Unusual Historicals Top Picks for June 2020

After a strange, upended spring, we now find ourselves in a strange, upended summer with most of us wondering what the heck autumn will bring. How much is my budget going to tank at the library? Will the kids be back in a traditional classroom setting come September? When might life feel normal enough to take a couple of vacation days again? Uncertain times call for snatching moments of joy when you can - and I think I speak for most of Romancelandia when I say books are a great way to find some joy. Here are some unusual historicals releasing in June that caught my eye:

A Duke, the Lady and a Baby by Vanessa Riley

Created by a shrewd countess, The Widow’s Grace is a secret society with a mission: to help ill-treated widows regain their status, their families, and even find true love again—or perhaps for the very first time . . .  

When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband's mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow's Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .  

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she's breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together? 

 Riley’s latest kicks off a series about a secret society that comes to the aid of mistreated widows and features a done-wrong heroine who loses everything when she dares to question the circumstances of her husband’s death. A mystery, a headstrong heroine, and a wounded hero. Sign me up!

Her Lady’s Honor by Renee Dahlia

The war might be over, but the battle for love has just begun.  

When Lady Eleanor “Nell” St. George arrives in Wales after serving as a veterinarian in the Great War, she doesn’t come alone. With her is her former captain’s beloved warhorse, which she promised to return to him—and a series of recurring nightmares that torment both her heart and her soul. She wants only to complete her task, then find refuge with her family, but when Nell meets the captain’s eldest daughter, all that changes.  

Beatrice Hughes is resigned to life as the dutiful daughter. Her mother grieves for the sons she lost to war; the care of the household and remaining siblings falls to Beatrice, and she manages it with a practical efficiency. But when a beautiful stranger shows up with her father’s horse, practicality is the last thing on her mind. Despite the differences in their social standing, Beatrice and Nell give in to their unlikely attraction, finding love where they least expect it. But not everything in the captain’s house is as it seems.  

When Beatrice’s mother disappears under mysterious circumstances, Nell must overcome her preconceptions to help Beatrice, however she’s able. Together they must find out what really happened that stormy night in the village, before everything Beatrice loves is lost—including Nell. 

It’s addressed a bit with a throwaway line in the blurb, but having finished this book very recently what struck me most about it was how much the author addresses class issues as part of the romantic conflict. Nell is a Lady and Beatrice is a woman with no life of her own, trapped by the circumstances of her birth. If the thought of reading another Duke fall in love with a chambermaid without a wisp of consequences has given you a case of the permanent eye-rolls, consider this book your antidote.

Captured By Her Enemy Knight by Nicole Locke

Captured by her enemy…  

Falling for the man  

Cressida Howe, the Archer, is a well-tuned weapon. But she’s also a woman captivated by a man—Eldric of Hawskmoor, the warrior knight her father ordered her to kill. Instead, for years, Cressida has simply watched him… 

Now she’s been captured by her formidable enemy, and her well-ordered world comes crashing down, for Eldric is even more compelling up close. Cressida curses her traitorous heart—this assassin has fallen for her target! 

This book has rolled around in Wendy Catnip. Questions of loyalty, a warrior heroine, and a mysterious knight that her father wants dead for some reason. Get in my eyeballs now.

Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian

Will Sedgwick can’t believe that after months of searching for his oldest friend, Martin Easterbrook is found hiding in an attic like a gothic nightmare. Intent on nursing Martin back to health, Will kindly kidnaps him and takes him to the countryside to recover, well away from the world.  

Martin doesn’t much care where he is or even how he got there. He’s much more concerned that the man he’s loved his entire life is currently waiting on him hand and foot, feeding him soup and making him tea. Martin knows he’s a lost cause, one he doesn’t want Will to waste his life on.  

As a lifetime of love transforms into a tender passion both men always desired but neither expected, can they envision a life free from the restrictions of the past, a life with each other? 

The next book in Sebastian’s Sedgwick’s series gives readers a fairy tale spin - although it’s a prince locked away in a tower (or attic, whatever) opposed to a princess. Library Journal gave it a starred review and called it a “life-affirming final act to the trilogy”

An Outlaw’s Honor by Terri Brisbin

When the only man she can trust is known for his dishonorable past, what could go wrong?

A Dishonorable Man
Thomas Brisbois of Kelso has only one goal when he arrives at the tournament--to defeat the only knight who ever bested him in battle. If he succeeds, the Scottish king will return to him his lands, his honor and his life. He has little interest in other prizes, and even less when he learns that the lord for whom his rival fights has included a daughter among the spoils at stake in their contest-- a lovely daughter with no desire to play the pawn, or to see her father's champion win. She is a distraction, all the more after she explains her own ideas about which knight shall have her, and how and when.  

