PERFECT IN EVERY WAY
Series: Manors and Mysteries #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: February 17, 2026

The Downs is peaceful…but steeped in mystery. 

The Duke is arrogant, gorgeous and loyal..and maybe Perfect In Every Way. 

Perfect In Every Way, an all-new compelling forced proximity, mystery romance in the Manors and Mysteries series from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley is now live!

Historical fiction writer, Vivienne Dupree, is hoping to unravel the mystery of her WWII soldier, great-grandfather’s doomed love affair with the lovely Lady Harmony. A woman he met convalescing at the sweeping English country estate, The Downs.

Vivienne jumps at the invitation to spend time at this magnificent property, doing so with unfettered access to family papers.

What she doesn’t expect is to come face-to-face—and immediately go head-to-head—with Battle Talyn, the ludicrously handsome, imposing, ridiculously arrogant Duke of Burleigh.

From the start, Vivi and Battle match wits, but it doesn’t take long for Vivi to realize something is amiss at The Downs. She dives into her research to figure it out, at the same time Battle launches a campaign that Vivi doesn’t quite understand.

The game is on, and a mystery is afoot.

What kept the doomed lovers apart all those years ago? What’s happening in the ballroom? Is there a curse on The Downs?

And what does all of this have to do with Battle and Vivi?

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“Oh my God, I just fucked an arrogant, bossy duke.”
His amazing face filled my vision. “No, darling, an arrogant, bossy duke just fucked you.”

If there’s one thing that you’re absolutely guaranteed when you’re reading a KA romance, is an absolutely swoon worthy MMC. And Battle was the epitome of swoon.

Vivi is a historical fiction writer whose online friendship with one of the Talyn sisters, gets her an invite to The Downs estate and the opportunity of a lifetime to dig into the mystery of a doomed love affair that is the inspiration for her current book. Here she meets the Talyn siblings, including the imposing and grumpy Duke, Battle Talyn.

These two initially bump heads because while Vivi is eager to unearth the mystery, Battle is determined to protect his family and their privacy. For all the fortune, the Talyns are notoriously private, especially Battle. But it doesn’t take long for the sparks to fly between him and Vivi.

Outside of the romance, I just loved Vivi’s dynamics with the Talyn sisters. I loved the way she brought her sunshine along everywhere she went and the way she just fit like a puzzle with them. The romance was swoony and perfectly paced. No third act breakup to be found here. So if you’re looking for a lighthearted read with a steamy romance and an intriguing mystery, definitely give this a try.

For more information on Kristen Ashley, visit: 

https://www.kristenashley.net/

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BAD MEDICINE
Series: Avenging Angels #4
Author: Kristen Ashley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 16, 2025

Willow Knightley has just been through it with her ex-mooch of a boyfriend. But sadly, he’s just the latest in a long string of men (starting at birth) who didn’t treat her right.

She decides her only recourse is to give up on men forever.

The problem is, her friend/acquaintance/one-time bodyguard, member of the Nightingale Investigations & Security team, Gabriel Stark, has targeted her as His One.

Gabe’s been through it at the hands of women too, so he knows exactly what he wants.

And he wants Willow.

Willow states her case against them being an us, but she doesn’t count on the fact that not only does Gabe love a challenge, he lives for them.

Up against an onslaught from a man who rinses his own whiskers out of the sink, Willow might not stand a chance.

But then, while the Angels are trying to figure out what’s got one of their informants very jittery, she gets a hint that there are demons in Gabe’s history, and she has to know.

The bets are on…

And luck favors a Stark.

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You can lie to yourself,” he went on. “You can lie to me. You can fight this. Fuck, I want you to fight it. But we both know, you are not gonna win.”

No one, and I mean no one, writes an MMC quite like KA. Do they all mostly sound the same? Sure. Do I care? Not even a little. This woman has a formula that is downright addictive when it comes to her characters, and I will never get enough of it.

