OWNED BY THE SCARRED LAIRD A MEDIEVAL HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVEL THE HIGHLAND CONTRACTS BOOK ONE by MADDIE MACKENNA

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Duty, Porridge, and Unexpected Desire

Chloe’s life was predictable enough as a maid—until her cruel and controlling father resurfaced, used her to clear his debts, and handed her off to a Scottish Laird. Suddenly thrust into a grand castle where her old identity no longer fits, Chloe refuses to mope. Instead, she sets out to make herself useful, staging a quiet takeover of the castle kitchen and stepping up to care for the Laird's orphaned nephew.

Laird Edward brought Chloe home purely out of duty to his clan and to raise his brother’s bairn. What he didn't plan for was falling for her. Watching her turn his cold estate into a home and care for the child, every detail of her well-being quickly becomes his sole concern.

At its core, this story is a reminder that while life rarely goes according to plan, embracing the unexpected turns can lead straight to genuine happiness. A sweet, heartwarming read about finding where you truly belong.

A BABY FOR THE DUKE: REGENCY WAYS TO STEAL A KISS BOOK TWO SALLY VIXEN

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Witty Romance with an Annoying Hero
Lenora writes a scandalous letter on a dare and ends up mistaken for a baby’s mother. After dinner with the Duke of Thornton, the gossip sheets declare the baby hers, forcing a marriage. Lenora draws a hard line: no sleeping together until she falls in love. The Duke gives her seven days—and then spends his time hiding in a tree rather than actually courting her.

The book is witty and the characters are memorable, but the story drags while the Duke stubbornly avoids getting to know his wife or taking part in the baby’s life. When he finally reveals he feels unlovable, it hits close to home—we’ve all felt that way. But love isn't something you have to prove you deserve; it’s a gift given freely.
A sharp, entertaining romance, even if the Duke takes way too long to grow up.

His Duchess’ Deal: A Historical Regency Romance Novel (Duchess Deals Book 4) by Sally Vixen

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Bold Sacrifice and a Heart Unbound
This story kicks off with a wildly desperate scheme: Alice resolves to completely ruin her own reputation just to save herself from a marriage to the man her sister loves. Enter Cassian, the infamous "Cruel Duke," who catches wind of her plan and intervenes in the most dramatic fashion possible—by kissing her squarely in the middle of a crowded ballroom. To Alice's horror, he leans in and whispers the terrifying words, "I got you."
Though Cassian vowed never to wed, he quickly binds Alice to him in a marriage of convenience. Naturally, his grand plan falls apart as he realizes he cannot stay away from her—hampered, of course, by the classic, foolish reason men in these tales always have for shunning marriage and fatherhood. But the heart ultimately refuses to play by the rules. The story is wonderfully crafted, with vibrant characters whose dynamic proves that while love rarely respects the terms of a business deal, it inevitably replaces them with something far greater.

Unbound Duchess: (The Devil's Auction Book 3) by Violet Hamers

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
High Drama, Scorching Chemistry
This story leaps straight into the deep end, kicking off with a cousin so villainous he attempts to sell poor Ellen’s virginity at auction after a forced marriage fails. Enter Duke Lawrence, who steps in to buy her night—partly out of noble rescue, and partly because a frantic earlier kiss left an impression he couldn't shake.
To protect her from her appalling guardian, Lawrence marries Ellen, setting off a deliciously tense dynamic. Ellen proves to be far more than a damsel in distress, actively helping the Duke dismantle her cousin's schemes. The chemistry between the leads crackles, and the high-stakes payoff when Lord Patrick makes his final desperate move is genuinely thrilling.
While a few superfluous scenes occasionally derailed the momentum, the sharp plotting and fiery connection between the couple still make this a thoroughly entertaining read.

A Matter of Honor: A Regency Romance (The Warrington Bequests Book 2) by Rose Pearson

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A Mixed Estate of Mystery and Misdirection
The second installment in the Warrington Bequest series sees Miss Viola Trent unexpectedly inherit twenty thousand pounds and Stoneleigh House from a woman she met precisely twice. Naturally, the mystery begins when anonymous, threatening notes arrive demanding she surrender the property. Step in Julian, the Marquess of Covington. Though raised expecting to inherit Stoneleigh himself, Julian takes the high road—being a Marquess with ample property of his own, he hardly needs another estate. Instead, he steps up to help Viola uncover why she was chosen and unmask the note-writers. Adding a clever twist to the romance, marrying Viola won't even grant Julian control of the house due to strict terms in the bequest.
Unfortunately, the story suffers from repetitive pacing that drags down the developing relationship between Viola and Julian. The author appears to be reaching for a grander moral statement, but relies on subtlety where directness would serve much better; a clear, honest delivery would have made a far greater impact than forcing the reader to guess at the underlying lesson. Meanwhile, the core mystery—discovering who is stealing funds and tarnishing Julian’s name—competes for space in a narrative that ultimately feels a bit too circular to fully satisfy.

The Devil’s Accidental Duchess by Sally Vixen

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Secret Book Club Strikes Again
The secret book club holds all the cards in this story, sending Lady Selina a book containing a love letter signed by her father’s rival, Duke Phillip. When Selina’s father discovers the note, he offers the Duke a choice: a duel or a wedding. Intrigued by Selina’s spark, the Duke chooses marriage.
Selina breaks her former engagement, and the Duke sets about courting her in earnest. As it turns out, the two make a surprisingly good match—she is a spirited bookworm, and he is an equally devoted, devil-may-care reader.
This marks the second couple brought together by the club's matchmaking schemes, suggesting its members know far more than they let on. As it turns out, a scandal is occasionally required to move a pile of books.

His Duchess for the Twins: (Improper Spinsters Book 2) by Belle Lovatt

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Duke’s Blind Spot

Our heroine—a former nun on the run—is easily the brightest star of the piece, possessing a sharp protectiveness for her three sisters that extends to the Duke’s young twins.

The Duke, however, is another matter entirely. For a man of high standing, he is remarkably slow on the uptake. Surrounded by a houseful of women vying for his title, he finds himself captivated by the one person who stands apart from the rest. Yet his pride gets in the way. He dismisses her as too scandalous to be his duchess, completely blind to what is staring him in the face: she is everything his children need, and precisely what he lacks.

It takes a single kiss to knock some sense into him, proving that prideful men are stubbornly dense until reality hits them square in the face. A delightful, satisfying Regency romance.