February 2023 MBR The Romantic Fiction Shelf

The Romantic Fiction Shelf

One Duke Down
Anna Bennett
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250793935, $8.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/One-Duke-Down-Rogues-Lovers/dp/1250793939

Synopsis: Miss Poppy Summers is determined to keep her family's fishing business afloat. Her poor widowed father has fallen ill, and her foolhardy brother has moved to London, leaving her precious little time to read or pursue her own dreams. But she'll do anything for her family, so she cheerfully spends mornings in her rowboat, casting her nets. The very last thing Poppy expects or wants to find tangled in them is a dangerously attractive man. Especially one with a head wound -- who's convinced he's a duke.

Andrew Keane is the Duke of Hawking, but he's having the devil of a time convincing his fiery-haired rescuer of that fact. The truth is he came to the seaside resort of Bellehaven Bay to escape his life in London. Unfortunately, someone in Bellehaven wants to kill him -- and he intends to find out who. He implores Poppy to tend to his injuries and hide him on her beach, reasoning it will be easier to find his attacker if that man assumes Keane is already dead. She wants no part of the scheme but can't refuse the generous sum he offers in exchange for food and shelter while he recovers. It's a mutually beneficial business arrangement... nothing more.

Under Poppy's care, Keane regains his strength and a sense of purpose. As they work together to solve the puzzle of his would-be murderer, he's dazzled by her rapier wit and adventurous spirit; she's intrigued by his mysterious air and protective streak. Though Poppy's past gives her every reason to mistrust someone like Keane, the seawalls around her heart crumble in the storm of their passion. But when clues hint at the prime suspect in Keane's attempted murder, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie. Torn between the world she's always known and the one she's always dreamed of, she'll need true love for a shot at her fairytale ending.

Critique a fun read that will have a very special appeal for those with an interest in Regency romance novels, "One Duke Down: A Rogues to Lovers Novel" by Anna Bennett will prove to be a welcome and entertaining addition to personal reading lists and community library Historical Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted that "One Duke Down: A Rogues to Lovers Novel" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Anna Bennett (https://us.macmillan.com/author/annabennett) is also the author of the Debutante Diaries and Wayward Wallflowers series.

Make a Wish
Helena Hunting
Griffin
c/o St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250624741, $16.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Wish-Helena-Hunting/dp/1250624746

Synopsis: Ever have a defining life moment you wish you could do over? Harley Spark has one. The time she almost kissed the widowed father of the toddler she nannied for. It was so bad they moved across the state and she never saw them again.

Fast forward seven years and she's totally over it. At least she thinks she is. Until Gavin Rhodes and his adorable now nine-year-old daughter, Peyton, reappear at a princess-themed birthday party hosted by Spark House, Harley's family's event hotel. Despite trying to avoid the awkwardness of the situation, she can't help but notice how unbearably sexy he looks in a tutu. Add to that a spontaneous hives breakout, and it's clear she's not even remotely over the mortification of her egregious error all those years ago.

Except Gavin seems oblivious to her inner turmoil. So much so that he suggests they get together for lunch. For Peyton's sake, of course. It's the perfect opportunity to heal old wounds. Or it could just reopen them. This is one of those times Harley wishes she could see the future!

Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "Make A Wish" by Helena Hunting is a romance lover's delight. This is one of those novels that is laced with humor and the kind of happy ending that lingers in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Contemporary Romance and Romantic Comedy collections, it should be noted that "Make A Wish" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Helena Hunting (https://helenahunting.com) writes all things romance -- contemporary, romantic comedy, sports and angsty new adult. Some of her books include Meet Cute, Pucked, and Shacking Up.

Yesterday's Tides
Roseanna M. White
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241338, $29.99, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Yesterdays-Tides-Roseanna-M-White/dp/0764241338

Synopsis: In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same -- until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, an Englishman, Remington Culbreth, arrived at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

Critique: An elegant and original historical Christian romance novel by an author who is a complete master of the genre, "Yesterday's Tides" by Roseanna M. White will prove to be a welcome and enduringly appreciated addition to community library Romance Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans. It should be noted that "Yesterday's Tides" is also readily available in a paperback edition (9780764240010, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) is a Christy Award-nominated author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series.

