#TBRChallenge 2025: Regency Christmas Parties

The Book: Regency Christmas Parties by Annie Burrows, Lara Temple and Joanna Johnson

The Particulars: Regency Historical Romance Anthology, Harlequin Historical #1689, 2022, Out of Print, Available digitally

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Seriously? It's a Harlequin Historical Christmas anthology. The better question would be which ones AREN'T in my TBR? 

The Review: Of course I waited until the last minute to pick out and read something for this month's Celebration! theme. When time is short (typical) I go diving into the cupboard where I horde my stash of print Harlequins and a cursory dig didn't turn up anything inspiring. So to the digital pile I went and immediately stumbled across this anthology that features Christmas parties! I mean, how perfect can you get? And lucky me, this turned out to be a pretty enjoyable anthology overall.

Invitation to a Wedding by Annie Burrows gets us off on the right foot. Clara is a spinster assistant teacher at a boarding school where the students are mainly the children of indigent or decreased clerics, so her former pupil, Isabella "Bella" Fairclough, was a bit of an oddity. Her father being well off and still alive. No, Bella was dumped off at the school because her father remarried and her stepmother didn't want her underfoot, especially after she birthed twin boys. Bella was a handful and Clara was the only teacher who could bring her (somewhat) to heel, although the headmistress is still a bit put out that Clara scored an invitation to Bella's upcoming wedding - to a Duke no less! So off Clara goes, spinning fantasies of her first real Christmas family gathering since her parents died when she was ten.

Lieutenant Hugo Warren meets Clara's carriage and rescues her from the path of an on-coming horse. Naturally Clara is not what he expected, what with her drab clothing, threadbare coat and one small bag. This is the bride's maid of honor? He has reasons for not wanting this marriage to happen, and regardless of what Clara might think, it's not because he's next in line to inherit the title unless Bella spits out a son. No, he's more concerned about the Duke being three times the bride's age and four times her girth. Maybe he can get Clara on his side to talk some sense into Bella? 

Clara is glad she came because obviously Bella needs someone on her side! It doesn't take long to realize it's a nest of vipers around her former student, who is lavishing Clara with a fabulous, albeit "used", wardrobe and making sure she partakes in all the delights the Duke's household has to offer. Bella knows that Clara might feel "out of place" so she's doing everything in her power to make sure she has a great time. This leads to Clara spending more time with Hugo and before you know it, these two are smitten.

This story feels very Traditional Regency with a bit of an edge to it - namely the sour secondary characters and ultimately what we learn about Bella's character and motives. The romance moves along at a good just-kisses clip, and there's plenty of tension to give readers a little sizzle. A very pleasant read.

Grade = B

Snowbound with the Earl by Lara Temple was the highlight of this anthology. Bella (no connection to the Bella in the previous story!) is a poor, orphaned relation living with her "sickly" aunt and her flighty, rebellious, and spoiled cousin, Violet. Violet fancies herself in love with Rupert, who is not yet of age - but no matter they're running away to Gretna Green to elope! Rupert is a nice boy who doesn't deserve to be used by her social climber cousin, and Violet deserves better than a mooncalf mama's boy. Having already set plans in motion to keep Violet at home, Bella arrives at the designated rendezvous site to deal with Rupert - only to find his insufferable cousin, Lord Deverill. Nicholas is also there to thwart the elopement and they both have been trying to break up the couple for months. However, even though they have the same goal they literally cannot stand each other. These two rub each other in all the wrong ways - which we all know what that means.

Circumstances lead to Bella going back to Nicholas' family home to conclude the business at hand but wouldn't you know it? Bella gets snowed in. She'll have to spend the holidays with Nicholas and his family. Gee, whatever shall happen next?

The banter in this story is so delicious. I laughed out loud on a couple of occasions and the tension between these two is thick. Naturally one thing leads to another and they fall in love. My only quibble with this story is the doomed "romance" of Violet and Rupert is dealt with an perfunctory manner and one wonders what those two kids are going to say when Nicholas and Bella 1) end of married and 2) catch wind of what they did to keep them apart. No mistake, I don't feel bad for them. It's pretty obvious it's a "romance" in name only and Violet definitely reads like someone who would move on quickly. 

Grade = B+

A Kiss at the Winter Ball by Joanna Johnson is the last story in the anthology, and also, unfortunately, the weakest. A shame since it's got a very unique premise.

Maria Bartlett is the daughter of a gentleman farmer desperate to get her father to see reason. She's capable of more than just sitting at home doing needlepoint. She wants to work on the farm just like her brother does! So with a bit a subterfuge and the luck of her brother spraining his ankle, she's driving the last remaining Christmas turkeys into the town of Atherby. But, of course, she ends up taking a wrong turn and is rescued by a man who tells her she's on Viscount Stanford's land. With the hour getting late, Alex offers to take her up to Millbrooke Hall for the night. The Viscount would not want a woman traveling alone at night with a storm rolling in. 

We all know where this is going - Alex is, of course, Viscount Stanford and soon the weather turns so nasty that Maria is forced to stay several days at the estate. It's Insta-Love from the jump, which is already not my favorite, but then add in that Alex is engaged to someone else. It's an arrangement agreed upon by his and the bride's parents when they were barely out of diapers. No matter, it doesn't stop him from falling in love with Maria (somehow?) after clamping eyes on her and it doesn't stop Maria from feeling all gooey about him even AFTER she finds out the engagement will announced at an upcoming ball at Millbrooke Hall that of course Alex invites her to attend (my hero, I guess?). 

This just didn't work for me. I get that his impending engagement is not a love match, and his intended isn't crazy about marrying him either (more on that in the story) but it doesn't change the fact that Maria and Alex decide they're in love with each other in about 10 seconds flat.  I understand some folks like Insta-Love stories. I think they're wrong, but to each their own. This was certainly readable and I liked the "walking Christmas turkeys to market" premise - but it was pretty meh otherwise.

