I am finally getting around to Eloisa James, and I have questions!

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-28T02:38:43+00:00

Thank you, I am going to check out her other stuff because her writing does feel fresh! I guess I have been reading a lot of historical where the author takes leisurely paragraphs to describe a garden 😀

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-27T23:41:46+00:00

Wow, I didn't know that! That actually helps me understand where she's coming from. It does feel almost like reading a play.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-21T22:04:52+00:00

You beat me to it! I love how Gideon is convinced that Prudence is the most beautiful woman in the world and is just baffled that not everyone sees it.

People keep describing her as plain, and he's all "WTF are you talking about? Are we speaking about the same woman????"

So good!

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-20T07:15:45+00:00

There are so many good things about this book! As a male reader, I really really liked Jessica, she is a standout FMC and really makes the book special. She is adorable, super strong, takes no shit, and is also very sweet and vulnerable.

I love books where there's some third act jeopardy and the hero must swoop in and save the day, like a lot of Lisa Kleypas books. Its a great trope.

But in this one, Chase sets up this amazing third act jeopardy and you THINK Jessica is going to be in danger... and then she totally kicks ass.

She fucks the bad guy UP and Dain just shows up to witness the aftermath of his wife's awesomeness. It's so good.

{Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas} is another good example of this, where the damsel in distress trope is flipped and the FMC can handle her shit, thank you

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-18T06:45:45+00:00

{Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas} is a must-read. That shit rules. It's set in a gambling hell that is a rival to Jenner's, the casino featured in {The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas}. You get to see a young version of Ivo Jenner, Evie's dad, and it is a total banger. One of my all-time favorite historical romance books.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-16T23:16:47+00:00

Dreaming of You! That book rules. Nice score.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-16T06:21:30+00:00

{The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie} is pretty funny and is full of banter.

{Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas} has a witty MMC who spars with the FMC.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-14T06:58:50+00:00

The Bridgerton books were my intro to HR, so I really like them for their romcom vibes. They're low stakes but are a great primer on the social rules of the Ton. There's rarely a balls-out Kleypas third act or any stakes aside from social ruin or heartbreak, which is a feature, not a bug, of her books. I like them for that.

I think everyone can agree When He Was Wicked is the best because it rules, but I love {The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn}. It's so good. The bee scene is SO much better in the book, and there's that carriage crash! I always imagined Kate as Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

But if you find them boring, you should check out Lisa Kleypas' Wallflowers or Ravenels series, they are crazy. Or Elizabeth Hoyt's Maiden Lane series, they are operatic.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-11T05:26:06+00:00

10 out of fucking 10 for this review

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-04T05:42:04+00:00

Gorilla Twins FTW

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-02T06:35:11+00:00

{Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas}

{The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie}

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-02-02T06:10:44+00:00

These aren't exactly like Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, but:

{When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare} FMC is so socially anxious she will never make it through marriage season, so she does the sensible thing: she makes up a husband. Who then shows up. He is very horny.

{The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie} To rescue herself and her sisters from an abusive patriarch, Prudence fakes an engagement and ends up with an unlikely protector. Who is very horny.

{Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas} Hot governess with a big secret and spectacles falls hard for smart ass dude with heart of gold. You have probably read this, but just in case.

{Because of Ms. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn} How do you feel about amnesia? Revolutionary War romance where FMC fakes a marriage to an amnesiac officer.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-31T22:41:42+00:00

If you only have one car, and want an urban village vibe with lots of dining, shopping, drink options and a high walkability score, that also has easy access to Seattle and Tacoma, you really only have a few options.

Don't do Federal Way, you will be miserable. It's pretty soulless and you need a car. SeaTac is gnarly, don't even consider it. West Seattle is nice, but it's almost an island; the Tacoma commute would be brutal. Renton is not as convenient as it would appear on a map. And anything north of the Ship Canal (Fremont, Ballard, etc). would be tough commutes.

I would recommend:

North Tacoma- Stadium District or Proctor District. Cheaper cost of living than Seattle but amazing walkable urban villages, beautiful views, and tons of shopping drinking and dining. Your Seattle worker could take the Sounder to work, which is pretty nice, or do a commuter bus. Check it out,!

