A marriage of convenience gives way to acceptance and love between two characters marked by trauma in Kerrigan Byrne’s suspenseful historical romance How to Love a Duke in Ten Days.

Piers Atherton needs to solidify his claim as the Duke of Redmayne and the quickest way to do that is to take a wife and produce an heir. Lady Alexandra Lane is low on funds and in desperate need of money to pay off a blackmailer. Piers and Alexandra are upfront in what they expect from their marriage, though the true nature of why Alexandra requires money isn’t revealed to Piers.

A decade earlier, Alexandra was raped by the headmaster at her school. (Content warning for readers: the scene is graphic, and very much on the page.) She took her revenge by killing him, and her two best friends helped her cover up the murder. The three women are certain there are no loose ends, until a blackmailer reaches out to Alexandra for money in exchange for keeping their secret.

Strong, resilient Alexandra is a wonderful heroine and her friends, Cecelia and Francesca (who are obviously sequel-bait for the next books), are unconditionally supportive. The sense of girl power and female solidarity is infectious, and some of the best scenes are when all three have the opportunity to get into some mischief.

Piers has a whole closet full of baggage—he was raised by a philandering mother, was jilted by his former betrothed and survived a jaguar attack that nearly took his life. He’s slow to trust and his scarred face has caused the locals to dub him the “Terror of Thorcliff.” The tenderness and respect he displays when faced with Alexandra’s avoidance of intimacy makes him a worthy hero, and he learns to let go of deep-seated grudges as the story progresses.

As Alexandra and Piers travel for their honeymoon, a series of bizarre events make it obvious to that pair that someone is after their lives. Piers assumes it’s his cousin trying to kill him off for the title of Duke of Redmayne. Alexandra thinks her blackmailer is no longer satisfied with money. The reveal of the unseen villain is surprising and will undoubtedly keep readers guessing to the very end.

Byrne’s writing harkens back to classic romance superstars like Judith McNaught and Bertrice Small: There’s a grand complexity to the plot, an alpha hero and a headstrong heroine who has overcome great emotional turmoil. Alexandra’s trauma and PTSD were respectfully portrayed and, as a fellow survivor, reached me on a personal level. Her dedication to rebuilding her life and allowing herself to take joy in even the smallest things is a heady mix of heartbreaking and inspirational.

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is an intense journey from start to finish, but Byrne delivers. Readers will be left breathless, and with a few tears shed along the way.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Kerrigan Byrne about How to Love a Duke in Ten Days.

Two opposites find love amid a madcap adventure and a coterie of troublemaking rescue animals in The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare.

Lady Penelope Campion has an undeniable weakness for the wounded, especially animals. Known as an eccentric spinster, Penny cares for creatures that have nowhere else to go. There are lewd parrots, a bevy of kittens and even a goat among her little homegrown refuge, a Dr. Doolittle’s paradise. Unfortunately, her next pet project takes the form of her rather grouchy neighbor, Gabriel Duke.

A self-made real estate mogul, Gabe is known as the Duke of Ruin. There is no love lost between him and the aristocracy, and he takes immense pleasure in tying them up in all sorts of costly red tape. His current mission is to sell the recently renovated home that rests next to Penny’s, but her nosy menagerie is making the task quite difficult. Gabe hopes to strike a bargain with Penny, playing upon her deep insecurities of never being taken seriously as a lady of society. He will aid her in re-homing her animals to restore her good name, and as a result, he’ll be able to sell the home he’s dying to get off his hands.

Gabe is a prickly hero who doesn’t take kindly to his breeches being coated in several layers of animal hair. But behind all his scowls and sneers rests a delicious, ooey-gooey marshmallow center. Penny, a walking ray of sunshine, is the perfect foil. Kind to a fault, all she truly wants to do is help living things and make the world a better place. At times, Gabe struggles with ripping off Penny’s rose-colored glasses if it means changing the sweet, caring woman she really is—and that he comes to love.

