Trouble by Lex Croucher
Lex Croucher's new queer Regency rom-com continues to break the rules of both propriety and gender norms
When prickly, angry-at-the world Emily Laurence takes on her sick sister’s identity and shows up to Fairmont House as their new governess, she has just three things in mind: 1. If she can save her wages and steal a few things along the way, her sister Amy might just be able to see a doctor. 2. She absolutely isn’t going to be drawn into the family’s warm, eccentric dynamic, no matter how much they try to include her. 3. There is no way she could be interested in the gruff, brooding Captain Edwards…
Lex Croucher possesses some kind of magic when it comes to making historical romances feel modern, without losing all the trappings and tropes we love from the genre. Class, wealth, and society’s expectations are all explored, and it is so fun to read a heroine who doesn’t care about being liked, argues just to be contrary, and absolutely freaks out at the idea of having feelings. Trouble is a delight, and one to pick up if you want to spark joy in your heart; full of found family, slow burn romance, and characters who adore and accept each other for who they are. There is space for everyone in Croucher’s books, no matter their ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, or gender, and representation is purposeful, inclusive, and thoughtful. The romance genre is richer for having them in it.
Bonnier Books, out now