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Romance

You absolutely do not want the Final Rose

Feature by Kara Isaac

In Kara Isaac’s One Thing I Know, Rachel Somers is a clandestine relationship guru, ghostwriting bestselling books of advice for her Aunt Donna. When we found out that Isaac is a super fan of the Bachelor franchise, we asked if she would be interested in paying homage to her latest heroine by giving some advice of her own—how to survive as a contestant on “The Bachelor.”

First, let me lay a few cards on “The Bachelor”-watching table. I was and still am #TeamBlake. Having said that, Colton is doing better than I anticipated. Though on a scale of Juan Pablo to Sean Lowe my expectations were set somewhere around Dr. Travis from season eight (Who, I hear you ask? Exactly.), so it wasn’t exactly a high bar to beat.

Second, “expert” is a generous term. You see, I tapped out of “The Bachelor” for about a decade in my 20s. Google informs me I missed a “prince,” another doctor, a fireman, a fisherman (???), a football player and a host of others with hazy titles like “entrepreneur,” none of whom managed to make their Bachelor relationships last, on average, longer than a baseball season.

I tapped back in for Ben Flajnik in 2012, and the reason for this is attributable to one word: babies. In the middle of the sleep deprivation and stretch marks and finding new uses for bags of peas (I’ll stop there, for those of you who still associate peas with dinner), my sister and I watched “The Bachelor” and messaged each other from different continents to help rescue us from conversations about our babies’ bowel movements or our progeny’s propensity to yell things like “DON’T TOUCH MY PENIS” in public places.

Third, this season may be my last viewing given that Demi, with her infinite wisdom and insight, has designated someone five years my junior as a “cougar,” which obviously makes me someone with all the sex appeal of one of the mummified raisins my toddler likes to stash down the back of the couch. Clearly, I should be spending my “Bachelor” watching window playing bridge or knitting or whatever it is that Demi thinks women of a “certain age” do. But then, Demi also likes to stroke the men she’s dating with amputated mannequin limbs so maybe I won’t lean into her for #lifeadvice.

Anyway, my sister and I are both #TeamCassie and because we are #TeamCassie we don’t want her to “win.” This is because all of the best “Bachelor” contestants should . . .

Aim for first or second runner-up
There have been 22 seasons of “The Bachelor” and only one couple—the much beloved Sean and Catherine—are still together. This is otherwise known as a 4.5 percent success rate. Or, put another way, if you are the last lady standing at the end with a man on one knee offering you a Neil Lane ring that could maim a small child with a thoughtless gesture, there’s a 95.5 percent chance of it ending poorly.

Let’s be honest. Bachelors do not have a history of making until-death-do-us-part choices after 10 weeks of dating a harem of women. In fact, there are more Bachelors who have ended up swapping out their chosen woman for the runner-up than there are ones who have made it work with the women they proposed to.

You do not want to be that woman. All power to Molly and Lauren, who waded through the public humiliation and general internet meltdown that came with their now-husbands swapping out women like they were pawns in a chess game, but it’s hardly the route that fairy tales are made of. Hence why Cinderella does not feature the prince choosing one of the stepsisters before realizing he (ooooops) really loves Cinderella and was just blinded by fear/insecurity/pressure/a visit from an ex-girlfriend into choosing the wrong woman.

No, the goal is to play your cards right so you can become . . .

“The Bachelorette”
Bachelorettes have a much better track record of success. There are six couples still together out of 14 seasons—also known as a 43 percent success rate. That’s 10 times the Bachelor success rate.

I have many a theory on this, the main one being that the Bachelorettes are infinitely superior to the Bachelors at thinking beyond what’s right in front of them. Rachel Lindsay apparently asked her final three in the fantasy suite about their religious beliefs, thoughts on having children, schooling preferences, financial situations and credit scores. Do we think that any Bachelor in the history of Bachelordom has ever asked a single woman in the fantasy suite about her credit score?

You also get to travel the world in business class, courtesy of ABC. The downside is that the internet will be all in your business for the next decade (at least), you won’t be able to eat carbs for the next six months in preparation of the endless gratuitous bikini shots, you will have to talk about your feelings with Chris Harrison, and it may not work out. But the odds are at least better than Tinder.

And for the 27 of you from night one who won’t make serious Bachelorette contention, this is my advice for you . . .

Own leaving
If you decide to leave, own it. Don’t second-guess yourself. Don’t be all fierce and determined and then show up on camera wallowing in a puddle of self-regret (this one is particularly fresh since the last thing I saw before heading on vacation was Elise doing exactly this).

Be like the two women in Juan Pablo’s season who did the “thanks, but no thanks” in episode two (let’s be honest, I’m not 100 percent certain it was his season, because they all start merging together, but I like to think it was his season and these two women nailed his chauvinistic narcissistic self about three episodes before the rest of us).

If the Bachelor withholds his rose, no crying is allowed until the final five. Nope. Just nope. Before that, you have spent maybe one one-on-one date and a few group dates together. You have not even been dating exclusively. He has, not to put too fine a point on it, been making out with at least 90 percent of your roommates. Be gracious, walk out with your head held high and feel sorry for the compatriots that you are leaving behind in the trenches.

Think of Chantal O’Brien from Brad Womack’s (second) season, who showed up at the “After the Final Rose” special blissfully in love with someone else while Brad squirmed uncomfortably and wished her the best with the expression of a man suffering from severe constipation.

Stay classy.

Eat
Corinne from Nick Viall’s season is known for many things—being in her 20s and still having a nanny, her love of naps, her complete inability to make friends with other women—but the best thing about Corinne was that she ate.

Those of you who watch “The Bachelor” know exactly what I’m talking about. Apparently, in reality-TV nation, women don’t eat. Or if they do, they certainly don’t do it in front of a man whom they fancy—unless it’s chocolate-dipped strawberries that have been scripted to be fed to each other in the most contrived and awkward way possible.

