Making Merry: Unusual Historicals for December 2025

Somehow, someway, we've finally made it to December of the hellscape year that has been 2025. While there were definitely highlights to 2025 (Sisters trip to NYC! Ireland with my Big Sister!), I spent a good chunk of this year with a sour mood and bad attitude - which, not great. I've always been a person who skews towards a positive outlook. I don't like being in a bad mood. I don't like taking to my bed like some tragic Victorian heroine. Which is probably why when anyone tells me historical romance is dead I'm likely to dig in my heels.  And since 2025 has been ::hand waving:: all this? I'm digging those heels in out of spite. Know that I'm drafting this post with a glass of whiskey next to my keyboard and the continued foolhardy sense to charge up Romancelandia Hill to save the genre from itself. Happy Holidays, save a sub genre and read a historical romance. 

A Most Worthy Husband by Faye Delacour

Hannah Williams never wanted a marriage like her parents'. She'd be perfectly happy to spend her life as a spinster and support herself by helping to run her sister-in-law's gambling club. But no matter how many schemes Hannah hatches to repel suitors, her mother won't accept defeat. To wrest back control of her life once and for all, Hannah takes drastic measures. She'll ruin herself with a man so unsuitable that no one will force them to the altar, making her unmarriageable forever. What could possibly go wrong?

Silas Corbyn is nothing but trouble. Disinherited by his family and dishonorably discharged from the Navy, the ton has dismissed him without hearing his side of the story. When an old friend gives him work as a dealer at a lady's gambling club, Silas doesn't intend to repay the favor by compromising the man's little sister on his first night, but Hannah offers him an obscene amount of money for just one kiss—money that he could use to build a new life for himself.

Neither of them counted on Hannah's mother rushing them into a hasty marriage. Now they need to find a way to call off their engagement before it's too late. Unless they lose their hearts first. 

Delacour wraps up her Lucky Ladies of London trilogy with the time honored tradition of a heroine who wants to ruin herself. This girl though, thinks her plan is smart - and in theory, it is. She'll ruin herself with a man so dishonorable, so unsuitable, the ruination will not translate into a shotgun marriage. Um, until it does. I'll be honest, I'm in this one for the hero who sounds like he's fallen low indeed. I'm a sucker for a good redemptive arc and characters who need to "grow up." Count me in.

Viking's Royal Marriage Bargain by Michelle Styles

The maiden he never forgot

Becomes the bride he never expected!

Viking Rand is resolute. He will secure a marriage alliance with the kingdom of Islay. But whilst battle-hardened Rand is prepared for enemy attack, he’s wholly unprepared for the proposal to come from Princess Svanna…his first love, before war ripped their lives apart.

A union with Rand could bring peace to their kingdoms, but it's the last thing that Svanna’s hateful stepfather will allow. Not least because she’s been forced to harbour a royal secret that could throw Islay into chaos. Rand’s kiss is still etched into Svanna’s memory, but can she trust the fierce warrior before her?

A hero looking to secure an alliance via marriage (as you do) who didn't count on that proposal coming from his first love. Torn apart by war, the heroine knows the only way to thwart her stepfather and secure peace is to marry the hero - but complications and a Big Secret loom.  Styles is typically a very solid writer within the Harlequin Historical landscape. I'm looking forward to this one. 

The Maid's Masquerade by Catherine Tinley

Undercover as the Earl’s fiancée…

Looking to settle old scores

On a transatlantic voyage, English maid Marguerite hatches a plan with an American heiress to temporarily trade places when they arrive in England. Since being forced into servitude, this is Marguerite’s chance to re-enter Society, and posing as the betrothed of Benedict, Earl of Linford—the man at fault for her circumstances—is the perfect opportunity for revenge! But her anger is soon replaced by an unsettling attraction. Still, Benedict caused her to lose everything once, so she won’t lose her heart to him now—even when he reveals some unexpected truths…

Tinley gives us The Prince and Pauper but with heroines. An English maid pulls the ol' switcheroo with an American heiress, who conveniently is betrothed to the man who ruined the maid's life. But revenge gets complicated with an unexpected attraction and some truth. Naturally this is a duet. The American heiress' romance is set for April 2026.

Of Dukes and Forbidden Words by Sandra Sookoo

If ancient words don’t land them into scandal, their forbidden attraction in a library after hours surely will.

It’s the Christmastide season of 1816 and more than the weather is uncertain. When Barrington (Barr) Combes-Mead, Duke of Scarborough does some renovations to his London townhouse and unearths a book of erotic, Egyptian prose, he immediately wishes to have it translated. If the book proves valuable, he will certainly sell it, yet part of him hopes the book might inspire him to reclaim the excitement he’s missing in his life… somehow.

Miss Catherine Pickwick used to make her living as a governess, but after whispers of scandals, she changed her focus to that of a librarian, because research and study made her happy. As the daughter of a university professor, she is no stranger to ancient cultures and literature. When a duke of some consequence visits her lending library with the request to have an interesting and quite indecent book translated, she can’t wait to take up the challenge. Knowledge was power… wasn’t it?

Perhaps it is the words within the book or a natural attraction, but as the duke and Catherine spend long hours together because of the text or impromptu Christmas preparations, desire bedevils them. Acting upon it only ramps that delicious thrill, but when a series of troubling incidents arise, they assume the book is cursed. When silly antics on Christmas Eve end in assumed disaster, they each must face truths they’ve been avoiding, and perhaps they might find everything they want… if they’re fortunate.