A Desperate Woman
Annora may be a pawn in her father’s plans but she has no intention of letting that happen without a fight of her own. When she sees the frank desire in Thomas’ gaze for her, she makes her own offer—she’ll help him win if he’ll let her go. . . after he beds her. Her plans go awry when she discovers the truth of the man beneath the armor. The man who had lost everything and struggles to regain his life.  

Brisbin is a seasoned pro in medieval historical romance, so I always know I’ll be in good hands when I pick up one of her stories. Part of a multi-author series centered around a tournament, I love historical heroines who find themselves as pawns of men’s machinations but scheme to throw a wrench in the works. Naturally, in romance, schemes never seem to go according to plan.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to reading?

Unusual Historical Picks for January 2020

Dear Romancelandia, was it just last month that I was wishing for blue skies ahead? Here we are, not four weeks into 2020 and already this year has felt like it’s been six months long. Between what’s been going on with RWA, coupled with world events, the start of my reading year hasn’t been all that great. But it’s too soon to throw in the towel on 2020 yet and what better way to head off a potential reading slump than book browsing? Here are some new Unusual Historicals catching my eye:

Honor and Desire by Rebel Carter (Kindle Unlimited Title)

For as long as anyone can remember Seylah Wickes-Barnes has been at the side of August Leclaire, her best friend and the boy her fathers took under their wing.

Now a grown woman and looking for love, Seylah's deepest regret, and secret, is quickly coming to surface: She has been in love with August for as long as she can remember.

For years she has been content in her role as secretary to the Sheriff's department in Gold Sky, Montana. Mostly for the opportunity to be around the men of her family, and the one who still owns her heart. But there is no denying that the woman behind the desk is far more suited to wielding a gun and keeping the peace. If only she could convince her fathers to see her in a new light, as a person worthy of a deputy's badge.

Determined to put her past behind her, Seylah gives her attentions to a handsome new arrival. One who sweeps Seylah off her feet-quite literally. Things are almost perfect until August suddenly declares his intent to court her. Can she trust that August's affections are true and not inspired by jealousy?

Amongst gun fights and forbidden kisses, childhood friendships mature into a love built on forever and intimate desire in this tale of friends-to-prickly-allies-to-lovers romance.

Carter continues her generational historical western series with this third book featuring a heroine starting to stifle under parental expectations and resolving to move on from an unrequited crush only to have said crush wake up and smell the coffee just as she’s getting swept off her feet by another man. Seriously, why are men so dense? (#evergreen).

The Lord I Left by Scarlett Peckham

He’s a minister to whores… She’s a fallen woman…

Lord Lieutenant Henry Evesham is an evangelical reformer charged with investigating the flesh trade in London. His visits to bawdy houses leave him with a burning desire to help sinners who’ve lost their innocence to vice—even if the temptations of their world test his vow not to lose his moral compass…again.

As apprentice to London’s most notorious whipping governess, Alice Hull is on the cusp of abandoning her quiet, rural roots for the city’s swirl of provocative ideas and pleasures—until a family tragedy upends her dreams and leaves her desperate to get home. When the handsome, pious Lord Lieutenant offers her a ride despite the coming blizzard, she knows he is her best chance to reach her ailing mother—even if she doesn’t trust him.

He has the power to destroy her… She has the power to undo him…

As they struggle to travel the snow-swept countryside, they find their suspicion of each other thawing into a longing that leaves them both shaken. Alice stirs Henry’s deepest fantasies, and he awakens parts of her she thought she’d foresworn years ago. But Henry is considering new regulations that threaten the people Alice holds dear, and association with a woman like Alice would threaten Henry’s reputation if he allowed himself to get too close.

Is falling for the wrong person a test of faith …or a chance at unimagined grace?

I have a complicated relationship with BDSM in romance fiction which is why I haven’t yet read Peckham, but reviews seem to indicate she’s a polarizing writer. For every reader who loves her books, there are readers who are less than enthralled - and the plot synopsis for this third book in her Secrets of Charlotte Street will likely follow that pattern. Reading this blurb my reaction fluctuates from “Gimme now!” to “OMG, this could be a hot mess.” So of course I’m going to have to read it.

Her Dark Knight’s Redemption by Nicole Locke

“This man was shadow and night. He was Darkness.”

