Review - - The Captain

The Captain

by Christi Caldwell

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: October 21, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

Miss Linnie McQuoid Smith has spent a lifetime dreaming of love, but the man she’s always longed for is no longer the one she remembers. Captain Jeremy Tremaine, once a devoted family friend, is now consumed by vengeance, his heart hardened by betrayal at sea.

Lord Culross, on the other hand, offers Linnie the kind of future she ought to want. Yet his quiet devotion and steadfast affection pale in comparison to the intoxicating and undeniable pull she feels toward Tremaine.

But Tremaine’s thirst for power threatens to eclipse their desire for one another, and the demons he carries may destroy them both. As shadows close in, Linnie must decide: the safe path of a love freely given, or the reckless passion that could cost her everything.

PJ's Thoughts:

Having read the earlier McQuoid books in which Captain Jeremy Tremaine is a charming, caring, very likable secondary character, I was not prepared for the changes he had undergone between those books and The Captain. In fact, during the first reading (I've read the The Captain twice), I found him eminently unlikable. So much so that there were points where I wasn't sure if I should be pulling for him or hoping for Linnie (I adored her!) to turn her affections in a different direction (yes, this is a love triangle). But what is evident on the surface does not always match what is churning underneath and in this book, that's a truth for more than one character. 

Throughout the second reading, already knowing the final outcome, I was able to focus more intently on the evolution of the main characters, not only Linnie, Jeremy, and Culross but other members of the McQuoid family who are integral to the events that play out over the course of the book. There are so many layers to explore with multiple characters, layers that Caldwell peels away with care and precision, brilliantly painting a picture of shifting relationships, self-realization, smoldering rage, and unexpected healing while eliciting a variety of visceral emotions within both the characters and me, the reader. I would note here that not all relationships are mended and not all characters are redeemed. I'm hoping that means there are more books within this world on the horizon. 

The Captain is a dark, angst-ridden, explicit story with a distinct old-school romance vibe. Yes, there is humor, heart, and a hard-won happy ending, but there is also danger, betrayal, jealousy, and morally ambiguous characters and events that play out over the course of the book that may not be everyone's cup of tea. The author uses those scenes - and feelings - to allow readers a deeper look into the psyches of the main characters and while explicit and perhaps uncomfortable at times, the interactions never feel gratuitous. At least, they didn't feel that way to me. 

I'm looking forward to more McQuoid and McQuoid Smith books from Caldwell, especially after learning today the identities of the main couple in her next book, The Villain. I can hardly wait! 

Review & Giveaway - - The Diamond and the Duke

The Diamond and the Duke

by Christi Caldwell

All the Duke's Sins - Book 3

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: February 20, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time…
 
Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour. 
 
Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes. 
 
But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…

PJ's Thoughts:

With each book she writes, Christi Caldwell takes me on an emotional, heart-wringing ride where love wins but the journey there is one filled with so many feelings. This one, more than most. I loved every single moment.

In Ellie and Wesley, Caldwell has created two characters who have both been changed by pain. For Wesley, it's both the visible wounds of war as well as those hidden in his mind. Ellie's wounds are not so easily seen but no less life changing, giving her the insight to help Wesley heal where all others have failed. I loved her strength, her resilience, her intrepid spirit, and the tender heart she sought to protect. I loved how she never gave up on Wesley even when he did his best to scare her away, how she loved him with all that she was but, ultimately, put his happiness ahead of her own. And then there's Wesley. Oh, how my heart ached for him...at the start. Then, of course, I just wanted to toss him off a cliff but that was all part of his journey, his healing process. Eventually, he won my heart as completely as he did Ellie's.

Both Ellie and Wesley had significant growth arcs in this book that were managed beautifully and realistically by Caldwell. I appreciated the mutual respect that slowly grew between them, the genuine affection and tender moments that evolved over time, and the gradual awakening of their deepest feelings, eventually bringing them to a point where they were finally able to put the past behind and move forward with love, joy, and trust in their hearts. How Caldwell circled back to their first meeting years earlier to tie it into the final scene of the book was heart-tugging perfection. 