The start of a new series titled Dashing Rogues and Ruined Librarians. THIS IS NOT A DRILL! RUINED LIBRARIANS! Hero lands on the doorstep of heroine's lending library to have an erotic book of Egyptian prose he stumbled across during home renovations translated. Antics and shenanigans ensue. Is the book cursed? This one is already downloaded on my Kindle. 

Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

Lady Catherine West is supposed to marry a future viscount. But she leaves him standing at the altar, instead.

Fleeing both scandal and suffocation, she slips aboard The Elphame, a merchant ship bound for Boston and captained by Andrew McGann, the one man least inclined to offer her safe harbor. Captain McGann—half-Scottish, half-Jamaican, and wholly exasperated by the runaway debutante now disrupting his deck—hasn’t spoken to Catherine since their last explosive encounter months ago.

But when navigational errors give way to sabotage, fire, and a violent attack at sea, Andrew is forced to confront the feelings he’s tried to bury. And when he’s kidnapped and taken to Jamaica, Catherine must rely on his slippery first mate, and her own untested instincts, to track him down.

In a land haunted by Andrew’s past and steeped in Catherine’s fear of what comes next, they must choose who they are—and what they’re willing to risk—for freedom, love, and the chance to chart a course all their own.

Second book in The Mavericks series, she's a runaway bride stowing away on a merchant ship to Boston and the hero is the ship's captain, who is short on sympathy and annoyed by the disruption her appearance is causing. High seas adventure, complete with a role-reversal kidnapping (HE'S KIDNAPPED!).

Irene's Fall by Elizabeth Donne

Pride comes before her fall. Love helps her stand again.

Irene Sangford has willingly cast herself as the villain of her own story. After all, her family has taught her that arrogance and manipulation are suitable qualities in a lady if she’s seeking a husband with a title. Especially when there are so few such men to be had, and she is competing with her own sister to snap one of them up.

Nathaniel Macrae not only has no title, he has immersed himself in low society in his role as a secret investigator. Miss Sangford would never have given him a second glance, but when an attempted murder leads his inquiries right to her door, and a shocking secret from her past threatens to unravel her entire life, Irene discovers that Mr. Macrae is more compelling than any man she has ever met.

As Irene’s world falls apart, and she questions everything she has ever known, Nathaniel becomes her anchor in life’s greatest storm. Except this storm threatens to destroy them both. They will have to challenge everything they know and trust each other if they are to survive and find the love that has eluded them.

Fifth book in the Ladies of Munro series has our heroine trying to land a husband while competing with her own sister, only to become intrigued by our hero who has little money, no title and works for a living as a "secret investigator." He wants answers and she's got secrets. Marriages have been built on less. 

The Widow's Vow by Rachel Brimble

From grieving widow...

1851, England. After her merchant husband saved her from a life of prostitution, Louisa Hill was briefly happy as a housewife in Bristol. But then a constable arrives at her door. Her husband has been found hanged in a Bath hotel room, a note and a key to a property in Bath she knew nothing about the only things she has left of him.

To a new life as a madam…

Knowing the debt collectors will arrive any moment, Louisa must leave everything she knows behind, and move to Bath. But left with no means of income, Louisa knows she has little choice but to return to but her old way of life. But this time, she’ll do it on her own terms – by turning her new home into a brothel for upper class gentleman. And she’s determined the horrors she was forced to endure in the past are not experienced by the girls she saves from the streets.

Enlisting the help of Jacob Jackson, a quiet but feared boxer, to watch over the house, Louisa is about to embark on a life she never envisaged. Can she find the courage to forge this new path?

A word of warning upfront that this one might be "romance adjacent," but I am nothing if not predictable for my love of heroines who have "reputations." A former prostituted rescued from the life by her husband, inherits a property after his death. Desperate and with debts to pay, she decides to open a high-end brothel (as you do). It's the mention of the "feared boxer" she hires to watch over the house and business that intrigues me here. Also, 1851 - which puts us smack dab in the Victorian era (I love me a good Victorian). This is the first in a proposed trilogy.

Obliteration by Kathryn Le Veque

An inheritance that involves… wine, women, and song??

Sir Jareth de Leybourne is the moral compass of the legendary Guard of Six—a noble knight known for honor, logic, and restraint. But when his wealthy uncle dies, Jareth inherits far more than land and coin. He inherits a scandal that could destroy everything he stands for.

Summoned to the bustling medieval city of Bristol, Jareth discovers his uncle’s fortune was built on a discreet but wildly profitable enterprise: Aphrodite’s Feast, an elegant brothel and gambling hell quietly tolerated for its philanthropy. The business funds churches, education, and charity—but its existence threatens Jareth’s reputation as one of England’s most honorable knights.

Running Aphrodite’s Feast is Lady Desdra le Daire, a brilliant, sharp-tongued woman burdened by secrets of her own. Neither a courtesan nor a criminal, Desdra is a spinster by choice, using her education to manage the operation that saved her life. From the moment she and Jareth meet, sparks fly—clashing ideals, forbidden attraction, and undeniable chemistry.

As Jareth struggles to reconcile duty, honor, and inheritance, a deadly truth emerges: his uncle had a powerful enemy who now wants Jareth dead. Worse still, Desdra is caught in the middle—and the man threatening her life is her own father. 

