Deck the Halls: Unusual Historicals for December 2023

Hey, so it's December. Don't ask me how we all got here. What I'll remember most about 2023 is the hazy blur of exhaustion I seemed to live with. 2024 might be the year that I finally need to knuckle down and take better care of myself - but that covers all the very not-fun stuff like nutrition, exercise, the buzzword du jour "mindfulness." It's all so bothersome, truly. In the meantime we're going to ring out (OK, more like kick out...) 2023 with the final Unusual Historicals post of the year. Once again, many thanks to AztecLady for uncovering a good chunk of these for me.  December is traditionally a pretty slow month in publishing and we have six books this month!

Whiskey War by Stacy Lynn Miller

At the height of Prohibition and the dawn of the Great Depression, lesbian couple Dax and Rose look forward to a clandestine life together in Half Moon Bay, hiding a treasure trove of stolen whiskey.

To save their floundering restaurant, Dax tries to offload the barrels in San Francisco, only to rouse her estranged brother-in-law, Logan. He sniffs out their stash, and soon they all get a taste of the dark side of bootlegging.

Enter Grace Parsons, Rose's glamorous ex and Hollywood elite, offering a way out. But her intervention ignites a violent feud that puts everyone at risk. Can Dax and Rose survive the whiskey war they never wanted?

Prohibition! San Francisco! My apologies folks, but this is actually the second book in a series featuring Dax and Rose, but now that it's on all our radars, we can back-track to book one if we so desire. Per the author's bio, she's former military and likes to infuse her stories with suspense as well as romance - also looks like there will be a third book in this series.

The Knight's Substitute Bride by Melissa Oliver

 

Could the wrong bride…

Be right for him after all?

For the sake of his family name, Lord Robert must marry to seal an alliance with an Irish clan. Only, the woman at the altar isn’t who he was promised! Instead, it’s her sister, Lady Mairenn! The sharp-tongued Irish beauty is as reluctant to wed as Robert, but as friction turns to fire between them, she’s further derailing Robert’s plans for this purely pragmatic arrangement…

Ah, the ol' I show up at the altar and it's not my intended but her sister instead trope. But alliances are alliances, and come hell or high water, a marriage there will be.  This is the second book in the multi-author Brothers and Rivals series, the first book being featured in November's Unusual Historicals post.

Art of the Chase by Tracy Brogan

Above the glistening waters of Trillium Bay, the majestic Imperial Hotel awaits its first guests. It’s the summer of 1888, and names like Carnegie, Astor, Pullman, and Bostwick line the premier resort’s registry as society’s elite gather on its grandiose front porch to see – and be seen.

But Chase Bostwick isn’t interested in being seen. As the second son of a wealthy financier, he’s only interested in work – in Chicago – so being tasked by his father to chaperone his wearisome mother and boisterous little sister during their Michigan summer holiday is Chase’s personal purgatory masquerading as paradise – for never was a man more ill-suited to leisure.

Emerson McKenna isn’t interested in being seen, either – but she does want her artistic talents to be noticed. As the illegitimate daughter of a renown portraitist more infamous for his romantic dalliances than for his work, Emerson has schemed her way into a position at the hotel teaching doe-eyed debutantes to paint. She says her goal is to commission enough portraits from the resort’s wealthy patrons to finance her dreams of studying in Paris.

But Chase has his suspicions…

Thinking to ease his ennui, he sets about to unravel the mysteries of this enigmatic Miss and her tattered satchel full of secrets, but what he learns – from her questionable marital status right down to the potentially felonious embellishment of her artistic credentials – leaves him feeling captivated. And protective. When his misplaced chivalry sets in motion events which may do more harm than good, Chase and Emerson must work together to keep her safe – and in his arms.

OK, not gonna lie - I'm really intrigued by this one. For one thing it's set in my home state of Michigan and for another, it's set at a hotel. Boardinghouses and hotels in historical romance flip a switch for me.  Throw in an artist heroine with secrets to hide and well, I'm only human.

An Unlikely Match for the Governess by Lauri Robinson

The most unlikely match…

might be the best fit!

