The Misadventures Of Super Librarian

Library Loot Review: The Harvey Girl

2026-04-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

Never let it be said that blog reviews can't still get eyeballs in front of books. I first heard about The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow thanks to a review over at Books of My Heart. You don't read mysteries for long as I have, nor been a librarian for as long as I have, and not know who Dana Stabenow is. That said, I don't think I've ever read her before (I know, slightly surprising). But I'm only human and frankly I can't be expected to resist a historical mystery novel about a female Pinkerton agent who goes undercover as a Harvey Girl. That was enough for me and I secured myself an audiobook copy leveraging one of my library cards.

It's 1890 and Fred Harvey has a newer Harvey House located in the burgeoning city of Montaña Roja in New Mexico Territory. It's proving to be just as successful as his other Houses, just one small fly in the ointment - someone keeps robbing the trains carrying his supplies. There's been several robberies, always occurring during a full moon, occurring at such track junctures where the robbers can have an engine waiting to conveniently hook up the cars and ride away. Besides losing a fair bit of money, the train's conductor was murdered during the last robbery, so Harvey heads to Chicago to retain the services of the Pinkerton Agency.

He gets Clare Wright, coming off a successful assignment. Clare will go undercover in Montaña Roja as Fred's latest Harvey Girl and start snooping around. What she didn't plan on? The amount of backbreaking work required of her to maintain her cover, that the local law is more than useless (and drunk half the time) and that a fresh dead body is going to turn up to complicate matters.

This is a story that runs on the shorter side, clocking in around 270 pages and just 7 hours on audiobook. Nothing wrong with that, it works at this length, but there are a ton of characters. The print version features a printed cast of characters and there are 26 of them. It did take a little while to find my sea legs and keep track of who was who and what was what - but I got there.

This is one of those books where real historical figures and events are featured in the story. Historical events in fiction usually work for me, but historical figures? It depends. Mightily. Here it's a mixed bag. Fred Harvey is necessary to the story given the plot. As are William and Robert Pinkerton, now running the agency after their father's passing. There's also Bat Masterton, a charming, interesting addition who is marginally needed for the proceedings. But Mark Twain? Totally unnecessary. Like why is he even in this book if only to add historical flavor where it's not really needed. Because by this point Stabenow has totally nailed the world-building. It's honestly the best part about this book. I never used to be a reader who would harp on things like world-building and craft but the older I get, the more I appreciate it - and Stabenow really immerses the reader in this world. Mark Twain may feel like filler, but so many other historical figures and tidbits do not.

What doesn't feel like filler? The historical events that play a role in this story. Robber Barons doing their scummy Robber Baron things. US relations with Mexico. All the talk about the McKinley Tariff. I also appreciated that the author didn't whitewash the business of the Pinkerton Agency. Fun fact: they went where the money was, and if that money wanted them to break strikes and bust unions? Guess what happened.

The story moves along at a good clip and Clare is an agreeable and amiable sleuth. That said, this is not a neat and tidy ending. The mystery is solved - sort of. Clare has discovered what's going on, she just can't prove it. Will this carry over into a future book featuring Clare or will she move on to her next assignment? Time will tell, because all indications as of right now say this is the first book in a new series.

Final Grade = B

Review: We Are Watching

2026-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

I believe that Alison Gaylin is one of the very best suspense writers working today, but it still took me a year to finally read We Are Watching (actually, longer than that - I had an ARC). Why? Because I knew this book was likely to be intense and it took me that long to pull up my big girl panties and just start it already. Is this my favorite of Gaylin's work so far? No. Was I still white-knuckling my way to the end? Yes.

Meg Russo and her husband, Justin, run a bookstore in a tiny upstate New York town and are driving their only daughter, Lily, to Ithaca College. She's an accomplished bass player and is attending on a music scholarship. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a car of skinheads pulls up along side them, their phones hanging out the window filming them. In the chaos of trying to get away from them there's an accident, Lily is OK, Meg's arm sustains some permanent damage, but Justin? Justin is dead.

Fast forward several months and Lily is taking a "gap year" and dodging therapy. For that matter, so is Meg - but she is finally reopening the bookstore, although the shadow of Justin is everywhere. Not only that, bizarre things start happening. Out-of-town customers making weird accusations, vandalism, strangers starring at the store, holding out their phones and filming them. As the incidents increase and become more disturbing, Meg and Lily soon stumble across the truth - there's a group of paranoid conspiracy theorists targeting them. Meg's father, a former musician in a moderately successful rock band in the 1970s, was accused of being a Satanist. And Meg, having won a writing contest as a teenager, published a long out of print book titled The Prophesy, that these people think foretold climate change, COVID, and ultimately the end of the world on 12/12/2022. And with 12/12/2022 fast approaching, Meg and Lily begin to suspect that the car accident that killed Justin was no accident at all...

This one takes a while to get going, and it's an instance where I lay much of that blame at the feet of the publisher. Whoever wrote the back cover copy for this book didn't do the author any favors. The first 40% of the book is basically what is set up on the back cover copy - meaning I spent the first 40% going "yeah, yeah, this is all on the back cover - let's move it along." What the reader is waiting for here is the second half, which is when things really start to cook. It's when the conspiracy theorists get much more brazen and we get into life or death stuff. Because these people believe that the only way to save the world from ending on 12/12/2022? Is for Meg and her father to "repent." And repent in this case basically means death. This family has to die in order for the world to survive.

Once we're past the set-up this one basically turns into a white-knuckled paranoia-inducing fever dream. Meg has always felt safe in her small town, the town where she built a life with her family, but it soon becomes evident that some people she thought she could trust? Yeah, she can't trust them. Because this group has members everywhere, even in Meg's own back yard.

I'll be honest, I knew where this one was going before it got there - which just goes to show that either I have serious trust issues or I've read too many suspense novels (probably both). But despite that? I still could not tear myself away. Gaylin can write tension and she slathers it on with a trowel here.

I've been a public librarian for more years than I care to admit and when working a public service desk I used to joke that there wasn't a conspiracy theory I hadn't heard before. But the reality is we live in a world where everything can and is manipulated. That seemingly sane people fall down these rabbit holes and believe the most bizarre nonsense - which is what makes this book so terrifying. It's also a suspense novel that ends on a question - which I normally loathe with every fiber of my being, but Gaylin is getting a pass from me on this one. Why? I mean, how else can you end a book about a group of conspiracy theorists targeting innocent people?

Not my favorite by Gaylin thus far, but well worth the time and a genre book that would make a dynamite book club pick.

Final Grade = B

Hope Springs Eternal: Unusual Historicals for March 2026

2026-03-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I realize I say this every month, but March is coming on strong with the historical romance offerings. I also realize that even though I purport to be a champion of historical romance, I haven't been reading much of it lately. To be fair, I haven't been reading much of anything lately - so there you go. But I'm determined to get myself back on track, and just like the offerings this month, hope does spring eternal. Now, let's get on to writing our shopping lists....

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman who has lost her fortune must be in need (not want) of a husband. Beautiful, cunning Verbena Montrose must marry to save herself and her odious family from abject poverty. Fortunately, what she lacks in a dowry, she makes up for in the currency of gossip.
When she hears an alarming rumor about her very dear, very queer friend Étienne that could ruin him, she comes to his aid with a proposal—for a marriage of convenience, that is. But when Verbena discovers that a mysterious and celebrated poet by the name of Flora Witcombe has been publishing verses that hint she is onto their scheme, Verbena has no choice but to pretend to be a poet herself to confront her in a local salon. And—unexpectedly—be charmed by her.
Flora, in turn, is terrified by and smitten with Verbena in equal measure. But she holds a secret of her own: he is also William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and fifth son of a minor noble family. And if circumstances don’t allow Flora to woo Verbena, perhaps William can. Faced with two suitors and a fiancé, Verbena, who has always had to be clever to survive in society, starts to realize she may need to think outside of society’s constraints to find true happiness.

Y'all this book sounds like a straight up comedy of errors mixed with a healthy dose of farce. She needs to marry to save her family from poverty and proposes a lavender marriage of convenience - only to fall for a female poet who is transgender - and she in turn is captivated by our heroine and knows she cannot woo her as a woman, but maybe she can as a man. Oh, and for good measure? Toss in Lord Byron. The Smut Report has a review for this one up already and apparently there is much pining to be had 😍

A Scoundrel for the Suffragist by Melissa Oliver

Can a rebel with a cause…

Love a rogue without a care?

As an ardent campaigner for women’s rights, Cecily Duddlecott is accustomed to exasperating men. But gaming-hell proprietor Dominic Marsden beats them all! Wherever she goes, he’s there—smirking. Most infuriating of all? Their friction makes sparks fly…

Then Dominic reveals why he’s tailing her: He suspects her latest suitor of conducting criminal activity in his club. Cecy joins his cause, and the attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore! As do Dominic’s hidden depths… Cecy determined long ago she’d never again risk her heart. So why is she tempted to stake it all on a scoundrel?

She's a champion for women's rights and he's a roguish, disreputable owner of a gaming hell. Seriously, how quickly can this get into my eyeballs?

Never Spar with a Viscount by Lindsay Lovise

The rules are simple: fake a relationship and solve a mystery. That should be easy ... right?

Ivy Bennett has escaped the marriage mart once already—by becoming a governess to the new Lord Brackley’s unruly little sisters. Spending her days in the schoolroom and her nights running a secret self-defense class for women, she has absolutely no interest in a husband. So when Ivy is handed a secret assignment by the spymaster known as the Dove, she sees an opportunity: fake a courtship with the enigmatic Owen Brackley to avoid her conniving father’s attempts to marry her off, complete the mission, and finally secure her freedom. Simple. Until it’s not.

Women across London are succumbing to a strange madness, and they all share a connection to Brackley—the same man who looks at Ivy like he sees right through her and is none too bothered by her lack of ladylike charm. As Ivy gathers gossip like breadcrumbs and dodges increasingly dangerous attempts on Brackley’s life, she realizes two things: someone wants the viscount gone, and the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to tell what’s real and what’s just part of the game.

She's a governess and self-defense teacher with zero interest in marriage who falls into a fake courtship to solve a mystery and thwart her father's plans to marry her off. Our hero is the other half of the fake courtship and at the center of said mystery - oh it sure seems like someone wants him dead.

The Warrior's Rescued Bride by Denise Lynn

The warrior’s mission:

rescue his first love!

The King can order Edan of Roul to rescue Lady Amice but, years after she jilted him on their wedding eve, Edan doesn’t have to like it. Though he embarks on the dangerous journey to bring the stubborn beauty to safety, Edan must resist the undying pull between them…

When her loved ones were threatened, Amice fled her betrothal to protect Edan. Now reunited, she still sees pain, anger—and desire—burning in his eyes. Telling him the truth will only stoke the fire that once consumed them… And with battle approaching, can they risk everything to make the vows they always intended?

She jilted him on the eve before their wedding and now he's tasked by the King (no less!) to rescue her. Awkward! This medieval is set in 12th century England.

The Irish Midwife at War by Seána Tinley

1939. Kathleen Gallagher is training to be a handywoman - an illegal midwife in West Belfast - when war is declared. As soon as a call goes out for volunteers to join the home front, she jumps at the chance to aid the ambulance service. She won't let her community down when they need her the most.
When Liam Flynn, the older brother of her best friend - and her very first kiss - also volunteers, the two of them are suddenly thrown together once more. Kathleen still dreams of the bells ringing in the New Year and the snow falling as their lips brushed, all those years ago. But she has a secret. And it's one that means they can never be together . . .
But with the Belfast Blitz raining chaos and destruction, and the volunteers pushed to their limits, the pair can't help but grow closer, the secrets of their past starting to feel insignificant against the backdrop of war.

This is the second book in Tinley's Irish Midwives trilogy that straddles that line between historical saga and historical romance. A heroine training to be a midwife (illegally I might add) at the start of World War II volunteers for the ambulance service and is thrown together with her BFF's brother, who just so happened to be her very first kiss. Then comes the Belfast Blitz....

The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle

Dominic Prince is passionate, tenacious, and determined to carve out a legendary name for himself—just like his famous treasure-hunting father. When an American tycoon funds his expedition to uncover a Viking hoard in Norfolk and ship it across the Atlantic, Dominic sees his chance to claim glory. If he can unearth a treasure trove so magnificent it lands him on the front pages of newspapers in both England and America, his success will finally be undeniable.

Tess Hawthorne doesn’t quite know what to make of the entirely too handsome scoundrel who shows up in her village seeking the very treasure she's been hoping to find all her life. When he asks to employ her knowledge and familiarity with the locals to assist on the dig, she accepts.

But she doesn't want whatever treasure they find to leave England, and she certainly doesn't want to lose her heart to the man determined to claim it…

The hero in Carlyle's second book in the Princes of London series is hired by a wealthy American to uncover a Viking hoard in Norwalk and he sees his own chance at fame and fortune. Our heroine is a local Norfolk girl who has dreamed of finding that rumored hoard her whole life and now here's this scoundrel purposing she assist with the dig and smooth things over with the locals. She agrees, if only to try to find a way to make sure the treasure never leaves England.

The Duchess Pursues Her Pleasure by Kirsten S. Blacketer

Cassandra Sterling, Dowager Duchess of Tolland, despised her husband. When he died, she mourned her wasted youth and not the man who abused her. With her son now the new duke, she emerges from mourning and joins the ranks of the Mayfair Widows, who encourage her to embrace her newfound freedoms.

Reuben Evans desires a woman he cannot possess. After serving as the Duke of Tolland’s valet, he sets his sights on seduction, intent on showing the dowager duchess the true meaning of passion. However, the differences in their ages and social status may be too vast to overcome. Still, he remains in her loyal service as her new butler.

When the late duke’s indiscretions come to light, the duchess and the former valet will have to face the demons of their own pasts in order to forge their future. When Cassandra and Reuben surrender to the simmering desire pulling them together, a lifetime of secrets bubble to the surface—including murder. Can their love survive such a scandal?

She's a very happy widow not mourning the death of her abusive husband. He's her despicable dead husband's former valet who has pined after her for years. This needs to get in my eyeballs like yesterday. I am utter trash for cross-class romances - and for a nice change of pace, our heroine is the one with all the social standing and power.

My Fair Scot by Sara Bennett

Callum MacKenzie, the Marquess of Morven, is sent south to London by his father, the Duke of Bonnyrigg, to find the sort of wife who will bring the family the respectability it needs to rise in the world. After a disastrous start, and with invitations drying up, his aunt decides Callum needs a tutor in social etiquette, rules, and manners. And the best tutor in London is Penelope Armstrong.

Penelope is not just any tutor. She is a fallen woman with a murky past who is trying to reinvent herself. Turning Callum from a Scottish barbarian to a charming gentleman might be her biggest challenge yet.

As soon as Penelope and Callum set eyes on each other, sparks fly. Can Penelope tutor the highlander to appeal to London ladies without falling in love with him herself? And can Callum do his father’s bidding and find a suitable wife, when he knows he would rather marry his teacher?

You know why author's keeping writing Pygmalion romances? Because readers love them. He needs to find a wife but is making a disaster out of his poor attempts. She's a fallen woman (!!) trying to reinvent herself, and turning this "Scottish barbarian" into a charming gentleman is just the sort of feather she needs in her cap. Then these two silly kids fall for each other and it gets complicated (as it does).

Oath of Blood by Sophia Nye

Broccan, a notorious grump, finally crosses the line when he insults a beloved friend of the Fianna. Though he’s the first to admit it wasn’t his finest hour, the punishment his companions force upon him does not—in Broccan’s estimation—fit the crime. As penance for his beastly behavior, Broccan is assigned to guard the incorrigible woman and help her run the inn—or lose his place among the Fianna.

Emer’s life isn’t always easy, but she has no trouble making the best of it—until she crosses paths with Broccan. Angry, loud, and rude to boot, he’s the first person to break through her sunny personality and make her lose her temper. The only reason Emer agrees to put up with the brute is because of the guilt she feels over their first meeting.

Forced to run the inn together, this beauty has no choice but to try to tame the beast.

This is the sixth book in the Warriors of Fianna series, and features a Beauty and the Beast, grumpy/sunshine thang going on. He's uncouth and insults a friend of the group. Said friend is the heroine, a cheerful innkeeper who finally snaps when said hero is uncouth. To make up for his behavior, the group assigns him to stay behind, guard the heroine and help her run the inn. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Merciful Conquest by Violetta Rand

Noelle Sinclair has always fought for what she believes in. But when her treacherous brother bargains her away to save himself from a ruthless Viking raid, she is forced into the unthinkable—becoming the unwilling captive of Jarl Randvior Sigurdsson.

Cold, powerful, and dangerously compelling, Randvior is nothing like the savage brute she expected. As he takes her across the wild, unforgiving landscapes of Norway, Noelle vows to resist him at every turn and find a way back home.

Yet the longer she remains at his side, the harder it becomes to deny the truth. Beneath his commanding presence lies a fierce honor—and a passion that awakens desires she cannot control.

Torn between loyalty to the life she lost and the powerful pull of the man who claimed her, Noelle must decide: will she risk everything to escape… or surrender to the Viking who is steadily conquering her heart?

A heroine who is shuttled off to marry a Viking Jarl by her brother looking to save his own neck. Romancelandia brothers are the worst, AMIRITE?! This sounds like we have a bit of old school captive romance tossed into the mix but Norway! Vikings! Always worth a shot.

A Knight on Duchess Square by Meara Platt

Love has never been a consideration for hardened and cynical Gideon Knight until he meets his lovely neighbor, Lady Berry Thane, a woman completely out of his reach. Gideon grew up in an orphanage, never knowing who he was or where he came from, while the lovely Lady Berry has a lineage to rival the kings of England. Clearly, they are never meant to be together. But that is not going to stop him from showing the ton he is as good as any of them, for he has worked his way up from nothing to now owning the most profitable gambling clubs across London. Purchasing the elegant townhouse next door to Berry’s on Duchess Square in the heart of elite Mayfair is his way of thumbing his nose at all those titled lords and ladies who consider him worthless and dismiss his success. Yet Lady Berry is different. She accepts him and cheers him on. All the barriers he has erected around his heart crumble before this innocent spinster, and he knows he will risk everything to keep her safe when her life is suddenly in danger. But even after saving her, will he ever stand a chance with her?