Not Corinne. Nope, Corinne went on a group date and actually ate the food. And we’re not talking daintily nibbled on a carrot stick ate. She chowed down on a platter of fried food like it was her last meal.

Make Friends
Yes, yes, I know that you’re not here to “make friends.” But if there’s a 3.33 percent chance of you being the final one, and then a 4.5 percent chance of it working out if you are, then you had might as well do something with that time you’ve taken off work, the money you’ve spent on dresses you’ll never wear again and all the chocolate you haven’t eaten in preparation for your cocktail dress/bikini body being screened across the world.

Say you leave at the final five. You will have had maybe two one-on-one dates with the Bachelor. You will have spent weeks living and traveling with a bunch of women. Once you get rid of the ones who have been clearly planted to create dramatic television, there will be at least a dozen awesome women in the mix. Be the Bekah M., Sienne, Caroline, Tia and Kendall from he-who-shall-not-be-named’s season (yes, I’m still holding a grudge). That sisterhood is going to last, if not forever, certainly longer than a production-mandated engagement.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of One Thing I Know.

Author photo by Jenny Siaosi.

Romance author and Bachelor-super fan Kara Isaac presents the definitive guide to surviving as a contestant on the franchise.

RomanceWestern Romance

Riches to rags

Feature by Elizabeth Mazer

Every girl dreams of being Cinderella, swept away from drudgery into a life of luxury and comfort. How delightful it is to see stories that take the opposite tack, yanking heroines from their safe, secure bubbles and throwing them out into the real world to see if they’re able to survive—and maybe even thrive. There’s a strange sort of freedom in leaving behind everything you’ve known and finding a fresh start, and that’s exactly what makes these heroines and their delightful stories so compelling.

A LONDON SANCTUARY
Delilah, the utterly charming heroine of Julie Anne Long’s Lady Derring Takes a Lover, lost everything with the death of her husband—her belongings (repossessed by the creditors of her spendthrift husband); her home (entailed to a distant relative); her staff (poached by other society matrons); and her last shred of interest in behaving like a proper lady. Instead of seeking to marry again, or throwing herself on the mercy of relatives, Delilah takes the one piece of property her husband actually owned outright and, with the help of her late husband’s mistress who becomes her new best friend, she turns it into a boardinghouse: The Grand Palace on the Thames. Yes, it’s in the middle of a wretched neighborhood. Yes, they have no idea how to run a business. Yes, they get strange looks when they insist on running the place along very particular terms (including a strict curfew and a swear jar in the sitting room), but it’s still everything Delilah ever wanted. It’s hers. It’s a place where she feels safe. And it offers her a life where she’ll never have to depend on a man again.

But then Captain Tristan Hardy arrives.

After clawing his way out of the London slums and into a position of honor and esteem in His Majesty’s Navy, Tristan has learned to put nothing and no one ahead of duty. When his investigation into a smuggling ring leads him to the boardinghouse, he intends to keep his eyes open and his emotions detached. But who could be detached in the face of The Grand Palace’s cozy furnishings, quirky guests and beautiful hostesses? The interludes of sensuality and passion between Delilah and Tristan are rich and vivid, but no less engaging is the sheer pleasure they take in learning about each other—and surprising each other. Long’s wit is sharp, clever and hilariously effective, but it’s the warmth and gentleness of Lady Derring that make every page of the story a lovely place to visit—precisely the sort of safe haven Delilah would have wanted.

HOME ON THE RANGE
By contrast, Amy Sandas’s heroine in The Cowboy’s Honor, Boston heiress Courtney Adams, leaves her safe, secure life behind in a full-blown run when she heads out west. When she accidentally receives a letter proving that her fiancé has been unfaithful, Courtney realizes that her meticulously arranged marriage is a mistake. She makes a wild bid for freedom by trading her bridal jewelry for a ticket and fleeing—still in her wedding gown—to the Montana Territory. She couldn’t have known that her sudden arrival and excessively bridal attire would send the wrong message to gruff rancher Dean Lawton, whose brother has been threatening to acquire him a mail-order bride.

Misunderstandings accidentally lead to matrimony and the situation only worsens when the local judge refuses to grant an annulment until they’ve given the marriage one month’s “fair trial.” One minute seems to be longer than they can spend together before barbs start flying, but the heat they generate turns just as quickly to desire. They rub each other the wrong way . . . and the right way . . . and pretty much every imaginable way as they stumble together in spite of themselves. Gradually, Dean comes to appreciate Courtney’s relentless optimism, her refusal to back down from a challenge and her delight in learning or discovering something new. And Courtney comes to value Dean’s dedication, integrity and strength. It’s lovely to see them grow together as they move forward into the people they were always meant to be—and discover that their mistaken marriage was a perfect match after all.

Every girl dreams of being Cinderella, swept away from drudgery into a life of luxury and comfort. But how very interesting it is to see stories that take the opposite tack, yanking heroines from their safe, secure bubbles and throwing them out into the real world to see if they’re able to survive—and maybe even thrive. There’s a strange sort of freedom in leaving behind everything you’ve known and finding a fresh start, and that’s exactly what makes these heroines and their delightful stories so compelling.

Romance

Digital Dalliances: Appetites & Vices

Feature by Savanna Walker

Every month, we review the hottest new romance releases in our Romance column. But why let the print books have all the fun? In Digital Dalliances, we highlight digital-only releases guaranteed to heat up your eReader.

