secret identity

A-
The Gentleman's Book of Vices

Set in Victorian London, Jess Everlee’s The Gentleman’s Book of Vices tells the story of a bookshop owner – whose super-secret alter-ego is the writer of some of the finest and most sought-after erotica currently to be found under counters and in back rooms – and the most devoted admirer of ...

A-
The Belle of Belgrave Square

Mimi Matthews’ excellent The Belle of Belgrave Square is a romantic, well-researched and intriguing novel that adds a feather to the writer’s cap. Book-loving horsewoman Julia Wychwood prefers her solitude and horse riding to gossip and tea dates. Suffering from social anxiety which leaves he ...

B+
Boss Witch

Witch Please by Ann Aguirre was the introduction to the author's Fix-It Witches series, a fun romp into a paranormal world where cousins Danica and Clem run a repair shop using their witchy powers to fix equipment. While that story focused on Danica and mundane human baker Titus, there's a point in ...

A
A Debutante in Disguise

History has shown time and again that women have adopted male personae to answer a deep-rooted calling to be doctors, soldiers, priests, and other such jobs strictly restricted to men. Women were meant for house and hearth and babies, not to be striding out into the world dealing with problems and s ...

A
A Scandalous Winter Wedding

Every book in Marguerite Kaye's Matches Made in Scandal series has been an A grade read for me, which is rare. Kaye is clearly a superb storyteller and a careful craftsman. The tightly-knit plots and the multi-faceted characters make for a satisfying whole. The series has a central figure called ...

B
The Secret of Flirting

Although The Secret of Flirting is the fifth instalment in Sabrina Jeffries’ Sinful Suitors series, it can easily be read as a standalone, as none of its storylines is related to the other books. Previous heroes and heroines make appearances within its pages, but they are brief cameos and no prior ...

A-
Under the Surface

Under the Surface is an apt title for this suspenseful, dramatic, and sexy romance seething with emotional undercurrents. It's part of the Alpha Ops series, though the first full length novel. The previous three were novellas featuring Navy SEALs, and the third one, The SEAL's Second Chance introduc ...

A-
Duke of Midnight

This book is the sixth in Elizabeth Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series and in my opinion the strongest to date in this 18th-century storyline. Of course, I must confess I have not read Winter’s story yet, and if that novel is better than Duke of Midnight then it would deserve a solid A because it was ver ...

B+
It's Always Been You

My usual reaction when I see that a romance has a “reunited lovers” plotline is a resounding mental “Yes!” This is definitely a favorite plot device of mine. And couple that with a “woman in danger and on the run” angle and I am hooked. Adrian York was informed ten years ago that the ...

B+
Redeeming the Rogue

As both a former resident of Washington, D.C. and a European Historical enthusiast, I was excited by the contents of Redeeming the Rogue, being set in both London and Washington. Luckily, the book did not disappoint in any respect. Lady Arianne Chambers is a consummate socialite; she is the maste ...