Bad Medicine was such a swoony read. I love when a man knows what he wants and goes after it with single minded intent. And when Gabe sets his sights on Willow, she has no hope in resisting. Though resist she tries. Willow hasn’t known a good man, though she knows what they look like, since she works with the hot commandos. Unfortunately for her, she always goes for the ones who don’t deserve her. And her most recent ex has her self esteem so far below gutter, she doesn’t know if she’ll ever date again. She wants to concentrate on herself and her business. But when the broody and handsome Gabe makes it know he wants to take it there with her, it’s too good to be true. And so she treats it as such, by pushing him away at every turn. But Gabe will have none of it. And being related to Luke Stark from Rock Chick Revenge, you know you’re in for a good time. Because those Starks don’t mess around when it comes to their women and getting what they want, or their protection. But I digress.

This was one of those stories that felt like a cozy warm blanket. There was no unnecessary drama, outside of the standard trouble the Angels find themselves in. There’s a good man who fights for his woman and the woman finally coming to realize her worth and fighting for it right along with him.

FINDING THE ONE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: River Rain #7
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: September 9, 2025

Their parents being family friends, American/English aristocrat, Blake Sharp, and Scottish playboy Alasdair Wallace were thrust together all through their childhoods.

Blake thought Dair was a filthy, obnoxious, little boy bully.

Dair thought Blake was a spoiled, prissy wee miss.

Then Blake grew up to be a beautiful, loving woman who took care of everyone and made amazing pistachio muffins. And Dair grew up to be a protective, fun-loving, hard-living professional rugby player.

In the meantime, they’d both been deeply betrayed by lovers.

When their paths cross again, Blake is still reeling from her fiancé’s treachery and what she learned about herself during it.

Dair thinks he’s recovered from a marriage to a woman who was not at all what she seemed, and now he’s smitten by the woman Blake has become.

So smitten, he has every intention of exploring what they can grow to be together.

But their combined family history is filled with secrets and lies. Secrets and lies that explode in their faces.

And while they deal with that, ghosts from the past rise up and threaten to haunt their future.

Is what they built together strong enough to hold true?

Or will their personal demons tear them apart?

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You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. But when you laugh, I see a wee bit of that little girl I knew, except she isn’t unhappy like she was always unhappy.”

Now I love me a good redemption story ARC, particularly when it’s a female one. And Blake had a beautiful story to boot. Growing up with the mother she had and the family dynamic she did, it’s no wonder that she had some rough years. But seeing the way it molded her into the woman that she is today; caring, compassionate, yet oh so vulnerable to the hurts of the past, was all that more satisfying.

Alasdair Wallace was a typical KA alpha but with a Scottish brogue. Did we get the usual “babe”, no we got “hen”, and I was so here for it.

This was a beautiful story of redemption and soul mates, and I loved the way that Blake and Dair got together. They grew up together, but there was no love lost between them. Well, mostly Blake, who felt like Dair picked on her when they were kids. Now here they both are, years later, at Blake sister’s wedding. Dair, now divorced for several years and knows exactly what he wants and who he wants it from. Blake, narrowly escaping a disastrous wedding to a cheater and not looking for a repeat. Dair sees Blake and goes after her with a single minded intent. And while she tries to fight the pull for a little while there, Dair is impossible to resist.

If you’ve read any KA book, then you already know how well she can write a beautiful relationship development and this was no different. I loved the way that the family dynamic was effortlessly woven in to their story to make it all that much better. The interworking of Dair and Blake’s broken families healing something in this book was incredible to read about. And right as I was starting to grow a bit bored with everything being just too relationshipy for these two, we got the tension in the best of ways.

I have to say that I loved the conflict in the romance because it also just fit. It fit both of these characters so well that the conflict happening felt as natural as them resolving it.

If you’re looking for a beautiful romance with some crazy family twists, amazing secondary characters, a conflict with a delicious grovel, and a two characters who are entirely too easy to root for, you’ve found your next read!