This is the third book in Caldwell's All the Duke's Sins series. It stands well on its own but carries more understanding of family dynamics and emotional significance, in my opinion, if read in order. The earlier books are Along Came a Lady and Desperately Seeking a Duchess. Click the titles to read my reviews of the earlier books.

Content Warning: child abuse (off page-in the past), PTSD

Have you read Christi Caldwell?

Do you have a favorite book or series of hers?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, February 24 will receive a print copy of The Diamond the the Duke. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Thanks for Berkley Publishing for today's giveaway copy of The Diamond and the Duke. 

Review - - A Sure Duke

A Sure Duke

by Christi Caldwell

The McQuoids of Mayfair - Book 3

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: January 9, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Alexandra Bradbury and Dallin McQuoid are neighbors who couldn’t be more different. She’s prim, mindful, and skittish of social improprieties. Dallin is slightly scandalous, boisterously charming, and unbothered by gossip. On an unexpected night of magic forged under the stars, they discover what they do have in common. Could theirs be a rare love match that might last forever?

But everything changes in a heartbeat: a death in the Bradbury family, financial ruin, and Alexandra’s betrothal to a wickedly wealthy marquess. Alexandra is expected to do what’s best for her family, regardless of her heart.

Until another crisis arises, and the dutiful daughter must embark on a journey with the waggish lord across the street to prevent a catastrophe for both of their families.

Along the road, will their stars finally align?

PJ's Thoughts:

Christi Caldwell's stories never fail to touch my heart and she's done it again with A Sure Duke, the third installment in her The McQuoid's of Mayfair series. I love this unconventional family. Cheers for lots of children for (hopefully) future books!

There's much to love about A Sure Duke. Meet cute? Check. Road romance? Check. Only one bed? Check. Grand gesture? Check! Caldwell uses all of the above to infuse this story with charm, adventure, a bit of spice, visible yearning, and some angst. Alexandra is, after all, being forced to marry someone else. She gave me two lead characters who captured my heart and had me cheering for them as obstacles to their happy ending kept piling up. There are some terrific family dynamics on both sides. I especially enjoyed the slowly evolving relationship between Alexandra and her mother as well as the one between Alexandra and her middle sister. And, of course, it was great fun to watch Dallin's sisters, Myrtle (The Duke Alone) and Cassia (The Heiress at Sea) take him to task when the situation warranted as well as give him their full love and support when his happy ending appeared an impossibility. I adore the sibling dynamics in this series. 

I have nothing concrete on which to base these feelings but I find myself wondering if the disinterested man Alexandra was being forced to wed isn't quite the villain he's portrayed to be. His father, the Duke, certainly, but I have this gut feeling that there may be hidden layers to the son. Of course, I could be totally off track but I'll be watching to see if Caldwell has future plans for him. 

In the meantime, I'll be over here imagining Dallin and Alexandra living their best lives together, exploring the world under starlit skies, until it's time for the next McQuoid sibling to find love.

For readers new to the McQuoids, A Sure Duke stands well on it's own. You can easily jump in here or for a more complete understanding of the McQuoid family dynamics, read the books in order. They are (1) The Duke Alone (click for review), (2) The Heiress at Sea (click for review), and (3) A Sure Duke. Whichever way you go, you're bound to be entertained. 

 

Review - - The Heiress at Sea

The Heiress at Sea

by Christi Caldwell

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: March 14, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

A seafaring journey is the second chance for a lady and the last chance for a marquess in a thrilling novel about rebellious love, secrets, and danger by USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell.

Perpetually unattached Lady Cassia McQuoid has accepted her fate as a spinster. But how can she be expected to lead a life confined to drawing rooms and royal balls when there’s a vast, exciting world to explore? Cassia can find but one solution: she masquerades as a thrill-seeking lad and stows away on a ship bound for open waters. Adventure awaits. So does notorious privateer Nathaniel Ellsby.