Homeless Aliette is saved from punishment for stealing by a mysterious knight. To stay alive, she’s informed by this stranger that she must claim his child as her own. She should fear the dark knight’s power, yet it’s clear there’s more good to this man than he’s prepared to show. Can she break down the barriers of the tortured knight she calls Darkness?

Medievals lend themselves well to dark and angst - two things I cannot seem to get enough of in romance. Locke’s latest sounds right up my alley. A broody, haunted knight confronted with a child he didn’t know existed and saving the heroine in order to pull off a charade - for reasons. Sign. Me. Up.

Her Scandalous Pursuit by Candace Camp

Thisbe Moreland is used to men not taking her seriously. As a scientist, she’s accustomed to being the only woman at lectures and meetings, her presence met with scorn and derision. So it comes as a pleasant surprise when she sits next to a handsome young man who is actually interested in having a conversation about science.

Desmond Harrison cannot believe his good fortune when he sits next to Thisbe—she’s intelligent and incredibly beautiful. He longs to see her again—but he’s ashamed of his low birth. Not to mention his employment with the infamous Professor Gordon, a formerly respected scientist who turned to spiritualism and is now deeply scorned.

When Professor Gordon demands that Desmond recover an artifact for him—an ancient object reputed to have terrible power, known as the Eye of Annie Blue—Desmond realizes that only Thisbe holds the key. Desmond must choose between his love for Thisbe and his loyalty to his mentor…but humanity’s very future will depend on his choice.

Camp has been writing romances longer than some folks reading this blog post have been alive. This is the seventh book in her Mad Morelands series, but technically serves as a prequel. There’s a lot of Unusual Historical catnip in this blurb, a scientist heroine, a hero caught between mentor and the heroine, and the hunt for a mythical and supposedly powerful ancient artifact. I’m not familiar with the previous books in the series, so this one is going on my library wishlist to sample.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Unusual Historical Best Bets for July 2019

July in the United States means heat, humidity, and large swaths of the population shooting off fireworks for a solid month terrorizing animals and keeping me up at night. It’s also my busiest time of year at The Day Job, with a variety of budget-related tasks and conference season hitting full swing. This year I’ll be soaking up some of that heat and humidity in New York attending RWA. Yes, I’ll be there - as will some of the Love in Panels crew. If you see us milling about, be sure to say hello! So what books look good for potential reading on my long (loooong) flight to the Big Apple? This month self-publishing takes front and center!

The Clothier’s Daughter by Bronwyn Parry

In the unusually wet summer of 1816, Emma Braithwaite struggles to keep her family’s traditional wool cloth manufacturing company afloat. Her father has died, her brother is missing, and the new cotton factories are spreading, rendering the fine worsted fabrics the Braithwaites have made for generations, expensive and unfashionable. Being a woman in a man’s world of trade is challenging enough, but when her warehouse catches fire it brings her only a step away from financial ruin and debtor’s prison.  

After eight years of war, Major Adam Caldwell is returning for the first time to his family home, Rengarth Castle, when he stops to assist at a warehouse fire … and comes face-to-face with the woman he once loved and lost. Despite all his efforts to forget her, in truth she’s never been far from his thoughts. He was unworthy of her then, and even more so now.  

But as the threats against Emma escalate, they discover that someone wants control of Emma’s family company and is prepared to murder anyone in the way of getting it - including Emma. 

Parry is an Australian writer known for her award winning romantic suspense. This is her first ever historical romance featuring a heroine desperate to save the family business, a hero returned from war, and nary a Duke in sight.

Bold Seduction by Karyn Gerrard

A Fascinating Proposition  

As owner of The Starling Club, one of London’s more popular brothels, Philomena McGrattan has seen and heard it all. There is little that surprises her anymore, and even less that interests her. When she is presented an opportunity at a tempting and bold seduction, she can’t help but rise to the challenge. A virgin son of a duke? How could she refuse?  

An Improbable Encounter  

Quiet and set in his ways, Lord Spencer Hornsby is a brilliant eccentric who prefers solitude and researching ancient civilizations. Alone in the Welsh countryside, with only his two wolfhounds for company, Spencer has little time or patience for the pleasures of society. But when an unexpected guest arrives at his isolated hunting lodge, Spencer cannot help but be irresistibly intrigued by the presence of this beautiful woman.  

Philomena is shocked to discover that the odd professor stirs up feelings she thought long dead. Spencer, ever the man of research, is eager to learn all he can. Will they find deeper emotions are in play as they take their journey of discovery? 

