What We're Reading: August

August has been a busy month for the Word Wenches! We did manage to get a bit of reading done while traveling and enjoying other summer getaways and activities – and we found some real gems that we are delighted to share. Here's what we've been reading . . . . 

Pat here:

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, Christina Lauren (release date September 4, available pre-order) 

This book was an ARC I requested simply because I liked the set-up of a woman with no filter having an uptight male best friend. I was totally prepared to hate the female protagonist because she’s someone who gets drunk too often and says things even she knows she shouldn’t even when she’s not drunk. But I wanted to see how the author pulled it off. And she really does make it work, I think because she portrays a protagonist who has a huge heart and is completely herself and unwilling to let anyone change who she is. I’m so tired of reading women’s fiction about women who spend their lives counting calories, buying high heel shoes, and trying to please friends, family, and employers that Hazel is an entire hurricane of fresh air.

Hazel Bradford has known Josh Im since college, where she thought him a total hottie, then threw up on his shoes. His patience and understanding impressed her, even though there wasn’t any other connection. Some years later, they meet again through Hazel’s best friend, who turns out to be Josh’s sister. So Josh is pressed into service when Hazel needs help, and when Josh’s girlfriend turns out to be a real loser, Hazel decides to help him as a return favor. Because she has a heart as big as her mouth, Hazel refuses to let Josh hurt over someone who never deserved him, so she goads him into double-dating, with each of them picking dates for each other.

The results are often funny, poignant, and the relationship builds beautifully. Josh’s sensitivity is almost too much to believe, except he’s from a family that expects the oldest son to take care of those he loves and has trained him to look after others. It may be a little over the top, but I enjoyed every moment that they tortured each other, then pulled together against the world. A keeper!

Mary Jo here:

I've read several books this month, leaning heavily toward light mysteries like Carola Dunn's Daisy Dalrymple series. (I was delighted to find that I'd missed a couple so they're new for me.) 

But my favorite read was Jo Beverley's Lady Beware.  When I looked at the wiki for her Rogue series, which her husband has recently expanded and uploaded to her website, I randomly clicked on Lady Beware and immediately thought, "I have to read this again!"  

So I pulled out my copy and started reading.  The book is set in Jo's Rogue World after she'd written the stories of her dozen Rogues, who had forged an alliance as schoolboys at Harrow as a defense against bullying.  But her world was so well developed and interesting that stories just kept coming.

The seed of Lady Beware was formed at the end of her last regular Rogue book, To Rescue a Rogue, when an angry officer and schoolmate from Harrow shows up at a ball in honor of Lord Dare Debenham, and offers information that will make Dare's life a good deal easier.

The idea caught at Jo's imagination.  Why was Lord Darien angry?  What if he'd been a troubled boy who didn't love the Rogues because they all seemed so smug and entitled?  And yet he did the honorable thing and came forward with vital information to help a man he despised.  Interesting fellow! 

So Lady Beware begins with what had happened just before Darien came forward, which was to run into Dare's devoted younger sister, Lady Thea.  He promptly blackmails her into helping him improve his family's horrible reputation.  Darien doesn't much care about society himself, but his family is considered so horrifying that his younger brother is refused the hand of the girl he loves.  So Darien sets out to fix that, and Thea is going to help him whether she wants to or not. <G> 

 The story is Jo at her best, with complicated characters and an impeccable sense of time and place, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.  If you haven't read Lady Beware, maybe it's time you did!

Anne here:

I've been reading mysteries and fantasy lately, particularly the Kate Carlisle "bibliophile" mysteries. The titles are delightful -- a play on words, all about books. The protagonist is Brooklyn Wainwright, a skilled SanFrancisco bookbinder and restorer of old and rare books, and each of the mysteries are linked to the bookbinding world to some degree. They're fun reads with a cast of delightfully varied characters and an ongoing romance between Brooklyn and the tall, handsome enigmatic British former secret agent, Derek Stone. Highly recommended. The first book in the series is Homicide in Hardcover.

Click here for the "cast of varied characters."

The fantasy series I really enjoyed is by Kristin Cashore, the Graceling series. There are only three books in the series but I wish there were more. Start with Graceling, the first book. She's an unconventional heroine, not all that sympathetic at first -- she's been trained to hurt and maim since childhood -- but she grows wonderfully.

