Country Manners

June 18, 2023
C

Found in the Winter's Charms novella collection.

When the winter holidays require a visit to his family estate, Giles and Kate make the best of it. Fortunately, they stumble into a mystery along the way, inspiring Kate to take a new approach in dealing with his family's disapproval of just about everything.

Country Manners follows the story of Giles and Kate's romance after Wards of the Roses. It takes place in December 1921, between their engagement and wedding.

Content
Established relationship (characters met in Wards of the Roses, this takes place between their engagement and marriage and has brief spoilers for the events of that book). Hero blind due to a gas attack in the Great War but generally very independent. Nasty familial comments, ableist assumptions, and class-related nastiness with a happy ending.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Country Manners.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Character focused, Class and class differences, Closed door, Gentle, Guard and Penelopes, Parents and children, Physical disabilities, Religion and the numinous, Solving a mystery

Begins: 1921-12

Casting Nasturtiums

June 18, 2023
C

Found in the Winter's Charms novella collection.

Seth has no idea what's happened to Golshan since that awful day in the trenches in 1918. Now he's demobbed, Seth can track down Golshan, love Dilly (his wife), and get back to his woodwork. Of course, it's never that simple. Seth has to fight a bureaucracy, Golshan needs to reclaim his life, and all three of them need to figure out how their lives work now.

Casting Nasturiums is a polyamorous MMF romance that takes place over the last half of 1919, ending with celebrations over the winter holidays.. It's about finding your friends, making new ways to live, and coming home.

Content
Polyamorous MMF romance. One character was paralysed due to injury in the Great War. He also has ADHD (or as he would say, bees in his head.) Includes brief nastiness from a family member, and familial neglect of one character.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Casting Nasturtiums.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Close friends, Diverse backgrounds, Friends to lovers, Gentle, LGBTQIA+, Mental health conditions, Neurodiversity, People who make things, Physical disabilities, The Great War

Begins: 1919-06

Complementary

June 18, 2023
C

Undercover in the nonmagical world ... with a cozy cottage and only one bed!

As an artist and a magical investigator, Elizabeth is the perfect choice when midwife Rosemary comes to her for help investigating something strange at an artist's colony on the English coast in 1910.

Problem one: Elizabeth and Rosemary can't reveal their magic to anyone there.

Problem two: They met less than a week ago but have to pretend they're good friends to keep their cover. That's going to be even harder to do with growing feelings sparking between them.

Further problems: There's also an imminent birth, a kitchen that needs a good scouring, and the immense ego of one of the artists.

In this seemingly quiet corner of the countryside, nothing is as it seems, and Elizabeth and Rosemary are about to uncover more than one secret that will change lives forever. Maybe even their own.

Complementary is a standalone f/f novella of 33,000 words. Complementary is full of fae magic, the Norfolk coast, art and artists, cooking, and sensible decisions. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with no sex scenes set in 1910 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Lesbian (f/f) romance. Includes a main character who is neurodiverse (ADHD, though she doesn’t have the words for that) and who is of Malaysian, Dutch, and English ancestry and visibly brown. A significant character treats a long-term partner badly, including gaslighting. Includes a late-term pregnancy and off-screen healthy birth of a baby. No on-page sex. Only one bed trope.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Complementary.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Closed door, Cover - green, Diverse backgrounds, Edwardian, Fake relationship, Guard and Penelopes, Healers and healing, LGBTQIA+, Music and the arts, Neurodiversity, Only one bed, People who make things, Solving a mystery

Begins: 1910-06

Mistress of Birds

June 18, 2023
M

Thalia wants to make an impact.

Thalia's life is full of artists, authors, and other creative minds, but she's barely keeping herself together. After yet another rejection of her writing, she's willing to keep an eye out on a remote home on the edge of Dartmoor while her reclusive great-aunt takes a rest cure.

Adam hasn't been the same since the Great War.

