• Book cover of Azalea
    Best Historical Romance Books

    Azalea by Brenda Hiatt

    Azalea book cover

    ‘Tis better to have loved and lost . . . or is it?

    To safeguard her future, orphaned Azalea’s grandfather arranges her marriage—in name only, of course, as she is not yet of age—to the son of his oldest friend, Lord Glaedon. Azalea, however, falls head over heels in love with her handsome new husband with all the impetuousness and romanticism of her youth before he sails back to England mere days after the wedding. When she learns of his death at sea, she is devastated.
     
    Six years later, Azalea honors her grandfather’s dying wish by sailing for England herself to recover her inheritance. Once there, she is stunned to discover that Christian, the beloved husband she has believed dead all this time, is quite definitely alive . . . but seems to have no memory whatsoever of their marriage, or of her! Even worse, he is betrothed . . . to her cousin. Can Azalea possibly force Christian—now the illustrious Earl of Glaedon—to remember the truth? Or must she somehow win him away from her dazzlingly beautiful cousin to prevent him from committing bigamy—and breaking her heart again?
    The author about this novel:

    “Azalea was the first book I ever wrote, though it received a lot of revision before finally seeing print as my seventh published book! Harlequin published it in 1994 as half of a 2-in-1 volume, Regency Diamonds, so I was delighted to finally give Azalea a chance to shine on its own!”

    Brenda Hiatt

     

     

  • Book cover of Diamond of the Season
    Best Historical Romance Books

    Diamond of the Season by Tamara Gill

    Diamond of the Seasons book cover

    She should be choosing a husband…not aching for the duke who can never be hers.

    Lady Rosalind’s focus for the Season is clear—marry well and secure her sisters’ future. Yet every glance from the dangerously irresistible Duke of Ravensmere turns her resolve to ash. Nathaniel tries to keep his distance, but a single stolen kiss spins into temptation neither can control. As secrets unravel and jealousy sparks danger, Rosalind must decide how much she’s willing to risk for forbidden passion—and for the duke who holds her heart.
    The author on how she started writing:

    “I started writing when my second son was only about a year old and I was still home on maternity leave, not looking to go back to work since I had two small children. During that time, I started to read historical romance and just fell in love with the genre. I wasn’t a romance reader prior to this, but as soon as I opened my first Stephanie Laurens book I was a goner.”

    Tamara Gill

     

     

  • Book cover of Marry Me Cowboy
    Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Clean and Wholesome Romance

    Marry Me, Cowboy by Willow White

    Marry Me, Cowboy book cover

    “Uh … a pregnant woman in a wedding dress just drove her truck into the side of our barn.”

    Minutes before walking down the aisle, Olivia realizes that she can’t marry a man she doesn’t love. With nowhere to go, she drives and drives until she crashes into a barn, waking Wyatt Honeywood from a sound sleep. With the rain plastering Olivia’s gown to her body, Wyatt can tell right away that she’s pregnant—but she isn’t. Olivia is determined to have a fresh start at life, and West Hope seems as good a place as any, especially with the handsome Wyatt around, but Wyatt is doing his best to ignore his simmering feelings for Olivia as he tries to reunite her with the nonexistent baby’s father. If Wyatt doesn’t confess his feelings soon, Olivia is going to ride off into the sunset. And the weirder Wyatt acts, the more Olivia is tempted to do just that—no matter how handsome and charming he is.
    A 5 star review for the novel:

    “I love this story! It is cute and funny with the right amount of feels! … Looking forward to reading about the brothers”

    Amazon

     

     

  • Book cover of Mixed Blessings
    Best Christian Romance Books

    Mixed Blessings by Cathy Marie Hake

    Mixed Blessings book cover

    A woman marries for convenience to create a family for her children and falls for her new husband in this inspirational romance.

    A routine medical exam told widowed Marie Cadant that her little boy had been switched with another at birth. But when she tracked down wealthy Peter Hallock—the man who had her biological son—she was surprised to find another single parent, and one eager to love not just his own child, but hers, as well. Even as they struggled to keep their children close despite their far-flung homes, Peter was intrigued by Marie’s inner strength and deep faith. He prevailed on her to accept a marriage of convenience for the children’s sake, then faced the challenge of convincing her that despite the circumstances, theirs was a marriage truly made in heaven.
    A 5 star review for the novel:

    “I cried myself through the first chapter. What a wonderfully written story. Who comes up with ideas for a story like this. Loved Peter and Marie and their two little boys. But the best thing was their faithfulness in seeking the Lord in all their decisions and life choices”

    Amazon – Connie Ciulei

     

     

  • book cover of The Perfect Rake
    Best Historical Romance Books

    The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie

    The Perfect Rake book cover

    A phony engagement turns into real passion in this delightful Regency romance from award-winning author Anne Gracie.

    Fate has lavished beauty on the Merridew sisters—that is, all save the eldest. But plain Prudence bears no grudge; she loves her four beautiful sisters infinitely. So when their abusive grandfather is laid up with an injury, she seizes the opportunity to concoct an ingenious plan that will allow all five of them to escape the clutches of their legal guardian. All it will take is a little matrimonial deception… A renowned rake, Gideon, Lord Carradice, has a way of making ladies swoon. But when Prudence arrives at his doorstep and mistakes him for his cousin, the Duke, it is Gideon who’s infatuated. The delightful spitfire claims she and the Duke are engaged—although a taller tale was never told. In spite of the lies, Gideon is so taken with charming Prudence that he’s eager to join her game, especially if it will award him a stolen kiss or two. Now, Prudence’s plot is about to go terribly, albeit deliciously, awry…
    The author on intended and unintended themes while writing:

    “I have a reader in America who writes to me after every book and tells me my themes and it’s very interesting because I frequently have not intended or noticed them myself. There may be some thematic things that I’ll deliberately emphasise, but I don’t sit down and think, “What’s my theme?” or anything like that. When writing I’m just trying to make the story work and make it fun, but there are clearly things happening in the brain that are pulling it all into line.”

    Anne Gracie