I've also read and enjoyed An Accidental Goddess, by Linnea Sinclair (sff) and the first three of the Flavia Albia books by Lindsey Davis (crime set in ancient Rome.)

Andrea here: 

I’ve been deep into a very eclectic mix of advance reading copies this month. The Burglar, by Thomas Perry, is a gritty contemporary murder mystery with a clever young grifter from a hardcrabble background who’s become a skilled at robbing the houses of the rich and famous in LA. It’s not my usual cup of tea, but the blurb sounded interesting so I decided to take a try. And I’m glad I did. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Elle, the “heroine.” But when she stumbles a upon a
murder scene while robbing the mansion of an art gallery dealer, and realizes that the video camera recording the menage a trois sex has caught a glimpse of her, she steals it. On discovering it has recorded the actual murder (though with only a piece of the shooter’s arm) she’s conflicted about taking evidence  that might help the police solve the crime. She and her best friend debate what to do—and the stakes become higher when it seems the plainclothes police are on her trail anyway—though she has no idea how. She takes shelter at her friend’s apartment for a few days, only to return and find her executed. Determined to have justice for her friend, she determines to find out just what’s going on. And so begins a cchilling but riveting cat and mouse game. Elle is a highly skilled computer hacker, as well as clever and resourceful with high tech gadgets. She also deiscovers she has a conscience, and surpsing sense of right and wrong. The art world setting, with all its rich patrons and museum boards added really interesting color, and I really found myself cheering for Elle as she unraveled a very complex and twisty crime to bring the villains to justice. (And I loved the ending!) It comes out in January and is available for preorder.

 

Moving on to nonfiction, I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Nathanial Philbrick’s new book on the American Revolution, In the Hurrricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown, which focuses on how naval power was the key to forcing Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown, which effectively ended Britain’s hopes of keeping the colonies. I love how Philbrick weaves so many interesting stands together to make history come alive. In this book we get a really interesting side of George Washington and his temper—his frustration with the French, and how difficult it was to get them to sail into actionprovided a fascinating look at the war from a different perspective. Washington understood for several years that if the Biritsh controlled the sea, he could never win the war. As usual, Phlibrick paints great portaits of the generals and admirals involved on both sides, and takes the reader on the cat and mouse confict in the Southern colonies as the opposing armies tried to gain a “knockout punch.” The naval element has usually been treated as a minor element in America’s ultimate victory, but Philbrick thinks the actual history proves differently. It’s also available for pre-order.  

 

And lastly, I had the pleasure of getting a sneak peek at Pat’s upcoming November novella, The Wedding Surprise, which brings Mariah and Keegan, the two “gems" from her Crystal Vision novel even closer. I’ll be talking more about it in November, but it reminded me of how much I love her Crystal Magic mystery series about the delightful mysterious and quirky residents of Hillvale, where things are never quite as they seem. All the stories and novellas are, in a word, magical—filled with humor, intrigue 
and rich emotion—you’re missing something special if you don’t glom the whole wonderful series . . and there’s also a novella, The Wedding Gift, coming out in September!

 

Nicola here: 

 

I’ve been indulging in a glom on Alice Chetwynd Ley’s Regencies this month. To my astonishment I discovered that there were books of hers that I hadn’t read before – I thought I had all of them. Fortunately Sapere Books is bringing them out in e-book format so I snapped up a couple that were new-to-me. The first was The Guinea Stamp, set in 1804. There are spies and smugglers on the loose in Devon and rumours of invasion. Joanna Feniton is a heroine with good sense and courage, although she needs to learn that a person’s value depends on their character not their rank.  The supporting cast is a lot of fun and the spy story is full of intrigue. The hero is very attractive, although I do have a problem with the plot trope of not recognising someone you know quite well when you meet them in a different set of circumstances! However I was able to get past that to root for the happy ending!

A similar story was Letters For a Spy, set in Sussex in 1808. I liked that Elizabeth Thorne, the heroine, was an independent woman who had inherited a manor house and was determined to live there on her own even though the whole place was rather Gothic! Again, there was a great spy plot and the hero was a similarly attractive man of action and integrity. If you are in the mood for a traditional Regency you may well like these books which have stood the test of time pretty well since they were written in the 1960s. They also have lovely new covers and are available in the UK and US.