To save Desdra and protect his honor, Jareth must confront betrayal, corruption, and a love that could cost him everything.

Unusual Historicals, come for the browsing, stay for the books featuring brothels. Part of the Guards of Six medieval series, a noble knight inherits more than he bargained for when his wealthy uncle dies - namely the business that supplied that wealth, a brothel. Good God man, he has a reputation to uphold! Complicating matters is the heroine, who runs the operation and her father, who not-so-conveniently wants them both dead. 

A Courtship at Linlithgow by Kate Robbins

A carefully orchestrated plot, or a chance encounter? Their love burns through all doubt.

Marion Baird’s biggest problem is her mother’s greed. Excited to explore King James’s court, Marion wishes to avoid being flaunted in front of future prospects like a prized cow. She would rather explore the lavish castle grounds and library at Linlithgow Palace. That is until she encounters a man straight out of legend she can neither ignore nor deny.

Alexander Campbell, Earl of Argyll has accepted an invitation to the King’s summer tourney. While the exercise is welcome, the society is wrought with drooling mothers and daughters anxious to display their lack of talent and grace. This event will prove no different. He encounters a bewitching lady in the gardens during the masked ball and what follows will be burned onto his soul for all time.

Caught between scandal and prejudice, Marion and Alexander must decide if their passion is real or the product of a carefully orchestrated plot.

A heroine who just wants to enjoy court by exploring the grounds and the library must contend with her mother parading her around like a prized cow at King James' court. Our hero accepts an invitation to participate in a summer tournament, but isn't all that anxious to thwart off matchmaking mamas. Stuff happens, these two have an interlude of sorts, and scandal ensues. The question being, was it orchestrated and by whom?  This is the first book in the Thistle and Rose series. 

A Taste of Gold by Sara Adrien

Her silence protects the man she loves and hides the woman she is.

Miss Maisie Morgenschein is very good at pretending everything is fine. Guardian to an orphaned marquess, she remains calm and protects a dangerous truth: nobody must know her real name—which makes it impossible for her lost love to find her, and that’s what she wants most. She still writes him letters she can’t send, not knowing where he is. A connection to her might lead the villain to him.

Dr. Felix Leafley, Harley Street’s most sought-after dentist, uses an English alias to keep his patients—and the other doctors at the practice—safe. Years ago, he was a medical student with Maisie in his arms. When circumstances tore them apart, they vowed to find each other. But passion refuses to stay polite, and secrets refuse to stay buried.

She can’t use her real name to find him. He can’t use his to be found.

The result? A duel of aliases, near-miss letters, and one dangerously perfect kiss.

But just as Felix and Maisie dare to speak their names, the villain closes in—and the truth may cost them the one thing neither believed possible: a future together.

This is the fifth book in Adrien's Miracles on Harley Street series featuring various medical professionals. She's a guardian to an orphaned marquess and hiding her identity "for reasons." He's a dentist and the one who got away and is also using an alias "for reasons." These two crazy kids were in love and torn apart but now can't find each other because....they're both using aliases "for reasons." Near misses and second chances set against the backdrops of Vienna and London.

This is it, the last Unusual Historical post of 2025. I hope you all enjoyed reading about them, browsing, and hopefully found some new historical romances to try. This feature isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It'll be back for 2026!

Tricks and Treats: October 2024 Unusual Historicals

I'm squeaking in during the 11th hour to finally bring y'all October's crop of Unusual Historicals. What can I say, a brutal reading slump, work being work, and a trip home to see the family had me distracted. However there's nothing quite like Airplane Reading (I do my best reading on airplanes...) and a week of sitting around my parents' house quite literally doing nothing to revive a girl. So without further ado...

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux

Margaret Arden yearns to live like the passionate and daring women in her novel. The idyllic life at Mosely Cottage with her two younger sisters and mother is fine, but Margaret wants more than the demure and dainty existence she’s known. After a particularly brutal rejection from an annoyingly attractive publisher, Margaret fears being forced into marriage to protect her family if their financial situation doesn’t improve—until her cousin’s glamorous wedding masquerade brings her onto a collision course with scandal, notoriety, and even love. 

Captain Bridger Darrow is starting over after fighting for his country. Now home, he is struggling to save his family from destitution and succeed in a new venture of passion: book publishing. It’s all going rather poorly, until he stumbles upon loose pages of an astonishing novel while in attendance at his dearest friend’s wedding. Bridger knows he must publish it. But upon meeting the author, Bridger is stunned to discover that he—she—is a woman, and he has already told her off in grand fashion.

While Bridger is keen to gain her trust and rescind the initial rejection, Margaret can’t help but be skeptical of his intentions. Sparks fly between the two, just as the wedding of the season starts to descend into chaos when a masked dance leads to a case of mistaken identities.

This back cover blurb has Regency romcom written all over it. She wants a bold (re: not dull as dishwater) life and he wants to make a success as a book publisher - only to realize that the book he accidentally discovers that is sure to make his reputation is written by the woman (gasp!) that he's just told off.  The mention of a case of mistaken identity seals the deal.  

