Love strikes amid the unexpected in Earl Interrupted, the second novel of Amanda Forester’s Daring Marriages duology.

The Earl of Darington and Emma St. James meet through a most unusual set of circumstances: He is kidnapped by mysterious ruffians and Emma risks her life to save his, forcing the two strangers to go on the run together. Dare, who goes by Captain Robert Ashton among privateers and pirates, wonders if these bizarre circumstances have anything to do with his recent windfall at sea. To complicate matters, Dare finds that he is falling hopelessly in love with the beautiful, strong-willed and innocent Emma, who claims to be engaged to a stranger in America. Dare endeavors to win her regardless, until he learns the truth behind his father’s death, the details of which could prevent him from marrying altogether.

Plenty of emotional and sexual tension is woven into this riveting tale of destiny. Earl Interrupted focuses on Dare’s perspective on love and life (as opposed to its companion read, If the Earl Only Knew, which presents the romantic tale of Kate, Dare’s twin sister). Dare may be of noble blood, but his life is riddled with hardship—something that he and Emma have in common. Earl Interrupted is replete with a continual string of twists, turns and lighthearted yet steamy sexual moments.

A Scottish hero gets more than he bargained for when he promises to take care of his friend’s daughter in Amy Jarecki’s return to the Lords of the Highlands series.

Handsome, broad-shouldered Captain Reid MacKenzie is no stranger to adventure. It’s during a fearsome battle on the high seas that he gives his solemn vow to protect and see to the safety of Nicholas Kinnet’s daughter, Audrey. Reid expects Audrey to be a child, a girl that he can easily ship off to some boarding school until she’s of marriageable age. Much to his surprise, Audrey is already of marriageable age. She’s hopelessly shy, but beneath her wallflower exterior is a spitfire of the highest order.

When a strange man shows up on Audrey’s doorstep, giving her news of her father’s death and announcing that she’s now his ward, she thinks the man has gone mad. To make matters worse, he insists that she be married off immediately. However, as Reid’s claim to guardianship proves true, a battle of wills ignites between the two of them. Audrey wants nothing to do with marriage, unless it’s on her own terms. Reid sees marriage as a way of ensuring Audrey’s welfare while getting her out of his hair.

The Highland Guardian is a true gem when it comes to compelling, dynamic characters. Reid’s sense of duty and responsibility is ingrained into everything he does, despite his often brusque manner. Meanwhile, Audrey is the star of the show, possessing a hidden intelligence and finding strength in the face of uncertainty and danger.

Though Reid and Audrey aren’t quite enemies, there is a crackling tension between the two. Audrey isn’t used to having her life upended by some bossy Highlander, however handsome he may be. And as a captain, Reid’s direction isn’t often questioned. He sets upon finding suitors for Audrey, insisting on taking her to various events and balls, despite Audrey’s hatred of being put on display. She’s also a dreadfully terrible dancer.

When Wagner Tupps stakes a claim for Audrey’s hand in marriage, Reid senses that something isn’t quite right. He refuses, igniting Wagner’s thirst for revenge on Reid, Audrey and the reputation of her late father.

Jarecki takes on a heavy responsibility in capturing the turmoil the Jacobites faced by setting The Highland Guardian in the 18th century, but she does an extraordinary job. The book’s sense of place is easily its own character, and the era’s cultural upheaval adds an additional element of foreboding to Reid and Audrey’s romance.

With clever, enchanting writing, elements of life-or-death danger and a romance that takes both Reid and Audrey completely by surprise, The Highland Guardian is an historical romance so on point it’ll leave readers awestruck.

Joanna Shupe spins a clever, opulent tale in the first book of her Four Hundred series, A Daring Arrangement.

The year is 1890. Lady Nora Parker is the daughter of an earl who is sent to America when her father sees her together with Robert, a commoner. She can return to London once she finds an upstanding man to marry. Nora, determined to reunite with Robert, contrives a plan guaranteed to get her father’s attention—feigning an engagement with the “outrageous and improper” financier, Julius Hatcher. Julius has no intention of marrying, but agrees to Nora’s arrangement if she helps ingratiate him into high society. Problems develop when Nora’s schemes to create scathing gossip constantly go awry, but the one thing she doesn’t expect is falling in love with Julius.

Shupe presents a set of flawed yet absolutely charming, well-developed lead characters in her new series. Weaving in a variety of aspects that capture the Gilded Age, A Daring Arrangement balances the glamour and the glitz with the reality of the social norms that stifled men and women during this era. Nora is surrounded with wealth and prestige, but at a great price since they dictate her individuality. Julius may be a wizard with numbers, but smarts don’t always win out, especially if you’re not a blue blood. Shupe slowly builds the sexual tension as both Julius and Nora refuse to admit their feelings for each other, yet find themselves growing inexorably closer. With its witty, revealing dialogue and fascinating looks at both high and low society in turn of the century America, A Daring Arrangment is a highly entertaining and engaging read.