 

There you go, our picks from our towering reading stacks this month! What have you been reading -- and what would you recommend? 

 

Comments

[Quantum]

My better half has extensive audio tapes for Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and Georgette Heyer and as I like these authors but use a portable mp3 player I have been converting the tapes to digital mp3 format. This just needs a laptop with an audio input port and the free audacity program. The latter also has a noise reduction feature which eliminates the white noise hum from old tapes. I will soon be set for an orgy of classic listening!

For new audio books I have numerous Wench books on my mouth watering wish list. I know these will be brilliant so even though I haven't listened yet I mention MJP ... 'Once a Scoundrel'; Andrea ... 'Lady Arianna Regency Mysteries'; Anne .... 'Marriage of Convenience Series'; Nicola ..... 'House of Shadows'; Susana .... 'The Winter Sea' (read by Rosalyn Landor, a fav narrator); Pat .... 'Merely Magic'; Alas nothing in English in the UK from Joanna or Susan but this list will keep me happy for a while!

Of the books I have listened to I would mention Cheryl Strayed 'Wild', about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail while musing over personal problems ... beautifully written and narrated.
Stella Riley is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed 'The Parfit Knight' about a blind beauty who captures the heart of a Marquis (who also has a few problems) .... very enjoyable listen. I think I might try the next in the series.

[Mary T]

I have been doing a lot of re-reads lately. Comfort reads. I've been focusing on Joan Smith lately because I'm looking for something light. Most of her books have at least one character who is so ridiculous that it makes you laugh. Maybe that says something about my state of mind right now.

I was interested in what Nicola had to say about Alice Chetwynd Ley. She was a favorite of mine many years ago. I used to have quite a few of her books, but gave them away over the years. But I'm regretting it now that I'm reading again and remembering what a good writer she was. I checked Amazon and I see that they have quite a few available in e-book form. However, my all time favorite by her, A REGENCY SCANDAL is not one of them (sob!). In the meantime I'll just chew on what is available out there. Thanks for the reminder.

[Janice]

I've been rereading Marion Chesney because she always makes me nod or chuckle; I like her regency world in which not everybody is nice, many people don't bathe as often as one would wish, and genuine eccentrics abound. I get a bit tired of the overly romanticized regency world of most romances, and Chesney has a sharp eye for fools. My favorite is The Ghost and Lady Alice, which is both gritty real and fairytale perfect.

The Alice Chetwynd Ley title Nicola mentioned, Letters for a Spy, was called The Sentimental Spy in the US. It's in my TBR.

Today I reread Snow Angel by Mary Balogh. I remember how Snow Angel had me hooked in when I first read it, with its two pairs of lovers about to marry the wrong people, and how I sympathized with their frustration. Now I just want to kick them all. Speak up, people, and quit being so damn noble when you know that nobility will end in misery for all. It wouldn't be a novel length book when I got through with it; probably just a couple of pages when they all sit down in a room over tea and scones and tell each other the truth. That's why Balogh is a genius and I'm just a fan :)

Other than that, I haven't read anything that would interest anybody here. I look forward to reading all your lists!

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

Anne - Being a bibliophile myself (way too many eds.of Beauty and the Beast in all forms and formats), I'm going to have to give Kate Carlisle a try. I'll begin with Homicide in Hardcover. And Nicola - how lovely that you're glomming on Alice Chetwynd Ley. I used to love her writing, but never could manage to find many of her books. I believe I read two - which I still have. I'll have to do a bit of glomming myself, and perhaps locate more of them.

[Karin]

The most notable thing I've read in the past few weeks was "All Systems Red" by Martha Wells, it's the first of a sci-fi series called The Murderbot Diaries, and it's great! So original and thought provoking. I picked it up based on a Twitter recommendation from Erin Satie, but afterwards I learned it won a 2017 Nebula Award and 2018 Hugo Award for best novella.

