Lady Scandal by Laura Lee Guhrke

Ohhhhh…this was a delightful romp through scandal and sexy times. Delia Stratham is a Countess who has been widowed three times. She is now a party planner at the Savoy, one of London’s nicest hotels. Viscount Simon Hayden shows up one day as Delia’s new boss and is revamping business practices and secretly investigating embezzlement. It’s unusual for Delia to be working because she is a rich lady. However, she does it to be social, to not live alone in a big house and to have something to occupy her time. Simon comes from a poor background and feels like an outsider with his new newly acquired title. They are both committed to their jobs and what is best for the hotel. Secrets are uncovered as the investigation progresses and even Delia has to admit that the hotel profits should be more than they are. Simon is very particular about not mixing business with pleasure. Delia doesn’t care as much because no one is paying attention to a widow. She can be as scandalous as she wants. Their attraction definitely heats up. Simon cannot resist Delia and goes against his better judgment. Will their attraction to each other be enough to sustain a relationship? I love their conversations. Their intellect is on the same level and leads to some funny quips. Delia is like a social butterfly and Simon is more straight laced and up tight (at first) He is usually pretty confident with his business decisions, but Delia has him thinking twice with his approach to some things. This is a super fun, engrossing read. A definite must for any historical romance fan. This book is out June 18, 2024. I chose to read this ARC on Netgalley.

His Scandalous Lessons by Katrina Kendrick book review

A notorious rogue and a politician’s daughter? Yes, please! Anne Sheffield acts as her father’s secretary as he wheels and deals as a member of Parliament. She has a photographic memory which allows her to blend into the background and benefits her intelligence gathering. However, her father never lets her out of his sight because of the secrets she keeps. She has decided to take control of her life and goes to Richard Grey, rogue and member of Parliament” on the opposite end of the political spectrum as her father. Trust does not come easily to either Anne or Richard, but Anne promises to turn over secrets in return for help with society and relationship “lessons” and some husband hunting. Anne is desperate and at this point, marrying any man would be better than staying at home with her abusive father. As one would expect, sparks fly between Anne and Richard as they spend time with each other and get to know each other. Richard might make some morally gray choices as a politician, but his heart is in the right place, making him a perfect match for Anne. I was not expecting the darkness of some of the secondary characters, but it definitely added to the urgency and mystery of the story and why Anne had to get out of the situation she was in. I love seeing strong and smart women in historical romances. The physical relationship was a bit of a slow burn, but when it got there…holy HOT! This was a good read. I read it late into the night because I just had to see how it ended. A great weekend read!

Her Adventures in Temptation by Megan Frampton book review

I’m a big fan of Megan Frampton books. I read the first book in this series, somehow missed the second one and jumped right into the third. I love this series as the main female characters are super smart in nontraditional subjects. In this story, Myrtle is a brilliant mathematician who wants to start her own business helping other women invest and manage finances. Myrtle herself was very wealthy, but her brother managed her money. As the story started, Myrtle had been proposed to 32 times and rejected them all. Her brother, Viscount Leybourne was very aggravated by her actions and just did not understand her perspective. Simeon Jones is an artist with the reputation of a rake. In reality Simeon had a soft heart and tried to help when he could. Unfortunately, he was poor enough that he kept it a secret from his closest friends. In the opening scenes, he took a commission to paint someone and through various twists and turns, turned into complete mayhem. Myrtle talks Simeon into a business proposition which includes paying him to get her to London as fast as possible. To make this happen, they have to fake a marriage so they can travel together. Their banter throughout these negotiations is smart and funny. This is a bit of a slow burn romance, but super sexy and I found myself rooting for them the whole time. I thought that with their different interests they would not have much in common, but opposites definitely do attract in this story. Simeon took a risk by traveling with a lady and she took a risk by being with an illegitimate artist. Myrtle is a bit awkward in society and Simeon is as smooth as they come. This story is sexy, witty, fun, intelligent and an overall great read. It’s hard to put down once you start reading. It’s also hard not to get sucked in by the gorgeous violet themed cover. *fans self*

Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard

This book was full of twists for me. First, I did not know it was part of the series and I have not read the other ones. It definitely reads as a stand alone. I’m also not usually a fan of the high seas and pirates, but the cover sucked me in. I do love all things Victorian (which is why the cover spoke to me) and I like how that all came together in the book in terms of being away from England. I thought Lady Lisbeth was totally kick ass. I mean, there are not a lot of stories with the female main character getting into sword fights. Raphael Saint is a great name for a sexy captain. He is also a French Duke. There is some forced proximity going on in this book. The sexual tension is off the charts and Raphael falls first. He has to work on the wooing. Their conversations are funny and witty. Trust becomes a part of the equation (which makes it super swoony). Some of the secondary characters really stand out. One of them being Narina, who is an orphan, growing up around sailors/smugglers. Her vocabulary is laugh out loud. It would not be great in real life, but it’s fun in a fiction story. There are elements of biracial characters and a few light sexual kinks brought up in this story. I appreciate that it is not preachy, but nicely woven into the story. I think the author did a lot of research about the setting and how smuggling worked during that time so it gives the reader a more authentic feel for what the Caribbean might have been like during that time period. The end is exciting and twisty. I really liked the book and highly recommend it. Especially if you are looking for a historical romance that is slightly different. This would make for a perfect Spring Break read!