Lady Berengaria Thane, known as Berry to her friends, is certain she will never find love now that she is nearing thirty and has never had a serious beau. She is not short of gentlemen callers, but most only want her for her fortune and she has felt not even a tingle of excitement for the others who might be worthy. Then Gideon Thane moves in next door, and her heart melts, her body tingles, and hope springs awake. But she and her new neighbor, an impossibly gorgeous man with a dangerous reputation, are worlds apart. She represents everything in elite Society that he detests. Can they ever be a true love match? When Berry is abducted by a fortune-hunting viscount and her life is placed in danger, it is Gideon who risks all to save her. Is it possible this rough and rugged man is her knight in shining armor?

He's a poor little orphan boy who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, smitten with a heroine way above his station. She's a Lady who is firmly on the shelf at 30, although still turning away suitors who are only interested in her fortune. When our hero moves in next door, sparks fly. Dollars to donuts this guy probably turns out to be the by-blow of some Duke but there's unrequited love and kidnapping. Romances have been built on less.

To Tempt a Viking by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

She belongs to another man. But he’s about to claim her heart…
Ragnar Olafsson has lived with the torment of watching his best friend claim the woman he secretly loves. To bury his desire, he’s become a ruthless warrior, his heart locked behind iron walls.
When Elena is kidnapped, Ragnar risks everything to save her—only to find themselves stranded together, far from rescue. Alone in the wilds, every stolen glance and forbidden touch awakens a hunger neither can deny.
She belongs to another man, and he has sworn an oath to protect her. But temptation burns hotter than loyalty… and some passions cannot be caged.

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2014, this is the second book in a duet, the first being To Sin with a Viking, which was featured in February's Unusual Historical post. The heroine, married to the hero in the first book, is kidnapped - and riding to her rescue is her husband's BFF who has been in love with her for years. Her marriage is in it's final death throes and ultimately dissolves - but the hero's pride, his lack of standing, and the fact that he's her ex's BFF complicate matters. I reviewed this back in 2014 and gave it a B-, mostly because the first half runs on a parallel timeline to the first book (which I had read) and I was impatient to move on to "new stuff." The second half though? Dynamite. Willingham can really slather on the angst. Anyway, go read my review because while this new reprint cover is very nice, the originally Harlequin Historical cover is quite lickable.

I hope you enjoyed browsing this month's offerings and if you're struggling with your reading mojo as I am, here are to sunny days ahead.

#TBRChallenge 2026: His Diamond of Convenience

2026-03-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Book: His Diamond of Convenience by Maisey Yates

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin Presents #3324, 2015, Out of print, Available digitally, Book 4 in The Call of Duty series

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Yates is an autobuy for me in the Presents universe because she understands the assignment. The emotions run intense and she leans in hard on the fairy tale. I have a signed print copy of this, which means I picked it up at an RWA conference back in the day.

The Review: There was never any doubt that I would dig up a Presents for this month's Tropetastic! theme. This is the very definition of low-hanging fruit. That said, given my reading mood and output of late (dreadful), I knew if I was going to pick up a Presents I was going to entrust my fragile reading mojo to a pro - and Yates is, if nothing else, a total pro in the Presents line. She's since moved on to single title glory, but I feel strongly that if you strapped her into an office chair and tied one hand behind her back, she could still churn out a total banger Presents.

Twelve years ago an impressionable 16-year-old Victoria Calder fancied herself in love with a much older man, a business associate of her father's. While the relationship never turned sexual, this man used Victoria's naivete to his advantage, breaking her heart and stealing away her father's business. And ever since then? Victoria has been throwing herself on the pyre, determined to win back the business and Daddy's love. And now? She's landed on the perfect plan.

Dmitri Markin is a former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, plucked from the streets and underground fighting scene in Moscow by his mentor, since passed. Dmitri parlayed his success in the ring into a thriving business portfolio (because of course he did...) and one of those businesses? You guessed it, Victoria's family business. What Victoria also finds out is that Dmitri wants to start his own charity to honor his late mentor, but his reputation is preceding him. Nobody's real anxious to throw money at a guy who wants to help children when said guy has a reputation for being a hot-headed, uncouth man-whore. Victoria, being of the silver spoon set, with loads of experience stumping for various charities, knows this - and proposes a deal. She'll help him drum up support for his charity by hosting various galas and putting a little polish on his tarnished reputation by pretending to be his oh-so-suitable fiancé. In return? He gives her back Daddy's business.

On the surface these two couldn't be more different. Dmitri from the streets, fighting his way through just to survive. Victoria, the blue-blooded princess, raised to want for nothing, only to be scorned by Daddy the minute she steps out of line. However, as Yates peels back the layers, you realize how alike these two characters are. Not to put too fine a point on it - they're both fighters - and honestly, my money is on Victoria. Cruelly used by a villain taking advantage of a 16-year-old girl (!), faced with Daddy's disapproval after the fallout, she wraps herself in an Ice Princess cloak and wears it with style. This heroine puts the cold in cold fish - because when she wasn't cold, when she wasn't the Ice Princess? The people who should have loved and protected her turned their backs on her. Eventually through Dmitri she learns that she can't keep paying for one past "mistake," and on top of that she's not the bad guy in that scenario (not by a long shot). She's vulnerable, and certainly falling in love with Dmitri makes her more so, but does that mean when the third act break-up hits she curls into a little ball and cries her eyes out?

No.

Because she's a fighter. And she's past taking shit from anyone - and that includes Dmitri.

Dmitri is an OK sort, prototypical Presents hero with a wounded past that's practically slathered on with a trowel. I mean, if you didn't think the street kid fighting in seedy Moscow bars was tragic enough, we find out later how he ended up in such a predicament (Daddy and Mommy issues - because, Presents). He has serious self-worth issues, despite the success he's had in MMA and in business, so naturally the third act break-up is all his doing - not being good enough for Victoria, control issues stemming from those Mommy and Daddy issues, along with the general Presents ickyness surrounding Victoria's "innocence" (of course she's a virgin before they do the mattress mambo, this is a Presents y'all).

Ultimately Victoria is the bigger, more mature person even though her heart is broken and Dmitri comes crawling back begging for forgiveness. It doesn't exactly tread new ground, but that's not what I want in a Presents. I want the intensity, I want the passion, yes I want the drama llama third act break-up where the hero comes crawling back in order to ultimately win the heroine's heart. Yates understands this, and delivers.

Final Grade = B

Library Loot Review: The Place Where They Buried Your Heart

2026-03-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently the horror genre is having a moment, although like romance now being marketed as "women's fiction," I suspect horror is sliding over into suspense and thriller marketing. Not so with The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry, the book cover having caught my eye recently and had me thinking, "I might like that as an audiobook listen." So much about the cover of this book reminds me of those lurid-looking horror paperbacks you'd see on drugstore shelves in the 1980s - and in many ways, that's what this book ultimately achieves. It's a throwback y'all.

The story opens in 1993 when Jessie Campanelli is a sulky 13-year-old whose mother has just grounded her after a nosy neighbor saw her smoking a cigarette at a nearby playground. Life is so unfair in that special way only 13-year-olds think it's unfair, and here comes her baby brother, 8-year-old Paul, pestering her to play a board game. Jessie is not having it and just wants to be left alone, so after a sibling spat (where she keeps calling him "Paulie" and he tells her to stop calling him that - he's grown-up now!) Jessie dares him to go into the old, abandoned McIntyre house. The house sticks out like a sore thumb on their quiet Chicago street, and it's been abandoned for years - ever since the McIntyre patriarch brutally murdered his family and then committed suicide. Kids have broken into the creepy house before, including a boy who fell through the rotting staircase and almost lost his leg. But a dare is a dare - so Paul gathers up his courage, takes along his friends, Richie and Jake, and enters the house. When neighbors hear the terrified screams of Richie and Jake, they break down the front door. Richie is relatively OK, Jake has lost his arm, and Paul is nowhere to be found. It's like the house swallowed him whole.

Paul's disappearance shatters Jessie's family in unimaginable ways and as the story moves forward in time there are more victims. The house particularly seems to have a taste for children and with more "disappearances" the house becomes stronger, a malevolent force with tentacles reaching out for more victims. Nobody seems to be able to stop it, not Jessie's father who tried to burn it down, not the city who finally shows up to demolish it. The house continues to stand, continues to claim victims, until Jessie, now an adult, thinks she's found a way.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I can't say no to a house story - be it the English house party, the Gothic manor, or the creepy haunted house. Henry builds good atmosphere with this story - the house is suitably creepy, with a high body count and moderately high levels of gore (look, this is a horror story...). The Chicago setting is pitch-perfect, and there's a Gen X feel to the story and characters that tickled me - although Jessie being born in 1980, I guess you can make the argument she's a millennial, but whatever - the book starts out in the 1990s I'm calling it Gen X.

The audiobook was engaging and this story did keep me entertained, but...

C'mon, you knew that was coming...

Y'all this is Tell-y AF. Tell, tell, tell. Endless telling. Everything about this story feels relayed to the reader, like we're all sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows. I was never immersed in the action of the book as events were unfolding. It's all relayed to the reader. It's just not terribly immersive or well-written y'all - yes, even though the story is engaging and the characters are interesting. All the telling feels extremely paint-by-numbers. In fact, I'm convinced that even though I was engaged by the audiobook version, I think had I tried to read this it would have been more of a slog.

So where does that leave me? Lord, I don't know. Again, I love me a haunted house story and the vibes are suitably creepy here. Also it damn near made me nostalgic for the 1990s even though that decade was not all sunshine and lollipops. Entertaining, yes. Gushing adoration, no. Would I recommend it? Eh, it depends. No regrets, but this one could have a been a showstopper and just...wasn't.

Final Grade = B-

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is March 18

2026-03-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's now March, I'm still not reading much, and this blog is dangerously close to having a neon Vacancy sign affixed to it. It's a good thing I don't have delusions of grandeur to make fame and fortune as an influencer because I'd be starving to death within a matter of days. But I can always count on my own self-imposed monthly TBR Challenge deadline to kick my butt into gear. Speaking of, our next TBR Challenge is set for March 18, and this month's optional theme is Tropetastic!

I mean, this is kind of a free pick month if you think about it since all romances contain one trope or another, but this is the month to let your Trope Freak Flag fly! Maybe it's the guilty pleasure trope you won't apologize for loving (hello, Wendy likes Boss/Secretary stories...). Maybe you want to go with a book chock-full of all the angsty, tropey, drama llama. Or maybe you just want to pick a book out of the pile that features a comforting trope you return to again and again. No matter how you run with the theme this month, it's all fair game!

But no matter what direction you choose this month remember that the goal of the TBR Challenge has always been read something, anything, that has been languishing in your pile of unread books.

It's never too late to sign up for the Challenge. You can learn more about it, and see a list of who is participating, over at the #TBRChallenge 2026 information page.

Hearts & Flowers: Unusual Historicals for February 2026

2026-02-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

It's only February and I feel like we're all already exhausted by 2026. On the bright side, we've had the Olympics to watch, I'm fully past whatever hellish plague I had last month, and as of February 15 we're in HALF PRICED CANDY MONTH! Seriously, February 15, November 1 and whatever Monday falls after Easter are my favorite times of year. Also, while it's the shortest month of the year, it's a bonanza for romance (despite the terrible "think pieces" we all must suffer through) and we have 15 (!) unusual historicals (OK, two reprints) to tempt us. And yes, I am front-loading this post with the Harlequin Historicals for reasons. Wendy's still Salty AF.

Forbidden to the Banished Laird by Marguerite Kaye

Alone with the laird

…and their forbidden passion!

For landscape gardener Jessica, accepting a post on a remote Scottish island means escape—from her broken dreams and tattered reputation. But meeting the brooding laird who hired her, disturbingly attractive Murdo, Jessica wonders if she’s made a dangerous miscalculation…

Murdo has only had the furious ghosts of his past for company, until Jessica’s sweetness and inner steel offers a way out of the darkness. As her employer, and with his heart destroyed, she is utterly forbidden. But with nowhere to hide from their simmering connection, will Murdo play by Society’s rules, or burn everything down?

A new stand alone from Kaye - she's a landscape gardener (!) with a reputation (my favorite kind of heroine!) and he's a broody Scottish Laird. Harlequin is marketing this as a Victorian Gothic and y'all I am here for it.

Wed in Haste to the Prince by Heba Helmy

A hasty proposal

…leads to a fiery union!

Prince Adnan’s convenient new bride is everything he never wanted—reckless, vexing and distractingly beautiful! So he offers Lady Olive a deal: play the part of loving wife in front of his ailing mother, and he’ll help her find what she’s looking for in Egypt. Then they’ll part ways…

Olive, desperate to stay in Egypt and unearth her family secret, agrees. Except she uncovers another side to her supposedly stoic and unreachable husband. As she learns the burdens he carries, she’s tempted to share hers, but more shocking is her temptation to share his bed!

The second book (likely the last?) in Helmy's Princes of Egypt series, set in Egypt (duh) features a marriage of convenience (inconvenience?) and a couple who both have their own burdens. This is why I'm going to miss Harlequin Historical y'all. Here we get an Egyptian prince hero while in other historical romances it would be a British dude robbing tombs and stealing antiquities.

The Viking She Shouldn't Crave by Sarah Rodi

Their forbidden tryst…

Is treason!

Helena’s spent her life preparing to be the Byzantine Prince’s bride. But when his cruel disinterest turns her position perilous, she finds salvation in fierce warrior Viggo. As the Prince’s personal guard, he knows her betrothed like no other. Could Viggo help her win his affections?

Only, Helena swiftly discovers the man she craves is not her husband-to-be…but thrillingly rugged Viggo! To act on their desires would be committing treason. Getting caught could be fatal. And yet, resisting their illicit connection feels like a fate worse than death…

This is why I love Viking and medieval romances y'all - loyalty was everything and picking the wrong side could get you killed. Anyway, heroine who has spent her whole life "training" to marry a prince is in a bind when her groom-to-be ain't all that into her. She's desperate for help, and there's the hero - her betrothed's loyal guard like right there! Surely he can help her catch her soon-to-be husband's eye! I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

Sweetest Taboo by Joan Vassar

Queens, New York, 1952–Detective Bruce Smith’s life is far darker than his loved ones can comprehend. Passing for a straight white man leaves him feeling empty. His sexuality, colored mother, and self-imposed loneliness lead him to make a mistake he can’t afford.

Scott Wilkins is an unmoored soul, who drifts across a segregated America, working as a porter. In a time when it’s illegal and dangerous to be his authentic self, Scott’s existence as a colored, homosexual man is nothing short of unapologetic.

When their paths cross, both men learn the meaning of unconditional love. Sweetest Taboo is an African American, M/M romance that celebrates black love without regret.

In the event you're new to this blog, let it be known that Wendy is an Angst Junkie, and this stand alone by Vassar sounds like Angst-A-Rama-Jama. You've got an in-the-closet, passing as white, cop in 1952 Queens who falls for a man drifting across the country working as a porter (!). I'll be honest, the porter thing is what hooked me hardcore here. Like boardinghouses, I can't quite get enough of trains in my historical romances (and yes, I'm aware - 1952, but I wasn't alive then so historical it is!)

Scandal Amidst the Stacks by Sandra Sookoo

Major Cornelius Montgomery is suffering from ennui since his days in the military are over. Just turned forty, he is searching for something meaningful to fill his life, for empty romantic liaisons and scandalous pursuits have lost their charm. One February evening, he peers into a bookshop for a glimpse of the only woman who’d managed to capture his heart, but she is off limits because she’s his best friend’s sister. Does it matter?

Lady Penelope Needham—the Marchioness of Weymouth—is searching for purpose. Her husband proved sterile, which thwarted her dream of being a mother, then he died in a hunting accident, leaving her widowed at the age of thirty. To keep busy, she happily works at a book shop because books are old friends and they never disappoint, yet when she happens to glance outside one cold night and spies an old crush—her brother’s best friend—life has the potential to change. Doesn’t it?

The moment Cornelius steps into the bookshop, he’s beset with familiar attraction. As for Penny, since she’s afforded more freedom in society as a widow, she’s keen on pursuing something with the rogue, even if it’s only a bit of wickedness amidst the stacks she never had in the past. When emotions between them are far too strong, and whispers of scandal bring her brother’s ire, they are both brought to a crossroads. If they wish to have a second chance at a romance, they’ll stop hiding behind excuses. Won’t they?

Book two in Sookoo's Dashing Rogues and Ruined Librarians (!) series gives us an older hero (40!) who is pining for his best friend's sister. Our heroine, said sister, is a 30-year-old widow who, turns out, has been pining for our hero. There's nothing for it - they'll have to carry on a torrid affair.

A Most Peculiar Courtship by Mihwa Lee

Amelia Thornton never expected her wedding day to involve quite so many tears—her own. Married to the notorious Marquess of Hereford in a business arrangement that benefits everyone except her heart, she's determined to keep her distance from the insufferable rake. But Charles has an annoying habit of appearing when she least wants him. When her investigation into dangerous factory conditions leads her straight into the arms of a monster from her past, Amelia discovers that her scandalous husband might be the only man brave enough to help her seek justice—if she can resist falling for his unexpected kindness first.

Charles Bartholomew Hereford has perfected the art of living down to society's expectations, but his sharp-tongued wife sees right through his carefully constructed façade. The brilliant writer who compared his moral compass to a weathervane is driving him to distraction with her stubborn refusal to accept his protection. Between her mysterious late-night disappearances, her talent for attracting dangerous enemies, and the way she makes his pulse race during their fencing lessons, Charles finds himself fighting battles on multiple fronts. When Amelia's crusade for workers' rights puts her in mortal danger, he'll have to choose between maintaining his reputation as London's most notorious rake and becoming the hero she never knew she needed.

The third book in Lee's Daring Damsels features a marriage of convenience (inconvenience?) that gives birth to an enemies to lovers romance. She's a crusader leading the charge against dangerous factory conditions, and he's the notorious wastrel rake who, turns out, actually might be able to help her.

Felicity's Eloquent Earl by Maeve Greyson

She gave him a meal; he offered her poetry—and both hungered for more.

Lady Felicity has mastered the fine art of disappearing. The sixth of eight siblings, she’s long been labeled the “cull of the litter” by Society’s sharpest tongues. Shy, curvaceous, and far more comfortable in a kitchen than a ballroom, she slips away from every soiree her matchmaking brother forces her to attend—preferably toward the comforting scent of butter and warm bread just pulled from the oven. Food, after all, is her love language.

But the night she finds a ravenous stranger prowling a host’s kitchen, her quiet world tilts. The handsome, silver-tongued intruder devours the food she prepares with poetic praise that leaves her cheeks—and her heart—unexpectedly warm.

