Review: Tudor Christmas Tidings

 I have been in a dreadful reading slump. How dreadful? I started Tudor Christmas Tidings back in early November and finally finished it on December 29. That dreadful. Is it the book's fault? Not entirely. I mean it's not bad, but it also didn't help my situation at all either.

This anthology kicks off with the late Blythe Gifford's Christmas at Court. I have enjoyed several of Gifford's full-length historical romances, she really had a way of infusing history into her romances that I always appreciated.  Unfortunately the short format here does her no favors. This story is mostly political intrigue not given enough room to breathe with a teaspoon of romance that never takes off because I never felt invested in the couple either separately or together.

The story is set after the young princes "disappear" and Richard III is King. Lady Alice is our heroine and her family is working in concert with a rebellion to have Henry Tudor (future Henry VII) claim the throne by marrying Elizabeth of York. Part of the scheme involves Lady Alice becoming betrothed to Sir John Talbot.

That's pretty much it and I confess I couldn't figure out why the Alice-John marriage was so reliant on whether Henry married Elizabeth. Also the whole "romance" consists of Alice and John not sure if they can trust each other because they have to act like they're loyal to Richard, even though they're not, but they also can't tell the other that because what if the other one IS loyal to Richard. The short word count means neither the romance nor the political intrigue have room to grow and it comes off convoluted. 

Final Grade = D

Secrets of the Queen's Lady by Jenni Fletcher was by no means perfect, but after slogging through politics it was nice to get back to a story that was mainly romance, even though Anne of Cleves is the main secondary character.

Pippa is a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves who has since been divorced by Henry VIII and living quietly in the country. Landing on their doorstep is Kit, a diplomat, who is delivering a message that Henry wishes for Anne to join the court for the Christmas holiday.  Kit met Pippa years ago and was besotted, despite the fact that she was married. Now widowed, he sees an opening, but he's unaware that despite what everyone may think, Pippa's marriage was not a happy one. Her husband became emotionally abusive due to her in ability to get pregnant.  Needless to say Pippa has no desire to marry ever again, and besides - Kit is 7 years younger than she is, and even though he's not the heir, his political animal of an older brother is determined that Kit do his familial duty. Marry well, keep the future Mrs. pregnant and squirting out babies.

Kit's a rather enlightened hero for the times, and while his lack of concern about being disowned by his family raised an eyebrow, it helps that he's not a fan of court, Henry's tendency to discard wives, nor his brother's machinations. Our Kit wants a different sort of life. Still, during this period family and loyalty were kind of, well, everything. Pippa is ready to tar and feather Kit with the same brush as her husband - which I can understand better here than in other romances because a woman's ability to procreate was pretty much her sole reason for existing during this time period (and future time periods...). It wasn't perfect but it was quick, readable and heavy on the romance.

Final Grade = B-

The anthology ends with His Mistletoe Lady by Amanda McCabe, which is set during that period when Queen Mary was "pregnant" and newly-wed to King Philip II of Spain. Catherine Greaves' father is currently in the Tower of London for his part in the failed Wyatt Rebellion. Catherine's mother came over from Spain with the former Queen, Catherine of Aragon, so the plan is to head to court and hopefully a sympathetic Queen Mary will allow them to see her imprisoned father. The Queen is sympathetic, as is Don Diego de Vasquez, a visiting courtier from Spain who has been sent to help ferret out other plots against the Queen - and turns out that Catherine's father is a double agent. He's Diego's contact on the inside and feeding him information. Oh, and Catherine nor her mother have any clue about any of this. For all they know, their husband and father is a traitor.

Of course these two crazy kids start to fall in love despite the drama and intrigue surrounding them, and there's a little suspense at the end to carry us home to the happy ever after. The story works so long as you don't think about what's going to happen shortly after these events - but I'm convinced it all works out for Diego, Catherine and her parents in the end. One imagines that once they find out the Queen's pregnancy is a "phantom" one, they hightail it back to Spain to live on Diego's lands populated with orange and lemon groves.

Final Grade = B

The last two stories were pleasant enough, but the whole reading experience overall was very much a slog. Certainly this time of year is challenging for a lot of us, but I also think the overt political threads running through all these stories was just not where my mind wanted to go right now. I probably would have been better served reading some cotton candy holiday fluff instead of the political machinations and shenanigans of the Tudors.  Your mileage may vary.

Small But Mighty: Unusual Historicals for July 2022

As I whined about mentioned in last month's Unusual Historical post, June and July are busiest months for me at The Day Job.  Here's the good news: I closed out the books on fiscal year 2021/2022 and managed to get the incoming budget for fiscal year 2022/2023 allocated!  The bad news? Staffing shortages and being spread too thin = Wendy is a hot mess. Which means all y'all are seeing the Unusual Historicals post for July releases during the last week of the month. Yo, it is what it is. Which can also be applied to the number of titles. Kind of slim this month, but here are the ones that caught my eye!

The Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath 

When his father, the Duke of Wolfford, is hanged for an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria, Marcus Stanwick is stripped of everything. Vowing to return honor to his family, he seeks to expose the others involved in the treasonous plot and bring them to justice. His search forces him to turn to a woman he despises for her unforgiveable betrayal—a woman known as the heartless harlot. 

Harboring secrets, Esme Lancaster has her own reasons for wanting to discover who’s behind the conspiracy that’s still afoot. She doesn’t trust Marcus but can’t deny the handsome devil makes her wonder if she does indeed possess a heart, one he could very easily steal. 

 As their hunt for the truth leads them into danger, Marcus finds Esme isn’t cold and calculating as he’d assumed but fire and brimstone, with courage and determination to match his own. Soon, they’re unable to deny their growing desire for each other. But giving into temptation comes at a cost, and they must decide if love is worth the risk of losing their one chance for redemption.