With comedic elements that soften the gritty politics of medieval life, Alyson McLayne’s Highland Promise raises the bar of Scottish historical romances with an earnest heroine, a brawny hero and two clans on the verge of war.

When Darach MacKenzie sees Caitlin McInnes unconscious and thrown over the back of a horse belonging to an enemy clan, his noble nature refuses to ignore the woman’s obvious distress, and he, along with his men, sets about rescuing her. Caitlin is young and innocent, but incredibly lively. She’s a riot, and causes all sorts of shenanigans while on the trip back to Darach’s castle. She’s immediately taken by Darach’s beauty and has no problem saying so in front of his clansmen. She insists on him helping her rescue a bird. She takes in a litter of kittens to be nursed back to health. Not to mention, her presence nestled in Darach’s arms while riding causes him some noticeable (ahem) discomfort.

After arriving at the castle, Caitlin quickly becomes a nurturing force. Like her late mother, she has an affinity for healing wary souls and coaxing skittish animals. She’s a fairy-tale princess come to life, but with a refreshing habit of saying exactly what’s on her mind. She has no qualms disagreeing with the hero despite her sheltered upbringing. Caitlin was used as a marriage pawn by her uncle following her parents’ deaths, and she’s insistent that she will determine her own life from here on out.

Darach has vowed never to become besotted with a woman again. He once loved a woman from another clan, and her deceit has left lasting scars—both physical and emotional—on Darach’s clan. But there’s a palpable, aching tenderness in Darach and the way he views Caitlin. From the very first second they meet, his concern is only for her safety and wellbeing.

While Caitlin finds a temporary home at Castle Mackenzie, she knows she cannot stay forever. She hopes to locate her mother’s family in France and prevent her uncle from seeking retribution on the man to which she’s grown attached. It’s an addicting back and forth—Darach wants to protect Caitlin, while Caitlin is trying to protect Darach.

For readers who love their romances swathed in plaid, McLayne’s Sons of Gregor McLeod series is one to watch and of course, read! There’s a swoon-inducing amount of heroes for future installments, but they won’t soon forget the couple who started it all—Darach and Caitlin.

The year is 1860. Iain MacEnroy and four of his seven brothers are traveling through the Arkansas Ozarks when Iain smells smoke. Their investigations lead not only to the brutal murders of a young couple, but also to two escapees—Emily Stanton, a well-bred English woman, and her young nephew, Neddy. While transporting her and Neddy to the MacEnroy residence to tend to her wounds, Iain finds himself falling for her, and Emily feels likewise. Although Iain and Emily have more in common than they think, there is also more to Emily than Iain is aware of. When the men who killed her sister and brother-in-law discover where she and Neddy are staying, she must decide whether to trust her rescuer with her secrets.

Set in the ruggedly beautiful but essentially lawless American frontier, The Scotsman Who Saved Me is a fascinating new take on the highlander romance. Howell introduces a whole set of memorable characters with Iain, the oldest of the MacEnroy brothers, and Emily at the forefront. Iain and Emily may come from two different worlds—English gentry and Scottish commoner—but Howell makes sure that both her protagonists are more than class stereotypes. Howell also gives her audience plenty of time to get to know the rest of the cast by slowly and steadily ratcheting up the action.

If the upcoming books share The Scotsman Who Saved Me’s assured mix of character development and suspense, Howell fans have much to look forward to in this new series.

Love tames the beast in Tessa Dare’s refreshing romance between a vicar’s daughter and a war-scarred duke.

A duchess-to-be breaks off her engagement to the Duke of Ashbury (Ash to his friends) because of the burn scars that cover his body. The situation is not only a blow to his manhood, but also puts him at a disadvantage since it is imperative for him to have an heir to his estate. Unaware of Ash’s unfortunate circumstances, seamstress Emma Gladstone, who was never paid for creating an elaborate wedding gown for the upcoming bride, makes an audacious move by showing up at Ash’s doorstep dressed in the ornate garment to ask for her money. Ash takes advantage of the serendipitous moment by countering Emma’s demands with an unusual proposition—he’ll make her a duchess. What Emma and Ash don’t expect is for romance to enter into the picture.