Grade = C-

Anthologies are typically mixed bags and even though the final story was my least favorite, the overall reading experience was really solid for me. I've never read Temple before and the strength of that story alone will have me diving into my TBR to see what else turns up. The world-building was strong in every story and left me with the first small glimmer of Christmas cheer I've had this season. I'm calling this one a win.

Overall Final Grade = B

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?

Unusual Historical Best Bets for November 2019

Here we are, in November, and I’m in denial. Have I thought about Thanksgiving dinner or my holiday gift purchasing? Of course not. Because it just doesn’t seem possible that somehow nearly a whole year blew past while I was busy doing...stuff, I guess. Who the heck knows anymore. I’m sure it involved The Day Job, continuing to finely tune my tea snobbery and books, because of course books. Which brings us to the latest crop of unusual historicals that have caught my eye. Here’s what’s hitting my wishlist for November:

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to “build” the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace’s colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires.  

To further his own research on English society, Sebastian agrees to let Grace transform him from a bespectacled, bookish academic into a dashing—albeit fake—rake. Between secret lessons on how to be a rogue and exaggerated public flirtations, Grace’s feelings for Sebastian grow from friendship into undeniable, inconvenient, real attraction. If only she hadn’t asked him to help her marry someone else...  

Sebastian is in love with brilliant, beautiful Grace, but their bargain is complete, and she desires another. Yet when he’s faced with losing her forever, Sebastian will do whatever it takes to tell her the truth, even if it means risking his own future—and his heart. 

When Leigh hits her beats she writes really interesting romances featuring feminist heroines bristling at convention. I generally really dig Pygmalion tropes in romance but Leigh flips it by giving readers the less common version of the heroine making over the hero. Plus, the hero is a bit of a nerd and those aren’t exactly thick on the ground in historicals. This is also the start of a new series.

The Truth Behind Their Practical Marriage by Marguerite Kaye

A marriage hiding secrets
…but forged by passion!  

A Penniless Brides of Convenience story. Miss Estelle Brannagh has never met a man who’s tempted her to renounce her hard-won independence—until an encounter with Irish landowner Aidan Malahide blossoms into spine-tingling attraction. He’s carefree and charismatic; accepting his proposal seems practical and shockingly desirable! Yet Aidan is hiding a dark secret, and it will take all of Estelle’s courage to ensure it doesn’t tear them apart… 

Obviously I like Kaye’s books, having featured them more than once in Unusual Historical posts - but the description of this one has literally made me go weak in the knees. Why? Well if you follow Kaye on various social media channels she’s been referring to this book as her “Irish Gothic” since she started writing it. And if there’s anything I love more than “unusual historicals?” It’s Gothics. Gimme, gimme, gimme!

Scandalously Wed to the Captain by Joanna Johnson

Bound to a stranger
…in a secret ceremony!  

With her finances, reputation and heart all broken by a family scandal, Grace Linwood seeks employment. But the lady she’s companion to isn’t long for this world. She’s intent on seeing Grace protected and quickly wed to her son, curt and closed-off Captain Spencer Dauntsey. With little choice, all Grace can say is “I do”…but who is the man she has just married? 

Discovered as part of Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write, this is Johnson’s second book and the back cover blurb hits a ton of my sweet spots - a down-on-her-luck heroine, a stoic military hero, and a marriage of convenience.

Night of the Scoundrel by Kelly Bowen (novella)

Can he trust her with his darkest secret?  

Ruthless. Dangerous. Known simply as King. No one knows his true name or where he came from. And when he learns that the man who betrayed him has returned to London, King has only one goal: vengeance. But first, he must seek out an unlikely ally to aide him in his pursuit...  

Adeline Archambault is as mysterious as she is beautiful. Exiled after the French Revolution, she's determined to reclaim her birthright and deliver the justice that is owed her. King's offer to help her, in exchange for her assistance, is a bargain she can't refuse. But will this deal with a devil lead to a future she never dared hope for? 

Bowen has been racking up so many accolades it’s hard to keep track (by my count she’s got three RITA Awards under her belt and appearances on numerous Best Of lists….). This back cover blurb is magic and caught my eye immediately thanks to a super mysterious hero and a heroine in search of justice. This sounds perverse, but I’m a sucker for romances that utilize the French Revolution in some way.

Ride the High Lonesome by Rosanne Bittner

A man bent on revenge
A woman determined to survive
A land that knows no mercy
Meet the Men of the Outlaw Trail  

When Kate Winters is left stranded and defenseless in outlaw country, she knows there's little chance she'll make it out alive...until she stumbles across a ruthless gang hanging a cowboy for his cattle. She waits until the outlaws are gone, desperate enough to claim the dead man's horse to make her escape—only to realize he's not dead after all.  

Those outlaws should have made damn sure Luke Bowden was good and gone. Now he vows he'll have his revenge no matter the cost. But they're miles away from the nearest town, and the woman who saved his hide won't survive the ride back. He owes her his life—he owes her everything—and it doesn't take long before he's faced with a terrible choice: stand by Kate...or claim his revenge? 

I’m the type who will generally look a gift horse in the mouth, so while I’ve been happy more westerns are getting published they’ve been riding on the coat-tails of the small town contemporary trend that’s showing no signs of slowing down. Which means lots of cutesy small towns west of the Mississippi and while I do read those, they’re not my favorite. Bittner tends to write the style of western that I love - the sort where you really think either hero or heroine are going to end up dead, but never do because, hello, she’s writing romance. Action, adventure, road romance, and the start of a new series? Sign me up.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to reading?