Nathaniel doesn’t want to be the Duke of Roxburghe. Instead, the second-born son relishes his freedom to do as he pleases: pursuing enemy ships in service of the war effort. But when his older brother dies, Nathaniel embarks on one last mission before he fulfills his ducal duties with an arranged marriage. That’s the intention, at least―until he discovers that his woefully green deckhand is a fetching but vulnerable woman in disguise.

Nathaniel’s new mission is to protect Cassia from the perils of the sea, both above and below the water, by sharing the close confines of the captain’s quarters. As roiling emotions turn to love, Nathaniel and Cassia realize the greatest risks―to the Crown, to their futures, and to the heart―still lie ahead.

PJ's Thoughts:

I may as well admit it right upfront: I'm a pushover for a stowaway-heroine-in-disguise and a stern privateer (with a marshmallow center) thrown together in a seagoing romance. Pair them with Christi Caldwell's snappy banter, impeccably-timed humor, and crackling chemistry and you have a book I happily read in one sitting, pretty much grinning from beginning to end. But don't think this is all fluff and no substance. There's plenty of emotional depth here too, something at which Caldwell excels.

The Heiress at Sea has gone straight to my comfort-read keeper shelf where I can visit it again and again whenever I need a mood boost. If you're looking for a feel-good, sea-adventuring romance that will lift your spirits give this one a go. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.

Although it's not marketed as part of a series, Cassia is the older sister of Lady Myrtle McQuoid, heroine of Caldwell's The Duke Alone (click to read PJ's review). I'm hoping this means we'll be seeing more McQuoid siblings find their happily ever after in future books!

Review - - Desperately Seeking a Duchess

Desperately Seeking a Duchess

by Christi Caldwell

All the Duke's Sins - Book 2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 24, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

Cailin Audley doesn’t fit in with Polite Society. A life spent among the working class taught her to value her independence in a way no newfound fortune or glittering ballroom could ever erase. When a major misstep sees the new heiress whisked away to the English countryside, Cailin soon realizes the vexing lengths her family will go to see her settled.  But having risked her heart once before, Cailin has no interest in the men of the ton—especially not the frustratingly charming Duke of St. James.
 
Courtland Balfour, the Duke of St. James, devoted brother and notorious rogue, despises what he must become—a fortune hunter. But with the ducal coffers drained by his late, spendthrift of a father, Courtland knows his duty lies at the altar and he will do anything to ensure a future for his siblings. Just his luck that the one lady who could make this new fate bearable, who enflames him like no other, is the one woman who wants nothing to do with him or his title.
 
But when an act of desperation inadvertently lands he and Cailin at the heart of another scandal, Courtland knows better than to waste his chance. Surely he can convince Cailin to love him?

PJ's Thoughts:

This second book in Caldwell's All the Duke's Sins series is another page-turner that kept me entertained from beginning to end. Caldwell is so skilled at creating complex, fully-developed characters and that ability is once again on full display here, with both primary and secondary characters leaping from the pages. 

Cailin and Courtland are intriguing, multi-layered characters with whom I felt an immediate affinity. I loved that they began as adversaries who then moved into friendship that gradually deepened into unexpected love. Caldwell has gifted them with snappy banter, a fair number of chuckles and a modicum of angst, along with some steamy attraction. She's also given them complex family relationships that threaten to derail their budding relationship at several turns along with outside obstacles looming over them like a stormy cloud. I enjoyed the evolution of both main characters, especially Courtland's as he comes to realize (with help) that working together is much more beneficial than trying to carry family burdens alone and Cailin's, as she learns she can embrace her true self and still find a place within her new family. 

There's a solid secondary cast in the book with the potential for future stories among them. I know Cailin's remaining brothers are on deck but I'm already hoping that Courtland's youngest sister will be a future heroine of her own story. She's only 14 now but she's a firecracker and glimmers of the adult she will grow to be are already strong.  

You can read Desperately Seeking a Duchess as a standalone but I think you'll have a deeper understanding of the Audley family dynamics as well as Cailin herself if you begin with Along Came a Lady. If you're interested in the Duke of Bentley's back story as well as his romance with Lady Lydia, check out the series prequel, It Had to Be the Duke. 