Drake Pemberton, newly minted seventh Earl of Wakefield, didn’t plan on falling for the charming “kitchen angel” who saved him from starvation. Nor did he expect her to be a duke’s sister—with a dowry that could rescue him from the debt and danger left by his not-so-dead uncle, the sixth Earl of Wakefield. But Felicity is determined to marry for love, not money, and Drake knows the truth about his circumstances could send her running.

As a delicious attraction simmers into something deeper, lies of omission, malicious gossip, and dangerous creditors threaten to scorch their budding romance. Only trust—and a love worth every risk—can save them before it all boils over.

The fifth book in Greyson's Seven Unsuitable Sisters series features a wallflower more comfortable in kitchens than ballrooms and a mysterious stranger, who she feeds, and then offers her poetry in return. I love the sound of everything about this back cover blurb, please Lord, be good.

The Lyon's Pretty Pugilist by Nicki Pascarella

Female pugilist Josephine Martin dreams of opening a gymnasium to teach woman how to defend themselves. But first, she needs the blunt. The best way to get it would be to become the next champion of the prestigious Duke’s and Dame’s Mill, but first she needs to convince the duke to sponsor her. If only the fretful heir of a destitute earl didn't stick his nose in her business. Now, thanks to him and the mysterious Mrs. Dove-Lyon, she must win an absurd, and implausible bet before she can garner the duke’s attention and make her dreams come true. Except the duke is not the peer she wishes she could win.

Nicolas Wentworth, the heir to the cursed Shiredale Earldom, is given one last chance to settle his father’s gambling debts and save his family from ruin. All he has to do is fulfill the terms of Mrs. Dove-Lyon's deal: turn the beautiful pugilist from a side-show guttersnipe into a lady acceptable to ton standards and present her to his rakish ducal friend at the event of the season. If only the lady he's helped to create for the duke wasn't the lady of his heart.

Part of the never-ending (100+ books!) Lyon's Den world, Pascarella introduces her "Scandalous Ladies of the Silk Knuckles Saloon," a series featuring a group of women pugilists (there's covers for an upcoming trilogy listed on her website!). Our heroine wants to open her own gym to teach self-defense to women, but for that she needs money. However, she needs a sponsor, which lands her in a Pygmalion trope. As it would - I mean, naturally!

Where Highland Thistles Bloom by Paula Quinn

In the wild Highlands of Lochaber, Constantine Cameron reigns as Lochiel, warrior, leader, and legend. Merciless in battle and moody in spirit, he is a force few dare challenge. When a mysterious young woman, disguised as a lad, stumbles onto his land, he saves her. But he doesn’t know that she carries secrets darker than the Highland nights. Secrets that can start another war.

Ismay MacPherson has spent her life running from cruelty, from chains, and from the truth that could destroy her. Yet under Constantine’s watchful eyes, she finds a sanctuary that feels impossibly safe, even as she weeps into her supper, her pain unspoken but not unnoticed. Can she dare to trust the Cameron Lochiel with the secret she has carried all her life? And will her past finally catch her in its merciless grip?

In a land where loyalty and vengeance collide, Constantine and Ismay must navigate the treacherous path between love and survival, where the greatest danger may be opening one’s heart.

A 17th century Scottish historical and the first book in Quinn's new Where Heaven and Earth Collide series. He's a legend, she's a Chick In Pants with a dark secret. Reviews on this one indicate it's a closed door, fade to black romance featuring a couple working through trauma.

When He Was a Rogue by Tess Thompson

He's determined to restore his family's honor. She's desperate to secure her sister's future. Neither expected to find a love that would change everything.

James Ashford has survived disgrace, war, and years on the edges of society. Now he is determined to reclaim his family’s honor by restoring Ashford Manor, the crumbling estate that once defined his family’s legacy. To see it rise again, he turns to Georgiana Hartwell—a widowed lady bold enough to continue her late husband’s architectural practice.

For Georgiana, the commission is more than a livelihood. It is her chance to prove her worth in a world that would rather dismiss her, while earning the dowry her younger sister needs to secure a good match. Yet even as her passion for the project grows, so too does the pull she feels toward the roguish man who defies every rule of society.

But their budding partnership faces powerful enemies: Georgiana’s manipulative mother, determined to control her future, and a predatory figure from her past who refuses to let her go. With scandal circling and danger drawing near, James and Georgiana must decide if they will risk reputations, safety, and the carefully built walls around their hearts—for a love strong enough to redeem them both.

Book 2 in The Duke's Legacy series features a wounded hero looking to save his crumbling estate and a widowed heroine bold enough to have carried on with her dead husband's architectural business. She needs the money and wants to prove herself and he's a rogue who thumbs his nose at society. Looks like we can also expect a heaping dose of external conflict here.

Mistress for Wyndview by Jane Charles

At the age of eight and twenty, Sterling Wynd, Earl of Wyndham, left England.

Duty weighed heavily on him, and solemnity filled his soul. However, before he turned thirty, chose a suitable wife and went about begetting heirs, he wanted to do something for himself—see the world. Or at least the part that had made his family wealthy.

Caroline Sutcliffe had once loved deeply. She’d married quickly and her husband soon went off to war. But after receiving word of his death, and finding herself alone, she returned to her father and the Cape Good Hope to carve out a new life for herself and her daughter.

She had not expected to meet a handsome English Lord filled with duty and in possession of so little humor. Further, she could not understand why she was drawn to him. Yet, Caroline knew that she could love Sterling deeply and passionately, but she feared he was not capable of either.

Will Sterling find a way to open his heart and let go of his control or will he lose the one woman who could fill the emptiness within?

First book in a new series, a fairly typical sounding romance between a wounded hero and a widowed, single mother heroine who falls in love with him (against her better judgement). Nothing terribly unusual here other than it's set in Cape Good Hope, South Africa!

Taciturn in the Ton by Emily Royal

A marriage of necessity…with a man who shuns her.

Despite being a duke’s sister, Olivia Whitcombe is shunned by Society due to one insurmountable flaw: her illegitimacy. Taunted by debutantes and rejected by suitors, her debut Season couldn’t get any worse—until she’s caught in a compromising position with a taciturn stranger.

To save the Whitcombe name, Olivia yields to her brother’s demands and finds herself transported to a neglected manor and forced to marry a silent, brooding earl with pain and anger in his eyes, who shuns her at every turn.

Charles Devereaux hasn’t spoken a word since witnessing his mother’s violent death as a child. On inheriting the earldom and a mountain of debts, he returns to Penham Park, his hated childhood home, and reluctantly enters the Marriage Mart. When a debutante of doubtful birth falls—literally—into his arms, Charles curses himself for being snared so easily.

But dark secrets and the specter of Death linger within the walls of Penham Park, and when Charles’s heart begins to soften toward his bride, it may be too late.

Book 9 (!) in the Misfits of the Ton series, features an illegitimate heroine "compromised" by a hero who suffers from selective mutism. He's broody with the requisite neglected manor who thinks she orchestrated the whole thing, and used to being shunned she's trying to carry on. Then, naturally, the past comes roaring back to haunt them.

The Duke's Somerset Sins by Anne Knight, Colleen Kelly and Kay K Denner

This is your invitation to the Bastards’ Ball.
All of London knows the sixth Duke of Somerset for his sprawling wealth, stern demeanor, and the antics of his five (mostly) illegitimate children, known in ballrooms and gossip rags as the Somerset Sins.

But each of the Sins is soon in for a surprise. The duke is dying, and he has one demand for his children: marriage. If they can’t secure a spouse that meets his approval, he’ll find one for them with a glittering ball on Valentine’s Day.

Christened the Bastards’ Ball, the beaumonde will turn out in droves to watch one of the most powerful men in England play matchmaker for his unruly brood.

Except, much like their father, the Sins have their own schemes.

William - the duty-bound heir finds himself locked in a room with a beautiful, free-spirited woman he shouldn’t want but desperately does.

Alex - the charming rake hatches the perfect plan to wed the lovely flowerseller, and annul the marriage later.

Addy - the hellion likes all the things a duke’s daughter shouldn’t: gambling, wearing waistcoats, and a certain lovely proprietress of a gaming hell.

Sebastien - the independent industrialist will do anything to further his financial interests, even marry an intriguing older woman in exchange for a share in her family’s business.

Sophie - the darling of the family decides to break free and find her own adventure, alongside a gruff, working man with the eyes of a poet traveling the same direction.

Discover each Sin’s story in this steamy anthology of interconnected novellas. One family, five stories, a thousand ways to start a scandal.

Hey, so remember anthologies?! We have a new one, featuring six illegitimate children of a dying Duke determined to see his by-blows make good matches. The fly in the ointment? I mean, other than being the product of various affairs? They're all unspeakably unconventional in their own ways.

The Halifax Hellions by Alexandra Vasti (Reprint)

From the day of their debut, when Matilda smoked a cheroot and Margo tied a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue, the Halifax twins have flouted convention at every turn. But when Matilda runs off with the dangerous Marquess of Ashford—who has every reason to hate her—she may have gone a bit too far.
Determined to stop Matilda’s inexplicable elopement, her sister Margo turns to her oldest friend for help: because if anyone can get her to Scotland in time, it’s starchy solicitor Henry Mortimer. But the road to Scotland is paved with secrets. Beneath his buttoned-up exterior, Henry is ardently, wildly, miserably in love with Margo. And Matilda and Ashford’s relationship too may not be quite what it seems.
Between salacious engravings, secret identities, and demanding feral cats, nothing about the journey goes as planned. With the Halifax Hellions at the reins, a week in a carriage is exactly enough time to turn the world upside down . . . and, perhaps, find the love stories they never expected.

Originally published in digital and audio as separate novellas, Vasti's Halifax Hellions are now together in a print edition with an newly added epilogue. One twin running off to marry a man who should hate her and another twin who gives chase with a "starchy solicitor." Vasti leans into romantic comedy and this sounds fun.

To Sin With a Viking by Michelle Willingham (Reprint)

She holds him prisoner. But he’s about to claim her heart…

Caragh O’Brannon never expected to survive a Viking raid—let alone capture a warrior. Fierce, bound, and utterly dangerous, Styr Hardrata should be her enemy. Instead, he awakens forbidden desires she cannot deny.

Styr came to Ireland seeking trade, not a battle. But the fiery Irish maiden who holds him captive stirs a hunger more powerful than freedom itself. Though honor binds him to another, Styr harbors a secret that could change everything.

Caught between loyalty and longing, Caragh and Styr must choose—betray their hearts or surrender to a passion strong enough to defy fate.

Originally published by Harlequin Historical in 2013, this self-published reprint, first in a duet, features an already-married (!) hero whose arranged marriage is in the final death throes when he's taken captive by the literally-starving heroine. Oh, and Viking hero, story set in Ireland. God bless having 20+ years worth of blog archives, I read and reviewed this back in the day. The subject matter is very tricky, but Willingham does a great job with it, and the hero's wife gets her own romance in the second book, which is being reprinted in March.

Whew! And here we are, at the end. Seriously, I won't tell you how long it took me to draft this post. The least you could do to show your appreciation? Go forth, read a historical romance. Then tell all your friends about it.

#TBRChallenge 2026: The Pirate and His Lady

2026-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Book: The Pirate and His Lady by Margaret St. George

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin American Romance #462, 1992, Out of print - including digital, reprinted 2002 as part of Harlequin's defunct Dreamscapes line - also out of print, including digital. If you want this book y'all, you're buying a used print copy.

What Was It In Wendy's TBR?: So for you young'uns running across this post, once upon a time there was an author named Maggie Osborne who wrote some dynamite historical westerns. Well, she also wrote category romance under the name Margaret St. George. I didn't make the same concerted effort to hunt down the St. George books as I did the Osborne titles, but I tend to pick them up when I stumble across them at library used book sales or charity shops. I'm not sure how long I've had this one though since it appears I failed to catalog it (yes, I have my print TBR cataloged - don't hate the player, hate the game).

The Review: Back in 1992 there weren't monster romances featuring heroes with tentacles, nor Kindle Unlimited for that matter, to give readers their WTFBBQ fix, there was just category romance. Now this may seem like a sad and long ago bygone era, but let me assure you, Harlequin got a lot of mileage out of throwing wacky at the wall and sometimes you'd stumble across stories with plots you could only compare to a fever dream. Ladies and gents, I present to you The Pirate and His Lady - a time travel romance featuring an 18th century privateer who washes up on the shore of Key West and is rescued by a modern, 20th century heroine. Published in the Harlequin American Romance line. Dear God, what a time it was to be alive!

Elizabeth Rawley and her Uncle Cappy (seriously) run a salvage / treasure hunting business in Key West, Florida. Her and the guy she's about to break up with are getting ready to attend Cappy's annual "Pirate's Ball" costume party when she spies a ship battle from the beach and she knows it's a "reenactment" of the battle between The Black Cutter and the Madre Louisa. Elizabeth knows this because she and Cappy have been hoping to find the Madre Louisa, which sank shortly after she defeated the Black Cutter in battle so they can claim the riches that were on board. The problem? Instead of catching a clue where on the vast ocean floor the Madre Louisa is located, all Elizabeth has accomplished is an unhealthy obsession with Richard Colter, Captain of the Black Cutter. She's deeply moved by the reenactment which is happening on the 200th anniversary of the battle - except there's one minor detail. Her boyfriend that she's about to break up with? Doesn't see a thing. Did Elizabeth hallucinate the reenactment?

After returning from the party, and breaking it off with the dud, she heads down to the beach only to stumble across a man. That man? None other than Captain Richard Colter, wounded and likely suffering a concussion. He suspects nothing is amiss other than having just lost his ship and crew, what with Elizabeth rescuing him while wearing period colonial clothing. However once he's inside her house? Well, witchcraft comes to mind.

What follows is the comedy of errors one would expect in a time travel romance with some icky gender expectations tossed in for good measure. Richard talks like a pirate and has definite notions on a woman's place in the world - so single Elizabeth living alone, unchaperoned, never married, I mean she's probably a whore right? And he's flabbergasted to discover she's in her late 20s and not 18. Then there's of course modern day small appliances like the coffee maker and toaster - never mind the bathroom. Honestly I've never been the ideal audience for time travel because I find these requisite scenes rather tedious, but I got some chuckles when, needing to distract him, Elizabeth turns on the television. Needless to say she slips out of the house unnoticed and when she returns? He's right there on the couch where she left him and he's amazed that "King Larry" will be interviewing "the Madonna" later that evening. I couldn't help it, I laughed.

I'll hand it to St. George, she really threw herself into the question "What would happen if you threw a man with 18th century sensibilities into the 20th century?" Unfortunately, it's icky. All I could think of is that certain segment of Romancelandia who decries historical romance heroes who happen to have one enlightened idea about a woman's place in the world wringing their hands and crying anachronism! Anachronism!!!!!! Seriously, they'd love this book. To put it bluntly, Richard is a bit of a Neanderthal. Not the most offensive of this ilk I've read over the years, but Alan Alda this guy ain't. (And if you get that reference, congratulations - you're officially old)

For a good portion of this book Richard is the sort of romance hero who bemoans that Elizabeth won't simply do as she's told and then is flabbergasted that he can't do much about it. "So it's true. 'E can't discipline a woman, even if she needs a strong hand." My hero 🤮

Unfortunately Elizabeth didn't pick up the slack for me. She dumps the guy she's seeing at the start of the book because the next step would be them taking the relationship to the next level (yes, sex) and while she has every indication he'd be a gentle and considerate lover, sometimes a woman just needs to be "taken." And yet, once Richard is in her life? She struggles with the push-pull factor to their relationship.

There was the rub. Elizabeth would fight like a tiger to be the dominant partner in any relationship. But in her heart, she couldn't respect a man who would let her dominate him. And she sure as hell didn't intend to allow any man to dominate her.

Why is Elizabeth like this? Daddy issues. It was the 1990s folks, you shouldn't need to ask.

These gender roles, how masculinity and femininity are defined, make up the bulk of the conflict in this book and, likely not seeing anyway around this, St. George then moves the conflict to Richard potentially returning to his own time, will Elizabeth go with him, Cappy needing to close the business because they're broke, and the potential possible discovery of Richard's sunken ship which was carrying a boatload of gold - not the Madre Louisa. Unfortunately even as she moves off of it, it's still there. Lurking between the lines, bleeding into the margins.

Where does that leave us? Well, even taking into account this was published in 1992, I found the gender dynamics and "expectations" pretty gross for most of this story. On the other hand? St. George slathers on the angst in the last third and how the time travel aspect is resolved and the discovery of Richard's sunken ship made those chapters sail (ha!) by for me.

Would I recommend this? I mean, maybe if you were interested in gender and power dynamics in early 1990s romance, but trust me - you'd be better served to pick up a Maggie Osborne western if you're looking for unconventional, strong yet vulnerable heroines and the men who lose their hearts to them. If there's a Grossness Scale to be applied to vintage romance, this is 1990s Gross as opposed to Bodice Ripper Era Gross - but all of it's not great, we're just talking varying degrees. Very much a product of it's time.

Final Grade = C-

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is February 18

2026-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

It's now February and I'm still not reading, although I seem to have fallen into a re-listening groove with audiobooks, so maybe that's a step in the right direction? Well I better get it together because our next TBR Challenge is set for February 18. This month's optional theme is Vintage.

A perennial favorite that consistently shows up in annual theme poll responses, vintage can mean anything from Old School to a genre classic you might have buried in your TBR. Or maybe it can just mean a main character who likes vintage clothing - creativity with the monthly suggested themes is highly encouraged.

However if the idea of sticking to a theme is more than you can deal with right now (and really, can't blame you), remember that these themes are always optional. The goal of the TBR Challenge has always been read something, anything, that has been languishing in your pile of unread books.

It's never too late to sign up for the Challenge. You can learn more about it, and see a list of who is participating, over at the #TBRChallenge 2026 information page.

Little Miss Crabby Pants Pours One Out: RIP Harlequin Historical

2026-02-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Y'all it's a dire timeline we currently find ourselves in and it's spilling over into Romancelandia. Word got out this week that Harlequin is killing the Harlequin Historical line. I follow longtime HH writers Terri Brisbin and Amanda McCabe on Facebook and they both posted the news - so that's good enough for me when it comes verify your sources. Terri's post has the most thorough information so I'll embed that below:

There have been rumors that Harlequin was going to kill the Historical for over a decade now, with things ramping up to a fever pitch when Harlequin was acquired by Harpercollins in 2014. Surely with the juggernaut that was Avon, Harpercollins would jettison Harlequin Historical. I mean why put up with red-headed stepchild HH when you got Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas and Eloisa James? Fast forward to 2026 and Avon has thrown all their weight behind contemporary romance with cartoon covers and the only historical on my radar is the upcoming Julie Anne Long, coming in June 2026 (with an illustrated cover, natch). Harlequin Historical hung on a lot longer than I think anyone gave them credit for, even as Harlequin bungled their way through the marketing of that line (legit, there was a stretch where they stopped distributing HH to physical retail spaces - like, you could not find an HH in a bookstore!)

