Why haven’t I been reading Jo Goodman? That will be the question floating through many minds when they pick up If His Kiss is Wicked. I’m certainly pondering it. I’m going to turn dictator on this one occasion because you must, simply must read this. Restell Gardner is a man of many talents; a man…
Lessons of Desire is the second book in Hunter’s Rothwell Brothers series and details the complex relationship between the scholarly Elliot and Phaedra, the scandalous daughter of an even more scandalous mother. Phaedra is the daughter of the infamous Artemis Blair, a brilliant Roman scholar and outspoken proponent of “free love.” Artemis spent most of…
I’ve often found that in a trilogy, the middle book is the weakest. This looks to be the case with Madame’s Deception, the middle book in Renee Bernard’s Mistress trilogy. Even though the final book hasn’t been published yet, it has to be better than this dull offering. After the success of her debut last…
I have long thought 1900 an arbitrary cut-off for determining what is and what is not a historical romance since the early years of the 20th century are filled with many events and settings perfect for drama and romance. In Perfidia, Elspeth McKendrick (who also writes as Morag McKendrick Pippin) takes the unlikely setting of…
This is the first book I have read by Barbara Metzger. To be honest, this is not usually the type book I would choose to read. Historical romance has never been my cup of tea, but I found Truly Yours to be better than most. The story takes place in Regency London; Amanda Carville has…
The plot of this story intrigued me: An arranged marriage, seduction, a scandalous past. It sounded fantastic. But the truth here is that this book is structured poorly and lacks a smoothness that might make it a pleasurable read. Though she is now a countess, Lady Sophia Dalby was once the most infamous courtesan in…
Enslaved is a loose sequel to Vanquished, Hope Tarr’s excellent historical romance from last year. While not as good as its predecessor, this is still an engrossing read. Gavin Carmichael, Patrick O’Rourke, Harry Stone, and Daisy Lake all live in the Roxbury House Orphanage. Roxbury House is actually a fairly pleasant place, but all four…
The Eagle and the Dove is the first book in a new American historical series by Morrow that will span the years between 1850 and Reconstruction. This first installment had some makings of a good read, with kidnappings, rescues, fights, passion, and more, but the writing style and a heavy dose of drama kept it…
Beyond Seduction is only the second Stephanie Laurens novel that I’ve read, so I began this entry in the Bastion Club series with very few preconceived notions. What I found as I began reading was that…well, it was okay, but not much more than okay. Gervase Tregarth returns home from the Napoleonic Wars to claim…
Great historicals are quickly becoming the Woolly Mammoths of Romanceland, but books like Karen Ranney’s The Scottish Companion give me hope for the future. The bare bones plot is nothing new: cold nobleman with certain death looking over his shoulder must wed with all haste and produce an heir. He arranges a match with a…
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