Adam's family have long since run out of tolerance for his continuing shell shock. His uncle's broken leg is the perfect excuse to get Adam out of the house - at least he can make himself useful fetching and carrying. Adam's not at all sure he can be any sort of help to anyone. When he visits his uncle's apple orchard, he's even more confused by what he finds - and no one else seems to find the late-ripening apples at all unusual.

The house has its own secrets.

At first, the house seems a pleasant enough retreat for Thalia. The housekeeper and maid are competent, if distant. The food is wonderful, and she didn't have to buy or cook it herself. But there's the odd noise from the attic, the locked rooms, the ageless photographs. When she meets Adam, they at least agree that something is odd. Can they discover the secret and change their futures?

Mistress of Birds is the seventh book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of gothic mystery, feeling out of place, apples, birds, and how to move forward into a new stage of life. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy set in 1927 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Both hero and heroine have what we'd now describe as complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) though with different causes and experiences of it. Includes (in chapter 31) a paragraph of brief direct reference to 1917 treatments for shell-shock, which to be blunt, were brutal torture. Gothic romance, with higher levels of spooky tension than my books usually run to (but I promise a happy ending). No on-page sex.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Mistress of Birds.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Chronic health, Class and class differences, Close friends, Closed door, Cover - purple, Magical beings, Mental health conditions, Music and the arts, People who make things, Solving a mystery

Begins: 1927-09

Point By Point

June 18, 2023
P

Lydia yearns to make her name as a journalist

More to the point, Lydia can't keep going as she has.  There's never enough money, nor enough time. She's always scrambling, never sure of the ground beneath her or whether she can rely on anyone for help.

Galen needs to figure out who he is now.

The last year has brought too much change. His parents are rightfully under house arrest, and Galen and his brother are setting up new lives. Restoring the family business after it was nearly run into the ground by a serious of bad decisions is only the first problem.

But Galen knows people.

When Lydia asks help investigating the aftermath of an odd news story, Galen is intrigued. So are his friends in the secret society Galen has been part of since his school years. The investigation begins with a horse race, but it soon leads them from the clubs to a decadent house party to a far more dangerous gathering that could change everyone's life forever.

Point by Point is the sixth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of the power of friendship, creative solutions, horse-racing, journalism, and powerful ritual magic. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Hero dealing with past major changes in his family (related to In The Cards). Heroine trying to make her reputation as a journalist. Class differences. Dangerous ritual moments. Secondary character with major facial injury. 

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Point by Point.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Class and class differences, Close friends, Cover - yellow, Fake relationship, First relationship, Friends to lovers, LGBTQIA+, Only one bed, Physical disabilities, Secret societies, Siblings

Begins: 1926-10

Explore books about secret societies:

The Hare and the Oak

June 18, 2023
T

Mabyn keeps her commitments.

The land magic in Suffolk has been failing for years. When the current Lord asks the Council for help, Mabyn knows it's her obligation to see it through. Even if that means immersing herself in a role she failed at in her younger and more optimistic days decades ago. Back when she was married.

Cyrus likes a challenge.

He doesn't know Mabyn well, but Cyrus does have a gift for ritual, and a broad experience of the world. A widower with a grown daughter, he's up for tracking down a lost heir and seeing if they can learn to take up the land magics.

When they arrive at Baddock Hall, it's clear there's more going on than the current Lord's troubles. The land is boggy, the gardens are failing, the bees have fled, and there's no obvious cause. Together, Mabyn and Cyrus must face their own pasts while getting to the root of the problem and making space for the future.

The Hare and the Oak is the fifth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of land magic, a late in life romance, a failing family line, and healing old wounds to the heart and soul. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Heroine survived an emotionally abusive and restrictive marriage (ended by the death of her husband). Hero’s wife died unexpectedly in childbirth (referred to, but not in any degree of medical or explicit details.) Later in life romance.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about The Hare and The Oak.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Council, Land magic, Late in life romance, Parents and children, Previously married

Begins: 1926-03

Fool’s Gold

June 18, 2023
F

Robin needs colour and freedom.

