holidays and becoming reacquainted with the heroine, now living under reduced circumstances.  Another friends-to-lovers romance - yippee!

Even if we ignore the fact I forgot to highlight the Charles book in September, this is still a rather robust month for Unusual Historicals. What are you looking forward to reading?

Spring Bouquet: Unusual Historical Picks for April 2021

After whining about my lack of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine last month, it's like the universe heard me. Or maybe the Pfizer Gods?  I had my first shot on Saturday and other than a sore arm, I've been fine. OK, so I was wiped out with fatigue Saturday afternoon, but honestly that's pretty much been my constant state for the past year so....maybe she's born with it, maybe it's the vaccine?  So in honor of being one step closer to being protected, I thought it was time to celebrate with some unusual historicals - and boy howdy, there's a bunch to choose from this month!

   

Caught in a Cornish Scandal by Eleanor Webster

Will saving a stranger 

Start a scandal? 

With her family facing ruin, and desperate to avoid an arranged marriage, Lady Millie Lansdowne must work with smugglers. Millie knows smuggling isn’t going to be plain sailing, but rescuing a mysterious gentleman in a storm embroils her in a thrilling family drama! Helping handsome stranger Sam recover is a risk to her plans—and her emotions. He makes her feel alive, but she will be gambling on her family’s future if she goes with her heart…

A heroine with her back against the wall turns to smuggling and inconveniently (well, isn't it always?) falls in love.  I loved Webster's A Debutante in Disguise (another unusual historical!) and am looking forward to this one. 

The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan

Captain Grayson Hunter knows the battle to complete the first worldwide telegraphic network will be fierce, and he intends to win it by any means necessary. When he hears about a reclusive genius who has figured out how to slash the cost of telegraphic transmissions, he vows to do whatever it takes to get the man in his employ. 

Except the reclusive genius is not a man, and she’s not looking for employment. 

Amelia Smith was taken in by English missionaries as a child. She’s not interested in Captain Hunter’s promises or his ambitions. But the harder he tries to convince her, the more she realizes that there is something she wants from him. She wants everything. And she’ll have to crack the frozen shell he’s made of his heart to get it.

Oh my, a hero upended by his assumptions finds out the "reclusive genius" he seeks is actually a woman.  And wouldn't you know it? The woman seems very not interested.  Milan is back with this third book in her Worth Saga. 

Book of Love by Erin Satie

She’s trying to make ends meet. He’s out for a bit of fun. 

Cordelia Kelly is busy, focused, worried about the future of her fledgling bookbinding business. When a handsome man stops her on the street to pester her with questions, she gives him the consideration he deserves: none. That handsome man happens to be the Duke of Stroud, and he finds Cordelia’s hostility hilarious. He gives chase, if only for the pleasure of provoking her again. 

He thinks life is a game. She doesn’t play around. 

Within days of meeting Cordelia, Stroud sets a marching band on a matchmaking mama, defaces a local monument, and ropes Cordelia into a round of his favorite game. In that same time, Cordelia stitches together the complete works of Mary Wollstonecraft, enthusiastically devotes herself to a petition demanding expanded legal rights for married women, and beats Stroud at his own game. 

She defies all expectations. So does he. 

Most people dismiss Stroud as a fool—himself included. When Cordelia sees past his lighthearted facade, he’s terrified and also... in love? Stroud barges into Cordelia’s life, offering her all the material and sensual temptations she’s learned to do without. She usually has willpower to spare, but turning him down takes all of it, and then some. He’s oddly irresistible. 

Or maybe they’re just perfect for one another.

Oh Lord, this is one of those tropes I love that really isn't a trope per se.  The earnest heroine who finds herself entering the orbit of a hero who thinks life is one big party - or perhaps one big joke. Plus the heroine is a bookbinder - I mean, how can you not love that?  

An Earl, the Girl and a Toddler by Vanessa Riley

Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was just the start of Jemina St. Maur's nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was separated from anyone who might know her, and imprisoned in Bedlam. She was freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true identity, Jemina’s only chance is to purloin dangerous secrets with help from The Widow’s Grace—which means staying steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to him . . . 

Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Hope, from his family’s scandalous reputation. That’s why he has dedicated himself not just to the law, but to remaining as proper, upstanding—and boring—as can be. But the closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is tempted to break the very rule of law to which he's devoted his life. And as ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him, and Jemina, to sacrifice their one chance at happiness?

A heroine who survives a shipwreck (!) only to get amnesia and a stay at Bedlam for her troubles.  That's England for you - putting their best foot forward. I've a sucker for heroes trying to live down reputations (their own, their family's, whatever...) and reading between the lines of this blurb I'm detecting some Drama Llama.  Sign me up!

The Warrior's Innocent Captive by Ella Matthews

An impossible choice: 

His family or love 

Born into different worlds, formidable steward Erik Ward could only admire sheltered noblewoman Linota Leofric from afar. Now he must escort Linota on a dangerous journey—a route that could also enable Erik to finally find his missing sister. Only when Linota is kidnapped, Erik must stop at nothing to save her, and ultimately faces an impossible choice: his vulnerable sister—or the courageous beauty in his arms…

This third book in Matthews' House of Leofric series is a road romance featuring a couple of very different classes.  A Wendy Top Tip - if you love road romances you really need to be reading medieval settings.  The sub genre is ripe with them! 

The Soldier and the Spy by Annabelle Greene

A beholden man finds himself falling for the war hero he’s destined to double-cross. 

Three hundred pounds for one night of protection. It’s a job offer, but it’s also a ruse. Captain Benjamin Frakes, war hero and de facto head of the Society of Beasts—a club for gentlemen who prefer gentlemen—is tempted to turn it down. But August Weatherby, the sexy, brazen stranger making the offer, has captivated him completely. 

August is hardly the flush flirt he claims to be, however. An indebted man, desperate to save his infirm sister, August makes an ideal pawn for a lord eager to bring down the Society of Beasts once and for all. But August’s charge to find evidence against Frakes is at odds with his own virgin desire to entice the captain into showing him the true meaning of pleasure. 

As August’s infiltration pushes him deeper into the beguiling world of delights behind the Society’s closed doors, he and Frakes discover new ways to push the boundaries of their own cravings. But with mounting pressure to complete his devious mission, August finds himself torn between the man his heart yearns for and the sister whose life depends on his betrayal.

Greene continues her Society of Beasts series for Carina Press with a twist on the bodyguard trope - a war hero takes a job he's unsure of only to find out he's guarding a man who is essentially working with a villain to bring down his gentlemen's club.

The Defiant Wife by Jess Michaels

Pippa Montgomery never thought her life would go like this. When she found out her late husband was a bigamist and had been murdered, she thought nothing could ever be the same. When she met his brother Rhys, the Earl of Leighton, she knew it. 

Now they must navigate a scandal that will tear them both apart. They must make decisions that will affect the illegitimate child Pippa’s late husband fathered behind her back. And ultimately they must fight, for as long as they can, the simmering desire between them that is bound to explode. 

Two people, broken by a desperate scandal. They can only turn to each other, but they know they can never be together. Will they overcome the obstacles in their way and find a way to love one another? Or will the last consequence of one man’s conduct be the loss of a love that could last all time?

The second book in Michaels' The Three Mrs series features Wife #2 who has found out her murdered husband was a bigamist and she's embroiled in an inconvenient (again, isn't it always?) attraction with her brother-in-law. 

Continue to stay safe and stay healthy Romancelandia. Get your vaccine if/when you can.  And may many amazing unusual historicals await you!  What are you looking forward to reading this month?

Review: A Debutante in Disguise

Is there anything better than when a book comes along that restores your faith in a sub genre?  I love historical romance. I would dare to say it's my first love in the genre. But either I've changed or historical romance has changed (or both) and while I still enjoy historical romance, the ones I love seem to be fewer and farther between. Then along comes a book like A Debutante in Disguise by Eleanor Webster, a romance about an unconventional heroine, one ahead of her time, and it doesn't completely disregard the Regency era in which she's living in. 