Review - - Big Duke Energy

Big Duke Energy

by Kerrigan Byrne, Christi Caldwell, Amalie Howard, Janna MacGregor, and Stacy Reid

Seasons of Sin Anthology Collection - Book 1

Publisher: Oliver Heber Books

Release Date: March 29, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

 

THE EARL ON THE TRAIN by Kerrigan Byrne Sebastian Moncrieff is a villain, a traitor, and a pirate, who has recently inherited an Earldom he never wanted. As a man who’s committed every sin imaginable, he knows his only chance at redemption is the one woman who ever reached through to his soul of ice. He’s kidnapped Veronica Latimer once before, and was enchanted by everything about her... This time, when he takes her, he’ll have to admit that she’s kept his heart captive since the moment they met. But can he convince her to forgive his past in order to claim a future?

LOVED AND FOUND: Christi Caldwell Lieutenant Thaddeus Phippen has lived a lifetime away from the only love he ever knew, a powerful duke's daughter. He's now returned from fighting Boney's forces, ready to put aside tragic battlefield remembrances and the memory of past heartbreak of love lost. Or that was the plan...until Thaddeus finds himself face-to-face with the one woman he soon finds he can't ever forget... Is the divide between former lovers too great to forge a future together...or can they at last have a love to last a lifetime?

THE WOLF OF WESTMORE by Amalie Howard Lord Wulfric Bane, the Duke of Westmore knows that blood is thicker than water, that duty is more important than personal desire, and that some things, like falling in love, are never meant to be. Cossetted and coddled Lady Jocelyn Capehart has been bred to be the perfect lady. On the outside, she is demure, sweet, and biddable, but on the inside, a vixen longs to break free of her cage. A chance meeting at a sultry club leads to one sinfully explosive night that neither of them can forget.

PUT UP YOUR DUKES by Janna MacGregor Martin "Duke" Richmond bows to no one, including any duke who protests what he publishes in his sensational gossip rag, The Midnight Cryer. However, he is occasionally open to negotiation when it comes to special requests from his wife. Estranged from her husband for five years because of the incendiary gossip he prints, Amelia Richmond finds escape from her lonely existence by volunteering at a foundling home, helping society's most powerful people avoid her husband's rancor gossip, and sleeping with her husband every Wednesday. Not an entirely unwelcome chore. When Martin goes on a rampage against one of the most powerful dukes in the British Isles, Amelia must use her wit and best persuasive techniques to rein him in. When her chance for a happy marriage appears within reach, Amelia finds herself falling for him once again, which is bad...very bad.

DUKE OF EVERY SIN by Stacy Reid Ethan Benedict, Duke of Bainbridge, has been an object of fear, fascination, and salacious gossip for years. To many, his reputation would make him an unlikely savior of a baby left on his doorstep. But Ethan saw the child as perhaps a pathway to redemption. What he did not anticipate was for his jaded heart to soften toward the mysterious young woman who infiltrates his household and secretly cares for the child.

PJ's Thoughts:

I'm a fan of anthologies. They offer readers a wonderful opportunity to read a shorter story from a favorite author, frequently featuring a secondary character from an existing series, while at the same time discovering new author voices without having to commit to a full-length book. Some of my current auto-buy authors have been discovered as part of an anthology I bought because of someone else's story. You really never know what gems await.

Big Duke Energy features five authors. Three are authors whose books I never miss, one is a well-known author I have yet to read, and the final author, Stacy Reid is one with whom I was not familiar.

I've read the stories by Caldwell, Howard, and MacGregor which are each attached to a series I've read, or am currently reading. I'll be reading the other two soon.

In Put Up Your Dukes, MacGregor explores a controversial - somewhat villainous - character from her Cavensham Heiresses series. Martin Richmond has stirred scandal for some of my favorite heroes and heroines without a hint of remorse. I enjoyed the layers MacGregor unveiled in his story, the hidden humanity, and the reformation of his character. The way it played out over the course of the story - with steps forward and back - brought realism to his journey and gave me the authenticity I needed to buy into his "new and improved" character. And I loved his wife!