So, general rule - I tend to skip over 99% of all historical romances with Duke in the title but every once in a while one comes along that's just different enough for me to take notice. The hero's reputation is in ruins because Dear Old Dad was hanged after an assassination attempt of Queen Victoria! And to restore honor to the family name? Yeah, he has to team up with Dear Old Dad's mistress, who because this is a romance novel, turns out to be...um, complicated.  This is the third book in a trilogy, generally what readers have come to expect to be "The Payoff Book" and this may be where I hop on the series train.  Because, you know, the hero's father tried to assassinate the Queen!!!

The Defiant Maiden's Knight by Melissa Oliver 

A tense, dramatic medieval love story. 

A knight’s protection… 

That she doesn’t want…or need? 

Joan Lovent may be losing her sight but she refuses to lose her independence too. So when Sir Warin de Talmont tells her it’s too perilous to be out alone in the city, she doesn’t pay him any heed. But with threats surrounding them, she begins to value his protection and helps with his dangerous work in return. If only the powerful connection between them wasn’t so impossible to ignore!

This book kicks off Oliver's new Protectors of the Crown series, which is set in the early days of Henry III's reign and follows a trio of knights protecting the Crown from a mysterious group bent on treason, destruction and all-around shenanigans. A heroine losing her sight, determined to maintain her independence, finds herself leaning on the hero for protection. The back cover blurb offers hints of a "team work" storyline and I love me stories that feature hero and heroine working together towards some larger goal.

The Shopgirl's Forbidden Love by Jenni Fletcher 

From forbidden love 

To forever? 

Belles Biscuit Shop is more like a home than a place of work for Nancy MacQueen. The shared attraction between her and James Redbourne, the handsome owner of a nearby store, has been simmering for years, but she’s refused to trust his feelings for her. After all, they’re not remotely in the same social class. Until one day Nancy can no longer deny her love—only to find he’s become engaged to someone else!

Every month I search for Unusual Historicals and I still have a tendency to miss titles. Case in point, this is the fourth and final (!) book in Fletcher's Regency Belles of Bath series and the third one to feature a shopgirl heroine! Oof!  Anyway, this is the final book in the series, hence another "Payoff Book."  According to the author's website, this romance spans an eight year period starting with events prior to the first book in the series, and picking up where book three left off.  Which means just as the heroine is waking up to smell the coffee? It might already be too late.  Another series discovered, another series to catch up on.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to reading?

March Series Madness: Unusual Historicals Landing in March 2022

There's that old saying about March roaring in like a lion and I don't know about you all but it can roar all it wants, I'm too busy trying to keep my head above water. Between a romance reading slump (That might be starting to loosen it's grip on me? Jury is still out...) and The Day Job being very busy, unless it's raining locusts from the sky (which given the last couple of years - maybe I should hedge my bets?), I'm unlikely to notice the weather, roaring or otherwise. What I am still noticing is Unusual Historicals and this is the month for you if you love series (which, if you don't, you better learn to because romance is full of 'em).  Here's the March releases that caught my eye.

 

Red Blossom in Snow by Jeannie Lin

Magistrate Li Chen harbors a secret. One that could destroy his hard-earned reputation, as well as his growing passion for the talented courtesan, Song Yi.

Li Chen’s duty to his family and the Emperor must come before the desires of his heart, but when a stranger to the city is found dead near the House of Heavenly Peaches, where Song Yi is indentured, the complicated nature of their relationship becomes the least of his troubles. 

For Song Yi, Magistrate Li’s gentlemanly, late night conversations provide a welcome change from the games of courtship she is accustomed to, but his reserved attention won’t pay the bills. When one of her courtesan-sisters goes missing at the same time a stranger is killed in the pleasure quarter, she and Li Chen embark on an investigation as well as a passionate affair. But the riddle they uncover goes deeper than they could have imagined, and mysteries from their pasts may shatter any hope for the future.

This is the 5th book in Lin's Lotus Palace Mysteries series - and pfft mysteries. Yes, sure we've got a mystery but these are also romances. What Lin does very well is write "longing." Bless her, her characters excel at "pining."  I'm a sucker for pining.  This one sounds great - a magistrate falls for an indentured courtesan and they become embroiled in a mystery. Ah, forbidden, complicated passion. Gimme, gimme, gimme.

The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy

The new footman doesn’t seem to know his place… 

London’s most renowned mapmaker is a woman...but nobody knows it. If anyone discovers that Rose Fleming is the power and talent behind the family business, the scandal could ruin them. Rose’s secret is tested by the arrival of a handsome new footman who shows far too much interest in his new mistress. Rose battles an intense attraction to the enigmatic servant, but maintaining a proper distance isn’t easy when you and temptation live under the same roof. 

She makes him forget he has a score to settle… Few have met the reclusive half-Arab Marquess of Brandon, who is rumored to live with a harem of beauties among his mother’s people near Jerusalem. Brandon couldn’t care less what society thinks of him, or that his fellow peers are disdainful of his common blood, but he won’t stand for being robbed. That’s why he's disguised himself as a footman in the home of a respected mapmaker who cheated Brandon out of his land. But the nobleman's plans for retribution are complicated by his growing attraction for the secretive lady of the house. 

When Brandon uncovers the shocking truth about Rose’s role in his stolen birthright, can a love born of deception really conquer all?

This is the third book in Clandestine Affairs series and repeat after me: THE HEROINE IS A MAPMAKER!  And naturally the fact that she's a mapmaker and keeping the family business afloat must be kept secret otherwise? OMG SCANDAL!  So what does our girl do? She falls for the footman. Because of course she does.  But the footman turns out to not be a footman but instead a Marquess with a stolen birthright. Because, of course. Welcome to Romancelandia y'all! 

A Duke, the Spy, an Artist, and a Lie by Vanessa Riley

For adventurous heiress Cecilia Charity Thomas, marrying charming military lieutenant Viscount Gantry to save him from danger—and herself from mercenary suitors—was a painful mistake. Instead of a passionate life together, she's stranded at his chilly mansion with his unaccepting family. Worse, she finds he is actually a spy dedicated to duty over wedlock—and secrets over trust. So when she hears her sister has been driven to her death, Cecilia is determined to expose the powerful man responsible. Assisted by The Widow's Grace, she flees to Covent Garden with a new identity. But can she elude her formidable husband—even as the desire between them continues to flare even hotter? 

