So Many Books: Unusual Historicals For May 2023

I've been doing these Unusual Historical round-ups for a long time, but it wasn't until 2020 that I wrote something about how I generate these posts which included this gem: "...some months offer more variety, more diversity, and just plain 'more' than others."  Folks, this is a "just plain more" month.  This month I'm featuring 11 books. Yes - 11! Honestly, I can't remember the last time my cup ran this much over.

The Dueling Duchess by Minerva Spencer 

When Cecile Tremblay lost everyone and everything in the French Revolution, she never imagined that she'd earn her living as a markswoman in a London circus. But Farnham's Fantastical Female Fayre has become her home, her family, and her future. Another thing Cecile never imagined was becoming entangled with the man gossip columns call The Darling of the Ton. But mere weeks after her rejection of his insulting carte blanche—and his infuriating engagement to an heiress—Darlington is back, this time to beg Cecile for help. And help him she will, by teaching him about honest work—and the right way to treat a woman. 

Gaius Darlington has always led a charmed life. Until now. Suddenly, a long-lost heir has appeared to claim his title, possessions, and property, Not only that, but Guy's fiancée has jilted him to marry the usurper! Yet there is a silver lining: it's no longer Guy’s duty to marry an heiress to save the dukedom. He’s free to wed the woman he loves—if only he can earn her forgiveness. 

They say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But fury is just a step away from passion, and Guy knows just how to arouse Cecile’s...

This is the second book in the author's Wicked Women of Whitechapel series (yes, I still need to read book one - I'm staying on brand over here...) and this description has me moving up book one in my TBR! A hero who has gotten knocked down a few pegs and a scorned heroine who is not about to let him forget it.  Oh, and she's got a haunted past courtesy of the French Revolution and she's a markswoman?  Gimme this now!

Alliance with his Stolen Heiress by Lydia San Andres

He must earn her trust... 

before he wins her heart! 

In distancing himself from his nefarious wealthy family, Julian Fuentes has gained a rebellious reputation. Still, he’s shocked when heiress Amalia Troncoso hires him to stage her kidnapping! Julian doesn’t mind masquerading as a bandit to help Amalia get her inheritance from her tyrannical uncle, or spending time with the bold heiress who’s captured his imagination. But will the truth that ties their families together prevent their alliance from becoming more? 

 

This is San Andres' second book for Harlequin Historical and the second one to be set in early 20th century Dominican Republic. A hero from a notorious family who gets roped into a scheme by the heroine to claim her inheritance.  Another author I need to move up my TBR and not for nothing - the hero on this cover is wearing a hat!  There are too few hat-less dudes on historical romance covers, says me.

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George

Despite her illustrious title, Camille, Duchess of Hereford, remains what she has always been—a pariah. Though her title means she’s technically accepted by London Society, the rebellious widow with her burgeoning interest in the suffrage movement and her American ways isn’t exactly high on every hostess’s guest list. But Camille starts to wonder if being an outcast is not without its perks when the tantalizing answer to her secret fear appears in the shape of Jacob Thorne, the illegitimate son of an earl and co-owner of London’s infamous Montague Club. 

Jacob is used to making deals with his club members—he’s just not accustomed to them being beautiful women. Nor have the terms ever been so sweetly seductive as Camille’s shocking proposition. To finally buy his own club and gain the crucial backing of investors, Camille offers Jacob the respectability of a fake engagement with a duchess. In return, the tempting widow has one condition: she wants Jacob to show her if it’s possible for her to experience pleasure in bed. 

The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.

St. George is back with this fourth book in her Gilded Age Heiresses series. I'm really intrigued by this one - I've got a thing for social outcast heroines with a rebellious streak and she enters into a devil's bargain with the hero because honestly - whenever there are sexy shenanigans involved, nobody ever comes away unscathed.

The Housekeeper's Forbidden Earl by Laura Martin

A position too good to refuse… 

A desire too strong to deny! 