Breaking All The Rules
Amy Andrews
Entangled: Amara
c/o Entangled Publishing
https://entangledpublishing.com
9781682815632, $16.99, PB, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-All-Rules-Amy-Andrews/dp/1682815633

Synopsis: Beatrice Archer has always done everything she's supposed to -- worked her ass off, ignored her non-existent personal life, and kept her mouth shut. Now she's over it. The rat race, respectability, the underwire bras. She's taking her life back. Starting with moving to Nowhere, Colorado to live life on her own terms.

Now Bea gives exactly zero forks. Beer for breakfast. Sugar for everything else. Baggy sweats and soft cotton undies FTW. Then a much younger and delightfully attractive cop is called to deal with her flagrant disregard for appropriate clothing outside the local diner (some folks just don't appreciate bunny slippers) and Bea realizes there's something missing from her little decathlon of decadence -- and he might be the guy to help her out.

When it comes to breaking rules, Officer Austin Cooper is surprisingly eager to assist. He's charming, a little bit cowboy, and a whole lot sexy. But Bea's about to discover that breaking the rules has consequences. And all of the cherry pies in Colorado can't save her from what's coming!

Critique: An inherently riveting and fun read from first page to last, "Breaking All The Rules" by novelist Amy Andrews is delightfully original and will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Women's Fiction and Romantic Comedy. While highly recommended, especially for community library Contemporary Romance collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Breaking All The Rules" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Amy Andrews (www.amyandrews.com.au) is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling Aussie author who has written sixty plus contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. She's sold two million books and been translated into over a dozen languages.

Hearts of Steel
Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764241307, $29.99, HC, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Steel-Blackstone-Legacy-3/dp/0764241303

Synopsis: When successful businesswoman Maggie Molinaro offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of calamities that threaten to destroy her life's work. She teams up with charismatic steel magnate Liam Blackstone, but what begins as a practical alliance soon evolves into a romance between two wounded people determined to beat the odds!

Critique: A fun run from cover to cover, "Hearts of Steel" by Elizabeth Camden is especially recommended reading for anyone with an interest in Historical Christian Romance novels. The novel in the author's 'The Blackstone Legacy' series, "Hearts of Steel" is highly recommended as a popular addition to community library Romance Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Hearts of Steel" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764238451, $16.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Elizabeth Camden (www.elizabethcamden.com) is best known for her historical novels set in Gilded Age America, featuring clever heroines and richly layered story lines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won Christy, Carol, and RITA Awards and have appeared on the CBA bestsellers list.

Love Through The Seasons
Tracie Peterson
Barbour Publishing
P.O. Box 719, 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, OH 44683
www.barbourbooks.com
9781636094748, $16.99, PB, 448pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Through-Seasons-Tracie-Peterson/dp/1636094740

Synopsis: "Love Through The Seasons" by Tracie Peterson is comprised of four short contemporary romances, each of which take her readers to the author's native state of Kansas.

In "Love Through the Seasons", a single mother is braced for spring tornadoes and Stormy Weather when she encounters her son's scout troop leader. A student finds her King of Hearts while participating in a summer Renaissance festival, but she may lack queenly confidence. Autumn isn't just about the changing of the trees for a widow living with her mother and aunts on the family farm, it's all about Falling for Love. A wife faces Silent Nights during winter as her marriage begins to crumble at Christmastime.

Critique: Judging by the body of her work over the past 30 years, novelist Tracie Peterson is quite arguably the "Queen of Historical Christian Fiction". Her four short stories comprising "Love Through The Seasons" from Barbour Publishing will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Christian Romance Fiction. While also available in both a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Dreamscape Media, 9781666631340, $24.99, CD), "Love Through The Seasons" is an especially recommended addition to community library Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Tracie Peterson (https://traciepetersonbooks.com) is the author of over 120 books -- most of which are historical novels. Her work in historical fiction earned her the Life Time Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2011 and the Career Achievement Award in 2007 from Romantic Times, as well as multiple best book awards. Throughout her career, Tracie has also worked as a managing editor, speaker of various events and teacher of writing workshops. She was a co-founding member of the American Christian Fiction Writer's organization and has worked throughout her career to encourage new authors.

Her Unexpected Match
Lacey Baker
Entangled: Amara
https://entangledpublishing.com
9781649373502, $8.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Her-Unexpected-Match-Lacey-Baker/dp/1649373503

Synopsis: Travel writer Allie Sparks has one goal: to find the story that will save her career. So here she is, visiting her bestie on picturesque Crescent Island -- with sun-warmed beaches, the briny smell of the ocean, and rumors of a secret astrologer-matchmaker who guarantees love. Of course, Allie doesn't believe in any of that stuff. If anything, she'll prove it's a total scam.

