HOT AND BOTHERED IN JULY by Tabetha Waite-review

NEED LINKS—-Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: RELEASE DATE July 1, 2026

They say opposites attract, but for two people who come from different worlds, is the impossible-possible?

Reed Carrington is a ne’er-do-well, a former bluecoat who barely made it through school. He was a terror to his tutors and despised sitting inside a stuffy classroom. He would rather be outside wreaking havoc on London’s social elite.

Or so he’d thought. Determined to make a name for himself and leave the past behind, he is starting to embrace success, but one day he rescues a beautiful debutante in a pink dress from drowning, and he’s suddenly dubbed a hero by the Brazen Belle.

Miss Sariah Kent doesn’t appreciate all the strictures placed on women in the beau monde.

She would rather be independent than be forced to marry simply because it is expected of her to do so. She yearns for more, but she doesn’t know how to obtain that freedom until a blond Adonis breathes new life-and fire-into her blood. In July, when the temperatures are rising in central London, the passion simmering between this rebellious lady and her hot and bothered hero soon become a recipe for love.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: I picked up Hot and Bothered in July as I loved the authors writing. And it turned out to be the perfect escape.

Tabetha Waite writes delightful historical romance that captures the heat not just of a London July, but of two fiery personalities colliding in the most unexpected way.

From the very first pages, I was drawn into the world of Reed Carrington and Sariah Kent, a pair whose instant chemistry practically leaps off the page.

Reed is the kind of hero who refuses to fit neatly into any box. A former troublemaker with a bluecoat past, he’s rough around the edges and carries the weight of a less than privileged background. Yet there’s something magnetic about his determination to reinvent himself. Watching him shift from a man who once thrived on chaos to someone embracing success felt deeply satisfying.

His rescue of Sariah in that pink dress is the inciting moment that flips both their worlds upside down, and I loved how the author uses it to spark that attraction.

Sariah, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air in the rigid beau monde. She chafes against the expectations placed on women of her station, marriage as duty, propriety above all else, and her yearning for independence had me wanting her to succeed. She’s spirited without being reckless, intelligent, and quietly rebellious.

The way her world expands after meeting Reed, how he awakens both her passions and her courage, made their relationship feel electric. Their banter crackles with tension, and the slowburn of their romance, set against the sweltering backdrop of a London summer, is really well done.

The author balances the heat between them with moments of tenderness and self discovery that give the story real emotional depth.

What I appreciated most was how the novel explores the theme of opposites attracting while never making it feel clichéd. Reed and Sariah come from vastly different worlds, and the obstacles they face had me keeping my fingers crossed 🤞.

The secondary characters, including the intriguing Brazen Belle society, add delightful layers and a touch of scandalous fun to the story.

The writing is smooth and immersive, painting vivid scenes of Regency era London without ever slowing the pace.

By the end, I closed the book with a happy sigh and a smile.

Hot and Bothered in July is a charming, passionate read. If you enjoy historical romances with strong willed heroines, reformed rogues, and plenty of sizzling chemistry, this one is absolutely worth diving into.

Tabetha Waite has delivered another winner that left me feeling warm in all the right ways.

Highly recommended for a steamy summer escape!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie 🦋