Like many of Dare’s romances, The Wallflower Wager will have you in tears from both laughter and the pure, unfiltered emotion of Gabe and Penny’s path to love. Having long since adopted the shell of a ruthless businessman, Gabe fears he no longer knows what it means to be vulnerable. Penny treats him with the gentle hesitation she would give to a frightened, caged animal, and earns his trust and affection over time.

There’s a reason why Dare’s historical romances are beloved by so many readers: She truly captures the heart and soul of a happily ever after. The respect and affection Penny displays for the animals and the people she loves will remind you of all that is good in the world (and we really need that right now). Fans of any of Dare’s books will be reminded why they keep reading her astounding, swoony romances, and as for newer readers—welcome to the club.

A naval officer presumed dead crashes his wife’s second wedding in Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie. Lady Rose Rutherford is shocked to discover her husband lives, and her family is shocked to learn she secretly married years ago. Commander Thomas Beresford longed to reclaim his wife, but now that he’s face-to-face with her and her protective family, he’s not so sure marriage is best for either of them. Rose remembers the man who stole her heart, and she’s ready to recommit, but Thomas’ harrowing experiences have changed him. Nothing is more delicious than a heroine determined to overcome a noble hero’s scruples, and watching Rose win Thomas over is a true pleasure. A charming supporting cast and witty banter are paired with emotion and a dash of suspense to make Marry in Secret a deeply enjoyable historical romance.

Mary Balogh returns to her Westcott historical romance series with Someone to Honor, an emotional and sweetly indulgent romance in which first impressions aren’t always indicative of a person’s true character.

Abigail Westcott and Gilbert Bennington truly get off on the wrong foot after she chastises him for working shirtless on the Westcott estate. It’s not proper, especially when there are young, unwed ladies in his midst. And this single interaction leads to a host of misunderstandings. Abigail makes the assumption that Gil is just a servant on the grounds and not the officer who helped her brother return home from the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, Gil reduces Abigail’s comments to her being a spoiled and rich woman, something that deeply taps into his feelings of inadequacy given their class differences.

Despite their disastrous first meeting, Abigail and Gil begin spending more and more time together, often enjoying walks around the grounds, where they have rather insightful and illuminating conversations. Gil realizes he was wrong about his assessment of Abigail. She’s a wealthy and independent woman whose life was upturned by a family scandal. Meanwhile, Abigail learns of Gil’s heroic treatment of her brother, and when he reveals a personal, heartbreaking predicament, Abigail and her brother offer to help. But that help comes in the form of marriage.

Self-assured and practical, Abigail has grown accustomed to being a pariah since her father’s bigamy scandal. What she never expected was how much it would give her in the ways of freedom. With no man wanting to attach his name to her, Abigail has settled into a lovely, quiet country life in which she can do as she pleases. Gil carries lingering trauma from his military service, and while he may have earned the respect of many, he can’t shake the insecurity he feels from being an illegitimate child and growing up in poverty. A bit broody, Gil is a hero who prefers to observe and be on the sidelines, harboring an understandable distrust for upper-crust society.

Balogh writes with an inescapable tenderness, in which each conversation furthers Gil and Abigail’s affection ever so slightly. There is always a softness and subtlety to Balogh’s romances, serving as a lasting reminder that love is patient and kind. Previous fans of the Westcott series will love seeing familiar faces integrated into Gil and Abigail’s romance. Though well-meaning, the Westcott family isn’t afraid to meddle and can’t leave well enough alone.

With a relationship built on trust that slowly blooms with understanding, Someone to Honor is another fantastic novel by Balogh, who expertly navigates all the highs and lows that come before a happily ever after.

Olivia Waite is, quite simply, one of the finest critics of the romance genre working today. I would advise any skeptic of the genre to read her eloquent celebrations of romance, and her ability to evoke the tone and feeling of a particular book is astonishing. So I was excited, but also a little apprehensive, to hear that she would be publishing a new historical romance, having never read any of her previous books. It was a relief and a joy to find that The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics is just as elegant, just as incisive and intelligent, as Waite’s criticism.

