Valerie Bowman Books In Order
Publication Order of Austen Hunks Books
Hiring Mr. Darcy | (2020) |
Publication Order of Love’s A Game Books
The Duchess Hunt | (2024) | |
The Duke Dare | (2024) | |
The Marquess Match | (2025) |
Publication Order of Playful Brides Books
The Unexpected Duchess | (2014) | |
The Accidental Countess | (2014) | |
The Unlikely Lady | (2015) | |
The Irresistible Rogue | (2015) | |
The Unforgettable Hero | (2016) | |
The Untamed Earl | (2016) | |
The Legendary Lord | (2016) | |
Never Trust a Pirate | (2017) | |
The Right Kind of Rogue | (2017) | |
A Duke Like No Other | (2018) | |
Kiss Me at Christmas | (2018) | |
Mr. Hunt, I Presume | (2019) | |
No Other Duke But You | (2019) |
Publication Order of Secret Brides Books
Secrets of a Wedding Night | (2012) | |
A Secret Proposal | (2013) | |
Secrets of a Runaway Bride | (2013) | |
A Secret Affair | (2013) | |
Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage | (2013) | |
It Happened Under the Mistletoe | (2013) |
Publication Order of The Footmen’s Club Books
The Footman and I | (2020) | |
Duke Looks Like a Groomsman | (2020) | |
The Valet Who Loved Me | (2020) | |
Save a Horse, Ride a Viscount | (2021) | |
Earl Lessons | (2021) | |
The Duke is Back | (2022) |
Publication Order of The Whitmorelands Books
The Duke Deal | (2022) | |
The Marquess Move | (2023) | |
The Debutante Dilemma | (2023) | |
The Wallflower Win | (2023) |
Publication Order of Anthologies
All I Want for Christmas Is a Duke | (2015) | |
Duke in a Box | (2022) |
Valerie Bowman is an author who has gained some renown because of her regency romance novels.
+Biography
Valerie Bowman writes historical romance novels and she writes them well enough to have earned a few awards for her work. Valeria first emerged on the publishing landscape in 2012.
This was when her very first novel (Secrets of a Wedding Night) was published. The book was a quick hit, RT Book Reviews nominating it for a Best First Historical Romance Award.
Since that particular highlight, Bowman’s books have received starred reviews from resources like Kirkus and Booklist. She has also been nominated for the Best Historical Love and Laughter award, this along with a nomination for the Kirkus Prize for Fiction.
People who don’t know Bowman are unaware that she grew up in a relatively large family. Spending her childhood in Illinois, Valerie Bowman has six sisters. The youngest of the children (the seventh sister), Bowman grew up with a deluge of historical romance novels in her immediate vicinity.
Considering that she spent her childhood immersed in historical romance, it is hardly surprising that she eventually grew up to write Regency Romance novels.
Bowman earned a degree in English Language and Literature at Smith College, minoring in history. Following the completion of her educational goals, she took the first chance she got to move to Florida.
She loves to write; and when she isn’t pursuing her art, Bowman also spends a lot of time reading. Along with traveling, the author has also admitted to harboring a great love for crazy reality TV.
+Secrets of a Wedding Night
For Lily Andrews, life has taken an unexpected and largely unpleasant turn. Not only is the young countess of Merrill widowed but she is also penniless. More to the point, she holds very strong opinions about the topic of marriage.
Upon spotting a certain engagement announcement in The times, Andrews is spurred into action. Knowing what she knows about life and marriage, she has no intention of allowing another hapless girl to fall prey to a man.
And not just any man but a scoundrel who broke her heart all those years ago. Andrews’ choice of action is to write a pamphlet titled ‘Secrets of a Wedding Night’. She distributes this pamphlet, certain that it will fall into the innocent hands she desires to protect.
Devon Morgan is the Marquis of Colton. He only has one thing on his mind and that is to find a good wife, a woman that can mother his son. More to the point, Morgan seeks a wife as far removed from Lily Andrews as possible.
To Morgan, Andrews is the heartless beauty who led him on a merry chase all those years ago only to reject him. Morgan’s life takes an unfortunate turn when his new fiancé cries off after reading a certain scandalous pamphlet.
It becomes his mission to not only track the author down but to make her pay. He doesn’t expect to find Lily at the end of the trail. To Lily, Morgan only has one request: she can either write a retraction or he will seduce her and finally reveal to her the wonders of a wedding night.
Secrets of a Wedding Night tells the story of lovers Morgan and Lily. Deeply infatuated with one another, neither Morgan nor Lily thought anything would ever get between them. However, their parents’ schemes achieved just that, splitting the two and leaving their hearts broken.
When readers meet Lily, she is a destitute widow fighting to keep her financial troubles hidden; on the other hand, Morgan is struggling to shield his son from his terrible reputation as a gambler and wastrel.
Upon learning of Morgan’s upcoming nuptials, Lily decides to throw a wrench into Morgan’s plans, this act thrusting the two back into one another’s lives. Valerie Bowman writes both Morgan and Lily as very strong-willed characters.
The fact that they refuse to give an inch is what makes this book such an amusing read. Both Morgan and Lily are driven in their actions by the belief that the other stood them up five years ago.
The hurt manifesting from this betrayal compels them to clash with one another in a battle of the heart. Bowman should be commended for making the conversations between her two heroes so fun and sensual.
The dialogue provided keen insight into the emotional wounds of each character; though, the fact that they could have so easily cleared up their misunderstandings if they had simply communicated with one another ruins the book and makes the plot a little convenient.
None the less, Valerie delivers a charming book with a great cast of characters.
+Secrets of a Runaway Bride
Annie Andrews’ life is falling into place. She is finally free to marry the person she loves, especially now that her overprotective sister is busy seeing to her own honeymoon outside the country.
However, abduction by the wrong gentleman prevents her from taking her flight to Gretna Green.
Jordan Holloway is the Earl of Ashbourne. He promised to look after his best friend’s sister-in-law, but at the time, he didn’t think it would prove so difficult. When Jordan spirits her away to his country house, it is with the intention of keeping her from eloping.
However, the tempting beauty puts up quite the fight. The fact that he feels so strongly driven to run away with her himself doesn’t help matters.
Annie Andrews is Lily Andrews’ sister. She first appeared in ‘Secrets of a Wedding Night’, though she was only a spectator at the time. This book throws her into the driving the seat. In ‘Secrets of a Runaway Bride’, Jordan has been tasked with keeping an eye on her, and their burgeoning relationship makes for a fantastic story.
You cannot help but admire Valerie Bowman here. The sequel to ‘Secrets of a Wedding Night’ takes supporting characters from the first novel and makes them every bit as intriguing and entertaining as the previous protagonists.
People who haven’t read this book can look forward to a bevy of jaw-dropping moments. This is a fantastic read and definitely a great start to Valerie Bowman’s journey as an author.