I've been out in these Harlequin streets a long time but it's getting hard to love them. Look, I understand the economics of the situation. Inflation and rising costs - not to mention the economics of big box stores and our Evil Overlords at Amazon - have killed the mass market paperback format. Then you look at the fact that romance readers were the first to truly embrace digital reading, in droves, which I think also helped hasten the demise of mass market but also caught the industry by "surprise" and, having learned nothing from the music industry, they bungled their way through the transition to digital - which, honestly, they're still bungling. Digital gave rise to self-publishing, which gave rise to "cheaper books," which larger conglomerate publishers just cannot compete with because of overhead costs. A romance reader buying retail (and reading 100+ books every year) was going to take a flier on a 99 cent book, even if that traditional publisher priced their digital formats at a reasonable price point (and many of them didn't - how many times have we seen ebook editions that are more expensive than the print?). Compounding this? Publishers dug in their heels with libraries when it came to digital lending. Early on this wasn't an issue with Harlequin, who were REALLY friendly with library digital buying and borrowing until they were sold to Harpercollins (hello, metered access), but it's another reason why we're in the boat we're in folks.

All of these economic factors, plus shifting reader tastes, has led to Harlequin jettisoning several lines. I'm still pissed about SuperRomance y'all. However, it was when they killed the Desire and Love Inspired Historical lines that I knew things were about to get real - and here we are. In a genre chasing TikTok popularity, the days of going into a bookstore and walking to the register to buy a category romance, a historical, an erotic romance, a contemporary romcom, and a gritty paranormal romance are fading fast. If it's not a romantasy or a women's fiction novel masquerading as a contemporary romance publishers just have no frickin' clue what to do with it. The days of being able to read a back cover blurb and look at the cover art to determine what you were actually buying or reading are long gone. All the packaging looks the same now to the point you could stack the books face out against a wall and basically get something resembling a wallpaper pattern.

Am I old and cranky? Yes. But it's my blog and I can crank all I want.

It's hard to stress what Harlequin Historical brought to Romancelandia but I've been single-handedly trying to remind y'all for years now. When Regency England wallpaper took over, you could still find some variety and history with Harlequin. They were the last historical publisher to abandon westerns (albeit they too eventually did), you could routinely find medievals there along with Vikings. Oh sure, they had Regencies, but they also had Victorians that read like actual Victorian era settings and not Regency 2.0: The Revenge. And then they'd slip in some off-the-beaten path gems, like Jeannie Lin's Tang Dynasty books or Michelle Styles' stories set in Ancient Rome.

I realize we have many more books to come until the line shuts down in 2027, and the backlist will live on for a long time (although backlist also has a shelf life...) but I'm vacillating between sadness and pure rage that this moment has come. I'm mad publishers keep fumbling their business so poorly. I'm mad at the state of the world we live in where nobody can or even wants to read a book anymore. I'm mad at the state of my chosen profession for continuing to stress that Libraries Are More Than Books while the world burns down all around us because NOBODY IS READING BOOKS ANYMORE AND WHY AREN'T WE ADDRESSING THAT AS A PROFESSION?! I'm mad at everyone who felt abandoned by historical romance and stopped reading it even though I understand why you feel that way. In general I'm just cranky and mad about all of it right now, even as my TBR can be seen from space.

So, what to do in the meantime? I need to spend more time focusing on my own Harlequin Historical pile and sharing that love. I also hope that you all go out and pick up an HH title that tickles your fancy - then talk it up to where ever it is you may talk books.

When I was a wee baby romance reader I remember how frustrated I would get with Old Lady Romance Readers lamenting the demise of the genre because of erotic romance, and now, as they say, the shoe just may be on the other foot. For I am lamenting the demise of the genre thanks to TikTok, publishers not knowing what the hell they're doing, and a world that has rendered most of us incapable of doing much outside of trudging through our daily existence hoping to keep our heads above water even as we all feel like slipping under. Books can be a life preserver in a lot of ways, but the market is narrowing and shrinking, at least in traditional publishing spaces, and it doesn't instill much hope. Can self-publishing save us? With so much of it grossly dependent on Amazon? Doubts, I have them.

Edited to add: Many thanks to Eurohackie for providing the link to the official Harlequin announcement. Also, they're reducing the number of Presents they publish every month which HOLY SH*T YOU GUYS!

New Year, New Unusual Historicals for January 2026

2026-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome January 2026 - I guess. Besides the current news cycle, which is all bad all the time, I'm still sick. Am I getting better? I mean, sort of? I'm back to sleeping in bed (and not sitting up on the couch) and the cough is better (I guess?) although it's still here. At this point there's nothing for it, I have to go back to work this week and figure out how to string words together to tell y'all about this month's crop of Unusual Historicals (be gentle). I don't hold out much hope for my ability to do that right now, but if nothing else new historical romances are something we can hold on to - a small glowing light burning in what is currently the very dark cave we find ourselves in. Be good to each other Romancelandia and romance will be good to you.

Reclaiming His Viking Queen by Lucy Morris

He will have his queen…

For better or worse!

Viking Agnar has had many names: Usurper. Warlord. Wolf Slayer. Still, there’s one role he’s hell-bent on claiming—Skadi Friggsdottir’s husband! Rejected by Skadi years ago, he’ll be denied no longer. Storming her hall is easy. Taming his warrior queen will be much harder…
Young Skadi chose survival by marrying another over honoring her promise to Agnar. Now, believing Agnar has killed her husband, she’ll surrender her hand but never submit! Yet behind Agnar’s fury lies a man deeply wronged…one she can’t help but want. Is her enemy husband her doom, or her greatest desire?

A new stand-alone Viking romance from Morris featuring a hero ready to claim the heroine who threw him over for another years before. I'm hoping for lots of sizzling Enemies to Lovers tension in this one, which is already locked and loaded on my Kindle.

How to Get Away With Scandal by Caroline Linden

Don’t fall in love with me . . .

Evangeline, Lady Courtenay, has flirted with scandal her entire life, and paid a steep price for it, with two unhappy marriages and a tarnished reputation. She’s vowed never to get entangled with another man—until a dashing explorer, just passing through London, smiles at her and sends her heart leaping. Just one night, she tells herself; that’s all she wants from him or any man.

Sir Richard Campion is entranced by Evangeline the moment they meet, even before she takes him home with her for a night of pleasure, only to be gone when he wakes. When he encounters her again years later, he is just as fascinated—and elated to find that she still feels the attraction, too. But this time, he intends to persuade her that he’s worth getting entangled with . . . forever.

I can't say no to a scandalous heroine and Linden's latest features a twice-married heroine who sounds like she's earned every bit of her reputation. She's vowed to stay away from men, but then meets the "dashing explorer" hero and really, what's one night? Turns out enough to ensnare them both.

When the Earl Was Wicked by Jess Michaels

Popular courtesan Evelina Comerford thought she had her life in order. She had been with her protector, a powerful duke, for years and believed they would be together forever, even if he was forced to marry and produce legitimate heirs. And then he broke her heart by walking out of her with no feeling to be with someone else’s wife.

Vaughn is the Earl of Blackburn and he is enduring a scandal to end all scandals. His wife of three years has not only begun a public affair with a duke he once called friend, but she’s demanding a divorce. He’s angry and hurt and he wants a little revenge, which is how he finds himself on Evelina’s door, asking her to pretend to enter an affair with him to make both of their former loves jealous.

But a fake affair swiftly turns to something more powerfully passionate. And spying and trying to undermine their former partners begins to lose its shine. But can they both overcome loves that were never meant to be and recognize the true love that is looking right at them? Or will it all be too late when they finally figure it out?

The second book in Michaels' Comerford Courtesans series features a heroine dumped by her protector Duke and a hero whose wife wants a divorce because she's in love with his friend, that same Duke. So naturally hero and heroine decide to enter into a fake affair in the name of revenge - only to get more than they bargained for.

Hollywood Glitz and Glamour by Ariella Talix

It's 1939, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and the major movie studios make all the rules.

Only a very lucky few receive the coveted contracts from Hollywood producers—but they come with heavy strings attached. Actors and actresses are beautiful, talented, and treated like pawns on a chessboard. It's all about image, income, and hedonism.

Troy Kingsley is a handsome, gifted actor who explodes onto the Hollywood scene, gathering fans from all walks of life. Little does anyone know that Troy is a lawbreaker and morally corrupt by society's standards.

When the studio determines it's time for Troy to marry, he’s not at all happy about it and gives the studio his own ultimatum.

Rosalie Channing came to Hollywood to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an actress. She doesn’t know anything about Troy other than he’s a terrific movie star who’s captured her attention in the past couple of years, and now she’s ordered to marry this stranger if they both want to keep their jobs.

She doesn’t know that Troy is a package deal.

If you're going to write a MMF historical, there may not be a better setting than 1930s Hollywood. Studios ran everything, spun stories out of whole cloth, and for the price of fame and fortune many an actor found themselves in one closet or another. Which is what we have in Talix's latest. I'm intrigued by this one for sure.

Waves of Desire by Lauren Everly

Two enemies bound by danger—and undone by desire.

Savannah socialite Samantha Warstein has finally been given the chance to earn her place within her family’s secret pirating legacy. Her first obstacle as a captain? An ambitious—and annoyingly handsome—navy lieutenant tasked with destroying the pirate trade. And she’s not sure which challenge appeals more: proving her worth or putting him in his place.

Having lost his parents to pirates, Lieutenant Christian Thompson takes his assignment seriously, determined to spend his life married only to the sea. But when a mysterious, red-headed beauty bests him in battle, the mission becomes personal. He’ll see her brought to justice, no matter how her laughter haunts him... or how her courage stirs something he thought long buried.

When a notorious pirate kidnaps Samantha, her uncle hires Christian to track her down. Little does he know, the woman he’s chasing and the woman he’s rescuing are one and the same. Bound together by danger and deception, they must work together to take down the most ruthless man on the seas. But as treacherous waters and buried secrets close in, their greatest peril may be the desire neither can resist.

This is Everly's debut and according to the bio listed on her web site she "first discovered her love for historical romance at the age of twelve, when she stumbled upon a hidden box of Johanna Lindsey novels in her mom’s closet..." I mean, I've never been less surprised by anything in my life after reading this blurb which is pure, unadulterated throwback featuring a pirate heroine and the hero determined to run her to ground, only to fall in love with her not realizing her true identity. The only thing missing is the heroine rocking blue eyeshadow on the cover 😂

Wife Wanted by Wren St. Claire

He advertised for a wife and found his soulmate.

Renowned antiquities scholar, Deodonatus (Deo) Kinninmounth Earl of Pendrell, needs a secretary to help him with a new project, but the lonely, socially awkward, bespectacled giant, also wants a wife. He decides to advertise for a lady to fill both roles.

Miss Emily Grenfell is a closet antiquities enthusiast, heiress, and social disaster. Escaping from her draconian mother and a suitor she doesn’t want, Emily arrives a day late for the job interview and is shocked to discover she has applied for a post working for a man.

However, when the enormous, hawkish-featured man with red hair and freckles, proposes a marriage of convenience, Emily is happy to accept, rather than return to a home where she is mistreated and misunderstood.

Embarking on a project to dig up a Celtic burial site on the Duke of Troubridge’s estate, Deo and Emily discover they have more in common than a shared passion for antiquities. As desire sparks between them, Deo struggles to come to terms with physical and emotional intimacy, and Emily falls for her adorably nerdish and irresistibly attractive husband. And when Emily’s rejected suitor tries to cause trouble for the pair, Emily must learn to understand the harsh childhood that has robbed Deo of normal emotional responses and help him discover what his heart is for.

A red-headed hero (with freckles! I love this guy already!) proposes a marriage of convenience to a heroine who will fill his need for a secretary and a wife. Our heroine, a social disaster, accepts in order to escape a family and suitor determined to keep her under their collective thumbs. This is the final book in the author's All for Love trilogy.

The Explorer Returns by Ramona Elmes

Love hadn’t been enough years ago; would it be now?

Lisbeth, the widowed Duchess of Lusby, travels to Syria to deliver an ancient map that will allow her antiquities club in London to find important artifacts. She expects to deliver them to her colleague, but instead comes face to face with the man whose heart she broke years ago. Gone is the quiet man she once loved, and in his place is a brash, famous explorer. She is unimpressed.

Thomas Easton is astounded when Lisbeth appears in the Syrian café where he is spending time with friends. He never planned to see her again after she ended their betrothal with a letter. Gone is the daring young woman he once knew, and in her place is a regal duchess. This different Lisbeth annoys him. Shocking them both, Thomas goads her into staying for one more adventure. He insists to himself it isn’t because of any lingering feelings.

As they hunt for artifacts, feelings and temptations start to grow between them. Could they have another chance at love? Perhaps, but secrets and dangers both in Syria and England have a way of derailing even the most certain happily-ever-afters.

Want more antiquities? January seems to be the month for it, with this third book in Elmes' Brazen Curators trilogy. She's a widowed Duchess come to Syria to deliver an ancient map and he's the explorer whose heart she broke years before. They agree to one last adventure and complications, naturally, ensue.

Envy Unchecked by Alyson Chase

London’s first gentlewoman’s club — Tea, On Dit, and …. Murder.

London, 1820. Lady Mary Cavindish has scandalized society by opening her Minerva Club, a place where women can escape the constraints of propriety. But when a prominent member is found strangled inside its elegant walls, the club’s future teeters on the brink of ruin.

Already under siege by a moral crusade decrying her establishment as a den of vice, Lady Mary knows this murder could spell its doom. Refusing to let her creation perish, Lady Mary launches her own inquiry, probing the dark secrets of her members and the ton’s elite.

Frustrating her efforts is the arrival of a Bow Street Runner, a by-the-book investigator whose moral code doesn’t want the involvement of an eccentric widow in his case. Complicating the matter, as the investigation deepens, so do his feelings for the daughter of one of the prime suspects, a liaison that blurs the lines between duty and desire.

As they search for answers, Lady Mary and her fellow sleuths uncover a tapestry of betrayal, envy, and revenge. When scandal surrounds her, Lady Mary is forced to decide just where her allegiances lie.

The first in the Lady Mary Mysteries series, the publisher is marketing this as a mystery - but this blurb teases readers with plenty of romance-related shenanigans. She needs to find a killer in order to keep her club open and he's a "by the book" Bow Street Runner. One suspects that this romance may end up playing out over future entries.

Once Upon a Wicked Wager by Cassandra Samuels

If love is a gamble, this is one wager they cannot afford to lose.

Notorious widow and social pariah, Lisbeth Carslake, Countess of Blackhurst, was acquitted of her husband's murder, but no one believes in her innocence. Known as the Black Raven, bringer of bad luck and death, she is the topic of gossip and wagers. She knows the only way to prove her innocence beyond doubt is to return to society and find her husband's killer.

Oliver Whitely, Earl of Bellamy, is well and truly in dun territory and drunkenly takes on The Black Raven Wager and ends up agreeing to a business proposal at the end of a fire poker, to escort Lisbeth back into the viper's pit known as the ton. Together, they must find her husband's killer before the killer finds them. That is, if her schedule allows and they don't kill each other first.

If antiquities aren't your thing, this month's Unusual Historicals also give you murder as an second option 😂. She's a social pariah thanks to everyone thinking she murdered her husband and the only way to get her life back is to find the real killer. For that she's going to need help, which shows up in the form of our hero, who foolishly accepted a wager only to end up on the wrong side of a fire poker. A heroine with spirit - I like that.

The Earl's Indifferent Daughter by Elizabeth Heights

Lady Esme de Neville has found true love… or has she?

Among the flatterers and fortune-hunters lining up for her hand, one man alone has captured her heart - and she will do whatever it takes to convince him of her affections. But after surrendering her virtue, Esme finds herself unceremoniously abandoned and forced to await her lover’s return at the country home of her sister, Frida, and brother-in-law, Callum.
Adam is a seasoned warrior, tasked with bringing Callum home to the highlands to his father’s deathbed. Upon arriving at Ember Hall, he unwillingly accepts a new assignment; to guard Lady Esme – whose youth and beauty threaten to topple the high barricades that have protected his heart for many years.

For Esme, the long days of waiting pass slowly, with her brooding bodyguard providing her only source of distraction. Despite his best efforts, Adam is unable to resist her overtures of friendship. Opposites attract and soon the sparks of romance begin to fly.

But fate has an extra surprise in store. Just as Esme recognises the depths of her feelings for Adam, a figure from the past threatens the future she longs to embrace. Her happiness – and Adam’s too – depends on two things: de Neville family loyalty and the power of true love.

Heights wraps up her Sisters of Ember Hall medieval trilogy with a heroine who fancies herself in love and only managed to ruin herself in the process. Now she's moldering away at her sister's country home being guarded by the hero, not the man she fancies herself in love with but the the one who ultimately ends up capturing her heart.

Hopefully by the time I start thinking about February's Unusual Historicals post I'll be past whatever plague I managed to catch and we'll all have had some measure of good news to hold on to. In the meantime, share what Unusual Historicals you're looking forward to in the comments section.

Review: Such a Clever Girl

2026-01-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

Half the fun of a Darby Kane thriller is getting to the point where the vile antagonist gets exactly what's coming to them. I think that was my issue with Such a Clever Girl, there's not an antagonist per se. I mean, there kind of is, but while she's definitely leans hard into sociopathic behavior, her main goal in this book is get everyone else to finally tell the truth.

Sleepy Hollow, New York, a small town steeped in ghost stories and legends, was the scene of the Tanner family disappearance fifteen years ago. Historian, Patrick, his wife, Victoria, and their two kids - Aubrey and Noah. No bodies, no word, simply vanished. A blood stain on the floor of the entryway in their home and a fire at the bookstore they owned the only clues.

Xavier Tanner, Patrick's father, has finally died. A man no one will mourn, but his death means the reading of his will, and that brings together three women who know more about the disappearance of the Tanner family than they are letting on. There's Stella, a local psychologist and Xavier's great-niece. Her marriage imploded after the Tanners vanished, she's a single mother to a toddler daughter, and dealing with her grasping mother. Marni is a local elementary school teacher who was Victoria's best friend and then there is a Hanna, owner of a local café and single mother to Jeremy, now in college. All three of these women were at the Tanner home the day the family disappeared. All three of them have secrets they want to stay buried - and then Aubrey Tanner, prodigal daughter who has been missing along with her family for the past 15 years walks through the doors of the courthouse.

