Unusual Historical Picks June 2021: Crimes and Other Shenanigans

Where I live has lifted a number of COVID restrictions, I have an honest-to-goodness vacation planned to see my family in early July, and oh yeah - The Day Job is insanity right now. It's that time of year where Wendy is closing out one fiscal year, preparing for another, and under fire with very hard deadlines that I can't miss. That means trying to make time for happy things because without the happy - I'm no fun to live with.  So let's bring on some happy with this month's crop of Unusual Historicals which is just frickin' obscene y'all.  We also have a very definite theme running this month, so this post will be grouped into two sections.  Enjoy and happy browsing!

Crimes

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance. 

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up. 

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman. 

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

Holton's debut is being billed as a romcom that mixes fantasy elements with historical romance. There are flying houses, pirates, an assassin, a gothic abbey and "presumptuous women."  I'm no expert, but this sounds like a perfect summer vacation read. It's also the first in a series.

The Hellion's Waltz by Olivia Waite

It’s not a crime to steal a heart... 

Sophie Roseingrave hates nothing more than a swindler. After her family lost their piano shop to a con man in London, they’re trying to start fresh in a new town. Her father is convinced Carrisford is an upright and honest place, but Sophie is not so sure. She has grave suspicions about silk-weaver Madeline Crewe, whose stunning beauty doesn’t hide the fact that she’s up to something. 

All Maddie Crewe needs is one big score, one grand heist to properly fund the weavers’ union forever. She has found her mark in Mr. Giles, a greedy draper, and the entire association of weavers and tailors and clothing merchants has agreed to help her. The very last thing she needs is a small but determined piano-teacher and composer sticking her nose in other people’s business. If Sophie won’t be put off, the only thing to do is to seduce her to the cause. 

Will Sophie’s scruples force her to confess the plot before Maddie gets her money? Or will Maddie lose her nerve along with her heart?

A heroine looking for one big score for noble purposes finds herself attracting the attention of a suspicious, and observant, newcomer who despises swindlers and cheats (with good reason!).  This sounds positively delicious!

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian 

Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires. 

In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying. 

Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit. 

But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts overcome the impediments in their path?

A former thief longs for the "good old days" when opportunity comes knocking on his coffee shop door.  Sebastian's latest is Georgian-set .

Subtle Blood by KJ Charles 

Will Darling is all right. His business is doing well, and so is his illicit relationship with Kim Secretan--disgraced aristocrat, ex-spy, amateur book-dealer. It’s starting to feel like he’s got his life under control. 

And then a brutal murder in a gentleman’s club plunges them back into the shadow world of crime, deception, and the power of privilege. Worse, it brings them up against Kim’s noble, hostile family, and his upper-class life where Will can never belong. 

With old and new enemies against them, and secrets on every side, Will and Kim have to fight for each other harder than ever—or be torn apart for good.

The third, and apparently final, book in The Will Darling Adventures finds our heroes embroiled in a murder at a gentleman's club and dealing with Kim's less-than-welcoming elite family.  

Other Shenanigans

The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George 

No one would guess that beneath Violet Crenshaw's ladylike demeanor lies the heart of a rebel. American heiresses looking to secure English lords must be on their best behavior, but Violet has other plans. She intends to flee London and the marriage her parents have arranged to become a published author--if only the wickedly handsome earl who inspired her most outrageously sinful character didn't insist on coming with her. 

Christian Halston, Earl of Leigh, has a scheme of his own: escort the surprisingly spirited dollar princess north and use every delicious moment in close quarters to convince Violet to marry him. Christian needs an heiress to rebuild his Scottish estate but the more time he spends with Violet, the more he realizes what he really needs is her--by his side, near his heart, in his bed. 

Though Christian's burning glances offer unholy temptation, Violet has no intention of surrendering herself or her newfound freedom in a permanent deal with the devil. It's going to take more than pretty words to prove this fortune hunter's love is true....

The second book in St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series finds our heroine waiting for an opportunity to escape a marriage she's not interested in to pursue her dreams to become an author. Unfortunately her family's fortune is all too tempting for a financially strapped Earl (isn't it always?)

