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The Irish setting is used to great effect in JoAnn Ross’s Fair Haven. This is a warm and touching romance between Michael Joyce and Dr. Erin O’Halloran who have both seen far too much of war and hatred. Their love for a mutual friend who is dying brings them together where they discover each other…
In 1871, the city of Chicago burned to the ground in a catastrophe that was rumored to have been started by a cow belonging to Mrs. O’Leary. The Mistress, an exciting and original romance by Susan Wiggs, takes place during that fire and features Mrs. O’Leary’s daughter, Kathleen, as the heroine. Kathleen is a poor…
The Last Season is a beautifully written story with appeal for readers of romance and suspense alike. In the summer of 1941, from the glittering social whirl of Newport, to the fishing villages in Newport’s shadow, to the nearby Naval War College, everyone is acutely aware that war is on the horizon and lives are…
I liked that this story was set in a unique place: Alaska during the Klondike gold rush near the end of the 19th century. The premise was intriguing, too: a balladeer is transported back in time to find out the end of a folk song that boasted a larger-than-life hero. Beyond that, however, the story…
I enjoyed Terri Brisbin’s debut book, A Love Through Time, quite a lot, but I closed her third novel disappointed. The characters never connected with me, which made it really hard to care about them. Sharon Reynolds is a museum curator specializing in ancient clothing. Her reputation is in tatters because of a jealous coworker…
For those who enjoy stories of long-term friendship that blossoms into love, here’s one to consider. The outline is familiar – poor girl and rich boy find love, are doomed by disapproving family, Love eventually Conquers All. Happily, the author layers this framework with enough texture to make the conventional story worth another look. At…
When I was around twelve, I read the book A Woman of Substance and I seem to remember enjoying it, although I may not remember the story very well. After reading Barbara Taylor Bradford’s latest offering all I can think is that I either wasn’t very choosy at twelve or the author’s writing has gone…
You can almost hear the ominous music start up as you read the first paragraphs of A Hint of Witchcraft – da da dum! Bad things are going to happen and there’s nothing you, or the characters, can do to stop them. And now that you’re imagining that music, listen for the narrator’s voice. The…
There is a lot to like about Maddie’s Justice. The characters are all intelligent, rational-acting people who never jump to conclusions and react in admirable ways to the danger they are thrust into. Unfortunately, as rationally as they respond to external events and characters, at times they act surprisingly silly towards each other, and each…
Balance in romantic suspense is a tricky thing. I’ve sometimes wondered where the suspense was, and sometimes I’ve looked for chemistry and sexual tension, only to find it in very small doses. Although The Refuge fits the latter rather than the former, it was still an engrossing book with a believable relationship between the hero…
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