 Always calm, forever controlled, Gantry has put everything aside to hunt down the traitor who nearly killed him. It’s only when Cecilia leaves that he realizes his real duty should have been to her. As she continually outwits him through London's most perilous streets, Gantry realizes his wife is a resourceful, courageous woman he longs to truly know. But when her pursuit threatens influential enemies, will his and Cecilia's only chance to gain justice separate them once and for all?

After taking a victory lap with her historical fiction novel Island Queen, Riley is back with the third book in her Rogues and Remarkable Women series. This time out the secret society, The Widow's Grace, help our heroine temporarily escape her disaster of a convenient marriage to seek vengeance against the man she believes is responsible for her sister's death.  And naturally, that's exactly the moment her erstwhile husband realizes what's really important in life - namely, her. 

The Highlander's Tactical Marriage by Jenni Fletcher

A strategic marriage… 

…with his runaway bride! 

Coira Barron is the last woman Fergus MacMillan would choose to marry—he’s never forgiven her for running away with another man on the eve of their wedding six years ago. Now an alliance with widowed Coira is crucial, and Fergus is shocked to discover his new wife is nowhere near as disloyal as he believed. Protecting her and his clan are his priority, but can he protect his own heart?

The second book in the multi-author Highland Alliances trilogy finds our hero reuniting with the woman who jilted him at the altar six years ago to, yep you guessed it, to try that walk down the aisle thing again. She's now, naturally, a widow. Alliance aside, he's unthrilled with the idea only to realize that what he thinks he knows is really not the case.

To Wed A Viking Warrior by Michelle Styles 

 

A convenient marriage 

Could save them both… 

Battle-weary Viking Lord Hafual plans to tend his lands, raise his son and recover from the traumatic death of his wife. So nobody is more surprised than him when his neighbor, Lady Elene, publicly announces their intention to wed! Learning the danger Elene faces if he refuses stirs feelings of protectiveness, and a longing in Hafual he’d long since buried. So, for better or worse, he’ll make Elene his bride…

Styles is back with the third book in her Vows and Vikings series and our battle-weary Viking hero is ready for a break. He's grieving for a dead wife and he's got a young son to take care of. So imagine his surprise when the heroine shows up and announces to all and sundry they're to be wed!  Gotta love a resourceful heroine, she's in danger, she needs a protector, and she's going to leverage one into service.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

Beat the Heat: Unusual Historical Highlights for July 2021

Somehow it's mid-July and I'm recently back from a trip to my home state where I saw my parents for the first time in two years and my sisters since January 2020 (a trip to Napa to celebrate my older sister's 50th birthday was the last hurrah before COVID shut us all down). The universe told me I really needed this time off when my work laptop decided to brick itself (a Windows loading failure!) and on the day this post will go live I'll be extremely busy back at the office (June and July are the literal worst for me at The Day Job).  I foresee a lot of caffeine and collapsing in my bed every night in my very near future.  But let's not think about work now. Let's focus on some unusual historicals landing on shelves this month!  Here's what is catching my eye for July:

 

Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas 

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.” 

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible. 

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed. 

So far, neither of those is going well. 

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt. 

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise. 

I have not kept up with Kleypas' Ravenels series, but this blurb ticks a lot of boxes for me.  A heroine running a shipping company and a rough around the edges outsider hero who owns a distillery!  An inconvenient attraction and a hero that someone wants dead.  I notoriously will skip around when it comes to romance series - do I care that this is book 7 and I've only read book 1?  No. No I do not.

The Viscount Made Me Do It by Diana Quincy 

A seduction that could ruin everything... 

Hanna Zaydan has fought to become London’s finest bonesetter, but her darkly appealing new patient threatens to destroy everything she’s worked so hard for. The daughter of Arab merchants is slowly seduced by the former soldier — even though she’s smart enough to know Griff is after more than he’ll reveal. Whatever it is, the bonesetter’s growing desire for the man just might tempt her to give it to him. 

An attraction that cannot be denied... 

Rumors that he killed his own parents have followed Thomas Ellis, Viscount Griffin, practically since he was a boy. More than a decade after the tragedy, Griff receives a tip about his parents’ killer… one that takes him straight to a captivating bonesetter. Griff is convinced Hanna is a fraud, but the dark-eyed beauty stirs deep feelings in him that he thought had perished along with his family. 

Hanna has a gift for fixing fractured people, but can she also mend a broken heart? More importantly, will Griff let her?

So here's the thing about unusual historicals: if you want to see more of them you need to take chances. They won't all be winners.  Among the corner of Romancelandia I follow I saw mixed reviews for the first book in this series, but Quincy (and Avon's editorial team) drop a lot of Wendy catnip in this back cover blurb.  The heroine is a bonesetter! Oh sure, the hero is a Viscount, but he's a former soldier determined to find his parents' killer.  This one is already locked and loaded on my Kindle.

Her Lady's Fortune by Renee Dahlia 

Together they could help thousands of people, if only they can trust each other. 

Philanthropist Priya Howick isn’t the same person she was before WWI. Only one thing remains true—she has always been defined by her relationship with her brother. Ashwin is the heir to both Lord Dalhinge, and the Carlingford shipbuilding fortune, and that makes her a natural target for those who wish to have the family wealth for themselves. She’s been taught to be wary of outsiders and their motives, which means all her friends are from her family’s close circle. Once, before the war, she stepped outside those boundaries, and met Rosalie, a beautiful older woman. But what happened next only proved her family correct. Now the war is over and Priya has created a charity to build houses for war widows, but her brother sets it up as a joint venture with the bank, Sanderson and Sons. She has to work with Rosalie, and the same sparks fly. Priya must decide if she is brave enough to risk everything. Not just her money and therefore her independence, but also her heart. 

