Welcome back to Fiction Friday (a day early LOL)! I’ve been doing a lot of reading and listening to books this year…I’ve recorded more than 80 books completed over at Goodreads (you can see what I’ve read so far this year here). If you haven’t friended me on Goodreads, pop on over. It’s a great way to learn about my new releases and other bookish news.

Two  books I’ve thoroughly enjoyed have been Erica Vetsch’s Regency romances The Lost Lieutenant (which happens to be on ebook sale for $4.99 right now) and The Gentleman Spy.

The Lost Lieutenant was a really enjoyable read about two strangers who meet at the royal court, and in an instant their lives change by royal decree. With a hero who is thrust into a new life when the prince makes him an earl, and a heroine who escapes a terrible situation by walking into the unknown. Add a baby who has to be protected and a setting that must be restored and you have a compelling story. The. Add intrigue and a touch of mystery, and this novel was designed to be inhaled. It has everything to make a regency lovers’ heart smile.

I inhaled The Gentleman Spy in 24 hours. It was that good! Beautiful romance and with a wonderful social justice thread. It’s so easy to think that the issues we face today are unique to our times, but it isn’t true. Marcus was never supposed to be the Duke, and it’s a role he never sought. Now he wonders if he can balance his new role with his prior one serving the crown. Lady Charlotte is well along the road to spinsterhood, being too well learned and opinionated for her parents and many of the young men of her acquaintance. She’s resigned herself to a life unloved when she finds herself betrothed to Marcus. There’s a carryover mystery from The Lost Lieutenant, but you don’t need to have read that novel to fully enjoy this one. I highly recommend both of these novels to readers who love a good historical with more than simple romance.

Be sure to enter the author’s giveaway here or click the giveaway image.  What are you reading right now? I’m looking for my next great read!

About the book:

He only wanted a duchess for a day–but she’s determined to make it a marriage for life

When his father and older brother suddenly pass away, the new Duke of Haverly is saddled with a title he never expected to bear. To thwart the plans of his scheming family, the duke impulsively marries a wallflower.After all, she’s meek and mild; it should be easy to sequester her in the country and get on with his life–as a secret agent for the Crown.

But his bride has other ideas. She’s determined to take her place not only as his duchess but as his wife. As a duchess, she can use her position to help the lowest of society–the women forced into prostitution because they have no skills or hope. Her endeavors are not met favorably in society, nor by her husband who wishes she’d remain in the background as he ordered.

Can the duke succeed in relegating her to the sidelines of his life? When his secrets are threatened with exposure, will his new wife be an asset or a liability?

About the author:

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate. Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England. Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).