The Struggle Is Real: Unusual Historicals for September 2023

I sold my soul to Amazon sometime in the early 2000s because it was the one place I could feed my Black Lace addiction. I've given Bezos plenty of money over the years for him to to fund his Evil Empire projects, like shooting himself into the sun (hey, a librarian can dream...).  Really, it shouldn't be too much to ask that the site's search features not suck harder than a Hoover.  Because of Amazon's dominance in the self-publishing market, I rely on them mightily for pulling together these unusual historical posts. However, the past couple of months the "search feature" has been so dreadful I've finally thrown up my hands and gone directly to publisher web sites.  Sorry self-published historical romance authors, I couldn't find your books but I found plenty of porn thanks to Bezos. Look, I got nothing against porn, but Daddy kink and words like "creampie" should not be displaying when I'm looking for historical romance published during September 2023. 

Rant over, now let's get on to featuring the books I did manage to find with zero help from our Evil Overlord.

Surrender to an Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

An Irish warrior who craves vengeance...

After losing the woman he loved, Trahern MacEgan will stop at nothing to avenge her death. His body is honed for battle, his soul tortured—and he has sworn never to love again. 

A woman who has endured suffering...

Morren Ó Reilly sacrificed herself for her sister’s sake, but she holds her head high even as she recoils from a man’s touch. When Trahern saves her life, their tentative friendship begins to heal the loneliness inside. 

A passionate redemption... 

Can Morren be the light to Trahern’s darkness and be made whole again by her surrender?

I don't normally lead these posts off with reprints, but this book was made for rule-breaking. Willingham's sixth book in her MacEgan Brothers series that was first published by Harlequin Historical in 2010 just might be my favorite of hers to date. This is a very heavy read, featuring a former bard/storyteller hero seeking vengeance against the Vikings who murdered his betrothed and the heroine, who survived a gang rape and subsequent miscarriage, thanks to the exact same Viking raid. So yeah, this isn't happy, fluffy, sunshine time but this book damn near ripped my guts out when I read it over 10 years ago.  You can find my review over at The Good, The Bad and the Unread.

The Warrior's Reluctant Wife by Lissa Morgan

An arranged marriage 

An unexpected love…? 

Recently widowed, Rhianon had hoped to never find herself bound to a man again after being raised by a violent father and married to an unpredictable husband. But to seal a strategic alliance, she’s forced to marry Peredur ab Eilyr—a warrior lord with a formidable reputation! Rhianon may be a reluctant wife…but ruling with Peredur is revealing a passionate side to her new husband Rhianon is anything but reluctant to explore… 

Morgan's third book is also the first in a new series, The Warriors of Wales.  Unlike her neighbors on the exact same island, Wales is not a setting we see all that often in historical romance and I enjoyed Morgan's debut. Seriously, I need to dive into my Harlequin Historical TBR and not come up for air for like 3 years...

A Viking Heir to Bind Them by Michelle Styles   

An unexpected family 

For the lone-wolf warrior 

Nothing daunts Viking Tylir, until unassuming Melkorka Helmsdottar upends his life by revealing he has a secret heir! Mel has looked after little Katla since the girl’s mother died, but now Tylir intends to claim his child. Yet this battle-hardened jarl has no idea how to be a father. Mel is the perfect person to help him. Only, spending time with the captivating Mel binds him closer to her than he ever thought possible…

Woot! A new book from Michelle Styles, an author I typically find quite reliable. Her latest appears to be a stand-alone and puts a new spin (Vikings!) on a familiar trope (a secret baby!).  Also, look at that cute little moppet on the book cover - how can I say no to that face?!