Waite’s writing is gorgeous and always purposeful throughout this Regency-era romance. The introductions to astronomer Lucy Muchelney and her aristocratic love interest, Catherine St. Day, are striking and immediately effective, as the text itself shifts to express the differences in their personalities. The reader is thrust into Lucy’s mindset at the start of Lady’s Guide, and Waite renders her keen intelligence and longing for a life in pursuit of knowledge with immediate, straightforward prose. Then when Lucy meets Catherine, the woman who will offer to be her patron, Waite allows her writing to unfold into more fanciful, evocative turns of phrase: “You wouldn’t think, looking at the pinned-up gold of her hair and the sweet pink-and-cream plumpness of her figure, that this was the same woman who’d traversed so much of the globe. . . . She’d sat in that parlor as if she’d been grown there, as immoveable and domestic as a potted rosebush.”

Catherine is Lucy’s last and best chance to emerge from her recently deceased father’s shadow. Having been the mathematical brains behind his theories for years, she knows she is capable of translating the game-changing latest text from French genius Olerón, a task Catherine offered to Lucy’s father before he died. And while Catherine is inclined to allow the single-minded and alluring Lucy to take on the job, she fears becoming further involved with the younger woman. Catherine’s late husband, George, was also devoted to science, a calling that eventually eclipsed all other concerns and excused any emotional cruelty he visited upon his wife.

Waite patiently excavates Catherine’s memories of her difficult marriage, as well as Lucy’s lingering heartbreak over a rejection from a former lover, as the two women grow closer professionally and personally. As they attempt to gain the support of the early scientific community, Waite is able to explore the fascinating world of Regency astronomy, a booming field that commanded rapt popular interest while still warped by the same sexist, racist gatekeeping present in scientific endeavors today. The championing of women in STEM has become a bit of a romance cause célèbre in recent years, especially in historical romance, and Lady’s Guide is among the most nuanced and satisfyingly detailed works in this category. The thrill of discovery, the satisfying internal click when a new concept is fully understood, is beautifully expressed, both in Lucy’s internal monologue and in Catherine’s when Lucy explains her work and her passion for it.

However, Waite also captures how the heady rush of more equal-opportunity Enlightenment-era scientific discovery was slowly but surely narrowing via the staid nature of the following Regency period. As science began to settle into an established role in society, an interested party increasingly needed either wealth of their own or a generous patron to make an impact. This unpleasant fact becomes one of the largest stumbling blocks in Catherine and Lucy’s affair and also complicates Lucy’s relationship with her unsupportive brother, a working artist who is familiar with the dangers of becoming an aristocrat’s pet project.

In the character of Catherine, Waite is able to not only explore the personal costs of the pursuit of science but to also mount a full-throated celebration of so-called “womanly pursuits.” A devoted embroiderer, Catherine turned to needlework and design throughout her difficult marriage for solace and emotional expression. Waite describes Catherine’s embroidery just as rapturously as she details Lucy’s stars and glories in how clothing can be both art and a source of social power.

By the time I reached the wonderful, warm and quite frankly inspirational ending of Lady’s Guide, I only had one main critique, which can also be taken as a compliment. When the Black Moment* arrived, I didn’t accept it. Because I was that certain that Lucy and Catherine were destined for each other.

*the point in a romance when the central relationship seems doomed

I always tell my son, who is a supremely kind young man, that the world is often unkind to kind people. It’s a defense mechanism I’m trying to install because kindness is an incredibly important trait, and one that seems to be waning. So I deeply enjoyed Rogue Most Wanted, Janna MacGregor’s latest Cavensham Heiresses romance. The most recent Cavensham to fall is Lord William, a good son and loving friend who is devoted to his family’s estate, but overly protective of the heart that was broken a decade ago.