After a series of awful decisions, Robin has spent the past two and a half years under the close supervision of his aunts on the family estate. Finally they’ve decided he can go back to his work as an art and antique dealer.

When he overhears a conversation about historical pigments, he’s sure a spot of forgery is in the works. He needs to know more.

No one sees Beatrice.

Invisible to anyone outside her family due to an inherited curse, Beatrice has made her own good life. She handles the vault records for her banking family, tending to the details with care and attention.

She never expected a stranger to approach her in a tea shop. He sees her, and she has no idea why or how. The more they talk, the more she’s intrigued.

And that’s before the coiling magic, the sensible dragon, or Robin’s explanations of how her cousin’s suitor is manipulating every conversation.

Fool’s Gold is the fourth book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War.  (Though this book does directly refer to the events of Seven Sisters if you want to avoid spoilers for that book.) It is full of pigments and colour, the magic of banking, and a very bouncy dragon. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1926 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Hero is a villain redeemed (he features in Seven Sisters). Heroine has a hereditary curse she has complicated feelings about. Discussion of gender roles and family obligations. 

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Fool's Gold.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Closed door, Fatae and Cousins, First relationship, Magical beings, Magical disabilities, Music and the arts, People who make things

Begins: 1925-04

Explore books about the Fatae and Cousins: 

Eclipse

June 18, 2023
E

Thesan loves the stars.

As the Astronomy professor at Schola, Albion’s leading magical school, she’s made a life full of teaching, observation, and research. She wants what is best for her students, all of them.

Thesan is looking forward to a year of learning, and the magic of the coming near total solar eclipse.

Isembard has lived in the shadows.

Younger son of a noble family, he’s always felt second-best. Last year, he agreed to act as bodyguard to two young men from noble families, as well as teaching at Schola. His second year should be easier.

Only, it doesn’t seem like that. One of his mentors has come back as a teacher, which is wonderful and infuriating, often in the same conversation. Another new teacher seems determined to drag the school back to the 1800s. A group of students are definitely up to something suspicious. And one of Isembard’s wards is stubbornly set on a course that is going to get him killed sooner than later.

That’s before you get to the rest of the school year, full of a musical revue, staff meetings, expectations, and the fact Isembard has invited Thesan to a series of extravagent parties over the winter holidays.

Eclipse is the third book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. A staffroom romance between teachers, it is full of astronomy, progressive education, and coming to grips with your past. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1924 and 1925 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Hero served in the Great War, with lasting curse damage and deep regrets about some of the actions he took (not described in detail). Issues of class, particularly around what family background, and privilege mean for education and opportunity. Academic politics, including an unpleasant faculty meeting. Friends to lovers trope. Heroine is autistic.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Eclipse.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Class and class differences, Close friends, Council, Education and research, Fortier and Landry families, Friends to lovers, Gentle, Great place to start, Mental health conditions, Mentorship, Neurodiversity, Physical disabilities

Begins: 1924-09
Reviews:Catherine Heloise on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books wrote:

A thoughtful, lengthy SQUEE review on the site, with a wonderful analysis of Eclipse and what it's doing.

***

"Eclipse did that for me. It was a book that felt as though it had been designed precisely for me, from the thoughtful worldbuilding to the tenderness of the romance, from the teachers and students and friends that made up the rest of the story’s cast, to the astronomy metaphors and, yes, even the faculty politics. And then there was the description of the eclipse itself, and the feeling of magic gathering in the air as the light changes and the sun disappears just made me shiver with delight."


Explore books focusing on education and research: 

The Fossil Door

June 18, 2023
T

Rathna has a gift for doorways.

When a portal in the Scottish Highlands stops working, she is one of the only Portal Keepers able to travel to investigate. On the other hand, the location presents some challenges. As a London-born Bengali woman, she's nothing like the villagers.

And of course, there's the worrying question: why did this portal stop working? It shouldn't have done that.

Gabe was born to fling himself at a challenge.