The Duchess and the Wolf by Lydia Drake     

Susannah Fletcher has everything a young lady could desire: wealth, the attentions of well-to-do duke, and a reputation as spotless as an angel’s petticoats. Yet, she would throw it all away for one opportunity to perform her music on stage–scandalous as that may be. Which is precisely when the rich and menacing “Wolf of Mayfair” makes her an offer she couldn’t possibly refuse… 

Born on the streets of London, Rafe Winters knows only ruthless ambition. But he’s missing one thing: respectability. It’s within reach…if he can draw the polished aristocrats to his establishment with a classically trained musician, and just a soupçon of mystery—like the flame-haired Susannah. Of course, he’ll have to make it worth her while. After all, he’s not a complete beast. 

Now Susannah performs in a red cloak as the enigmatic “Red Duchess,” and all of London is entranced—along with Rafe. He promised her he’d do everything to protect her reputation on stage. But off-stage, the wolf is waiting for Susannah to stray from the path and into his arms. No matter the risk… 

Described as Little Red Riding Hood meets Moulin Rouge, this stand alone from Drake features an ambitious "low born" hero and a well-bred lady heroine with the scandalous desire to perform.  This is a recipe many a historical romance fan has a hard time resisting, myself included...

Debutante with a Dangerous Past by Samantha Hastings   

She’s a counterfeit lady 

But he’s stolen her heart! 

After her criminal father is killed, Miss Nancy Black is forced to seek out her estranged aristocratic grandfather. He offers her a new life as a debutante, but only if she stays out of trouble! Easier said than done when she starts to fall for rebellious Lord Matthew Stringham. Can Nancy risk her heart by telling Matthew the truth about her identity before her dangerous past catches up with her?

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I cannot say no to historical romance heroines with secret identities and playing dangerous games. Hastings' second book for Harlequin featuring a heroine pretending to be someone she most definitely is not, who then compounds her precarious situation by getting tangled up with a Lord.

Miss Fairfax's Notorious Duke by Eva Shepherd      

A scandalous way 

…to meet a duke! 

Having tarnished her reputation, Irene Fairfax flees to Devon to focus on her art. Her latest life drawing is going well until her naked subject reveals he’s not the man she thinks he is. He is, in fact, the Duke of Redcliff, a notorious rogue who seems amused by her discomfiture! This duke may be even more of a threat to her reputation, yet she can’t help craving more… 

Besides heroines with secrets? I cannot say no to heroines with "reputations." The second book in Shepherd's Rebellious Young Ladies series features an artist heroine licking her wounds in Devon and a model who turns out to be...a Duke?!  Good luck sweetheart, you're gonna need it...

The Duke and the Dressmaker by Eva Devon    

Dressmaker Miss Lily Martin knows too well the sordid dealings of London’s corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city’s most reviled moneylenders was risky. Horribly so. Now the loan has come due—and there’s nothing standing between Miss Lily and her darling sister’s ruin. Until a dashing American with flashing, defiant eyes intervenes… 

Ship captain James Blakefield may be the new Duke of Ashbridge, but he’s only in London for six weeks to secure his estate before returning to America, and far from the watchful eye of the ton. He’ll be damned if he’ll attend another society event where eligible ladies fling themselves at his title. But when he discovers Miss Lily’s desperate predicament, James realizes he might have the perfect arrangement. 

By assuming the legal guardianship of Lily’s sister, he can keep them both safe and ensure someone cares for the estate. But it means having Lily under the same roof for the next six weeks. No chaperones. No betrothal. As their undeniable attraction charges the very air between them, both propriety and restraint are threatened. But scandal is the least of their concerns when James’s secret threatens to pull everything apart at the seams...

This is the second book in Devon's Once Upon a Wallflower series and it caught my eye because the dressmaker heroine (I'm guessing desperate...) borrowed money from the wrong man and now she's in the soup.  Throw in an American ship captain who finds himself the uncomfortable new heir to a title (a Duke no less) and arrangement is struck that should address both their current circumstances.  Naturally I think it's easy to assume that nothing goes according to plan.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

New Year, New Unusual Historicals for January 2023

Welcome to 2023, where the first month of the new year has zipped by in a flash and I'm struggling to find some blogging mojo - which to be fair has been a problem for a while. I can't really blame that on 2023. And while I'm officially one book behind in my GoodReads Challenge, I'm feeling OK about my reading at the moment even if I've only read one book that's knocked my socks off so far this month. I have been engaged and entertained though, so really what more could a girl ask for?  Well, how about new Unusual Historicals? The final months of 2022 were pretty slim on this front but there's several new January 2023 releases catching my eye...

