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.

Another member of the Westcott family finds true love in Mary Balogh’s Someone to Trust. The setting is snow-covered and the company jolly, but two people at the holiday family gathering are feeling gloomy. Widow Elizabeth Overfield, at 35, wonders if now might be the time to find another husband and try for children. Eligible bachelor Colin Handrich, Lord Hodges, is 26 and contemplates doing his duty in the New Year and beginning the business of finding a wife. The pair enjoys each other’s company and feels an undeniable attraction, but the age difference makes them incompatible—or does it? Colin and Elizabeth bring out the best in each other, but on the way to a happy-ever-after they must confront ugly gossip, societal expectations and manipulative relatives. The quiet, authentic intensity of the characters’ emotions is a hallmark of Balogh’s work, and it is a pleasure to experience each heart-wringing moment in this romance made for warming a winter night.

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

Top Pick in Romance, November 2018

Two people in desperate straits save each other in the latest historical by Grace Burrowes, My One and Only Duke. Facing execution for a crime he didn’t commit, wealthy banker Quinn Wentworth proposes marriage to minister’s daughter Jane Winston, saving her from poverty and also providing an escape from her sanctimonious father. Grateful to this man she’s barely met, Jane agrees, and they marry. Then at the last second, Quinn unexpectedly inherits a dukedom and is pardoned. He offers Jane an annulment, but she’s willing to stick by her vows. When they begin to live together as husband and wife, Burrowes delves into the heart of the marriage-of-convenience trope: the physical and romantic tension created by a sudden intimacy between two people who are still essentially strangers. Both Quinn and Jane soon discover they delight each other in the bedroom, but they must learn trust and compromise to build a real life together. This curl-up-and-enjoy read includes a mystery—who set Quinn up for certain death?—as well as intriguing family members who definitely deserve their own stories.

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

While it’s fascinating to explore the exquisite manners and rigid expectations of high society in any era, it’s always deliciously exciting to see someone escape the lock-stepping pack and choose a different path. That’s why it’s so engaging to see the hero and heroine of this story—aristocrats in the stiflingly proper Victorian era—cut loose and go on a scandalous adventure. (Each chapter is headed with a tongue-in-cheek piece of advice directed to the heroine, from the heroine, presented guidebook-style as excerpts from Lady Ida’s Tips for the Adventurous Lady Traveler.)

Lady Ida herself is beautiful, rich and wellborn—but she’s considered unmarriageable because she’s also opinionated, outspoken and bookish. London’s society is a prison for her where she’s expected to simper and smile at men who earnestly mansplain to her that “breaking the fast” with breakfast doesn’t require her to break anything. She’s desperate for a way out and eagerly seizes an opportunity to “borrow” a carriage and just go. Her destination is an obscure little town where her disgraced sister, Della, has taken refuge. Ida wants to bring Della back into the family fold, but most of all, Ida just wants to get away. If it ruins her reputation, all the better.

Little does she know that Bennett, Lord Carson, is stowed away in the carriage she’s appropriated. As he is known for his intelligence, courteousness and ironclad sense of responsibility, it’s not surprising that he insists on accompanying her—it would be ungentlemanly to let her travel alone. The surprise comes when what starts as a duty quickly becomes a pleasure as he enjoys talking to a woman who has no interest in discussing the weather or anyone’s health. They banter, they argue, they discuss which animals they most resemble. (“Hedgehog” becomes his favorite term of endearment for her.) They fall into bed together—and of course, they fall in love.

Instead of the airless feel that sometimes defines Victorian-era stories, this book feels more like a freewheeling road trip rom-com in which two opposites learn just how deeply they attract. (I caught the occasional homage to some classics in this genre, including the originator—It Happened One Night.) The story and the writing are as fun and vibrant as the book’s protagonists, and while the happily ever after is a given, it really is all about the madcap journey they take to get there.

Joanna Shupe returns to her Four Hundred series with a sweet, heartwarming historical romance between a reclusive inventor and a shy Englishwoman. Both struggle to fit into society, but manage to find comfort and acceptance with each other.