After the young twins she cares for are orphaned, their governess, Aislinn, will do anything to stay with them. So when their maverick uncle—aristocrat turned rancher—Luke returns to England determined to gain guardianship, she proposes a convenient marriage! As an unexpected connection develops between them, Aislinn begins to long for a real future with Luke. But his home is in Montana… Could it be hers, too? 

I'll admit it, I have baggage. In the early aughts many a good historical western author defected for across the pond, but before that it was like publishing was setting us up.  The cowboys were now going to England or the blue-blooded daughters were the fish out of water in Texas or some such state. Eventually the pretense was discharged and historical westerns got rarer than hen's teeth.  Harlequin Historical was about the only outfit still publishing them, but they killed them a few years back.  But dare I hope? Maybe this new one by Robinson is Harlequin's way of testing the waters on westerns again - even if it's the story of "a spare" coming back to England after setting up shop in Montana.  People, I'm desperate. This one goes on the pile.

The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore

Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing estate, academic writer’s block, a tense time for England’s women’s rights campaign—the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her father’s distractingly attractive young colleague.

Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford and her fight for women’s suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked inside her head—until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.

Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor Campbell’s circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the Middle East. Winning Catriona’s favor could be the key to his success. Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing...

Forced into close proximity in Oxford’s hallowed halls, two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.

Let's be honest here - this book could go either way. It could be good (Suffragette heroine! Hero with secrets! Oxford!) or it could be a hot mess (historical romance doesn't have the best track record with "exotic" characters - including the use of the word exotic...).  Also chatter I've read on this series in particular has been all over the map.  Readers seem to love them or loathe them, with not a lot in between. But so many of them have fallen under the "unusual" banner that I really need to give one of these a whirl via my library.

Second Duke's the Charm by Kate Bateman

The wedding-night death of her much older husband left Tess Townsend the Dowager Duchess of Wansford—and still a virgin. Now she and her two best friends investigate London’s most scandalous crimes, and while Tess longs to experience physical pleasure for herself, she can’t risk losing her treasured independence...

Cynical shipping magnate Justin Thornton never expected to inherit a dukedom, but he’ll do his duty. When the ravishing woman he kissed at a party turns out to be the Dowager Duchess, Justin sees an obvious solution: a marriage of convenience that will suit them both.

But the passion that sparks between them is anything but convenient. As Tess works on a new case at the request of Queen Charlotte, her increasingly suspicious behavior makes Justin question her motives—and her past. The infuriating woman clearly can’t be trusted, but Justin doesn’t believe in love, so there’s absolutely no danger of him falling for his own wife...is there?

VIRGIN WIDOW! I figure half of you are already one-clicking while the other half are all "no thank you ma'am."  What intrigues me here is the premise of three best friends (all women) investigating crimes and shenanigans.  Oh, and a hero who inherits a dukedom he hadn't planned on thinking the heroine and a marriage of convenience is the solution to all his problems.  Oh, you poor deluded man. Also, while I haven't been able to find confirmation, this smells like the start of a new series.

Whew! I hope you all enjoy a happy, healthy end to this hellscape year and that many fantastic books, including Unusual Historicals, await all of us as we step into 2024.

Make It Rain: Unusual Historicals Landing May 2022

Every month I buckle in to ride the wave of Amazon's terrible algorithm (so much Daddy Kink, so much public domain literature with half-assed covers), cross my fingers and hope for the best as I go on the Great Hunt for Unusual Historicals. And then I get months like May 2022 where they seem to rain from the sky.  Seriously, enjoy this now Bat Cave Followers, because I guarantee that if we manage to survive our slog to December you're going to get maybe 3 titles that month.  So grab yourself something to drink, crack your knuckles, and get ready for a dive into the deep end of the Historical Romancelandia swimming pool.

Rose and Wicked by Rebel Carter (Kindle Unlimited)

Rose Wickes-Barnes has a plan to establish herself as an independent woman of good standing. 

Move away from Gold Sky. 