One of my resounding, evergreen requests for the romance genre is for more historicals not set during either the Regency or Victorian eras (in fact, I wrote a whole post about it). Appetites & Vices is a fabulous example of the variety available to an author willing to take some fairly mild risks: It’s set in America, rather than England, and in the early Victorian era rather than the far more popular late Victorian/turn of the century. This sounds like I’m damning the novel with faint praise, and I promise I am not. It’s just that a romance starring an American Jewish woman should not feel as new and fresh as Felicia Grossman’s debut does.

Appetites & Vices’ heroine, Ursula Nunes, is a Jewish woman who is not accepted by the Philadelphia elite despite her family’s dazzling wealth. A fake engagement to the notorious Jay Truitt, whose upstanding family name is the only thing preventing him from being cast out of good society, is Ursula’s ticket into the upper classes. And Jay hopes the scandal of a broken engagement will be the breaking point for his family, and that he’ll finally be allowed to run off to Europe, free of their expectations. Jay is a type of hero that I’ve been seeing a fair amount lately—a former rake who has since reformed into a empathetic, more enlightened man. He’s also **spoiler alert** addicted to opium, a fact that Grossman reveals early on and treats with empathy and respect. Unlike some depictions of addiction in the genre, there is no sign that Jay will ever be fully cured, even after he and Ursula reach their HEA.

It is always a pleasure to read a romance that isn’t afraid to let its leads, especially its heroine, fail—and fail hard. So often (and this is not a bad thing!), romance heroines are part of the aspiration of the genre. They are flawed, to be sure, but the flaws frequently hurt only themselves or prevent them from realizing how much the hero loves them until it is almost too late. Grossman’s Ursula, a brilliant heiress who loves her pets, is blunt to the point of rudeness, hot-tempered and single-minded in the pursuit of her own goals. I adored her and found her journey toward appreciating and implementing the social graces of her love interest to be both nuanced and deeply relatable. Jay and Ursula’s love story takes place over a relatively short span of time, but Grossman invests so much in their growing connection and respective arcs that their eventual HEA seems inevitable and fully, totally deserved.

“Fair enough. I suppose I should’ve brought some reading material,” he said.

“Oh, you know how?”

His mouth flew open. What had he done to deserve the immediate insult? And more, how did Ursula, with all her social ineptitude, know exactly where to land her blow?

I’d like an explanation of these marks, Jay. Are you stupid, lazy, or plain disrespectful?

Dizzy, Jay willed down the echoes of his father.

“Have I offended you? He sought mildness, but his tone crept into a hostile classification. He clasped his hands. Natural emotional matching, that’s all.

Ursula paused. Her brown knitted and her mouth pursed, twisted to the side in a strange but adorable expression. “No, not at all, at least not today, well at least not a great deal. The other night, you treated me like I was desperate—”

Jay raised an eyebrow.

The cat on her lap stiffened and she stroked the beast’s head. “I could’ve found a plan a myself. You’re making matters easier, but I wouldn’t succeeded on my own. You and I are just different. You don’t offend me, but I just can’t imagine either of us ever speaking to each other if it wasn’t for this plot.”

She was a puzzlement. How to respond? Everything she said was true or should be true, but the recitation, in that calm, assured tone mangled something deep inside his gut.

They hit another bump, and his head connected with the velvet-lined ceiling again. IF not for the showy fabric, he’d have passed out. Flamboyance had its perks.

Jay winced through all the discomfort. “That’s fair. Though, I suppose, we’re gong to be forced to spend quite a bit of time together these next few weeks, and since we’ve agreed on no physical enjoyment, I’d at least hoped we could try for some decent conversation.”

A wry smile spread over her face at the mention of carnality.

“I’m not sure what we shall converse about, Mr. Truitt, at least for an extended period of time, but speaking with you isn’t a chore. You may not be an intellectual man, but you’re amusing, almost adroit in your dialogue.” She nodded, and her smile turned warm because . . . mercy, that was a compliment. A generous one too—at least in her mind.

Good lord.

Jay threw his head back and did the only thing he could do. He laughed. He laughed so hard Hecate screeched, and Artemis hissed, but he paid them no heed. He just couldn’t stop.

Tears swarmed in his eyes. He should check himself back into the asylum, it would be easier. He was about to make a similar quip, without the confession, when another sound surprised him. Ursula had joined him, hers a loud, full giggle, and damned if that wasn’t the best sound he’d ever heard. He closed his eyes.

Wonders never did cease.

One of my resounding, evergreen requests for the romance genre is for more historicals not set during either the Regency or Victorian eras (in fact, I wrote a whole post about it). Appetites & Vices is a fabulous example of the variety available to an author willing to take some fairly mild risks.

Romance

Romance: April 2019

Feature by Christie Ridgway

Top Pick
When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes stars a delightful and deserving pair. Having been tasked with salvaging a crumbling country estate, Duncan Wentworth is saved by a mysterious woman during a violent encounter with poachers. Curious, he manages to finagle the lovely “Maddie,” who is obviously in dire circumstances herself, into agreeing to stay and help him edit his travel journals. Widowed duchess Matilda Wakefield is on the run to protect her father and possibly herself. Though determined and resourceful, she can’t resist the temporary respite that Duncan offers—or, finally, the man himself. Readers will root for these two wary people as they learn to trust each other with their foibles and their truths. With revealing dialogue, games of chess and subtle sensuality, this romance sings.

A paranormal wolf pack struggles to maintain its way of life in Maria Vale’s Forever Wolf. The wolves of the Great North Pack can shift into human form, but must remain wolves during the full moon. Varya is an influential and powerful Shielder, a bodyguard and taskmaster for the pack. Her duty to her family’s survival is born of love, and she considers no sacrifice too great. But when she stumbles upon a strange, injured wolf, Varya’s loyalties are challenged even as danger threatens her clan. In an almost mythical voice, Vale deftly conveys the complexity of the pack’s hierarchy as well as their hopes and needs—while still including the broad strokes of a romance. Adventurous readers will appreciate Vale’s unique love story, including the unconventional but poignant happily ever after.

