There are quite a few things unusual about this book, not least is that it’s set in the Regency and neither of the protagonists is a member of the aristocracy, though the heroine is closest, being a baron’s granddaughter and the widow of an earl’s younger son. The hero is very far from it, having grown up in the Foundling Hospital before being trained to work in a bank and working his way up to becoming an businessman and a man of some means. Another way this story is unusual

This set of novellas are all second-chance romances, all featuring ‘older’ heroines. I think the youngest is about 31 and the oldest, well, it’s not polite to ask a lady’s age, but I’m going to guess around 50. It’s a really nice theme for a collection, and if you want to read about some older heroines, I’d definitely recommend giving this set a read. As I always do with collections, I’ll give each story a short individual review and rating, and then an overall rating for the

I do like a good second-chance romance, and Mr. Hunt, I Presume fits the bill nicely if you’re looking for a quick, light read. Erienne and Collin were childhood sweethearts, but as a young soldier and the daughter of a baron, there was a class mismatch and her father refused to let them marry. Strong-willed and determined even when Collin gracefully left the field at her father’s bidding, Erienne refused all other suitors and took a position as a governess, which was a littl

Phoebe Hallsmith willingly spent her eligible years caring for her beloved grandmother instead of looking for a husband. Now firmly on the shelf, she chooses to become useful by seeking employment with the highly reputable Everton Domestic Society, dedicated to placing respectable ladies in positions of usefulness. Assigned to help the grieving husband of a close friend after his wife’s death in childbirth, Phoebe has to fulfil her duties while adhering to the Society’s stric

Nicholas Bateman, the Duke of Kilve, is a bit of a drama queen. To be fair, he has lost pretty much everyone he ever cared about, but to be convinced that he, personally, is cursed and the cause of death of everyone who might ever get close to him is, shall we say, a touch self-centred. Fortunately, Lady Violet Pendleton is absolutely not standing for any of his nonsense. Forced by her parents to marry another man (long before Nick inherited his dukedom) and now widowed, she

LuAnn and the Latin Lover is a second-chance romance with more mature protagonists, set in and around an RV park in South Padre Island, Texas. Widowed and living in reduced circumstances, LuAnn is shocked to discover that her new neighbour is none other than the boy who used to work for her father when they were kids. Joaquin is all grown up now, though, and despite LuAnn telling herself that a tattooed, eyebrow-pierced, Harley riding bad boy isn't her type, sparks fly betwee

This is much deeper and more emotionally fraught than I expected from a Harlequin book. Until recently it had been quite a few years since I picked one up, and I've been pleasantly surprised by the fact that the ones I've read so far have been anything but the mindless fluff I remember. Anyone who picks this one up looking for a shallow story with little depth will probably not enjoy it, but I have to say that I absolutely loved it. This was an extremely well-thought-out plot