Andrea, I don't read as many hard-boiled detective/murder mysteries as I used to, but I used to read a lot of Thomas Perry. My favorite was the series featuring a Native American woman who would help people in trouble disappear and create new identities. The first book is called "Vanishing Act". He also wrote a very funny book called "Metzger's Dog" that I loved, written in the vein of Carl Hiassen.
I also read "Bound to a Spy" by Sharon Cullen. I loved the setting, 16th century Scotland, in the court of Mary, Queen of Scots. The hero is a spy for Queen Elizabeth. A great intrepid heroine and action filled plot.
I got another recommendation from the Read a Romance Month blog, for Anne Cleeland. I've downloaded the samples of several of her books, and they all start off so well, I don't know which to get first! But I think it may be "The Bengal Bridegift". It appears that the hero will be a very intriguing Dutch pirate. And it's pretty hard to find a Dutch hero, outside of Betty Neels!

[Annette N]

I thank you for the new list of books for me to want. Just what I need (NOT).

I have just finished two Christmas ARCs- Dear Santa by Nancy Naigle - a reworking of the film You've Got Mail and Emily March's The Christmas Wishing Tree. I had never read a book by Emily March before, that was a mistake on my part. Each of these books were good, but March's book sang to me.

Now - completely off topic here:

I just saw the end of a reality show - I was waiting for another show to start. It is about EMT's saving people. But, they go to a home of a couple who have been married for 62 years. The wife is in cardiac arrest. The people work on her for a very long time trying to save her. Then, before they move her to the hospital, one of the EMT's must tell her husband that they do not believe they can save her nor can the hospital save her. She is simply too far gone.

The husband thanks them all for their effort. Then he looks at his wife and says,"My Dear Girl." He is very calm, but you can tell his heart is broken. It made me think of who they must have been when they started out and the love which they had shared, the ups and downs and all the love.

OK - is it just me or are those 3 words an entire story of love and marriage and so much love?

Sorry, did not mean to jump off topic, but for me those words were an entire romance novel in one phrase.

[Karin]

That is very touching.

[Vicki L.]

Dear, dear me...more to add to the wish list. And there are so many more people who will be chiming in!

My reading this month has been an interesting mix!. I too was re-reading some old Regency's. The author I was reading was Joan Wolf, her old Signet Regencies - The American Duchess, A London Season, A Double Deception. I really enjoyed her books ago. Light, fun, frothy at times.

- Every Woman for Herself by Tricia Ashley. A Contemporary set in the England. I believe someone had mentioned Tricia Ashley sometime back. Usually I don't enjoy 1st person books but once I got over that hangup and the VERY slow beginning, I really did enjoy it. It was quirky and amusing. The last third of the books was great. Loved how the h "found" herself and a new love.

- Wild at Whiskey Creek by Julie Anne Long. Contemp set in Northern California mountains. It too was kind of slow at times but had a very likeable H/h. Very satisfying last third of a book.

- The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter. It is the first of the Nocturne Falls Series. Re-read and it was just as funny as the 1st time. Paranormal but not icky. Usually her Nocturne Fall's books are quite funny. Basically contemporary with paranormal components.

- Frederica by Georgette Heyer. Another re-read. Loved it. It really hit the spot and is making me want to do a re-read of other GH's. I read it to fill a reading Challenge prompt.

- Jayne Castle - the Harmony series with all the fun Dust Bunnies. Not quite through with it but almost. I have read all of them multiple times.

I read two non-fiction books that were quite good for different reasons.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede. My mom read it and raved about it. I too totally enjoyed reading it. How the Newfounlanders rose to the challenge of 38 planes landing unexpectedly with 6,595 passengers and crew. Gander only had a population of 10,000.

There were a few sad moments but for the most part it was very much a feel good book about people rising to the challenge of being gracious hosts and gracious guests in an ultra-trying situation.

- Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach. It was for my reading challenge as well. Rather a slow slog at times but well worth reading. Gertrude (1868 - 1926) was definitely a Victorian lady in her beliefs and dress. It was fascinating to see her change over the years as she traveled the world. She never "fit" in England because of her brilliant mind and her outspokenness.

Somehow or the other she did fit in the Middle East in spite of being a woman who didn't wear the veil. She was an adventurer, traveler, intelligence officer, cartographer. She helped to draw the lines of various countries as they were "born" from the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabi, etc.