Assertive bank manager Rosalie Sanderson is the only damned serious person in her family. She’s forty-two, the manager of Sanderson and Sons bank, and tired of having to continually prove that she is capable of making a profit and running the family business successfully. Very few people accept her as she is, and it stings that young Priya Howick is one of them. They had one incredible evening together before the war, and then it went sour for no apparent reason, and Priya has been distant in their few business meetings. The rejection shouldn’t nag at her like this, like rubbing salt in a papercut. All the old wounds and passions need to be confronted when Priya arrives at the bank with an incredible work proposal. Rosalie must decide if the opportunity to help thousands of people is worth the heart ache of being close to Priya again. 

A heroine who can never trust that people like her for her (and not the fortune she's destined to inherit) is reunited with a one night stand (an older woman!) who turns out to be a bank manager.  Post WWI was an extremely interesting time for women, and Dahlia continues to mine that with this third book in her Great War series.

A Marriage Made in Secret by Jenni Fletcher

She must choose… 

…her queen—or love! 

As the queen’s new lady-in-waiting, Mathilde Gosselin tumbles straight into Parisian palace intrigue when she meets courtier Henry Wright, who she discovers is a spy! Mathilde’s loyalties are now divided—between this enigmatic, courageous man and her queen. And amid the turmoil, her falling for the unsuitable, illegitimate Henry means they’ve no choice but to hide their new love from the world… 

This new medieval from Fletcher appears to be a stand-alone and this back cover blurb hits on a lot of elements that draw me towards medievals.  Namely, the question of divided loyalties and courtly intrigue - both of which got a lot of people very dead back in the day. It adds tension and ups the stakes to any romance set among that kind of backdrop.  As an added bonus, this one is set in Paris!

How to Wed a Courtesan by Madeline Martin 

  

From courtesan …to society wife? 

When Evander, Earl of Westix, returns from the continent to claim his bride, he is shocked that the innocent vicar’s daughter he once loved has become a notorious courtesan. But Lottie is so much more than the insult society hurls at her. She is resourceful and strong—after all, she’s had to be to survive. Her charms are undeniable, but her heart is beyond his grasp. To win it will mean taking her from bedroom to ballroom… 

Be still my heart! An Earl coming home to finally marry the girl next door discovers she's become a notorious courtesan. I've got a thing for strong heroines bent on survival and if they thumb their nose at society along the way?  All the better.

The Return of Her Lost Knight by Melissa Oliver 

Her second chance 

With her lost love… 

To avoid a forced marriage, Lady Gwenllian plans to escape to a convent. She couldn’t possibly honor another when her heart still belongs to Ralph de Kinnerton, the man she had to betray to save his life—only to hear of his death shortly after. So how is it possible he’s here at this knight’s tournament? Now the pull of their unfinished past forces Gwen to question the choice she’d made for her future…

Another series I'm officially behind on. I enjoyed the first book in Oliver's Notorious Knights series and here we are already on Book #3. Another medieval (yeah!) featuring a heroine who betrayed the hero in order to save his life only to find out later he was killed.  Um, except apparently he wasn't.  A heroine who runs away from the convent and a mess of unfinished romantic business sounds delicious.

Whew!  Another solid month for unusual historicals this month. What are you looking forward to reading?

Lucky Number 7: Unusual Historicals for October 2020

September saw me talking about nine new unusual historicals. Here we are in October and I have seven. It’s like authors and publishers are maybe clueing into the fact that Wendy needs a mental vacation - because obviously an actual vacation ain’t happening anytime soon. So for now my rest and rejuvenation is just going to have to take the form of bygone eras. Here are the October releases that caught my eye: 

A House East of Regent Street by Pam Rosenthal 

The future looks bright for former sailor Jack Merion. His wartime heroics have won him influential contacts, and his good looks and flair for business are definite assets. With funds to invest, he's on the brink of financial success in the high-stakes world of Regency London. 

And buying the house in Soho Square is a can't-miss opportunity. Once a fashionable brothel, the property will yield a good income in commercial rents and a clear path to the respectable life Jack has never known. 

There's only one problem - another prospective buyer. With a dark past, a desperate future, and some unmistakable assets of her own, Miss Cléo Myles is a formidable obstacle, one that Jack would be wise to steer clear of. 

But instead, he proposes a bargain that's as scandalous as it is irresistible. Five afternoons. Five rooms. Uncountable pleasures... ...In a neighborhood that's seen better days. And a house that's seen everything except love.  

It’s been a while since we’ve had a new release from Rosenthal who wrote several well-received erotically lush historicals back in the day. I’m a sucker for a house party romance, and this puts an entirely different spin on it - with a hero determined to claw his way to respectability and a heroine with a past vying for the purchase of the same house in Soho Square. I’m expecting plenty of wit and naughty shenanigans afoot! 

The Vicar and the Rake by Annabelle Greene 

As a young man, Sir Gabriel Winters left behind his status as a gentleman, turning his back on his secret desires and taking a self-imposed vow of celibacy. Now a chaste hard-working vicar, his reputation is beyond reproach. But, try as he might, he’s never forgotten the man he once desired or the pain of being abandoned by his first love. 

Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Caddonfell, is a notorious rake, delighting in scandal no matter the consequence. With a price on his head, he flees to the countryside, forced to keep his presence a secret or risk assassination. When Edward finds Gabriel on his estate, burning with fever, he cannot leave him to die, but taking him in puts them both in jeopardy. 

With the help of a notorious blackmailer, a society of rich and famous gentlemen who prefer gentlemen, and a kitten named Buttons, they might just manage to save Edward’s life—but the greatest threat may be to their hearts. 

I’m a sucker for a vicar hero and when he’s paired with someone who has a highly dubious reputation I want the story in my eyeballs Right. Now. And I’m getting that plus a reunited/second chance trope as well? Happy day! This is Greene’s debut and the first in a series. 

