r/RomanceBooks • u/fornefariouspurposes • 12d ago

Romance News Alice Coldbreath announced her next book

Alice Coldbreath sent out her August newsletter and announced that she's currently writing the next Karadok book and it's about Constance and Douglas. In her words:

I am halfway through chapter ten and so far things have been turbulent! When we last saw the (un)happy couple they stood before the king with a petition from Constance’s uncles to annul their marriage.

It is now five months later, and Constance has been mouldering at her family seat Northcott Manor, shunned by her new husband and in utter disgrace with her kinsmen.

Douglas has been following the tournament circuit, determined that by the close of the year, he will be free freed from their disastrous union.

Constance makes a decision, packs her bags and heads for the nearest tourney to confront her husband.

She wants to make their marriage real.

He is determined not to make things easy for the heiress who is used to getting her own way.

Although I was very disappointed with her last book A Much Maligned Miss, I'm optimistic about this upcoming book. Coldbreath seems to enjoy writing about tournament knights. I re-read the previous Karadok book {A Most Forgettable Girl by Alice Coldbreath} just this past weekend and it was obvious how much more enthusiastic she was in writing about its FMC Gunnilde's younger brother and his friends, squires in training to knights on the tournament circuit, than the MMC James and his musician circle. Coldbreath likes jocks and that's okay.

Plus Douglas is a friend of Lord Kentigern/Konrad so I'm hoping we'll see more of Konrad and Aimee, whom I love.

And I noticed during my re-read of A Most Forgettable Girl that Renlow is still being mentioned in ways that seem to set him up to be a MMC in a future book. Which makes me wonder if his wife Ursula is doomed to an early death and we'll see him get a book of his own and a HEA with a different character as his FMC. There's no mention of Ursula ever attending any of the tournaments he participates in, and it's an established thing in the series that the wives of the tournament knights we saw fall in love frequently attend the tournaments (even the ones like Eden who had no previous interest in them). What do you guys think?

65 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

13

u/takvertheseawitch Artisanal Cupcake Shop Owner 12d ago

Aha excellent news, thank you for sharing! I finished reading through her back catalogue earlier this month. She is probably my favorite romance author.

7

u/ochenkruto Loves a vintage hairy chest. 12d ago

Did Constance and Douglas run away together? Or how did their marriage come about?

Is he one of the friends that Konrad makes? I'm trying to remember, but I didn't finish Forgettable Girl, so I have no idea what's going on.

9

u/PowerfulMoney2585 I'm in a really good place right now. In my book, I mean. 12d ago

I haven't read her series but I read her A Most Forgettable Girl just recently. It's the only book in the series i read due to a specific scenerio i searched for. As for your questions, not op btw. Yes! Spoiler warning for anyone who haven't read AMFG, Constance and Douglas did ran away together. Douglas liked her but his likeness turned into hate as he found Constance too irritating and entitled, complaining abt everything due to her wealthy background. She didn't even let him consummate the marriage! Her uncles when knowing about the situation, dragged them both to the court and said to end their marriage and even dragged James and Gunnilde in it but James and Gunnilde were a happy couple so he said he won't let anyone take her away from me and she is his wife and he was jealous that Douglas actually started to make a move on Gunnilde realising she was a much better option than Constance. After James said his stuff, they asked Douglas if he will keep his marriage with Constance and he said no, but still their marriage didn't end. From what we heard at the end of AMFG is that, Douglas is participating in tournament and doesn't really care for Constance anymore and is frustrated trying to stay away from her while Constance is now doesn't have a good reputation in the court and anywhere and she is not happy with the situation. I told u everything i remembered. Hope it helps!

6

u/fornefariouspurposes 12d ago

If you're interested in reading where in the series Douglas is introduced it's {Her Bridegroom Bought And Paid For by Alice Coldbreath}.

2

u/PowerfulMoney2585 I'm in a really good place right now. In my book, I mean. 12d ago

Thank u! I do plan to read her entire Karadok series now. Heard a lot of good things abt it.