In Want of a Viscount by Lorraine Heath book review

Oh…yum…was this ever a good book!!! This is the third (and last) book in this series. I am always a fan of reading them in order, but this could be read as a stand alone. Leonora Garrison has traveled to England with her brother and mother to find investors for their company and an invention that Leonora is particularly fond of. In reality, her mother is more interested in finding her daughter a husband and her brother could not manage the business without her. Viscount Wyeth (our sexy book boyfriend in this book), or Rook, is always interested in a good investment and is willing to listen to the two Americans. Rook tries to walk the straight and narrow path because he is driven to be the opposite of this father. As the story moves forward, the author keeps giving us insight of what a horrible person the previous Viscount was. Rook still cleans up the mess his father left, especially with the many illegitimate children he has spread out throughout London. 

However, Rook finds that the walls he has put up around his feelings and emotions are not there when he is around Leonora. They just “happen” to meet in a pleasure club for women. A super sexy, steamy kiss happens almost at the very beginning of the story – teasing the reader for more explicit scenes that will follow ;) They truly have the best kind of chemistry between them. Lorraine Heath is just really good at matching the perfect couple and writing swoony scenes. Leonora’s difficulties with a relationship is that she is an American and she is trying to run and rescue her father’s business. She is not given the credit she is due for being a successful business woman and Rook is the one who realizes just how astute she is, as both an inventor and a business woman. The banter between them is fun to read. There is just enough action and anticipation in this story to keep you reading until you are finished. This book came out Feb 20, 2024 - so it is still a month new and and worth putting in your TBR right now!

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise book review

This is the first book Secret Society of Governess Spies series. I mean, that is quite the hook right there! Emily Leverton is the female main character and she has just started a new job as a governess, with a bit of spying on the side. She is worried about the governess part of the job because she does not have the best education herself and she has to wing things a bit. She is bold one evening and blows a kiss towards Zachariah Denholm, a ex-solider turned railroad magnate. To be fair, Emily did not know who he was, just that he was handsome (how fun is that?). Turns out that Emily caught Zach’s eye and he tracked her down. The conversation between them is just really funny and I caught myself laughing out loud a few times. Later, Emily finds herself in a dangerous situation and it just happens that Zach is there. As a part time investigator, he turns up a lot. 

The flirting between them is just delightful and the chemistry is scorching. Oh man! It was sooooo hot. As the story goes on we start to find out that Emily has a bit of trauma in her life and Zach is working really hard to get past her defenses. They write letters to each other that are a hoot to read. As a mystery begins to unfold, Emily and Zach work together because of mutual interests. Of course, their feelings start to develop and as they find themselves alone together and the physical attraction is explored. ;) This is a funny, well written book that was just a lot of fun to read. It was one of those that sucked me in and I could not stop until I was finished. I love how these two characters are not born into the ton, but they make their way into society because of their cleverness and their business smarts. The cover art is beautiful. I love when ballgowns are incorporated into the cover. This book came out in January and it is totally worth buying yourself a copy. It is a delight to read!

Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert book review

WoooooWeeee!!! If you have been keeping up with this series, you know what you are in for in terms of spice and steamy scenes. This book is the 6th installment in the Dark Olympus series and is the story of the threesome: Eurydice, Charon and Orpheus. The story moves a bit closer to figuring out who might be trying to destroy Olympus on the political and military front. Hades is forced to take action for the inhabitants of the Lower City. Eurydice and Orpheus had broken up because he was a terrible boyfriend and he almost killed Eurydice because of his reckless choices. She sought refuge in the Lower City and Charon has been her bodyguard (and secretly falling in love with her). Eurydice has been falling for Charon and she makes him a proposal. However, Charon knows her well enough that he can see that she still has feelings for Orpheus. Charon goes to see Orpheus and they work out an arrangement. Eventually, they all find themselves in a threesome, navigating the nuances of a poly relationship and off the charts sex. I did like that they are stronger together. They are all working to uncover the threat to Olympus. Lots of previous characters are woven into this story. Most notably Persephone and Hades. I love this modern retelling of Greek Mythology. If you are into this series, you will get through this book quick. It’s hard to put down once you get started. This book will be out January 16, 2024. Mark your calendars! Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks for the Advance Reader Copy.