Tiffany Reisz spins an erotic romance based on Greek myth in The Rose. Lia Godwick reaches the age of 21 with a broken heart and a few years’ experience at running a lucrative escort service. The world at large remains unaware of her work until her graduation party, where she meets a mysterious and handsome man. August Bowman is interested in an ancient Greek wine cup that Lia received as a gift and tells her that the artifact was used in the temple of Eros to bring sexual fantasies to life. Lia puts herself into the hands of the seductive August, who joins her in a series of erotic adventures. Lia’s delightfully humorous and sexually open parents nearly steal the show, but the growing love between the main couple and their willingness to sacrifice for each other lend depth to this uninhibited tale. Reisz masterfully balances explicit description with emotional honesty in a way that will entrance readers.

Top Pick
When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes stars a delightful and deserving pair. Having been tasked with salvaging a crumbling country estate, Duncan Wentworth is saved by a mysterious woman during a violent encounter with poachers. Curious, he manages to finagle…

RomanceWestern Romance

Romance: March 2019

Feature by Christie Ridgway

Top Pick
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.

 

Former lovers get a second chance in Stefanie London’s Bad Influence. On the eve of a big move for her boyfriend’s job, Annie Maxwell decided to stay in New York City to support her mother during a medical crisis. The man in her life, Joseph Preston, left her behind, inspiring her to anonymously create a now-infamous app, Bad Bachelors, where women rate and review men of the city. Joseph returns just as a hacker threatens to reveal Annie’s identity, and she finds herself confiding in him, giving them a chance to face past mistakes and find closure. But will love rebloom instead? Annie and Joseph are flawed, authentic characters who must tread a fine line between loyalty to family and to each other. This is love with the blinders off, and it is all the more sophisticated and refreshing for that.

 

Readers who like their romance spiced with mystery can’t go wrong with Stroke of Luck by B.J. Daniels. Will Sterling has opened his ranch to a special group early in the season, and when his cook can’t make it, he turns to his childhood friend Poppy Carmichael, who’s now a caterer. Will hasn’t seen Poppy in 20 years, and he’s grateful when she commits to four days at the isolated location. Poppy is delighted at the opportunity—she’s harbored fantasies about making the man fall for her like she fell for him as a young girl—but she’s not prepared for the very adult feelings she has for the sexy cowboy. To make matters worse, tension among the guests leads to murder. A blizzard delays the arrival of law enforcement, and it’s up to Will and Poppy to discern friend from foe, as well as to decide how to manage the undeniable attraction between them. This kickoff to Daniels’ new Sterling’s Montana series provides engrossing entertainment.

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.
Romance

Digital Dalliances: Desire Lines

Feature by Savanna Walker

Every month, we review the hottest new romance releases in our Romance column. But why let the print books have all the fun? In Digital Dalliances, we highlight digital-only releases guaranteed to heat up your eReader.

If you’re a romance writer who values rigorous historical accuracy (not all do—I see and love those writers who give me Ye Olde Ballgown Fantasia, because sometimes we all need that), the medieval period presents a particular set of challenges. If you’re going to be even vaguely accurate, you have to acknowledge that the era in Europe was dirty, dangerous and rife with inequality of all kinds. Elizabeth Kingston’s Desire Lines does more than just acknowledge the uncomfortable realities of the medieval period—it uses them as the foundation for one of the most moving love stories I’ve read this year.

Set in England and Wales during the 13th century, Desire Lines begins as Gryff, a falconer held captive by a band of thieves, is liberated by a mysterious and deadly woman whom the brigands make the fatal mistake of attacking. Nan, a servant to a powerful Welsh family, has no need or desire for a companion while traveling to find her long-lost sister. But she allows the obviously traumatized and lost Gryff to travel with her, unaware that he is a Welsh nobleman who, after years of captivity, stands to either inherit his father’s lands or be executed by the English king who conquered them. 

Having been targeted for harassment and worse due to her beauty, Nan deeply distrusts men and doesn’t hesitate to protect her person with physical force. Her incredible skill with throwing knives is portrayed through Gryff’s eyes with suitable awe, and it is wonderfully satisfying to read a romance where a woman’s martial abilities aren’t something she needs to set aside in order to be properly “swept away by love,” but something that is a vital part of her. Her habitual silence is another, particularly brilliant weapon. Having so often lacked a voice in her own fate, Nan only talks when absolutely necessary, carving out power from the very lack of it by making her voice so scarce that when she does speak, everyone around her listens. It’s been several days since I finished Desire Lines and the grim, clear-eyed persistence of that, that insistence on her own sovereignty despite an entire world stacked against her, is still lodged firmly in my memory.

Meditating on class, trauma and gender as Nan and Gryff grow closer together through their travels, Desire Lines explores all the obstacles between its central couple, making their eventual HEA feel all the more precious. The way Gryff and Nan find hope in each other, and allow the other the space to express or not express all that has happened to them is quietly, achingly lovely, and it is rare that I finish a romance believing that a couple deserved their happiness as fervently as I wished it for the two of them.

It began in beauty and in blood.

He saw her face in an improbable moment, amid chaos and carnage—startling blue eyes and a soft mouth set in perfect, graceful lines—and then he saw the blood. Not a drop of it touched her. It was all around her, and all of her own doing. Ferocity and beauty, that’s how it began.

At first he only saw men dropping on the road, an incomprehensible sight. Eight men, vicious criminals, who had lain in wait behind the trees and sprung themselves on the small party with whom she traveled. They had done everything as they always did, Baudry and his men. Their habit was to fall on the armed knights first, while the women and children screamed in terrified confusion. It was always over quickly.

