Book Review: Mail-Order Duchess (Lords of the Rockies #1) by Misty M. Beller

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 254 pages
Author: Misty M. Beller
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Five sons of an English duke, all raised in the Rocky Mountains…
A marriage born of duty. A love neither expected.

When Enoch Balfour’s eldest brother tragically dies, the weight of family responsibility falls on his shoulders. Now this Montana rancher must train for his role as the next Duke of Clarence—and marry the mail-order bride his brother sent for. Hardened by loss, Enoch has no intention of opening his heart to a stranger, but duty demands he produce an heir.

Mandie Beaumont is a desperate young widow fleeing the sinister advances of her brother-in-law. After arriving in the Montana Territory to marry a man she’s never met, an accident leaves her robbed of her recent memories—memories that conceal a devastating secret. When she discovers she’s carrying a child conceived through betrayal and violence, Mandie fears rejection and ruin. Yet, in Enoch, she finds an unexpected protector whose fierce gentleness makes her long to trust again.

Though Mandie’s charm and resilience begin to thaw Enoch’s guarded heart, he struggles with his fear of loss. When Mandie’s past resurfaces, Enoch must risk everything to save her. If he fails, Mandie will be torn from him—and the love they’ve begun to embrace could be lost forever.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a royal family saga featuring a mail-order bride, amnesia, a secret baby, and an aristocratic marriage of convenience…all set in the rugged Montana Territory.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

SOFT & TENDER.

You kind of always know what you’re going to get when you pick up a MMB book. And that’s okay! I like knowing that it’s going to be a short closed door romance with some tender, protective men and strong FMC’s.

Mandie has gone through a devastating situation and chose to look forward and take the next best step. I loved the way Enoch protected and stood by her side no matter what. I also really liked Mandie’s parents too! I wasn’t expecting the turnaround with them and seeing supportive parents always pulls at my heart.

Beautifully tender and not overly preachy. Heading into the next book soon!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild+
  • Content warnings: r*pe recounted, kidnapping, attempted murder, physical injuries

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Book Review: Unromance by Erin Connor

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Erin Connor
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: January 14th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Sawyer Greene knows romance. She’s a bestselling author of the genre—or she was, until her college girlfriend left her with nothing but writer’s block and bitterness. So when Sawyer gets stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger, she sees it for what it is: not a meet-cute but a chance encounter with a charming man whom she will sleep with exactly once and go on her way. Easy enough…until she runs into him again at a Christmas market straight out of a Hallmark holiday movie. 

EH.

I was drawn in by this beautiful cover and left with a meh feeling about this romance y’all. I mostly think it was trying too hard to be sexy. Some of the comments and innuendo didn’t land for me and didn’t seem necessary to the story other than to be able to call this a spicy book. Same goes for the spice too, I didn’t know this was a one night stand book and got off on a bad foot with this one.

The middle though was good, I thought the romance had some sweet moments and I loved that they were going on all of these dates together. I could see some growth and was interesting in the general trajectory of the plot.

But lo and behold, the third act made me cranky enough to comment on it. I just struggle with these y’all. If these things don’t bother you, I’d say give it a go. While not for me, I can see the appeal.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door; innuendo throughout

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Book Review: The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Lauren Okie
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: October 14th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From a stunning new voice in romance, Lauren Okie’s The Best Worst Thing is an intimate story about starting over, second chances, and two people who cannot help falling into each other’s orbit once again.

All things considered, Nicole Speyer has a pretty amazing life. At least that’s what she tells herself. She’s got a beautiful house, a relatively successful fertility podcast, and a perfect husband, Gabe. The only thing that’s less than ideal is her years-long struggle with infertility—and how, with every passing day, she and Gabe seem to drift a little further apart.

But then, mere hours after a Hail Mary embryo transfer to her gestational carrier, Nicole discovers Gabe’s been sleeping with their dog walker, and her world turns upside down. Suddenly, a jobless, childless, and now-husbandless Nicole finds herself at the doorstep of somebody she tried to say goodbye to a long time ago.

Logan Milgram: a former colleague with serious golden retriever energy who happens to be laugh-out-loud funny, a colossal nerd, and legitimately kind of hot. When Logan opens his door that night, it’s like no time has passed. And as they fall back into each other’s lives, Nicole starts recognizing herself in the mirror again. She even begins to like what she sees. And then, like a cruel joke, she gets the news she’s spent a lifetime waiting for: her surrogate is finally pregnant. 

As her relationship with Logan develops from a blast-from-the-past fling into something much deeper, Nicole struggles to balance her past, present, and future. Racing against the clock, she must learn to forgive her body for falling short and recognize that sometimes, it’s the biggest betrayals in life that set us free. With everything on the line, can Nicole accept love from the greatest man she’s ever known . . . even if it’s nothing like the story she’d written for herself?

Thank you Avon Books for the gifted copy.

WHAT A MESS.

That I honestly could not put down. This wasn’t on my radar as it truthfully didn’t seem like a romance I’d love BUT HERE WE ARE FOLKS. Lauren Okie has done it and I will be seeking information on her next book because this one had me in a chokehold.

It also made me feel every. single. emotion. I was all over the place in my righteous anger over all the things and also just wanting to sit and cry with Nicole too.

The romance is SWOOOONY. It worked for me on so many levels. I adored Logan, gosh he was a vibrant green flag. I will say there was one too many “break-ups” that Nicole instigated to where I did get frustrated. Otherwise though, this was a genuinely amazing book. it covered some very difficult topics (please read content warnings first) and I thought handled them well. It felt raw and an uphill battle that I loved seeing resolved into a new kind of hope and peace for the days ahead.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 3-4ish open door
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings major themes of infertility, miscarriage, surrogacy, infidelity, grief/depression depiction, drug use

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Book Review: Class Clown (The Thornback Society #4) by Aspen Hadley

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 345 pages
Author: Aspen Hadley
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Ruby Jenkins is obsessed with two romance novels, and making life into an adventure. She’s always up for anything, especially flirting her way to Mr. Right.

When her latest conquest ends abruptly, she finds herself in need of a summer job. In desperation, she agrees to be the on-site nurse at a sleepaway summer camp for kids, where her younger brother will be her boss.

Ruby immediately begins picturing the romantic moments she’ll create in the mountains, but none of her daydreams included bunking with her brother and his best friend – the robot.

Nico Crawford is ex-military, and while he may look like he stepped off the cover of a magazine, to Ruby he’s always been a machine with less personality than a rock, a real side character with nothing to add to the plot.

As the weeks roll by, however, Ruby’s assumptions are put to the test. And when plot twists threaten her way of thinking, only she can decide if she’s truly ready to turn the next page.

TRYING A LITTLE TOO HARD.

I have really enjoyed this series and was looking forward to this book a lot. And I feel a bit disappointed in the story as a whole. I did enjoy many of the romance aspects. It’s really sweet and I loved how reserved and kind Nico was to Ruby. He’s a gentle giant type I could easily get behind and the little soft touches and kisses absolutely melted me.

What wasn’t working for me was the humor. While I found some funny, I found most odd? I think that’s the word I’m looking for. It just wasn’t my type of humor and thus I kind of cringed at the jokes or scenes. Ruby was trying too hard with the matchmaker aspects too and I tried to hustle past those scenes.

I think the ending came together well and I did like the extended epilogue and getting to see all of the couples again. Ultimately it’s a good series even if this was my least favorite of the bunch.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low

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