This story started slow for me. Probably the first 30% is Stella, Marni and Hanna unspooling when Aubrey reappears, and then in waltzes a guy who claims he's writing a book on the Tanner family disappearance and wants to interview them. Kane then spends some time introducing a few more secondary characters, including Stella's ex, her exhausting mother, Hanna's son Jeremy, etc. etc.

This one didn't really sink it's claws into me until Hanna begins to emerge as the character you want to root for. Her life has not been easy, raising Jeremy on her own, building and running her own business. She's the queen of the side hustle, which is how she comes into the orbit of the Tanner family - she does some work as Patrick's research assistant. Aubrey's reappearance sends her into a spiral and when the past threatens her son she goes into full blown mama bear protector mode. Hanna taking charge is what gets this story to cook.

The story is told in alternating points of view between Hanna, Marni and Stella as the author starts laying out the puzzle pieces and getting everything to fit together. Aubrey is definitely playing the long game here - and as the reader you waffle between wondering if she's the villain or the wronged party.

This story was a slower build than some of Kane's other books, so while I enjoyed it once the plot started to simmer, it's probably not the book I'll recommend to folks who want to start reading her work. Still, it was entertaining and I'm nothing if not a sucker for small town secrets - of which Kane's Sleepy Hollow has plenty.

Final Grade = B

#TBRChallenge 2026: Her Naughty Holiday

2026-01-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Book: Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin Blaze #916, Book 2 in Men at Work trilogy, out of print, available digitally, repackaged and reprinted as Harlequin Special Release 2024

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I actually downloaded this as an ARC from Netgalley back in 2016 mainly thanks to the fake dating trope. Then, it happened. Romancelandia went wild for this entire trilogy to the point where some reviewers (you know who you are) were practically crowning Reisz as the savior of category romance and that was enough to raise my hackles and here we are. I have an unreasonable amount of baggage when it comes to certain corners of Romancelandia side-eyeing category romance, then suddenly discovering one they like and giving us all "not like other girls" reviews for category romance. Look, I've never claimed to be reasonable - I'm a reader, therefore I am a nutjob.

The Review: When this review posts I will be going into day six of being very sick. Like the sickest I've been in a long time. So bad that after my long weekend off work (thank you Dr. King), I called out the rest of the week. I popped very negative for Covid on Day 2 of this hellscape, but I had a fever, still a terrible cough, and a headache that was so bad I wanted to cry. RSV? The flu? Punishment from the gods? All of it's possible. Which is to say I'm miserable and cranky but I still think I would have disliked this book anyway. Y'all it's got all the heft of wet tissue paper.

Clover Greene has just received two very divergent and distressing emails. A corporate buyer has just offered her $5 million for her nursery (greenhouse - like plants and stuff) business in Mount Hood, Oregon and her family has dropped the bomb that she's hosting Thanksgiving. She's still wrestling with whether or not to accept the offer on her business - no, it's the family news that's got her all spun up. To be blunt, her family is a bunch of assholes. Her academic parents constantly reminding her she's their "little drop-out" and when is she going to get married and squirt out more grandbabies for them? SHE'S 30 FOR GOD'S SAKE! And her brother and sister are no help at all. Snide, backhanded "compliments" from them as well - just different ones. It's all bad. She just can't face another holiday dealing with them and that's when her teenage employee gives her the brilliant idea of a fake boyfriend - and oh, her Dad would be perfect for the job.

Original Blaze Cover

Erick Field has his own contracting business (cedar siding, decks, that kind of thing) and is raising his teenage daughter, a would-be eco-warrior named Ruthie, nearly full-time, since his ex lives in Los Angeles. He's been attracted to Clover from the jump, when he practically begged her to give his daughter a job so she could pay back court-ordered damages because eco-warrior. Anyway, he's been strictly hands off with her because Clover has been a positive female influence, Ruthie needs that, and Erick loves his daughter. Then, Ruthie, that sly minx, pushes them together just as she's walking out the door to visit her Mom.

They have roughly a week before the Greene family descends on Mount Hood, so what do they do for the first 80% of this book? Talk endlessly and have sex. Seriously, these two never shut-up. Not even when they're having sex. Yes, ladies and gents, we're regaled with dirty talk (which I tend to hate with a burning passion in romance novels because it's nigh to impossible IMHO to write it well - go ahead and fight me). I can't even begin to tell you how much of this book I skimmed. Like giant, cavernous chunks of it. In fact the only reason I didn't DNF this is because I was waiting for it - the big confrontation scene with Clover's family that I knew was coming. A big confrontation scene over Thanksgiving dinner. And y'all - it was GLORIOUS!

Which I guess means I cared a modicum about Clover? Although I think I cared more about those assholes getting the dressing down of a lifetime. Seriously, for my money just skip the first 80% of this book, get to the point where the Greene family shows up and start reading. You're getting the best part.

Am I not being fair to this book? Maybe. I'm sick, I had a bad attitude going into it because as a general rule I have a bad attitude about most books people seem to gush over (look, I'm contrary OK - but it's my blog I'm allowed). But that Thanksgiving dinner scene? Worth the price of admission. Finally, after years of reading about romance heroines who let their families walk all over them, we get one that erupts like Mount Vesuvius. But of course her Mom calls after and they agree to work on their relationship and of course Clover is a virgin when she starts climbing Erick like a jungle gym in the first 20% of the story. I mean, it doesn't tread that much new ground.

Final Grade = C-

Review: A Box Full of Darkness

2026-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Future Wendy, it's Past Wendy. For most of 2025 you suffered through a short-attention span, no-spoons reading slump that was particularly soul sucking. Around early November you decided enough was enough and since you had ARCs for upcoming releases by favorite authors, you were just going to read them instead of waiting. Hence reading A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James in November when it has a release date of January 20, 2026. Desperate times, desperate measures and all that.

Violet Esmie can see ghosts, and that's not even the most screwed up thing about her. Divorced, estranged from her surly teenage daughter, she's living a solitary life working as a cleaner - someone who goes into the homes of the recently deceased and cleans them out at the family's or estate's behest. It's on her latest job that she gets a call from the landscapers taking care of the grounds of her family home in Fell, New York. Sorry lady, we're quitting. We'll refund the rest of this month's payment but we're not going back. Why? Because they saw the ghost of a little boy. A little boy who uttered two words "Come home."

The ghost is her baby brother Ben who vanished when he was 6-years-old during a game of hide-and-seek. And when I say vanished - I mean poof! Not a single trace of him anywhere. Violet knows it's time, she needs to go home and settle the matter of Ben's disappearance once and for all. But she's not going alone. She calls her siblings, Vail, a UFO chaser (seriously) and Dodie, a model whose hair is a top commodity for shampoo commercials.

The siblings return to the family home in Fell to find that much hasn't changed. Even though they pretty much abandoned the place as-is, it's shockingly not overly decrepit. However the creepy shenanigans that they experienced as children are still there. Vail sees a bright light and someone/something standing over his bed (aliens?). Dodie dreams of filthy water sweeping over her bed and drowning her. And Violet, as has already been established, sees ghosts, and there's one ghost in particular who is a nasty piece of work.

Fell, New York was the setting of St. James' most excellent The Sun Down Motel, and there's always some hesitancy with me when an author returns to a beloved book. I shouldn't have been worried. What this book firmly cements is that Fell is one of St. James' more inspired creations. The setting is pitch-perfect Gothic creepiness. A small town where inexplicably horrible things keep happening with little to no explanation. Ben's disappearance is just one in a long chain of events. St. James has fun returning to Fell and slips in a few Easter eggs for fans, but nothing that will confuse new readers who are starting with this entry (there's even a call back to The Broken Girls).

The story is told in alternating points-of-view between all three siblings. The worry with this style is that some voices are frankly just more interesting than others - and that's what happened to me here. I liked Violet. Violet was interesting. Sure they're all emotionally screwed in the head, but Vail isn't great with women (love 'em, then as he's leaving 'em saying hurtful things so they don't come back around again) and also UFOs. Seriously? And yes, I realize I was reading a book about ghosts but apparently UFOs is a bridge too far for me. And Dodie? Dodie is emotionally exhausting and bitchy, although she has some nice moments at the end. I read through their sections just wanting to get back to Violet.

The story is slow burn Gothic, with the tension and darkness seeping in small increments until you're drowning in it at the end. It's good stuff, until the ending. I felt like St. James painted herself into a corner on this one. She couldn't tie it all up in a nice, neat package because there was too much our characters couldn't discover and ultimately know. And this wasn't great for me. Look, I live in a world that is messy. Where not everything gets resolved and sometimes it's "resolved" in a way where the good people get screwed and the morally bankrupt people win. The older I get, the more I live in this current hellscape timeline, I want closure. And I want the closure that genre fiction promises to readers 99.9% of the time - which is the good guys win and the bad guys get shot into the sun. The bad guys do not win in this story but there's dangling threads - namely the Ben thing is just plain weird and while we find out why the Esmie family home is haunted, there's no big red bow tying up that box. Do we get closure? Yes. Do we get all the answers? Ehh...

Still, it's an engrossing read - and seriously, Fell, New York is just fantastic. I don't know how many more times St. James can dip into this well before she starts repeating herself, but man I love that creepy little town.

Final Grade = B

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is January 21

2026-01-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

I'm starting 2026 a lot like I spent most of 2025 - not reading. This isn't terribly great news considering OMG our first official #TBRChallenge of 2026 is set for January 21. This month's optional theme is Still Here.

This was a suggestion that came out of my annual theme poll and I thought it was perfect for January. Some ways you could potentially spin this theme? A book in a series you've been neglecting, a book by a favorite author you've been saving for a rainy day (yo, rainy days are here y'all) or maybe you want to go more towards a trope like unrequited love, second chance/reunion, or friends to lovers. Getting creative with the themes is encouraged.

It's never too late to sign up for the Challenge. You can learn more about it, and see a list of who is participating, over at the #TBRChallenge 2026 information page.

Reading Year In Review 2025

2026-01-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

Like a lot of people I had big hopes and dreams for 2025, and it was, in fact, not all gloom and doom. I had life-changing surgery (this is not hyperbole) to fix a hiatal hernia that made eating anything (spicy chili peppers, plain oatmeal, literally did not matter) an exercise in pain and actual restful sleep impossible, I saw Lemon Drop compete in a major equestrian event, I rang in my 50th with a sisters trip to NYC and then in September my big sister and I played hooky for two weeks in Ireland. My reading though? Let's just say my reading mojo had definitely left the building. And not because of the books (see below) but more me not having the spoons and just being mentally exhausted about everything. My hope for 2026 is to carve out more time for reading (even if it's just a couple of chapters a day!), be kinder to myself, and fully embrace my Cranky Old Lady era with more DNF'ing with impunity.

I only got through 56 books this year. My goal every year is 100, and while I fall short more often than not, 56 is (very likely) my worst showing since I started this blog nearly 23 years ago. Here's how the numbers stacked up:

A Grades = 2

B Grades = 28

C Grades (and low B) = 18

D Grades = 3

DNF = 5

While the numbers are down, I can't really complain about the quality. I'm notoriously stingy with A grades, but any time my B grades are significantly higher than the Meh C grades I take a victory lap. Also, no F grades this year because I was smart enough to DNF and not get sucked into Hate Reading.

So what books stood out for me this past year? Let's take a look...

Note: These are the best books I read in 2025, regardless of publication year.

Title links will take you to full reviews

What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane (2024) - Contemporary suspense - Local celebrity doctor with hero reputation dies under mysterious circumstances and suspicion immediately falls on his younger second wife who he had only been married to for 100 days. His death throws a wrench in the works for her, not because she loved him, oh no. She blackmailed him into marriage and had big revenge plans. Now she has to figure out who killed him while navigating a viper's nest. The opening chapter of this book is a master class and Kane keeps her foot on the accelerator throughout. She also, god bless, reads the room here - with the nasty vile people getting everything that's coming to them.

When I Think of You by Myah Ariel (2024) - Contemporary romance - My biggest surprise of the year because this book wasn't even on my radar and I ended up reading it for a work-related program. A dynamite, highly emotional second chance romance about a filmmaker hero born into privilege and the girl who got away, an aspiring producer stuck in a dead end receptionist job. This one ripped my heart out but what stands out for me to this day is how thoughtful and amazing the world-building was in this story. This book couldn't take place anywhere else other than Los Angeles and Ariel nailed it.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen (2023) - Contemporary suspense - Tiny Purity, Maine has a secret, several of it's residents are retired CIA agents. Maggie Bird is living a quiet life, raising chickens on her small farm, when her past comes back to haunt her in the form of a dead body left in her driveway. Interspersed with flashbacks from Maggie's time in the CIA is the story of the local interim chief of police who immediately suspects something is up with Maggie and her friends. This follows the recent trend in mystery fiction of Old People Solving Crimes, but Gerritsen avoids the cutesy (praise the Lord). Her characters read like actual former CIA operatives and behave as such. I've been dragging my feet on reading the second book in the series because I'm a nutjob, I need to rectify that in 2026.

Cowboy's Last Stand by Jill Sorenson (2025) - Contemporary romance - Sorenson's first book in several years, and lordy how I missed her. While not romantic suspense (per se), this book features a Sorenson trademark - messy people with messy problems. Hero blows into tiny Last Chance, Texas to take care of some unfinished business he has with the heroine, a widow with a young son. Never mind she doesn't know him from Adam. He's got a Big Secret and almost immediately runs afoul of the local lowlifes, and she's a woman with a lot of responsibilities and vulnerabilities. Honest to goodness passion and tension - oh how I've missed both.

Deception by Gaslight by Kate Belli (2020) - Historical mystery with romantic elements - Wealthy heiress from socially conscious family making her way in Gilded Age New York City as a reporter is looking for her big break running down a story about a Robin Hood-like thief when she meets our hero, Five Points born and bred who inexplicably inherited a fortune from a blue blood. This first book represents the fact that I glommed my way through the entire four book series this past year. It's not without problems, but I got sucked into the world-building and plots to the point where it undeniably cannot be ignored. By all accounts Belli is done with this series, but she's got the chops to go back to historicals if she has the desire to do so.

The Wife Deserved It by Darby Kane (2025) - Contemporary thriller novella - A perfect bon-bon of a thriller. Reid Cavanagh thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, that the divorce his soon-to-be-ex is dragging him through is all her fault, and frankly it's time for her to die. One minor detail? What he thought was the perfect plan runs aground in a hurry and this vile sack of crap soon gets what's coming to him. Again, Kane reading the room in 2025.

A Deal with the Devil by Alyxandra Harvey (2025) - Historical romance - A morally gray hero soon meets his match in a naughty bookseller heroine determined to save her younger sister from marriage to a vile Lord who has already buried three wives. It's making my honorable mentions for a few reasons, but mostly for the tension and sizzle. I mean, this exchange y'all:

"...I just want you to have everything you need. Let me take care of you.”
“Why?”
“Because no one else does,” he said severely. “And because it would be my fucking privilege.”

Rain Shadow by Cheryl St. John (1994) - Historical romance - St. John's debut back in the day that sounds like it should be Problematic AF, but skirts the red flags. White heroine rescued by her adopted Lakota Sioux father when she was a toddler wants to provide a better life for her son and learn more about her past. When a train derailment causes her son to become injured, they're temporarily sidelined and relying on the hospitality of the hero - a widower working the family farm whose never met anyone like the heroine before.

The Davis Deal by Jennifer Hayward (2025) - Contemporary romance - A single title debut and the second book in a series that started in Harlequin Presents, Hayward gives readers all the glitz, glamor and sizzle of a Presents with a kinder, gentler (yet still Alpha) hero and a dynamite friends-to-lovers trope. Football (soccer), reality TV and plenty of family drama baggage. I lapped this one up.

The Bikini Car Wash by Pamela Morsi (2010) - Contemporary romance - All the small town charm one expects from a Morsi romance while not ignoring the harsh realities of small town economics and busy bodies all up in your damn business. Heroine returns to hometown after her mother dies to help out her father with her developmentally disabled twin sister, but work is hard to find. When she reopens her father's car wash, with a twist, she runs afoul of some of the good townsfolk, but not the hero, who is struggling to keep the family grocery store afloat.

A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau (2025) - Historical mystery with romantic elements - Lady private investigator but make it early 20th century NYC and Sapphic. Heroine who inherits her family's food packaging business comes into work early one day to discover a cryptic note next to the dead body of her dead father's retired assistant. She needs to tread lightly for a scandal could upend everything, so she hires a female PI keeping her father's investigation business afloat as he slowly descends further into dementia/Alzheimer's. Great characters, great setting, and a mystery that read like a breath of fresh air.

While it was a disappointing year for me in terms of quantity, I really cannot complain about the quality. I discovered some good reads this year and one wonders how many more I would have found if I had managed to find some spoons. Here's hoping my spoons turn up in 2026 because I know there's an embarrassment of riches waiting for me in my TBR.

A Trope Bridge Too Far

2025-12-29T06:35:00.000-08:00

I've been reading romance now for 26 years. Not as long as some of you, but a long time. I've seen the genre chew up and spit out trends, I've seen many an online kerfuffle and, this can't be overstated, I've officially hit my Cranky Midlife Sea Hag Era. Undoubtedly the Baby Romance Reader will stumble across my incoming rant, chalk this up to Old Lady Yelling at Clouds, and move on. No shame in that game. I did the same thing back in the day when Old Ladies were yelling about erotic romance turning the genre into porn. But I have to get this off my chest, and it's my blog - so buckle up.

I started reading Fake Dating the Italian Heir by Ally Blake last night. The story centers around Nico, whose family has a winery outside the fictional Australian small town of Vermillion. His family also owns a good chunk of the commercial real estate in town and leases it out to small business owners. Tourists come for the winery, are charmed by the cutesy small town with cutesy businesses - everybody wins. Nico's father died when he was a teenager and since then Nico has strapped on his Superman cape and assumed the role of Big Fish, Small Pond. He's running himself ragged, running the winery, checking in on the business owners, being part of the town's volunteer emergency response team. When he "dates" it's always women who don't live in town and casual hook-ups. Why? Because after his father died, his mother fell apart. He and his younger sister were left emotionally adrift. He responded by throwing himself into the role Town Savior and his sister chose to leave town the minute she could. His mother now seems a bit concerned that Nico didn't "choose" his own life but no matter, she's packing up and moving back to Italy where their father is buried. Probably to throw herself on the man's grave - but whatever.

