Historical Romance

Journeys: the Archers of Saint Sebastian by Jeanne Roland

April 16, 2022 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

Journeys: the Archers of Saint Sebastian by Jeanne Roland

15-year-old Marieke disguises herself as a boy to hide in the all-male archers’ guild of Saint Sebastian to escape her father’s killers. Soon she’s determined to discover the truth about her father’s mysterious past at the guild, and to help the most charming young Journeyman archer in the place win the annual guild trials – without ever letting him discover her secrets. Robin Hood meets Princess Bride and Mulan in this historical adventure set in 14th-century Belgium and packed with romance, humor, intrigue, and of course, longbow archery trials.

A Hand for the Duke by Meredith Bond

November 5, 2021 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

A Hand for the Duke by Meredith Bond

Can the Ladies of the Wagering Whist Society help an impoverished modiste win the hand of a sought-after Duke?
Tina Rowan is beautiful, talented—and wants nothing more than to be free of her past. The illegitimate daughter of a baroness, she is being blackmailed by her own foster-father. She must rely on her flair for designing dresses to earn enough to pay him off. Starting a business dressing the ladies of Regency society isn’t easy for a nobody. But Tina has three aces up her sleeve—her own amazing talent, her well-connected biological mother, and the helpful (if meddlesome) support of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society.
The handsome, arrogant Duke of Warwick has grown up schooled in the “proper” way for a nobleman to behave. Rule number one: do not fraternize with people of the lower classes. But when he has to introduce his beloved sister to society, he finds himself completely reliant on the beguiling woman he’s hired as his sister’s modiste. To his astonishment, he finds himself opening up to her and enjoying her company far, far too much.
When Tina discovers the true man behind the ducal title, her heart might very well be lost. But can the duke set aside his façade and allow himself to love the only woman who could possibly make him happy?
It will take the combined efforts of the Ladies’ Wagering Whist Society to see this difficult hand well played.

Spirit Ridge by L. A. Kelley

June 6, 2021 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

Spirit Ridge by L. A. Kelley

A dark shadow rises.

San Francisco in 1885 was a dangerous place for those who crossed Colin Doyle. To Nob Hill elite he was a successful businessman. To the underbelly of San Francisco he was The Mick, a criminal mastermind ruling from the shadows. If a buyer’s tastes ran to opium, a whore, or a politician, The Mick could name a price. No one who betrayed him ever escaped the city alive.

Until now.

Nell Bishop is a fearless investigative reporter for the San Francisco Dispatch. She’s on the run to the Arizona Territory with the one witness who can expose Doyle’s corrupt empire and stop the plan to extend his evil dominion to the West.

Marshal Sam Tanner of Spirit Ridge in the Arizona Territory fought the visions sent by his Apache blood. They always foretold a death he couldn’t prevent. Then Sam dreamed of the coyote with golden brown eyes who warned of a black shadow spreading evil across the land. Did the message call him to help the beautiful woman who stepped off the stagecoach? Can Sam and Nell elude the mysterious dark riders who dog their trail or will the next vision mean death for both of them?

Lief by Celeste Barclay

October 10, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

Lief by Celeste Barclay

Fate brought them together. Free will binds them.
Leif Ivarrson wants nothing more than to enjoy the comforts of home after sailing for months. When a neighboring jarl arrives bearing news of a threat to their land and security, Leif knows there will be no rest for him. Tasked with finding and bringing back this jarl’s niece, Leif departs on a journey that fate designed but he chooses to carry out.

Sigrid Torbensdóttir’s visions have been both a gift and a curse since she was a young girl. Now a woman, Sigrid’s position as a seer puts her in danger when enemies seek to take advantage of her gift for their benefit and to keep her from saving her family. Sigrid knows she cannot defy fate, and when Leif comes to her rescue, Leif discovers destiny cannot be ignored.

