Heartstone by Elle Katharine White (2017)

A clever adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (P&P) with Darcy and Co. being dragon Riders who protect England from gryphons and other dangerous tekari. (For the purposes of this review, I'll be calling them their Austen names, rather than their Heartstone ones.)

In the world of Heartstone, Regency society is stratified less along class lines; Lizzie's unsuitability is rooted in her status as a non-Rider, rather than being a member of the ton. The character of Kitty has been discarded, her throat ripped out by a gryphon before the novel begins. Darcy and Co. are hired to clear out a pack of dangerous gryphons (see: dead Kitty) and Darcy's standoffish nature is more to being a Rider and trauma from battle, rather than disdaining everyone because of their class.

Caroline, here Bingley's twin, is less shallow classist and more hardcore Rider. She's likeable and far less conniving. Lydia is less a flibbertigibbet and is just a young girl who longs for adventure and idealizes the world of the Riders and the Guard. Darcy's and Caroline's interference in Jane-Bingley romance is rooted in Bingley's tendency to fall for women quickly and then have his heart broken, than Jane's class and pushy, impolitic mother. Jane falls ill because she's attacked and wounded, rather than simply having a poor constitution. (Lizzie's trained under her uncle as a healer and Jane survives because of Lizzie's knowledge of plants rather than Jane having to weather a bad cold.) Elizabeth bonds with Darcy's dragon over Lizzie's sketching and her respect for Oldkind. (The dragons can speak.)

Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper (2014)

**The Mystery of Catherine Whitney’s Death is Finally Solved**

Catherine Whitney was found strangled. Rumors have always swirled that it was her attempt to run off with her lover, Jack, that led to her husband murdering her. But no one knows for certain. 

Subsequent generations faced one tragedy after another until Deacon made his own luck, using his programming genius to develop the next Facebook and become one of the 10 riches people in America. Deacon decides to restore the abandoned Whitney Mansion to its former glory and hires his best friend, Jake, to oversee the renovation. He hires Cindy to organize and catalog everything and Nina to oversee the landscaping. And his cousin, Dotty, arrives to try and uncover the truth of what happened all those years ago so she can publish a book about it. 

Return to Huckleberry Hill by Jennifer Beckstrand (2017)

A couple of days before Christmas, Reuben Helmuth is about to propose to the bishop’s daughter when he discovers what all the other de younge know: Sarah Anne and his best friend, John, are sneaking around behind his back. Mortified, he flees Ohio and heads to Mammi and Dawdi’s house. After all, she dropped him for a pig farmer. 

Fast forward 3 months. Who should appear? Fern, the annoying kid sister of his ex-best friend! Fern’s there to get him to forgive John, pester him out of his pouting and help him make friends with the people in Bonduel. Mammi thinks a new love might heal his broken heart so Fern and Mammi conspire to help him meet eligible girls. They arrange a knitting circle. (The girls want everyone to get an equal crack at him, so they use an 10 minutes on the egg timer.) Reuben catches the eye of the daughter of Bonduel's bishop’s, Sadie Yoder (especially when she finds out how wealthy his family is). Will she land the big fish or will Reuben finally realize that he belongs with Fern?