Delayed by other publishing obligations from writing the third book in this series, when Kensington passed on it, the author decided it would be best to have the entire series under her control. Kensington agreed, and this first book, originally published under the Lyrical banner has been revised and re-edited. I’m a sucker for a heroine with a “reputation” and virgin heroes, so of course I pre-ordered this. I’m shocked I missed it the first time around.

Secrets of a Highland Warrior by Nicole Locke

The key to his past…  

…lies with the enemy sharing his bed!  

Part of The Lochmore Legacy: a Scottish castle through the ages! Rory Lochmore had expected to wage battle, to claim land and finally secure his standing within his clan… Instead he won a wife. A McCrieff wife. Their convenient marriage could unite the two long-feuding clans forever. But can a political alliance give way to a passion strong enough to stand the secrets of the past? 

The final book in Harlequin’s The Lochmore Legacy miniseries is the medieval entry and provides more background on the Lochmore and McCrieff feud. Previous books, written by three other Harlequin Historical writers, covered the Victorian, Regency and Tudor eras, with various secrets hidden behind the castle’s walls revealed along the way.

Joe’s Wife by Cheryl St. John

After Meg Telford's husband dies in the war and is lauded as a hero, she must face the fact that she can't keep the ranch without a man to shoulder the workload. Nothing will stop her from saving Joe's dream. The war has taken nearly all the able-bodied men--and a devilishly handsome bad boy seems her only choice.  

Town pariah, Tye Hatcher has a reputation as a hell-raiser, but he's looking to prove himself and has his own plans for the land. Meg's proposal might be too good to be true, but he's willing to take the risk, even if the risk is his heart.  

Struggling with guilt and the rejection of the townspeople, Meg must learn that her convenient husband is a man who takes risks and does what's right for the sake of others. Her vulnerable dreams and their hard work will be for naught unless she and Tye reveal their secrets and face what they're both coming to understand--they can't change the past, but the future is in their hands. 

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 1999, this is another self-published reprint that has me itching to do a reread. How long has it been since I’ve read this book? Well, I’ve been blogging for 16 years and I read it pre-blogging days. I loved it back then, and it’s a favorite of many in my personal Romancelandia clan. A widowed heroine desperate to save her farm marries the hero, a man who is constantly reminded by everyone in town (other than the heroine) that he’s “trash.”

What unusual historicals are you looking forward to reading this month?

Unusual Historicals for September 2018

Oh, so hey - the world is on fire. I know, it’s been on fire, but instead of singed around the edges I kind of feel like my hair has erupted into an inferno. It’s been a struggle for me to read for a while now but I’ve hobbled along in large part thanks to audio books and finding comfort reads where I can. Unfortunately this has not extended to historicals, my first love in the genre. I’m in a historical slump. But I’m nothing if not stubborn. I know this slump will break the minute I sink my teeth into an amazing book - which means it’s time to browse! Here’s what’s catching my eye for September.

A Sinner Without a Saint by Bliss Bennet

An honorable artist  

Benedict Pennington's greatest ambition is not to paint a masterpiece, but to make the world's greatest art accessible to all by establishing England's first national art museum. Success in persuading a reluctant philanthropist to donate his collection of Old Master paintings brings his dream tantalizingly close to reality. Until Viscount Dulcie, the object of Benedict's illicit adolescent desire, begins to court the donor's granddaughter, set on winning the paintings for himself . . .

A hedonistic viscount  

Sinclair Milne, Lord Dulcie, far prefers collecting innovative art and dallying with handsome men than burdening himself with a wife. But when rivals imply Dulcie's refusal to pursue wealthy Miss Adler and her paintings is due to lingering tender feelings for Benedict Pennington, Dulcie vows to prove them wrong. Not only will he woo her away from the holier-than-thou painter, he'll also placate his matchmaking father in the process.  

Sinner and saint--can both win at love?  

But when Benedict is dragooned into painting his portrait, Dulcie finds himself once again drawn to the intense artist. Can the sinful viscount entice the wary painter into a casual liaison, one that will put neither their reputations, nor their feelings, at risk? Or will the not-so-saintly artist demand something far more vulnerable--his heart? 

I do like English-set historicals but must admit that the endless parade of matchmaking mamas and Season/Almack’s/White’s talk tends to wear thin for me after 20+ years of reading historical romance. So when I want England, I tend to look for historicals that give me something a little different. Yes, this fourth book in The Penningtons series features a Viscount, but the other hero is a renowned artist and art plays an important role in the story. Sign me up!