If you're looking for extra spice with your romance, Amalie Howard's The Wolf of Westmore is a good choice. I adored these two! There's wonderful chemistry between the leads, great banter, and a history that adds layers of complications to their journey. I loved Jocelyn and how she took charge of her future. I was cheering her on so loud. This story is great on its own but if you've read The Beast of Beswick and/or The Rakehell of Roth you'll certainly enjoy catching up with some of the main characters from those books. 

Christi Caldwell is known for writing stories with deep emotional impact and that holds true with this story of second-chance romance. I love friends-to-lovers and this couple brings an additional layer of complexity with a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers dynamic. I was pulled in from the first action-packed scenes and kept eagerly turning pages until the end. This one features brief appearances by characters from Caldwell's It Happened One Winter from her Scandalous Affairs series but you do not have to have read that book to fully enjoy this story.

I'll be back to update the review once I've read the remaining two stories in this anthology but based on the three I have already read, I can enthusiastically recommend it to all of you who love historical romance. 

 

Review - - A Wanton for All Seasons

A Wanton for All Seasons

by Christi Caldwell

Wantons of Waverton - Book 3

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: November 2, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

 

Annalee Spencer and Wayland Smith were uninhibited young lovers until the Peterloo Massacre set them on two different paths. Raised to the title of Baron of Darlington in recognition of his courage, Wayland is now a model of propriety and heroism. As for Annalee, the trauma of that tragic day in Manchester is ever present. To dull the pain, she lives only for pleasure. And she derives immense pleasure from co-leading the Mismatch Society, a league of scandalously independent women. Perhaps too scandalous…because of Annalee. To save the society, she must adopt a veneer of respectability. For that she needs the man who’s won the admiration of the ton.

Wayland may be conflicted, but he agrees to Annalee’s proposal, if only to atone for having brought his former beloved to Peterloo on that fateful day. Reunited under the pretense of a courtship, Wayland and Annalee find the feelings between them are becoming real. With their own futures at stake, it’s finally time to confront the past, to trust in each other again, and against the odds, to reclaim the love they once had.

PJ's Thoughts:

Caldwell explores PTSD and the different ways it can impact a person's life in this deeply emotional story about facing one's demons, forgiveness, acceptance, and second chances. 

The one thing I can count on when I pick up a Christi Caldwell book is that I'm going to be taken for an emotional ride and this book certainly delivers. Annalee was a bit of a puzzle to me during the first two books of this series. She was clearly on a self-destructive path that was somehow tied to her experiences at Peterloo but we don't learn the particulars until this book. My heart broke for her. She's clearly struggling and has been for years yet the only people to reach out, the only people offering unconditional love and support are her 13-year-old sister and the ladies of the Mismatch Society, though there is much they don't know. I won't get into my opinions of her brother and parents. Suffice it to say, they are not kind. 

While Annalee's life has taken a dark and dangerous turn, Wayland's, by contrast, has become all that is prim and proper. Because of his Peterloo experience he's achieved his childhood dreams and become the darling of London society, who are all too eager to write his happy ending...one that decidedly does not include outcast Annalee. But, when a favor for his best friend, Annalee's brother, reunites him with his former love he slowly begins to realize that his best life is not what he imagined it to be. Will he be courageous enough to follow his heart?

Talk about hard-won happy endings. These two have all the cards stacked against them. At first, I thought Wayland would take the position of "rescuer" but he turned out to be much more complex than I had imagined, with a significant growth arc of his own.  Annalee, on the other hand, has an inner strength, core of kindness, and self-awareness that took me by surprise but that I greatly admired. At first, they seem to be polar opposites who could have no hope of finding happiness together but in reality they may turn out to be the only two people in the world who are able to understand, support, uplift, and love one another. 