Will is a sexy, capable, nice beta guy who gets the girl for exactly those reasons. Lady Theodora Worth has an appropriate name, as she’s been raised by her grandfather on remote family lands and prioritizes things like caring for her tenants and being a good person over being the most fashionable, sought-after woman in society. One of the biggest annoyances for me in historical romance is the monotony of storylines concerning life in the Ton—of being graceful and solicitous and flirty, but not too graceful or solicitous or flirty. Thea’s earnest authenticity makes her an extremely compelling heroine. And Will’s genuine fondness of and friendship with Thea before their relationship blooms into romance is refreshing.

Rogue Most Wanted draws parallels to the modern dating and social scene as well. The snide meanness of chapter-opening quotes from gossip rag The Midnight Cryer evoke the cyber bullying on current social media. And MacGregor shines a light on the unfairness women faced in not being able to inherit family lands and wealth because of their gender, and the necessity to marry—even a stranger—to keep what should rightfully be theirs. Fortunately, Thea falls in love, quite easily, with Will, whose family that is amazingly likable and supportive and dependable (especially rare in historical romance novels). And for all Will’s pragmatism, he’s a lovable romantic deep down: “When we find love it’s completely, decidedly, and forever.” Who wouldn’t want that, in any era?

Sabrina Jeffries introduces a family of dukes in Project Duchess. Fletcher “Grey” Pryde, the fifth Duke of Greycourt and eldest brother of the clan, leaves London to support his newly widowed mother. Her other children and relatives are with her, including Beatrice Wolfe, the cousin of Grey’s half brother. Outspoken Beatrice catches his attention, and Grey volunteers to prepare her for her society debut. Through dancing and etiquette lessons, they grow closer, and though whispers grow louder regarding Grey’s stepfather’s death, suspicions don’t get in the way of passion. An excellent blend of great characters and witty dialogue make this a delicious first in a new series

Joanna Shupe kicks off her new Uptown Girls series with a headstrong, feminist heroine and the smooth-talking lawyer who is hopelessly in love with her. With a backdrop of New York City on the cusp of the suffragette movement, this romance introduces readers to the strong-willed Greene sisters and their exploits to further women’s rights.

Marion “Mamie” Greene is an uptown princess with a penchant of getting into trouble. She and her sister, Florence, frequently sneak out to casinos where they use their winnings—and their spoils from pickpocketing oblivious rich men—to give back to communities in need. There’s just one problem: their father’s lawyer, Frank Tripp, who takes his duty to his well-paying clients very seriously.

Frank knows that if Mamie’s father finds out about her exploits, it’d be disastrous for all involved. As he consistently tries to keep her out of harm’s way or from ending up in the city’s gossip rags, their sniping banter heightens to an unbridled lust. But Frank has admired Mamie for years and is painfully aware of how out of reach she truly is. Not only is Mamie soon to be engaged, but Frank is also hiding the truth about his pedigree. He isn’t a Yale graduate, conveniently hailing from Chicago. Instead, he grew up in the slums of Five Points and escaped a life he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

With Mamie’s upcoming engagement, a murder case, corrupt policemen and an unexpected family reunion, The Rogue of Fifth Avenue is bursting with tension, supplemented by complicated, emotional moments. It’s a page-turner with a fantastic heroine who is tired of living her life on other people’s terms. Mamie wants something more than marrying to uphold a family legacy or maintaining her status among New York’s elite. She’s brash, confident and serves as a wonderful foil to Frank’s subtlety and charming facade. Their romance leans more toward a slow burn, and it’s torturous in the best way possible as they fight their attraction at every opportunity.

Shupe shines when writing complex social and political dynamics, and she adds fascinating cultural layers to an already beautiful story. And if this first book in the Uptown Girls series is any indication, that same energy is going to be continued in the next book with Florence. Despite being the middle sister, she’s definitely the defiant ringleader of the group (with a penchant for reading bawdy books).

Don’t miss out on this wonderfully crafted historical romance. Shupe’s sense of place is unmatched, and she does a fine job creating heroines who exude strength in all manner of ways and heroes who know how and when to grovel.