Our heroine is Laila, a newcomer to town who runs the local romance-only bookstore. She was a Big Shot Crisis Manager in Sydney - the sort of fixer who bails out rich people and politicians. It was a job she was uniquely suited for because of her mother. Mommy was a wide-eyed fairy tale dreamer. The sort who always thought the next guy was Prince Charming. Laila was always bailing her out of one situation or another. Laila is smart, funny, successful, but guarded to the point of aloof. When guys meet her they think they've hit the jackpot. A woman who isn't clingy, a woman who won't cramp their style - until they realize that even they can't break through that shield of aloofness. This leads to her getting dumped right before her wedding. Not wanting to be "beholden" to her ex (🙄), she takes on the bills of the called off nuptials (because of course she does), packs her car and starts driving. Which is how she ends up in Vermillion, in front of an empty store front, and decides to realize her dream of opening a bookstore.

These two rub each other in all the wrong ways. Nico with his Big Man on Campus schtick and Laila with her hidden vulnerabilities and secrets. See, she's also sleeping in the back room of the bookstore. A big no-no since the businesses aren't zoned for residential. But when a big bill from the her Not Wedding came in, she couldn't afford both rent on the bookstore and rent on her apartment - so sleeping in the storage room is temporary - until her landlord Nico finds her out.

For 43% of this book the author builds up the small town, the quirky small town residents, and the Love/Hate Push/Pull between Nico and Laila. Nico shares with Laila the tragedy of his father's death, but at this point Laila still hasn't shared any tidbits from her past - the baggage with her mother (now deceased), her called off wedding etc. There's a lot going on, plenty in the way of conflict, and competent world-building that I'm now sucked into this tiny fictional town. So what happens? A shoe-horned in trope that doesn't have to be there.

Nico finds out Laila is sleeping and living in the bookstore. He lays off their Fight Flirting for a minute and offers to help her out - getting some work done in the bookstore to make it livable, clearing the problem with the zoning. I can think of any number of things that could have happened next - namely, Laila staying in Nico's family home (or on the property) while he fixes up the bookstore so she can live there and that will also help Nico out by making the other women in town who drool over him think he and Laila "might" be an item. But no. Instead we get: Nico needs to fly to San Francisco and go to a Napa Valley winery to check on a project he has there but the guy who runs the place has a daughter who snuck into his bed the last time he was there and it sure would help if Laila would come along and pretend they're a couple to keep her in check because Nico doesn't want to muddy the business deal and he has a feeling his mother and this dude would love him to marry the daughter to form a partnership between our families.

Like, WUT?!

After spending the first 43% of this book setting up the small town, Nico's baggage, and Laila's baggage, we're going to shoehorn in a trip to California, another set of secondary characters, and a fake dating trope. I realize fake dating is right there in the title of the book, but it doesn't change the fact we're leaving behind all the groundwork with the small town angle that was previously laid to head to another continent on Nico's family's private jet (because, of course) to throw another trope log on the fire. Some of you are probably reading this and thinking "What's the big deal Wendy?" but you know what? I was done.

I have been reading Harlequins for as long as I've been reading romance. I know my way around tropes. I love tropes. What I don't love is the current climate we're experiencing here in Romancelandia, brought down around our heads by influencers, Tiktok, and publishers who have no clue what they're doing (I said what I said). They have crammed Tropes = Marketing down our collective throats. Tropes are fun. Tropes are great. Tropes should not be your sole source of conflict and tropes are not the totality of what romance is about. Tropes should be the sprinkles, they should not be the whole damn donut. And that's my problem. This book was going along just fine until we take a hard right turn into Trope Conflict Land. There's no need for it. There's plenty of set-up, conflict, and Love/Hate shenanigans going on with the couple to feed a story the size of a Harlequin Romance (less than 200 pages). The author found my current pet peeve, my hot button was pressed, and y'all I'm done.

I've DNF'ed more egregiously terrible books in my day, but I simply cannot go on. My current reading mood is too fragile and I'm now excessively cranky to the point of unreasonable. This probably doesn't read like a big deal for the outsiders looking in. I'll concede it's probably not. But between Harlequin Romance abandoning all heroes who aren't wealthy tycoons in recent years and the current state of marketing romance, I'm full up.

Final Grade = DNF

Making Merry: Unusual Historicals for December 2025

2025-12-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Somehow, someway, we've finally made it to December of the hellscape year that has been 2025. While there were definitely highlights to 2025 (Sisters trip to NYC! Ireland with my Big Sister!), I spent a good chunk of this year with a sour mood and bad attitude - which, not great. I've always been a person who skews towards a positive outlook. I don't like being in a bad mood. I don't like taking to my bed like some tragic Victorian heroine. Which is probably why when anyone tells me historical romance is dead I'm likely to dig in my heels. And since 2025 has been ::hand waving:: all this? I'm digging those heels in out of spite. Know that I'm drafting this post with a glass of whiskey next to my keyboard and the continued foolhardy sense to charge up Romancelandia Hill to save the genre from itself. Happy Holidays, save a sub genre and read a historical romance.

A Most Worthy Husband by Faye Delacour

Hannah Williams never wanted a marriage like her parents'. She'd be perfectly happy to spend her life as a spinster and support herself by helping to run her sister-in-law's gambling club. But no matter how many schemes Hannah hatches to repel suitors, her mother won't accept defeat. To wrest back control of her life once and for all, Hannah takes drastic measures. She'll ruin herself with a man so unsuitable that no one will force them to the altar, making her unmarriageable forever. What could possibly go wrong?

Silas Corbyn is nothing but trouble. Disinherited by his family and dishonorably discharged from the Navy, the ton has dismissed him without hearing his side of the story. When an old friend gives him work as a dealer at a lady's gambling club, Silas doesn't intend to repay the favor by compromising the man's little sister on his first night, but Hannah offers him an obscene amount of money for just one kiss—money that he could use to build a new life for himself.

Neither of them counted on Hannah's mother rushing them into a hasty marriage. Now they need to find a way to call off their engagement before it's too late. Unless they lose their hearts first.

Delacour wraps up her Lucky Ladies of London trilogy with the time honored tradition of a heroine who wants to ruin herself. This girl though, thinks her plan is smart - and in theory, it is. She'll ruin herself with a man so dishonorable, so unsuitable, the ruination will not translate into a shotgun marriage. Um, until it does. I'll be honest, I'm in this one for the hero who sounds like he's fallen low indeed. I'm a sucker for a good redemptive arc and characters who need to "grow up." Count me in.

Viking's Royal Marriage Bargain by Michelle Styles

The maiden he never forgot

Becomes the bride he never expected!

Viking Rand is resolute. He will secure a marriage alliance with the kingdom of Islay. But whilst battle-hardened Rand is prepared for enemy attack, he’s wholly unprepared for the proposal to come from Princess Svanna…his first love, before war ripped their lives apart.

A union with Rand could bring peace to their kingdoms, but it's the last thing that Svanna’s hateful stepfather will allow. Not least because she’s been forced to harbour a royal secret that could throw Islay into chaos. Rand’s kiss is still etched into Svanna’s memory, but can she trust the fierce warrior before her?

A hero looking to secure an alliance via marriage (as you do) who didn't count on that proposal coming from his first love. Torn apart by war, the heroine knows the only way to thwart her stepfather and secure peace is to marry the hero - but complications and a Big Secret loom. Styles is typically a very solid writer within the Harlequin Historical landscape. I'm looking forward to this one.

The Maid's Masquerade by Catherine Tinley

Undercover as the Earl’s fiancée…
Looking to settle old scores
On a transatlantic voyage, English maid Marguerite hatches a plan with an American heiress to temporarily trade places when they arrive in England. Since being forced into servitude, this is Marguerite’s chance to re-enter Society, and posing as the betrothed of Benedict, Earl of Linford—the man at fault for her circumstances—is the perfect opportunity for revenge! But her anger is soon replaced by an unsettling attraction. Still, Benedict caused her to lose everything once, so she won’t lose her heart to him now—even when he reveals some unexpected truths…

Tinley gives us The Prince and Pauper but with heroines. An English maid pulls the ol' switcheroo with an American heiress, who conveniently is betrothed to the man who ruined the maid's life. But revenge gets complicated with an unexpected attraction and some truth. Naturally this is a duet. The American heiress' romance is set for April 2026.

Of Dukes and Forbidden Words by Sandra Sookoo

If ancient words don’t land them into scandal, their forbidden attraction in a library after hours surely will.

It’s the Christmastide season of 1816 and more than the weather is uncertain. When Barrington (Barr) Combes-Mead, Duke of Scarborough does some renovations to his London townhouse and unearths a book of erotic, Egyptian prose, he immediately wishes to have it translated. If the book proves valuable, he will certainly sell it, yet part of him hopes the book might inspire him to reclaim the excitement he’s missing in his life… somehow.

Miss Catherine Pickwick used to make her living as a governess, but after whispers of scandals, she changed her focus to that of a librarian, because research and study made her happy. As the daughter of a university professor, she is no stranger to ancient cultures and literature. When a duke of some consequence visits her lending library with the request to have an interesting and quite indecent book translated, she can’t wait to take up the challenge. Knowledge was power… wasn’t it?

Perhaps it is the words within the book or a natural attraction, but as the duke and Catherine spend long hours together because of the text or impromptu Christmas preparations, desire bedevils them. Acting upon it only ramps that delicious thrill, but when a series of troubling incidents arise, they assume the book is cursed. When silly antics on Christmas Eve end in assumed disaster, they each must face truths they’ve been avoiding, and perhaps they might find everything they want… if they’re fortunate.

The start of a new series titled Dashing Rogues and Ruined Librarians. THIS IS NOT A DRILL! RUINED LIBRARIANS! Hero lands on the doorstep of heroine's lending library to have an erotic book of Egyptian prose he stumbled across during home renovations translated. Antics and shenanigans ensue. Is the book cursed? This one is already downloaded on my Kindle.

Go, Rogue by Kay K. Denner

Lady Catherine West is supposed to marry a future viscount. But she leaves him standing at the altar, instead.

Fleeing both scandal and suffocation, she slips aboard The Elphame, a merchant ship bound for Boston and captained by Andrew McGann, the one man least inclined to offer her safe harbor. Captain McGann—half-Scottish, half-Jamaican, and wholly exasperated by the runaway debutante now disrupting his deck—hasn’t spoken to Catherine since their last explosive encounter months ago.

But when navigational errors give way to sabotage, fire, and a violent attack at sea, Andrew is forced to confront the feelings he’s tried to bury. And when he’s kidnapped and taken to Jamaica, Catherine must rely on his slippery first mate, and her own untested instincts, to track him down.

In a land haunted by Andrew’s past and steeped in Catherine’s fear of what comes next, they must choose who they are—and what they’re willing to risk—for freedom, love, and the chance to chart a course all their own.

Second book in The Mavericks series, she's a runaway bride stowing away on a merchant ship to Boston and the hero is the ship's captain, who is short on sympathy and annoyed by the disruption her appearance is causing. High seas adventure, complete with a role-reversal kidnapping (HE'S KIDNAPPED!).

Irene's Fall by Elizabeth Donne

Pride comes before her fall. Love helps her stand again.

Irene Sangford has willingly cast herself as the villain of her own story. After all, her family has taught her that arrogance and manipulation are suitable qualities in a lady if she’s seeking a husband with a title. Especially when there are so few such men to be had, and she is competing with her own sister to snap one of them up.

Nathaniel Macrae not only has no title, he has immersed himself in low society in his role as a secret investigator. Miss Sangford would never have given him a second glance, but when an attempted murder leads his inquiries right to her door, and a shocking secret from her past threatens to unravel her entire life, Irene discovers that Mr. Macrae is more compelling than any man she has ever met.

As Irene’s world falls apart, and she questions everything she has ever known, Nathaniel becomes her anchor in life’s greatest storm. Except this storm threatens to destroy them both. They will have to challenge everything they know and trust each other if they are to survive and find the love that has eluded them.

Fifth book in the Ladies of Munro series has our heroine trying to land a husband while competing with her own sister, only to become intrigued by our hero who has little money, no title and works for a living as a "secret investigator." He wants answers and she's got secrets. Marriages have been built on less.

The Widow's Vow by Rachel Brimble

From grieving widow...

1851, England. After her merchant husband saved her from a life of prostitution, Louisa Hill was briefly happy as a housewife in Bristol. But then a constable arrives at her door. Her husband has been found hanged in a Bath hotel room, a note and a key to a property in Bath she knew nothing about the only things she has left of him.

To a new life as a madam…

Knowing the debt collectors will arrive any moment, Louisa must leave everything she knows behind, and move to Bath. But left with no means of income, Louisa knows she has little choice but to return to but her old way of life. But this time, she’ll do it on her own terms – by turning her new home into a brothel for upper class gentleman. And she’s determined the horrors she was forced to endure in the past are not experienced by the girls she saves from the streets.

Enlisting the help of Jacob Jackson, a quiet but feared boxer, to watch over the house, Louisa is about to embark on a life she never envisaged. Can she find the courage to forge this new path?

A word of warning upfront that this one might be "romance adjacent," but I am nothing if not predictable for my love of heroines who have "reputations." A former prostituted rescued from the life by her husband, inherits a property after his death. Desperate and with debts to pay, she decides to open a high-end brothel (as you do). It's the mention of the "feared boxer" she hires to watch over the house and business that intrigues me here. Also, 1851 - which puts us smack dab in the Victorian era (I love me a good Victorian). This is the first in a proposed trilogy.

Obliteration by Kathryn Le Veque

An inheritance that involves… wine, women, and song??

Sir Jareth de Leybourne is the moral compass of the legendary Guard of Six—a noble knight known for honor, logic, and restraint. But when his wealthy uncle dies, Jareth inherits far more than land and coin. He inherits a scandal that could destroy everything he stands for.

Summoned to the bustling medieval city of Bristol, Jareth discovers his uncle’s fortune was built on a discreet but wildly profitable enterprise: Aphrodite’s Feast, an elegant brothel and gambling hell quietly tolerated for its philanthropy. The business funds churches, education, and charity—but its existence threatens Jareth’s reputation as one of England’s most honorable knights.

Running Aphrodite’s Feast is Lady Desdra le Daire, a brilliant, sharp-tongued woman burdened by secrets of her own. Neither a courtesan nor a criminal, Desdra is a spinster by choice, using her education to manage the operation that saved her life. From the moment she and Jareth meet, sparks fly—clashing ideals, forbidden attraction, and undeniable chemistry.

As Jareth struggles to reconcile duty, honor, and inheritance, a deadly truth emerges: his uncle had a powerful enemy who now wants Jareth dead. Worse still, Desdra is caught in the middle—and the man threatening her life is her own father.

To save Desdra and protect his honor, Jareth must confront betrayal, corruption, and a love that could cost him everything.

Unusual Historicals, come for the browsing, stay for the books featuring brothels. Part of the Guards of Six medieval series, a noble knight inherits more than he bargained for when his wealthy uncle dies - namely the business that supplied that wealth, a brothel. Good God man, he has a reputation to uphold! Complicating matters is the heroine, who runs the operation and her father, who not-so-conveniently wants them both dead.

A Courtship at Linlithgow by Kate Robbins

A carefully orchestrated plot, or a chance encounter? Their love burns through all doubt.

Marion Baird’s biggest problem is her mother’s greed. Excited to explore King James’s court, Marion wishes to avoid being flaunted in front of future prospects like a prized cow. She would rather explore the lavish castle grounds and library at Linlithgow Palace. That is until she encounters a man straight out of legend she can neither ignore nor deny.

Alexander Campbell, Earl of Argyll has accepted an invitation to the King’s summer tourney. While the exercise is welcome, the society is wrought with drooling mothers and daughters anxious to display their lack of talent and grace. This event will prove no different. He encounters a bewitching lady in the gardens during the masked ball and what follows will be burned onto his soul for all time.

Caught between scandal and prejudice, Marion and Alexander must decide if their passion is real or the product of a carefully orchestrated plot.

A heroine who just wants to enjoy court by exploring the grounds and the library must contend with her mother parading her around like a prized cow at King James' court. Our hero accepts an invitation to participate in a summer tournament, but isn't all that anxious to thwart off matchmaking mamas. Stuff happens, these two have an interlude of sorts, and scandal ensues. The question being, was it orchestrated and by whom? This is the first book in the Thistle and Rose series.

A Taste of Gold by Sara Adrien

Her silence protects the man she loves and hides the woman she is.

Miss Maisie Morgenschein is very good at pretending everything is fine. Guardian to an orphaned marquess, she remains calm and protects a dangerous truth: nobody must know her real name—which makes it impossible for her lost love to find her, and that’s what she wants most. She still writes him letters she can’t send, not knowing where he is. A connection to her might lead the villain to him.

Dr. Felix Leafley, Harley Street’s most sought-after dentist, uses an English alias to keep his patients—and the other doctors at the practice—safe. Years ago, he was a medical student with Maisie in his arms. When circumstances tore them apart, they vowed to find each other. But passion refuses to stay polite, and secrets refuse to stay buried.

She can’t use her real name to find him. He can’t use his to be found.

The result? A duel of aliases, near-miss letters, and one dangerously perfect kiss.
But just as Felix and Maisie dare to speak their names, the villain closes in—and the truth may cost them the one thing neither believed possible: a future together.

This is the fifth book in Adrien's Miracles on Harley Street series featuring various medical professionals. She's a guardian to an orphaned marquess and hiding her identity "for reasons." He's a dentist and the one who got away and is also using an alias "for reasons." These two crazy kids were in love and torn apart but now can't find each other because....they're both using aliases "for reasons." Near misses and second chances set against the backdrops of Vienna and London.

This is it, the last Unusual Historical post of 2025. I hope you all enjoyed reading about them, browsing, and hopefully found some new historical romances to try. This feature isn't going anywhere anytime soon. It'll be back for 2026!

#TBRChallenge 2025: Regency Christmas Parties

2025-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Book: Regency Christmas Parties by Annie Burrows, Lara Temple and Joanna Johnson

The Particulars: Regency Historical Romance Anthology, Harlequin Historical #1689, 2022, Out of Print, Available digitally

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Seriously? It's a Harlequin Historical Christmas anthology. The better question would be which ones AREN'T in my TBR?

The Review: Of course I waited until the last minute to pick out and read something for this month's Celebration! theme. When time is short (typical) I go diving into the cupboard where I horde my stash of print Harlequins and a cursory dig didn't turn up anything inspiring. So to the digital pile I went and immediately stumbled across this anthology that features Christmas parties! I mean, how perfect can you get? And lucky me, this turned out to be a pretty enjoyable anthology overall.