Join one of New York City’s most prestigious theater companies. 

Establish herself in society as an up-and-coming costumer with said theater company. 

Thusly, she aims to enjoy the fruits of her labor just as any woman should. What she never anticipates is the scandal, paparazzi storm, and subsequent whirlwind marriage she finds herself in. 

Rose and her new husband, the gentle, soft spoken and earnest Samuel Walker, who selflessly put himself in harm's way to keep her safe one fateful, rainy, day, are forced to flee the city and marry to keep their reputations in tact. All the while Rose suspects there is far more to her new husband than the man she’s coming dangerously close to falling in love with. 

People on the streets of New York give him a wide berth, and they call him ‘Wicked Walker’. Rose has never known him to be anything but a gentleman and her protector, but she can’t help but admit she is curious to see just what’s so wicked about ‘Wicked Walker.’

An independent heroine determined to establish herself a theater costume designer finds herself married in order to avoid scandal - which, isn't that always the way?  But what's this? There's more to her new husband than meets the eye? Do tell! This appears to be the last book in Carter's Gold Sky series.

The Iron Warrior Returns by Michelle Willingham 

A fight to save his people 

A kiss to save his heart… 

To regain his stolen lands and save his people from suffering, Robert of Penrith has returned to marry his enemy’s daughter. To Robert’s surprise, his dearest friend, Morwenna, helps him win the heiress’s hand—despite the danger to them both. The fierce, beautiful miller’s daughter has stood by him throughout his exile. But a single kiss ignites a passion that threatens to upend all Robert’s plans…

To reclaim his land and save his people our hero decides a match with his enemy's daughter is the way to go, but he needs help, and for that he turns to his best friend, our heroine. What we have here is a fairly rare unicorn - a friends-to-lovers trope in a medieval!  Willingham is one of my autobuys in Harlequin Historical and this is the start of a new series.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera

Paris, 1889 

The Exposition Universelle is underway, drawing merchants from every corner of the globe…including Luz Alana Heith-Benzan, heiress to the Caña Brava rum empire. 

Luz Alana set sail from Santo Domingo armed with three hundred casks of rum, her two best friends and one simple rule: under no circumstances is she to fall in love. In the City of Lights, she intends to expand the rum business her family built over three generations, but buyers and shippers alike can’t imagine doing business with a woman…never mind a woman of color. This, paired with being denied access to her inheritance unless she marries, leaves the heiress in a very precarious position. 

Enter James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, who has spent a decade looking for purpose outside of his father’s dirty money and dirtier dealings. Ignoring his title, he’s built a whisky brand that’s his biggest—and only—passion. That is, until he’s confronted with a Spanish-speaking force of nature who turns his life upside down. 

From their first tempestuous meeting, Luz Alana is conflicted. Why is this titled—and infuriatingly charming—Scottish man so determined to help her? 

For Evan, every day with Luz Alana makes him yearn for more than her ardent kisses or the marriage of convenience that might save them both. But Luz Alana sailed for Paris prepared to build her business and her future; what she wasn’t prepared for was love finding her.

A Caribbean rum heiress takes to Paris hoping to expand her family's business, only to get doors slammed in her face because she's a female (sigh). Enter our hero, with plenty of Daddy Issues, and his own whisky empire, smitten from the jump.  Another Unusual Historical this month from our friends at Harelquin, this time with the HQN line, and also the start of a new series.

Miss Peverett's Secret Scandal by Bronwyn Scott

Working in close quarters…With an employer she can’t resist! 

Thomasia Peverett is dreading her return to society, but when she’s offered a secretarial role by Member of Parliament Shaw Rawdon, he tempts her to leave the safety of her home. Shaw’s unlike anyone she’s ever met, and their attraction is undeniable. Even the revelation of her scandalous secret draws him closer! Thomasia knows it’s foolish to trust the wrong man, but will Shaw prove he’s worth it?

If loving the boss/secretary romance is wrong (OK, yes - it's problematic as hell...) then I don't wanna be right. And this is, OMG wait for it, a boss/secretary romance in Victoria England!  Oh, and of course our heroine is hiding a Big Secret, because why wouldn't she be?!  This is the third book in Scott's The Peveretts of Haberstock Hall series.

