WHAT HAPPENS IN
BRIGHTON
Historical Romance (Regency and Victorian)
AUTHOR:
Anna Bradley, Tracy Brogan, Kerrigan Byrne, Gayle Callen, Christy Carlyle,
Sofie Darling, Eileen Dreyer, Barbara Russell, and Misty Urban
RELEASE DATE:
February 10, 2026
PUBLISHER:
Oliver Heber Books
ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
B0F8C7QRVN
RATING:
5
QUEEN OF HEARTS
Anna Bradley https://www.annabradley.net/
Rating: 4
Charlotte “Lottie” Bathurst takes her brother to Brighton
for his recovery. While out on a stroll, she happens upon a naked man on the
beach. Bad luck strikes when Lottie discovers their money is stolen. She knows
gambling is the only way to recoup their losses quickly. Lottie never expected
to find the stranger she met on the beach at the gaming establishment. Can
Lottie win the money needed to remain in Brighton? Or will her handsome
stranger thwart her attempt?
Mr. Armitage Hart owns the most popular gaming houses in
Brighton. During his daily swim, he encounters a red-headed woman. Armitage is
unable to forget about his mysterious lady. He searches the town in hopes of
finding her again without luck. Fate smiles upon him when she comes into his
establishment in disguise. Will Armitage uncover her identity? And will he discover why she is intent on
gambling?
I am new to Anna Bradley’s works. So, I am uncertain if
this novella belongs to any of her existing series. The story’s ending felt
rushed. I would have liked to see Lottie and Armitage get to know each other,
and to witness the progress of their romance. I disliked how it went from her
being caught, then the next chapter is the epilogue with them already married.
WINNER TAKES ALL
Tracy Brogan https://www.tracybrogan.com/
Rating:
4
Mary O’Sullivan and her troupe-mates arrive in Brighton
to put on a show. At the rail station, she picks the pocket of an obnoxious
gentleman. Inside his wallet, Mary finds cash and an invitation to an exclusive
poker tournament. She assumes the role of a wealthy American heiress to gain
entry to the event. There is one man who could expose Mary’s deception. Will
Mary be able to win the competition? Or will James thwart her?
James Pendleton is a contestant in the elite poker
tournament. He spots Mary at the hotel where the competition is to take place.
As the tourney advances, James suspects Mary is not who she claims to be. When
his suspicions prove correct, he invites her to be his partner. Will James
expose Mary’s fraudulent identity? Or will he forfeit his own chance of winning
for her?
Tracy Brogan is another new author to me. I am not sure
if WINNER TAKES ALL belongs to any of her series or stands alone. I only have
one small nitpick. It feels as though the story was mostly told from Mary’s
point of view. I would have liked more scenes from James’ POV to get a feel for
his character.
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER
Kerrigan Byrne https://www.kerriganbyrne.com/
Rating:
4
Emmaline “Emma” Goode arrives in Brighton to attend her
brother’s wedding. She knows he is only doing so to help restore their family’s
reputation. Emma realizes she is in love with one of the wedding guests, the
beautiful French Duchesse de la Coeur. She has been taught that such love is an
abomination. But is it truly? Can Emma accept her feelings for Amelie? And what
lengths will she take to be with her?
Amelie Beauchamp is a hunted duchess. She travels abroad
to evade her evil stepson’s schemes and manipulations. Amelie understands that
Emmaline is at war with herself. She cannot ignore the attraction blooming
between them. Nor does she intend to. Can Amelie help Emma come to terms with
herself and her feelings? Or will her stepson’s interference destroy any
possibility between them?
My heart went out to Emmaline. She has been battling her
differences in silence for a long time. I like how Emma secretly commiserates
with her brother, Emmett. She has known about her brother’s sexual orientation
and the inner turmoil that brings.
In my eyes, the ultimate hero is Bainbridge. He came to
Emma’s aid when she needed it the most. I adore how Bainbridge helped Emma
understand that she is not alone. That there are others out there like her. And
that Emma should not be ashamed of her differences or the feelings that she
feels. Secretly, I am hoping that Bainbridge becomes Emmett’s
happily-ever-after.
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER is the sixth installment in
Kerrigan Byrne’s historical romance series, GOODE GIRLS. I have been a fan of
this author for a long time, since around 2015 with THE HIGHWAYMAN. She and
another author are the reason that I picked up this anthology. Of course, I
started with Bryne’s short story before diving into the rest of the book. I
grinned when I discovered FWD is part of her GOODE GIRLS series. I truly missed
this series!
