A historical romance of impressive heft.
An accidental father and a woman without a past combine to create an unusual family.
In 1812, families across England are devastated to hear of the wreck of the Minerva, a passenger ship en route from Jamaica. None is more upset than Daniel Thackery, Earl of Ashbrook, who was expecting Phoebe Dunn to arrive after they fell in love by correspondence and married by proxy. When he arrives at the docks, he’s instead presented with a toddler, one of the only survivors. Though Phoebe hadn't said anything about having a child, the girl is a "Blackamoor," like Phoebe and Daniel, and he decides to pretend he's her father and raise her in London. He names her Hope. Unbeknownst to Daniel, however, the girl's actual mother has also survived the wreck. Jemina St. Maur arrived in England suffering from amnesia and was put straight into Bedlam Hospital; she's lucky to be liberated with help from the Widow's Grace, a secret group led by Daniel's aunt that's devoted to helping women in trouble. Daniel and Jemina are charmed by each other, but it isn't until Jemina learns that Daniel knows more about her unremembered past than he's let on that their lives truly collide. The more they interact—particularly after Hope meets Jemina and grows attached—the more it seems clear they should be together. But their relationship is built on a series of lies and possibly even a complex conspiracy against Jemina, so it’s not clear they will be able to do so. In the second volume of the Rogues and Remarkable Women series, Riley builds on the world she first unfolded in A Duke, the Lady, and the Baby (2020), and readers should start there before moving to this volume. But it’s worth the investment, and fans of the first book will be delighted by this story, which brings the same elaborate storytelling and portrayal of a more diverse Regency world than is traditionally found. Riley’s commitment to writing the complex emotions of motherhood remains a crucial part of the series—also a welcome addition to the genre. Well-researched, with a fascinating author's note at the end, this story proves the first was no fluke.
A historical romance of impressive heft.Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4201-5225-8
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Zebra/Kensington
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.
A single mom winds up fake dating an incredibly wealthy man in her hometown.
Dolly Brick is back in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to help her dad and disabled brother manage their house and family business. As a 39-year-old single mother with multiple jobs—which now include working at the Brick Fish House—Dolly is always busy. When her mom left their family years ago, Dolly took over caring for her siblings and father and never really stopped. When she runs into Stewart Whitfield after making a shrimp delivery to his family’s mansion, she doesn’t think they could be more different. She’s had to figure out how to do everything by herself, and he can’t even change a tire. That’s why Stewart’s proposal that she pretend to be his girlfriend feels so unbelievable—but it comes with a hefty check that she desperately needs for home repairs. So she becomes the fake girlfriend of Stewart Whitfield (as in, the Whitfields her town is named after; his real fiancée just dumped him and it’s a bad time for him to be single) and experiences what it’s like to walk into fancy buildings through the front door instead of the service entrance. More than the boats and helicopter and expensive dinners, though, Dolly is impressed by what a kind man Stewart is—and how it feels to let someone else take care of her for a change. Soon, their relationship starts to feel more real than fake. Monaghan creates an impossibly winning story with a charming, lovable heroine. Dolly is capable, hardworking, and will do anything for the people she loves. She and Stewart both possess real flaws, and while their relationship begins with one of the most beloved rom-com tropes, their challenges feel like realistic adult obstacles rather than easily solved miscommunications. It’s also refreshing that, even though Dolly must learn to allow other people to help her, she never views her caretaking responsibilities as burdens. She deeply loves her family, and that love carries through the entire story.
A charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593853979
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
PERSPECTIVES
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.
A happily engaged woman is pulled back to her hometown—and her first love—when tragedy strikes.
Billie Wright is living her dream, running a thriving fertility clinic in New York City and engaged to a wonderful trauma surgeon named Dean. Her happily-ever-after meant giving up her life in Wisconsin, where she left behind many friends as well as her high school sweetheart, Mick. Although they’d been deeply in love, when Billie’s ambition pulled her away from home and toward the city, Mick couldn’t handle either the distance or her busy schedule. Billie has finally moved on from that heartbreak—but then she receives a phone call from Mick, the first communication between them in years. Her best friend, Erin, died in a car accident, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Now Billie must return home to help sort Erin’s affairs and provide some kind of comfort to Phoebe while grieving the loss of her best friend. Of course, being back home also means being in close contact with Mick. Their feelings for each other may not have ever gone away, and their proximity leads to big decisions for Billie. Can she ever reconcile her current life in Manhattan with her past in Wisconsin? And which one will be her future? Giffin knows how to do drama, and she ratchets up the stakes with every page as she continues to reveal new obstacles for Billie. The ending wraps up quite neatly, but the nostalgia-filled ride is full of twists and turns that will keep readers flipping the pages.
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593600320
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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