If a Lady Lingers by Anna Harrington (Novella) 

WHERE THE HEART IS... 

Daisy Daring dreams of what she cannot have—a career as an architect like her famous father, yet society will never tolerate a woman architect. When her father falls ill, Daisy takes up his work herself in order to provide for her family. Soon, she isn’t just finishing his old floor plans and designs but creating brand new ones herself—all done secretly under her father’s name. The ruse works well. No one suspects…until Hugh Whitby walks into her life. 

Hugh Whitby isn’t taken seriously by society, his family…well, by anyone. He’s too loud and boisterous, too colorful, too impetuous, too…Whitby. So when he decides to build a new home for orphans, he seizes on this chance to prove himself by hiring the best architect he can. However, it’s not Elias Daring who greets him but his lovely daughter Daisy. For Whitby, it’s love at first sight, but for Daisy, the attention that Whitby draws is dangerous. If anyone discovers her secret, it would end her father’s career and her dream right along with it. No, best to stay away from him—in public, because she can’t help falling for his charms when they’re alone. 

When an unintended act of betrayal threatens all she holds dear, can they overcome the obstacles between them and learn that home really is where the heart is? 

Who doesn’t love short reads this time of year? Especially with, you know, life right now. Lady architect hiding behind her father’s name so she can do what she loves must tread carefully when a do-gooder hero with a flakey reputation comes calling. A smitten hero who falls hard and fast and a heroine with everything to lose - including her heart. 

Tudor Christmas Tidings by Blythe Gifford, Jenni Fletcher & Amanda McCabe 

Make Merry at Court 

…with three Tudor Christmas stories! 

In Blythe Gifford’s Christmas at Court, Sir John Talbot and Lady Alice’s secret betrothal must wait until Henry Tudor claims the throne. Next in Secrets of the Queen’s Lady by Jenni Fletcher, the lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves is unexpectedly reunited with a handsome—younger—diplomat at the palace’s festivities! And in His Mistletoe Lady by Amanda McCabe, Catherine seeks help from a mysterious Spaniard to free her father in time for Christmas! 

And so it begins. That time of year when Harlequin starts pumping out holiday romances and conspiring to separate me from my money. We rarely see Tudor set stories in Romancelandia and all three authors have written stories I’ve enjoyed in the past. An easy one-click for me. 

Temptation Incarnate by Isobel Carr (Novelette) (Kindle Unlimited)

An impossible challenge … Eleanor Blakely is all too aware that her reputation dangles by a very slender thread, unfortunately, she’s found herself in the midst of a delicious series of wagers with a consummate charmer, and she can’t seem to stop herself from saying yes to every wicked proposition. Whatever twist of fate has kept his best friend’s sister on the shelf is a mystery to Viscount Wroxton, but when the inveterate little gamester suddenly catches his attention, she’s entirely is too fascinating to ignore. The fact that she has five enormous brothers is hardly worth thinking about—she’s thrown down the gauntlet, and he has no intention of losing, whatever the cost… 

With a bonus short story, Three Courtesans, which was originally written as a blog post for the Twelve Days of Christmas (I got Three French Hens). 

Not quite a novella but longer than a short story, Carr gives readers a Best Friend’s Sister trope wrapped in decadent Georgian packaging. Plus there’s naughty gambling and a bonus holiday short story included. 

Restored by Joanna Chambers 

Eighteen years ago, Henry Asquith, Duke of Avesbury had to leave his kept lover, Kit Redford, in order to devote himself to raising his young family. Now, a lifetime later, his children are moving on and for the first time in years, Henry is alone. 

During a rare visit to London, Henry unexpectedly happens upon an old friend of Kit’s and learns that Kit did not receive the financial pay off he was entitled to when Henry left him. Instead Kit was thrown out of his home and left destitute. Horrified, Henry begs Kit to see him and allow Henry to compensate him. But Kit, who now owns a discreet club for gentlemen of a certain persuasion, neither needs nor wants Henry’s money. 

“Perhaps you should earn the money you owe me the way I had to earn it? On your knees, and on your back, taking my cock like a whore.” 

Kit thought he had put his old hurts and grievances about Henry behind him, but when he sees Henry again, he discovers that, not only is the old pain still there, so is the fierce attraction that once burned between them. When, in a moment of fury, Kit demands a scandalous form of penance from Henry, no one is more surprised than Kit when Henry agrees to pay it. 

As Kit and Henry spend more time together, they learn more about the men they have become, and about the secret feelings and desires they concealed from one another in the past. 

Henry realises he wants to build a future with Kit but can he persuade his wary lover to trust him ever again? And can two men from such different worlds make a new life together? 

OK, so this sounds like it could be a hot mess (y’all our Duke needs to grovel) but it also sounds deliciously angst-y. And Wendy cannot, will not, turn away from angst-y historical romance. Cross class, redemption, and second chance romance all rolled into one. I need this now. 

The Roman Lady’s Illicit Affair by Greta Gilbert 

Can she find freedom… 

In her lover’s arms? 

Desperate for a divorce from her violent, adulterous husband, Vita runs away to the Roman Baths, where she is brought face-to-face with forbidding, handsome slave Ven. In him she finds an instant connection and ally. Yet to escape with their lives, they’ll have to resist their burning chemistry! And as Vita realizes that their freedom comes at a high cost, she might have to make an impossible choice… 

As readers I don’t think we talk enough about power dynamics in romance, especially in historicals. It’s how authors navigate through and around them that I find interesting - in eras where women lacked options and agency. Well here we have a story about a Roman slave and a desperate woman fleeing a violent husband. It could end up being problematic, it could end up being awesome - I won’t know until I try. 

What unusual historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Unusual Historical Bonanza for September 2020

Publishing is a fickle mistress. Some months I’m scraping the depths of the Interwebs to find a handful of unusual historical titles and other months it’s an explosion of confetti being shot out of an air cannon. Since September is an air cannon month, I’ll stop blathering on so we can get to the goodness. 

