Sabrina Jeffries matches an unlikely hero with a hesitant heroine in The Danger of Desire, the third book in the Sinful Suitors series, and the result is pure magic.

Miss Delia Trevor politely wiles away her days pretending to be in pursuit of a husband and her nights searching for the man responsible for her brother’s death. When Warren Corry, the Marquess of Knightford, discovers her clandestine visits to some of London’s most unseemly gambling establishments, Delia is forced to tell the infuriatingly handsome lord at least part of her plan, withholding just enough information to ensure the blasted man won’t interfere—or so she thinks. With seductive charm and helpful connections, Warren is soon aiding Delia in her scheme—and threatening her heart, to boot. But she doesn’t have the time to fall in love, especially with the marquess, who would hardly woo a woman like Delia. Or would he?

For his part, Warren can’t quite understand how he’s managed to become besotted with a woman so unlike any other female he’s ever met. Though his reputation paints him as a rake of the first order, the marquess would never abandon a woman in need. Besides, he couldn’t leave now, even if he wanted to. The smart, honest and damningly desirable Delia makes Warren wonder if it’s possible to love, even for someone such as himself, who has done everything in his power to protect his heart.

Risky midnight visits to gambling hells, scandalous behavior in carriages and a shocking twist you’ll never see coming are just a few of my favorite things about this passionate, Regency-set historical romance. 

The first novel in Mary Balogh's Westcott series, Someone to Love, is an adventure in self-discovery that follows an orphan who discovers she’s the sole heir to a deceased Earl’s vast fortune.

Discovering that you belong to a wealthy, aristocratic family is an orphan's dream come true. However, growing up in an orphanage, the thing Anna has always desired most is family. Yet Anna has shattered the world of the Earl’s widow and her children and created quite the scandal, and although she would do anything to have the Countess' children as her new siblings, they want nothing to do with her.

Anna is overwhelmed by the challenges of attempting to become a polished lady and distraught that her newfound family despises her. But Avery Archer, the Duke of Netherby, sees Anna's distress and rescues her by taking her out for long walks. It's during these moments that the two unexpectedly grow fond of each other, leading to a proposal of marriage. But as wedding plans are in the works, Anna discovers that Avery's life is in grave danger. Will the wedding even have the chance to occur?

This is a refreshing read from the always-stellar Balogh, and it is a great start to a new set of novels sure to become favorites.

Joanna Shupe’s Baron, the second book in her popular Knickerbocker Club series, is set in New York in the late 1800s. The novel features Will Sloane, the stuffy older brother of Shupe’s heroine in Magnate, and pits the wealthy rail baron against an irresistible force: Madam Zolikoff, aka Ava Jones, who is struggling to get by as a medium.

William Sloane and Ava come from very different walks of life. The Gilded Age of New York City means a mansion for the wealthy Sloan, but a gritty third story apartment for Ava. Left penniless by the death of her parents, she has become Madam Zolikoff, a performance medium wearing a blonde wig and faking a Russian accent, “conjuring” up the spirits of client’s deceased family members to make a buck.

As a pillar of industry and a rising star in politics, William Sloane needs a suitable wife, but first he must take care of business. He attends Madam Zolikoff’s performance with a specific purpose—to dissuade her from entering a relationship with his political ally, John Bennett. Bennett is the gubernatorial candidate who’s asked Will to join him on the ticket as lieutenant governor. With the election only six months away, any missteps must be avoided, and this impertinent actress with the flame-red lips simply screams scandal. William won’t let a curvy con artist ruin his political career, but the feisty medium draws him like a beacon.

Ava grew up far from the fine and fancy Will Sloane and has done the best she can—single-handedly raising her younger siblings, scrimping and saving and building a  home for them. Years earlier, a romance with another privileged man left her sadder, wiser and mistrustful. She thinks she knows the kind of man Will Sloane is and wants no part of him. Unfortunately, Will is the kind of man one can’t help but notice, and unbeknownst to Ava, he has a heart of gold.

Though they come from different worlds, neither William nor Ava can ignore the compelling heat of each other’s company, and their resulting romance sizzles early and often. Readers should be advised not to scorch their fingers while flipping through the pages—or get them caught on all the hidden buttons of Victorian garb . . .