A Lady in Need of an Heir by Louise Allen

She needs an heir…  

But not a husband!  

Gabrielle Frost knows that marrying any man would mean handing over control of her beloved family vineyard in Portugal to her new husband. She won’t take that risk. But she needs an heir! So when Nathaniel Graystone, Earl of Leybourne, arrives to escort her to London, Gabrielle wonders—what if this former soldier, with his courage, strength and dangerous air, could be the one to father her child? 

This one intrigues me for a variety of reasons. First, it takes the popular “hero needs an heir” trope and flips it with a role-reversal. Second, we have an independent and successful businesswoman who loves her life and doesn’t want to marry because...well, the life and business she built would then become the property of her husband. And third? The story opens on a vineyard in Portugal. Let’s be honest, I don’t need an excuse to crack open a bottle of wine while I’m reading but basically this book is telling me a have to.

Reclaimed by the Knight by Nicole Locke 

He left to save his family…  

Now he’s back!  

Nicholas of Mei Solis swore to do anything to protect his home—even going away to fight for it. This meant leaving beautiful Matilda, too. Now Nicholas has returned briefly to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one look at Matilda, now widowed and with child, changes everything. Suddenly Nicholas is compelled to stay…and to take back the future they both thought they’d lost… 

Locke continues her Lovers and Legends series with her seventh book for Harlequin Historical. I love, love, love the reunited lovers trope and the angst is practically oozing out of this description. A widowed and pregnant heroine who confronts a past she thought buried after the hero, who ran off to fight, comes home.

If Wishes Were Horses by Curtiss Ann Matlock

A remarkable woman, a hard-luck cowboy, and an unlikely race horse. No one thought they had a chance.  

From USA TODAY bestselling author Curtiss Ann Matlock comes the story of a woman with spunk and resolve to rise above poverty. At the death of her cheating husband, Etta Rivers is not only left pregnant and alone, but facing that Roy’s betrayal extends to everything being repossessed: the fancy Cadillac, the big John Deere tractor, and, worst of all, the barn full of precious horses. The house and land are next, unless Etta can find a way to save them.  

Help arrives in the unlikely form of well-worn, ex-rodeo star Johnny Bellah, who has come to collect on one of Roy’s many IOUs. At the outset Etta commandeers Johnny and his truck to take her where she needs to go. Afterward, she allows him to stay for meals and a room in the barn in exchange for doing chores, and breaking the single rangy colt left in the corral—Little Gus. Johnny has ideas that promise hope for the future, but can Etta ever again trust a man with her heart or her life?  

Welcome to Oklahoma of the 1950s—Elvis on kitchen radios, bootleg whiskey, and wild bush-track horse races—and to a story of the many faces of love and grace for two wounded hearts longing to make dreams come true. 

Originally published in 1998 by Avon (That’s right kids - once upon a time Avon did publish books other than Fluff-and-Stuff Costume Regencies. Yeah, I said it!) Matlock has gotten her rights back and self-published. This back cover blurb reads very LaVyrle Spencer to me and an old RT review provides another little nugget of angst. Not only did the heroine’s husband leave her heavily mortgaged up to her eyeballs, he also had the gall to die in another woman’s bed. 

Note: at time of this blog post the Matlock title was only available via Amazon

What unusual historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Top 5 Unusual Historicals for November 2017

I was actually setting out to work on this post when I got word that Heroes & Heartbreakers would be phasing out the blog.  The editorial staff is choosing to focus on posts with firm deadlines in their final couple of weeks and since this post wasn't actually done - well,  I'm opting to post it over here.  These posts originated on this blog before H&H asked if I would be interested in taking them over there - so it's a bit like coming home for Unusual Historicals.  Here's what is catching my eye for November:

A Texas Christmas Past by Julia Justiss (Tule Publishing)

Death denied Felicity a future with the man she loved, but her spirit lingers in the the Harwood House Hotel hoping to heal broken hearts and help them to find love again... 

Widowed World War I nurse Audra Donaldson returns from France planning to devote her life to helping those suffering the lingering effects of war—effects she knows all too well, as she suffers from them herself. When, staying at the Harwood House Inn on a Christmas visit to her brother, she hears a man in the throes of a violent nightmare, she goes to him without question—and is stunned by a physical attraction as strong as her desire to help. 

