Category: Historical Fiction

Title: The Rebel and the Rake (League of Scoundrels #2)
Author: Emily Sullivan
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: December 28, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

He holds her fate in his hands—she holds his heart in hers.

Rafe Davies might seem like just another charismatic rake, but in reality, he is one of the crown’s most valuable agents. As relentless as he is reckless, Rafe has never come upon a mission he couldn’t complete. But when he encounters the intriguing-yet-prickly lady’s companion Miss Sylvia Sparrow while on assignment at a Scottish house party, he finds himself thoroughly distracted by the secretive beauty.

Though most women would be thrilled to catch the eye of a tall, dark, and dangerously handsome man, Sylvia is through with that sort of adventure. She trusted the wrong man once and paid for it dearly. The fiery bluestocking is resolved to avoid Rafe, until a chance encounter between them reveals the normally irreverent man’s unexpected depths—and an attraction that’s impossible to ignore. But when Sylvia begins to suspect she isn’t the only one harboring a few secrets, she realizes that Rafe may pose a risk to far more than her heart . . .

Review:

1897: Rafe Davies is a secret agent for the crown. When he’s invited to a Scottish house party, he is asked by the host to find out who is stealing his secrets. Sylvia Sparrow is working as a lady’s companion at the same party. As soon as she arrived at the house, she received a letter blackmailing her to steal an envelope from the host, or her dark past would be revealed. Rafe and Sylvia are drawn to each other, despite working against one another in their secret tasks. 

This historical romance had a suspenseful subplot in the spy work that Rafe and Sylvia had to do. Sylvia had to steal an important document from their host in order to hide her past. Rafe was snooping through everyone’s belongings to find out who had stolen the envelope. Though Sylvia was the one who he was looking for, he never suspected her because she was a woman. Their investigations came to a dramatic end. I enjoyed this suspenseful subplot that isn’t in many historical romances. 

I correctly guessed what characters will be featured in the next novel, The Hellion and the Hero, which will be published on August 23! I’m so excited to read it!

Thank you Forever for sending me a copy of this book.

What to read next:

Other books in the series:

• A Rogue to Remember (League of Scoundrels #1)
• The Hellion and the Hero (League of Scoundrels #3)

Have you read The Rebel and the Rake? What did you think of it?

Title: Always Be My Duchess (Taming of the Dukes #1)
Author: Amalie Howard
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Forever
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lord Lysander Blackstone, the stern Duke of Montcroix, has only one interest: increasing his considerable fortune. After a series of betrayals, he keeps his emotions buried deep. Money, after all, can’t break a man’s heart—or make promises it can’t keep. But when his reputation for being heartless jeopardizes a new business deal, he finds himself seeking a most unusual—and alluring—solution… 

Once an up-and-coming ballerina, Miss Geneviève Valery is now hopelessly out of work. After refusing to become a wealthy patron’s mistress, Nève was promptly shown the door to the streets. When she accidentally saves the life of a handsome duke, she doubts the encounter will go any better than her last brush with nobility. But instead of propositioning her, Montcroix makes Nève an offer she would be a fool to refuse: act as his fake fiancée in exchange for fortune enough to start over.

Only neither is prepared when very real feelings begin to grow between them. They both stand to win… but only if they’re willing to risk their hearts.

Review:

Lord Lysander Blackstone, the Duke of Montcroix, wants to grow his fortune. He has invested in railroads, and needs a particular piece of land to continue expanding it. To convince the owner to sell it, Lysander must show that he will use the land to start a family, but he doesn’t have a wife. Geneviève Valery was a ballerina in France, but when she refused to be a patron’s mistress, she was kicked out of the show. After a chance encounter, Nève acts as the Duke’s date for a night. However, he realizes that he could use her help by pretending to be his fiancé so he can finally buy the land. Lysander offers her a fortune to act as his fiancé, and she accepts so she can start over with her dance career once the job is finished. Things get complicated when they develop real feelings for each other, though neither is willing to commit to a relationship. 

Fake dating, or fake relationship, is one of my favourite tropes. When the couple starts acting like they’re in a relationship in front of other people, it’s easy for real feelings to develop. It’s always fun to see how these relationships that start out as just a ploy for society can blossom into true love. 

