Tag: historical romance

Book Review: A Beguiled Gentleman (The Bradley Brothers #1) by Audra Wells

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 316 pages
Author: Audra Wells
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Hannah Gibbons is no stranger to being seen as little more than her dowry—a prize to be claimed by eager suitors for their own gain and a tool to be used by her parents to elevate their social status. So whenever Hannah’s impetuous nature strikes, her parents assume their name sullied, and pack up and move away to start fresh. But now Hannah has more at stake—friendships, and even love, are on the table, and she is determined not to lose it this time.

Lord Noah Bradley, a man of kindness and quiet integrity, has long dreamed of marrying, but when his heartfelt proposal to Miss Margaret Lewiston is rejected, his spirit is shattered. Left to face the sting of heartbreak, he struggles to regain his footing as life’s unexpected challenges—both in his relationships and his work—threaten to overwhelm him. But his new friendship with Miss Hannah Gibbons begins to help him find comfort and solace.

Will Noah’s heart find new hope in the woman who has become his greatest ally? Or will he remain too lost in the shadows of his past to recognize the love right in front of him?

THIS WAS SWEET.

Audra Wells is easily one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her books hit so well every time and I adored the soft and gentle nature in Noah. And I loved his mindset about being who he wanted to be and figuring things out on his own. Noah had this endearing quality that was easy to love. I wish he was a bit less oblivious to Hannah (and a little less of his ex) though.

Hannah was easy to love. I loved her quirky nature and relatable characteristics. There was a genuine nature to the friends to lovers trope that I did like a lot.

Truly though it was a charming read with many memorable moments. It was swoony and fast paced and so much ground was covered. I loved the hints towards future books and I am just happy to be here with another Audra Wells series.

Overall audience notes:

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

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Book Review: An Accidental Marriage (The Gentlemen’s Gamble) by Deborah M. Hathaway

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 232 pages
Author: Deborah M. Hathaway
Publisher: Draft Horse Publishing
Release Date: January 22nd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He expected a quick visit. He left with a wife instead.

Charles Shepherd is in no rush to marry. With good looks, a comfortable fortune, and considerable charm, he’s certain love will find him eventually. Unfortunately, his mother has other plans.

Returning home for a short visit, Charles reluctantly agrees to meet Miss Marie Oakley—a woman as fortunate as he in both looks and manners. What is meant to be a simple introduction, however, ends in a sudden marriage, and Charles, who values his freedom above all else, is livid.

Mercifully, Marie is as uninterested in the marriage as he is. After a disastrous first day together, they strike a mutual bargain: do whatever it takes to end the marriage as quickly as possible. Charles is determined to reclaim his independence and find love on his own terms. But as forced proximity turns into reluctant understanding, he must face an unsettling possibility—what if the woman he’s trying to leave is the very one he can’t live without?

SO I LOVED?

Big fan of this marriage of convenience/arraigned marriage concept. It’s a short book but I think it packed enough for me to really fall into the swoon of this story. I loved the enemies to lovers vibes and how well the sharp and biting banter was between them. You could see the soft moments slowly pulling them together and it was well timed.

And even when I about thought things would go awry there was some COMMUNICATION and ARGUMENT (arguments don’t have to bad!!) that made me love Charles and Marie all the more. It’s a clever read and only 6 hours on audio if you’re looking for a great historical romance!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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ARC Book Review: Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds #3) by Amalie Howard

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Amalie Howard
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: May 19th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A young heiress must disguise herself to attend a prestigious, all-male university, where she unexpectedly falls for her handsome tutor, in this swoony historical romance by the USA Today bestselling author of Queen Bee.

Lady Rosalin Chen has a secret—she isn’t as vapid as she pretends to be. In fact, she’s a computing genius and smarter than most of her peers in the ton, including her own cousin, Ansel. It’s a secret she’s kept for years, not that hiding her intelligence has done her any favors in the marriage department. 

In fact, after several dismal social seasons in London, she’s practically considered a spinster. With little to lose, she decides to set her sights on getting a proper education rather than finding a husband. Disguised as Ansel, who truly could be her twin, she attends Cambridge University while he galivants around Europe on a secret Grand Tour.

There Rosalin crosses quills with the Trinity College’s mathematics prodigy and her tutor Tarik St. Clair. For the first time in her life, Rosalin is genuinely intrigued by a boy. His mind seems to be as sharp as hers. Unfortunately, as a commoner, Tarik doesn’t fit her parents’ expectations. But what if he could? What if she concocted one more audacious plan that could raise his station and finally take her off the market? She just has to hope that her lies don’t catch up to her.

Thank you PRH Audio for the audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

IT’S CUTE.

I don’t have a lot to say because it kind of went in one ear and out the other? But I also didn’t hate reading it so? I will say it’s another genuine teen friendly read and I always love when I find a book I can add to that list. It does a good job of feeling historical and also adding a touch of modern phrases. I don’t think it’s overdone and once again, makes it work for the age group.

I was worried with how this plot was going to play out and I ended up liking the way it was handled. The romantic aspects were able to play out on a different playing field and I liked the contrast. Rosalin and Tarik had great chemistry and I loved the way they discussed science and the stars and all the things they held common ground on.

Most of this I read via audiobook and I liked the narrator! It’s a good format to pick up if you want to try this series. It’s complete now!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Into a Golden Era (Timeless #7) by Gabrielle Meyer

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Gabrielle Meyer
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As a time crosser, Ally lives in two worlds. In 1849, in an attempt to secure her family’s future during the California Gold Rush, she finds herself penniless and stranded in San Francisco. Forced to take shelter in a dangerous boardinghouse owned by an infamous gang member, Ally is desperate to escape. But when she discovers that history has changed around her, and it now claims she will do something unthinkable, she must use her time-crossing knowledge to find answers.

In 1929 California, Ally is an up-and-coming starlet in the Golden Age of Hollywood, but her family’s film studio is on the brink of ruin, and their remaining resources are invested into a production of Little Women. If the endeavor fails, Ally’s family will lose everything. To ensure their success, she agrees to stage a fake romance with a notorious Hollywood heartthrob in hopes of using his fame for their movie, but she risks her heart in the process. When history doesn’t play by the rules, Ally must decide if she will throw all caution aside and risk everything for the people she loves. But which path will be worth sacrificing to save the other?

Bestselling author Gabrielle Meyer weaves a spellbinding tale where one woman’s impossible choice will determine not just her fate, but the course of history itself.

Thank you Bethany House and Gabrielle Meyer for the gifted copy.

SO GOOD.

Make a notch for this one in the five star column for this series. I figured out what generally determines a five star in this series for me is when I have a hard time predicting where the it’s going to go. And for Ally? Yeah I had no idea.

I loved that the trail of clues was different and the reveals had me wondering if things were going to be okay (which they were!!). I felt satisfied about the plot and romance and how it all came together. The romance was soft and endearing and I love a redemptive arc. Both timelines had me enthralled and I liked the stories going in both. Not knowing a whole lot about either was fun for me because now I want to go research more. There were also a few nuanced plot things that I enjoyed

Gabrielle Meyer continues to amaze with the research and attention to detail. The light faith elements are woven in seamlessly and even seven books in, I can’t wait for another one.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: attempted assault, loss of life, attempted murder, physical altercations

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