Category: romance

A Sudden Fortune

After a short break, I’ve started tackling my fifth novel, ‘A Sudden Fortune’. 

Abandoned in her youth, Claire Hastings has inherited a fortune from a guardian who rescued her from a convent. The riches are hers with one caveat – she must share the fortune with the impoverished Marquess of Kingston.

Of course, the new-found wealth is more of a burden than a blessing for a girl who has been a social pariah all her life. When the aristocratic family that abandoned her appears to claim the fortune, Claire’s troubles begin. A half-brother, step-brother, father, and a dowager Countess insinuate themselves into her life, and she discovers her origins and the reasons why she had been placed in a convent at an early age. 

Nelson Ridley had been holding his impoverished family together – just barely. With a mother, sister, and four nieces and nephews to support, he remains on the outskirts of society, earning a living writing stories for several popular periodicals. 

The Ridley household, with their unexpected fortune, find themselves thrown into the whirl of the Season, and Nelson is suddenly one of the most eligible bachelors in London.

None of the beautiful, wealthy debutantes tempt him. His heart is captured by the friendless, socially awkward woman whose inheritance has changed their lives. They become fast friends, and each yearns for more. . .

A Rogue’s Progress

An enemies-to-lovers Victorian romance. 

She’s a debutante searching for a husband. He’s a gambler chasing redemption. When their worlds collide over a family inheritance, sparks fly, secrets unravel, and desires ignite. In a game of love, luck, and betrayal, who will come out on top—and at what cost?

After six long years of schooling, Eleanor Bucknell is more than ready to enjoy a London Season and a chance for flirtation, love, and marriage. There’s just one problem—her impulsive and greedy brother has gambled away the family properties and is bent on arranging a prosperous marriage for her. With her plans thwarted at every turn, Ellie determines to make her own way in life, all the while plagued by thoughts of the rakish son of an earl who now owns the Bucknell property.

Casper Whittaker is a gambler and a rogue who feels no remorse when relieving fools of their property at the gaming tables. Besides, he is on a mission to redeem himself in the eyes of his father for his role in the tragic event that took his older brother’s life. Winning the Bucknell properties was the chance he needed to make a new life for himself—even though the plight of the feisty young debutante tugs at his heartstrings. 

Ellie never expected her greatest adversary to be the one man who could steal her heart. When a fiery clash of wills ignites between her and Casper, their undeniable attraction becomes impossible to ignore. But with her brother’s devious schemes threatening to tear them apart, will love be enough to overcome the odds?

This is a closed-door, sweet romance.

Rags to Riches

This is a very popular historical romance trope in which a character rises from humble beginnings to wealth and status, often finding love along the way. It can also involve someone losing a fortune and regaining it.

I tend to like this story arc because it can take so many directions. Often, we have the male main character, our hero, growing up in poverty or having been expelled from his family. He not only makes it on his own but becomes enormously wealthy in spite of all obstacles. Of course, then you have the female character who appreciates his ambition and courage and falls in love with him despite his wealth.
We sometimes find the female main character receiving a vast inheritance, then struggling to protect it from family and potential suitors who would go to any lengths to get their hands on it. And, of course, the male lead character is the one to save her from swindlers and rakes.

I just finished a Regency Romance in which the hero must marry for money and is engaged to an appropriate candidate for that purpose. Unfortunately, he falls in love with an impoverished wallflower instead. They both resist, but in the end, he breaks off his engagement to marry for love. Only then do they discover that she is really an heiress. Yes, it was predictable, but it was sweet and engrossing nonetheless.

I suppose that’s the nice thing about historical romances that follow certain tropes. You know what you will get, and that’s an HEA every time.

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Popularity of the Arranged Marriage

Historical romance novels often feature wonderful tropes. The Arranged Marriage is one of my favorites, where characters are forced into a marriage for political or social reasons, leading to unexpected love.

There’s something about women being forced into marriage in times past that I find equally horrifying, angering, and fascinating.

It makes one wonder what we would do if we had so little autonomy that another person could direct our lives in such an egregious way.