An Alliance With His Enemy Princess by Lissa Morgan 

A royal decree

That will change their lives…

Norman knight Rolant Guyarde has come to conquer a Welsh fort, but when he meets its mistress, he realizes she’s the sword-wielding “soldier” he fought en route! Despite their being enemies, he finds himself intrigued by the brave, beautiful Princess Gwennan. When they’re forced into an uneasy alliance, Rolant helps her petition the king for her parents’ release from prison. But in exchange for their freedom, the king demands a price neither Rolant nor Gwennan expects!

If you're a fan of enemies-to-lovers you truly need to be reading medievals, because they're ripe for that trope.  Like her debut, which I read and enjoyed last year, Morgan sets her sophomore effort in Wales - which is not a terribly common setting in historical romance.  It also gives readers a fresh historical perspective to chew on outside of the England/Scotland settings that seem to proliferate in the sub genre.

The Lady Takes It All by Terri Brisbin (Kindle Unlimited)

When lies of the past are exposed, can love find the truth?

The Explorer – Joshua Robertson, a minor diplomat with distant noble connections, traveled the world in service to the Crown until he made his name with the amazing discovery of a buried Roman town in Northern Africa. However, rumors and innuendo threatened both his reputation and his work until he unexpectedly inherits a title and some lands from a distant relative. Now, protected by the title, no honorable man would raise the questions that plagued him from his past—questions about a partner who was cheated and never shared in the glory of the discoveries. Rumors of thievery and scandal and worse. Certainly, no man would, but a woman might. And does.

The Adversary -- Arabella MacGibbon spent her childhood watching her father’s decline and death because he was shamed and shunned as an impostor. Embittered and certain that the now-Lord cheated her father and contributed to his death, Arabella is determined to find proof of his perfidy and to reclaim her family’s honor. To do that, she must get close to the man and get access to his papers and records. Disguising her identity and being hired as his housekeeper may be the perfect opportunity to do it.

But what happens if the truth is inconvenient at best and dangerous at worst? Can her plan succeed if Arabella discovers there’s so much more to the man and the myth than she dreamt possible?

I think I've mentioned a time or two on this blog that I find Brisbin a very solid writer and I one-clicked this after I finished reading the blub. Yes, it's a Regency - but the hero is an explorer shrouded in scandal who hopes his new title will quiet the rumors and the heroine is the one out to avenge her father (so often it's the hero on these missions in historical romances...). Oh, and she's going to pose as a new housekeeper so she can snoop?  Can't wait to dive into this one...

Bianca and the Huntsman by Erica Ridley (Kindle Unlimited)

Enjoy a Regency-set reimagining of the classic tale of Snow White, featuring a strong, lovable heroine and a sexy, charming hero.

Lord Harry Lysander, an infamous rake known as The Huntsman, is desperately in need of money. He’ll do anything to save his earldom. Even accept a pile of gold in exchange for breaking the heart—and ruining the reputation—of the ton’s most terrifying dragon’s innocent stepdaughter. As long as the Huntsman doesn’t lose his own heart to her in the process…

The page count on Amazon lists this at category romance length (185 pages) and yes it's a Regency, but it's also a Snow White retelling - and quite frankly that's a fairy tale trope you don't see every day in the genre where Beauty & the Beast and Cinderella seem to reign supreme.

One Night With Her Viking Warrior by Sarah Rodi

Her forbidden love

Is back to claim her!

Once, Lady Rebekah shared a life-changing night with stable hand Rædan, but he disappeared the morning after. Now she’s consort to a cruel Saxon lord, and when Northmen lay siege to Ryestone Keep, Rebekah’s shocked to see Rædan leading the charge! This Viking warrior is not the man she remembers…and yet she finds herself drawn to him again. Taken as his hostage, Rebekah must decide—can she trust him with her life…and her dangerous secret? 