The Hidden Moon by Jeannie Lin 

A well-bred lady and lowly street hustler team up in a historical murder mystery set during China's glittering Tang Dynasty. Part of the best-selling Lotus Palace series. 

Impetuous and well-educated, young Lady Bai has always been the forgotten daughter between two favored sons. However, when Wei-wei's older brother is tasked with investigating a high-profile assassination, he turns to his clever younger sister for assistance. 

Gao is a street-wise scoundrel with a checkered past and a shady reputation. He knows better than to set his sights on the high-born Lady Bai, but when she asks for his help, he can't refuse. 

As the unlikely pair chase down a conspiracy that reaches from the gutters of the capital to the imperial palace, Wei-wei is intent on seeing justice done, while Gao is determined to solve the mystery just for her – even if the attraction between them can never be more than a moment's longing. 

OK, so this was a very late release in August that I missed with last month’s column, but no way in heck was I not going to highlight a new Jeannie Lin historical. This is the fourth story in her Lotus Palace series, the highly anticipated romance featuring Wei-Wei and Gao. 

The Venetian and the Rum Runner by L.A. Witt 

New York City, 1924 

Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same. 

Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster. 

Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine. 

With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew—not to mention their families—out of destitution. 

Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente, then to something so intense neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen. 

But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it. 

Criminals as romantic protagonists is always a dicey proposition for me, but it can (and often does) work for me in the Prohibition era. Plus I’d be flat-out lying if I didn’t say the prospect of an Italian mobster and an Irish thief didn’t intrigue the heck out of me. 

Sleeping with the Enemy by Jackie Barbosa 

When Mrs. Laura Farnsworth discovers the blood-stained body of a man wearing the distinctive red coat of the British army, her first instinct is to let dead dogs lie. It has, after all, been just two days since the Battle of Plattsburgh, and the disposition of enemy corpses is hardly her purview. But then the man proves himself to be very much alive by grabbing her ankle and mumbling incoherently. 

After almost twenty-five years in His Majesty’s service, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Langston never expected to wake up in heaven, much less being tended by an angel. But when he regains consciousness in the presence of a beautiful, dark-haired woman and with no memory of how he came to be there, what else can he think? Except it’s rather odd for an angel to have an American accent.  

As the long-widowed Laura nurses the wounded Geoffrey back to health, the attraction between them heats from a simmer to a boil. Bound by his oath to the British crown, Geoffrey should be working to find his way back to his regiment and from there, to England. Instead, he’s sleeping with the enemy…and thereby committing the crime of desertion if not treason. But then, who’s going to find out? 

If only Geoffrey didn’t have a family back home who refuse to take “missing in action” for an answer. 

The fourth book in Barbosa’s Lords of Lancashire series opens up just a few days after the Battle of Plattsburgh, a decisive victory for the Americans during the War of 1812. This era is criminally underrepresented in historical romance, and we’ve got a literal enemy-to-lovers romance with some amnesia thrown in for good measure. 

Once Dishonored by Mary Jo Putney 

A man who has lost his honor has nothing . . . 

London, 1816. As a Royal Navy officer, Lucas Mandeville, Lord Foxton, has fought his share of battles on the high seas, followed by long years of imprisonment. But on this night, he’d rather be on the burning deck of a ship than in a ballroom, where it is just a matter of time before someone challenges him because of what happened on the Continent. 

A woman who has lost her reputation is nothing . . . 

When dark-haired beauty Kendra Douglas arrives, a whisper of scandal ripples through the ton. The disgraced divorcee’s entrance is an act of daring. Which is exactly why Lucas asks her to dance . . . 

A couple who stands together has everything . . . 

Unexpectedly, Lucas offers Kendra his aid in finding the evidence to regain her good name—and her beloved young son. Together they investigate the wicked conspiracy that destroyed her life, and in the midst of danger, find a deep love that will redeem them both—if only they can live long enough to build a future together. 

Dude. The heroine is wearing pants and boots on the cover. This fifth book in Putney’s Rogue’s Redeemed series features quite possibly my favorite trope EVER in romance - the heroine of dubious reputation. OMG, and she’s divorced. Just inject this one right into my eyeballs. 

Sin Incarnate by Isobel Carr (Kindle Unlimited) 

Six Nights Of Pleasure… 

Georgianna Exley's passionate nature has always been her undoing—and for this reason the beautiful young widow allows her lovers only a single night in her bed. No man will ever have the right to dictate to her; to presume he owns her. 

But Ivo Dauntry has at last come home to England, and for he'll settle for nothing less than one night for every year he’s given up for her...and soon, his daring seduction becomes a sensual contest of wills Georgianna is all too willing to lose. 

But the long-ago duel that bound them forever has repercussions neither of them could ever have foreseen, and once again, Ivo must risk everything, this time to save the woman he loves… 

Originally published as Lord Sin under the name Kalen Hughes, Carr graces us with self-published editions of her lusty Georgian romances (Scandal Incarnate is also available this month). Like the War of 1812, Georgians are harder to find in the historical romance universe, a crying shame in my opinion because if Prince taught us anything it’s that men in heels can be damn sexy. 

A Forbidden Liaison with Miss Grant by Marguerite Kaye 

An unexpected encounter… 

Will change everything! 

Self-made gentleman and widower Grayson Maddox has devoted himself to his children and business, leaving no time for pleasure. Until he has an impulsive, thrillingly sensual encounter with lady’s companion Miss Constance Grant! Their passion gives Grayson hope of a happiness he never thought he’d feel again. But there’s still much in both their pasts to confront before they can turn their forbidden liaison into a new beginning… 

Kaye’s latest takes place in 1822 Edinburgh at the height of preparations for King George IV’s historic visit. The Highland Clearances also play a role in the story - the school teacher heroine now out of a job and homeless when her village is wiped out to make room for sheep. That’s all very interesting, but wait for it - there’s more. Both the protagonists are in their 40s. That’s right. No foolin’. Please for the love of all that is holy buy this on principle at the very least. 