But this time Baudry and his men only crumpled to the ground one after the other, though it was clearly not the armed knights who caused it. Gryff looked up to the trees for archers, but there were none. This was not a rain of arrows. The horses reared and the women screamed and the attackers merely fell down dead, as though form a plague.

She was the plague.

Elizabeth Kingston’s Desire Lines does more than just acknowledge the uncomfortable realities of the medieval period—it uses them as the foundation for one of the most moving love stories I’ve read this year.

RomanceMystery

Some like it smart: seven brainy romances

Feature by Grace Burrowes

Romance readers have always loved blazingly intelligent leads, and Grace Burrowes’ latest historical romance has two—the canny, wordly duchess Matilda Wakefield and bookish, kindhearted Duncan Wentworth. While Matilda hides from her troubles at Duncan’s country estate, they fall in love over transcribing journals and games of chess. In honor of When a Duchess Says I Do (our April Top Pick in romance!) we asked Burrowes to tell us about her favorite love stories starring similarly brainy couples.

Engaging characters come with all kinds of strengths and weaknesses, and—how does this happen?—sometimes what they think is their strongest suit can end up being their downfall, and conversely. When a Duchess Says I Do is the story of Duncan Wentworth and Matilda Wakefield, two very logical, analytical people who find chess erotic and polite society ridiculous. Their romance was a lot of fun to write because those who put their faith in reason can be among the most passionate under the right circumstances. I’ve listed below some other titles featuring characters with a penchant for pondering or an inclination toward intellectualizing. They all find their HEAs, but not by looking in the dictionary!

The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan
Sebastian Malheur and Violet Waterfield, Countess of Cambury, have a relationship built around scientific insights—hers—and social entré—his. Just as we’d expect from somebody named Malheur, Sebastian is a naughty fellow, but being a fellow, he has the creds to propound theories that Violet, a respectable widow, does not. This romance is signature Courtney Milan with its sparkling prose, brilliant repartee and insightful world-building that illuminates both the romance and the fundamental injustice of gender roles (which isn’t exclusive to the historical period). It’s a terrific read.

Midsummer Moon by Laura Kinsale
This book came out in 1987, when scientifically inclined heroines in historical romances were few and far between. Merlin Lambourne has built a flying machine (yes, there is precedent for this), and Ransom Falconer, Duke of Deverell, can see the strategic value of her invention in the battle to defeat Napoleon. They are two very different people, and did we mention he’s afraid of heights while she works literally in a tower? I will never forget the climax of this book, one of the loveliest depictions of what it means to truly, truly fall in love.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
This series opener is not strictly a romance, but the chemistry between widowed Lady Julia Gray and enigmatic sleuth Nicholas Brisbane is as intriguing as the mystery they set out to solve. Both are passionate, intrepid characters, but they also bring tons of deductive skill and technical expertise to their stories. When Julia would be impulsive, Brisbane is the rational partner. When Brisbane is in a temper, Julia can puncture his conceits with a few pithy insights based on evidence and observation. Never did cool logic and sweet reason have such delightfully romantic results!

Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Leo Marsden and Bryony Asquith are another historical couple grappling with the social mores that penalize a woman for developing gifts in a traditionally male preserve. In this case, Bryony becomes a physician, and Leo, her former spouse (their brief marriage was annulled), is tasked with escorting her home from India. The journey home, fraught with perils that require them to rely upon each other, is a metaphor for the journey toward a relationship that allows both partners to thrive—to heck with society’s narrow-mindedness. Beautiful prose, phenomenal world-building, scrumptious reading!

Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase
This my favorite Loretta Chase (so far) for so many reasons. The heroine, Lady Charlotte Hayward, has been maneuvering and plotting for years to remain unmarried. She is much shrewder and more insightful than she seems (by design), while Darius Carsington is a biologist who views reproductive physiology as nothing to get emotional about, no matter how energetically he undertakes his raking. Charlotte provides the insufferably scientific Mr. Carsington quite an education about the limitations of book-learning, while Darius shows Charlotte that the world yet holds many unexpected wonders . . . so to speak.

The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
I could have chosen anything by Joanna Bourne, because her protagonists are all bright, self-reliant, resourceful, articulate and possessed of arcane talents (Hawker and his knives, Doyle and just about everything). I went with Annique Villiers and Robert Grey, because in the course of this series opener, they both engineer twists—note the plural—that leave me with such a case of plot-envy that the only cure is to re-read this book regularly and often. When reviewers talk about a brilliant debut, this is exactly the kind of book they’re referring to.

A Duke in the Night by Kelly Bowen
Not all smarty-pants protagonists are scientific! Some boast a broad love of learning, like Clara Hayward, headmistress of Haverhall School for Young Ladies, while others have a mind for business brilliance, like August Faulkner, duke and Bond Street buccaneer. How they come to appreciate each other’s different kinds of smarts is part of the fun of this witty, warm-hearted Regency.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of When a Duchess Says I Do.

When a Duchess Says I Do author Grace Burrowes lists her seven favorite brainy romance couples.

Romance

Falling in love, on the job

Feature by Elizabeth Mazer

Boss and secretary. Doctor and nurse. Parent and nanny. Romance is filled with stories where the emotionally charged proximity of employer and employee cause hearts to ignite. But falling in love on the job can mean more than flirty innuendo over takeout while pulling an all-nighter, or steamy sex on the conference room table. These terrific new stories are playful and naughty and fun, but they’ve also got surprises up their sleeves.

Working for Logan Prescott is just about the last thing in the world Claire McKenna, heroine of Jamie Beck’s The Promise of Us, wants. Not only is he the boy-next-door, childhood crush she never quite got over, he’s also the brother of Peyton Prescott, her former bestie who betrayed Claire by stealing her boyfriend, Todd. It doesn’t matter that Todd fled after Peyton was diagnosed with breast cancer. All that matters is making sure her life remains Prescott-free forever and ever, amen. But Logan’s not willing to leave matters like that and tilts the situation in his favor by making Claire an irresistible offer—hiring her to redecorate his apartment, throwing her a financial lifeline to keep her beloved business going. And in the meantime, he throws in a seduction that turns her quiet life upside down.