The Electrician and the Seamstress by Monica Granlove

Germany, 1936. Bruno, an electrician, and Karla, a seamstress, forge a powerful love amid the rise of the Nazi Party and Hitler’s ascent to power. Staunch opponents of the Nazi ideology, they live in perpetual apprehension as they risk being labeled dissidents, navigating a complex negotiation between moral principles and self-preservation. As World War II breaks out, Bruno faces a profound internal struggle when he is drafted into service, and he is eventually captured by the Russians and imprisoned in Siberia. His nearly two-year journey back to war-ravaged Germany reveals the devastating aftermath, with his city in ruins and family displaced.

Meanwhile, Karla, at home facing nightly bombings, struggles to raise their two young children and is forced into helping the Nazis. Through these tumultuous times, Karla and Bruno’s unwavering love becomes a testament to human strength and endurance amid adversity. 

Dissidents in 1936 Germany fall in love, only to face countless struggles as he's drafted, then hauled off to Siberia, and she's faced with hard choices to ensure the survival of herself and her children. This one is based on the true story of the author's grandparents. 

Love and the Downfall of Society by Melinda Copp

After turning society upside down with her debut story, provincial Charlotte Deveraux arrives in Paris poised for literary stardom. She’s not sure where her next rent payment will come from, but she’s determined to make a name for herself as a respected writer in the cultural capital of the world.

Antoine de Larminet is the last surviving son of an aristocratic family. In line to inherit a title, he has promised his parents that he’ll marry a peer and carry on the centuries-old tradition. He was raised in an antiquated world where love was often found outside of arranged society marriages. Even as the French aristocracy is losing relevance to modernity, Antoine never questioned this commitment to this family legacy--until his chance meeting with clever and beautiful Charlotte.

Their attraction is immediate, and the more they bump into each other at the clubs and salons of Paris, the stronger their attachment grows. But Antoine can’t marry Charlotte because she’s as proletarian as they come. And Charlotte will lose all credibility as a writer and social critic if she becomes the mistress of an aristocrat.

The world around them is changing, but if love is to win, one of them will have to give up everything they stand for.

Old world (him) clashes with new world (her). It's a relationship spelling certain doom for both of them: oh, only her credibility and his very way of life. High stakes conflict set against the backdrop of Belle Époque Paris.

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Darcy McGuire

Wallflower at risk of ruin…

Secret femme-fatale in training Millicent Whittenburg needs to escape her unpleasant betrothal. Taking matters into her own hands, she plans her eventual ruin! Then she can disappear from society to carry out the Queen’s deadly missions. Step 1: seduce the one man who despises marriage more than her!

However, she hugely underestimates her target. Major General Beaufort Drake. Fearsome private investigator, he’s notoriously cold and visibly battle scarred. But Millie’s scandalously public kiss awakens a deeply suppressed desire in Drake. Instead of allowing them both to succumb to shame he does the unthinkable, and offers for her hand in a convenient marriage.

Nothing prepares them for the fireworks when a fearless damsel collides with a dangerous Major General! And as their secret missions align they face their hardest test on the glittering battlefield – a week long wedding house party where there is nowhere to escape…only new and wicked lessons to be learnt!

Book two in The Queen's Deadly Damsels series features a heroine desperate to escape a betrothal in order to carry out deadly missions for Queen and Country. To that end, she picks our hero, a Major General and a private investigator to be the object of her ruination - except the man does the unthinkable and actually proposes marriage!

Tempted by Her Forbidden Warrior by Michelle Styles

The warrior she shouldn’t want

But can’t resist!

Viking Sibba has traveled to a Scottish island to attend a king’s wedding and maintain the fragile truce between their opposing clans. Not to engage in an impromptu archery contest with his son, Cal, with a kiss at stake if he wins…

The Celtic warrior should remain forbidden, so Sibba’s shocked by how much she wants to kiss him. She ought to stay away, but when the king’s bride is kidnapped, Sibba must join forces with Cal to retrieve her before unrest rages through their kingdoms…and their dangerous desire overwhelms them both!

Heroine attends a King's wedding as a goodwill "see we're really friends now!" gesture, only to find herself in an archery contest with the King's son, with a kiss on the line should he win and she "lose." They're soon thrown further together when the King's bride is kidnapped and they join forces before war erupts between their clans.

Mademoiselle from Armentières by Daniel Hall

In the ruins of war-torn Europe, upper-class officer Reginald Greaves finds more than just the enemy at his doorstep; he discovers Renée, a young woman navigating World War One by working at the Red Lamp, a place of refuge for those with no other options.

Amidst the chaos that the war brings, Reginald leaves Renée with an unpaid debt. Chasing him across Belgium, Renée becomes Reginald’s unwilling nurse, tending to his injuries. As they spend more time together, their initial animosity slowly shifts into a love neither saw coming.

Their relationship faces an unexpected threat when Elizabeth, the well-bred woman Reginald is expected to marry, arrives in France. With Elizabeth's arrival, a complex love triangle ensues, complicating their already tumultuous bond. As they battle their own demons and the advancing front lines, their lives intersect in ways they never imagined.

Against the backdrop of duty, Renée and Reginald grapple with choices that could change everything—choices about family, loyalty, and the future they dare to dream of, even if it seems impossible.

Look, I have issues with love triangles (as a general rule) but World War I and a prostitute heroine - I'm only human. Also, this promises the kind of high stakes conflict I'm kind of desperate for right now in romance. 

The Cornish Inheritance by Fil Reid

After her father’s suicide, Caroline Fairfield is left practically destitute and needing to find herself employment in a hurry. Her old friend, Ysella Beauchamp, now living in Cornwall, assures her that a family she knows is looking for a governess for nine-year-old Yves, the orphaned heir to his grandfather’s title and fortune, after the previous governess left under a cloud.