Redeeming Her Viking Warrior by Jenni Fletcher 

He’s sworn celibacy… 

Until he gets vengeance! 

Danr Sigurdsson is indebted to the captivating, mysterious healer living alone in the wilderness who carefully tends his wounds. Consumed with anguish over the massacre that killed his family, Danr has sworn not to touch another woman until he finds those responsible. So resisting Sissa should be easy, but as they search for the truth, fighting their mutual attraction becomes the hardest battle… 

Harlequin is rolling along with the Sons of Sigurd series, with Fletcher contributing this fourth book. A hero who takes a vow of celibacy until he fulfills his mission of vengeance? And of course our lovely heroine gets thrown into his path? Gah! Sign me up! 

The Silk Merchant’s Convenient Wife by Elisabeth Hobbes 

A convenient marriage 

An inconvenient passion… 

His parents’ loveless relationship has left silk merchant Jonathan Harcourt suspicious of marriage. But in order to expand his mill and have an heir, he must marry his neighbour Aurelia Upford. Even more surprising than finding himself with a clever, beautiful society wife is the unexpected passion that flares between them, and the unsettling emotions it leads to. Sharing a bed was part of their arrangement, but can Jonathan risk sharing his heart, too? 

Hobbes takes a break from medievals to give readers an early Victorian set romance between a silk merchant (a tradesman!) entering into a marriage of convenience with a proper society heroine. I’ve enjoyed Hobbes’ medievals and can’t wait to see what she does in a very different time period. 

The Flapper’s Scandalous Elopement by Lauri Robinson 

With this ring… 

They’re temporarily wed! 

Heiress Jane Dryer will do anything to escape her controlling father and the life of domestic drudgery he decrees—even elope with the handsome stranger she meets in a speakeasy! Wealthy railroad owner David Albright needs a temporary wife and Jane needs her independence, so the plan is to marry, then walk away. Only very soon, their fake marriage feels seductively real! 

Sister #3 in Robinson’s Sisters of the Roaring Twenties series is up to bat - and our heiress heroine elopes with a stranger who turns out to be a wealthy railroad owner. I just, where do I sign up for these kinds of problems? I’m here for it. 

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

Unusual Historical Best Bets for August 2019

I’m not sure where 2019 has gone, but here we are - already in August. RWA has come and gone, the kids are either already back in school or will be very soon, and large swaths of the US are looking forward to Pumpkin Spice Everything. While, on one hand, I felt energized at RWA to come home and “read all the things,” the reality has been “um, not so much.” Distracted and cranky seems to be the mood of the moment. So to snap myself out of it, why not browse for intriguing sounding unusual historicals? Here are the August releases that caught my eye.

Dalliances & Devotion by Felicia Grossman

A change in course can be refreshing…when it’s done together.

1871

After two disastrous marriages, beauty columnist Amalia Truitt’s life is finally her own—well, it will be if she can get herself back to Delaware and demand access to her share of the Truitt family fortune. After all, the charity she’s organized for women who can’t afford their own divorces won’t fund itself.

However, not everyone wants her to reach her destination. When her family learns she’s been receiving anonymous death threats, a solo journey is out of the question.

Enter David Zisskind, the ragtag-peddler-turned-soldier whose heart Amalia broke years ago. He’s a Pinkerton now, and the promotion he craves depends on protecting his long-lost love on the unexpectedly treacherous journey across Pennsylvania.

That their physical connection has endured the test of time (and then some) is problematic, to say the least.

In very close quarters, with danger lurking around every curve, with each kiss and illicit touch, the wrongs of the past are righted. But David can’t weather another rejection, especially with his career in jeopardy. And Amalia can’t possibly take a lover, never mind another husband…not with so much depending on her repaired reputation. Not when she’s hurt David—her David—so badly before.

Wendy general rule of thumb: it’s a historical romance published by Carina - one-click it on principle (seriously, they publish so little of it - I’m hoping the ol’ “vote with your dollars” might start to actually work). This is the second book in Grossman’s Truitt series and honestly what isn’t to love about this back cover blurb? A twice divorced heroine, a Pinkerton agent hero with a tattered past, and a reunion romance. Wendy catnip y’all.

A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian

A seductive thief

Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly?

Finds her own heart

For the first time in her life, Alice Stapleton has absolutely nothing to do. The only thing that seems to occupy her thoughts is a lady’s maid with a sharp tongue and a beautiful mouth. Her determination to know Molly’s secrets has her behaving in ways she never imagined as she begins to fall for the impertinent woman.

Has been stolen

When an unwelcome specter from Alice’s past shows up unexpectedly at a house party, Molly volunteers to help the only way she knows how: with a little bit of mischief.

It’s like romance authors got together and decided to publish all the Wendy Catnip in the month of August. This novella, part of Sebastian’s Turner series, features a thief turned Lady’s maid and an upright Lady’s companion. Library Journal gave this a starred review and called it a “fun, sexy romp.” If I wasn’t sold already, that sealed it.

Reclaimed by her Rebel Knight by Jenni Fletcher

Married to a perfect stranger…
Reunited with her warrior husband

When Constance inherited her father’s lands, she had no choice but to marry cold-hearted Matthew Wintour. He left her for the battlefield, without even a wedding night. Five years later, Matthew has returned a valiant knight! But Constance is no longer a frightened girl. And, this time, she must reach out to discover the honorable man behind the armor and what pleasures await them in the marriage bed…

Ah, the hero who takes off before the wedding night - seriously, will these guys never learn? And it was an arranged marriage no less. The back cover blurb entices me with the promise of a heroine with gumption and I’m a sucker for marriage of convenience tropes of all stripes.

A pretty light month as far as unusual historicals go. What are you looking forward to reading this month? What unusual historicals have you recently unearthed from your TBR?