So here's a neat spin on a Viking romance - the heroine is hooked up with the dude of the Keep the hero is laying siege to...oh, and the hero and heroine share a past. Captive romances are always a tricky business for me, but that shared past is (more than likely) going to make the proceedings all the more palpable for me. Oh, and the fact that the Saxon Lord in question is "cruel" won't hurt matters either.

Her Lessons in Persuasion by Megan Frampton

To Lady Wilhelmina Bettesford, the “game” of finding a husband is a competitive sport she wants no part of…until her much-younger step mama forces her to play it. So when her stepmother asks sexy barrister Bram Townsend to pretend to woo the amateur astronomer to boost Wilhelmina’s popularity, it’s up to Wilhelmina to navigate a fake courtship that will keep the family from forcing her into a marriage—any marriage—before she finally receives the inheritance that will allow her to live as she wants.

The trouble is every time Bram takes her in his arms she has a most difficult time remembering theirs is an act…the make-believe passion feels very real indeed.

Bram Townsend is a man on the way up: living for his books and his beliefs. Squiring Lady Wilhelmina through London’s dusk-to-dawn social whirl is hardly an ordeal—she’s beautiful, bright, and bold, everything he finds tempting in a woman. Their deal means he can meet the “best” people while she keeps her family at bay. The challenge is he quickly finds himself wanting her to say “yes” when she’s so determined to say “no.” She persuaded him to make this impetuous bargain, but how can he convince her to make it real?

Amateur astronomer heroine? A barrister hero? And it's a Victorian! But my favorite part of this blurb has got to be the step-mother being the puppet master behind the fake relationship, a nice spin on the usual (where the hero and heroine cook up the idea on their own).  Oh, and it's the start of a new series.

(Note: I've known Megan for years and have a prior working relationship with her through the (sadly) defunct web site Heroes & Heartbreakers)

Her Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

Genevieve de Renalt will do anything to escape her betrothed—even if it means trusting her enemy.

Irish warrior Bevan MacEgan cannot leave a lady in danger, but keeping her safe means endangering his own family. The king orders him to wed Genevieve to avoid bloodshed, but Bevan has sworn never to love again.

He keeps Genevieve at a distance but, as she begins to melt his heart, a shocking secret forces Bevan to make a terrible choice—one that could mean losing her forever.

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2007 (same title), Willingham continues her self-published reprint run of the MacEgan Brothers series with this, the third book. I seem to have completely hop-scotched around this series, having books 2-4 languishing in my TBR. Maybe I need to see if any of them meet this year's TBR Challenge themes?

Whew! A lot that caught my eye this month. In fact, at the time of this posting I've already started reading the Ridley.  What Unusual Historicals have caught your eye this month?

Review: The Welsh Lord's Convenient Bride

The Welsh Lord's Convenient Bride is Lissa Morgan's debut novel. Prior to signing with Harlequin Historical she had been working for years at contemporary romance and then an editor she met at a conference suggested she try writing a historical. This book is the result and it's very good. Like, so good I can't believe this was the author's first stab at writing a historical - let alone a book set in Wales during the Middle Ages.

Rhun ab Owain is his father's only son, having grown-up in the borderland between Wales and England. He also at the age of 12, witnessed one of Richard de Vraille's knights cut down his mother as she was returning from administering to the sick in the village. The attack left Rhun with a severe leg injury that causes him to limp to this day. It also left him haunted, with a fair amount of PTSD, and vowing revenge. The knight in question is little more than a mercenary, and the book opens with Rhun in Castile, finally receiving word many months after the fact that his father is dead. It's time to come home, claim his inheritance and seal peace by marrying de Vraille's daughter, Eleanor.