After being abandoned at the altar, housekeeper Kate Winters has finally found peace working at a grand house. Until her new employer, Lord Henderson, unexpectedly returns, resolved to sell his estate. Determined to remind the brooding earl of the beauty of his home, Kate’s discovering the allure of the man behind the title. Scarred by her past, dare Kate risk her future by surrendering to this forbidden attraction?

I'm a sucker for a good cross-class romance (I'm always curious to see if the author can pull it off in a way that makes me believe it won't be utter disaster-ever-after for the couple) and this one features a housekeeper heroine falling for an Earl.  I read a book by Martin last month and while it didn't wow me, it was pleasant - so I'm going to give this one a whirl.

Marrying Off Morgan McBride by Amy Barry

 As the oldest of the McBride siblings, Morgan had to be protector and shepherd since Ma died and Pa ran off. It hasn't always been easy, especially when his heart longs to roam on the trail. But now that his brother Kit is married and settled, the time is right for Morgan to leave Buck's Creek. Little does he know that his hellcat of a little sister Junebug is dead set on keeping him at home and getting more help around the house – all with one honest advertisement in The Matrimonial News. 

Epiphany Hopgood has always had a gift for doing the exact wrong thing. She’s too tall, too loud, too opinionated, and too contrary for her family and community. Staring down the barrel of spinsterhood, she and her grandmother answer a seemingly straightforward ad for a bride. 

But when Pip shows up to Buck’s Creek, she finds that Morgan McBride is not the husband she expected. In fact, he doesn’t even want to be a husband. But maybe there’s a way to make everyone happy out on the Montana frontier… 

Sigh. Look, I've got a very checkered past with what I call Funny Ha Ha Historical Western Romances. They're normally not my thing.  I like Dark, Angsty, Are They Going to Starve and/or Freeze to Death Come Winter Historical Western Romances. But, historical western romance. I'm only human.  This is the second book in the McBride Brothers series and it's a mail order bride he wasn't expecting story - those are always good for a little fun.

The Heiress Bride by Madeline Hunter 

Now the new Duke of Hollinburgh, Nicholas Radnor has two duties to fulfill: locate the mysterious woman mentioned in his late uncle’s will and acquire a suitable bride. When bedazzling, unconventional Iris Barrington shows up at the estate, Nicholas believes he may have found the missing beneficiary—unless she is a charlatan, or worse. But as for his second duty—he is finding it difficult to think of any other woman while tantalizing thoughts of Iris occupy his mind. He agrees to fulfill the late duke’s promise to her, even as he grows suspicious of both her motives and the danger that seems to surround her. All of which keeps her temptingly close at hand… 

Iris will do anything to restore honor to her beloved grandfather’s name. Even tangle with the likes of Nicholas, a man whose formidable intellect and good looks lure her like no other. But all her years on the continent have not prepared her for the sensual onslaught she discovers in his embrace—or the devastation of almost losing him to malicious intentions. Now Iris’s desire to unearth the scandal behind the dukedom burns ever brighter: for doing so might also protect the man who has stolen her heart...

 

There is nothing remotely "unusual" about this plot description, which would be why when I was browsing May releases I tripped right past this third book in Hunter's Duke's Heiress series. Yet for the second month in a row, AztecLady is looking out for us! She let me know that the heroine is A RARE BOOKS DEALER! Even better? She's posted her review for it!

The Viscount's Daring Miss by Lotte R. James

May the best viscount or miss… 

…Win! 

When her best friend and employer is injured, groom Roberta "Bobby" Kinsley feels compelled to help him. She agrees to step into the saddle and compete in an endurance horse race to help secure his ancestral home. Yet the minute that Bobby comes face-to-face with her opponent—arrogant yet infuriatingly charismatic Lawrence, Viscount Hayes—it’s clear that it won’t just be the competition that has her heart racing! 

When tragedy strikes the heroine steps in to compete in horse race only to get distracted by her competition.  This could be watching my niece compete in an equestrian event last month talking, but dang it all, I'm intrigued.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

 One last summer. 

For Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, the invitation to show her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle came at the perfect time. Soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage, Manuela has given herself one last summer of freedom—in Paris, with her two best friends. 

One scandalous encounter. 

Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, is known for her ruthlessness in business. It's not money she chases, but power. When she sees the opportunity to secure her position among her rivals, she does not hesitate. How difficult could it be to convince the mercurial Miss Caceres Galvan to part with a parcel of land she’s sworn never to sell? 

One life-changing bargain. 

Tempted by Cora’s offer, Manuela proposes a trade: her beloved land for a summer with the duchess in her corner of Paris. A taste of the wild, carefree world that will soon be out of her reach. What follows thrills and terrifies Cora, igniting desires the duchess long thought dead. As they fill their days indulging in a shared passion for the arts and their nights with dark and delicious deeds, the happiness that seemed impossible moves within reach…though claiming it would cause the greatest scandal Paris has seen in decades. 

The second book in Herrera's Las Leonas series takes the reader back to Paris for the 1889 Exposition Universelle. An artist heroine grabbing her last chance at freedom before marrying a man she doesn't love meets a heroine driven by power who wants her land. A bargain is struck, and as it always goes in Romancelandia, everyone gets more than they bargained for.

A Knight for the Defiant Lady by Carol Townend

Sworn to protect her

But she’s threatening his guarded heart… 

Retrieving Lady Allis from a convent is no easy task, as mercenary knight Sir Leon soon discovers… Brave and beautiful, Allis awakens emotions Leon thought he’d long buried after losing his family. Yet upon their return to her castle, the social gulf between them widens when Allis’s father demands she marry a nobleman. Leon has always believed love is an illusion, but will he be able to watch his defiant lady marry another?

Another cross-class romance, this one featuring a titled heroine retrieved from a convent and the lowly mercenary knight who literally has nothing to offer other than his heart.  Townend is another Harlequin Historical author I don't think I've read before, so I'm curious to try this.

Winnie West Has an Agenda by Kat Sterling (Kindle Unlimited)

It's 1908, and Washington state suffrage is back on the docket. The newest Suffrage Society is sashed, pinned, and ready for action... 

Winnie West is sick of know-it-all men and ready for adventure, so she sets her sights on becoming one of Seattle’s pioneering female journalists. But when her ridiculously sexy and equally obnoxious editor plants himself in the way of her first editorial on the suffrage movement, the games begin. Little does he know, but Winnie plays for keeps. 

Mack Donnelly will do anything to inherit the family newspaper, including following orders he doesn’t believe in. His goal is within sight when the fiery new girl rocks the boat. Mack has nothing against women’s rights, but the redhead with curves for days could cost him everything. So why can’t he stop pining over her? When he hops a ferry and follows Winnie on assignment, their rivalry explodes into passion. Can love survive a little subterfuge? 

Honestly? I know nothing about this book. The cover caught my eye as I was trolling through the Messy AF Amazon Algorithm when I was putting this post together and then I read the description and stopped dead in my tracks. Early 20th century? The Pacific Northwest? A hero and heroine at cross purposes?  Color me intrigued.  Since I stumbled across this book, I caught this brief review from Plot Trysts on their Instagram page and now I'll be downloading a sample to check out.

The Warrior's Touch by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

When Irish healer Aileen Ó Duinne finds a wounded man on her lands, she will do anything to save his life. But after she sees the broken body of Connor MacEgan, it evokes memories of a stolen night of passion. 

Connor is grateful to the beautiful healer for saving his life, but he nearly died as punishment for another man’s crime. His hands were crushed in a brutal attack, and he fears he may never lift a sword again. 

Aileen fights to help him regain his strength, but as their attraction grows, she’s terrified of losing more than her heart…she fears losing the daughter Connor knows nothing about.

