Her Runaway Duke by Ellie St. Clair

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beyond the Beastly Gaze

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reclusive Duke with a war-torn visage and a missing eye is simply a hero waiting for the right woman to stumble into his shrubbery. In this charming Regency reimagining of a classic, our "Beast" is a man more scarred by the cruel whispers of the ton than by the actual battles he survived. When he finds the runaway Sienna lost in his woods, he does the only logical thing a brooding nobleman can do: he brings her home and installs her as a servant.

The story moves with a wonderful sense of purpose, never lingering too long in the drafty corridors before another spark of chemistry flies. Sienna is a refreshing heroine who possesses the rare ability to look past a jagged scar and a missing eye to see the man beneath the trauma. Watching her navigate his shadowy estate is a delight; she brings a warmth to the halls that even the most expensive beeswax candles couldn't manage.

It is, as they say, a tale as old as time, yet it feels remarkably fresh in this setting. The pacing is perfectly balanced, capturing the quiet tension of their isolation while moving briskly toward a heartfelt conclusion. If you’re looking for a story where love proves to be the ultimate physician for a shattered soul, this read is a most worthy addition to your library.

The Marquess and the Vixen by Collette Cameron

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fortune & Folly

Blythe’s family fortune has bought her entry into the ton, even if the aristocrats look down their noses at her "new" money. Opposite her stands Tristan, a Marquis so committed to his brooding past that he’s convinced himself love is a luxury he can’t afford.

The plot is tightly constructed, and I took a particular joy in watching the villains face their ruin. While Blythe and Tristan start the season by avoiding one another’s gaze, the ballrooms of London have a way of forcing proximity. Their initial dislike melts into something far more interesting, proving that even the most "unworthy" Marquis can be redeemed by the right woman.

To Love a Beastly Duke by Elisabeth Everly

 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beastly Duke’s Botanical Blind Spot

Cornelia is playing a high-stakes game, publishing groundbreaking research under a pen name because the world isn't ready for a woman with a brain. Enter Sebastian, the "Beastly Duke," who hides in his mansion obsessing over botanical treatises while ignoring his own social standing. He’s desperate to meet the brilliant "C.A. Thornfield," completely unaware that the woman he’s starting to fall for is the very author he’s hunting. He loves that Cornelia looks past his scars to see his heart, yet he remains remarkably dense about her identity.

When the truth finally drops, Sebastian’s reaction is a total letdown. For a supposedly brilliant man, he gets surprisingly whiny about "deception," completely ignoring the fact that Cornelia’s secret was the only thing keeping her and her family from social ruin. The characters are solid and their backstories are tight, but the ending drags. The epilogue leans a bit too hard into the "girl power" botanical career after the wedding, losing the momentum the rest of the book built. Still, it’s a well-developed story that proves some dukes are better at plants than they are at common sense.

Smoochin' My Valentine Again by Madison Love

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Forget Me Not

Gemini said

Honestly, what’s a girl supposed to do when the love of her life looks her dead in the eye and has absolutely no clue who she is? That’s the nightmare Aribella is living after her husband, Ashdyn, takes a literal tumble off a horse and wakes up with a wiped hard drive. Watching her navigate the total indignity of being a stranger to her own husband is heartbreaking, but there’s something low-key hilarious about the fact that it took a head injury for him to finally see her as the "ethereal beauty" she’s been this whole time. Talk about a wake-up call.

The story really hits its stride as they try to "re-date" with the help of a community that refuses to let them fail. While I’m still not entirely sure how the divine intervention side of things works here—other than God clearly using their neighbors to do the heavy lifting—the way they fall in love all over again is incredibly sweet. It turns out that while his brain is buffering, his heart already has the receipts. It’s a solid five-star reminder that some connections are just hardwired, even if the man in question is being a bit of a dense patient. If you’re looking for a second-chance romance that proves you can win the same guy twice, this is definitely the one to pick up.

Smoochin' Under the Mistletoe by Madison Love

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the Heart of the Town Needs a Jump start

Lucy is the type of woman who spends her life pouring into everyone else’s cup, only to have her own diner—and livelihood—reduced to ashes just in time for the holidays. When the insurance company does what insurance companies do best (refuse to pay), Lucy is forced to face the heavy question of whether Baggersville is still home or just a memory.

It is a familiar crossroads: that moment of hardship where faith feels less like a comfort and more like a nudge toward the exit. While Lucy contemplates a new direction, the town scrambles to prove she belongs. The irony, of course, is that it takes a catastrophe for people to finally show the appreciation they should have been expressing all along.

The community’s effort to keep her is moving, and the collective grace shown by the residents is staggering. While the story hits every emotional beat you’d expect from a small-town Christmas, its strength lies in that community inspiration. It’s a warm reminder that while you can’t bank on insurance, you can—occasionally—bank on your neighbors.

Smoochin' the Reticent Rancher by Madison Love

 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Better Late Than Never, Though Late is an Understatement

Ace follows the standard Special Forces playbook: get injured, retreat into a cave of self-pity, and push away everyone who actually matters. After two years of ghosting his family and his fiance, he returns to find that Elise hasn’t spent her life paused in a vacuum.

As the local cosmetologist, Elise has more backbone than the man who ran away. She tries to bridge the gap, but Ace is too busy playing the martyr over a broken promise to notice she’s still standing there. Naturally, it takes the threat of another man’s interest to finally snap him out of his brooding. It's a classic case of not knowing what you have until someone else tries to claim it.

This story hits home personally, but it lacks the impact of the previous book. While the sentiment is true and Elise’s loyalty is the heart of the story, the execution feels a bit muted. It’s a solid entry, but Ace’s return to reality took a few chapters too many for my liking.

The Duke’s Bargain Bride by Alianna Brookes

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Thawing the Duke, But Drowning in the Sugar

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a Duke whose heart is a veritable frozen tundra, and this story delivers that icy tension with exquisite precision. The plot is sturdy, and the characters are sculpted with enough depth to make their social maneuverings feel genuinely high-stakes—a rarity in a season often crowded with paper-thin caricatures. Watching the "Ducal Frost" melt into a man of warmth and affection was a journey well worth the price of the carriage ride.

However, as the ton well knows, the only thing worse than a scandal is a bore. While the momentum built beautifully toward a clever conclusion, the climax was unfortunately smothered by an excess of dialogue and an inexcusably long epilogue.

It is a pity when a sharp narrative loses its edge to the modern trend of dragging out the "happily ever after" until it dissolves into saccharine. Had the author trusted the strength of the actual ending and closed the book a chapter earlier, this would have been an undisputed triumph. As it stands, it is a lovely dance that simply doesn't know when to leave the ballroom.