I found this Victorian society to be quite accepting, more than it usually is in a historical romance novel. Nève stayed with Lysander at his home, and no one criticized that decision. This seemed more modern than a typical Victorian story, which was refreshing because it can often seem like a restricting society. 

Always Be My Duchess is a fun Victorian romance!

Thank you Forever for sending me a copy of this book!

What to read next:

Have you read Always Be My Duchess? What did you think of it?

Title: To Kiss a Wallflower
Author: Jen Geigle Johnson, Heather B. Moore, Anneka R. Walker
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Mirror Press
Source: Austen Prose
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 21, 2022
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

THE WALLFLOWER’S DANCE by Jen Geigle Johnson
Lottie Hughes likes people, as long as they aren’t too close. Does it bother her that no one asks her to dance? Yes, but she’s not sure how to drum up dance partners when she has almost no dowry, no title, and freezes up when anyone tries to talk to her. When she suddenly inherits a huge amount and is the new center of attention all over London, her secret dreams might come true but also her worst nightmares. Suddenly everyone wants to talk to her. Men ask her to dance. And she is inundated with interested suitors. She fights to stay close to the few friends she knows are true. One man saw her before her life changed forever. But does she want to accept his help when he, too, might be insincere?

LETTERS TO A WALLFLOWER by Heather B. Moore
Ellen might be beautiful and considered a diamond of the first water by Society, but she is so very tired of the pressure to marry a titled gentleman so that her beauty won’t go to waste. When her cousin Dinah dares Ellen to attend a ball with no frills and to stand with the wallflowers, Ellen takes on the dare. What’s in the wager for her? The prize cuttings of her aunt’s extraordinary roses. But what Ellen isn’t expecting is Lord Ravenshire to engage her in the most interesting conversation. When she confesses to him of her opposition in marrying for a title, he confesses his distaste of the London scene. They strike a bargain together, one which will either push them apart or lead to a future sweeter than either of them could have imagined.

TO MARRY A WALLFLOWER by Anneka R. Walker
Charlotte Winters is destined to spinsterhood until she turns down an unwanted proposal and everything changes. With gossip rampant, her father attempts to salvage her reputation by betrothing her to another. Soon she is sent off to her aunt’s to meet Lord Templeton, her intended. Anxiety-ridden, Charlotte begs her aunt to let her observe Lord Templeton from afar before their introduction. She never planned to pretend to be her fictional cousin to learn more about him, or to fall in love with Lord Templeton’s friend in the process. Lord Templeton dreads returning to the empty halls of Newcliff Manor. When his father’s old friend, Mr. Winters reaches out for assistance, Lord Templeton finds himself returning home engaged to a woman he has never met. Desperate to learn more about Miss Winters, he befriends her cousin. He wouldn’t have spoken to her, or lied about his identity, if he’d known the quiet woman would sneak into his heart.

Review:

To Kiss a Wallflower is a collection of three Regency romance short stories:

The Wallflower’s Dance: Lottie has always been a wallflower at dances, but when she suddenly inherits a fortune, all of the eligible suitors want to dance with her. She enlists the help of her best friend, Denny, to figure out who is genuine, but Denny be the man who can sincerely love her. 

Letters to a Wallflower: Ellen’s been called the “diamond of the season,” but when her cousin bets her that she can’t attend a dance as a wallflower, Ellen takes up the challenge. Lord Ravenshire is looking for a ticket out of London and the season, so he stages a fake courtship with Ellen to get them both out of their seasonal duties, but they may find the love they didn’t know they were searching for. 

To Marry a Wallflower: When Charlotte’s father suddenly arranges a marriage between her and Lord Templeton, she wants to get to know him before they officially meet. Charlotte poses as her cousin, and Lord Templeton poses as his friend, so they can secretly get to know each other, but they end up falling in love along the way. 

This was a nice collection of stories about wallflowers. Each story explored a different romance trope: friends to lovers, fake dating, and miscommunication. The main issue I had with these stories is that they were so similar that they blended together. They had similar premises, with the heroine acting as a wallflower but ending up with their love interest in the end, so it’s not surprising they were so much alike. The stories also ended abruptly, like they could have been full length novels, but they were rushed at the end. 

This is a good collection for fans of Regency wallflower stories. 

Thank you Mirror Press and Austen Prose for providing a digital copy of this book.

What to read next:

Have you read To Kiss a Wallflower? What did you think of it?