The fourth installment in Theresa Romain’s Royal Rewards series, Lady Notorious, is a delightful, enthusiastic jaunt through Regency-era London. It picks up with another tale of the Bow Street Runners—focusing this time on a twin sister and brother duo—and the case of the Duke of Ardmore, who needs protection from an unknown foe.

When the duke’s son, George, Lord Northbrook, learns his father entered a wager with 10 men 40 years ago, and all but one of the investors have died (three under suspicious consequences in the last year), he decides to hire Cassandra and Charles Benton. But early on, Charles breaks his leg, so it’s up to his sister to forge ahead and ultimately save the day.

It takes a certain moxie and cleverness for women in historical fiction to make their way in life as independent, modern characters that contemporary readers can connect with. Romain often writes about characters that aren’t nobility, which is refreshing in historical romance, and Lady Notorious is doubly refreshing with its stalwart, investigative heroine. Cass may remind readers of Irene Adler in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes—adventurous and confident, taking no quarter from the men around her. 

Lady Notorious is a quick read, with a busy cast of main and secondary characters. The pacing lags in some places, and reading the first three books in the series is a good idea, but it’s an enjoyable book all the same.

May McGoldrick (author duo and real-life couple Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick) gifts readers with a passionate, fast paced romance in Highland Crown, leaving satisfied but not fully sated readers ready for the next installment in the series.

History buffs will revel in the author’s expert geographical and historical knowledge, and romance fans will delight in the ever-present sexual and emotional tension between the protagonists. Doctor Isabella Drummond, née Murray, is a well-traveled, no-nonsense but kindhearted widow with unmatched medical prowess, her very existence an anomaly in both place and time. Beginning with the shipwreck of the novel’s namesake, the Highland Crown, upon the shores of Duff Head in the northeast Highlands, readers are immediately plunged into a fairy tale with a somewhat-familiar twist—in the vein of Hans Christian Andersen, there is indeed a human treasure from the wreck waiting to be saved on the beach—but the rescuer is none other than fierce Doctor Drummond herself, and her prize is a bedraggled, wounded seaman, Captain Cinead Mackintosh, who harbors a secretive past.

Isabella is immediately captivated by the stranger’s looks, but once they spend more time together and bond over life-or-death incidents, she finds herself drawn by the siren call of his confidence, warm demeanor and loyalty to protect those he loves. But questions eat away at her mind. Why did he destroy the cargo of his own beloved ship as she sank? Can they truly trust his relatives, Searc Mackintosh and Laird Lachlan? Can she even trust Cinead himself?

As lovable supporting character Auld Jean repeatedly chants, “The sea is a harsh mistress… [she] takes and [she] provides.” As both British soldiers and Scottish rebels pursue her, for the crime of alleged treason she hasn’t committed and the information she has been exposed to, Isabella soon loses sight of those she loves, but gains the mysterious and handsome Captain Mackintosh and his earnest promise to lay down his life for her in reciprocation for saving him. Together they must face vengeful British soldiers, angry Highland villagers and suspicious clan members to protect Maisie and Morrigan, Isabella’s sister and stepdaughter. McGoldrick expertly weaves true-to-life historical elements with the contemporary desire for numerous twists and turns on every page of Highland Crown. And in a fun, metafictional twist, each chapter opens with lines from the writings of a fictionalized Sir Walter Scott, a posthumous but nonetheless important supporting character in the plot.

McGoldrick has bestowed upon readers a feel-good whirlwind romance between two intelligent, driven individuals that is less about the complications of a new relationship and more about celebrating a partnership. Highland Crown also explores themes of self-discovery and the quest for happiness, as its main couple works together to pursue what is right for their loved ones, their country and their relationship.