He’s described as weak and delicate, but turns out to be anything but, and Caroline soon discovers that Mrs Treloar, Yves’s formidable aunt, has a distinct lack of concern for his welfare. To the point of seeming to want to put him in danger. And then she discovers he’s being dosed every night, on his aunt’s orders, with something that could prove fatal.

Major Nathaniel Treloar, disfigured in battle and returning from Europe now Bonaparte is in captivity, travels down to Cornwall to recuperate at his grandfather’s estate while he decides what to do with his life. He’s touchy about his damaged looks and, although he seems friendly enough, and she’s strongly attracted to him, Caroline can’t get out of her head the fact that he would be the one to benefit if anything were to happen to Yves.

This, more than likely, isn't a Gothic, but c'mon. Cornwall, a father's suicide, a destitute heroine turned governess, her young charge whose life is in peril and a disfigured, battle-scarred hero. It might not be a duck, but it certainly seems to be quacking. This is the third book in the author's Cornish Ladies series.

Regency Glad Tidings by Carla Kelly

"Holly and Ivy"- The Napoleonic Wars are over. Troops are returning home to a joyous Christmas, except for Surgeon Jake Frost, who must escort a hypochondriac captain, barely wounded at Waterloo. Jake prepares to hate every minute of the ordeal, until he meets the hypochondriac's fiancé.

"Yours Sincerely" - Madeline and her widowed mother live in genteel poverty, at the mercy of overbearing in-laws. Despite this, they have managed well. Years earlier, they befriended an older gentleman who has since passed away. To their surprise, an American sea captain arrives, summoned for a reading of the will of that quiet gentleman. Kindness triumphs in ways unimaginable, except, perhaps, during the season of glad tidings.

"Picture a Christmas" - To avoid the poorhouse, Mary Cooper finds employment in a notions shop belonging to a grouchy old dame. Coming into her life to upend this pleasant arrangement is Luke Wainwright, nephew of Mary's employer. He's a widower and shipbuilder with no time for anything except business. To Luke, Mary is an interloper in his aunt's affairs, until he sees someone else: a person as determined as he is to improve the hand dealt them. Together, perhaps?

Kelly's Christmas stories are fan favorites and this is copied and pasted directly from her website: So here you have Regency Glad Tidings, three Christmas stories that I wrote last year in summer’s heat, when most Christmas fiction is written. May your days be merry and bright!  You know what this means? BRAND NEW CARLA KELLY CHRISTMAS STORIES, NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED!!!!!!!

A Brush with Scandal by Allison Grey

1882. An artist from the notorious Seven Dials will paint her way into London‘s heart…

Violet Latimer longs to escape her scandalous origins in the rookery of Seven Dials and finally make a name for herself as a painter. But her past is never far behind her, and nor is the notorious criminal, Archie Neville. Fresh out of prison, he's determined to make her his wife – and catch whoever put him away in the first place.

Calling on her high society friends for help, Violet finds herself in an unlikely alliance with the last man a girl from the rookeries should ever approach, undercover detective, John Barrow. A man from her side of the tracks – and dangerously handsome too – John offers Violet a bargain: he’ll help her escape from Archie if she’ll help him collect the information he needs to bring Archie down for good.

But neither Violet nor John have counted on the attraction that ignites between them. As their dangerous arrangement progresses, Violet feels all her plans for the future unravelling in the heat from John’s eyes. Can she dare to trust this man, despite the secrets she senses he’s keeping? Will surrendering to her heart be Violet’s salvation, or her downfall?

OMG, I am trash for everything about this blurb. Artist heroine who quite literally pulls herself out of the muck, only to have a dangerous man from her past slither his way back into her life. It's time to call in some favors with her new high society friends, and that gets her the hero, an undercover detective. She's a woman who can't not afford to lose her heart and he's a man who is obviously hiding secrets. 

Outlaw Hearts by Lori G. Matthews

Outlaw Elle Barstow spends her days robbing stagecoaches and her nights bedding women—all while keeping her heart safely locked away.

But everything changes when Isabella “Izzy” Collins enters her life. Banished by her family, the fiery suffragette from Boston is reluctantly traveling west to marry a man much older than herself.

When Elle rescues Izzy during a stagecoach robbery gone wrong, she plans to ransom Izzy for a hefty reward. But Elle soon finds herself drawn to the captivating woman who challenges her every instinct.

As Izzy insists on learning how to survive in the wild, Elle’s plan begins to unravel, and she faces a new peril—the growing attraction that threatens to melt her hardened heart.

Lesbians in the Old West. Even better? One of them is an outlaw and the other is a Boston suffragette whose family has deep pockets. What should be a simple ransoming a hostage scheme gets complicated by attraction and ugh, "feelings." Isn't that alway the way?

Another bumper crop of unusual historical options to peruse and sample. What are you looking forward to reading?

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?

March Series Madness: Unusual Historicals Landing in March 2022

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

 

Red Blossom in Snow by Jeannie Lin

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

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

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

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

The Marquess Makes His Move by Diana Quincy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Highlander's Tactical Marriage by Jenni Fletcher

A strategic marriage… 

…with his runaway bride! 

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

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

To Wed A Viking Warrior by Michelle Styles 

 

A convenient marriage 

Could save them both… 

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

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

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?