Gabe was born into an aristocratic family, and he's used to everything coming easily. Everything, that is, but recovery from a life-changing injury in 1918. Fortunately, he's recently finished training as one of Albion's investigators, and he can throw himself entirely into his work. He has a new landscape to explore, wildlife to see, ponies to ride, and magic to untangle. There's plenty to keep his quicksilver mind busy.

Perhaps there are too many problems. Rathna is prickly, giving him little to work with. There are threatening noises from the mountaintop nearby. Rathna is even more distant when she gets news from home of a mysterious man asking about her.

Somehow they must learn to work together, understand the local needs, and repair the portal, all while avoiding the wrath of the legendary beithir.

The Fossil Door is the second book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of geology, folklore, an ADHD hero, family of choice, and a multicultural romance between characters from very different backgrounds. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy with a swirl of sex set in 1920 with a happily ever after ending!

Content
Heroine was born in London to Bengali parents, orphaned at 8 and grew up largely disconnected from her culture. Her apprenticeship took place largely within the London Jewish community in Spitalfields. Hero comes from significant social privilege, has what we’d identify as ADHD, and suffered a life-changing injury (not in the Great War). Discussion of other War deaths and injuries. Some bias from others on the basis of background and presumed orientation.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about The Fossil Door.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
1920s, Class and class differences, Diverse backgrounds, Edgarton family, Education and research, First relationship, Guard and Penelopes, LGBTQIA+, Mentorship, Neurodiversity, Parents and children, Physical disabilities, Religion and the numinous

Begins: 1922-03

Carry On

June 18, 2023
C

Elen has a nurse’s hands.

Sent home from the Front after a injury leaves her with ongoing headaches, Elen is desperate to do her part for the War effort. Assigned to a mysterious patient, she wants to help him recover.

The Temple of Healing should be a sanctuary. But when Elen tries to find out more about her patient, she can’t get any information. His files aren’t available, and no one will answer her questions.

Roland has no hope for change.

He has been locked away in a hospital room for months, with an ever-changing set of nurses. No one seems to care what happened to him, even his family. His only apparent use is to give rousing speeches to encourage others to go off and fight in what Roland knows is a horrific mess.

When Elen appears, he’s sure nothing will change. Slowly but surely, her determination and stubborness shines through and knits his world back together. She’s willing to take risks to find out what happened to him, and he finds himself agreeing to her suggestions for healing – even a sacred bath.

It becomes clear that all is not what it seems at the hospital. With help from a few friends, unmistakable blessings, and a little luck, they might just be able to untangle what’s going on together.

Carry On is the first book of the Mysterious Powers series, exploring the institutions of Albion during and after the Great War. It is full of knitting, helpful friends, stubborness, and a touch of the divine. Enjoy this charming romantic fantasy set in 1915 with a happily ever after ending!

Want to see more of Melusina and Arthur? Forged in Combat is a prequel novella about their romance in 1882.

Content
Set in 1915, early in the Great War: multiple discussions (non-graphic) of injuries, new kinds of injuries, and other implications of the war. Hero was injured in the First Battle of Ypres in late 1914, the heroine has had a traumatic brain injury and continuing migraines. Both are new to dealing with these issues. Various attitudes of healers and nursing staff, some of whom are much more helpful than others. No on-page sex.

Want to know more? Check out the blog posts about Carry On.

Published:
Genres:
cosy historical fantasy romance

Tags:
Class and class differences, Closed door, Cover - purple, Crafters, Gentle, Healers and healing, Magical disabilities, Parents and children, People who make things, Physical disabilities, Religion and the numinous, Start of a series, The Great War

Begins: 1915-03
By Celia June 18, 2023

New and exciting!

The cover of Upon A Summer's Day shows a man in a suit silhouetted over a map of northern Wales in a muted green. He is gesturing, holding his cane in one hand, a cap on his head. Behind him is an astrological chart, with Jupiter and Saturn highlighted in the sign of Taurus.

Upon A Summer's Day

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