A Wager to Tempt the Runaway by Bronwyn Scott 

She’s a free spirit 

He’s a serious businessman 

Josefina Ricci has run away to fulfill her deathbed promise to her father to travel the world! During her stop in England, the free-spirited artist is embroiled in a wager—to paint an award-winning portrait of oyster businessman Owen Gann in exchange for room and board. Owen is her opposite in all ways, pragmatic and responsible, but as he reveals a wild, passionate side, might Josefina have found her greatest adventure…in him?

The third book in Scott's Rebellious Sisterhood series is an opposites attract romance that finds our artist heroine painting the portrait of a staid, upright businessman in order to win a wager...as one does.  

Her Royal Payne by Shana Galen 

 

He’s a pain…literally. 

Rowden Payne, known as The Royal Payne, makes his living in the high stakes world of bareknuckle boxing. The disavowed son of a duke likes the focus boxing requires. It keeps his mind off the tragedies in his past. But just as he’s poised to knock out his biggest rival, he’s mesmerized by a pair of exotic hazel eyes in the crowd. He finds himself flat on his back and short fifty pounds. 

She’s a prude with a problem. 

Modesty Brown’s father has vanished. The strict minister has never disappeared before, and Modesty is left having to rely on elders of the church for help. But when she becomes a burden to them, she has to seek out her aunt, a woman of high rank. Modesty’s only way of finding her is by asking the only man she knows of that class—Rowden Payne. Unfortunately, she’s the one responsible for the Royal Payne losing his crucial fight. 

Sometimes the hardest hit is the one to the heart. 

Rowden doesn’t want to care for anyone or anything, but if he can just help Modesty find her father, he can be rid of her. Soon the revelation of her father’s secrets and lies puts Modesty, Rowden, and their friends in danger, and if Rowden can’t admit his feelings for Modesty, he’ll lose her forever.

Galen's Survivors series keeps chugging along with this 10th (!) book. An unacknowledged duke's son turned boxer falls for a sheltered heroine looking for her missing minister father. Opposites attract uniting to solve a mystery.

The Viking Chief's Marriage Alliance by Lucy Morris 

A challenging wife

For a warrior Viking 

When Thorstein Bergson rescues a beautiful woman from a storm-tossed longship, he little expects to broker a powerful marriage alliance with her. This high-status ice queen is not the comfortable wife the warrior chief is seeking. But maybe the bittersweet pain in Gyda’s eyes hides another woman beneath? The one he tasted that first night when she’d kissed him with such pent-up longing…?

Another debut this month! Lucy Morris scored a two-book deal with Harlequin Historical after submitting this book as part of their Warriors Wanted submission blitz. 

Ruthless Heart by Beth Williamson

He led her astray, and she never wanted to go back. 

Sheltered all her life, Eliza Hunter never imagined herself alone in the vast Utah plains, much less trailing a mysterious, rugged man hired to hunt down her beautiful younger sister. Unable to reveal the truth about her pursuit of him, Eliza plays student to the teacher, transforming herself in the process. And she when she finds herself sharing the warmth of Grady’s campfire, wrapped in his arms, hypnotized by his power, soon she is a naive spinster no more… 

Grady Wolfe is more than a loner, he’s a man forever on the run, an assassin with a dark past and an even darker future. With a body and soul finely honed from living off the land, Grady knows he should leave the irresistible woman alone, but she stirs something in him he hasn’t felt before. Now he’s lost in the woods for the first time in his life—with a dangerous job to do. And no one—not even the distracting Eliza—is going to stop him.

Originally published in 2010 by Kensington Brava under her Emma Lang name, Williamson will republish the next two books in this series later this year. It's a western set in Utah (not a terribly common locale...) and it was a Brava - so expect some sexytimes!

Whew! That's a whole lot of Unusual Historicals to choose from this month. What are you looking forward to reading?

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.

Review: The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics

Historical romance is my first love in the genre, but over the years the sub genre has evolved, my tastes have changed, and I just need something "more."  What that "more" is isn't so easily defined and when I try to explain it I end up sounding like a ninny.  So I haven't really tried.  Well, after (finally) reading The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite - I think I've finally figured it out.  I'm here for feminist historical romance, a social justice warrior sort of romance pushing back on the patriarchy - but I also still want something that reads fairly true-to-live.  It was a hard life for women who openly defied male-dominated society at large.  Oh sure, women did it - but it was never easy nor did it always end happily.  That's what made Waite's debut with Avon stand out for me.  These are two very unconventional women who are more than aware of the men standing in their way, and while there's uncertainty, and even doubt at times, they forge on.  They hit road blocks, they are dismissed and belittled, but they forge on.  And the whole thing reads like a bloody historical and never once feels anachronistic or silly.  Oh, and it's a romance so I get a happy ending.