Leif and Sigrid struggle to reconcile the future the gods have shown her with the shifting fate their enemies attempt to control. Will a new love survive the tests of war and family? Can a match created by fate withstand the machinations of man?

If you love edge of your seat, breathless Viking romances with fantastic characters, then you’ll love Celeste Barclay’s steamy and passionate Leif.

Viking Glory is a steamy historical series that will transport you back to the world of the ancient Norse with brave heroes and even stronger heroines. The series follows the lives and loves of five friends. Brother and sister, Leif and Freya, along with their cousin, Bjorn, and their friends Strian and Tyra sail the seas and conquer hearts. This is a five book series where each book can be read as a standalone but is best read as part of the series.

A Spinster at the Highland Court by Celeste Barclay

October 10, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

A Spinster at the Highland Court by Celeste Barclay

A spinster lady in waiting…
After four broken betrothals, Elizabeth Fraser believes her father’s political ambitions will keep her from ever finding a husband. Content to be considered on the shelf, Elizabeth would rather be left in peace as one of the queen’s ladies in waiting than engage in flirtations that lead nowhere. She never expected one chance encounter months ago would alter the future she had accepted. Will Elizabeth give Edward a second chance to prove he wants more than a dalliance?

A warrior wanting to return home…
Edward Bruce, the adopted younger brother of King Robert the Bruce, is tired of fighting the English in Ireland. Loyal to his brother but homesick, Edward returns to Robert’s Scottish court in hopes of settling down once more in the Highlands. Edward recognizes the beguiling Lady Elizabeth from a brief meeting that involved one dance and a rushed conversation on the terrace. He still can’t believe the rumor she started to protect her friends. Drawn to her dry wit and independent nature, Edward realizes that his new home will require one particular lady of the keep. Can Edward prove to his Highland lady that his intentions are sincere before time runs out?

A hidden threat…
When Elizabeth and Edward realize their lives are in danger, they must rely on the Sinclair brothers and their wives to help them investigate who might want them dead. Courtly intrigue follows them as their new love blooms and a home in the Highlands calls to them. If you love romance with intrigue and characters that come to life, then you’ll love Celeste Barclay’s steamy A Spinster at the Highland Court.

Welcome to Robert the Bruce’s Highland Court, where the ladies in waiting are a mixture of fire and ice. The Highland Ladies, spin-off series from Celeste Barclay’s The Clan Sinclair series, returns to the Medieval royal court for love and intrigue. A Spinster at the Highland Court is the much requested and highly anticipated story of Elizabeth Fraser who appeared in both His Highland Pledge and His Highland Surprise. She finally has her own steamy love story and HEA. This a full-length novel. The novella previously appeared in the Once Upon a Christmas Wedding anthology.

My Champion by Glynnis Campbell

July 6, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

My Champion by Glynnis Campbell

Sir Duncan de Ware is a sworn champion of the common man and a master of disguise. So when he finds plucky maiden-in-distress Linet de Montfort facing off against a notorious pirate, noble Duncan goes undercover to come to her rescue, despite her insistence that she can take care of herself. When the pirate abducts her, Duncan and Linet are caught up in a breathless adventure of danger and romance on the high seas. And soon Linet realizes her only hope is to trust her mysterious hero—with her life and her heart.

Rhapsody and Rebellion by Aubrey Wynne

July 1, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

Rhapsody and Rebellion by Aubrey Wynne

An ancient Scottish legacy… A political rebellion… Two hearts destined to meet…
Raised in his father’s image, the Earl of Stanfeld is practical and disciplined. There are no gray lines interrupting the Gideon’s black and white world. Until his mother has a dream and begs to return to her Highland home.

Alisabeth was betrothed from the cradle. At seventeen, she marries her best friend and finds happiness if not passion. In less than a year, she’s a widow. Vowing to honor her husband’s memory, she joins his group of Glasgow weavers and is soon embroiled in the Radical War of 1820.