Eleanor has known disapproval her whole life. She was her father's last child, having committed the crime of being yet another girl (she has two older sisters) and being the last child her mother was able to conceive and deliver. Eleanor was not a boy and the last chance - unforgivable sins in her father's eyes.  She also has a hidden "disfigurement" (spoiler: a large birthmark) that in the not-terribly enlightened Middle Ages would be a source of concern. Now she's being bundled off to marry a Welsh Lord, a man she only laid eyes on once as a child.  And yet, Eleanor is somewhat hopeful. Yes, Castell y Lleuad and her groom are unknown, but it's not roses and bonbons in her father's household.  This could be better, right?  Well...

Rhun isn't cruel like her father but he's indifferent with a touch of resentfulness. It's a marriage being thrust upon both of them in the name of peace and building alliances, but both Rhun and Eleanor are a bit like lambs starring down at the end of eventual slaughter. She wants to be helpful and accepted, while Rhun still burns from the fact that Eleanor's father murdered his mother.  Baggage, these two crazy kids have it.

What I liked about this story is that while Rhun and Eleanor have a fair amount of internal baggage and do spend time all up in their feels, it's not the only driving conflict in this story. Hey, remember when romance novels had external conflict?  Yeah, I had forgotten that was a thing as well.  Anyway, we have it here - because the Welsh and the English? That's a relationship on very unsteady ground, and when rebellion breaks out again Rhun has to choose sides.  His people, or his English wife.  His English wife he hasn't bothered to consummate his marriage with yet.  Take a wild guess which side he falls on.

This uncertainty, war, a marriage alliance that doesn't do what it's supposed to do (at least in the eyes of the English) lead to both Eleanor and Rhun growing up to a certain extent.  They're married now. Her father is a raging a-hole, but in the eyes of the Crown, the Welsh people are traitors.  And Rhun is playing at a very dangerous game.

This is a slow-burn romance and once the author gets to the love scenes, she makes them count. A romance where the sex doesn't feel like word count padding? I forgot those could exist!  Also, the growth arc for both characters is quite good - but especially Eleanor, who is hiding a "disfigurement," yearning for approval, and falling in love with a husband who has every reason to hate her guts, if only by proxy.  But, and here's the distinction between this and say, a Harlequin Presents - Rhun never hates Eleanor. He's resentful. He's bitter. And while he comes off as indifferent to her, he's not outright cruel. We as the reader know he is not indifferent to Eleanor, it just takes time for both of them to work past their respective pasts to realize they 1) love each other and 2) make a great partnership.

The first part of this book is heavier on the internal angst, while the last several chapters carry us through using external conflict. It's really well done, because it saves readers from a manufactured third-act separation. It's also the first historical romance I've read in a while that felt like a historical. Like, I learned some stuff - which hasn't happened in a dog's age.  And even factoring in how little I know about the historical conflict between Wales and England, the author brings the reader up to speed without drowning us in minutia or a centuries-long historical treatise. 

I liked this story quite a bit. I liked Rhun and Eleanor separately and as a couple. I loved the historical backdrop and the external conflict. I also really appreciated how the author handled the resolution to the external conflict - it's believable and still allows for our couple to have a happy ending.  If you're looking for a historical romance palate cleanser between Regencies, this is a good one.

Final Grade = B

Run Wendy Run: Incoming Unusual Historicals for June 2022

When I was a wee baby Super Librarian wannabe, June was always one of my favorite months on the calendar - namely because I was getting out of school for a couple of months and I could carry myself off to the local library to read whatever the heck I wanted (no assigned reading?! SIGN. ME. UP.)  So the irony isn't lost on me that June and July now signify the busiest, generally most dreaded months of my working life. Close out the out-going fiscal year, get everything ready for the incoming fiscal year. Every year I welcome in summertime slightly unhinged and hit early August completely drained. My respite? I mean, besides wine and chocolate? New Unusual Historical romances of course! Here's what's landing in June that caught my eye:

 

The Viking She Would Have Married by Lucy Morris

In close quarters… 

With the Viking she’d loved and lost 

AShieldmaiden Sisters story - with her family fallen on hard times, Valda’s forced to join the crew on Halfdan Ulfsson’s merchant ship as he sets sail on the treacherous silk route. But this handsome jarl’s son is the man she’d planned to wed, until his bitter betrayal. Knowing she can never trust him, she must focus on saving her sisters…and not the intense connection that still burns between them!