March Madness: Unusual Historical Highlights for March 2021

Don't mind me. Just sittin' over here waiting for my turn in the vaccine queue - which I'm convinced won't be until July 2061 at this rate. I'm so ready. Like, beyond ready. So to distract myself from my growing impatience I've been plowing my way through "obligation reading" and looking for new, unusual historical romances.  Here's what caught my eye being published in March:

 

The Unexpected Wife by Jess Michaels

Although Celeste Montgomery was forced into a marriage a year ago, her husband is more often gone than home and she is living a quiet life. Until investigator Owen Gregory shows up at her home to tell her some outrageous news: Her husband has been murdered…and he was also a bigamist, making her the third of three wives. 

Owen Gregory was hired to investigate Celeste’s husband, but he never thought it would lead him here, to this beautiful woman whose life he just shattered. Once he determines she couldn’t be the murderer, he asks her to join him in London, in the hopes she can help him solve the crime. 

Now they must navigate two other wives, a broken-hearted brother and a duke who keeps poking his nose in as they work to determine who killed Erasmus Montgomery. Not to mention the intense feelings and passionate desires growing between them. But will secrets long held endanger them in ways they never imagined? And will they find a way to save each other before it’s too late?

Once upon a time there was a Maggie Osborne western with a similar plot (1 husband, 3 wives) albeit minus the murder and the private investigator hero.  I'm intrigued by the mystery angle here, and also the private investigator hero who starts to take a very personal interest in the heroine.  This is the first book in the trilogy - so now's the time to get in on the ground floor y'all!

Betrothed to the Enemy Viking by Michelle Styles

A wounded Viking warrior 

Must keep his enemies close… 

 Left for dead by a mysterious attacker, Viking warlord Kal Randrson comes around with a deep head wound and a hazy memory, yet he instantly recognizes his rescuer—captivating Lady Cynehild, whose life he turned upside down years before. Although she’s his enemy, they agree to a fake betrothal to expose his attacker. But is the capable, intriguing Cynehild’s mission to help him, or has she another intention entirely?

A heroine with secrets who rescues the hero PLUS a fake engagement?! Could my life get any better?  Styles writes consistently good books and this is the 2nd in her latest Vows and Vikings series for Harlequin.

Trouble for the Leading Lady by Rachel Brimble (Kindle Unlimited ; Hoopla)

Bath, 1852. 

As a girl, Nancy Bloom would go to Bath's Theatre Royal, sit on the hard wooden benches and stare in awe at the actresses playing men as much as the women dressed in finery. She longed to be a part of it all and when a man promised her parents he could find a role for Nancy in the theatre, they believed him. 

His lie and betrayal led to her ruin. 

 Francis Carlyle is a theatre manager, an ambitious man always looking for the next big thing to take the country by storm. A self-made man, Francis has finally shed the skin of his painful past and is now rich, successful and in need of a new female star. Never in a million years did he think he'd find her standing on a table in one of Bath's bawdiest pubs. 

 Nancy vowed never to trust a man again. Francis will do anything to make her his star. As they engage in a battle of wits and wills, can either survive with their hearts intact? 

Brimble is a name I recognize from the now (sadly) defunct Harlequin SuperRomance line and this second book in her Ladies of Carson Street sounds right up my alley. A disgraced heroine with a shot at redemption, all she has to do is a trust a man - which doesn't come easy.  This one is available via Kindle Unlimited, and also Hoopla (check to see if your local library offers this service!)

The Shipwrecked Earl's Bride by Renee Dahlia (novella)

LORD RUPERT STANMORE was banished to the continent for a grand tour after being caught kissing his best friend, Lord Benburgh. Two years later and life back in England has caught up to him. His father died recently and now he’s the latest Earl of Stanmore. On the way home, his ship is wrecked in a storm, and he washes up on a beach in Spain, only to be rescued by a beautiful woman. As the Earl, he has an obligation to marry. He’d rather be hung for sodomy than allow his mother to choose his bride, and who better to annoy his proper and distant mother than a poor foreigner as a bride? He plots for Sofia to fall in love with him, not expecting to fall for her.

SOFIA LUCIANA RIAL is the only daughter of a fisherman in Spain. She taught herself to read English from books washed up on their beach, a skill her widowed Father sees as pointless. In his opinions, she should spend all, not most, of her time doing domestic work. When a man washes up on the beach near their cottage, she realises he might be her ticket out of poverty. She sets about to make him fall in love with her so he can take her to England where she will never again have to worry about where her next meal will come from. Only her plan fails when she falls in love with him. But how can she convince him that her love is real?

Now see, some of you probably read this blurb and think the heroine mercenary. I'm thinking the gal is a realist - bless her heart.  Bisexual hero on his way home to claim an inheritance he's likely conflicted about and a heroine desperate to climb her way out of the poverty cycle.  I'm here for this.  Check your digital TBRs before one-clicking - this was originally published in the Twelve Rogues of Christmas anthology.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to reading?

Review: Conveniently Wed to the Viking

One of the more contrarian aspects to my reading personality is that while I'm militant about reading mystery series in order, I'll hopscotch all over the damn place when it comes to romance.  So naturally I started Harlequin's multi-author Sons of Sigurd series with the third book, Conveniently Wed to the Viking by Michelle Styles.  Because of course I did. And I'm not going to lie, it took me a couple chapters to get my sea legs. I read the prologue and the first two chapters, went back and reread the prologue to make sure I had a firm grasp on "the series stuff" and then it was off to the races.