The Earl on the Train by Kerrigan Byrne (novella)

Sebastian Moncrieff is a villain, a traitor, and a pirate, who has recently inherited an Earldom he never wanted. As a man who’s committed every sin imaginable, he knows his only chance at redemption is the one woman who ever reached through to his soul of ice. He’s kidnapped Veronica Latimer once before, and was enchanted by everything about her... This time, when he takes her, he’ll have to admit that she’s kept his heart captive since the moment they met. But can he convince her to forgive his past in order to claim a future?

Villain, traitor, pirate and a kidnapper? Wow, this hero sounds like a prince! But he also sounds like just the kind of Alpha throwback that I sometimes can't say no to.  This novella from Byrne ties into her Victorian Rebels series.

Escaping Her Saxon Enemy by Sarah Rodi 

Her tempting enemy...

Is a chink in her armor! 

Viking shield maiden Svea Ivarsson would far rather face Saxon warriors than be on the run with the fiercely captivating Lord Ashford Stanton, protector to the Saxon king. Reaching Ash’s family castle, Svea must swap her chain mail for life as a lady. She can wield a sword like an expert, but no training has prepared her for craving the touch of her greatest enemy…

A shield maiden heroine who finds herself having to play the part of a lady and falling under the spell of our hero.  This seems to tie into the author's previous release and a content warning that reading in between the lines of the teaser description on the author's website, the heroine may be a rape survivor.

The Servant and the Gentleman by Annabelle Greene

William Hartley’s wealth and social standing often make up for his short temper, but they can’t cure his claustrophobia. He’d lost hope of finding help for it, until meeting Josiah Balfour. In a moment of panic, Josiah’s presence is a balm to his senses, leaving Hartley calm for the first time in months. 

Josiah Balfour knows his place—and it’s not in the bed of a gentleman. As the administrator for the Society of Beasts, he’s responsible for the club’s well-being. When a threat to the Society emerges from an unexpected quarter, it falls to Josiah to deal with it. But Hartley is willing to help, even if it involves posing as a couple to infiltrate a rival club. 

Josiah needs Hartley’s prestige to help him save the Society, while Hartley simply needs Josiah. Their relationship might be a sham, but the desire between them is all too real. Stuck in close quarters with everything they love on the line, they discover that everything might just include each other.

The third book in Greene's Society of Beasts series features Unusual Historical catnip - a cross-class romance and a claustrophobic gentleman. OK, so maybe not the claustrophobia, but it certainly ADDS to the unusual!

A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman 

TWO ENEMIES 

Carys Davies is doing everything in her power to avoid marriage. Staying single is the only way to hide the secret that could ruin her―and her family―if it was revealed. For the past two seasons she’s scandalized the ton with her outrageous outfits and brazen ways in a futile bid to deter potential suitors. Outwardly confident and carefree, inside she’s disillusioned with both men and love. There’s only one person who’s never bought her act―the only man who makes her heart race: Tristan Montgomery, one of her family’s greatest rivals. 

ONE SCANDALOUS BARGAIN 

Wickedly proper architect Tristan needs a respectable woman to wed, but he’s never stopped wanting bold, red-headed Carys. When she mockingly challenges him to show her what she’s missing by not getting married, Tristan shocks them both by accepting her indecent proposal: one week of clandestine meetings, after which they’ll go their separate ways. But kissing each other is almost as much fun as arguing, and their affair burns hotter than either of them expects. When they find themselves embroiled in a treasonous plot, can they trust each other with their hearts, their secrets…and their lives?

Well, bless their hearts. A heroine determined to make herself as "unmarriageable" as possible and an architect hero who needs to "marry up." Oh, and their families have been feuding for generations. I mean, what could possibly go wrong here?! This is the second book in Bateman's Ruthless Rivals series.

I don't know about you all, but I just feel like I ran a marathon!  What unusual historicals are you looking forward to?