Crossing the border into Scotland, Gideon finds his predictable world turned upside down. Folklore, legend, and political unrest intertwine with an unexpected attraction to a feisty Highland beauty. But Lissie doesn’t trust the Englishman or the rising desire between them. When the earl learns of an English plot to stir the Scots into rebellion, he must choose his country or save the clan and the woman who stirs his soul.

A British Heiress in America by Becky Lower

June 25, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

A British Heiress in America by Becky Lower

Lady Philippa Worthington wants to marry young and sexy.

Her father plans for her to marry stodgy…old…and rich.

What’s a beautiful British heiress to do if she’s going to escape a life of passionless marriage? With her father planning to sell her off to the highest bidder in order to support his own lavish lifestyle, Pippa knows there’s only one thing she can do to save herself.

Lady Philippa dons boys’ clothing and stows away on a London ship destined for the American colonies and a new life. One full of hope, freedom, and the chance to finally live up to her feisty nickname among the rough sailors—‘Pip.’

But instead of finding independence on the high seas, Pippa is plunged deep into the dangerous world of espionage–and the arms of handsome Daniel Simmons, a merchant sailor for the British—who is also an American Revolutionary spy!

Torn between allegiance to her home country and the passion she’s always been searching for, Pippa now faces an unexpected threat—and it may cost Pippa and Daniel the very freedom—and love—they’ve both been searching for.

If they manage to survive the very heart of the beginnings of the Revolutionary War, can the daring spy find love in the arms of A BRITISH HEIRESS IN AMERICA?

Deception and Desire by Aubrey Wynne

June 17, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

Deception and Desire by Aubrey Wynne

Two rebellious souls… An innocent deception… One scorching catastrophe…
Fenella Franklin is too tall, too intelligent, and has no title. Her talents lie in numbers and a keen business mind, not in the art of flirtation. Lachlan MacNaughton has neither the temperament nor the patience to be the next MacNaughton chief, preferring to knock heads together rather than placate bickering clansmen. The attraction between Fenella and Lachlan sparks a passion not even two rebellious souls can deny. But an innocent deception tests their newfound love and threatens the freedom they both crave.

To Heal an Earl by Alexa Aston

May 19, 2020 By Book Review Matchmaker Leave a Comment

To Heal an Earl by Alexa Aston

Book 1 in the exciting new Soldiers and Soulmates series from internationally bestselling author Alexa Aston has arrived.

Both wronged by their families . . . two souls alone in the world . . .

Instead of making her come-out during the upcoming London Season, Lady Charlotte Nott finds herself tossed
from her home after her father’s untimely death by a vengeful half-brother. Penniless, she makes her way in a
world new to her, first serving as a companion and then governess to the three children of Lord Crampton. When the earl dies moments after hiring her, Charlotte takes on the running of Gray Manor’s household and estate until the children’s new guardian arrives.

Guilt weighs heavily on Major Danforth Grayson, having lost too many men under his command over the years. When he receives word of the death of the brother who wronged him, Gray returns home, bitter with the hand life has dealt him. He intends to hire competent people to manage the estate and care for his nephew and nieces and retreat to a solitary life in London–until he meets the inimitable Miss Nott.

Charlotte is drawn to Gray but knows she is no longer of his world. When he suddenly becomes the new Lord Crampton, she knows it’s time to leave her charges behind–for what woman would care to watch the man she loves start a family as she suffers in silence? Yet Charlotte knows Gray is a broken man and her leaving might shatter him forever.

Can Charlotte walk away from a flawed man who desperately needs her, or will she leave before she loses her own soul?

Find the answer in bestselling author Alexa Aston’s first book of Soldiers and Soulmates, To Heal an Earl.

Each book in Soldiers and Soulmates is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.

Series Order:
Book #1: To Heal an Earl
Book #2: To Tame a Rogue
Book #3: To Trust a Duke
Book #4: To Save a Life
Book #5: To Win a Widow