Sandulf is the youngest of five, always seen as the tag-along, always trying to measure up to his four older brothers who cast long shadows.  On his brother Brandt's wedding day it's Sandulf who is charged with looking after his new sister-in-law, who is also very pregnant.  By the end of it all their father is dead, as is Brandt's wife and unborn child - Sandulf failing to protect her.  He's sent away to Constantinople, but swearing an oath to avenge his sister-in-law's murder, he returns to track down the mercenary with a distinctive star-shaped scar on his face. Things get complicated though when his Scottish guide takes off with the partial payment he gave him and his path crosses that of runaway heiress, Lady Ceanna.

Ceanna hired the same guide to take her, conveniently enough, to the same monastery where Sandulf is heading.  Ceanna's aunt (her mother's sister) is the abbess and she's hoping to convince her that she's had a holy vision and is destined to take the veil.  Ceanna doesn't have a burning desire to wed herself to Christ, but she is very interested in staying alive.  Her father hastily remarried a younger woman after Ceanna's mother died tragically.  Her father is now, conveniently, lying on his death bed and step-mommy is looking to wed Ceanna to the head of her father's guards who just so happens to be step-mommy's lover.  Oh what a tangled web!  Now her guide has disappeared from the scene and she's not sure who she can trust.  She had been counting on the guide's loyalty to her father, but that's looking less certain and now she's got this Viking lurking about.  Northmen do not exactly have sterling reputations.  But there's no way for it.  She can't stay, she has to go. And the best way to insure her safety to take along Sandulf who has vowed he will do everything within his power to protect her.

There's a lot to recommend this story and it just so happens to have some of my favorite flavors of romance catnip.  Ceanna is a smart, resourceful heroine paired with my absolute favorite sort of romance hero - the younger hero living in the shadow of older "better" men who he idolizes.  Oh, and it's a marriage of convenience (eventually) coupled with a road romance.  80% of this story takes place while the couple is traveling.  I also appreciated that these two got to know each other (it makes the "falling in love" stuff more believable - in my humble opinion), they talked, they verbally sparred at moments, there was attraction and a couple of stolen kisses but it wasn't lust at first sight, let's scurry off into the woods to get it on within mere moments after locking eyes on each other.

That being said, some "not like other girls" nonsense does creep in - mostly in the form of how practical and thoughtful Ceanna is - not driven to flights of fancy nor hysterics compared to "other women."  This sort of thing is tedious on a good day, and while I've read far worse in other romances, it was still annoying.  Also the author doesn't do a ton of hand-holding on the "Viking stuff"- I mean, I got the gist of it all but this period in history is a weak area for me and certain terms, geographical names etc. threw me on occasion just because I didn't know. Reader mileage will vary on that, of course.

Given this is a multi-author series there's an overarching plot that isn't resolved in this book - namely the murder of Sandulf's father.  But Ceanna's evil stepmother, the assassin with the star-shaped scar are dispatched and Sandulf is reunited with his brothers.  

This was a good, solid read and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  I'm pretty darn sure I have all the other books in the series in my TBR and the plan is to get to them in short order.

Final Grade = B

Wendy's Unusual Historical Picks for July 2020

Since the folding of Heroes & Heartbreakers in (time flies) 2017 my monthly Unusual Historicals post has been cross-posted over at Love In Panels. Suzanne and Company are currently on hiatus to regroup, reassess, and hopefully rediscover their joy amid burn-out. I've been blogging a long time (since 2003) and have a lot of feelings about Romancelandia of late - most of them Old Man Yelling at Clouds.  Since I don't want to hijack this month's cornucopia I'll just leave you with this Romancelandia: Tired of wading through troll-ish garbage on social media to get to "book stuff?"  Want to support the "supporters" of the genre?  Start following and reading blogs again.  Also, Google Reader has been gone for 7 years now. Get over it and find an alternative that you can tolerate.  Now - on to the books!

 Trouble & Strife by Lara Kinsey (Kindle Unlimited)
Novella

Elizabeth Percival is sweet. Professionally. She left behind a life of stifling luxury to work in Cadwell’s chocolate shop. After over a decade, she’s itching to take over. She’s not about to let some broad-shouldered brawler mess it up. Even if he does have shoulders to die for.

Sidney Chance isn’t an enforcer…anymore. After a decade of smacking heads together in the name of the Chance Brothers, he’s lieutenant to the city’s most powerful family, but he’s not sure what to do with himself. Sid’s made some bad choices, but maybe the worst is mooning over a girl who keeps making good choices for him. Suddenly he has clean socks and wooly sweaters, and he’s not sure he minds, exactly, but it’s not doing his fearsome reputation any favors. But one taste of sweetness isn’t enough.

Can Sid convince Elizabeth he’s worth the trouble?

I just finished the first novella in this series and was intrigued by Sidney, who is described as in recovery and a bit haunted.  So much so that it's his younger brother acting as "CEO" of the family business.

Winner Takes All by Anna Harrington
Novella

Four years ago, Jackson Shaw left the employment of Viscount Darlington to strike out on his own as a horse trainer—and escape the temptation posed by the viscount’s beautiful daughter, Francesca, a woman he could never have. But success as a trainer has proved elusive, and the only hope for saving his indebted farm is to win the famous Epsom Derby.