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2007 under the same title, this is the fourth book in the author's MacEgan Brothers series, medieval romances set in Ireland. It's also, brace yourselves, a secret baby book!  This is an entry in the series I haven't read yet. I really need to prioritize finally finishing this series this year. The books I've read, I've enjoyed.

Whew! Dear Lord, are y'all as exhausted as I am? That's a mess of books this month. Enjoy them now because who knows when we'll see a cornucopia like this again.

Mini-Reviews: Fake Relationship and Friends-to-Lovers Historical

Yes, it's time for another round of mini-reviews. What can I say? Words are still hard and my most recent romance reads haven't exactly inspired effusiveness. 

First up is The Bookworm and the Beast by Charlee James.  My book group's last two picks have been, to be frank, not great (a D+ and a DNF for yours truly) so I went diving into the depths of my digital TBR and convinced everybody to read this one.  What I got was a very sweet read. How sweet? I should have read it over the Christmas holiday when my tolerance for toothaches is higher.  Nobody but a category romance fan will understand this reference, but what we have here is Silhouette Romance vs. Harlequin  Romance sweet.  It's very sweet.

Izzy Simon is a librarian, which means of course she's taking on a two-week temp job to help her grandmother with the rent for her assisted living apartment (this rang depressingly true). Her assignment is to be the temporary assistant to Derek Croft, a grumpy children's book author (OK, sure).  He doesn't want or need an assistant but with his family coming in for the Christmas holiday, he realizes Izzy is the perfect decoy to get his well-meaning stepmother, who keeps trying to set him up with various single ladies, off his back.

I mean, it's fine.  It's very sweet and there's a scene with some wolves (seriously) in the woods that pushed this one into full-blown, eye-rolling, fairy tale territory.  But the one thing that I kept niggling on?  He's a children's book author. She's a librarian. Trust me - when librarians meet authors (especially successful children's book authors...) discussions are had.  Basically there's no talk at all about their respective careers and they don't factor into the story at all - other than Izzy making a dismal salary and needing to work a second job to help out Grandma.  Final Grade = C

If you're looking for a pleasant, low-angst read, look no further than Her Best Friend, the Duke by Laura Martin.  Caroline Yaxley is hopelessly in love with her best friend, James Dunstable, Duke of Heydon.  Their friendship is rather unconventional, and certainly gives the gossips something to speculate over, but it's all above reproach, which is the problem for Caroline.  She's now 24 and realizes that she wants children and companionship. At this point if she can't have the man she loves she can at least settle for amiable companionship and not growing old alone. 

James is looking for a love like his parents had. Love-at-first-sight, a thunderclap, heavenly choirs singing - the whole enchilada.  Never mind he's now 40 and this great love match hasn't miraculously dropped into his lap. He's instead done his best to dodge the matchmaking mamas and spent his time traveling the continent.  But now he's back in England and flummoxed that Caroline suddenly wants to marry.  I mean, what's that all about?  Still, he agrees to help her find a tolerable husband but the problem is no man is nearly good enough for her.  Also, why is he suddenly so distracted by his best friend?  I mean, they're friends - nothing more.  Right?

What's refreshing here is so often in historical romances it's the heroine holding out for twu wuv.  It was nice to see the shoe on the other foot.  The problem?  You know how eventually, sooner or later, those heroines get exceedingly annoying and you want to slap them them into next Tuesday and tell them to snap out of it already?  Yeah, just because we have a gender reversal on this trope doesn't fix that minor detail. It's not until the bitter end, even after his closest male friend tells him he's being a colossal moron, that the light finally dawns.  Also, even though this is a Harlequin Historical, it still felt too long.  It definitely sags a bit during the first third, but did eventually pick up.  Pleasant, but I'll admit I skimmed some of the slower bits.  Final Grade = C

Unusual Historical Picks for December 2019

Well Romancelandia, we made it. 2019 somehow managed to flit by in a second and still feel like the longest year in recorded human history. It’s been a rough year for a lot of folks, but I hope that you were able to snatch a few moments of joy and that nothing but blue skies are ahead for 2020. Let’s blow this popsicle stand by taking a gander at some of the unusual historicals that caught my eye for December.