The hits for Christina Barclay just keep coming. After her family flees England for New York to escape debtors, she quickly realizes her parents aim to pawn her off on the richest man willing to take her. The only way she copes with her family stress and anxiety for social gatherings is taking walks in her neighbor’s garden. It’s rumored that he’s a recluse and Christina doubts he’ll even notice her.

Oliver Hawkes is perfectly fine with his self-imposed exile. He doesn’t like dealing with new people, and has surrounded himself with a close group of servants and friends. Having lost his hearing as a young teen, Oliver has wrestled with the notion that he’ll never be fully welcomed by New York’s elite. But after meeting Christina, he slowly comes to realize there’s something magical in finding a friend.

After Christina returns from a harrowing experience with the man her parents have chosen for her to marry, Oliver knows he has to help her. And when her mother and father catch Christina seeking refuge at Oliver’s home, they insist she’s been comprised. Oliver knows the easiest way to help Christina and keep her from the scheming clutches of her parents is to marry her. They’ll dissolve the marriage in a year and he’ll send her on her way with a large sum of money, freeing her to move wherever she wants and pursue her dreams.

Both Christina and Oliver are, initially, lonely individuals. Christina has never felt as if she belonged, even while out with her cousin and friends. Meanwhile, Oliver insists he needs no one and that he can manage just fine on his own. They end up becoming fast friends because they’ve found a common ground in their introversion. There’s an adorable scene where Christina doesn’t feel like coming down for dinner, so instead, Oliver has dinner set up in their rooms to keep Christina from having to leave the comfort of her own space.

Shupe fascinatingly explores Oliver’s life as a deaf man, showing what sorts of accessibilities and technology were available in the late-nineteenth century. But his disability also comes with various prejudices, even given his wealth and standing in society. The threat of being thrown into an asylum is a very real concern. Though Christina is a homebody, Oliver begins to worry that not being seen in public will cause people to think that he’s mad, creating a looming, terrifying danger that hangs over the growing affection between husband and wife. Oliver and Christina’s love story is very much a slow burn, enhanced by the care and understanding they have for one another. Filled with lovely, sigh-inducing scenes and tense moments of longing and vulnerability, A Notorious Vow is a romance you’ll remember for a lifetime.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Joanna Shupe.

Liz Carlyle pens an entrancing Victorian-era story filled with passion and danger in The Bride Wore Scarlet. The St. James Society is a secret circle whose members have pledged to guard those with extraordinary mental powers from misuse by others. It’s a global organization comprised only of men until Anaïs de Rohan arrives at the group’s London headquarters, trained for fighting, educated in their ways and asking to be initiated into their ranks. While Lord Geoffrey Bessett immediately refuses her membership, he is willing to partner with her on a mission—during which she’ll pose as his wife. Sparks fly between the fiery young lady and the controlled lord, but they must learn to deal with the heat to save a prescient child from falling into the wrong hands. Soon the pair are mixing business and pleasure, although Anaïs believes she’s destined to wed a Tuscan man. While Geoff makes her second-guess the prophecy foretold by her great-grandmother, there is evil at work that may mean the end—not only of their burgeoning love, but of their lives. Carlyle delivers a fast-paced pleasure.

Two fascinating characters meet their match in A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch. After being widowed in Vienna, Diane Benchley returns to London and stuns society by opening an exclusive gentleman’s club. No one is more surprised than Oliver Warren, the Marquis of Haybury. Two years before, he and the young widow had a torrid affair, and he ran from her and his feelings. Now that she’s back, he vows to avoid her . . . but it proves impossible when the beauty finds a way to have him act as her advisor. Once again in close quarters, their passion ignites, though each is determined to battle against it. Diane wants her venture to succeed and refuses to rely on love or a man again—besides, Oliver never saw himself as a one-woman man, and he isn’t about to start now. But through witty repartee and stolen kisses, the two grow close. When Diane’s establishment is threatened by outside forces, she must trust Oliver to help vanquish the new foe. The lovers war with each other passionately—but the results are fiery and just plain fun.