How unlikely is it for a strong Scottish lass to fall in love with a hardened British army officer? Extremely. Fortunately for Fiona Blackstock and Major Gabriel Forrester, their love lives are in the capable hands of bestselling historical romance author Suzanne Enoch, and a happily-ever-after just might be in their future in Hero in the Highlands, the first delightful installment in the No Ordinary Hero series.

A seasoned soldier with bravery in his blood and boldness to match, Gabriel lives for the fight. But when he suddenly inherits not only a title but a number of holdings as well—including a ducal seat, the cursed Lattimer castle in the Scottish Highlands—he’s forced to leave the battle against Napoleon’s men in Salamanca and see to his new duties across the channel. The turn of events is even less welcome news to the castle’s acting steward, Fiona Blackstock, who has kept the keep and its people from sinking into poverty with hardly any help. The last thing she needs is a man mucking about—and a British one at that,

When the two meet, sparks of all sorts fly, the enigmatic pull that each feels toward the other being the most notable. Though life away from the army has never held any interest for Gabriel, Fiona’s fiery temperament and deep devotion to the castle and her people stirs him in a way that speaks to his own sense of duty and honor. As for Fiona? She’d rather fail in her role as steward than give her heart to a Redcoat—or so she once believed. Gabriel’s charm and respect for her captures her attention, but it’s his growing love for the land and his newly acquired castle that keeps her captivated.

Sensuous, witty and replete with Scottish dialect that adds to the ambiance, beauty and lure of the Highlands, Enoch’s latest is an accomplished love story. Even more, it’s one that will stay with you long after you’ve read the last page—and that’s a romance not to be missed.

Jody Hedlund imagines the early life of 18th-century preacher John Newton, as well as the inspiration behind his hymn “Amazing Grace” in Newton and Polly.

Fifteen-year-old Polly Catlett is out wassailing in her small English town with her aunt, but Polly is unaware that her aunt uses their caroling as a cover for rescuing children who were smuggled into slavery. Certain that their actions have been discovered and that they are being followed, Polly and her aunt quickly find a place to hide.

Luckily, the young sailor John Newton has noticed their plight and throws off their shadow. Polly soon learns that their savior is also her cousin when he pays a visit to the Catlett home. As Polly slowly warms up to her rebellious 17-year-old cousin, she also learns that he fell in love with her the moment he heard her voice while caroling.

Polly and John's relationship grows, despite the disparity in temperament between the pious Polly and the rather debauched John. However, a passionate kiss between them creates chaos in the Catlett household. John is pressured to leave and look for employment, and, while drinking away his sorrows, he is pressed into service by the Royal Navy. John is constantly dodging his responsibilities and creating trouble, and his time in the Navy takes him through France's war efforts and the horrors of slave trading. Prompted by these trials, John strives to become the godly man that Polly seeks and deserves, hoping that they will one day be reunited.

Hedlund deftly highlights both the romance and the strained aspects of Polly and John's budding relationship. While Polly is a devout believer, John struggles with his faith. But upon finding love, both with Polly and God, he is inspired to write one of the most beloved hymns in the world. 

Sarah MacLean brings together the proverbial beauty and the beast in her latest Regency novel, A Scot in the Dark.

Lillian Hargrove is drop-dead gorgeous, but her beauty offers no help for her tainted social status. Orphaned at a young age and under the guardianship of a series of Warnick Dukes, the 23-year-old falls prey to an unfortunate situation when she poses nude for the famous artist Derek Hawkins, who has promised that the painting is for his eyes only and that he intends to wed her. But Lillian learns that the supposed private painting will not only soon be displayed for the world to see, but that Derek has no intention of marrying her.

Alec Stuart, the newest and reluctant Duke of Warnick, enters the scene surprised to find that Lillian is a ward of his estate. Upon realizing her involvement with the scandal, the over-six-foot Scottish brute takes charge of Lillian’s shameful societal status by attempting to find a man for her to marry before the painting’s unveiling. In an unlikely turn of events, Alec and Lillian fall for each other. Although their romance is riddled with clashes, secrets and uncertainty, one thing for certain is that destroying Derek’s painting will alter Lillian’s position. Yet locating it before that fateful reveal will be nothing less than a miracle.