Claire’s life needs a little rattling. After a traumatic injury during her teens, she’s spent her adulthood playing it stiflingly safe. Logan challenges her in a multitude of ways, though the author is wise enough to show that not all of those challenges pay off. She also plays with the usual expectations by showing that gorgeous, charming Logan is not always nice. He can be manipulative. Calculating. Downright cunning in the right mood and fiercely cutting in the wrong one. When Claire lists her reasons for why they won’t work, they aren’t strawman arguments—they’re real and rational, true challenges for them to overcome in a story where nothing ever seems like a foregone conclusion. Everything feels profoundly realistic, not only in the depth of the conflicts but also in the thorough grounding in the present, with references to current bestsellers, recent natural disasters, even topical man-made tragedies. The injury Claire suffered was from a mass shooting. A refugee crisis is referenced. This might be off-putting for readers seeking an escape from reality, but I think others will find it refreshing to turn the pages and meet people having serious discussions about real issues—as well as serious struggles against real obstacles as they find their way to each other.

“Struggling” is a familiar state to the hero and heroine of Under the Table. Zoey Sullivan is trying to rebuild a new life after the collapse of her marriage, turning a long-time passion for cooking into a semi-steady career as a private caterer. And Tristan Malloy, the very rich, very handsome, very, very shy hero who hires her to cater a small dinner party, is struggling to get out of his beautiful museum of an apartment and figure out a life to lead.

Tristan was raised in a quiet, sheltered Caribbean community by his grandparents who brought him up to have extremely polite, strongly principled and totally ignorant of modern media. The end result is a guy who appears to be “stuck in a time warp of manners, courtesy, and pleated pants.” Not one to avoid hard work, Tristan has come to New York to figure out what comes next. And not one to back away from a challenge, Zoey is determined to help. She takes him shopping for skinny jeans. She brings him to a nightclub. She introduces him to delivery pizza and Guitar Hero. But while she’s playing Pygmalion with Tristan, Zoey is also dealing with her own doubts and insecurities over her separation from her emotionally abusive husband, her mingled love and resentment of her carefree and careless sister/roommate, and her uncertainty about where she belongs.

It’s lovely to read a romance where the characters spend so much time being good to each other and good for each other. They don’t get everything right—there wouldn’t be much of a story if they did—but there’s no fighting just for the sake of building drama. Their intentions nearly always stem from a genuine desire to do what’s decent and honorable, which takes a kind of courage that’s rare and special. And while the ending didn’t have me totally convinced (the revelation of a secondary character’s motives didn’t quite ring true), I still admired the way the heroine made the final decision to confront her problems head-on, having the conversations she needed to have, even if they hurt. Both of the characters struggle throughout the book, but even more than the challenges that arise, you’ll remember the strength they showed in the face of them.

Boss and secretary. Doctor and nurse. Parent and nanny. Romance is filled with stories where the emotionally charged proximity of employer and employee cause hearts to ignite. But falling in love on the job can mean more than flirty innuendo over takeout while pulling an all-nighter, or steamy sex on the conference room table. These terrific new stories are playful and naughty and fun, but they’ve also got surprises up their sleeves.

Romance

Romance: May 2019

Feature by Christie Ridgway

★ Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Something very special happens within the pages of Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston’s dazzling debut. What begins as an irreverent chronicle of the first female president’s reelection year through the eyes of Alex Claremont-Diaz, the FSOTUS (first son of the United States) becomes an account of the love story of said FSOTUS and England’s Henry, Prince of Wales. This modern fairy tale unfolds in a gossipy, insider tone until emotion takes over and McQuiston gives us an aching glimpse of what it is to want someone you believe you cannot have. Yes, Red, White & Royal Blue is funny and fun, and the family and political dynamics feel spot-on, but it’s the frank and unforgettable romance between these two young men that will compel readers to start it all over again when faced with the last page. It’s that hard to say goodbye to this couple.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
Helen Hoang introduces a unique and delightful couple in The Bride Test. In Vietnam, struggling single mom Esme Tran meets a woman who presents an intriguing proposal: spend a summer in California to see if she’ll suit the stranger’s handsome, successful son. It’s a risk, but Esme is willing to take a chance at a new life. Her intended, Khai Diep, is a mystery to her, and the autistic Khai finds his potential bride just as difficult to understand. As the two come to know each other, feelings between them grow—the very feelings Khai is convinced his autism precludes. This emotional courtship-of-convenience story has a fantastic sense of humor and a stellar cast of sidekicks, but it’s the exploration of the inner life of quiet, contained Khai and the insecurities and determination of Esme that set it apart. Two words sum up this romance: just lovely.

Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan
The suspense is high-octane and the sexual chemistry explosive in Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan. Covert government operative Maddox Kinkade takes on her latest mission with her usual zeal, but the civilian she’s tasked to recruit turns out to be her first love, Cole Matthews, whom she thought for years was dead. The two must set aside their former relationship and all the recriminations that go with it as they partner to stop a lethal world threat. The detailed plans and gritty action are authentic and exciting, and scenes from the point of view of a villain bent on vengeance add more chill to Rushdan’s already thrilling plot. Readers will feel immersed in the action as this fast-paced story rockets to a satisfying conclusion that still leaves questions for future entries in the series. Buckle up for this romantic thrill ride!