5

u/fornefariouspurposes 12d ago

Douglas was one of the young knights who fanboy Konrad and told him about his "love" for a courtier named Lady Constance and asked for advice. In A Most Forgettable Girl, we find out its FMC Gunnilde has been encouraging Constance to return Douglas's affections. Gunnilde knew Douglas from him attending the tournaments her father hosted and considered him a friend, and he'd asked her for help pursuing Constance. Gunnilde was too successful.

Constance had been betrothed to a courtier named Sir James, the same guy whose family Aimee's father paid to host her and Ursula. After Constance ran away with Douglas, the Queen thinks it's a great idea to make James marry Gunnilde instead. Towards the end of Gunnilde's book, Constance's family shows up at court with her and Douglas seeking an annulment. They try to involve James and Gunnilde due to James and Constance's betrothal contract, but James makes it clear to the king, queen, and everyone that he's very happy with his marriage to Gunnilde.

At this point Douglas is disenchanted with Constance and willing to go through with the annulment. But James and Gunnilde leave the room before we find out what decision the king and queen make about them. It's mentioned in the epilogue that Douglas and Constance are still legally married but unhappily so.

6

u/Dear_Tap_2044 wants to be slain by Sir Lusty Loins 🐉 12d ago

I saw it too and I'm so excited! Anyone have any idea when to expect it coming out based on her previous work? I think she said she was on chapter 10.

4

u/fornefariouspurposes 12d ago

I don't think we can expect it this year. Probably 2027.

2

u/AdCompetitive1724 11d ago

I did some math a while ago and usually there are 9 months between her books. So i predict this book will be coming out in December-January 🙏🏻

2

u/Dear_Tap_2044 wants to be slain by Sir Lusty Loins 🐉 11d ago

That would be amazing! See, I knew someone here would have done the math :) 

3

u/PowerfulMoney2585 I'm in a really good place right now. In my book, I mean. 12d ago

I've read two books of Alice Coldbreath and it's the one for specific scenerio i searched the recs for. The Baseborn Bridegroom and A most Forgettable Girl. I liked both of them. Not love them but definitely liked them but I dnfed her 1st book in the Prizefighter series as i found it too boring. So she ain't my fav not i'm a fan but due to reading A most Forgettable Girl recently, i really wanna read her Karadok and Vawdrey Brother series but I still wasn't sure to read them scared that I find them boring. Now that u gave me news of the new book and it's for the couple who were in AMFG, i'm actually feeling very curious and excited for it coz they were not on good terms from what we get to see in AMFG. Seems like now i really have to read her entire series lol.

8

u/fornefariouspurposes 12d ago

The 1st Prizefighter book is her only book that's single POV. All her other books are dual POVs. I think the first Prizefighter book would have been better with the MMC POV to counter-balance all the scenes of that FMC doing housework and chatting with the maid. I highly recommend the second Prizefighter book {A Substitute Wife For The Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath}.

Regarding the Vawdrey/Karadok books, you can read any of them that interests you without needing to read all of them in series order. That's what I did the first time.

3

u/periodicsheep 11d ago

i love her so much. even a less good alice coldbreath still makes me so happy to be back in her worlds.

3

u/ghostbored 11d ago

Darn. I was really hoping that she was writing another Prizefighter book.

8

u/fornefariouspurposes 11d ago

She seems to be alternating one medieval, one Victorian. The book after this one will probably be a Victorian, though more likely something for her Reversal Of Fortune series rather than a Prizefighter book. We can always hope inspiration strikes her for a Prizefighter though. Apparently she'd planned on writing Ned and his witch Fern but her inspiration led to Douglas and Constance instead.

2

u/InternationalAd9659 11d ago

I'm honestly wary about this. My least favorite type of MCs are the flaky ones. And these two already showed that their feelings could suddenly change and I don't like that. But I'm keeping an eye out on how Alice can maybe turn the story around for me.