all book related reviews
Fantasy and science fiction authors are familiar with a concept called “world building,” which is the process of creating a coherent “universe” for your characters. The rules may not necessarily be those of our world – time travel can work, or humans may have faster-than-light warpdrive technology – but they do have to be coherent…
It can be hard to resist the siren song of a brand new Scottish romance sitting on the book store shelf. Kilgannon is one of those meaty books with a sexy Scottish hero who says things like “Ye ken?” and “Aye, lass.” I have a soft spot for such heroes myself, and I did like…
Midsummer Moon is one of the greatest, unacknowledged romantic comedy novels and a true Desert Isle Keeper. Of course, it’s written by Laura Kinsale, queen of the Dark, Tormented Romance, so a laff-out-loud book isn’t quite the first thing you’d expect from her. Ransom Falconer, Duke of Damerell, is looking for an eccentric, cranky old…
With early Elizabeth Lowell, it’s a hit or miss proposition. The many series romances I’ve read by her that were written in the 1980’s are all replete with “Lowell-speak,” that type of purple prose that goes way over the top, as well as the heightened sensuality that, if it were real life, would cause the…
Historical romances often seem to exist in a vacuum. Generally the writer seldom bothers with the social attitudes and problems of the society at large. After a reader has finished an historical novel, she does know a bit about the manners and mores of the ton, but what of the world outside that little closed-in…
Where, oh where, was Evelyn Richardson’s editor? I almost feel guilty reviewing My Lady Nightingale in its present incarnation. The book enjoys the advantages of an unusual premise, an interesting plot, and engaging characters, but it’s so sloppily edited that I could not enjoy it at all. I’m tempted to split my grade: B for…
Could you forgive a man who eloped with another woman while engaged to you? This is one of the thorny problems tackled in Sarah’s Christmas, and Elizabeth Graham manages to convince me it could happen, even when the individuals involved are both incredibly stubborn and proud. Hunter Winslow is returning home to Little Bethlehem, Missouri…
A Fine Gentleman opens with Viscount Richard Hartville annoyed that Lady Hartville, his mother, has invited distant cousin, Caroline Carruthers, for an indefinite visit on his estate. It’s fairly obvious that Lady Hartville is playing matchmaker, but Richard finds Caroline too meek and sweet to suit his tastes. Very soon a mysterious four year old…
How do you feel about brownies? Oh, not the edible kind but the shaggy, brown, invisible kind? For those not in the know, brownies supposedly resided in every home in England, taking care of little every day details for the owners. Some people could even see these brownies and befriended them. In Sandra Heath’s The…
All the while I was reading Always by Trevor Meldal-Johnsen, I was wondering how I was going to write this review without offending people. Let me begin by saying that it is not my intention to insult anyone’s beliefs or spirituality. My opinion of this book is based on its effectiveness as a piece of…
End of content
End of content