MacLean’s latest novel includes a host of feisty, colorful characters that surround and support the pair of underdogs. Scenes are replete with engaging and snarky dialogue, plenty of romantic tension, gossip and narrative twists and turns. A Scot in the Dark, the second book in MacLean’s Scandal & Scoundrel series, is a captivating mix of scandal and sensuality with a Scottish flare.

Dorothy Garlock’s Sunday Kind of Love begins as an old-fashioned love story. It's 1956, girl has already met boy, and they’re en route to Buckton, Indiana, to meet her parents. Gwen hopes she’s found a partner in her boyfriend, Kent—a man to stand beside her, not tower above her.

Gwen is a small-town girl who, unlike most of her friends, attended college and then left Podunk Buckton for the glamour of Chicago. She’s fallen for the dazzling Kent Brookings—an attorney par excellence and a young man on his way up.

However, Gwen soon realizes that the entitled young lawyer sees her as more of a beautiful trinket than the intelligent young woman she truly is. When the two travel to Buckton to visit Gwen’s family, Kent announces their engagement to her parents—before he’s even asked Gwen to marry him. Gwen is infuriated.

Garlock’s mastery of momentum paired with captivating characters ensures a satisfying read.

After Kent’s surprise announcement, Gwen storms off into the night to re-examine the relationship. Gwen is torn. Kent doesn't support her dream of becoming a writer, and if he doesn’t take her seriously, how can she become his wife? However, she knows Kent is everything her parents want for her: an educated, thoughtful and wealthy young man.

As she ponders her dilemma in the darkness, she drops her prized writing journal in a swollen river and, while attempting to retrieve it, is swept away by the current. As fate would have it, local bad boy, Hank Ellis, hears her calls for help and risks his life to rescue Gwen. Despite this act of heroism, Gwen’s father shuns Hank when he brings her home, asking him to get out.

To Gwen’s family and the entire town of Buckton, Hank is a pariah. He was responsible for the fiery car wreck that killed his much-loved younger brother. However, it seems that everyone in Buckton has a secret, and Hank, devastated by his brother’s death and his father’s alcoholism, is no exception. Yet despite his painful past, Gwen finds herself developing feelings for this rough, misunderstood giant of a man who saved her. 

The latest of Dorothy Garlock’s romances underscores why the author is a nearly permanent resident of the New York Times bestseller list. Garlock’s mastery of momentum paired with captivating characters ensures a satisfying read.

Kelly Bowen returns to her Season for Scandal series with A Duke to Remember, in which a woman, who seems to be a magnet for drama, tracks down a man who is desperate to stay out of the limelight of London society. 

Elise deVries loves to play a character both on and off the stage. By night, she graces the stage as one of London’s most talented actresses—but her day job is far more interesting. Hired by Chegarre & Associates, an agency that makes scandals disappear overnight, Elise works undercover, using her fondness for playing roles and knack for creating disguises to help collect information for the company’s clients. 

Elise first appears in disguise as a doctor—a male doctor—as she investigates the claim that the Duchess of Ashland is being unfairly detained at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, also known as Bedlam. The duchess insists that her son—Noah Ellery, the Duke of Ashland, who has long been missing and is presumed dead—is still alive, but the assertion only makes the claim of her insanity even more plausible. However, Elise knows that something isn’t right, and she sets off to find the missing Duke.

A Duke to Remember has everything you want in a romance.

Noah Ellery is enjoying his life of quiet solitude in hiding in the English countryside. He’s all too happy to give up the title of Duke of Ashland if it means leaving high society and its gossip behind. But when Elise turns up, explaining that his mother has been sent away to an asylum and his awful cousin is claiming the title of duke, Noah knows he can’t escape his responsibilities any longer.