Top 5 Unusual Historicals for December 2017

For those of you who pay attention to publishing cycles, December traditionally tends to be a dead month.  Thank heavens for self-publishing otherwise this month's Unusual Historicals column would have been a non-starter!  There's a nice bit of variety this month and hopefully a few gems just waiting to be discovered.  Here is what caught my eye for December:

Besieged and Betrothed by Jenni Fletcher (medieval)

Bound to her enemy

Ruthless warrior Lothar the Frank has laid siege to Castle Haword, but there’s a fiery redhead in his way—and she’s not backing down!

More tomboy than trembling maiden, Lady Juliana Danville would rather die than lose the castle. When she’s caught on opposite sides of a war, a marriage bargain is brokered to bring peace. But is blissful married life possible when Juliana has a dangerous secret hidden within the castle walls?

Fletcher is a newer author to Harlequin Historical, and this is her third release with them (her second medieval).  Naturally I have her first two books lurking in the depths of my Kindle (because of course I do).  I love, love, love tomboy heroines and looks like our fiery redhead must choose marriage in order to save her home.  I'm all in on this one.

Miracle on Ladies' Mile by Joanna Shupe (novella, Gilded Age)

A holiday novella set in New York City's Gilded Age, where anything is possible...

After losing his beloved wife, department store owner Alexander Armstrong seems incapable of anything other than work, despite his ache to be a better father to his daughter.

When he encounters Grace, a charming shop girl designing the store’s holiday window displays, he struggles to accept that perhaps miracles do happen in the most unlikely of places…

There's been a lot of chatter about Shupe's new series with Avon but I haven't seen much (OK any...) mention of this self-published novella.  I'll be frank.  I am, literally, the only reader on the planet who DNF'ed Shupe's celebrated debut novel with Kensington and the "DNF stink" has kept me from trying another one of her books.  WHICH KILLS ME BECAUSE OMG SHE WRITES IN THE GILDED AGE!  But this is a novella and frankly it sounds like Wendy catnip.  I LOVE historical department store settings and the whole single dad thing gets me every. single. time.  I'm going to try this.

The Swan by Piper Huguley (novella, Americana)

A beautiful woman with secrets comes to Noelle to confront a powerful person with the truth...and only six days left to save the town.

Avis Smith is willing to go to Noelle to marry a man she doesn’t know in order to avenge a fourteen year wrong--her abandonment to a life of misery and abuse when she was just six years old. In order to get to Noelle, she has to lie about who she is, but her thirst for vengeance is so strong, she transforms herself into the pious, beautiful bride that JD Jones wants. Still, she never expected to be abandoned at the altar.

 His work as an abolitionist and fighter for justice will not allow storekeeper Liam Fulton to turn his back on the beautiful woman his archenemy is willing to leave at the altar. He figures a way to help Avis out of her predicament, offers to showcase her in his store so that other potential grooms in Noelle will see her and might want to marry the young woman with the long and elegant neck.

When swans mate, they mate for life. When Liam offers to help Avis, he never expects that in working with her to find a resolution to her problem, he discovers a fierce need to protect her. Avis doesn’t know that she might find something better than what she was looking for--a new way to a family and bonds of a strong and life-long lasting love.

This is actually book seven in the multi-author series, The 12 Days of Christmas Mail Order Brides.  It appears to be one of those series where the authors are all operating in the same world (and using the mail order bride hook) but the stories appear to function well as stand-alone reads.  I'm highlighting Piper's book because of my past experience with reading her (she tends to create a wonderful sense of place in her stories - you're reading a historical y'all, there's no mistaking that!) and I follow her on Twitter.  Note to those of you with Kindle Unlimited - it looks like the entire series is available there.  Gorge at the trough mail order bride fans!

The Rancher's Inconvenient Bride by Carol Arens (western)

A Wyoming marriage of convenience…

Agatha Magee has put her difficult past behind her and is living an independent life at the circus. But when William English rescues her—from being shot out of a cannon—their scandalous situation leaves them no option but to get married!

William has no intention of making this more than a marriage in name only. Agatha must somehow change his mind if she’s to have the family she’s always yearned for…

Arens has been writing for Harlequin Historical for a while and her backlist is chock full of westerns.  Has Wendy read her yet?  Of course not.  She's buried in the TBR of Doom. This sounds really interesting!  A heroine in the circus?  A misguided hero who "rescues" her?  I'll give this one a whirl.  And I know y'all usually rely on me for such information (HH, western, what do you mean you've never read her Wendy?!) - but opinions welcome.

A Lily Among Thorns by Rose Lerner (Regency, reprint)

London 1815, just before Waterloo...

After her noble father disowned her, Lady Serena Ravenshaw clawed her way from streetwalker to courtesan to prosperous innkeeper. Now she’s feared and respected from one end of London to the other, by the lowest dregs of the city’s underworld and the upper echelons of the beau monde, and she’ll do anything to keep it that way.

When mild-mannered chemist Solomon Hathaway turns up in her office, asking for her help, she immediately recognizes him from one fateful night years before. She’s been watching and waiting for him for years—so she can turn the tables and put him in her debt, of course, and not because he looked like an angel and was kind to her when she needed it most.

She’s determined not to wonder what put that fresh grief in his eyes. But after a betrayal even Serena didn’t expect, she must put aside her pride and work with Solomon to stop a ring of French spies and save her beloved inn, her freedom—and England itself.

Originally published by Dorchester, then reprinted by Samhain - I imagine Lerner throwing her hands up in the air saying "Screw it, I'm self-publishing it this time!"  OK, seriously - HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK?!?  OK, so I knew about it.  But not that the whole heroine gets disowned becomes a streetwalker then a courtesan then an innkeeper "thing."  I AM HERE FOR THIS ALL DAY LONG PEOPLE!  Ahem.  I'm blaming this on not reading reviews closely and new back cover copy.  For those of us who missed it the first...and second time around, at the time of this blog post it's a sweet 99 cents in digital.

What Historicals are you looking forward to this month?