The Legendary Lord by Valerie Bowman

Sarah Highgate, the previous Season's Debutante of the Year (or some such, nonsense) has gotten engaged to a handsome Marquess. Unfortunately, he cares and talks about nothing but himself and she's over it. So she runs away to Scotland, to her father's hunting lodge. Except that she doesn't quite make it to the right place. Instead, she ends up at Christian Bancroft, Viscount Berkeley's, lodge. While there, her chaperone breaks her ankle so Christian's winterkeeper takes her into see the doctor, leaving Sarah alone.
Which is exactly when Christian arrives at the lodge. He's a handsome fellow but has been largely overlooked by eligible maidens because he can't talk to beautiful women without stuttering. Luckily, his first meeting with Sarah is so ridiculous he doesn't have issues with her. The two get to spend time together and become closer. But Sarah comes to the realization that she doesn't want to disappoint her parents so Christian helps to concoct a plan that will get her back to London without any scandal.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, the two getting to know each other was just adorable and it wasn't quite the typical "I'm running away from a horrible marriage" trope, just different enough to be interesting. The second half got a little overwrought for me but I think most "Playful Brides" readers will be pleased with this book.

Three stars
This book comes out November 1
Follows The Untamed Earl

Someone To Love by Mary Balogh

Avery Archer, Duke of Netherby, is not very excited to have been named the guardian of the new Earl of Riverdale. And he is less excited to learn, from the Countess, that the old Earl had been supporting a byblow, a girl. Everyone is shocked to learn that the girl, known as Anna Snow, was actually a legitimate child while the supposed new earl, Harry, and his two sisters, the managing Camille and the pretty-but-bland Abigail, are products of bigamy. Everyone's world is turned upside down. Even Anna who has to leave the only home she's ever known and suddenly step into the world of the haut ton.
As he helps Anna work through her new life, Avery is shocked to learn that he might be falling in love...
I usually like Mary Balogh's books for their gentle pace and love stories. Unfortunately, while this one is in her normal vein, I just didn't see any connection between the two of them. It was a good start to a series, with plenty of sequel bait (Camille and Anna's friend from the orphanage?). It just suffered from the problem of too much setup, not enough story.

Three stars
This book comes out November 1
Followed by Someone to Hold

Epic Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

A look back at the Big Nate comics over the years including an interview with Lincoln Peirce (done by Jeff Kinney, of "Wimpy Kid" fame), a brief history of the strip, and then several examples of the strips from 1991-2015 peppered with comments from Peirce about how he came up with ideas or how characters evolved.
The foreward to this book was certainly interesting. It took a very "Behind the Music" tone. I even heard Casey Kasem's voice as I was reading it, "After 18 years, 'Big Nate' had become an overnight sensation" (not a real quote).
But this was was definitely a fun read though I would recommend the hard copy, NOT the eversion. Reading this on a smaller screen was incredibly difficult, having to make the text big enough to read and then having to scroll, shift the screen, scroll, get to a new page, and then scroll took a lot out of the experience.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out October 25

A Little Luck, A Lot of Fate by Linn B. Halton

This book is told in alternating first-person viewpoints from Kristi and Tom who used to live next door and have grown up to be... well. It's interesting. Kristi seems to think of Tom as a friend (at least in the first few chapters) while Tom describes Kristi as his girlfriend (they are, indeed, dating). There are also some chapters from Patrick, a tarot card reader who Kristi reaches out to for help.
You see, Kristi is an incredibly successful modern living guru and she's been working non-stop for the last ten years. Suddenly (literally) there's a Voice that tells her to stop and take time. So she decides on a four month sabbatical. Time to create a book that will tell the world that her life is not as picture perfect as it seems. And time to figure out how her life should work since perfection isn't working for her.
Tom is an artist. A very surly artist who has built a self-sustaining cabin to help stay away from the world. He is seemingly a very good artist but can't get the voice of his overbearing father out of his head. He loves Kristi for all that she's done for him but he's worried that their relationship is changing.
This was a nice book with a somewhat strange ending. And I have to admit that I was trying to stretch my reading horizons a bit so a blonde heroine who is just trying to figure out her life was a bit disappointing but I did end up finding a new-to-me publisher that I think I will enjoy.