Noah is hopelessly sweet, and while he longs to help his mother, the bad blood between him and his family is pretty extensive. A quiet child who stumbled over his sentences, a boy who seemed unworthy of a title, Noah was a disappointment in his father’s eyes. So he was hidden away by his family. The fear and wariness Noah feels at claiming his title of Duke of Ashland is heartbreaking, but he can’t seem to resist the pull of Elise’s gentle patience and earnest plea for his return.

With a lovely balance of playful moments and moments of reflection and confessions, A Duke to Remember has everything you want in a romance: a confident heroine, an earnest and loving beta hero and a truly satisfying happily every after that will leave you misty-eyed. 

Duke of Sin, the tenth book in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, follows the romance between a profligate Duke and his indomitable housekeeper as they  investigate extortion and shady dealings.

Bridget Crumb is not your typical housekeeper. Keeping her identity under wraps, Bridget is secretly gathering incriminating evidence against her employer, Valentine Napier, the infamous Duke of Montgomery. Her aristocratic mother is one of many on Val's blackmailing list, and Bridget is determined to bring him down.

Val doesn't trust anyone, and that includes Bridget. Although he has plenty of evidence to fire Bridget, Val keeps her employed, as he is absolutely enamored with the strong-willed and outspoken housekeeper. Dark secrets lurk behind the Duke's extortions, but against all odds, love slowly blooms between Val and Bridget, especially when they discover that they have more in common than expected.

Hoyt has created two dynamic characters within the realm of harsh aristocratic power ploys in Regency-era London. Duke of Sin is filled with awkward, flirtatious and quirky dialogue that masterfully captures the lovers’ playful clashes—often to hilarious effect. Of course, romance stories are not without their intimate moments, and Hoyt includes a delicious collection of hot and steamy scenes. A wonderful balance of comedy and pathos, Hoyt's latest is a deeply satisfying read. 

New York Times bestselling author Madeline Hunter concludes her Wicked trilogy with a bang in The Wicked Duke. Lancelot Hemingford did not expect to become the Duke of Aylesbury. And he certainly didn’t anticipate rumors that he murdered his brother for the title to follow him everywhere he goes. So these days, he’s traded his old life as a London hell-raiser for the quiet anonymity of the country. He is almost content—until a social-climbing justice of the peace blackmails him into courting the man’s niece.

Marianne Radley was happy in the little cottage in Wiltshire she shared with her mother and cousin before her uncle decreed they return posthaste to Trenfield Park. Once there, she has barely settled in before finding herself engaged to the Duke of Aylesbury. Gratitude for an arranged marriage above her station be hanged; this is the last thing she wants.

Marianne has income from a clandestine job as Mr. Elijah Tewkberry, news correspondent for the Times of London, which can provide her with a perfectly adequate, independent living. Her uncle, however, will not abide her rejecting the Duke’s offer. He threatens to commit her adored cousin to Bedlam if Marianne continues to oppose him.

Hunter pens a complex novel chock full of multifaceted characters and intriguing situations as she leads the reader through the development of a relationship between a man and woman who have no reason to make a success of the marriage forced on them. The Wicked Duke has it all: It is at once sly and sexy, intense and suspenseful.

Alissa Johnson transports readers to 1872 in the first book in her Thief-takers series, A Talent For Trickery. Eight years earlier, Scotland Yard detective Owen Renderwell recruited Charlotte Walker’s father to assist him in solving crimes. Walker was an infamous thief, and Charlotte inherited much of his brilliance. Her father’s four-year association with Owen resulted in Charlotte falling in love with the handsome, keenly intelligent Detective Renderwell. But when her father was killed during a particularly high-profile case, Charlotte blamed Owen. Feeling betrayed and angry, she assumed a new identity, packed up her siblings and abruptly retired to the countryside with the intent of building a respectable life.

Much to her annoyance, Owen, now a private detective and a viscount, walks back into her life. He needs her help to solve the murder of a woman who was a friend of Charlotte’s father in London. Charlotte decides she must help catch the killer, even though doing so means she is forced to endure Owen’s presence in her home. Unbeknownst to Charlotte, Owen has never stopped thinking of her and is determined to prove they belong together. He plans to use every opportunity to win her love, as well as solve the case.