FLIRTING WITH DISASTER is my second or third F/F romance.
I adore Bryne for writing one in this historical setting. It is something I do
not generally see in this genre (or else I just never noticed). However, it is
not for me. My kink leans more towards M/M pairings – my manga, anime, and
manhwa collection will attest to this.
THE WAY WE WERE
Gayle Callen https://gaylecallen.com/
Rating:
4
Lucy Lawton arrives in Brighton to confront her husband
on some rumors she heard. She catches him walking arm-in-arm with an unknown
woman. Lucy learns that Reggie’s connection with the lady is duty-bound and
platonic. She remains persistent in maintaining an emotional distance from him.
When the young lady asks for her assistance, Lucy reluctantly agrees. Can Lucy
finally put the grief of losing a child behind her? Will she and Reggie resolve
their differences?
Captain Reginald “Reggie” Lawton returns from a one-year
stint in India. He escorts his late commanding officer’s daughter to Brighton
to meet her fiancé. Reggie is delighted to be reunited with his wife. However,
Lucy does not seem to feel the same. Reggie decides to try to rekindle their
love. Can he and Lucy finally move past their shared trauma? Or is their
marriage truly doomed?
I empathize with both Lucy and Reggie. They both share a
devastating trauma. And they each mourned and dealt with it differently. I
cannot imagine the pain both went through. I understand how Lucy found solace
in her charity work.
And my heart went out to Reggie. He did not know how to
console his wife while dealing with his own pain. I do like that he found a
medium to express that pain, and it helped him come to terms with it.
Gayle Callen is another new-to-me author. So, I am
uncertain if THE WAY WE WERE belongs to any of her prior series. Second chance
romances are my least favorite trope. They always make me feel cheated. I
prefer seeing the couple fall in love, the path that takes them there, etc. This
story hits a little different than most second-chance stories. Reggie did not
want to leave Lucy, especially during an emotionally challenging time. However,
his duties as an army officer left him no choice.
THE BRIDE CHASE
Christy Carlyle https://christycarlyle.com/
Rating:
4
Philippa “Pip” Morgan flees to Brighton to avoid an
arrange marriage. She cannot forget the night spent in the garden with her
brother’s best friend. Pip plans to travel abroad until she reaches the age of
majority. She never expected her brother to send Atlas Ballentine to retrieve
her. Can Philippa convince Atlas to let her go? Or will he break her heart for
a second time?
Atlas Ballentine, Viscount Stonefield, intends to marry a
wealthy heiress. His intentions are disrupted when his friend asks for his help
in locating his missing sister. Atlas regrets how he avoided Pip after their
romantic encounter in the gardens. When he finds her in Brighton, Atlas
realizes how he truly feels for Philippa. Can Atlas convince Pip to marry him
instead?
I feel that there was not enough in the story for me to
connect with either Atlas or Pip. Yeah, I applaud Pip’s initiative on escaping
her unwanted arranged marriage. She is not the kind of woman to meekly do as
bid when there is no love in the union. And I love how Atlas fought for Pip’s
right to choose her spouse, instead of siding with his friend. I also like how
he finally realizes his feelings when she threatens to travel abroad.
This author is not new to me. I have only read one other
book by Christy Carlyle (and that is THE DUKE AND LADY SCANDAL, book one in
PRINCES OF LONDON series). I am not familiar enough with this author’s works to
know if this title belongs to any series.
TILLY AND THE UNREFORMED RAKE
Sofie Darling https://sofiedarling.com/
Rating:
4
Miss Tilly Birdwell works as a lady’s maid. She dreams of
one day opening a shop to assist women with their fashion needs. One night in
Brighton, Tilly takes her mistress’s place at a masquerade and enters in a game
of chance. She encounters a handsome lord who desperately wants the ring that
she won. Tilly agrees to relinquish it, only if he performs three noble acts.
She never expected to fall for the man. Will Tilly ever achieve her dream? Or
will something else take its place?
Lord Rhys Osborne is the third son of an earl. He has
given up his rakish lifestyle after losing his father’s signet ring in a wager.
Rhys attends a masquerade with the intention of reclaiming it from the man who
won it dishonestly. However, he never anticipated a woman like Tilly to join
the game and winning it. When Rhys approaches her about the ring, she sets
certain conditions before its return. Will Rhys complete his three noble deeds?
Will the ring return to his father?
I did not care too much for Tilly at the beginning of the
book. For a woman who came from the lower class, she behaved a bit uppity for
my tastes. Tilly said and did whatever she pleased, even around aristocrats.
