"You Have Your Hands Full!"

The Duke of Nothing is a romance novel written by Jess Michaels. It is the fifth book in her Regency-era 1797 Club series. I was excited about the opportunity to read this book because I thoroughly enjoyed the fourth book in the series- The Silent Duke.

Baldwin Undercross is the Duke of Sheffield, and as the story begins, he finds himself in quite a predicament. He’s virtually insolvent, and if he doesn’t marry an heiress, he will certainly lose what little he has left.

Helena Monroe meets Baldwin at a party, and because she is an American, he assumes that she is the wealthy American heiress who is in town to align her family’s wealth with an ancient title. However, Helena is not the heiress- she is merely her wealthy cousin’s companion. There is an instant connection, which blooms into a mutual attraction. The duchesses in Baldwin’s circle of friends work tirelessly to contrive situations for Helena and him to meet, but of course, they have no idea how dire his financial situation is. And likewise, Helena faces ruination if their clandestine meetings are discovered. Read more

The Rogue is Back in Town is historical romance novel written by Anna Bennett. It is the third book in her Regency-era Wayward Wallflowers series featuring a trio of sisters. I read the second book in the series, so I was pleased with the opportunity to find out what was going to happen next in the series.

Juliette Lacey’s sisters have recently made advantageous matches with an earl and a duke respectively. She is the only one left in the house with her aging uncle, who is a widower and a scientist. Julie is quite devoted to her uncle, who adopted the three sisters when they were orphaned. So, needless to say, she is quite put-out when a handsome rogue shows up on her doorstep demanding that she vacate the premises.

Sam’s most recent drunken night has proven itself to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, and his stuffy marquess brother demands that he evict the tenants from a house that he owns. Needless to say, the job proves more difficult than Sam anticipated when the tenant proves to be so beautiful. Read more

To the Duke With Love is a historical romance novel written by Amelia Grey. It is the second book in her Regency-era The Rakes of St. James series. I have not read any of Grey’s other books, but I was excited about the opportunity to try a new author.

Sloane Knox is the Duke of Hawksthorne. Hawk, as he prefers to be called, is hoping to arrange a match for his sister before her Season. He is afraid of her becoming embroiled in a scandalous prank as retaliation for a scandalous prank he was involved with a couple of years ago. Hawk has settled upon the rather bland and inoffensive Mr. Quick, who is the nephew of an earl and due to inherit the title one day.

There’s just one problem- Mr. Quick’s sister Loretta is against the idea. She refused to marry the man her uncle chose for her, and as punishment, she was banished to a remote hunting lodge. This is the very same lodge where Hawk arrives unexpectedly with his proposal. Read more

The Duke Knows Best is a historical romance novel written by Jane Ashford. It is the fifth book in her The Duke’s Sons Regency-era historical romance series. I’ve read a couple of Ashford’s books before, so I was excited about the opportunity to read this one.

Lord Randolph Gresham played a secondary role in his brother Robert’s book, Nothing Like a Duke. I was intrigued by the idea of a vicar as the hero, and initially, I was a little disappointed that Randolph had left his parish for London because it would have been interesting to see him balance his work with his quest for a wife.

Randolph clashes immediately with Miss Verity Sinclair, who dismisses him as a simple country parson. Her father is also in the church, and she is looking for more to life than that. She can scarcely believe her outburst, and is chagrined that she would behave so rudely to a stranger. Read more

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever is a historical romance novel written by Julia Quinn. It’s the first book in her Regency-era Bevelstoke trilogy. I did not have a chance to read this book when it was originally published in 2009, so I was very excited when it was available as part of an Audible sale.

Miranda Cheever is an only child, and she has formed a friendship with Olivia and Winston, the Bevelstoke twins who live nearby. Once day, her friends’ older brother Turner escorts her home. He is kind to her, and encourages her by suggesting that she keep a diary to look back on when she is grown up.

The main story takes place about nine years after the prologue. Miranda is now around twenty years old, and she reconnects with Turner. She is preparing for a Season in London, and to put things mildly, he is not in a good place emotionally. He realizes quite suddenly that Miranda is no longer the gawky girl she used to be. Turner has no interest in marrying again, but he can’t stop thinking about Miranda. Oh, and Olivia is intent on arranging a match between Miranda and Winston. Read more