Candid and hilarious dialogue abounds in this slow-burning, steamy read. Dare’s attention to emotional detail creates driving sexual tension between her headstrong yet damaged leads. She utilizes Emma’s low social status and gender to shine a light upon the flaws of the wealthy and powerful—creating a clear contrast between the prestigious, cold facade Ash attempts to display to the world and the truth of a man marred by cynicism even before his injuries. This clash is especially noticeable during the burgeoning romance between Emma and Ash, as their disparate life experiences heavily influence their respective views on love and relationships.

With her light touch and sparkling humor, Dare effortlessly weaves in social commentary alongside the perfectly crafted love scenes and declarations of affection, making The Duchess Deal a novel that is bound to become a new favorite among romance buffs.

Three Weeks with a Princess is an adorable and fun return to Vanessa Kelly’s Improper Princesses historical romance series. When an illegitimate duke’s daughter grows up as the childhood friend to a rather respectable, duty-bound boy, things can only get more scandalous from there. Packed with humor and a well-balanced cast of characters, this is a lovely addition to a series that just keeps getting better.

Lia Kincaid is no stranger to gossip. Not only is she an illegitimate child, but the woman who raised her—her grandmother—was a notorious mistress. The fact that her actress mother had an affair with a duke dashes any hopes Lia ever had of being respectable. At a young age, she finds a friend in Jack Easton, a man destined for the title of marquess. While they may be friends, Lia knows nothing can come of her crush on Jack. Because of her background, she’s destined to become a rich man’s mistress.

Jack is protective and loyal to Lia, and watching him take care of her as much as propriety allows—and then some—is enough to make any reader swoon. He knows he must revive his crumbling estate by making a sensible (and wealthy) marriage match. But even though he has a lot on his plate, Jack can’t resist Lia’s plea for help. She trusts him, and he’s her only hope when it comes to meeting a titled man in need of a mistress. What Jack doesn’t count on are the torturous, detailed questions Lia asks about how to seduce such a man.

Fans of a friends-to-lovers romance will find Three Weeks with a Princess to be utterly charming. There are uptight relatives, bawdy bits of family history and tender moments between Lia and Jack. But deeper than that, this is a romance about two people who want to veer from the course set out for them. Lia wants to eschew the infamous Kincaid name and does not want to be a kept woman like her mother and grandmother before her. Meanwhile, Jack lacks the desire to be a marquess and sees his title as more of a burden than any sort of honor.

Kelly’s pacing is brilliant, and there are snappy bits of dialogue and sticky situations galore as Jack dashes through London after Lia, clearly distressed by the idea of helping her become some man’s mistress. The pair complement each other so well: Jack with his endearing practicality and care, and Lia with her brash self-confidence. Jack truly is a knight in shining armor when it comes to her—the way they feel for each other is obvious to everyone but them.

It’s a “Just kiss already!” type of book.

The late Jo Beverley, a New York Times bestselling author, has left us a parting gift—her final Regency historical, Merely a Marriage. The year is 1817, and Lady Ariana Boxstall has grown increasingly anxious since the Regent’s only child, Princess Charlotte, died in childbirth. If death can claim a woman so young, Ariana fears for her brother Norris, the Earl of Langston, given all the risks he takes in his Corinthian lifestyle. She feels it’s imperative Norris take a wife and quickly present an heir to secure the succession. Should it pass to their drunken, gambling-mad uncle, their mother’s life will be left in shambles. Norris, however, has no desire to marry at this time and shows no sign of changing his mind—until he determines that if she is married by the end of the year, he will follow suit by the end of January.

Putting herself in the ton’s sights is the last thing Ariana wants to do. She is inordinately tall, and her debut when she was 16 was a disaster. Yet, reluctantly, she agrees. Her mother accompanies her to London where their hostess Lady Cawle will usher Ariana through the unofficial marriage mart. The first thing Lady Cawle hands Ariana is a written list of possible husbands she has arranged for Ariana to meet, including the Earl of Kynaston, who broke Ariana’s heart eight years ago.

When Titus Frederick Delacorte, the Earl of Kynaston, met Ariana years ago, he was the toast of the town. Then life introduced him to heartbreak and taught him in the worst way possible that no one’s life is forever golden. He has sworn off love, but being thrown together with Ariana makes staying steadfast to his avowed oath increasingly difficult.

With trademark authority and vivid characterization, Jo Beverley paints a stunning picture of aristocratic Regency London life as Ariana and Kynaston’s inability to stay away from each other courts scandal during a countrywide mourning period.

Never Trust a Pirate, the seventh book in Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series, is a delicious mix of intrigue and red-hot romance.