Her behavior, especially around Rhys, rubbed me wrong. What I do like about
Tilly is how she saw Rhys’ goodness. She knew it was there. He just needed a
nudge to act on it.
Rhys earned my respect from the start. He anxiously wants
to correct the one major wrong that he has committed. Losing his father’s
signet ring gave Rhys the impetus to change his life around. What I love the
most about Rhys is how he kept himself from relapsing back to old habits. He
understands that he will never be free of the cravings for booze and gambling.
Rhys just found a way to withstand it.
TILLY AND THE UNREFORMED RAKE belong to Sofie Darling’s
historical romance series, SHADOWS AND SILK. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar
with this series. I have read this author’s other two series. After looking
through her backlog, I deduce Tilly’s employer is the heroine from book four,
TO WIN A WICKED LORD.
A DAY AT THE BEACH
Eileen Dreyer https://eileendreyer.com/
Rating:
4
Phillip Long, Earl of Everleigh, wants to reclaim his
birthright. He believes his wife is responsible for his conscription into the
navy. After finishing his service, Phillip travels to Brighton to confront
Eleanor. He realizes the information may not be true. And his wife has another
surprise for him: Phillip has a son. Will Phillip discover the true culprit
behind his abduction?
Lady Eleanor Long struggles to provide for her son and
grandmother-in-law. She encounters a man bearing a striking resemblance to her
late husband. When that same man shows up at her doorstep, Eleanor learns that
he truly is her spouse. She is stunned that Phillip believes she had something
to do with his conscription. Is he still the man Eleanor married six years ago?
Eileen Dreyer is another new-to-me author. I am uncertain
if this title belongs to any of her series. I found that I could not really
connect with either Eleanor or Phillip. This tends to be the major downside
with novellas. The story, along with the resolution, felt a tad rushed.
I did empathize with Phillip and Eleanor’s plight. They
were both deceived by a greedy relative. And I admire Eleanor’s decision to
take care of her grandmother-in-law. I like the rapport she and the elderly
lady have.
A NIGHT YOU WON’T REMEMBER
Barbara Russell
Rating:
4.5
Lady Esther despairs over not having a single suitor. Her
mother accepts an invitation to Brighton in hopes of encouraging a connection
with a particular duke. A night out leaves Esther with no recollection of what
happened. She hopes, by retracing her steps, she can help Alexander find his
fencing foil. The impromptu scavenger hunt allows Esther to grow closer to him.
Will she find Alexander’s foil before the big competition?
Alexander, the Duke of Richmond, is a renowned fencer
known as “The Great”. He grows weary of mothers trying to foist their eligible
daughters at him. Alexander finds himself intrigued when he meets Esther – she
is unlike any other debutantes he has met. Their paths cross once more in
Brighton, where an unusual treasure hunt ensues. Will Alexander’s adventure
with Esther lead to more than just finding his foil?
What I like about Esther and Alexander are their
passions. Esther with cricket – an unusual hobby for a noblewoman. And
Alexander with fencing. I adore how Alexander encourages Esther to keep
pursuing the things she likes and to be herself. He saw nothing wrong with her
interests. And I especially love how Esther reciprocates and tells him not to
give up on fencing. She knew that fencing would help Alex unwind from his ducal
duties.
This is my first time reading any of Barbara Russell’s
works. I do not know if A NIGHT YOU WON’T REMEMBER belongs to any of the
author’s series. I simply adore this story! It is my favorite story in this
anthology, thus far! I practically gobbled it up! It does make me wonder if
Minnie, Esther’s friend, has a story.
WHAT HAPPENS IN HEDONE
Misty Urban https://mistyurban.com/
Rating:
3
Jay Burnham is the son of a baron. He chooses to follow
his father’s profession in the brick-making industry. Jay meets two fascinating
women in Brighton – one at the beach and another at a pleasure house. He is
unaware that they are the same person. On discovering her identity, Jay learns
that she is engaged to his friend. Will Jay be able to give Effie up? Or will
he find a way to be with her?
Iphigenia “Effie” Stanier intends to have one final
summer of freedom before her upcoming marriage. During the evenings, she goes
by the alias Lady Erato and stages historical tableaux at a pleasure club.
Effie never expected to meet someone like Jay – a man she cannot have. She asks
for one pleasurable evening with him before entering a loveless marriage. Which
man will Effie ultimately choose?
Misty Urban is another new-to-me author. I am uncertain
if it is a standalone or if it belongs to a series. I had a rough time getting into this story. I
could not connect with the characters or immerse myself in the premises. It is
just not for me.