It was fascinating reading her opinions and seeing how they way the Middle East was being shaped and split in the early 1900's greatly contributed to the fractured politics of the Middle East currently. She was respected and admired by local religious leaders, Sheik's, sultan's, leaders of Bedouin tribes, as well as English Government officials. She actually was a high ranking employee IN Iraq of the English Government...

[Mary T]

Annette -
I'm an Emily March fan. I don't read a lot of contemporary romance, but I really like her stuff- especially the eternity springs series. Look forward to reading the book you mention later this month.

[Kareni]

That is indeed moving, Annette, and heart-wrenching.

[Kareni]

Read in August, week by week ~

— I’d been looking forward to reading Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver: A Novel but gave up after some 80 pages as it wasn’t speaking to me. Drats.
— enjoyed His Quiet Agent (The Agency Book 1) by Ada Maria Soto though it did leave me with some questions. I think this is a book I’ll be re-reading.
— enjoyed Rhys Ford’s Once Upon a Wolf (The Wayward Wolves Series Book 1).
— Scrum by P.D. Singer was an okay read, but I don’t think I’ll be re-reading it.
— re-read Anne Bishop’s Lake Silence once again.
— enjoyed JL Merrow’s time travel novella Trick of Time which has a romance featuring two men
— enjoyed Becky Chamber’s Record of a Spaceborn Few which is the third in her Wayfarers series. Of the three, I enjoyed the middle book the most but all have been good reads.
— All Our Wrong Todays: A Novel by Elan Mastai. If you like time travel novels or those dealing with alternate timelines, you might like this. I did.
— the prequel story Grand Master’s Cat: Prequel to the Grand Master’s Trilogy by Aurora Springer. This was pleasant read but I’m not inspired to read on.

— Personal Geographies: Explorations in Mixed-Media Mapmaking by Jill K. Berry was an enjoyable read. I have a long time affection for maps so this hit the spot.
— Machine Metal Magic (Mind + Machine Book 1) by Hanna Dare was an enjoyable science fiction male/male romance that I will likely re-read. I look forward to reading more in the series.
— Saving Askara: A Sci-fi Romance by J.M. Link was an enjoyable science fiction alien romance that (unfortunately) ended with a cliffhanger.
— The Spinster and Mr. Glover (Blind Cupid Series Book 1) by Karyn Gerrard was a short historical novella. I don’t expect to re-read this.
— Salt Magic Skin Magic by Lee Welch which I quite enjoyed; it is a historical paranormal fantasy romance which had some twists that I did not foresee. I suspect this is a book I’ll be re-reading.
— Becoming Alpha (Alpha Girl Book 1) by Aileen Erin which I’d describe as a young adult paranormal story. I enjoyed it, but it’s the first of eight (so far) books and I’m not sure whether I’ll continue.
— Max Hudson’s contemporary romance Forget Me Not which dealt with the aftereffects of a brain injury/amnesia that caused a relationship to fail.
— re-read, with pleasure, Lyn Gala’s alien romance Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts along with the author’s Prelude to the same.

— News of the World by Paulette Jiles for my book group. I found this a quick and enjoyable read.
— re-read with pleasure Lyn Gala’s Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities and Affiliations, Aliens, and Other Profitable Pursuits.
— two dog themed romances:  M.L. Buchman’s Off the Leash (White House Protection Force, book 1) plus Most Eligible Billionaire by Annika Martin (I enjoyed parts of this book and laughed aloud at one scene, but I also had issues with some of the hero’s behavior).
— Courtney Milan’s historical romance After the Wedding. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I did feel as though it could have been a bit shorter.