The Music of Love by Minerva Spencer

Finding out that her husband was a bigamist didn’t devastate Portia Stefani; she held her head high when she forced him out of her life. But losing her beloved music school as a result of the traitorous bastard's gambling debts almost destroyed her. The only way she’ll be able to make ends meet is to accept a lucrative tutoring position in remote Cornwall. What Portia hasn't anticipated is the life-altering impact that her mesmerizing new employer has on her.  

Stacy Harrington learned the hard way to keep people at a distance. Playing the piano is the only thing that makes his solitary life enjoyable these days, and he’ll be damned if he allows his albinism to keep him from everything he loves. Bringing a private music tutor into his home is disruptive, but it’s the only solution. Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared him for the overwhelming attraction he feels toward his fiery new employee.  

It’s not long before a shared passion for music develops into something infinitely deeper. But when ghosts from the past—along with some very dark secrets—emerge to threaten everything they’ve built, can Stacy and Portia continue to make beautiful music together? Or will their happily ever after end on a painful, discordant note? 

This is the start of a new series, with Spencer writing as “S.M. LaViolette.” I am a sucker for musicians in historical romance and the description of this one has me positively swooning - with a heroine done wrong, a solitary hero, and “ghosts from the past” promising plenty of angst.

A Deal with her Rebel Viking by Michelle Styles

Her terms: free her family  

His terms: seduction?  

Defending her home, Lady Ansithe captures outlaw Viking Moir Mimirson. The prisoner will be the ideal ransom for her father, who’s being held hostage by the Danes. Yet Moir’s flirtatious negotiations exhilarate practical Ansithe as much as they surprise her… Can she be sure that this hardened warrior will work with her and not betray her? And what of his stolen kisses—can she trust those? 

I love when romance is subversive and flips the power dynamic on its ear - so anytime I can get a heroine who is holding the hero captive that’s enough to make my ears perk up. Desperate to free her father, the heroine needs to decide if she can trust her Viking captive which...good luck with that girl!

Her Rags to Riches Christmas by Laura Martin

A Christmas miracle rescue!  

But dare she wish for more?  

A Scandalous Australian Bachelors story. Wrongfully convicted and transported to Australia, Alice Fillips is saved from public flogging by wealthy landowner George Fitzgerald. Working as a domestic servant at his farm feels worlds away from her old life. But as the connection between her and George boils over, she’s torn between her fear of trusting anyone…and the tantalizing glimpse of the fresh start this man could offer… 

This is the third book in the Scandalous Australian Bachelors series, which somehow has managed to escape my attention before now. I suspect because the first two books take place in Merry Ol’ England, and this story actually has our hero heading back to Australia. The change of pace on the setting is enough for me to give this one a whirl.

Fallen Angel by Jenna Kernan (novella)

HIS BULLET … HIS RESPONSIBILITY  

Caught in crossfire between a bounty hunter and an outlaw, widowed mother, Abby March, catches a bullet in the shoulder. The Christmas tree she and her son were cutting is forgotten as they fall under the care of a dangerous stranger. As she recovers, she finds that Ford Statler hides his softer side and has suffered the kind of loss she well understands. As Christmas, and their parting approach, she wonders if they could have so much more than a happy Christmas together. 

Since the loss of his wife and child, Ford Statler lives a reckless existence. He’s always known a mistake would be costly, but never intended to harm an innocent. Now he’s made his bounty but missed seeing the small woman that the murderous outlaw held before him until it was too late. Saddled with the responsibility for an injured woman and boy, he finds himself longing to provide them with so much more than a Christmas to remember. 

Originally published in a Harlequin Historical western Christmas anthology, this story is now self-published and available for the first time as a separate novella. I enjoyed this when I first read it back in 2007, with a hero thrust into a caregiver role and the couple sharing close quarters.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?