Across
Book Hearts defender needing a way in (8)
Dark and small Iberian chap covering face (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
S[mall] as in clothes measurement, plus HOMBRE, the chape from Spain, minus his H.
Back from dig, strike kind of rock (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The back of dig is G, hit is LAM. Not some rare igneous, but such as Slade, T. Rex, and Gary Glitter.
Soda with lime or rum for convenience (6,4)
Forbidden urge to which writer's admitted (10)
To boot leader of government out of Lagos, a new order's required (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Believe it or not, an anagram (a new order’s required) of LAGOS without G[overnment]. Wiki gives this charming example of the usage: “my boyfriend is funny, and a pretty good cook to boot .”
American novelist caught in crime den (8)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Upton, for one, something of a polymath. C[aught] within SIN for crime and LAIR for den. If you prefer, you can have Sinclair Lewis, author of Elmer Gantry and much more.
One who copies head of Cardiff University's resumé (6)
One event with barristers concerning chambers (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A TRIAL might well include barristers. Architectural or anatomical references.
One decides a set time, namely before holiday (3-5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
To tennis what the penalty shoot out is to football or the superover to cricket. T[ime] plus I.E. for namely plus BREAK for holiday.
Ostentatiously good, a female performer with no regrets (4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A semi-&lit. I doubt Édith could ever be described as PI, ostentatiously good, but definitely A F[emale]. Mistress of the rolled R, best known for “Non, je ne regrette rien”. Manage your own translation.
Summer problem of boater, say, catching English butterfly? (10)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A boater is an example of a HAT, insert E[nglish] and the ? after butterfly indicates we’re looking for STROKE, of which it’s an example.
Staying dry, mostly declining to conserve energy (2,3,5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Declining is ON THE WAN[e] (mostly) with GO for energy inserted.
Duck eating river weed (4)
Save money in Asia the wrong way, creating dispute (6)
Organists wanting doughnut breaking the scales? (4,4)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Again the ? indicates “the scales” is/are an example. Doughnut being ring shaped stands in for O, removed from ORGANISTS before anagramming (breaking).
Down
Expert handling bad reactions is to go for Parisian meat (9)
Rather dry month including odd times temperature drops (4-3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
More French, usually referring to medium dry wine. The Month is DEC[ember], insert an anagram (odd) of TIMES without the T[emperature]
Maybe bitter king secretes billions, having more upstairs? (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
ALE is one version of bitter beer, R[ex] is king, insert B[illions]
Nanny's little one is Josh (3)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
A nanny goat’s offspring and to josh, make fun of.
Male dabbler left in tool store with tool (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
L[eft] inside SHED for tool store plus RAKE, a tool. A sort of duck.
Spread around centre of Croatian seaside resort (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
MARG[ARIN]E is your spread, and AT from the centre of CroATian to be included. Any excuse for Chas and Dave
Stands apart from British men put in the corner? (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
To BROOK is to put up with or stand, remove the B[ritish] and you put the (chess)men in their place.
Possibly battier accessory for father (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
An anagram (possibly) of BATTIER for a priest’s square cap usually with a pom-pom on top.
Calm down, maintaining strength completely (3,3,3)
Static car's plate seen in capital (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
The car’s plate is that for a L[earner], set in CRACKING for capital, excellent.
Lives, I see, with lover around Persian city (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Make it up if you don’t know it. Lives: IS, I see: AH, contained in lover: FAN
Group of engineers with ruddy huge screen (7)
Asian region in Chennai? No, Islamabad, on reflection (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:
Fortunately a reverse hidden, in ChennAI NO Islamabad. An ancient area on the western edge of modern Turkey, known for the city of Ephesus.
It restrains worker, perhaps a seasonal deliveryman (5)
He conceivably needs flag raised (3)
Type letters or click words in the clue