The secondary cast of characters in this book add a great deal of interest and complexity to the story. Favorites include Wayland's sister, Annalee's sister, and the always delightful - and somewhat bloodthirsty - Kearsley sisters. I'd happily read stories for all of them. I'll also be happy if I never see Wayland's mother, Annalee's parents, or her brother in a book again. There's going to have to be significantly more groveling there before I even think about forgiving them. 

If you enjoy deeply-emotional historical romance with complex characters, some angst, some humor, and hard-won happy endings, give this one a try. In fact, read all three books in the series. I highly recommend them. 

Content Warning: PTSD, excessive drinking

Review & Giveaway - - Mistletoe Christmas

Mistletoe Christmas

An Anthology by Eloisa James, Christi Caldwell,

Janna MacGregor, and Erica Ridley

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: September 28, 2021

Reviewed by PJ 

 

The Duke of Greystoke’s Christmas Revelry is famous throughout the British Isles for its plays, dancing, magical grotto… not to mention scandals leading to the marriage licenses he hands out like confetti.

But not everyone welcomes a visit from Cupid.

Lady Cressida, the duke’s daughter, is too busy managing the entertainments—and besides, her own father has called her dowdy. Her cousin, Lady Isabelle Wilkshire, is directing Cinderella and has no interest in marriage. Lady Caroline Whitmore is already (unhappily) married; the fact that she and her estranged husband have to pretend to be together just makes her dread the party all the more.  But not as much as Miss Louisa Harcourt, whose mother bluntly tells her that this is her last chance to escape the horrors of being an old maid.

A house party so large that mothers lose track of their charges leads to a delightful, seductive quartet of stories that you will savor for the Season!

PJ's Thoughts:

This Christmas anthology sparkles with witty dialogue, poignant emotion, steamy interludes, and happy endings. The four stories, featuring characters all in attendance at the Revelry, interweave with one another while each standing on its own. They all pulled me in, kept me entertained, and gave me four happily-ever-after endings brimming with good feelings and holiday cheer. 

"A Mistletoe Kiss" by Eloisa James

The anthology leads off with a strong story about a young woman whose father (the duke) has turned her into little better than a slave to fuel his societal ambitions and the rich, handsome, and charming man next door whose eyes are suddenly opened to her well-hidden value. Their story is filled with witty banter, humor, a truly good hero (so much fun watching him fall hard and have to work hard for his happy ending), and one of my all-time favorite James heroines. I adored Cressie. Watching her blossom, recognize her worth, and claim her happiness was everything I could have wanted. 

"Wishing Under the Mistletoe" by Christi Caldwell

This second-chance romance showcases the depth of Caldwell's writing skills. I love second chances and Isabelle and Cyrus surely deserved one. I respected Isabelle for following her own path and demanding that she be valued, even at the expense of her own happiness. My heart ached for Cyrus and his misplaced priorities. Their second chance brought growth, tenderness, forgiveness, understanding, a reawakening of love, and a truly splendid grand gesture. As usual, with a Christi Caldwell story, there were heartfelt sighs and happy tears.

"Compromise Under the Mistletoe" by Janna MacGregor

Marriage in trouble is the focus of MacGregor's novella and it's a trope she uses a deft hand to explore in this tale of love, yearning, and miscommunication. I enjoyed the layers of emotion in this tale, the individual growth of both Caroline and Stephen, the flickers of desire still simmering between them that were allowed to slowly but surely grow as they worked through the issues separating them, and the developing understanding and compromise that allowed them to once again claim happiness as a couple.

 

"Mischief and Mistletoe" by Erica Ridley

Ridley's writing chops shine in this fourth novella. If I hadn't read her yet, this novella would have had me seeking out her back list immediately. I adored Isabella and Ewan. They were so perfect for one another. I didn't love what Ewan was doing but I understood his reasons...and his ultimate mea culpa and grand gesture were definitely sigh-worthy. Watching Isabella come into her own was an absolute delight. These two took me on a ride filled with sighs, tears, laughter, and happy endings. 

Have you read the Mistletoe Christmas anthology yet?

Have you read all four authors?