Lettuce "Letty" Barton is living a double-life. Before his death, her father indulged her curious mind and interest in science. But then her father passed and her mother is much less indulgent. Letty's mother "married up" and has the same desire for her daughter.  So Letty is put into dresses with a proliferation of ruffles, told to not wear her spectacles, and for heaven's sake, talk about normal things like the weather and not cow pox!  Through a series of events, and with the aid of her brother's name and her sister-in-law's subterfuge, Letty attends and graduates medical school - disguised as a male, of course.  Women not being permitted to practice medicine at the time.  She now lives in the country, taking care of the ailments of the local (and poorer) population and delivering babies.  She lives in one cottage as Miss Barton, and the neighboring cottage is the home of the male, powdered wig wearing, "Dr. Hatfield."

Lord Anthony "Tony" Ashcroft is a younger son and having no interest in the clergy, decided on a military career.  When Napoleon happened, he joined the fight - along with his older brother and best friend.  Tony comes home, with a bullet lodged in his ribs and scars, his older brother and best friend do not.  When their father found out his oldest son and heir was dead?  He dropped dead of a heart attack.  And the best friend who died on the battlefield? Was married to Tony's sister, who only recently learned that she's pregnant.  Tony, drinking heavily as a coping mechanism, with a heaping amount of PTSD and survivor's guilt, agrees to go to his sister's country house where she can ride out the rest of her pregnancy.  But there are complications and the local doctor has to be called - the local doctor being "Dr. Hatfield."

The complication is that years ago, before Tony went off to war, when he was a young, rascally playboy, met Letty at a house party.  She was hiding out in the library reading a medical text.  Their conversation is one neither of them has forgotten.  At first Tony has no inkling that Letty is the same person as "Dr. Hatfield," and naturally when he makes the discovery?  He thinks very differently of the woman he had pegged for being so honest and forthright. A woman who was making him feel something other than empty.

Letty is a marvelous heroine. A heroine with dreams and ambition hemmed in by what society deems is "acceptable" for a lady. When her Big Secret is revealed, Tony's reaction is very typical for what one would expect of men in this time period. "But WHY would you ever want to expose yourself to death and disease? WHY as a lady would you want to do such a thing?"  Frankly, he's a jackass when he finds out.  But half the joy in this romance is watching him come around.

But he could not limit her. He could not take her purpose, but must find his own. He had survived hell. For some reason, he’d lived. He had not asked for life and at times during his recovery he’d wished for death and still felt the heaviness of guilt that he could see and feel and breathe while others could not. He had lived. And he must ensure that he was worthy of this life.

Other conflict comes into play with Tony coming to terms with now being the heir (no longer the spare) and his fear over his sister's health, complicated pregnancy, and health of the unborn child.  Frankly it's a marvelous, grown-up, adult romance with tangible conflict. A heroine who is "unconventional" but does not disregard the societal mores that she is forced to operate in.  If her identity is exposed? Her dreams not only die but the scandal would be irreparable for not only her, but those closest to her.

Which begs the question, how does the author work in a happy ending without having the heroine give up her dreams?  Ah, dear reader, you'll just have to read the book to find out.  In short. I think the author does a marvelous job of it. Neither Letty or Tony give up anything - instead, they become partners.  And if that isn't romance, I'm not sure what is.

Final Grade = A

Top 5 Unusual Historical Best Bets for June 2019

Squeaking in under the wire, file this month’s Unusual Historicals column under “better late than never.” But while I’m running obscenely late this month, that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of intriguing options for historicals that take place outside a Regency era ballroom. Keep your one-click finger ready, it’s time to go browsing!

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text, that she knows where to go. Showing up at the Countess’ London home, she hoped to find a challenge, not a woman who takes her breath away.  

Catherine St Day looks forward to a quiet widowhood once her late husband’s scientific legacy is fulfilled. She expected to hand off the translation and wash her hands of the project—instead, she is intrigued by the young woman who turns up at her door, begging to be allowed to do the work, and she agrees to let Lucy stay. But as Catherine finds herself longing for Lucy, everything she believes about herself and her life is tested.  

While Lucy spends her days interpreting the complicated French text, she spends her nights falling in love with the alluring Catherine. But sabotage and old wounds threaten to sever the threads that bind them. Can Lucy and Catherine find the strength to stay together or are they doomed to be star-crossed lovers? 