Invitation to a Wedding by Annie Burrows gets us off on the right foot. Clara is a spinster assistant teacher at a boarding school where the students are mainly the children of indigent or decreased clerics, so her former pupil, Isabella "Bella" Fairclough, was a bit of an oddity. Her father being well off and still alive. No, Bella was dumped off at the school because her father remarried and her stepmother didn't want her underfoot, especially after she birthed twin boys. Bella was a handful and Clara was the only teacher who could bring her (somewhat) to heel, although the headmistress is still a bit put out that Clara scored an invitation to Bella's upcoming wedding - to a Duke no less! So off Clara goes, spinning fantasies of her first real Christmas family gathering since her parents died when she was ten.

Lieutenant Hugo Warren meets Clara's carriage and rescues her from the path of an on-coming horse. Naturally Clara is not what he expected, what with her drab clothing, threadbare coat and one small bag. This is the bride's maid of honor? He has reasons for not wanting this marriage to happen, and regardless of what Clara might think, it's not because he's next in line to inherit the title unless Bella spits out a son. No, he's more concerned about the Duke being three times the bride's age and four times her girth. Maybe he can get Clara on his side to talk some sense into Bella?

Clara is glad she came because obviously Bella needs someone on her side! It doesn't take long to realize it's a nest of vipers around her former student, who is lavishing Clara with a fabulous, albeit "used", wardrobe and making sure she partakes in all the delights the Duke's household has to offer. Bella knows that Clara might feel "out of place" so she's doing everything in her power to make sure she has a great time. This leads to Clara spending more time with Hugo and before you know it, these two are smitten.

This story feels very Traditional Regency with a bit of an edge to it - namely the sour secondary characters and ultimately what we learn about Bella's character and motives. The romance moves along at a good just-kisses clip, and there's plenty of tension to give readers a little sizzle. A very pleasant read.

Grade = B

Snowbound with the Earl by Lara Temple was the highlight of this anthology. Bella (no connection to the Bella in the previous story!) is a poor, orphaned relation living with her "sickly" aunt and her flighty, rebellious, and spoiled cousin, Violet. Violet fancies herself in love with Rupert, who is not yet of age - but no matter they're running away to Gretna Green to elope! Rupert is a nice boy who doesn't deserve to be used by her social climber cousin, and Violet deserves better than a mooncalf mama's boy. Having already set plans in motion to keep Violet at home, Bella arrives at the designated rendezvous site to deal with Rupert - only to find his insufferable cousin, Lord Deverill. Nicholas is also there to thwart the elopement and they both have been trying to break up the couple for months. However, even though they have the same goal they literally cannot stand each other. These two rub each other in all the wrong ways - which we all know what that means.

Circumstances lead to Bella going back to Nicholas' family home to conclude the business at hand but wouldn't you know it? Bella gets snowed in. She'll have to spend the holidays with Nicholas and his family. Gee, whatever shall happen next?

The banter in this story is so delicious. I laughed out loud on a couple of occasions and the tension between these two is thick. Naturally one thing leads to another and they fall in love. My only quibble with this story is the doomed "romance" of Violet and Rupert is dealt with an perfunctory manner and one wonders what those two kids are going to say when Nicholas and Bella 1) end of married and 2) catch wind of what they did to keep them apart. No mistake, I don't feel bad for them. It's pretty obvious it's a "romance" in name only and Violet definitely reads like someone who would move on quickly.

Grade = B+

A Kiss at the Winter Ball by Joanna Johnson is the last story in the anthology, and also, unfortunately, the weakest. A shame since it's got a very unique premise.

Maria Bartlett is the daughter of a gentleman farmer desperate to get her father to see reason. She's capable of more than just sitting at home doing needlepoint. She wants to work on the farm just like her brother does! So with a bit a subterfuge and the luck of her brother spraining his ankle, she's driving the last remaining Christmas turkeys into the town of Atherby. But, of course, she ends up taking a wrong turn and is rescued by a man who tells her she's on Viscount Stanford's land. With the hour getting late, Alex offers to take her up to Millbrooke Hall for the night. The Viscount would not want a woman traveling alone at night with a storm rolling in.

We all know where this is going - Alex is, of course, Viscount Stanford and soon the weather turns so nasty that Maria is forced to stay several days at the estate. It's Insta-Love from the jump, which is already not my favorite, but then add in that Alex is engaged to someone else. It's an arrangement agreed upon by his and the bride's parents when they were barely out of diapers. No matter, it doesn't stop him from falling in love with Maria (somehow?) after clamping eyes on her and it doesn't stop Maria from feeling all gooey about him even AFTER she finds out the engagement will announced at an upcoming ball at Millbrooke Hall that of course Alex invites her to attend (my hero, I guess?).

This just didn't work for me. I get that his impending engagement is not a love match, and his intended isn't crazy about marrying him either (more on that in the story) but it doesn't change the fact that Maria and Alex decide they're in love with each other in about 10 seconds flat. I understand some folks like Insta-Love stories. I think they're wrong, but to each their own. This was certainly readable and I liked the "walking Christmas turkeys to market" premise - but it was pretty meh otherwise.

Grade = C-

Anthologies are typically mixed bags and even though the final story was my least favorite, the overall reading experience was really solid for me. I've never read Temple before and the strength of that story alone will have me diving into my TBR to see what else turns up. The world-building was strong in every story and left me with the first small glimmer of Christmas cheer I've had this season. I'm calling this one a win.

Overall Final Grade = B

Review: Edge

2025-12-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I should have plowed through Edge by Tracy Clark. I mean, I sort of kind of did? I read it in two sittings. It's just those two sittings were literal weeks apart. Yes, for one of my favorite suspense writers. For a book I broke a nail one-clicking. Y'all 2025 can just suck it. I know part of the problem is that my brain is broken, but I truly need to find the joy in reading again or else 2026 is going to see y'all talking me down off a ledge.

Anyway, this book. It's the fourth book in Clark's Detective Harriet Foster series, following the trials and tribulations of a Black, female, Chicago homicide detective. Clark has written these books pretty heavy on the series stuff, so even though we're only four books in, they haven't been standing alone well. In fact, when a plot arch that carried over the first three books wrapped up in Book 3 I kind of thought this one would serve as a fresh start. Well, yes and no. Harriet has at least found a good therapist now, so maybe there's hope she's turning a corner on some of her guilt.

The book opens with a bang. It was highly suggested that Harriet take some time off due to events in the previous book, and that's what she's begrudgingly doing. She's taking a lonely, solitary walk in the Chicago rain early one morning when she sees something odd - two people lying out in the open (in the rain!) in a local skate park. Her cop instincts kick in and what she discovers are two young people with symptoms of a drug overdose. It's too late for the young man, he's dead. However the young woman is still alive, but just barely. Harriet's quick thinking saves her life, and it turns out she's the niece of one of the cops that Harriet works with.

Matt is loaded for bear but it's an overdose, not a homicide and the team has handed off the details to the cops who responded to Harriet's 911 call. Then, another call comes in. A man burning both ends to make ends meet, to support his young family, becomes worried when his wife doesn't answer the phone. He leaves work only to find his young wife, who finally seemed to be pulling out of her postpartum depression, lying in bed, dead. From an overdose of the same drug that killed the two college kids Harriet found on the morning of her lonely walk in the rain.

As more overdoses pile up time is running out for them to get a handle on what is killing these people. Interspersed between the pages of Harriet and the team running down answers is the tale of a turf war within a gang family. A dead patriarch, a ruthless daughter now running the show, and her ambitious, impulsive and reckless niece who has already lit a fuse.

A dangerous street drug and a criminal family tearing itself at the seams makes for a compelling story and as always Clark does a great job with the Chicago setting. I also was tickled beyond measure that Clark's other creation, former cop turned PI Cassandra "Cass" Raines shows up in this story. Although, she's more of a cocky bitch here than I ever remembered her being in her own books. Still, I was glad to see her again, although I can't help but think this likely means her series is now officially dead unless Clark decides to meld the two together or can get Amazon to pick it up now that it seems like Kensington has moved on.

While I enjoyed the plot, I'll admit the characters frustrated me more in this entry - especially with the way they handled Matt's niece who survives her OD. Cops closing ranks and treating "one of their own" with kid gloves? Highly believable. Did it still frustrate the hell out of me that Harriet wasn't rattling cages harder, louder, faster and sooner? Yes. The urgency to the investigation seemed to ebb and flow in this book and I get that police work is 99% tedium, but it sure seemed to take the characters a long time to circle around to talking to some of their "persons of interest" in a timely manner. Which, come to think of it, is how we get Cass to show up in this book. That's a woman who waits for no one.

The writing did get a bit overwrought at times, but given her life experiences Harriet is kind of an overwrought person not dealing with her baggage - so really, what am I saying? I don't even know anymore. Again, good plot, I'm still enjoying the characters, but this one isn't quite as good as the first couple of books for me.

Final Grade = B-

Reminder: #TBRChallenge Day is December 17

2025-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our next #TBRChallenge is set for Wednesday, December 17 and this month's optional theme is Celebration!

This one came out of last year's annual theme suggestion poll and you could spin this a few different ways. Weddings, parties, masquerade balls, holiday gatherings, a new job / promotion, the fact that we're almost through 2025 and this is the last TBR Challenge prompt for the year 😂. Whatever celebrating can mean to you, run wild through your TBR and see what pops out. However, remember, the themes are always completely optional. Blindly picking up the first book that tickles your fancy is always perfectly acceptable.

I want to thank everyone who participated in and followed along with this year's Challenge. Truly, I would not be able to keep this thing chugging along without all the support I've received from you all over the years.

Sign-ups for the 2026 #TBRChallenge have now begun and we have some GREAT theme suggestions for next year. You can learn more about next year over at this blog post. I hope you'll consider joining in on the fun.

All Aboard! Sign-Up for the 2026 #TBRChallenge

2025-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone who took the time to fill out my poll soliciting theme suggestions for the 2026 TBR Challenge. All of these themes came from your suggestions and some of these are going to require me to put my thinking cap on. That said, they're all relatively expansive and for those of you who like to stay "on theme" - I think these will provide plenty of options with a little creativity.

For those of you stumbling across my blog for the first time, you're probably wondering - what is the #TBRChallenge?

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: once a month pull a dormant book out of your TBR pile and read it. On the 3rd Wednesday of the month, talk about that book.

Participation is as easy as being on social media!

If you're on social media all you need to do is use the #TBRChallenge hashtag - there's no need to sign-up and your participation can vary throughout the year.

You can use this hashtag on any day, at any time - but we're still going to concentrate on the 3rd Wednesday of every month to kick our commentary into high gear.

The idea is to have at least one day a month where we can always count on there being book chatter.

Want to let your blogging freak flag fly? If you have a blog and want to post TBR commentary there, drop me a comment on this post with a link to your blog or hit me up on Bluesky, Mastodon or Threads. I like to post links to the various blogs on my TBR Challenge page so those who follow along can start following you.

Sound good? Of course it does! So what are the themes for 2026? So glad you asked!

January 21 - Still Here (a series you've been neglecting, a book by a favorite author you've been saving for a rainy day, unrequited love, second chance or reunion romance etc.)

February 18 - Vintage (Old School, genre classic, etc.)

March 18 - Tropetastic! (Let your trope freak flag fly!)

April 15 - Fool's Errand (some sort of harebrained/desperate/Hail Mary kind of motivation for one of the main characters, fake relationship/engagement etc.)

May 20 - New Beginnings (Starting over, first book in a series, characters coming off divorce / bad relationship etc.)

June 17 - Pride (LGBTQ+, prideful main character etc.)

July 15 - Freedom! (main character escaping "something," books set during period of political change - pick a war, suffrage, Civil Rights Movement etc.)

August 19 - Backlist Banger (book that's been in your TBR a long time, backlist title by favorite and/or prolific author etc.)

September 16 - Lush Life (some definitions of lush = luxuriant, thriving, prosperous, savory, drunkard, curvaceous. Run with it folks!)

October 21 - The Hunt (thriller, romantic suspense, Gothic, paranormal, fantasy etc.)

November 18 - Wrath (revenge, vengeance, a struggle of some sort, angry characters)

December 16 - Wild Card (unpredictable characters, random "free pick" from your TBR etc.)

I know some of these are going to require a bit of planning on my part, but remember - if it all seems like too much bother - the themes are always optional. The goal of this challenge isn't so much what you read, so long as you're reading something (anything!) out of your TBR.

My hope is always for this Challenge to be low-key, stress-free and fun! So I hope you'll consider joining this year. Be like me - use this Challenge to delude yourself into thinking you're actually making some progress on your book hoarding 😉.

Giving Thanks: Unusual Historicals for November 2025

2025-11-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

Just in time for American Thanksgiving, November's cornucopia of Unusual Historicals takes center stage here at the Bat Cave. Enjoy this bounty of thirteen titles now, because December, a notoriously slow month of publishing, is likely to feel like Diet Unusual Historicals in comparison. So have yourself another slice of pumpkin pie and happy browsing. Everyone knows the best kind of Black Friday shopping in book shopping.

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian

1968 New York City

News about the war might be keeping Patrick up at night--news in general might be keeping Patrick up at night--but he's doing fine. He's sure of it. He gets to spend his days selling books in the gayest neighborhood on the East Coast and his nights merrily sleeping his way through the rare book community. But when he takes in a drifter who seems to be hiding something, and his best friend and her newborn move into the apartment upstairs, his life gets turned on its head.

A sleepy little bookstore should be the perfect place for Nathaniel to lie low, waiting for his past to catch up with him, but it turns out Dooryard Books is full of political radicals and anti-war agitators. If the FBI isn't actively surveilling this place, it will be. Nathaniel should go anywhere else. The last thing he expects is to like these subversives. There's a grieving folk musician and her baby--a demon of a child who will only sleep if Nathaniel, of all people, holds her. There's a pair of rabble-rousing teenagers who, upsettingly, seem to be right about everything. And then there's Patrick, who can't walk past anyone who needs his help--and who is perplexingly determined to help Nathaniel.

As the world balances on the precipice of something new and scary and maybe even hopeful, Patrick needs to decide what he's willing to risk for this chaotic new community he's accidentally created. And Nathaniel needs to figure out whether he has a place in this messy, flawed world--and whether he can believe he deserves it.

My apologies to anyone who remembers 1968, but I'm counting this as historical. Hey, the shoe will be on the other foot in 2050 when some author writes a historical romance about two kids falling in love at Lollapalooza. Anyway, I'm digging the found family vibe of this blurb and I can't say no to a New York City setting, especially against the social upheaval of the Vietnam War era. On the pile it goes!

A Literary Liaison by Mihwa Lee

Edgar Marshal Albury, Duke of Lancaster, lives a double life—notorious rake by day, secret romance novelist by night. When the vicious critic E. Lovelace shreds his latest work, he strikes back as "Aengus Steele," launching a literary war that captivates London. But then he meets Elisha Linde, a fierce reformer whose sharp mind and hidden fire make him forget other women exist. He's falling hard for two women—never dreaming they're the same person. When he discovers Elisha's treasonous activities could get her hanged, this pampered duke will risk his title, his fortune, and his neck to save the woman who's made him love again.

Elisha Linde clawed her way from the workhouse to respectability, hiding behind the pen name E. Lovelace to savage London's literary pretensions. Her public feud with pompous author Aengus Steele is delicious revenge against the privileged—until the sinfully handsome Duke of Lancaster unveils the passion she didn’t know she possessed. She should resist his notorious charm, but their verbal sparring ignites something dangerous in her blood. Now her secret life writing seditious pamphlets threatens to destroy everything, and she must choose between her fight for reform or her own happiness.

He's a rake with a secret identity as a novelist and she's the critic with a secret identity for writing seditious pamphlets who has been shredding his work in the press. As the verbal sparring ignites into passion, they have to worry about their mutual secrets bringing everything down around their ears. This is the second book in Lee's The Daring Damsels series and all her books sound amazing. I really need to unearth what I have waiting in my TBR.

The Daring Times of Fern Adair by Cara Devlin

Scarred long ago in a deadly house fire, a sheltered young woman becomes entangled with a dangerous mobster in the electrifying time of 1925 Chicago.

Fern Adair has spent most of her life tucked away in her family’s Chicago home. There, she’s protected from startled stares and uncomfortable questions about the scarred half of her face. But when her parents begin to host elaborate weekly dinners to socialize Fern—and to find her a husband—the refuge of her sheltered life fractures.

Despite her wealth, and her father’s power as a district court judge, no potential suitor looks her way twice. Until one evening, a mysterious stranger takes a seat at the Adair's dinner table.

Calvin Rosetti, older brother and enforcer to one of the city's most dangerous criminal kingpins, doesn't have honorable intentions when it comes to the judge’s scarred daughter. He wants revenge against Fern’s brother, who recently wronged the Rosetti family in an unforgivable way, and Cal plans to use Fern to even the score.

Drawn out of her reclusive life and into Cal's illicit underworld, Fern discovers a side of herself she's never known, proving she is much more than just a pawn to be played. Slowly, she and Cal realize what it is to love someone they shouldn't— and it comes with violent consequences. With Cal's scheme falling apart, and a crucial choice set before them, Fern will come to know what she's capable of, scars and all.

Definite Dark Romance vibes with a scarred heroine playing "princess in the tower" and an enforcer for a crime syndicate looking for revenge against her brother. This one sounds Messy AF but it's also set in 1925 Chicago and I'm just intrigued enough to kind of hate myself.

The Disgraced Knight's Redemption by Ella Matthews

A disgraced warrior…

Torn between duty and desire!

Sir Tristan must win back his honor. His orders from King Edward are simple: seek out the leader of Pwll Du Castle—the unmarried Lady Catrin—and demand she leaves. As Tristan is renowned for his lethal charm and handsome looks, how can she resist? But when the beautiful Welshwoman comes under siege from her covetous neighbor, Tristan finds himself fighting for her! Yet, is it a losing battle? For securing the castle and fulfilling his knightly duty will mean letting Catrin go…

Matthews wraps up her Knights' Missions trilogy with this final book featuring a hero with a mission to evict the heroine from her castle, only to turn around and help her protect her home when a villainous neighbor decides it's time for a siege. I mean, I'm sure all of this will greatly please King Edward...

The Cowboy's Convenient Wife by Carol Arens

A cowboy in London

…and a deal at the altar?