I. Want. More.

Lucy Muchelney is sitting in her small country church watching the love of her life, Priscilla, get married to a man.  Worse yet, Lucy grew up with and likes the guy.  She's devastated, heartbroken, the worst of it being that Pris felt so little regard for her and their love that Lucy found out about the engagement when the banns were read in the bloody church!  Upon return home to the house she shares with her artist brother, Lucy discovers a letter from the Countess of Moth, who is looking for someone to translate a revolutionary French astronomy text.  Having aided her dead father's work for years, Lucy knows she's the gal for the job - and heads off to London posthaste.  She figures the Countess will have a harder time saying no if Lucy is literally standing on her doorstep.

Her not-dearly departed husband no longer holding her hostage with his mercurial moods, Catherine St. Day is looking forward to a life of quiet solitude - just as soon as she can aid the Polite Science Society in getting this French text translated.  When Lucy shows up on her doorstep Catherine braces herself, seeing the same determined tilt of her chin and the gleam in her eyes that reminds her of her dead husband - a comparison that is anything but good.  But Catherine admires the girl's moxie, takes one look at her outdated country wardrobe and thinks, "sure, why not."  Having corresponded with Lucy and her father for years, Catherine thinks she's surely as capable as anyone else.  But when Catherine presents her to the Society, and Lucy is callously dismissed out of hand in an appalling manner, Catherine decides to pull her money on their project and back Lucy all on her own. 

What I loved about this book, besides the fact that it's a historical that feels like a historical while still giving the reader "unconventional" heroines, is the romance is a slow burn.  Lucy very comfortably identifies as a lesbian, but she's also aware of the society she lives and has to operate in.  She simply cannot just walk up to Catherine and say, "I think you're hot - how would you feel about a torrid love affair?"  Catherine, for her part, is a widow and took a male lover after her husband's death (which did not end well), and it's only after spending time with Lucy, getting to know her, and the slow burn chemistry begins to smolder, then ignite, that the characters land in bed together.  Waite didn't put the cart before the horse, which I cannot tell you how refreshing that was to read.

I also loved how both women are smart, logical, have dreams - but also are realists.  They are well aware the obstacles that are in their path, acknowledge them even, and then like all resourceful women that have come before and since, look for ways to maneuver around them.  This is, quite possibly, the most startlingly feminist romance I've read in a long time that didn't feel like overblown wish fulfillment.  Like, seriously - I felt like this could have happened (heck, it probably did and I just don't realize it - that's how true it all felt).

There is a lot of science talk in this book, and coming from someone who took four years of college to get past three measly science requirements (obviously not a subject I'm keen on, nor terribly good at...), none of it flew over my head or made my eyes glaze over.  My only real quibble with this book is that the pacing of the conflict ebbed and flowed.  While I appreciated the slow burn of the romance, there are portions of the story that sag a bit.  I carried on through them because I was very invested in the characters, but the second half of the story is back-loaded with most of the conflict.

But, quibbles.  It's a lovely romance, featuring lovely characters, and a great sense of time, place and history.  It's also the kind of book where I wanted a romance for darn near every secondary character - that's how much I enjoyed this world Waite has, obviously, lovingly created and brought to life.

Final Grade = B+

Top 5 Unusual Historical Best Bets for June 2019

Squeaking in under the wire, file this month’s Unusual Historicals column under “better late than never.” But while I’m running obscenely late this month, that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of intriguing options for historicals that take place outside a Regency era ballroom. Keep your one-click finger ready, it’s time to go browsing!

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text, that she knows where to go. Showing up at the Countess’ London home, she hoped to find a challenge, not a woman who takes her breath away.  

Catherine St Day looks forward to a quiet widowhood once her late husband’s scientific legacy is fulfilled. She expected to hand off the translation and wash her hands of the project—instead, she is intrigued by the young woman who turns up at her door, begging to be allowed to do the work, and she agrees to let Lucy stay. But as Catherine finds herself longing for Lucy, everything she believes about herself and her life is tested.  