This book comes out October 25
Four stars

A Study In Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

There seem to be an abundance of mysteries setting Sherlock homes to have actually been a woman. There's at least one other one where her name is Charlotte. But this series is a little bit different. It's told in alternating third person viewpoints between Charlotte Holmes, her sister Olivia (Livia), and Inspector Treadles.
Charlotte believes herself to be smarter than everyone else in her family, including the father who holds the money. So when she decides to lose her virginity to a now married, ex-suitor, it's very calculated. What she didn't count on was being discovered by the man's wife. And his mother. Or that his mother would die the next day. Or that her sister would be blamed having gone to the woman's house the night before to confront her. She decides to set off on her own and quickly discovers that it is not going to be as easy as she assumed. The world does not have time for intelligent women. Well, except for one man, her childhood friend Lord Ingram.
Lord Ingram was the one to introduce Inspector Treadles to "Sherlock Holmes," the man who has helped him solve a case or two. So when Holmes points out the connection between the newly deceased mother, another Lady, and a gentleman from the country, Treadles listens.
Luckily, there is one other person who seems to appreciate Charlotte's talents, a former dancer named Mrs. Jebediah. At least, that is the alias she uses. She's really more well-known as Mrs. John Watson.
I really enjoyed the way this story was put together. Mrs. Watson, like the fictional male before her, brings talents to Charlotte that she doesn't otherwise have. Unlike Sherlock (at least usually), Charlotte at least seems to understand her value. Also with their relationship, there was a possibility of a Big Misunderstanding but it was nicely avoided. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

This book comes out October 18
Four stars
Followed by A Conspiracy in Belgravia

Diamonds of Death by Vivian Conroy

The book opens with a cat burglar (literally) stumbling upon a dead body. When the noise summons the household servants, they immediately jump to the conclusion that he is the killer. Jack Dubois feels differently and he enlists the help of Lady Alkmene since the dead man was married to Alkmene's aunt (her mother's half-sister.)
Alkmene is nervous about visiting a house of mourning, especially since she hasn't met Amy of her cousins before. And what she finds is astonishing. Her oldest cousin Albert is married to Helena, a woman who immediately resents Alkmene's arrival. His younger brother George is resentful of not being the heir and has a strange relationship with Helena. Her cousin Ann had written Alkmene several letters since the siblings and their father had returned to England but Alkmene wasn't sure what to do with them. Her father never discussed that side of the family and she gets the feeling that there is a reason why. She's worried it's because her aunt went insane before her death.
A nice addition to the Alkmene series. I like that both Jack and Alkmene are more fleshed out than they were in the first book. Still some slow places but overall a quick and fun read.

Four stars
This book comes out October 17
This book follows A Proposal to Die For
Followed by Deadly Treasures

To Love and to Cherish by Lauren Layne

Oof. After the last book, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this one. But it was everything I had hoped for Alexis and Logan. Didn't love the ending but the rest of the book... le sigh.
Alexis Morgan met Logan eight years ago when he invested in her elite wedding planning business, the Wedding Belles. Since then, she's come to rely on his friendship. Meanwhile, Logan has been waiting patiently for her to realize that they are meant to be together. But his timeline is suddenly contracted when his father calls to tell Logan that he is retiring three years before Logan thought he would. Both his father and mother would like him to move back to London and take over the family business.
Meanwhile, Alexis' family has some news for her. Her sister is pregnant by her boyfriend of nearly 10 years. The boyfriend being the man that Alexis thought she was going to marry until she saw them fall in love, breaking Alexis' heart. They did the right thing, waiting a year after Alexis and Adam broke up and then talking to her first, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. Now Alexis is flying down to Florida for the wedding. And her friends know the perfect way to help her get through this hard time; send Logan down to be her pretend boyfriend.
The "pretend we're in a relationship" trope is not one of my favorites, but it's not my least favorite and I'm glad that Alexis and Logan got their HEA.

Four stars
This book comes out October 18
Follows For Better or Worse