Releasing the Notes

This has to be one of my very favorites with one of the most perfect of male main characters, in my opinion. The build-up to the climax is awesome. The book also has a prequel called “Heir to Edenbrooke” that tells the story from Philip’s point of view, and I’m here for it. The romantic tension in this one is palpable.

Ginny and Jack are working together to find a lost watch. On the outside, Jack’s reputation is tarnished by a past beyond his control. On the inside, he is a gentleman that doesn’t care what others think of him- and his confidence is inspiring. This book is at the top of the list for its awesome story arc and breathtaking kissing scene.

Amber is the “it” girl of the London season, with an ego to match. She’s planning on marrying for status and wealth, not love. But it’s dangerous to bet one’s entire future on good looks. When everything Amber planned falls apart in the most humiliating way, she is forced to find purpose in a new lifestyle she never could have imagined. This one is a really heartwarming read.

This is the true love story of Sir Walter Scott, and one of the most beautiful stories on this list. I really enjoyed reading about Walter’s journey of learning what true love really is. The story exudes Scottish pride and being true to oneself. 

This book is all about redemption and major second chances. Set in the beautiful highlands of Scotland, Callum works hard to win back the love of a wife he abandoned years before. A great spring read.

Amelia attends a house party in hopes that she can secure a match for her beloved sister. Then she meets Peter, who has the exact same idea in mind, but for his own sister. While basically fighting over the host of the party for their sisters, you can imagine what happens to their own hearts. 

This one falls into the “forced marriage” category-  one of my very favorite tropes. Felicity and James are strangers, but must learn to love each other after being pressured by society to wed. James makes the most beautiful efforts to show his wife he loves her even though it was nobody’s first choice. An inspiring reminder that love is a choice.

When Hannah visits Summerhaven to rekindle her childhood love with Oliver, all she gets is an aloof prospect and his audacious brother. She is reminded of all the pranks Oliver’s brother Damon used to play on her as a child. But could it be that as a child, Hannah saw everything the wrong way?

Think: smugglers’ town, a dark, beautiful estate, old secrets, hidden agendas, and clandestine meetings in the middle of the night. This book was one I seriously lost sleep over because I couldn’t put it down.

Rosalind is about to marry a Duke she hardly knows. To celebrate her last few weeks of freedom, she decides to cross off every item on a bucket list she made as a kid. On the way, she meets Charlie, the cousin of her best friend. He’s mysterious, broody, and of all the respectable trades he could be involved in… he’s a boxer. He’s got a good heart though, and Rosalind’s own heart is in trouble. 

Lord Fenton is a character introduced in “A Heart Revealed,” and we read his story in this one. Fenton has a deep fear of becoming like his father- a vile, immoral man with a history of mistresses, who promises Fenton that all men are like this. Fenton covers up his fear with a lavish lifestyle and an apathetic attitude toward love. But can find himself and learn for the first time what true love is supposed to be?

This one is a Hades/Persephone or Beauty and the Beast retelling. We see a hardened main male character open up and trust his wife when she chooses, over and over again, to show him kindness. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but I’ve heard that the others make the Duke even more lovable because we learn more about his background. 

Diana owns multiple railroad lines, which is incredibly uncommon for a woman in her day- and it’s making it hard for her to do business. Countless men show up at her door with the agenda of wanting to marry her for access to her business. Diana’s solution is to scare everyone off by ruining her reputation with the well-known rake Lord Bryant- but she soon finds out that his other scandals have a complex reasoning she never before realized.

This book reverses the roles of a man and woman in the regency time period. Lady Sabrina is a powerful, wealthy woman with an unthinkable past and a big heart. She uses her unique power and freedom as a widow to help others. This book is definitely unique amongst the others!

It’s giving Darcy vibes! Margaret is trying to find a man to marry that she could never love so she doesn’t have to risk her heart breaking again. Instead, she finds herself stuck with a snobby, self-righteous man who both drives her nuts and makes her heart race. In this book, I especially love the witty conversational scenes with the characters throwing quips back and forth.