The Unlikely Lady is the third book in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series of regency-set historical romance novels. I received an advanced reader copy of Bowman’s The Untamed Earl, which I enjoyed so much that I sought out some of the other books in the series. I listened to the Audible version of An Unlikely Lady last year, but I never got around to reviewing it. I’m trying to get back into the swing of book reviewing, and catching up on books I missed.

The Unlikely Lady is the story of Miss Jane Lowndes, who is a thorough bluestocking. She has been bantering with Garrett Upton for years, and they appear to have a mutual disdain for each other. Needless to say, they are both surprised when they share a passionate kiss during a masquerade ball at a house party. Read more

I am usually in the middle of several books at once. I have books on my Kindle, physical books, and then I am usually listening to a book via Audible.

I recently listened to the Audible edition of A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean. I had been looking forward to this book based on the premise, and so I was very excited to be able to bundle the Kindle edition with Audible.

The plot involves a modern phenomenon inserted into 19^th century England- the naked selfie being leaked. Wait, you might say. That makes no sense, you might say- they didn’t even have cell phones, and cameras were rudimentary at best. Well, sit down and buckle up, because this is where things get interesting. Read more

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a couple of the historical romances in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read The Legendary Lord.

This is Christian’s story. Fans of the series will remember Lord Berkeley from the secondary role he has played in earlier books. Christian is the genial sort of man who has always been relegated to a friendship rather than the romantic lead. He has grown weary of his high social circle, and decides to spend some time by himself in his hunting lodge in Scotland.

Sarah Highgate, a popular debutante, also feels stifled by London society and her insufferable fiance, so she runs away. She inadvertently ends up at Christian’s lodge, and they wind up stuck in the house together after a snowstorm- alone together.

Nothing happens during their time in the lodge, and Christian goes to great lengths to make sure that Sarah’s reputation is preserved. His wonderful friends (the heroines from the previous books) provide an “alibi” for Sarah and she is able to return to London with an acceptable explanation for her absence. Read more

A couple of months ago, I received the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Valerie Bowman’s The Untamed Earl. I have been reading historical romance novels for many years, but that was my first experience with Bowman’s books. I enjoyed The Untamed Earl, and was excited when I remembered that I had a couple of her other books on my Kindle. I tend to collect books when they are on sale, and come back to read them later.

I decided to start with The Unexpected Duchess, the first entry in the “Playful Brides” series. I had mentioned in my review of The Untamed Earl that there were some scenes with the hero’s sister and her friends, and that I would have had a better appreciation for their friendship if I had read the previous books in the series. So what better place to start than the beginning?

Lady Lucy Upton is a very loyal friend. Her friend Cass declares that she does not want to marry war-hero-turned-duke Derek Hunt, but she is too shy to tell him herself. Lucy takes it upon herself to speak for her dear friend Cass, and tell the new aristocrat that Cass is just not interested. She tries an indirect approach: speaking for Cass in a scene reminiscent of Cyrano de Bergerac, and she tries a more direct approach too. Read more

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed reading historical romance novels for about fifteen years, especially those set in the Regency era of English history. I hadn’t read any of Valerie Bowman’s other novels before receiving the opportunity to read The Untamed Earl, but I am always looking for new authors/series.

The Untamed Earl is the 5^th book in Bowman’s “Playful Brides” series. The story concerns Alexandra Hobbs, who fell in love with the Owen Monroe when she was fifteen years old. Several years later, she learns that her father has arranged for Owen to marry- Lavinia- Alexander’s awful older sister. Read more