Ryan Parker believes in love -- just not right now. He's focused on expanding his family's barbeque business, finding investors, and keeping his too-big Great Dane puppy from jumping on everyone, including his sister's pretty, whiskey-eyed best friend. Besides, falling for a tourist is definitely not in his astrological forecast.

Allie is doing everything she can to resist the charm of the town and its beauty, not to mention her attraction to Ryan. But there's a lot more happening on Crescent Island than anyone knows -- and when her story goes to print, this tiny, close-knit town might never be the same.

Critique: A fun read from first page to last, "Her Unexpected Match" showcases author Lacey Baker's genuine flair for deftly crafting clean, wholesome, entertaining, contemporary and original romance novels. While also available for the personal reading lists of dedicated romance fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99), this paperback edition from Entangled Amara publishing is unreservedly recommended as an enduringly popular addition to community library Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Lacey Baker (https://acarthur.com/faq/who-is-lacey-baker) is a Maryland native who lives with her husband and three children in what most would call Suburban America, a townhouse development where everybody knows each other and each other's kids. Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family. She is also the author of the novel "Homecoming".

The Sisters of Sea View
Julie Klassen
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764234279, $26.99, HC, 448pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Sea-View-Devonshire-Shores/dp/0764234277

Synopsis: When their father's death leaves them impoverished, Sarah Summers and her genteel sisters fear they will be forced to sell the house and separate to earn livelihoods as governesses or companions. Determined to stay together, Sarah convinces them to open their seaside home to guests to make ends meet and provide for their ailing mother. Instead of the elderly invalids they expect to receive, however, they find themselves hosting eligible gentlemen. Sarah is soon torn between a growing attraction to a mysterious Scottish widower and duty to her family.

Viola Summers wears a veil to cover her scar. When forced to choose between helping in her family's new guest house and earning money to hire a maid to do her share, she chooses the latter. She reluctantly agrees to read to some of Sidmouth's many invalids, preferring the company of a few elders with failing eyesight to the fashionable guests staying in their home. But when her first client turns out to be a wounded officer in his thirties, Viola soon wishes she had chosen differently. Her new situation exposes her scars (both visible and those hidden deep within) and her cloistered heart will never be the same.

Critique: Historical Christian romance at its very best, in "The Sisters of Sea View" by Julie Klassen takes her readers along as the Summers sisters on the Devonshire coast as they discover 'the power of friendship, loyalty, love, and new beginnings'. A deftly scripted story of faith, intrigue, sibling bonds, "The Sisters of Sea View" debuts a new Regency era romance series set along the Devonshire coastline and will leave the reader looking forward to the next Julie Klassen novel! While highly recommended for community library Historical Romance collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Sisters of Sea View" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764234262, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.00).

Editorial Note: Julie Klassen (www.julieklassen.com) is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full-time.

Lola Delphine
Naomi Barker
Bowker
https://www.bowker.com
9798985353105, $14.99, PB, 386pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Delphine-Naomi-Barker/dp/B09WPZC2DS

Synopsis: British fashion designer Lola Delphine pulls up to the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Unbeknownst to her, she has been followed by established art dealer Jack Alistair, her first love. They have not spoken in twenty-three years due to an overheard secret about Lola's past. Not realizing it is Lola until she steps out of the car, he is intrigued. Then he sees the crescent-moon-shaped scar on her leg.

Set against the glamorous backdrop of the Côte d'Azur and London's hotspots, this is a modern love story with adventure, mystery, a sprinkling of cheeky British humour, and quite a lot of naughtiness. It's a VIP pass to the fast-paced world of art, music, and fashion taking place in exotic locales.

The story follows the journey of Jack and Lola. Both are running from broken hearts while resisting temptations from an American film star, a French supermodel, a famous rock star, and Annika Barinov, a femme fatale Romanian billionaire. Signs and symbols from the universe guide them in the right direction.

Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Lola Delphine" is author Naomi Barker debut as a novelist, it will have a very special appeal for readers with an interest contemporary romance novels with the theme of 'people finding their inner truths and discovering who they are and what they want'. A love of art, music, travel, fashion, and all things rock and roll have inspired Naomi to make "Lola Delphine", as genuine a read as possible. While unreservedly recommended as an addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lola Delphine" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Naomi Barker is a British writer who has lived on four continents but currently resides in the U.S. Naomi comes from a creative background and has a history in equestrian sports.

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