Do you have any Christmas novellas or anthologies to recommend?

Mistletoe Christmas

APPLE | AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | BOOKS-A-MILLION | GOOGLE PLAY | TARGET | WAL-MART

Eloisa James, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, wrote her first novel after graduating from Harvard, but alas, it was rejected by every possible publisher. After she got an MPhil from Oxford, a PhD from Yale, and a job as a Shakespeare professor, she tried again, with much greater success. In 2013 she won a Rita Award for Best Romance Novella. She teaches Shakespeare in the English department at Fordham University in New York. She is the mother of two children and, in a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, is married to a genuine Italian knight.

Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She is the author of The Bad Luck Bride. She credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs. She loves to hear from readers.

Christi Caldwell is the USA Today bestselling author of more than ten series, including Lost Lords of London, Sinful Brides, The Wicked Wallflowers, and Heart of a Duke. She blames novelist Judith McNaught for luring her into the world of historical romance. When Christi was at the University of Connecticut, she began writing her own tales of love–ones where even the most perfect heroes and heroines had imperfections. She learned to enjoy torturing her couples before they earned their well-deserved happily ever after. Christi lives in Southern Connecticut, where she spends her time writing, chasing after her son, and taking care of her twin princesses-in-training. Fans who want to keep up with the latest news and information can sign up for her newsletter at www.ChristiCaldwell.com.

Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty historical romance novels. Her popular series include the Dukes of War, Rogues to Riches, and Magic and Mayhem.

Birthday Month Giveaway #12 - - Historicals on the Horizon

 

I've been plotting out my reading for the rest of 2021. Oh, not the impulse buys, those books that catch my eye, causing me to quickly one-click at Amazon. No, these are the books I've been hearing buzz about for the past several months, the next installment in an ongoing series that I've been eagerly anticipating since last year. The books written by the authors who are my treasured auto-buys. The majority of these books have already been pre-ordered, allowing me to bask in the giddy anticipation of waking up on release day to the knowledge that a delicious new historical romance is on my Kindle, sitting there like a gaily-wrapped package just waiting to be opened and appreciated. Here are a few of the historical romances I'm most anticipating.

The Devil's Own Duke

by Lenora Bell

Wallflowers vs Rogues - Book 2

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: September 28, 2021

Lady Henrietta Prince is far too busy for romance. She's dedicated her life to turning her family vineyards into a profitable sparkling wine venture. But when she shares a thrilling kiss at midnight with a handsome stranger, she's captivated...until he claims to be the distant heir to her father's dukedom.

Ash Ellis is a gambler who lives life on the edge. Now he's locked his sights on a glittering prize and nothing will stand in his way.

When Henrietta is forced to marry the wicked rogue to keep her beloved vineyards, she vows that Ash will never have her trust, or her love. Even if his kisses are more intoxicating than the finest champagne.

His new bride is certainly beautiful, but biddable? Not so much. Ash will settle for nothing less than Henrietta's total surrender...but is he the one in danger of losing his heart?

PJ says: Bell's books touch my heart, tickle my funny bone, and always, always leave me with a happy smile. I adored book one of this series and can't wait to embark on this new journey with winemaker Henrietta and gambler Ash. 

The Duchess Hunt

by Lorraine Heath

Once Upon a Dukedom - Book 2

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: September 28. 2021

Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland, is in need of a duchess. However, restoring the dukedom—left in ruins by his father—to its former glory demands all his time, with little room for sentiment. He places an advert encouraging the single ladies of the ton to write why they should be the one chosen, and leaves it to his efficient secretary to select his future wife.

If there exists a more unpleasant task in the world than deciding who is to marry the man you love, Penelope Pettypeace certainly can’t imagine what it might be. Still, she is determined to find the perfect bride for her clueless, yet ruthlessly charming employer.

But when an anonymous note threatens to reveal truths best hidden, Kingsland has no choice but to confront the danger with Penelope at his side. Beguiled by the strong-willed, courageous beauty, he realizes he’s willing to risk everything, including his heart, to keep her safe within his arms. Could it be the duchess he’s hunting for has been in front of him all along?