The best romances of May 2019 include Casey McQuiston's dazzling debut.
Romance

The fine line between love and hate

Feature by Amanda Diehl

Tensions run hot, but chemistry runs even hotter in these two enemies-to-lovers romances. Christina Lauren’s The Unhoneymooners transports two prickly siblings-in-law to gorgeous Maui, where the fiction of a honeymoon becomes quite real. And The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker gets creative with live theatre, as a snarky critic butts heads with an actress who comes from a theatrical dynasty.

Olive Torres and Ethan Thomas’ siblings were due to be married and off to Hawaii for their honeymoon. But when a food-borne illness ravages the wedding party, Olive and Ethan are the only two left standing. With the honeymoon nonrefundable, both bride and groom insist they go in their stead. The only problem is that Olive and Ethan don’t exactly get along. In fact, simply uttering a kind word to each other would take an act of god.

They set off for Maui with the understanding that, once there, they would do their own thing until the honeymoon is up. Unfortunately, familiar faces pop up in paradise, and Ethan and Olive get caught up in their newlywed charade. As they enjoy a couple’s massage, snorkeling and even a frustrating game of paintball, Olive and Ethan realize that their dislike stems from terrible first impressions on both sides. Though, when a huge secret is revealed, any hope for a friendship, let alone a romantic relationship, seems to be heartbreakingly dashed.

Filled with Christina Lauren’s seamless blend of wit and romance, and peppered with adorably nerdy moments, The Unhoneymooners perfectly illustrates how easy it is to get swept up in the tranquil bubble of a tropical vacation, where everything seems perfect, your nemesis looks positively criminal in their bathing suit and mai tais are a powerful, transformative truth serum. But what happens when real life resumes? If you can’t make it to a gorgeous Hawaiian beach, this warm and bubbly romance isn’t a bad substitute for sunny relaxation.

Though The Austen Playbook doesn’t have sandy beaches, the insular setting of a live television production amps up the stakes of this romance. Freddy Carlton is a veteran of the theatre scene, having started her career at the age of 11. When she’s cast in a new interactive murder mystery play titled The Austen Playbook, there’s only one thing that can dampen her excitement: James “Griff” Ford-Griffin.

Griff is one of the toughest theatre critics around, known for his caustic reviews and harsh sarcasm. He also panned one of Freddy’s recent performances. Too bad for Freddy that Griff is personally invested in The Austen Playbook, as the production will be performed at his family’s estate.

Freddy is an eternal optimist, a direct contrast to Griff’s more grumpy nature. With the two temporarily fixed in each other’s orbit during the play’s production, Griff’s moody disposition is hopelessly drawn to Freddy’s infectious and affable nature. If a live TV production wasn’t enough to tip Freddy and Griff’s relationship over the edge, there are high-strung actors, fraught moments of backstage cattiness and juicy family secrets. Learning her lines is the least of Freddy’s worries. Both Freddy and Griff have their own motivations for making the show a success, but flirtations, scandals and schemes push the pair to their limits.

Charming and honestly just plain fun, The Austen Playbook should be an immediate hit with Austen fans and theatre geeks.

Tensions run hot, but chemistry runs even hotter in these two enemies-to-lovers romances: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker.

Romance

Austen adaptations: Pride, prejudice and pakoras

Feature by Elizabeth Mazer

It’s been over 200 years since the death of Jane Austen, and it’s a testament to her storytelling that variations on Pride and Prejudice continue to charm readers over and over again. But it’s also a testament to the authors of these latest releases that their takes on the classic feel current, relevant and new. 

Uzma Jalaluddin’s debut novel, Ayesha at Last, challenges expectations right from the start by moving Austen’s story from the much-romanticized drawing rooms of Regency England into a community of Muslim immigrants in Canada. As you might imagine, there’s (unfortunately) plenty of prejudice to spare, particularly towards Khalid Mirza, a computer programmer in Toronto whose devout Muslim faith and strict adherence to tradition make him an immediate target. But he’s not above a little hasty judgment himself, leading to instant conflict with Ayesha Shamsi when he meets her at an open-mic poetry event. Something about Ayesha moves Khalid, but this also disturbs him, since he’s been raised to believe that love is meant to come after marriage—a marriage that must be arranged by his family and his bride’s. Jalaluddin’s modern story blends shockingly well with the original plot of Pride and Prejudice. Khalid and Ayesha’s close-knit Indian-Canadian community bears a striking resemblance to Regency-era British society, with its sharply defined ranks, rapid-fire gossip, emphasis on parents arranging matches and potential for a scandal to sink the matrimonial fortunes of an entire family. Would a modern Elizabeth Bennet, living in England, worry that her sister’s elopement would cast a stain on the family? Nope. But a modern Ayesha Shamsi would.

The blistering dynamic between Darcy and Elizabeth has been captured in many different forms over the years, but in Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors, Sonali Dev absolutely nails it to the wall. Her take on Austen borrows its structure from the original but weaves in engrossing new plot threads and dynamic emotional twists. Trisha Raje is a renowned neurosurgeon, the descendant of actual Indian royalty and the sister of the leading candidate for governor of California, so perhaps she has some justification if she is, indeed, proud. (Spoiler: She is.) But her behavior makes it all too easy for DJ Caine—an accomplished chef who has used his skills and reputation to rise above a background of poverty and racism—to willfully misunderstand her. (Spoiler: He does.) However, DJ also happens to need Trisha, since she’s the only surgeon who can successfully extract the brain tumor that’s killing his sister. Not to mention that he can’t pay the medical bills without the catering contract he hopes to secure from Trisha’s fabulously wealthy, influential family. Dev pushes the couple together in an exquisitely agonizing dance of one step forward, two steps back as DJ’s wounded pride and Trisha’s social awkwardness turn every conversation into a worst-case scenario. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors is surprising and unexpected, delivering unapologetic lessons about what prejudice looks like today. From police discrimination opening Trisha’s eyes to her own privilege to a late-in-the-story confession darkly echoing the #MeToo movement, Dev transforms a 200-year-old tale into a searing, clear-eyed portrait of our current reality.

It’s been over 200 years since the death of Jane Austen, and it’s a testament to her storytelling that variations on Pride and Prejudice continue to charm readers over and over again. But it’s also a testament to the authors of these latest releases that their takes on the classic feel current, relevant and new. 

Romance

Romance: June 2019

Feature by Christie Ridgway

Starred review
Love blooms amid dangerous times in Beverly Jenkins’ latest historical romance, Rebel. Valinda Lacy leaves New York City for New Orleans to teach recently freed slaves to read. Val’s new city fascinates her, but she’s due back north soon to marry her fiancé. When threatened by a handful of men, she’s rescued by the handsome Drake LeVeq. The fortuitous encounter changes the course of her life just as her school is shut down and she’s evicted by her racist landlady. Drake is truly admirable—successful, courageous and unwilling to back down in the face of oppression—and the indomitable Val sees her situation as an opportunity to take charge and pursue love for the first time. Beyond the heated passion between the pair, Rebel stands out for its portrayal of the turbulent and violent atmosphere of Reconstruction-era New Orleans.

Romantic-comedy conventions come to life in Kerry Winfrey’s breezy debut, Waiting for Tom Hanks. Annie Cassidy awaits her Mr. Right, her Tom Hanks, an amalgamation of all rom-com movie heroes. With a freelance writing gig to make ends meet, she pens a screenplay while living with her uncle in Columbus, Ohio. When she gets a chance to assist a famous director filming a romantic comedy in her neighborhood, Annie wonders if all her dreams are about to come true. The movie’s male lead, Drew Danforth, is known for his prankster ways rather than Hanksian sincerity, but sparks fly, and Annie falls for him despite obstacles aplenty along the way. There are quirky sidekick characters and enough movie references to fill a weekend marathon in this sweet (love scenes are implied, not shown) and entertaining read.

Peril awaits accomplished healer and former battlefield surgeon Katherine Wright in A Rogue by Night. Katherine has been called upon to use her skills and help her family in their age-old trade: smuggling. Though she’s determined to build a law-abiding life for her father, her brother and herself, it will take one last dangerous mission to make that happen. Harland Hayward, physician and baron, knows what it’s like to make trade-offs in the name of helping others. His own bargain has bound him to a criminal, in a pact that now stands between him and the growing love he feels for strong, smart Katherine. With the pair’s very survival at stake, the action is made even more meaningful by Kelly Bowen’s multilayered, sympathetic characters.

Starred review
Love blooms amid dangerous times in Beverly Jenkins’ latest historical romance, Rebel. Valinda Lacy leaves New York City for New Orleans to teach recently freed slaves to read. Val’s new city fascinates her, but she’s due back north soon to marry her…

RomanceWestern Romance

Save a horse, ride a cowboy

Feature by Dolly R. Sickles

Judging by the number of cowboy covers lining the bookshelves at my local library, there is no shortage of interest in that tried and true Wild West archetype. Whether you’re looking for a sweet homesteader yarn set at the turn of the twentieth century, a contemporary coming-of-age tale or a suspenseful nail-biter, there’s something for every romance reader.

Jo Goodman’s A Touch of Forever is a sweet marriage of convenience story set in 1902. Third in her Cowboys of Colorado series, this novel can still easily be read as a stand-alone. Goodman is an expert at developing compelling, interesting and likeable characters, and this entry is totally absorbing. Railway surveyor Roen Shepard is new to town working on a project for the Northern Railway. When he meets single mother Lily Salt, he is immediately taken with her quiet grace and dignity, and her sense of humor and hard work. When he poses the marriage of convenience idea to her in attempt to fend off his ex-mistress, who’s come to town with unwanted news (and advances), Lily agrees for practicality’s sake. What ensues is the slow-burn development of a friendship that gracefully develops into a romance. A Touch of Forever is gorgeously done and almost compulsively readable.

Carolyn Brown’s Cowboy Rebel follows the journey of Tag Baker and his evolution from adventurous daredevil to responsible ranch owner. Like the other protagonists in Brown’s Longhorn Canyon series, Tag is richly developed and part of a sprawling, inclusive family. His wild, risk-taking ways defined him ever since the death of his best friend. Nikki Grady is an admirable woman who’s worked hard in life to get where she is. Her nursing career is hard-won, and one she’s unwilling to risk via a romance with a reckless cowboy. But the more she gets to know Tag, the more she opens herself up to the possibility. That is, if she can ditch her drag of a mother, Wilma, whose conversations and scenes with Nikki were hard to get through at times. Fortunately, Tag and Nikki are compelling enough to re-garner the readers’ attention and remind you why this rebel gets the girl.

Luck of the Draw is a second-chance love story with B.J. Daniels’ trademark undercurrent of danger. When Garrett Sterling comes across a man dragging a struggling woman across a ravine, he intervenes. But once he gets a good look at her, he realizes it’s Joslyn Charles, the woman he thought was the love of his life. Joslyn disappeared almost two years ago with no word, and now claims to not recognize him. Her head injury is very real, which makes the possibility of amnesia plausible—it just makes filling in the blanks all the more frustrating for Garrett, particularly since they’re in the crosshairs of a killer. Daniels is a perennial favorite on the romantic suspense front, and I might go as far as to label her the cowboy whisperer. 

Judging by the number of cowboy covers lining the bookshelves at my local library, there is no shortage of interest in that tried and true Wild West archetype. Whether you’re looking for a sweet homesteader yarn set at the turn of the twentieth century, a contemporary coming-of-age tale or a suspenseful nail-biter, there’s something for every romance reader.

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