About to embrace the beautiful angel come to save him from the horrors of the battlefield, former soldier Drew Harwood recoils when he realizes Audra is real—and has seen his “weakness.” Brusquely rejecting her offer of help, he intends to avoid her. But more than just her beauty continues to draw him back. Though this compassionate, kind, and giving soul has seen more of war than he has, somehow, talking with her brings him peace--and seems to comfort her, too. If he can just resist acting on the desire she's ignited in him since his first glimpse of her... 

But someone else was watching, too. After tragedy denied Felicity a future with Drew, her dying wish was that he live his life and be happy for them both. To her sorrow, a year later, her former fiancé is still struggling. Deciding Audra is the perfect lady to heal the wounds of her beloved, this determined ghost resolves to bring Drew and Audra together. Who can resist a love that lasts beyond time?

OK, to be honest the whole "ghost thing" is giving me pause.  But, this is Julia Justiss, it's post World War I, and I liked her debut western for Tule.  So of course I one-clicked the hell out of this.

 A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole (Kensington)

The Civil War has turned neighbor against neighbor—but for one scientist spy and her philosopher soldier, war could bind them together . . .  

For all of the War Between the States, Marlie Lynch has helped the cause in peace: with coded letters about anti-Rebel uprisings in her Carolina woods, tisanes and poultices for Union prisoners, and silent aid to fleeing slave and Freeman alike. Her formerly enslaved mother’s traditions and the name of a white father she never knew have protected her—until the vicious Confederate Home Guard claims Marlie’s home for their new base of operations in the guerilla war against Southern resistors of the Rebel cause.  

Unbeknowst to those under her roof, escaped prisoner Ewan McCall is sheltering in her laboratory. Seemingly a quiet philosopher, Ewan has his own history with the cruel captain of the Home Guard, and a thoughtful but unbending strength Marlie finds irresistible.  

When the revelation of a stunning family secret places Marlie’s freedom on the line,  she and Ewan have to run for their lives into the hostile Carolina night. Following the path of the Underground Railroad, they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle that could dash their hopes of love—and freedom—before they ever cross state lines.

Good Lord, I'm on the edge of my seat just reading the plot description!  Also, one of the best historical covers I've seen in ages.

The Hired Man by Lynna Banning (Harlequin Historical)

A home for the drifter 

Cordell Winterman is haunted by his mistakes—and the years spent paying for them. Broke and hungry, he takes a job as a hired man on Eleanor Malloy's farm. 

Eleanor needs help. Desperately. Her kids are running wild and the place is held up by spit and rust. But as Cord helps her set her home to rights, Eleanor realizes she doesn't just need this enigmatic drifter with hunger in his eyes…she wants him, too!

I know, we're heavy on American-set historicals this month but I couldn't not post this one.  The whole hired man showing up to help out a heroine neck deep is about the only way I can take the Rescue Fantasy trope these days.  Sign me up!

 Her Christmas Knight by Nicole Locke (Harlequin Historical)

A knight to protect her—this Yuletide 

By order of the English king, Alice of Swaffham searches London nobility for the traitor dealing information to the Scots. Little does she know that the mysterious spy she seeks is the man she once loved and thought she'd lost forever… 

If Hugh of Shoebury felt unworthy of Alice before, as the Half-Thistle spy he can never claim her heart. Now he must fight to keep not only his dark secrets—and Alice—safe from a vengeful king…but also his burning longing for her at bay!

Oh look - something that isn't an American-set historical!  See, I haven't forgotten the medieval fans out there.  Locke rolls on with her Lovers and Legends series for Harlequin.  Danger and intrigue all wrapped up in a Christmas romance?  Oh Harlequin, you totally "get" me!

The Drifter by Susan Wiggs (Harlequin / MIRA)

Leah Mundy has spent her life dashing from town to town, one step ahead of her father’s dreadful reputation. Now, she wants to create a home for herself and build a medical practice in Coupeville, a cozy village nestled amid the majestic isles and mountains of Washington Territory. But her neighbors are loath to trust a newcomer, especially a woman doing a man’s work. 

On the run for a crime he didn’t commit but can’t deny, Jackson Underhill is desperate when he holds Leah at gunpoint. He needs her doctoring to mend his wounds, but he soon realizes that she is also capable of healing his soul. But Jackson has been hardened by life as an outlaw, and Leah knows that a future together is impossible…unless they confront his past and learn to trust the redeeming power of love.

Yes, I'm aware that this is a reprint but LOOK AT THAT COVER!  I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw it.  It's worth a look, as I said when I reviewed it as part of the 2013 TBR Challenge.   

What Historicals are you looking forward to this month?