Historical Road Trip Buddies To Lovers

First published while I was on my honeymoon… a road trip!

Since I’m reposting this from my Substack months later, read to the end for bonus honeymoon pics! And of course, subscribe to my romance newsletter, Forced Proximity, that will deliver you 3 new romance recommendations every Friday afternoon!

The Duke Buys A Bride by Sophie Jordan. The third book in a series (The Rogue Files) and also my favorite of the bunch! Marcus (the titular duke), the hero, was a bit of a dingus in the previous books and finds himself wallowing in self pity in a small town stable when he stumbles upon a strange sight: the beautiful Alyse (the titular bride) being heartlessly auctioned off in the village square. To protect her from those with worse intentions, he buys her freedom, but discovers it’s not so simple, because technically, he’s bought a wife, and now they’re stuck together while traveling to his Scotland estate.

Rating: 5/5

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean. The second in the new Hell’s Belles series (and possibly my favorite Sarah MacLean ever) follows Adelaide, the best thief in London turned member of an all-women vigilante team protecting those without power from those with it. Their latest mark is a murderous peer whose own daughter witnessed his crime, and the plan was simple: fake the daughter’s elopement to Gretna Green while the Belles sort his arrest. But then the daughter actually elopes with none other than the Duke of Clayborn’s younger brother, and so Adelaide and Clayborn begin a race (against each other and far worse foes) to catch up with the lovebirds, never expecting to become lovebirds themselves along the way.

Rating: 5/5

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥

A Week To Be Wicked by Tessa Dare. The second (a theme!) of Tessa Dare’s Spindle Cove series follows Minerva, scientific spinster, and Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, as they fake an engagement and elopement to get Minerva to Scotland to present a shocking paleontological discovery to those who can confirm it and get the word out. They also, of course, end up running into and then away from some bandits and ruffians too. Adrenaline, adoration, women of science, men afraid of commitment for Tragic Backstory reasons: this book has it all!

Rating: 5/5

How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