Using her talent for deciphering codes, Charlotte and Owen team up to search her father’s many journals for the key to the encrypted note left at the murder scene. Their work is interrupted when attempts are made on her life and the lives of her younger brother and sister. Now Owen and his two best friends must keep them safe, catch the villain threatening them and solve the woman’s murder. But who wants the Walker siblings dead and why? Did their father’s criminal past leave a legacy of vengeance that will destroy them all?

In a plot that twists, turns and surprises, Johnson has woven a compelling romance between two stubborn, endearing people. If you love smart heroines, intelligent heroes, witty dialogue and clever mystery plots, this gem of a historical romance might steal your heart.

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington

Daniel's True Desire, the second book in Grace Burrowes’ True Gentleman series, is a charming Regency romance about a vicar with a troubled past who falls in love with a woman who has resigned herself to spinsterhood due to her own past heartbreaks.

Daniel Banks is the son of a vicar and a vicar himself. He grew up, as he puts it, "only nominally a gentleman." Upon becoming vicar for the village of Haddondale, he promptly falls in love with Lady Kirsten Haddonfield. Lady Kirsten is the sister of an Earl, but she is far more comfortable supervising the cleaning and repairing of the vicarage than she is pouring tea. As she says, "Perhaps I am only nominally a lady." The sharp-tongued but extremely practical Lady Kirsten and the gentle Daniel fall very much in love, but Daniel has a tie from his past that could keep them apart.

Burrowes deftly mixes angst (both Daniel and Kirsten have tragedy in their past lives) and humor (Daniel is tasked with running a boys' school and the mischievous students provide constant comic relief) in this novel. Watching Daniel and Kirsten work as a team is deeply satisfying—they have fabulous chemistry and engage in witty banter and honest conversations while co-running the vicarage and school.

The use of language in Daniel's True Desire is lovely, the characters are fun and interesting, and the setting bucolic. It's a lovely book to escape into, in which problems are overwhelming and yet all are satisfyingly solved—perhaps a bit too miraculously—through the combined forces of romantic love, friendship, family and the machinations of several small boys and their collection of runaway toads. 

Forever Your Earl, the first in the Wicked Quills of London series, is a delightful Regency romance from Eva Leigh, who also writes science fiction, steampunk and fantasy romance under the name Zoë Archer. Forever Your Earl has a classic Regency premise—a woman from the working class falls in love with an Earl—but Leigh shakes up the formula by giving us a heroine in her 30s who is financially independent and experienced in the ways of the world. The book is filled with an abundance of witty banter and dry humor, along with high emotional and sexual chemistry between the two leads, who are on equal footing despite their class differences.

Eleanor Hawke owns and runs a printing press that publishes a scandal sheet called The Hawk's Eye, which reports on the secret lives of London’s elite. Daniel Balfour, the infamous Lord Ashford—one of Hawke’s most gabbed about subjects—invites Eleanor to shadow him on some of his more rakish adventures for reasons of his own. In order to pull this off, Eleanor must dress as a man (and on one occasion, like a woman of "questionable reputation"). Through Hawke’s journalistic endeavors, readers are treated to a glimpse of life at a Regency-era chophouse, a masquerade ball, Vauxhall Gardens, a gambling hell and many more fascinating London locales. Daniel is under pressure to marry a noblewoman and produce an heir, but he finds the headstrong Eleanor quite intriguing. However, even as the pair is drawn closer together, Daniel is desperate to keep one important secret from the very disarming Eleanor.

This book has two standout pleasures. First, for Regency fans, Eleanor’s guided tour through a rake's life is great fun, and second, the sharp, funny—but often heartfelt—banter between the characters is a delight. These two characters start off on a footing of mutual interest that rapidly becomes mutual respect. Both Eleanor and Ashford are clear communicators, and although they both have secrets, they avoid easily preventable understandings. Theirs is an adult romance in the sense that the sex is explicit and hot, and it's adult in the sense that the characters are flawed but emotionally mature. Forever Your Earl is a light read with enough emotional substance to keep the stakes high.

Read Eva Leigh's guest post about Forever Your Earl.

Looking for even more romance? Sign up for our monthly romance newsletter, Smitten!