When Phoebe, Lady Clare, travels to her brother’s wedding at the beginning of Lisa Kleypas’ Devil’s Daughter, she’s a reluctant guest. Phoebe knows she’ll meet West Ravenel, who bullied her sickly late husband at boarding school. But the old stories don’t do the mature West justice, even though he doesn’t deny the ugliness of his past. Phoebe sees the good man that West has become, and the only bad left in him is precisely the kind that a woman like herself finds oh-so-tempting. The romance is delicious as West’s best intentions to stay clear of Phoebe battle her resolve to get what she wants, and that push-pull drives the narrative. The reformed bad boy is a staple of the genre, and West is just the sort that readers adore. His regrets and overwhelming feelings for the heroine make him an unforgettable hero. Add in cameos from Kleypas’ beloved Wallflowers (Phoebe is the daughter of Devil in Winter’s Evie and Sebastian), and Devil’s Daughter is a must read.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read a Q&A with Lisa Kleypas for Devil’s Daughter.

Alyssa Cole returns to the 19th century in An Unconditional Freedom, the third and final installment of her Loyal League series, which follows an unconventional interracial romance that blooms during the dangerous peak of the Civil War.

Wealthy and sheltered Cuban Janeta Sanchez is forever self-conscious about having grown up in a “grey” category of society. Quite literally neither black nor white, her mixed heritage is seen as beautifully and dangerously exotic to the white Americans around her. To her confusion, her Latinx heritage is simultaneously praised for the stereotypical ideas of its attractiveness and passion by men who would harm her and denounced by loved ones and family members as being an unlucky and shameful target for hateful people. It is only when Janeta is forced to join the Loyal League as a double agent to save her beloved Papi that she realizes she may have been misled about the righteousness of the Confederate cause all along and has possibly aided some very treacherous individuals through her decisions.

Soon Janeta finds herself in the fray alongside the educated, handsome Daniel Cumberland, a recently liberated man who, although born free, was kidnapped and forced into a brief period of slavery. This traumatic experience has resulted in tremendous levels of mistrust, prejudice and apathy. Haunted by a plethora of “what-ifs” about his childhood love, Loyal League agent Elle Burns, and the fact that Elle’s white husband helped him regain his freedom, Daniel is reluctant to share any sort of sentiment or affection with Janeta, but their physical magnetism and connection over being outcasts soon bonds them.

After being betrayed by her manipulative “lover” (and Confederate conspirator) Henry and having to constantly avoid the lecherous advances of both Yanqui and Rebel soldiers, the last thing on Janeta’s mind is pursuing a new romance. Similarly, Daniel’s emotional and psychological baggage, as well as his suspicions that Janeta is harboring an important secret, leaves him wary of the alluring new recruit he’s been assigned to mentor. But Janeta and Daniel find themselves gravitating toward each other, and soon their bond reveals itself to be more than just physical attraction. As the pair begin to work together to track down Jefferson Davis and put a stop to slavery across the South, Janeta must question who she is doing this for, calling into question her true identity and her ever-growing attraction to the gruff, intelligent and fiercely loyal Daniel. Similarly, Daniel must decide whether to open his heart to Janeta and risk rejection, or keep his walls up and risk betrayal as the war rages on around them.

An Unconditional Freedom seamlessly melds historical fiction with a titillating tale of espionage, all the while remaining true to the expectations of the setting and building strong, vivid characters that will have readers rooting for them after just a few chapters.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Alyssa Cole about An Unconditional Freedom.

It’s Yuletide in London in Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman. Lady Regina Haversham is looking forward to the holiday season because she’s decided to gift herself a man. A particular man: the dashing and roguish Daffin Oakleaf, a member of the Bow Street Runners, London’s first police force. He and Regina indulged in a flirtation in the not-too-distant past, but Daffin doesn’t accept her indecent proposal. Embarrassed by his rejection, Regina thinks she wouldn’t mind never seeing him again, but after she experiences some frightening attempts on her life, the lawman is forced to stay near the tempting Regina to solve the puzzle of why someone wants to harm her. Scorching romance and enjoyable mystery twine together in this charming story of a hero and heroine battling strict class expectations. Regina is no wilting flower, and her determination to direct her own life makes her an admirable partner for the oh-so-honorable Daffin (who wields his handcuffs in some very decadent ways). Bowman’s latest is a sparkling holiday tale.

This article was originally published in the December 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.