The Captive Duke is the first book in a new series by Grace Burrowes and enjoyed this one.

Christian Severn is our mmc and as the book opens, we learn he was captured by the French and has been tortured during his captivity. As he gains his freedom, he realizes he is coming back to a different world with his wife and son having died, he has to figure out what's important to him; life and family or revenge.

Upon his return, his late wife's relation, Gillian, Countess of Windmere, shows up and reminds him that while he lost his wife and son, he still has a daughter and she needs him. His daughter, Lucy, for some reason no longer speaks and Gillian has taken this as an opportunity to get away from the reminders of her failed marriage. As she pulls Christian back to life, they both find themselves healing their past pains and finding solace with each other.

I enjoyed how Burrowes developed these characters. Yes, a lot of the story revolves around their time together but they had very separate lives prior and we got to see what they were like before which helped to understand how they were when they were first together. I enjoyed the development of the relationship as well.

If you're looking for a new historical romance series to start, I recommend picking this one up. It has a great story, well developed characters, and a solid romance. I look forward to the next book in this series!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy for review.

This book you guys! I loved it and I can't wait for more! Garden of the Cursed is the first book in a new series by Katy Rose Pool and if you don't have this on your TBR shelf, I recommend you add it right now.

Marlow Briggs grew up amongst the rich and privileged and when her mother mysteriously disappeared, she fled to Caraza City. Ever since, she has made a name for herself as a cursebreaker...she's also garnered a few enemies along the way. As she does her work, she always has her mother in the back of her mind and she's determined to figure out what happened to her.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

I love Marlow as a character. She has her flaws for sure but in the end, she is smart and determined and willing to do whatever she needs to in order to find the answers she's looking for. She does push the limits of some of her friendships but she's loyal and willing to do anything for those she cares about. This is partially what has created her pool of enemies and I couldn't truly hold that against her. Once she found herself back in the fold of the elite, she stood on her own.

The world that Pool developed here was interesting and engaging. There's magic, lots of danger, and gangs. As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

If you're looking for a new YA series to pick up, choose this one. I couldn't put this one down and am excitedly waiting for the next book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy!

Review to come

I wasn't kidding when I said I would be reading more Jennifer Haymore! This is another book in the Highland Knights series and I really enjoyed it.

The book's main characters are actually introduced to us in a prior book but if you haven't read it, I think you'll be ok. Haymore hits the high notes on who they are and how they know each other as well as providing an overview of the other characters and their relationships from prior books as well.

There is a lot going on in this book outside of the relationship of the two main characters which I appreciated. I think Haymore built up their stories just enough for the reader to connect with who they are outside of the romance and set the backdrop for the rest of the story.

When Lady Emilia Featherstone discovers that her father has been scheming against the crown, she turns to the Highland Knights for protection—and retribution. Spirited away to protect her from her father, Colin and Emilia find the sparks they felt when he was protecting her father in the past have not gone away and before long, curiosity gives way to attraction. Emilia has learned firsthand from her father that men are not to be trusted but she knows Colin is different.

Sir Colin Stirling is the mmc and he has struggled with memories that haunt him since his wartime actions. Thinking he is mad, he no longer trusts himself with meaningful relationships of any kind but when he is faced with fighting the demons and loving Emilia, he quickly realizes she is the one to help him.

As these two find their way and fight against the evils that will try to keep them apart, they realize that they need one another and will do whatever it takes to be together and protect each other from their demons - real or ghostly.

I enjoyed this installment of this series and look forward to the next one. Haymore did a great job building out the story as I found myself turning the pages and not wanting to put it down until I learned everything. If you're looking for a quick read and a good story, check this one out!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I saw this book and immediately requested it. Not only is the cover pretty, the summary grabbed my attention too. It's the first book I've read by Nicola Tyche but it won't be the last. I immediately added the next book to my TBR as I couldn't help being pulled into the story and wanting to know what happens next.

This book kicks off with the fmc, Norah, waking up in a forest and not knowing anything...literally. She doesn't know where she is, who she is, and why a fox might be trying to get her to follow him. When she crosses path with a man (who she finds out has been looking for her for years), She's immediately identified as the Princess of Mercia and thrown into this situation where she is expected to fake it until you make it. Having been missing for years and not really knowing a thing about anything, she has to rely on and trust her grandmother as well as the man who found her.

One of the mmc's is Alexander Rhemus, the commander of the Mercian army. He's protected the realm against the Shadow King, awaiting Norah’s return. Having grown up with Norah, he has always loved her but due to circumstances, things didn't necessarily end in the right way before she disappeared and now that she has no memory of their past, he tries to do the right thing and let her go so she can do what is right for the kingdom. But that's easier said than done.

On the way to the kingdom and prince she will marry to provide additional support and protection to Mercia, Norah and her guards are attacked and she finds herself prisoner to the Shadow King and the one group she never wanted to come face to face with. Doing what she can to create peace, Norah makes a deal and finds out just what it means to be a princess of Mercia.

I really enjoyed this book. There was angst, action, romance, and a great story that kept me turning the pages. If you haven't added this one to your TBR, definitely do. I can't wait to grab the next book in the series to see what happens next with these characters.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.