|
|
| Rebel by Beverly JenkinsNew Orleans, 1870: When white supremacists destroy Valinda Lacy's school for emancipated men and women, Captain Drake LeVeq, scion of one of the city's most illustrious families, comes to her rescue.
Why you might like it: With its vividly rendered Reconstruction-era setting and nuanced depiction of the social issues of the period, this well-researched novel educates as well as entertains.
Crossover alert: This opening installment of the Women Who Dare series features appearances by characters from the author's beloved House of LeVeq trilogy. |
|
| Daisies and Devotion by Josi S. KilpackThe list: "Blonde, tall, graceful, with blue or green eyes, a bow-shaped mouth, dainty fingers, and rosy cheeks..." These are the qualities that Timothy Mayfield desires in a wife -- and the qualities that Maryann Morrington doesn't possess.
And yet... The more time Timothy spends with Maryann, the more he's tempted to revise his list. Meanwhile, despite Maryann's unrequited love for Timothy, she's determined to help her friend find his perfect wife.
Series alert: This chaste Regency romance is the 2nd book in the Mayfield Family series, after Promises and Primroses. |
|
| The Unhoneymooners by Christina LaurenWhat happens: After food poisoning sidelines the wedding party, Olive Torres (the sister of the bride) and Ethan Thomas (the brother of the groom) impersonate the newlyweds to ensure that the couple's all-expenses-paid Hawaiian honeymoon doesn't go to waste.
Read it for: Olive's snarky narration, a steamy enemies-to-lovers plot, and a pile-up of romantic complications on the way to happily-ever-after.
Author alert: Christina Lauren, the pen name of two best friends, writes much-loved romantic comedies including Dating You / Hating You, Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, and My Favorite Half-Night Stand. |
|
| Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuistonStarring: Alex Claremont-Diaz, the bisexual Mexican-American son of the (first female) U.S. president, and his nemesis Henry, Prince of Wales, who must pretend to be friends for the sake of international diplomacy.
Why you might like it: a fake friendship between rivals becomes a real romance in this smart and steamy new adult romantic comedy.
Reviewers say: "Diplomatic Anglo-American relations have never been so much fun" (Vogue). |
|
|
The earl next door
by Amelia Grey
While starting a school for disadvantaged girls, widow Dowager Countess of Wake has an affair with the future Earl of Marksworth who is determined to make her his wife despite her aversion to marriage. Original.
|
|
|
A touch of forever
by Jo Goodman
Proposing a marriage of convenience to reserved widow Lily Salt to protect the new life he has built, Roen Shepard discovers that she has secrets of her own and the closer he gets to uncovering them, the more he wants to be with her—forever. Original.
|
|
|
Slow dancing at sunrise
by Jo McNally
Returning to Rendezvous Falls to regroup after losing her job, corporate auditor Whitney Foster is determined to save her Aunt Helen’s winery from financial ruin, which pits her against the winery’s manager, Luke Rutledge. Original. 200,000 first printing.
|
|
|
Andrew
by Jennifer Beckstrand
Returning to her Wisconsin Amish community unmarried and pregnant, Mary Coblenz, refusing to hide in shame, starts work at the Honeybee Farm where she catches the eye of godly Andrew Petersheim and teaches him a thing or two about forgiveness and love. Original.
|
|
|
Smitten by the Brit
by Melonie Johnson
After her engagement comes to a bitter end, Bonnie Blythe accepts a teaching job at Cambridge where she falls in love with a man who, unbeknownst to her, has been hiding the truth about his identity. Original.
|
|
|
Cross my heart
by Robin Lee Hatcher
Threads together a contemporary love story with the heartwarming tale of Ben’s great-great-grandfather, Andrew Henning — reminding readers that God’s Word is timeless and that His promises are new every morning. Simultaneous eBook.
|
|
|
The number of love
by Roseanna M. White
In the midst of the Great War, Margot De Wilde spends her days deciphering intercepted messages, but after a sudden loss, her world is turned upside down, leaving the wounded Lieutenant Drake Elton to find a way into her heart to pick up the pieces. Simultaneous eBook.
|
|
Focus on: Pygmalion-inspired Romances
|
|
| A Most Unlikely Duke by Sophie BarnesWhat it's about: Prizefighter Raphe Matthews, the new Duke of Huntley, is more familiar with the boxing rings of St. Giles than the drawing rooms of Mayfair, which is why he needs Lady Gabriella Radcliffe to teach him the ways of the ton.
Reviewers say: This 1st Diamonds in the Rough novel "puts a sexy spin on Pygmalion" (Booklist).
You might also like: Nicole Jordan's My Fair Lover or Megan Frampton's Lady Be Reckless, both of which offer Regency-set, gender-swapped twists on My Fair Lady. |
|
| The Knave of Hearts by Elizabeth BoyleWhat it's about: After Alaster "Tuck" Rowland humiliates her on the dance floor at Almack's, disaster-prone Lavinia Tempest isn't sure she should accept his offer to repair the damage to her reputation. Especially if it includes dancing lessons.
Why not? "The last time she'd tried to dance a cotillion, Lady Essex's house, Foxgrove, had caught fire."
Series alert: The Knave of Hearts is the 5th book in the Rhymes with Love series, which starts with Along Came a Duke. |
|
| Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa DareWhat it's about: Taking his matchmaking mama at her word, Griffin York, the Duke of Halford, chooses the most unsuitable bride he can think of: barmaid Pauline Simms. (The dowager duchess said "any girl" will do.)
The perils of Pauline: Between Griffin's bribe (a small fortune if she promises to fail her "duchess training"), her would-be mother-in-law's scheming, and her own inconvenient attraction to the duke, Pauline must make some difficult decisions.
Reviewers say: This 4th installment of the Spindle Cove series is a "beguiling blend of sparkling wit and simmering sensuality" (Booklist). |
|
| My Fair Princess by Vanessa KellyWhat it's about: Oh-so-proper Charles Valentine Penley, Duke of Leverton, has just acquired an unwanted protégée in the form of Gillian Dryden, who despite her royal blood lacks social graces.
Why you might like it: In Gillian's case, "lacks social graces" is a polite way of saying "once trekked across Sicily to hunt down the bandits who murdered her stepfather."
Look for: a cameo by Griffin Steele, the hero of author Vanessa Kelly's Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom. |
|
| Lady Claire Is All That: Keeping Up With the Cavendishes by Maya RodaleThe wager: That Maximilian DeVere, Lord Fox, can transform bluestocking Claire Cavendish into the belle of the ball.
The odds: Claire, more passionate about mathematics than the marriage mart, sends most suitors fleeing -- yet Fox finds he can't stay away.
Should you start here? Although Lady Claire is All That is the 3rd installment of the Keeping Up With the Cavendishes series, the storylines of previous volumes run concurrently with this novel, meaning that the books can be read in any order. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Patchogue-Medford Library 54-60 East Main Street Patchogue, New York 11772 (631) 654-4700www.pmlib.org/ |
|
|
|