— re-read Martha Wells’ novella All Systems Red (which as Karin said above won the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella) and then read, for the first time, Artificial Condition. I enjoyed them both and look forward to reading more in The Murderbot Diaries.
— read Chaos Station by Kelly Jensen and Jenn Burke. I enjoyed this science fiction romance featuring two men, but (since I’d heard such good reviews) I’d hoped for a bit more.
— read the short work (57 pages) Bonds of Fire by Sophie Duncan. It was okay, but it’s not something I expect to re-read.
— read A Fantastic Holiday Season: The Gift of Stories edited by Kevin J. Anderson and Keith J. Olexa since the anthology contained a Patricia Briggs’ story that I had not previously read. I quite enjoyed ‘Unappreciated Gifts’ which featured her character Asil; the rest of the stories in the anthology were a mixed bag.
— Helen Russell’s The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country: which I found to be a quick and enjoyable read.
— browsed through If You Can Doodle, You Can Paint: Transforming Simple Drawings into Works of Art by Diane Culhane was an enjoyable book to browse through. I will say that the author’s doodles look more artistic than mine, but I did get a few ideas.
— re-read, with pleasure, P.S. I Spook You by S.E. Harmon which is a male/male romance with ghosts.
— Penny Reid’s contemporary romance Beard Science (Winston Brothers Book 3) was an enjoyable read. While it’s third in a series, it’s the first I’ve read and stood alone well.
— re-read Amy Crook’s Unboxed. It’s a m/m/m romance in a very interesting world. The characters eat and drink more than in any other book I’ve read — tea, biscuits, pastries, curries, lager, and more and more. If you read this, you’re almost certain to get hungry and/or thirsty..

[Kareni]

Karin, I very much enjoyed Anne Cleeland's Acton and Doyle series but have yet to read any of her other books. I'll await, with interest, your experience of her other books.

[Susan King]

Oh, Annette! That is beautiful, so poignant and sad and yes, romantic in a powerful way. Real life sometimes does a far better job expressing what we are all trying to convey in our stories. Wow.

[Patricia Rice]

Hope your audio wishes come true! I always use your recommendations to start my own wish list, so thank you!

[Patricia Rice]

The ability to bring out all those old books in digital is a modern miracle, isn't it? I wept when I had to leave all my paper copies behind, but I'm enjoying having the ebooks always at hand!

[Patricia Rice]

a tear jerker in three words! thank you

[Nicola Cornick]

What a wonderful list, Quantum. Some of those I've read, some are new recommendations. Thank you for the mention as well!

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Mary. I think they are planning on re-issuing all the ACL books in e-format so A Regency Scandal may well be coming soon!

[Nicola Cornick]

Ooh, yes, Marion Chesney was sharp wasn't she. I haven't read Th Ghost and Lady Alice so I'll see if I can find that. I did have a yen for Jane Aiken Hodge as well this morning.

[Nicola Cornick]

It's so lovely to be amongst Ley fans! Now that her books are coming out in e-format I hope they will all be much easier to find. She also has a new (I think) website at http://www.alicechetwyndley.co.uk/

[Andrea Penrose]

What a fabulous list, Quantum! The classics like Sayers will be such fun to revisit.

I've been meaning to read Wild, and now will nudge it up on my list, especially after just hiking in Switzerland. It s an activity very conducive to reflection.

And your in for a treat with my fellow Wench titles! (And I'm very honored to be mentioned, too!)

[Andrea Penrose]

E-books for old, out-of-print books are so wonderful! I've found a number of titles for books I've lost over the years and it's great to have them back in my (digital) library.

[Andrea Penrose]

Karin, so glad to hear you like Thomas Perry. I very much enjoyed The Burglar, and will definitely try more of his books. The ones you n mention sound very intriguing!

The spy one and the pirate sound great as well! I love discovering new reads through our readers!

[Andrea Penrose]

The power of words . . . what a poignant story. Thank you for sharing.

[Andrea Penrose]

Oh, Vicki . . .this monthly column is always SUCH a danger to my TBR pile (as if it needs more!) What a fabulous list. I've read about the Bell book and it sounds fascinating. Will definitely put that high on the list.

[Andrea Penrose]

STOP! (Ha, ha, ha—no, of course don't!) Your lists are always so interesting! Madly scribbling notes!

[Suzanna]

A suggestion for anyone who likes older authors- check out athe Internet Archive. It's great for those older books that are hard to find. I've recently taken out Joan Overfield's "Lady Cat", one of Mary Burchell's opera books, a couple by Diane Farr and one by Rosemary Edghill. It's not comprehensive, but always worth looking. It has some books by Sylvia Thorpe, Sheila Bishop, Alice Chetwynd Ley, Jan Cox Speas and loads more.

Best of all - it's FREE!
https://archive.org/