I read 20 books in September, bringing my YTD total up to 193. It would've been 21, but I bailed out of a book at the 80-percent mark. Some would say that's enough of it to count, but I'm okay with leaving a few titles off my lists every year for idiosyncratic reasons. One that I'm happy to keep on my list is A Midnight Proposal.
Given my neverending "emotional support Lorraine Heath reread" situation, I was thrilled to get my hands on a copy. Who am I to question Avon dropping ARCs of a June 2027 title so early? In this sixth Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James book, Jamie Swindler takes center stage with Desdemona, a widow accused of murdering her husband. It's straightforward, enjoyable, historical romantic suspense. I'm a little bummed by the absence of other characters we love, but this is a trade paperback, a rebranding, and obviously meant to be accessible to a wider audience. On the bright side, it makes for a tight focus on Jamie and Mona, and I loved how much interiority and intimacy building we got. And that's my cue to mention The Roommate Subtext by Elia Winters, an erotic contemporary twist on the Scarlet Pimpernel. Botanist Blake's a secret Dom. Journalist Maggie starts exploring her submissive side when she's tasked with unmasking him. It's a sweet, funny, and very, very sexy journey for them both.
Battle of the Round House by Tananarive Due (western, fantasy, short story)
A Midnight Proposal by Lorraine Heath (out 6/1/27, historical romance)
Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose (contemporary romance)
Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman (contemporary romance)
The Roommate Subtext by Elia Winters (contemporary romance, BDSM romance)
Backlist titles & rereads: I started the month by finishing a reread of Mercy Fletcher Meets Her Match by Aydra Richards. I had a hankering for older romantasy (i.e. written before the term existed) and hit up my paperbacks for The Twelve Kingdoms trilogy by Jeffe Kennedy. When I returned from the kingdoms, I went back to summer camp—Kink Camp: Hunted and Possession by Adriana Anders. I inevitably moved to historicals afterward with Scoundrel of My Heart, Beauty Tempts the Beast, and Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath. Since they didn't hit for me like I needed, I did a reread of her London's Greatest Lovers trilogy. You can never go wrong with Waking Up With the Duke. I also got in some new-to-me reads. I laughed my way through Swordheart by T. Kingfisher and enjoyed Rilzy Adams's short and sweet second-chance romance Love in the Time of Corona as well as Judith Ivory's Angel in a Red Dress, aka Starlit Surrender—which is a far better title, because at no point did the heroine wear a red dress.
Currently reading: Before the Dawn by Beverly Jenkins and The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty.
On the TBR/wish listDive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
Well Versed by Jen DeLuca
One For the Road by Elliot Fletcher
Captive Traitor King by Brigid Kemmerer
The Lines We Cross by Ausma Zehanat Khan
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
Wickhills by Premee Mohamed
Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Empire by Sabaa Tahir