While Lucy spends her days interpreting the complicated French text, she spends her nights falling in love with the alluring Catherine. But sabotage and old wounds threaten to sever the threads that bind them. Can Lucy and Catherine find the strength to stay together or are they doomed to be star-crossed lovers? 

Waite’s anticipated debut with Avon is the first in the fantastically-titled Feminist Pursuit’s series. I’ve been kicking around corners of Romancelandia for a long time and can tell you - the fact that this book exists and is being published by Avon is A. Very. Big. Deal. Insert gif of confetti throwing.

A Touch of Forever by Jo Goodman

Lily Salt has sworn off men. After finally gaining her independence, the last thing she needs is another man telling her what to do. But the handsome railroad engineer from New York isn't at all what she expected. He's kind, gentle...and tempting enough to make her wonder what a second chance at love might be worth.  

A self-acknowledged black sheep, Roen Shepard knows what it means to feel alone. Recognizing a kindred spirit in the reserved widow whose fascinating blue-green eyes have seen too much, and charmed by the warmth of her ready-made family, the two begin an unlikely friendship.  

When a complication from his past follows him to Frost Falls, Roen proposes a mad scheme to protect the new life he's built and keep close the stubborn woman he's accidentally fallen for—a marriage of convenience. But Lily has secrets of her own, and the closer he gets to uncovering them, the more he comes to realize that the only truth that matters is the secret to unlocking her heart. 

In my experience Goodman’s westerns tend to be “slow burn” romances, which means I have to be in the right headspace before tackling them (read: Wendy is behind). This is the third (and final?) book in the Cowboys of Colorado series and received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly.

A Debutante in Disguise by Eleanor Webster 

A society lady
…with a secret! 

Determined to help people, Letty Barton has a double life—she’s a trained doctor! No one must know “Dr. Hatfield” is actually a woman. Called to an emergency, she comes face-to-face with her patient’s brother, Lord Anthony Ashcroft… They’d once shared a spark-filled flirtation—now he’s a brooding, scarred war hero. But how long will it be before he recognizes her beneath her disguise and the sparks begin to fly once more? 

As a child the heroine’s love of science was indulged, but now that she’s an adult her mother expects her to be sensible and marry. Oh, Romancelandia mothers. Will they never learn? Anyway, this back cover blurb is Wendy catnip featuring an unconventional heroine with a Big Secret and wounded hero.

Game of Spies by Pamela Mingle 

Life as a lady-in-waiting for Mary Queen of Scots isn’t at all what Isabel Tait expected. But she must either tolerate the mindless partying and ceaseless backstabbing of Mary’s other ladies, or risk being sent home to a forced marriage. She’d almost rather return to her family—if not for a certain handsome gentleman who arouses a new desire in her, something she’s never before experienced. Of course, he’ll never notice her…  

Gavin Cade is on a mission. Tasked with spying on the Queen, he’s found the perfect woman to help. Sweet, shy Isabel is an easy target for his charms. Before he knows what’s happened, he is the one beguiled. With the fate of England in the balance, he must keep his plan to expose the treasonous queen a secret, or he will never seduce his sweet English rose.  

Because there’s one thing he’s learned about Isabel Tait…she’s got a backbone of steel and may never forgive him. 

Elizabethan era romances aren’t exactly thick on the ground, which is what caught my eye about Mingle’s latest from Entangled Publishing. Set during the time when Mary, Queen of Scots was basically under house arrest, it features an older (for the time period) heroine on the shelf, and a mystery subplot.

One Night of Temptation by Darcy Burke

Faced with a marriage she can’t abide, Lady Penelope Wakefield takes drastic measures to preserve her freedom. Her brilliant plan is foolproof until a sexy but imperious rector “rescues” her.  

Rector Hugh Tarleton has no patience for the Society philanthropists who seek to bestow their pity—and not much else—on his oppressed flock in one of London’s worst neighborhoods. When the daughter of a marquess is kidnapped and brought to the rookery, he vows to protect her, but the temptation to surrender to their mutual desire will certainly ruin them both. 

While browsing for historical romances Burke’s is a name I’ve seen crop up more than once, but I’ve never actually read her. This one caught my eye because the hero is a rector, and while I’ve seen vicar heroes in my day, never a rector. I’m going to cross my fingers, dive in, and hope that the potential “savior complex” pitfall doesn’t materialize. Also, for readers that must read in order, be advised this is book six in a series.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to?