Mary Simses, The Wedding Thief

Sara and her younger sister, Mariel, have never really gotten along. They haven’t even spoken for the past year and a half — ever since Mariel stole Sara’s boyfriend, Carter. Now Mariel and Carter are getting married, and when her mom tricks her into coming home for the wedding, Sara seizes the opportunity for a little sabotage. But as she reluctantly reconnects with Mariel, she begins to see her life and relationships in a new light. I liked the premise of this book, but the execution was lacking. Sara is 38 but acts like an immature teenager for most of the book, switching up the seating chart, giving the caterer the wrong order, and so on. But Mariel is even worse, and I didn’t buy the book’s attempts to redeem her in the end. I did like Sara’s new love interest, though I couldn’t quite figure out what he saw in her. Overall, I was disappointed in this book and won’t seek out more by the author.

Claudia J. Edwards, Eldrie the Healer

Eldrie is the illegitimate daughter of a king, but she left home at 16 to get away from her indifferent father, odious half-brothers, and the burdens of royalty. She’s much happier traveling alone from place to place, practicing her craft as a healer. When she teams up with Huard, a skilled hunter and loyal companion, Eldrie finds she enjoys his company. But as they meet new people and encounter various perils, she reluctantly realizes that her destiny lies in her home country. This is a book I really enjoyed for about the first half, when Eldrie and Huard are having adventures and getting to know each other better. But the plot (OK, the romance) takes a turn I didn’t expect or particularly like. And in the end, almost nothing is resolved; it’s clear that this book was intended to be the first in a series, but the author sadly passed away before writing any further installments. So while this book had a lot of promise, it ultimately left me disappointed.

Diane Farr, Falling for Chloe

Chloe and Gil grew up together and are the best of friends, but neither considers the other a romantic prospect. When a chance thunderstorm forces them to take shelter in a cottage together overnight, however, they are forced into an engagement. Though not actually intending to marry Gil, Chloe uses the opportunity to visit his sister, Tish, in London, and help repair her shaky marriage. The biggest problem seems to be Tish’s infatuation with the rakish and charming Lord Rival, but Chloe’s attempt to divert his attention goes awry when she is drawn to him herself. After a few lackluster reads, this light Regency romance was such a breath of fresh air! I adored Chloe and Gil and found their journey from friends to lovers both believable and satisfying. The bits from Lord Rival’s POV made me roll my eyes a little — clearly he’ll have his own book — but overall, I really enjoyed this one! Definitely recommend, especially for fans of steamless historicals.