I disliked this book. Let me revise that: I liked the heroine but found the hero, the story and the writing objectionable. The story starts with our hero – let’s call him Douche Canoe – cut off from funds by his asshole older brother and about to leave society to become a Bow Street runner. He is scheming to get his fiancé, Jane, to jilt him because he assumes that she will not be able … Continue reading If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries →
Awhile ago, Sarah interviewed Eva Leigh on a podcast, and Leigh said she was working on a book that involved a vicar hero and a heroine who wrote erotic novels. When I heard that I was like “OMG I need this thing in my hands right now!” Well, Temptations of a Wallflower is out now and it’s just as good as I’d hoped. It’s a very meta story–a romance novel about the importance of romance … Continue reading Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh →
This is the final book in Caroline Linden’s Scandalous series (vaguely inspired by the existence of 50 Shades and what makes a cultural zeitgeist, as discussed in the podcast she did with Sarah several months ago). It wraps up the story of the last Weston sibling, the plot that’s been working through the entire series, and the mystery of who’s been writing the Lady Charlotte erotica that’s everyone has been reading. Olivia Herbert and James Weston grew up … Continue reading Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden →
Rag and Bone is a mix of Regency, fantasy, and mystery, and while some parts were stronger than others, the two heroes and the rapidly developing plot kept me reading for hours longer than I intended. Crispin is a struggling magician whose prior tutor/master turned out to be evil, and he has a clandestine but passionate relationship with Ned, who is a waste paper dealer. Ned, who is the gentleman of color on the cover, lives … Continue reading Rag and Bone by KJ Charles →
This was a HABO from like, two years ago, and a book on sale earlier this month, and someone described this book as a “historical romance Weekend at Bernie‘s” and that was like putting a plate of cookies under a box held up by a stick and the box was labeled “RHG Trap” and how could I not? This is RIDONKADONK. Christiana is married to Dicky, Earl of Radnor, and it is not a good … Continue reading The Countess by Lynsay Sands →
Fans of the Pennyroyal Green series have been waiting a long time for The Legend of Lyon Redmond. For those unfamiliar with the series, the Redmonds and the Everseas are the two most powerful, prestigious families of Pennyroyal Green. They are also at odds with each other, like Regency Capulet and Montagues. So OF COURSE an Eversea falls in loves with a Redmond. It’s destiny. This is book eleven in the series and up until … Continue reading The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long →
The Curse of Lord Stanstead by Mia Marlowe is a delightful blend of romance and paranormal. It’s like a Regency X-Men with hints of Hellboy and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I know a lot of you just sat up real straight: catnip alert ahoy! This is the first book in the MUSE series, MUSE standing for Metaphysical Union of Sensory Extraordinaires. Sticking with my earlier analogy, the Professor X of this group would be the … Continue reading The Curse of Lord Stanstead by Mia Marlowe →
Oftentimes the romance novel ends when the special license is procured and the vows are said, and the happily ever after is assured. This one begins when the very traditional courtship is over and the vows are said and the heroine goes, “Thank fucking god now I can be myself” and the hero goes “Wait what.” Nathaniel Gresham is a Viscount and the heir to a duke, and he has five rambunctious younger brothers. “And … Continue reading Heir to the Duke by Jane Ashford →
It took me awhile to really get into The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston. I’m not sure if that was totally the fault of the book or the fact that my brain is exhausted from my day job and I’m slowly crawling out of a reading slump. The book is brimming with awesome feminism and a beta-hero I loved, but it felt a little like the beginning dragged. Miss Lucy Westmore is a … Continue reading The Spinster’s Guide to Scandalous Behavior by Jennifer McQuiston →
It took me two tries to get into The Earl Takes a Bride by Amelia Grey which I suppose says something. It was one of those books that I enjoyed, but wasn’t particularly memorable either. Miss Angelina Rule finds out that her father is deeply in debt and in order for him to avoid prison, she needs to marry Harrison, the new Earl of Thornwick. Problem is, Angelina might have feelings for Captain Maxwell, a solider … Continue reading The Earl Claims a Bride by Amelia Grey →
Bound with Passion is part of Megan Mulry’s erotic Regency Reimagined series, and it’s a good read for someone looking for more spice in their historical. Lady Georgiana Cambury is used to doing whatever she damn well pleases. She dresses like a man, rides like a hellion, and enjoys love affairs unconstrained by society’s mores. When the book opens, she’s returning to Derbyshire from North Africa with two beautiful horses in tow. Georgie relishes her freedom … Continue reading Bound with Passion by Megan Mulry →