When his English business partner dies, Montana rancher Boone Rawlins becomes guardian of the man’s little girl, and heir to their family property in London. So when a storm destroys the ranch, they cross the Atlantic to start a new life!

Penniless Lady Ambrin is stunned when a real-life cowboy arrives on her doorstep. But she quickly comes to her senses when she discovers her dear brother has left Boone her house—and that he wants to sell it to fund a new farm! Ambrin’s determined to keep her home and her precious niece. Will a convenient marriage be the solution…or a whole new predicament?

Traditional publishers can't give us actual westerns, so instead we apparently need to settle for Americans going across the pond to muck around with those hoity-toity English. At least this time our American is a cowboy hero who heads to England to take over the guardianship of his dead partner's daughter and his property - only to run into the complication of the child's aunt, who isn't all that happy about being evicted from her family home. I mean, some women AMIRITE?!

The Hart's Rest by Sophia Nye

Conan O’Conor has never been more excited about burning bridges. His king’s rivals recently finished construction on a causeway meant to act as a blockade. The mission is simple: create a cover, infiltrate the town, destroy the bridge. Simple. Until Conan lays eyes on the bold and beautiful Alannah.

Alannah nic Lorcan lives to protect her sister. On their own from a young age, she’s had no choice but to guard Emer as they manage their inn–The Hart’s Rest. Men are constantly after Emer, looking to take advantage of her sweet disposition. Fading into the background as she stands guard over Emer, Alannah is rarely a target of their affections. Until a handsome bard comes to stay at the inn.

When the charming Conan propositions her for just one night, Emer pushes Alannah to take advantage of the opportunity and have a little fun. What harm could come of it from one night?

A lot, as it turns out. The longer the bards stay at The Hart’s Rest, the more difficult it becomes to keep Conan at arm’s length. And the more suspicious she becomes of his true purpose in town.

As Conan grows closer to Alannah, he realizes three things. First, he’s falling fast for the brave and clever owner of The Hart’s Rest. Second, keeping his identity a secret is a lot harder when he’s involved with her. And third, if she discovers his plans to destroy the bridge that’s holding up her business, she’ll never forgive him.

This is the fifth book in a series, and I'm super intrigued by this premise. He's posing as a traveling bard with a mission to burn an actual bridge. She's the overlooked proprietress of the local inn whose sole mission is to protect her beautiful and gorgeous younger sister. And yet, this handsome traveling bard is making eyes at her - I mean, what the wha?! What will happen when she finds out he wants to destroy the bridge that's keeping her business afloat?

These Violet Delights by Madeleine Roux

Violet Arden is a burgeoning painter who insists on a life of passion, but scandal is heaped on humiliation at her artistic debut in London. It would be one thing to withstand withering critiques, but the night goes from bad to worse when an illicit affair with her art instructor is exposed. She flees the London limelight to her cousin Emilia Graddock’s country estate, where she plans to leave all thoughts of love in the past where they belong . . . until she comes face-to-face with the man who scorned her paintings in front of her friends and family, Alasdair Kerr.

Alasdair has recently set aside his life of travel to return to his family’s estate— the site of a tragic fire that claimed his cherished father’s life. He’s finally ready to rebuild the home that was lost and step into his role as man of the house. But his rakish younger brother Freddie can’t seem to leave the off-limits Graddock woman alone, and his mother has brought an overbearing clergyman into their home who appears keen to stick around.

Violet is determined to ignore Alasdair, which shouldn’t be difficult considering that their families have been in a long-standing feud . . . if only their attempts to end Emilia and Freddie’s secret relationship would stop bringing them together. And when new fires threaten their safety, Violet and Alasdair reluctantly join forces to uncover the identity of the arsonist. But can they ignore the feelings kindling between them, which are but an ember away from igniting into a full blaze?

She's a painter whose debut goes up in flames more so for the affair she's having with her instructor as opposed to the damning reviews of her work. So off our heroine goes to the country, only to run into our hero who scorned her paintings so openly. He's there to rebuild his family's estate and they both want to thwart the burgeoning relationship between his brother and her cousin. Oh, and arson is afoot. How can they possibly resist each other if they keep getting thrown together? The answer is, of course, they can't.

How to Court Your Wife by Amanda McCabe

Falling for her husband

…all over again!

When Sandrine was forced to give up her dressmaking dreams to wed Alain, Comte d’Alency, she never expected to fall for her convenient husband at first sight! Only, her hopes were dashed after their wedding night, when she discovered Alain loved another, so she fled…

Years later, Alain encounters his wife again! Now a successful modiste, Sandrine no longer needs him. To make amends and reclaim his runaway wife, he’s determined to give her the courtship they never had. But Alain’s not the only one with a past to reconcile—Sandrine’s also been keeping a little secret…

Exiled thanks to the Revolution, we have a French modiste and the husband who broke her heart, never mind it was an arranged marriage. Anyone want to place odds on if her little secret is a child conceived during their one night together? Or is that the definition of a sucker's bet...

For a Viking's Heart by Laura Strickland

At the hall of a Scottish chief deep in the western Highlands, a bard sings and plays on his harp, spinning tales to the gathered company. The hour grows late indeed, but his listeners, caught deep in the enchantment woven this night, beg for one more tale. From his heart he tells of a woman so brave and strong that his words, however beautiful, can scarcely do her justice.

Hulda Elvarsdottir is a woman striving to make her way in a man’s world. Devoted to the idea that no man should ever give up his life to defend hers, she has learned to fight and battle in her own right. But when her beloved brother dies while raiding on a Scottish shore, she sets her sights on revenge.

Quarrie MacMurtray’s ancestors have held the settlement on Scotland’s western coast for generations uncounted. He knows his duty is to follow in his father’s footsteps as chief. For him, that means watching the horizon for black sails and spending his life against the Norse, if necessary.

The last thing he expects when he meets the woman who’s come seeking vengeance is to feel an irresistible pull toward her.

Fourth book in a series with the framework of a traveling bard telling stories. This story centers around a beautiful shieldmaiden who sets her sights on revenge against those who killed her brother. That turns out to be the hero, the heir apparent chief of a settlement on Scotland's western coast.

Bedding the Marquess by Kelsey Swanson

Gideon Bray, Marquess of Swanleigh, has always been a rake—a reckless, charming scoundrel never meant for happily-ever-afters. Yet, behind his careless smile lies a man scarred by neglect, and desperate for the family he was denied. Only one woman has ever seen past the mask: Caroline Wells, his dearest friend and the lone female in his notorious circle of comrades.

Cast out by both her family and Society after a youthful scandal, Caroline long ago learned to live by her own rules. Gideon stood by her, offering his loyalty when the rest of the world turned its back. But when one night of unbridled passion shatters this boundary between them, Gideon shocks them both with an offer of marriage, though neither of them knows quite how to transform years of friendship into the intimacy of husband and wife.

As they navigate a marriage of fiery attraction, Gideon locates Oliver, the half-brother he’s sought for decades. At last, the dream of family feels within his reach. But shadows cling to Oliver’s past…and enemies soon strike at the women the brothers cherish most.

Third book in the Spy Society series and THE HEROINE IS RUINED! At least she better be truly ruined. I can't handle another "ruined" heroine who is still somehow magically a virgin because her "ruination" was all just some silly misunderstanding. The hero is one of her only true friends, and imagine the shock when one night of passion leads to him...proposing marriage? What the deuce?

When He Was a Duke by Tess Thompson

Once, Sebastian Ashford was a duke's son—until his father's hanging stripped him of his name, his home, and his future. Branded by scandal and hardened by war, Sebastian returns to England with a single mission: uncover the truth behind his family's ruin. Disguised as a humble gardener, he infiltrates the estate of the very man he suspects of orchestrating it all.

Lady Rose Wentworth knows her place in Society—but that place is a prison. Raised in luxury yet suffocated by duty, she dreams of a life beyond her father's control. Now, she's being forced into marriage with a ruthless baron twenty years her senior—a match designed to secure power, not happiness. When she meets the new gardener, she's drawn to his quiet strength and piercing gaze—unaware that he's the enemy her family helped create.

As their forbidden romance deepens, Sebastian and Rose must choose between loyalty and desire, vengeance and redemption. But in a world where titles define worth and secrets can destroy everything, loving him could cost them their lives.

A Regency romance of slow-burn longing, forbidden attraction, hidden identities, and the intoxicating thrill of enemies becoming lovers.

A Duke's son who lost everything when his Daddy met the wrong end of a hangman's noose. Now he's back home, disguising himself as a gardener, to dig up dirt (ha!) on the man he thinks is responsibility. Instead he falls for the man's sheltered daughter, desperate to escape her father's gilded case.

Snowbound Regency Christmas by Carla Kelly, Joanna Johnson and Samantha Hastings

Three snow-kissed Regency romances

In one festive volume!

In A Christmas Houseguest by Carla Kelly, when a snowstorm stops their mailcoach, Rosie offers a fellow passenger sanctuary at her farm. War-weary from the navy, Andy will find his Christmas angel hard to leave…

In Their Yuletide Reunion by Joanna Johnson, rejecting Lieutenant Fitzjames’s proposal is Jane’s greatest regret. Now, her future is in peril. Until an unexpected Christmas invitation leads to a second chance!

In The Christmas Husband Charade by Samantha Hastings, Devin finds himself snowed in with Julia—the woman who jilted his brother! When he is forced to masquerade as her husband, their mutual hatred evolves into an irresistible connection…

I know, the Regency era is typically not "unusual" but this one makes the cut thanks to two military heroes - one of which is written by Carla Kelly. This looks like a great option for a little Chistmas Eve reading.

Twelve Days to Win a Count by Alessandra Alma

After her father’s death, Esperanza discovers her inheritance rests in the hands of an elusive Spanish count. Desperate for money, she leaves a war torn Puerto Rico to claim what is hers. But when she arrives in Spain on Christmas Day, she’s given an impossible condition: she must marry by her twenty-first birthday, which falls on Three Kings Day, or become a nun. With only twelve days to find a husband, Esperanza is urged by her mother to charm the count. In her efforts to seduce him, she works as his secretary. Esperanza’s plans are complicated when he hires a matchmaker, forcing her to choose between following her heart or securing a practical match.

With his mother gone to Barcelona and no one to manage the estate, Don Pedro is under pressure to either hire a capable housekeeper or marry his mother’s choice for a bride. Determined to avoid an unwanted match, he hires a matchmaker. He is caught off guard when a beautiful sugar heiress arrives at his doorstep… and somehow ends up in his care. Can he find a suitable bride without falling for his spirited new secretary? Or will thematchmaker arrange a match before time runs out and she marries someone else?

Every month there's usually at least one book written by an author I know nothing about, and here we are. A heroine who leaves Puerto Rico to travel to Spain to claim an inheritance that has a complicated provision attached to it. Amazon has this listed at just over 200 pages and this blurb has a lot going on in it - but I'm definitely intrigue enough to read a sample.

What Unusual Historicals are you looking forward to this month?

Library Loot Review: A Murderous Business

2025-11-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

I cut my reading teeth on mystery and suspense novels. While other girls were reading about those pretty Sweet Valley High bitches, I was thwarting bad guys with Nancy Drew. From there I graduated to Mary Higgins Clark, Victoria Holt and Barbara Michaels. But my true loves? Sue Grafton and Marcia Muller. To this day I am utter trash for lady private detectives and the more competent they are? The harder I fall. So when I read Azteclady's recent review for A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau, I leveraged my library card and snapped it right up.

It's New York City in 1912. The Titanic disaster is all over the newspapers and everyone seems to agree that ladies have no business running companies. Such is the life of Margot Baxter Harriman, who took over the running of the family business, B&H Foods, after her father died. Between her father's well-meaning associates (now her employees) and the board of directors, Margot spends just as much time trying to convince them of her worth, skill and knowledge as she does in the actual running of the company. And running the company is what she's doing when she shows up at the office early one morning to collect some documents, only to find Mrs. Gilroy, her father's long-time devoted and former assistant, dead. Next to Mrs. Gilroy's body? A half finished note, addressed to Margot, implying that there are shenanigans happening at the company - shenanigans that are hurting people and that Mrs. Gilroy's conscience can't take it any more. The company and Margot's good name would be lost if these vague allegations are true. The scandal would be too much. So she pockets the note before calling the police, who rule Mrs. Gilroy's death as natural causes, although the whole thing seems hinky enough to them that they start sniffing around. What Margot needs is a private investigator, a very discreet one.

Who she gets is Loretta "Rett" Mancini, a young woman running (and covering) for her father who has gotten increasingly agitated and forgetful of late. When Margot offers her the job of investigating B&H Foods, Rett jumps at the offer.

Readers say all the time they love competent characters, but what I've noticed over the years is that they're not easy to write. Authors can sometimes confuse competent with perfect - and y'all perfect is boring as hell. Nobody wants to read about perfect, it makes for a dull story. Neither Margot nor Rett are perfect in the sense that they have challenges. Besides being women running businesses, they're both lesbians. 1912 is not safe for them by any stretch of the imagination. They have very few rights as women (hell, they can't even vote yet), and homosexuality is a crime. But these women are smart and intuitive without being insufferably perfect know-it-alls. They're the type of women I'd want to be friends with.

The other great thing about this book? The mystery. Y'all I have been out here in these suspense streets for many years and while I read all manner of books within the genre, I'll admit I do get burnt out on serial killers and violence against women. The shenanigans that Mrs. Gilroy's half-finished note implies are directly tied to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and the increased enforcement of that law. The implication being that B&H Foods is cutting corners and that people are getting sick. The question being, who what and how. That's what Margot and Rett need to find out before a scandal erupts and Margot loses everything.

There is a faint whiff of romance in this story, but not between Rett and Margot. Rett's in a committed relationship and Margot has a dalliance (will it turn into something more in future books?) with an acquaintance of Rett's who helps them out while on the case.

This read like a breath of fresh air to me. Dynamic, interesting and competent heroines, a well-drawn setting, and a well-thought out compelling mystery that didn't feel like a tired retread of plots we've seen a million times before. I sank right into this and am crossing my fingers we get more Harriman and Mancini adventures.

Final Grade = B

#TBRChallenge 2025: The Bikini Car Wash

2025-11-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

The Book: The Bikini Car Wash by Pamela Morsi

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, 2010, Mira, Out of print, self-published reprint 2020, very loosely connected series, The Business Between Us.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: I discovered Morsi through her Americana historical romances and like a lot of historical romance authors, she eventually moved over into contemporary settings. This was one I didn't have in my print TBR, but several years ago I think the digital edition was discounted, which is how it ended up on my Kindle.

The Review: Pamela Morsi passed away in December 2024 and y'all we lost a frickin' queen. She had a way of writing "cozy" without ignoring harsh realities in her romances, and this book illustrates that perfectly. It's a small town romance that feels cozy and connected, but the author acknowledges the elephant in the room, which is small town living is not all idealized roses and bonbons.

Andrea "Andi" Wolkowicz had a well-paying corporate job she loved in Chicago but she quits and promptly moves back to her small hometown of Plainview after her mother unexpectedly passes away. Her parents were a great love match, her father is now retired living on a small pile of savings, and is the sole caregiver to her developmentally disabled twin sister, Angela AKA "Jelly." Unfortunately the economy has taken a downturn, and jobs are hard to come by in the area - a lot of folks are out of work, including Andi. After losing out on a part-time job that she was grossly over-qualified for at the local grocery store, Andi is at a low ebb - until she learns that the her father still owns the building where he ran his car wash business for many years. After her original idea for a drive-thru coffee shop runs afoul of local zoning ordinances, and a villain on the town council, she decides to reopen it as a car wash. The problem is she doesn't have the money to modernize, so she needs a gimmick. Something to get people to show up and pay a little more. That's when she hits upon the idea to hire women and The Bikini Car Wash is born.

Needless to say, women wearing bikinis and washing cars is not met with enthusiasm by all the good townsfolk, but Andi does have one ally on her side - Pete Guthrie. Pete runs the town grocery store, a family business he took over from his father, who he has a strained relationship with. His father never thought anything Pete did was good enough, and that has carried over now that Pete is running a business he's trying to save. The economy being the way it is, his prices being undercut by corporate competitors, anything that will get more traffic into downtown Plainview is a good thing in his opinion. Also, Andi's ability to fill out a tiny red bikini has not gone unnoticed by him.

The dance around Andi and Pete gets off to a rocky start because they went to high school together. Pete was Mr. Popular and kind of a jerk. Andi being a nerd and her sister's disability led to few friends and a fair amount of teasing (bullying feels like too strong a word here - but teenage boys have a gift for being jerks, and that's what Pete was back in the day). Adding to the complication is that Andi had a crush on Pete, and time has only made him more attractive. Also, he's grown-up. Seriously y'all, Pete is a genuinely nice guy but escapes Gary Stu territory because he has some edges to him.

Oh, and did I mention it's Pete's father who does everything in his power to thwart Andi's plans and leads the charge to shut down the Bikini Car Wash? This guy is a very realistic villain, one who suffers from Big Fish, Little Pond Syndrome, who thinks he's Big Man on Campus, and rules over the town with a manipulative iron fist. And just to make him more odious? He's a notorious womanizer who hasn't been faithful to his wife a day of their marriage - an open secret everyone in the town is aware of, which probably explains why Pete's mom has spent retirement avoiding her husband by traveling the globe.

Original cover

This is a curious mix of women's fiction and contemporary romance. The Andi/Pete romance is a main plot thread, but there's a lot of "small town shenanigans" bookending it with a wealth of secondary characters who get page time. I wasn't entirely enamored with the storyline involving Andi's widower father's romance but the two women who work with Andi at the car wash are great, as is the "executive secretary" that Pete's Dad has been using and stringing along since their college days. And Jelly? I'm happy to report that her disability is treated respectfully and she's not shoved into a "mystical oracle" box to serve the story, teaching the non-disabled characters "life lessons" along the way. Jelly has a way of cutting to the heart of a matter when her sister or another character overly complicates the issue, but she's mainly there to round out the story. Also, I'll admit, I loved her obsession with Law & Order. The original, none of that SVU crap. She religiously watches the show and speaks in L&O lingo at times, which this fan found humorous. Also, she's not wrong. Mike Logan is a hothead and I didn't like ADA Serena Southerlyn as much either.

Honestly, it's one of the better small town romances I've read in a while. It doesn't ignore the realities of small town life (struggling economies, less opportunity, busybodies all up in your damn business...) but still retains that cozy charm that Morsi was so well known for. Also, and this cannot be overstated, I inhaled this single title in two greedy gulps. Never, ever discount good world-building.

Final Grade = B