#lol me reading the sins of lord cameron and the duke's perfect wife: finally some good fucking food

[mermaidsirennikita]

Weekly Book Recs: 9/29-10/6

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

I read The Love Hypothesis, enjoyed it, and didn't read another Ali Hazelwood book until now. Not because I have anything against her work; contemporary books just aren't often my main priority, and when they are, I tend to learn towards more erotic contemporaries. But this was lovely! It felt weirdly cozy, which is what I needed, I loved the way Hazelwood dealt with both the issues in academia and the heroine's diabetes, and the hero was... quite hot. Like, a stern nerd who went down on her while she was watching Twilight because he needed to "amuse himself". Which, I gotta say? Is kinda the dream. She lived the fantasy. I feel like Hazelwood is often framed as this "spicier Emily Henry" thing, and while her books are definitely hotter than Henry's, they're very much their own thing. And I personally find her messy approach (with Big Fucking Guys) a lot more appealing.

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

Sometimes I forget how good a historical romance can be--like, not just fun, but a special kind of good that makes me feel warm and happy and comforted but also amused and entertained and emotional. I love the first two books in this series, The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie and Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage; and I also love this installment, about a rakish Scot who's actually a horse girl/Single Dad Trying His Best and a seemingly innocent (but seriously complex) widow with a penchant for theft. It's passionate, it's fun (God bless the scene where Ainsley just begins jacking Cameron off at the opera while he presses his head into his hands to hide how badly he is losing his miiind) and it takes some turns I didn't expect. It's more character than plot, and it does that very well. Heads up before reading: there are fairly explicit discussions of previous domestic violence and sexual assault (not against the heroine). The book actually takes a pretty different approach to this than... any historical I've read.

Hollow by C.M. Nascosta

Perfect for spooky season, this is essentially a novella-length bind-up of two short stories revolving around Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. The second story is a bit more of a conventional retelling, leaning on the romance side, with Katrina Van Tassel caught between Brom Bones and ol' Headless. It's a bit Gothic, a bit dark, and fairly spooky (and sexy). The first story is an erotica short about Ichabod Crane being spit roasted by two headless horsemen (one of which is named Brom Bones--different one) in a locker room. Yes, the heads are carried around separately. Yes, they are used. And while I enjoyed both--I would be lying if I told you my favorite wasn't... the locker room one.

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

Perhaps my favorite historical romance in quite a while--this one just blew me away. You spend the previous three novels on Hart Mackenzie's younger brothers; he's an overprotective, domineering force in their life, determined to control the world. Here, you see him completely thrown off guard when his former fiancee and first love, Eleanor, returns to his life (not because she wants to get back together, but because someone is sending her Hart's old nudes). It's passionate, it's angsty, you have a perfect "alpha hero and the woman who sees straight through him" dynamic. Eleanor fucking owns this man, and she does so with a smile and a crook of her finger. There's also a lot of intense emotion and melancholy, a strong sense of loss and misspent youth. And like. Passion. It's really fucking good, basically, and I enjoyed everything about it.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Do ypu have HR with the hero having this animalistic MINE MINE MINEEEE!!! I know all of them have them but there are some taking it to the next level

Weeeellll lol not all of them tbh. Because we are surrounded by pearl clutchers as of late.......

ANYWAY.

I'm obviously relistening to Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas, her most underrated banger imo, and when Kev finally gets with the program and sneaks into Win's bedroom all he does is cover her mouth with his hand and go "YOU'RE MINE" and she realizes it is THE FUCK. ON. And then he rails her for like 48 hours in his little fuck cottage, yay!

The Bride by Julie Garwood is the quintessentially MINE MINE MINE romance novel. Medieval border marriage book. Alec Kincaid literally drags Jamie up to a window so his people can look at her, and when someone asks him in Gaelic "what do we call her?" He goes "YOU CALL HER MINE". (He does not realize that Jamie also speaks Gaelic, which is embarrassing for him, but also beneficial because she's like "OH".)

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin... I forget how much the hero says "mine", but he does tattoo the heroine with his symbol (consensually!) and it's soooooo possessive and erotic and emotional. And he's a villainous hero, so he's very like "YOU BELONG TO ME NOW"

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale has a very alpha hero who suffers a stroke at the beginning of the book. The heroine helps him as he recovers (after some big asylum trauma) and he's always calling her like "my maddgirly" (her name is Maddy) and he's SUPER territorial over her and I love it.

Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale is also a very "MINE" romance, but it's mutual because Allegreto is a horrible villainous alpha who happens to like it when Elena gets rough in bed. However, he also gets his "MUAHAHAHAHAHA YOU'RE ALL MINE NOW" moment. Allegreto is crazy. *Obligatory Shadowheart's First Sex Scene is Noncon Warning*

The Wolf and The Wildflower by Stacy Reid! Wolf Duke is VERY possessive. Because he spent years in the Yukon living with wolves. (Really.) (He sniffs her crotch a lot.) (Shouldn't work but it sure does.)

Stephanie Laurens writes super possessive heroes because they have THE CONQUEROR'S BLOOD and are very alpha as a result. Scandal's Bride is my favorite I've read of hers thus far *obligatory "she drugs him for the first encounter" note* and Richard, lunatic of my heart, literally refers to Catriona as his snack (which he must have every morning or he will be very annoyed, and then he needs like a follow up snack thrice more throughout the day). But like. EVERY Cynster hero is a mine mine mine guy.

Elizabeth Hoyt knows how to write a mine mine mine. The Leopard Prince is an underrated one imo, because like Seduce Me at Sunrise it's one where the hero almost forces himself to give her up but at the last minute he's like "OH NO NO NOOOOOOOOO" and snaps and like, fucks her until she's screaming within earshot of her brothers and the guy who wanted to marry her.

Duke of Midnight proooobably has her most possessive hero, Everyone's (My) Favorite Douchecanoe Maximus Batten. I don't know that there are many romance heroes who get quite as MINE as Maximus fucking Artemis while talking about how he's gonna keep her trapped in like a special hunting lodge and kill elk for her and feed her the tastiest morsels, and it's honestly a real "oh girl it's like that huh" moment because she's a vERY rational woman and she's like "yeah tell me more about it keep going" lmao. Some of my favorite deranged dirty talk of all time.

Jennifer Ashley's Mackenzie brothers are super possessive. Like, even the "oh ho we have a fun time" ones (Mac from Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage and Cameron from The Many Sins of Lord Cameron") are still very "ALRIGHT NOW. CALM TF DOWN" if someone looks at their wives for too long lol. Ian (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie) literally needs Beth around to feel complete and Hart from The Duke's Perfect Wife, another "Everyone Else Thinks He's Too Much But Iiiiiiiiiii Like 'Im" hero is sooooo possessive of Eleanor. Wasn't even in his own book yet and he still made time to put money down her bodice to remind her that DADDY STILL HAS CASH.

Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series is basically entire made up of "mine mine mine" heroes lol. The Chief has a MAJOR alpha hero. The Recruit is big on it too, especially since she tries to keep her accidental pregnancy from him and he feels the baby bump by accident and goes all *INFANT. DETECTED.* and is like "NO BABY OF MINE IS GONNA BE A BASTARD!!!!"

Though it's a funny moment, I still think the hero of Tessa Dare's Any Duchess Will Do making the heroine recite his courtesy titles while he bends her over his desk is both hilarious and ridic dumb possessive hot.

The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham has a very consciously dominant, "whose pussy is this?" type hero, which we love to see.

Joanna Shupe has very possessive heroes--Preston from The Bride Goes Rogue comes to mind, especially when mY BOY the Duke of Lockwood is like, vaguely making friends with Katherine, because Lockwood is so hot that every other hero in the series is like "You wouldn't fuck him??? OH PLEASE DON'T LIE TO ME I WOULD FUCK HIM" and gets very jealous lmao. Fwiw, Lockwood is possessive of Nellie in The Duke Gets Even. He's always like "I'm keeping you" and biting her tits to leave bruises and shit. Which is what Joanna Shupe is allowed to get away with in a trad historical in 2023 lmao.

Obviously. Derek Craven from Dreaming of You. McKenna from Again the Magic.

If you're up for something dark and angsty, A Rose at Midnight by Anne Stuart has a very intense YOU'RE MINE NOW YOU WENCH thing, but uhhh check your triggers. I loved it!