One of the reasons I like this trope in historical romance is that the story arc can go in so many different directions. The heroine can begin hating her husband and gradually fall in love with him. She can try to escape the marriage by running away, aided by her true love. Some other noble hero can swoop in and spoil the marriage plan by rescuing her.

The heroine can try somehow to invalidate the marriage or foil her parent’s plot by making her fiancé withdraw from the contract, as was done in the latest season of Bridgerton. Cressida’s move to discredit herself was brilliant.

I recently read a fun historical romance in which friends of the prospective bride and groom foiled two different prospective marriages. That was a very unusual take on this very popular trope, and a lot of fun.
Of course, I had to try my hand at this. So, in my second novel, Marry Me, Duke, I decided that the arranged marriage would be orchestrated by the heroine, Ginny, rather than an authority figure. She arranges her own marriage in order to escape from a life of forced caregiving.
And, of course, there is resistance, and problems arise. A love between the couple grows, and there is a happily ever after. Marry Me, Duke is now on Kindle Unlimited; if you like this trope, you should check it out.

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It’s Finished – Looking for reviewers

Hello, lovely readers.
I have just completed my third historical romance novel. It is an Impossible Love trope.

If anyone is interested in being an ARC reader, here is the signup sheet.
Summary: An Unexpected Lady

She has a history to discover, and he has a mystery to unravel and a family to protect. Their love is thwarted by the sins of the past. A shy and awkward beauty unsure of her past, Charlotte Winterbrooke struggles to resist the man she is falling in love with. She will not commit to him until she finds out the truth of her birth—a scandalous truth that will destroy all chances of remaining in society and making a good marriage. Hopelessly in love with the bumbling beauty who he is sure is out to destroy his godfather’s family, Maxwell Shockley is in a losing battle to protect his loved ones and resist the beguiling temptress who he can not live without. With blackmail, scandal, and secrets surrounding them, can Charlotte and Max protect their deepening love and have a future together?
This is a fade-to-black romance with a Spice level 1.
TW: contains references to early childhood abuse.

SIGNUP SHEET

Happy Reading

What makes a relationship romantic?

Affection: Expressing affection through gestures, words, or physical touch helps maintain the romantic connection. Small acts of kindness and affectionate behaviors contribute to a loving atmosphere.
Affection is expressed in so many beautiful ways in historical novels. The casual brush against a woman’s hand, tucking wayward curl behind her ear, and gifts of flowers are very common in these novels and are fraught with meaning.

What makes a relationship romantic?

Shared Goals and Values: A romantic relationship flourishes when both partners have common goals, values, and aspirations. I love it when the two main characters are working together for a common cause. I love mysteries, and I’m a sucker for a good historical mystery where the female main character pairs up with a detective, and they work together, and sometimes against each other, to solve a crime, unravel a mystery, or save someone.

What makes a relationship romantic?

Quality Time: Spending meaningful time together strengthens the romantic bond. Whether it’s through shared activities or simple moments of togetherness, quality time fosters a deep connection.
Time spent together helps to build the romantic momentum in a novel. In historical romance, this is most easily done when the characters are thrown together during a house party. They have a legitimate reason to be around each other 24/7. During these scenes, the bonds can be formed at a very good pace, and the characters can easily be thrust into semi-intimate contact.

In my second novel, Marry Me, Duke, my main characters have a forced proximity that allows them to get to know each other well and go through their emotions while still maintaining proximity. In my first novel, A Misalliance with Love, the main characters spend much of their time away from each other, thinking about one another. Because of this, the emotional bond, perhaps, isn’t as strong. The novel ends with the promise of this bond and the chance to forge a connection.

What makes a relationship romantic?

Surprises and Thoughtfulness: Thoughtful gestures and surprises demonstrate that partners are attentive to each other’s needs and desires. It could be as simple as a heartfelt note, a surprise date, or a small gift.
This is such a sign of a true romantic, and it’s a pity that we don’t see more of it in historical romances. There’s plenty of flower giving but a few real surprises. I love it when the main male character knows that the main female character needs something or wants something very badly and makes sure that she has it, even if the gift is given anonymously. The best example of this is in ‘Sense and Sensibility’ when Marianne Dashwood receives the piano without knowing that it was sent by Colonel Brandon. That was very romantic.