Seasoned romance author Jane Ashford’s stellar writing is on full display in Brave New Earl. This first book in her new series, The Way to a Lord’s Heart, introduces the delightful premise of a British earl who is determined to nudge, scheme and settle his four younger male acquaintances into happy domestic bliss. Not that the four would have agreed, had they known about the older gentleman’s plans. Nevertheless, the matchmaker moves calmly forward with his objective.

The Earl’s first target is his nephew Benjamin Romilly. After losing his wife in childbirth five years earlier, Benjamin’s broken heart has refused to heal and his son is growing up with scant supervision or attention from his grieving father. When Miss Jean Saunders, a distant cousin of Benjamin’s late wife, learns of the little boy’s lack of parental care, she vows to intercede. A survivor of a cruel and abusive childhood herself, Jean cannot bear to abandon the child to an uncaring parent.

Arriving uninvited at Benjamin’s estate, Jean is surprised to discover that the Earl is handsome and charming, but plagued by reclusive habits and stubborn grief. Five-year-old Geoffrey is even more of a shock as he’s wildly undisciplined, but imaginative and intellectually brilliant. Ashford’s vivid descriptions of the little boy and his outrageous antics, alongside with his often heartbreaking reactions to adult interaction, add a deeper emotional layer to the novel. Jean’s original plan to swoop in, collect Geoffrey and convey him to his grandparents’ care in London is clearly not going to succeed. Ever adaptable, Jean settles in for a long visit, vowing to solve the family complications.

For Benjamin, it’s as if Jean’s arrival wakes him from a long twilight, and he gradually becomes aware of the impact his protracted grieving has had on his son. He has a lot of work to do to regain lost ground with Geoffrey, not to mention deciding how to cope with the astonishing appeal of Miss Saunders. But just because Benjamin is finally ready to engage with the world, Jean is not ready to become involved on a romantic level with Benjamin. Though their attraction is both mutual and powerful, Jean is terrified of intimacy. Her own difficult childhood has left scars, just as Benjamin’s grief has marked him. If these two can reach a happy future together, it will not be an easy journey. Readers will be charmed by Ashford’s writing and will thoroughly enjoy observing these two honorable, wonderful people as they struggle to reach the happiness they both clearly deserve.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.

This romance may be set in 1860s England, a time of Victorian propriety, but scandal sits just below its surface—and military-hero-turned-spy Adam Drummond is determined to uncover it. Positioned undercover by the War Office in the home of the late Duke of Marsley, Adam uses his role as majordomo to search the house for proof that the duke betrayed the British troops under his command during a campaign in India. But Adam’s single-minded focus on his mission starts to shift as he finds himself captivated by Suzanne Whitcomb, the duke’s beautiful, broken-hearted widow. She lives in a state of deep, relentless mourning, not for the duke, but for their young son who died at the same time. Nothing has moved her in the time since her loss, until Adam is thrown very dramatically in her path.

A love between them is impossible, of course. It’s not just the chasm between their stations, though that would be reason enough. There’s also the deception he used to enter her life in the first place, and the fact that succeeding in his mission would mean dragging her deceased husband’s name through the mud. There’s some strong, deep-seated anger in the mix, too. Adam served in India under the duke’s command and he was one of only a handful to survive. His wife, who was stationed there with him, perished. The host of obstacles Ranney places in Adam and Suzanne’s path results in a rich emotional struggle as they find themselves drawn together in spite of it all.

To Love a Duchess is Ranney’s first book in a new trilogy entitled All for Love, and her writing beautifully shows how love can triumph over pain, fear, anger and blame. The physical attraction between the characters is strong, but the emotional connection is just as powerful as they both work through their grief and help each other heal. It’s empowering as a reader to see Suzanne come out of her shell and start living again, instead of just existing.

The author takes time for social commentary as well, highlighting the terrible treatment of girls in the working class when they, willingly or not, became pregnant outside of marriage. Ranney paints a heartbreaking image of the struggles they faced, but it feels a touch removed as none of the women in that situation have dialogue in To Love a Duchess. Their stories are told for them, while they don’t speak at all. Perhaps that will change in the next book in the series, and Ranney will highlight the ways that love and understanding can heal those wounds too.