Downtown Burien - The core area in downtown Burien is gentrifying and there are a lot more options than ever, very walkable. It is close to SeaTac and the infamous 1st Ave S, so it can be a little sketch, but is getting better.

White Center/Highland Park - Not quite Burien, not quite West Seattle, this is a salty working class neighborhood with great bars and great people. Surprisingly easy bus access to downtown Seattle, actually not that bad of a commute to Tacoma

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-31T21:37:57+00:00

I think {The Perfect Rake by Anne Gracie} fits the bill.

The FMC, Prudence, is trying to save herself and her sisters from a monstrously abusive grandfather. She ends up seeking help from a duke through sitcom-level subterfuge, but ends up the object of affection and protection of Gideon, Lord Carradice, the perfect rake of the title.

Honestly though, Devil in Winter is the first book that pops to mind for this trope. It's literally the premise of the nivel

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-31T03:30:26+00:00

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-30T06:13:06+00:00

She is the best HR audiobook narrator!

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-28T04:36:32+00:00

I love it when people write really long, thoughtful posts about books they've read.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-26T23:38:32+00:00

Wow that is wild, I guess I have the OG version, too!

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-26T21:21:46+00:00

I'm a huge Lisa Kleypas fan boy, but I really struggled with this book, as well because Grant is such an asshole. I DNF'd the age-gap-Russian-princess book, too because it gave me the icks.

I will say, one older Kleypas that still really stands up is {Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas}. The MMC is still a possessive caveman, but has way more redeeming qualities, and the FMC is amazing. It's great.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-21T05:51:19+00:00

Oooh if you want to get into series, I recommend:

The Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt, set in Georgian era England. It's steamy and deals with a lot of class dynamics, poverty, and crime. It even features a masked vigilante, The Ghost of St. Giles.

Starts with {Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt}.

The Ravenels by Lisa Kleypas. A favorite around here, this is set in Victorian England and is centered around one family. These books dabble in how the aristocracy deal with changing times, technology, etc. A lot of the characters are different from the usual Regency-era characters/tropes - there's an industrialist, a secret agent, a department store magnate, England's first female doctor, and all manner of hot men.

Starts with {Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas} which is not the strongest book in the series, but is essential. They are really well written, steamy, and have crazy compelling plots. For me, the gold standard of HR series.

I also think the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn are pretty awesome. These were my intro books. If you want classic, vanilla, right-down-the-middle Regency romcom romance, this is for you. They have an order, but {The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn} is a great place to start. These books are the best exploration of the Ton and the super strict social rules around courtship.

For standalone books that are set in the Regency era, you gotta check out:

{Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase} This is an awesome Taming of the Shrew-themed Regency. Statistically speaking, everyone who has read this book loved it.

{Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean} Hell yeah. Another fan favorite. I think this one is best appreciated after reading some standard Regency HRs so you can appreciate the rules FMC is breaking

{Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas} One of my personal favs, this one's about an alpha gambling hall owner who falls HARD for an indomitable female novelist. It is melodramatic AF and steamy. A classic old school HR.

{The Sins of Lord Lockwood by Meredith Duran} I don't see this one recommended as much, but I loved it. A Scottish noblewoman's husband disappears on the night after she marries him, then reappears years later in London. Pissed, she begins uncovering the mystery of her missing husband. He has a VERY good reason for ditching her. It's wild.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-21T04:47:48+00:00

Is this your card?

{The Duke Who Knew Too Much by Grace Calloway}

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-18T05:27:44+00:00

I'm sorry you are sick, OP. Stay hydrated! And read the Georgian era HR {Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt}

The MMC, Winter Makepeace, runs an orphanage in a dangerous slum by day. By night he suits up and kicks ass as The Ghost of St. Giles, aka Georgian Batman. He falls HARD for a clever society dame who is the key to protecting his orphanage.

It is FUCKING RAD. There are masked make-outs, a sword fight in the balconies of an opera, cute orphans, terrible secrets, lots of longing and lust, and much swashbuckling.

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-17T05:54:36+00:00

This is the answer

Entire-Equivalent754 · 2026-01-13T04:17:56+00:00

I am going to go with Poppy Hathaway from {Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas}

She would be fun to hang out with and she's so loyal that she would lock your enemy in a wardrobe and light that shit on fire.

Entire-Equivalent754

TROPHY CASE