PJ says: Heath is one of my favorite historical romance authors. I've been intrigued by Kingsland and his secretary, Miss Pettypeace since meeting them in book one, Scoundrel of My Heart (highly recommend!). I'm excited for them to take center stage in The Duchess Hunt. 

Rules for Heiresses

by Amalie Howard

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Release Date: October 26, 2021

Sometimes, finding love means flouting the rules...

Born to a life of privilege, Lady Ravenna Huntley rues the day that she must marry. She's refused dozens of suitors and cried off multiple betrothals, but running away—even if brash and foolhardy—is the only option left to secure her independence.

Lord Courtland Chase, grandson of the Duke of Ashvale, was driven from England at the behest of his cruel stepmother. Scorned and shunned, he swore never to return to the land of his birth. But when a twist of bad luck throws a rebellious heiress into his arms, at the very moment he finds out he's the new Duke, marriage is the only alternative to massive scandal.

Both are quick to deny it, but a wedding might be the only way out for both of them. And the attraction that burns between them makes Ravenna and Courtland wonder if it'll truly only be a marriage of convenience after all...

PJ says: A rebellious heiress, a shunned duke, a delicious scandal, and a marriage of convenience. Check, check, check, and double check! Howard brings heat, humor, and heart to her historical romances and I am here for it. 

 

A Wanton for All Seasons

by Christie Caldwell 

Publisher: Montlake 

Release Date: November 2, 2021

Annalee Spencer and Wayland Smith were uninhibited young lovers until the Peterloo Massacre set them on two different paths. Raised to the title of Baron of Darlington in recognition of his courage, Wayland is now a model of propriety and heroism. As for Annalee, the trauma of that tragic day in Manchester is ever present. To dull the pain, she lives only for pleasure. And she derives immense pleasure from co-leading the Mismatch Society, a league of scandalously independent women. Perhaps too scandalous…because of Annalee. To save the society, she must adopt a veneer of respectability. For that she needs the man who’s won the admiration of the ton.

Wayland may be conflicted, but he agrees to Annalee’s proposal, if only to atone for having brought his former beloved to Peterloo on that fateful day. Reunited under the pretense of a courtship, Wayland and Annalee find the feelings between them are becoming real. With their own futures at stake, it’s finally time to confront the past, to trust in each other again, and against the odds, to reclaim the love they once had.

PJ says: The first two books in this series have been brimming with sensual romance and deep emotion. I have a feeling this third one may be the most emotional yet. Christi Caldwell never disappoints.

After Dark with the Duke

by Julie Anne Long

The Palace of Rogues - Book 4

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: November 30, 2021

She arrives in the dead of night, a mob out for blood at her heels: Mariana Wylde, the “Harlot of Haywood Street,” an opera diva brought low by a duel fought for her favors. But the ladies of the Grand Palace on the Thames think they can make a silk purse from scandal: They’ll restore her reputation and share in her triumph...provided they can keep her apart from that other guest.

 
Coldly brilliant, fiercely honorable, General James Duncan Blackmore, the Duke of Valkirk, is revered, feared, desired...but nobody truly knows him. Until a clash with a fiery, vulnerable beauty who stands for everything he scorns lays him bare. It’s too clear the only cure for consuming desire is conquest, but their only chance at happiness could lead to their destruction.

The legendary duke never dreamed love would be his last battleground. Valkirk would lay down his life for Mariana, but his choice is stark: risk losing her forever, or do the one thing he vowed he never would...surrender.

PJ says: I've been reading Long since her debut. If she writes it, I buy it. I pre-ordered After Dark with the Duke in March. I'm currently at the midway point of an advance copy of the book and all I can say is that if the second half of this book is as good as the first it may well end up being one of my favorite JAL books and one of my favorite historical romances of 2021. 

What historical romances being released between now and the end of 2021 are you most looking forward to reading?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, September 13 will receive a print copy of Scoundrel of My Heart by Lorraine Heath.

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