Waite’s anticipated debut with Avon is the first in the fantastically-titled Feminist Pursuit’s series. I’ve been kicking around corners of Romancelandia for a long time and can tell you - the fact that this book exists and is being published by Avon is A. Very. Big. Deal. Insert gif of confetti throwing.

A Touch of Forever by Jo Goodman

Lily Salt has sworn off men. After finally gaining her independence, the last thing she needs is another man telling her what to do. But the handsome railroad engineer from New York isn't at all what she expected. He's kind, gentle...and tempting enough to make her wonder what a second chance at love might be worth.  

A self-acknowledged black sheep, Roen Shepard knows what it means to feel alone. Recognizing a kindred spirit in the reserved widow whose fascinating blue-green eyes have seen too much, and charmed by the warmth of her ready-made family, the two begin an unlikely friendship.  

When a complication from his past follows him to Frost Falls, Roen proposes a mad scheme to protect the new life he's built and keep close the stubborn woman he's accidentally fallen for—a marriage of convenience. But Lily has secrets of her own, and the closer he gets to uncovering them, the more he comes to realize that the only truth that matters is the secret to unlocking her heart. 

In my experience Goodman’s westerns tend to be “slow burn” romances, which means I have to be in the right headspace before tackling them (read: Wendy is behind). This is the third (and final?) book in the Cowboys of Colorado series and received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly.

A Debutante in Disguise by Eleanor Webster 

A society lady
…with a secret! 

Determined to help people, Letty Barton has a double life—she’s a trained doctor! No one must know “Dr. Hatfield” is actually a woman. Called to an emergency, she comes face-to-face with her patient’s brother, Lord Anthony Ashcroft… They’d once shared a spark-filled flirtation—now he’s a brooding, scarred war hero. But how long will it be before he recognizes her beneath her disguise and the sparks begin to fly once more? 

As a child the heroine’s love of science was indulged, but now that she’s an adult her mother expects her to be sensible and marry. Oh, Romancelandia mothers. Will they never learn? Anyway, this back cover blurb is Wendy catnip featuring an unconventional heroine with a Big Secret and wounded hero.

Game of Spies by Pamela Mingle 

Life as a lady-in-waiting for Mary Queen of Scots isn’t at all what Isabel Tait expected. But she must either tolerate the mindless partying and ceaseless backstabbing of Mary’s other ladies, or risk being sent home to a forced marriage. She’d almost rather return to her family—if not for a certain handsome gentleman who arouses a new desire in her, something she’s never before experienced. Of course, he’ll never notice her…  

Gavin Cade is on a mission. Tasked with spying on the Queen, he’s found the perfect woman to help. Sweet, shy Isabel is an easy target for his charms. Before he knows what’s happened, he is the one beguiled. With the fate of England in the balance, he must keep his plan to expose the treasonous queen a secret, or he will never seduce his sweet English rose.  

Because there’s one thing he’s learned about Isabel Tait…she’s got a backbone of steel and may never forgive him. 

Elizabethan era romances aren’t exactly thick on the ground, which is what caught my eye about Mingle’s latest from Entangled Publishing. Set during the time when Mary, Queen of Scots was basically under house arrest, it features an older (for the time period) heroine on the shelf, and a mystery subplot.

One Night of Temptation by Darcy Burke

Faced with a marriage she can’t abide, Lady Penelope Wakefield takes drastic measures to preserve her freedom. Her brilliant plan is foolproof until a sexy but imperious rector “rescues” her.  

Rector Hugh Tarleton has no patience for the Society philanthropists who seek to bestow their pity—and not much else—on his oppressed flock in one of London’s worst neighborhoods. When the daughter of a marquess is kidnapped and brought to the rookery, he vows to protect her, but the temptation to surrender to their mutual desire will certainly ruin them both. 

While browsing for historical romances Burke’s is a name I’ve seen crop up more than once, but I’ve never actually read her. This one caught my eye because the hero is a rector, and while I’ve seen vicar heroes in my day, never a rector. I’m going to cross my fingers, dive in, and hope that the potential “savior complex” pitfall doesn’t materialize. Also, for readers that must read in order, be advised this is book six in a series.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?