Twins Cade and Rafe Cavendish grew up rough in Seven Dials, London. But while Rafe was bestowed a viscountcy by the Prince Regent for his work during the war and married the sister of an earl, Cade has spent the past decade doing something decidedly different. He knows he’s rumored to be the infamous pirate Black Fox and shrugs at being titled the family black sheep—hell, if the black wool fits. He is pleased his brother found happiness, but Cade knows better than to think love is for the likes of him. He only plans to be in town long enough to get the information for which he came. Then he’s in the wind.

A former heiress who was left penniless after her parents died, Miss Danielle LaCrosse is now Lady Daphne Cavendish’s new maid. She arrives at the Cavendish household with secrets and an agenda of her own. Yet even as she pursues the latter, Danielle finds herself getting drawn into the warmth and welcome of both the servants with whom she works and Lady Daphne, who is like no member of the ton Danielle has ever known. As for the viscount’s brother, Cade—well, every time the two of them run into each other, they generate some serious sparks. While both know it’s the last thing they need—for their emotional well-being and the agendas that brought them to this destination—they cannot seem to stay away from each other.

Bowman pens a fun, fast page-turner of a romance, filled with characters that communicate even as they struggle to trust each other. For readers who like a soupçon of suspense with their romance, this is a book to keep you guessing.

New York Times bestseller Julia London’s second book in her Highland Grooms series hits the ground running. Widow Daisy Bristol, Lady Chatwick, is under a deadline to remarry, forced into matrimony by the terms of her late husband’s will. When she receives a letter from her long-lost first love, it gives her hope that, if wed she must, this time she might do so with genuine affection. She flees with her son to the family holding in Scotland, hoping to buy time until her long-ago suitor can get back to England. The first Scot she meets is a brusque, imposing man who introduces himself only as Arrendale.

Cailean MacKenzie, laird of Arrendale, doesn’t want any Londoners in his glen, but Lady Chatwick is hard to ignore. She’s unlike the usual Sassenach: He comes across her barefoot and in bedclothes, her hair uncombed. Then he spies her once again, dirtied, sweaty and sporting a bleeding scratch from clearing her own garden. And she flirts with him with bold eyes and an even bolder, sassy mouth. He doesn’t want to be interested, but his heart isn’t listening.

How is Daisy not supposed to notice when Cailean wears his plaid, displaying bare knees and a peek of his powerful thighs? He has told her in no uncertain terms that he’s not interested in her, yet a curious friendship begins to unfold between them. And soon, even that line becomes blurred as each is drawn more and more fiercely to the other.

Then Daisy’s first love, Captain Robert Spivey, arrives on the scene. Not only is he an old enemy of Cailean’s, but Spivey is a cold fish whom Cailean knows will kill the very passion that makes Daisy the woman she is. So Cailean risks his own safety to assure the union between Daisy and Spivey will never take place.

Julia London pens a lush, sweeping story of love, loyalty and cultures clashing that will keep readers glued to their seats, hearts in throats, as they turn pages at lightning speed to make sure Daisy and Cailean get their just deserts: the happily ever after both so richly deserve.

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas returns readers to the world of the Ravenal family and Victorian England in Devil In Spring.

Lady Pandora Ravenal is quirky, brilliant, beautiful and completely opposed to marriage. She’s participating in the London social season solely to support her twin sister, whom she adores. Determined to endure the endlessly boring hours of balls and soirées without causing a scandal, Pandora finds corners to hide in and declines gentlemen’s offers to dance.

One warm summer evening, her dress becomes caught and she’s stuck in the wooden carvings of a settee. When handsome, eligible, cynical bachelor Lord Gabriel St. Vincent comes to her aid, their host finds them in an innocent, yet compromising, position. Honor demands Gabriel offer marriage.

His frustration at the situation quickly becomes fascination, and he’s determined to claim the high-spirited Pandora. She is equally determined to find a way out of their predicament without damaging her family’s reputation and her sister’s marriage prospects. When the two spend long hours together at Gabriel’s family seaside estate, Pandora quickly realizes she can’t resist the powerful attraction that draws her to Gabriel. But when independent, business-minded Pandora inadvertently runs afoul of Irish terrorists, danger threatens her life. Can these two strong-willed, passionate people survive a love neither expected but cannot live without?

This thoroughly delightful novel is a showcase for Kleypas’ strengths as a writer. The time period details are flawlessly executed and the relationship between the hero and heroine, two people who at first meeting appear to be wildly disparate, intrigues and delights. The dialogue is witty and often hilariously funny, while the characters are engaging and eminently likable. Readers will find themselves thoroughly absorbed in this deeply emotional tale and anxiously awaiting the next novel in the series.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington