The Duke's Loveless Bargain, Marriage & Duty by Dorothy Sheldon

Rating: ⭐⭐️⭐⭐⭐

This starts off with a rather cold and unemotional man who needs to marry and he marries a woman whose father has died and left their family destitute. To convince the woman to marry him, he offers marriage and writes off the debts owed to him and pays off the rest of her father's debts. As the story unfolds, we find that the Duke has closed off  his emotions, and wants to live a reclusive life. His choice of sister is his own because he does feel he could not abide a seventeen year old girl. He wants Margaret because she is quiet and more mature. Margaret does everything she can to protect her younger sister. As Jasper exposes his secrets; I find a story of mysterious intrigue, evil machinations and the ignorant abuse of children who aren’t the typical normal. It’s a story of how love will heal the most damaged of hearts and lets a bonded love conquer evil at its very heart.

Mr. Darcy’s Bookshop by Summer Hanford

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This variation on Pride and Prejudice is delightful. The core change—Darcy is disowned for refusing to marry Anne—is highly effective. It creates a natural path for Elisabeth to fall in love with Darcy as they find common ground, a much more convincing basis for a match.

A standout element is the characterization of Anne, who is given an actual personality and is quite likable. I've always felt sorry for the original Anne, burdened by her mother, so this was a welcome development.

Wickham is still perfectly evil, though I confess to being disappointed with his disposal. Given the realities of the time, however, one must accept that old money does have power in England.

Overall, it's a good read because, satisfyingly, love prevails in the end

A Bride for the Wicked Duke by Belle Lovatt

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Erasmus returns from war, scarred and weary, only to inherit his father's title as The Duke of Ashford. The new ducal seat, however, comes with a heavy price: the Duke must marry and produce an heir to secure the estate's finances.

Enter Ava, a woman damaged not by battle, but by a broken engagement that left her with a beautiful daughter, Hazel. Erasmus's solution is a marriage of convenience to his friend's sister-in-law, a practical arrangement he believes he's equipped for. He is utterly mistaken. Ava will not truly be his until he can open his heart to being a father to Hazel.

This journey is a profound transformation for Erasmus. Used to the rigid demands of a naval command, he must learn to shed his armor, soften his tone, and lead with his heart instead of his orders. As he grapples with the mysteries surrounding his brother's death and the task of restoring the estate with Ava's dowry, he finds a man willing to grow. The true magic, however, is the discovery that Ava, too, carries the scars of hardship. Their shared wounds become the common ground where two damaged souls finally learn to love, building a family that is as heartwarming as it is healing.

A Bride Bound by Duty: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (Delightful Lords and Ladies) by Honeyfield, Emily

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The marriage was a contract, a debt settled. Eleanor accepted the terms: a ring, a title, and the estate of a man she barely knew. William—Bill to his companions—left for India the morning after the wedding, leaving Eleanor to manage a property verging on ruin. For six months, she worked with rigid competence, transforming her imposed duty into a meticulously ordered life.

William returns and shatters that peace. He arrives not alone, but with Danowua, a Cherokee man from the Americas, an unannounced guest whose presence immediately strains the household.

William finds a home restored and admires the strength of the wife who achieved it. Eleanor, however, is strangled by her adherence to propriety. Though she manages his property, she struggles to be the "proper wife," failing to offer the emotional connection her husband now seeks.

The tension heightens with the arrival of Olivia, Eleanor's friend, who brings with her difficulties of her own, the nature of which only adds to the unsettling atmosphere. Olivia’s sharp observations and personal distress increase the awkwardness between the couple, making their already difficult situation nearly unbearable. This story is somewhat awkward at times, but the plot and the conflict are well written.

The greatest threat to their marriage is not resentment, but silence. Both are honorable, yet their failure to communicate allows assumptions to fester, letting hurt and anger grow from simple lack of shared feelings.

It is only when Eleanor and William finally choose to be open about their feelings—to speak the truths they have held back—that they discover the mutual ground necessary to transform their arranged alliance into a true partnership.

The Unconventional Mail-Order Match by Lilah Rivers

 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

 No lies in this mail-order match, just a woman

 delightfully unconventional and raised like a son. Oh, she knew how to

 act the part of a woman when she had to, but the truth is she lived for the

 ranch work alongside her father, and now her new husband. It's a

 marvelous thing to watch her husband learn to take his cues from her; he

 wants her to be happy, wants her to love her new home. The only thing

 standing in the way is a persistent, aching homesickness. It’s an unusual

 take on a mail-order bride story, and a refreshing one. And truly, if

 everyone looked at life with the practicality and clear-eyed joy that

 Nellie does, we would all be a lot happier.

The Duke’s Reckoning by Emily Barnett

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This critique hits the nail squarely on the head. One comes away from this tale feeling less invested in the hearts of Sebastian and Clara than in the mechanics of Educational Reform. Frankly, I learned more about policy than I did about their passion. Their single, commendable act was the decision to prioritize personal happiness over the cold logic of financial advantage. It appears the narrative—and perhaps the characters—forgot a crucial truth: that marriage, in its purest, God-given form, is designed for a man and a woman to love each other, express that love, and protect the children born to their union. We are presented with the great Duke, a stoic man who clearly should have chosen the intelligent, caring governess—the woman who understands the true weight of duty to both family and land. Instead, he pursues the woman of financial advantage and surface-level beauty. She represents a moral and aspirational counterpoint to his very being. Opposites attract, perhaps, but a life cannot be built when the bedrock of basic social morals and shared dreams for the future are so fundamentally mismatched.

In essence: The author used a love story as a flimsy disguise for a treatise on educational policy, neglecting the very emotional and moral core that should have defined the central romance. bedrock of basic social morals and shared dreams for the future are so fundamentally mismatched.

In essence: The author used a love story as a flimsy disguise for a treatise on educational policy, neglecting the very emotional and moral core that should have defined the central romance.

A Duke for Hire: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (The Devil's Masquerade Book 1) Kindle Edition by Violet Hamers

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Seraphina needs a husband, and she needs one fast. Her solution is brilliantly desperate: hire an actor to play the Duke of Merryvale, a notorious recluse. Her goal? Look interestingly enough to finally get some attention—before her mother can publicly scandalizes her for her failure.

The plan, naturally, goes sideways when the real Duke, Hugo, shows up. Hugo is everything his reputation warns: formidable and feared. But Seraphina doesn't see the monster; she sees the man. She is entirely unafraid of him, and that fearlessness immediately impresses Hugo.

Seraphina's life is a constant escape act. Just as she navigates the Duke's dangerous presence, her parents try to sell her off to a terrible old suitor. This is a classic Beauty and the Beast dynamic, but the taming is not gentle. Seraphina heals Hugo with kindness, love, and a scorching intensity.

This is a steamy story that cuts right to the heart of trauma. It explores how the actions of others can define our ability to trust and relate. Ultimately, though, the story insists that we have the power to choose our own path—and our own love. It's an intense, passionate read.

The Duke's Widow, Marriage & Duty by Dorothy Sheldon

  

Rating: ⭐⭐

This plot felt completely not thought out. The author's lack of attention to historical detail made the entire premise awkward, even vile.

Here's why: Marriages between a brother-in-law and a widow were illegal after 1835. While they might have been annulled by a bishop before that if family objected, this story never addressed the issue, nor did the author provide any dates. I can only assume it was before 1835 since the new Duke finished out the war with Napoleon. Regardless, the entire situation between the two brothers felt vile.

The worst part is Josiah's inner turmoil. He supposedly loved Martha, yet he blames her for marrying his brother when he was the one who didn't act on his feelings or challenge his brother for her hand before the wedding! He just runs off to war instead. The whole thing genuinely upset me and made it impossible to enjoy the story. Yes, his eventual redemption in her eyes is heartwarming, but it's simply not enough to salvage the entire experience.

Seeking a Place to Call Home by Leslie Hales

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Enough was enough. Tired of being treated like a servant in her foster home, Abigail overhears the devastating truth: her real parents are looking for her, and her foster parents are actively preventing any contact. Armed with an address stolen from her foster father's study, she does the only thing she can think of—she hires a bounty hunter.

One perilous encounter after another marks their desperate journey West. As they travel, the sheer necessity of survival and constant proximity build an undeniable bond of love between the fierce Abigail and the stoic Colton. You will fall in love with Colton and Abigail as they chase hope across the rugged landscape, but beware: this is not the journey you expect. The ending will not be what you anticipate.

A Bride's Heart of Gold by Grace Clemens

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Will, a Western, and a Wild Proposal

What happens when a father decides to play matchmaker from beyond the grave? It comes in the form of a rather inconvenient will, forcing his daughter, Lily, to find a husband. With her inheritance on the line, Lily feels she has no choice but to advertise for a groom. She is meticulous in her wording.

Enter Henry. He isn't looking for a wife, but rather, his lost brother. Seeing an opportunity, he answers the ad and Lily chooses him. Their relationship doesn't blossom on paper; it's forged by them working side-by-side on the homestead and down in the copper mine. 

Lily finds herself falling for the man beside her, so imagine her distress when she discovers Henry's true motive for marrying her! It’s an excellent bit of drama, and in my eyes, Lily’s own reasoning for the marriage isn't entirely pure, which she soon realizes. It was a delightful moment of self-awareness..

Now, I'll be honest, the story is slow going at the start. The unfolding of the relationship through shared labor takes its time, but that's what makes the payoff so good. When the action of the Western finally kicks in, it makes for one bang-up climax!

The one thing that perhaps got a bit tangled up was the sheer volume of subplots surrounding the copper mine and Lily's inheritance. Unfortunately, the most annoying villain gets lost in the shuffle after Henry's brother shows up and isn't even mentioned in the conclusion. 

All in all, I think it's a good read. It's certainly a different take on the typical mail-order bride story—or perhaps, I should say, mail-order groom!

When their Love Prevails: A Historical Western Romance Novel (Hearts on Destiny's Trail) by Ellen Knightley

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a love story, Marcus and Ivy are a failure. As an action-adventure romance, however, the book is excellent.

The central problem is the lack of a conclusion. Their only confession of love is Ivy shouting it across a ravine to a dying Marcus. He never confesses his feelings, and while we know he's in love with her, the reader never hears it from him.

Beyond the principals, too many of the side characters—friends, family, and others—are written aggressively over the top with no real depth. And the plot threads are a mess: How does Abercromby scamming the entire town tie in with his slave labor operation? There is no real explanation.

Even worse, all these explosive events are happening within a five-day radius. Weston Springs must have a truly lousy news system, because at the very least, the Sheriff should have been advised about what was transpiring among that small circle of Arizona settlers.

If you like a story without a real ending and with glaring, unaddressed plot holes, this one is for you.

A Drifter’s Duty to Her Heart: A Historical Western Romance Novel (Tales of Brave Western Love) By Lorelei Brogan

 

Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The concept for this story is well developed. There are several awkward scenes between the main characters that shouldn’t have been there because of them growing up together and all the letter writing as adults should have made things easier between these two. I have friends like this and even after years apart we fall into an easy camaraderie. Here is where the author failed. If one suspects the other of something wrong, friends immediately confront one another. Otherwise the story is jam-packed full of action with all the action of the Wild West in Arizona. I just wish the relationship wasn’t so easily fractured by a letter.

The Earl’s Unwilling Bride: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (Love and Secrets of the Ton) by Abigail Agar

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For two people whose greatest wish is to simply live quietly, Adrian and Sophie find themselves utterly tangled—ensnared in secrets and treachery that bleed from both sides of their families.

Yet, despite the chaos, they are a marvel. They choose to find the strength to cleave to what is right. Love is never an easy path in a world built on twisted lies and populated by those who seek to turn you against your very soul.

The story pulls you headlong through the pervasive deceit and evil that infects their world of naked power and desperate gain. And as it must, the truth will come to light, for Love always lights the darkness.

The Duke’s Untamable Spinster: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (The Wild Brides Book 2) by Hazel Linwood

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Forget your typical historical romance.

Here, a fiercely determined Diamond of the ton is absolutely set on remaining a spinster. Naturally, her family is desperate, and in a fantastic twist, they put her dates up for auction—all for the sake of charity! The winning bidder? None other than a notoriously attractive Rake of a Duke, who is purely out to prove he can conquer the "unattainable."

The story itself is painfully honest and gloriously upfront, charting the course as their initial, shallow desires evolve into something true and meaningful as they genuinely get to know one another. While the well-written plot is utterly captivating throughout, the narrative falters toward the final pages, leaving that crucial happily-ever-after tragically in question.

A Runaway Bride for the Widowed Rancher by Ellen Knightley

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel plunges the reader into the fraught life of Maggie, a woman desperate to shed her gang past by becoming a mail-order bride. She marries Luke, a quiet widower, and steps into the role of mother to his daughter, Emily. The initial struggle to forge a family unit is palpable as Maggie and Emily chafe against each other, navigating their new, fragile reality with Luke caught in the middle.

But the past is a relentless hunter. Just as they begin to find their footing, Maggie's outlaw father tracks her down. The characters are immediately entangled in a web of lies and devastating truths, forced to grapple with what must remain hidden and what they dare to reveal. The tension builds relentlessly, leading to a heartbreaking and inspiring climax where Maggie makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect Luke and Emily. What greater love is this than to lay down one's life for another? This book is a profound exploration of grace and forgiveness in the face of impossible odds.