If this were the Billboard Top 100, this book would be my number one with a bullet for June. First, give me ALL the Sheldmaidens! Second, Valda was a secondary character in A Nun for the Viking Warrior which I read earlier this year. Valda was the hero's BFF in that book, the hero who saw her like a sister and naturally her feelings for him ran a little deeper. But instead of being a villainess, Valda was more practical about love - which is to say she saw the writing on the wall.  I'm really looking forward to this book and should have a copy in my hot little hands very soon.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. Of course, the evil, murderous man deserved what was coming to him, but now she must flee to the countryside. Unfortunately, the only person she can ask for help is the charismatic criminal who is blackmailing her—and who she may have left tied up a few hours before… 

A highwayman, con artist, and all-around cheerful villain, Rob Brooks is no stranger to the wrong side of the law or the right side of anybody’s bed. He never meant to fall for the woman whose secrets he promised to keep for the low price of five hundred pounds, but how could he resist someone who led him on a merry chase all over London, left him tied up in a seedy inn, and then arrived covered in her husband’s blood and in desperate need of his help? 

As they flee across the country—stopping to pick pockets, drink to excess, and rescue invalid cats—they discover more true joy and peace than either has felt in ages. But when the truth of Rob’s past catches up to him, they must decide if they are willing to reshape their lives in order to forge a future together.

We have Georgian London, a Duchess turned criminal and a highwayman, con artist who sounds too slick by half. I am here for the rogue with a heart of gold and this one sounds fun.

The Welsh Lord's Convenient Bride by Lissa Morgan 

A wedding between enemies

A marriage to heal their scars 

 Hiding a disfigurement, Eleanor de Vraille is already lacking confidence when she arrives at her future husband’s cheerless Welsh castle. And Rhun ab Owain’s open disapproval of her does nothing to make her feel at ease. Their union is to seal peace between their families, nothing more. But Eleanor’s heart rebels—is she a fool to hope for any affection from this strong-willed nobleman with the dark glittering eyes?

An enemies-to-lovers romance set in 13th century Wales featuring a scarred heroine.  This is Morgan's debut novel, the 12th manuscript she completed, and (wait for it...) the first historical.  Prior to getting the call for this book she had been consistently submitting contemporaries to Mills & Boon before a meeting with an editor suggested she try her hand at a historical.  This book was the result.

Guarding Jessica by Kate Bridges (Kindle Unlimited)

In this enemies to lovers romance, Jessica and a daunting Mountie are forced to travel together on a perilous secret mission. 

Jessica Haven desperately needs Mountie Travis Reid to escort her across the Rocky Mountains in secret search for the baby she’s lost. No one else believes her story, and the cold-hearted Mountie who doesn’t think much of her is her last hope. 

Travis knows Jessica as the mayor’s spoiled daughter. Travis is already on a deeply personal journey to deliver extraordinary horses to the other side of the Rockies. He doesn’t want to spend his days—and heated nights—on the trail with a woman he dislikes. Yet when Jessica discloses her tender story, it rings an emotional truth inside of him in a place he thought was long buried. She displays courage, grit and sensuality. While their risky path narrows and intimacy deepens, can Travis and Jessica lower their defenses to trust each other?

This is a reprint of The Proposition, which was originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2004. While it's the first book in what was the Reid Brothers trilogy back then - Bridges wrote several Canadian-set stories for Harlequin featuring Mountie heroes, and has been self-publishing them under a rebranded Mountie Brides umbrella.  This is one I haven't read, but I've enjoyed other books by Bridges and mama needs more historical westerns y'all.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?