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…
The Education of Mrs. Brimley is Donna MacMeans’ first novel. I thought the characters were quite delightful, and the author created a strong sexual tension between her hero and heroine. That said, though, the basic premise of the plot was a bit too much to be believed. Emma Heatherston was born out of wedlock and…
This is my first – and my last – Sue-Ellen Welfonder novel. There might have been a good story lurking somewhere in the pages of Bride for a Knight, but it was buried beneath clichés and a writing style that was at first amusing but quickly became incredibly annoying. Jamie Macpherson is a big, strapping…
On rereading Barbara Hambly’s Bride of the Rat God for the purpose of writing this review, I was surprised once more by what a truly superb novel it is. On rereading, I found new details to savor, ones that I had overlooked before because I had been too caught up in the excitement of the…
If you’re a fan of Michael Mann’s film of The Last of the Mohicans (yes, the one with the delightful Daniel Day Lewis in it), then Rising Wind may be just the book for you. It’s the story of class-divided lovers who bond under difficult circumstances and find each other, survival, and love. The hero…
Just Wicked Enough starts with an unusual and riveting scene, but unfortunately, the rest of the book does not live up to its initial promise. We’ve all read romances where the aristocratic hero bemoans the fact that he has to figuratively “auction” himself and his title in marriage to some mushroom’s daughter in order to…
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