Francesca Darlington is desperate to win the Derby for her own reasons. She’s managed to cajole her father into an agreement: if her colt wins the Derby, then she’ll earn the freedom to marry whomever she wants. But if she loses, she’ll marry the man her father has chosen for her—a man she will never love.

When an accident at the track brings Frankie back into Shaw’s arms, old desires return, and Frankie realizes that Shaw is the only man she wants to marry. But only one of them can win the Derby and seize their dream for the future, while the other is racing for a fall.

A working class hero and a romantic couple who both need to win the same horse race for different reasons.  Oh, and all those old complicated feelings getting in the way.  

Rhapsody for Two by Theresa Romain (originally published in How to Ruin a Duke anthology)
Novella

Simon Thorn is on the run from his past. A onetime metalworker who’s transformed himself into a Renaissance man, he’s worked as an actor, a tutor, and a musician. Blessed with a glib tongue, he’s never met a stranger—but he fears seeing a familiar face.

Rowena Fairweather is facing a difficult future. She’s the last in a line of brilliant luthiers—builders of stringed instruments—and her illustrious family legacy is about to fall prey to debt.

When the scandalous novel How to Ruin a Duke brings Simon and Rowena together, the solution to her problems just might lie in his mysterious past. These unlikely allies soon become lovers…but will Simon surrender his heart to Rowena, or take to his feet again?

This was previously published in a duology with Grace Burrowes so check your TBR before one-clicking.  There's so much "unusual"  here it's hard to know what I'm more intriguing by! The Renaissance man hero? The heroine who makes stringed instruments? Unlikely allies turned lovers? Gimme!
 
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite

When Agatha Griffin finds a colony of bees in her warehouse, it’s the not-so-perfect ending to a not-so-perfect week. Busy trying to keep her printing business afloat amidst rising taxes and the suppression of radical printers like her son, the last thing the widow wants is to be the victim of a thousand bees. But when a beautiful beekeeper arrives to take care of the pests, Agatha may be in danger of being stung by something far more dangerous…

Penelope Flood exists between two worlds in her small seaside town, the society of rich landowners and the tradesfolk.  Soon, tensions boil over when the formerly exiled Queen arrives on England’s shores—and when Penelope’s long-absent husband returns to Melliton, she once again finds herself torn, between her burgeoning love for Agatha and her loyalty to the man who once gave her refuge.

As Penelope finally discovers her true place, Agatha must learn to accept the changing world in front of her. But will these longing hearts settle for a safe but stale existence or will they learn to fight for the future they most desire?

The first book in this series was one of my favorites of 2019 so I've really been looking forward to this one (although why Avon can't seem to find someone who is halfway competent in Photoshop is beyond me...). A printer heroine on the brink of bankruptcy and a beekeeper heroine. When was the last time any of us read something like that? Like, never!

 
The Rebel Heiress and the Knight by Melissa Oliver

She must marry the knight

By order of the king!

Widow Eleanor of Tallany Castle knows her people are broken by the taxes demanded by King John. So when she’s ordered to marry Hugh de Villiers, a knight loyal to the king, she’s furious—even if he is handsome! As gallant Hugh begins to heal the scars of Eleanor’s abusive first marriage, she’s even more determined to keep her secret: she is the outlaw the king wants to send to the gallows!

Melissa Oliver is the latest in a string of authors who have benefited from Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write initiative - and this debut novel is the first in a two book contract.  Is there a better medieval villain that King John?  Go ahead, I'll wait.  Plus this one has a sprinkling of Enemies To Lovers and a big dash of a Heroine With a Big Secret!


 
The Flapper's Baby Scandal by Lauri Robinson

Her undercover life…

Her secret child

Dancing in speakeasies at night is dutiful heiress Betty Dryer’s only escape from her father’s tyrannical control and marriage plans. There she meets mysterious FBI agent Henry Randall. Drawn into his investigation—and to emotionally scarred, lone-wolf Henry himself—Betty gives in to her desire, believing this could be her only chance at love before she’s forced to wed. Until she discovers she’s pregnant with Henry’s baby!

Book two in Robinson's Sisters of the Roaring Twenties series, our heroine is dancing the night away throwing back Gin Rickeys (OK, that might be poetic license on my part....) when she falls into the arms of an FBI agent and whoopsie-doodle ends up pregnant. Well that will certainly put an end to the party - but alas, true love will certainly be on the horizon.


Conveniently Wed to the Viking by Michelle Styles

Strangers on the run

Now they must wed!

Sandulf, youngest of the famed Sigurdsson brothers, is on the trail of the assassin who murdered his family. On his way, he meets Scottish runaway Lady Ceanna, a prickly, wary woman trying to escape a forced marriage. Her beauty and courage make Sandulf realize there may be more at stake than his revenge… As the threat of her family follows them, there’s only one way to keep her safe—marriage!

Styles' latest is the third book in the multi-author Sons of Sigurd series featuring a bevy of hunky Vikings. A hero bent on revenge finds himself inconveniently wed to a runaway bride with a less-than-stellar family hot on her heels.  Ooooh, road romance!

A lot to choose from this month to fill out Ye Olde Shopping list.  Hopefully there's something here to pique your interest.  Take care of yourselves Romancelandia, be good to each other, find some tiny moments of joy - and Lord above, keep wearing your face masks and washing your hands like Lady Macbeth.