The Romantic Fiction Shelf

A Gift of a Duke
Fenella J. Miller
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444849790, $23.00, PB, Large Print, 322pp

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/A%20Gift%20of%20a%20Duke

Synopsis: Miss Mirabelle Thompson, at almost one and twenty, is astonished =
to discover she is an heiress having believed herself to be a penniless orp= han. Immediately she rents a house in Cavendish Square and commences her ne=
w life. She has no interest in finding a partner and if she did wish to mar=
ry it would be someone who loved her for herself and not her money.

Rordon, the Duke of Clonmel, is equally astonished to discover that he has = inherited his title from his brother -- and that the estate is forfeit and = all he has are debts. He only one way out of this impasse and that is to se=
ek a rich bride in London. Even an impoverished Irish duke will be consider=
ed a desirable husband for the daughter of a wealthy cit.

Mirabelle and Rordon attend the same Christmas house party. This has been a= rranged by a Mr Bradley with the intention of finding his daughter an arist= ocratic husband - preferably a duke. Those attending the event are either r= ich young ladies in search of a title or poor aristocrats in search of a ri=
ch wife. Can Mirabelle and Rordon overcome the obstacles between them and f= ind happiness together?

Critique: A fun read from beginning to end, "A Gift of a Duke" by novelist = Fenella J. Miller will have a very special appeal to fans of Regency Romanc=
e. This large print paperback edition from the Linford Romance Library seri=
es is certain to be a welcome and popular addition to personal reading list=
s and community library Romance Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Fenella J Miller (https://fenellajmiller.co.uk) was born in=
the Isle of Man. Her father was a Yorkshire man and her mother the daughte=
r of a Rajah. She has worked as a nanny, cleaner, field worker, hotelier, c= hef, secondary and primary teacher and is now a full time writer who has ov=
er fifty Regency romantic adventures published -- plus four Jane Austen var= iations, four Victorian sagas and fourteen WW2 family sagas.

The Gentleman Gypsy
Sarah Swatridge
Linford Romance Library
c/o Ulverscroft Large Print, Inc.
www.ulverscroftusa.com
9781444849881, $23.00, PB, Large Print

https://www.ulverscroft.com/store/us/search/The%20Gentleman%20Gypsy

Synopsis: 1900. Ruth is in need of an income. Meanwhile, handsome but eccen= tric Newham needs someone to care for his animals while he roams the countr=
y in his horse-drawn caravan. Ruth, too, is unconventional, and can often b=
e seen cycling around the village helping those less fortunate than herself=
.. The two of them set off to explore together -- and their friendship may e= ven turn into something more!

Critique: A gentle, heartfelt, deftly crafted novel of unexpected romance b=
y an impressively talented and delightfully original author, this large pri=
nt paperback edition of "The Gentleman Gypsy" by Sarah Swatridge is an idea=
l selection choice for community library Romance Fiction collections and th=
e personal reading lists for all dedicated romance fans.

A Wicked Game: The Ruthless Rivals (romance)
Kate Bateman
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250801586, $8.99, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Game-Ruthless-Rivals/dp/1250801583

Synopsis: Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an incorrect map, Captain Mo= rgan Davies has returned to London to exact sweet revenge on the cartograph=
er responsible for his suffering. He's also vowed to claim the winner's pri=
ze (three kisses) in the bet he made with his long-time nemesis, the prickl=
y, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. His incarceration has clarified his fe= elings for her, but convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her =
is going to be his greatest challenge yet. When Harriet is revealed to be t=
he very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction = into one delightful package!

Harriet has always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he's back; as han= dsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her=
father's failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wi= cked games with a dastardly Davies -- however tempting he might be. But whe=
n a threat from Morgan's past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers tha=
t she and Morgan might not be enemies at all!

Critique: A masterpiece of Regency Romance by one of the best writers worki=
ng in that genre today, "A Wicked Game" by Kate Bateman is a fun read from = first page to last. While a highly recommended addition to community librar=
y Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted by the growing legions of=
Kate Bateman fans that "A Wicked Game" is also readily available in a digi= tal book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Kate Bateman, (https://www.kcbateman.com), is the author of=
award-winning historical romances, including her RITA nominated Renaissanc=
e romp, The Devil To Pay, the Bow Street Bachelors series (This Earl of Min=
e, To Catch an Earl, and The Princess and the Rogue), along with the novels=
in the Secrets & Spies series (To Steal a Heart, A Raven's Heart, and A Co= unterfeit Heart). When not writing novels that feature feisty, intelligent = heroines and sexy, snarky heroes you want to both strangle and kiss, Kate w= orks as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several popu= lar TV shows in the UK. She splits her time between Illinois and her native=
England -- and can be followed on Twitter.

Coming Home
Shelley Shepard Gray
Berkley Books
c/o Penguin Group (USA)
www.penguin.com
9780593438084, $8.99, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Home-Woodland-Firefighters-Romance/dp/0593438= 086

Synopsis: In Woodland Park, a small town nestled in the foothills of Pikes = Peak, Anderson Kelly and Chelsea Davis were once the high school "it" coupl=
e -- the star quarterback and the valedictorian. They broke up when Anderso=
n joined the army and one poor decision at a fraternity party changed Chels= ea's life. Now, she works long shifts in a senior center to support her nin= e-year-old son, Jack.

After multiple tours in Afghanistan, Anderson has changed, too, physically = scarred but mentally strong, and he decides to move back to Woodland Park. = Anderson and Chelsea steer clear of each other to avoid reopening old wound=
s, until they are forced to reconnect through the senior center. They soon = discover that the love they once shared never completely vanished. But it w= ill take a fire, a dangerous collision, and the love of one little boy to h= elp Anderson and Chelsea see that the future they've always yearned for is =
in sight.

Critique: With a very special appeal to readers with an interest in clean, = wholesome, contemporary romance stories set in a small town American town, = "Coming Home" by Shelley Shepard Gray will prove to be a fun and enjoyable = read from first page to last. While highly recommended for community librar=
y Romance Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading = lists of the growing legions of Shelley Shepard Gray fans that "Coming Home=
" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Shelley Shepard Gray (https://shelleyshepardgray.com) has p= ublished over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She c= urrently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time. Shelley can also be f= ound on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray or on Twitter @ShelleySGray

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Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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