An author faces a great challenge in writing historical romances featuring actual historical figures. When the author isn’t up to meeting that challenge, historical figures can be reduced to one-dimensional props or they can just as easily go too far in the other direction and end up overshadowing the fictional protagonists of the story. In…
Forgive me if this review seems pulled in two directions; that’s the way White Tigress by Jade Lee made me feel. It kind of gave me the creeps, and I wasn’t too sure about the happily-ever-after. However, it definitely has some moments of brilliance. There’s only one thing I can say for sure: if you…
Medieval Romances have been very thin on the ground in recent years, so I was excited to see a first-time author published in this genre, and an author who takes great risks in the creation of her hero and heroine. While I applaud the author’s willingness to venture into new territory, the book, taken as…
I’m a sucker for a good marriage of convenience story, and this one features a terrific twist. Our story gets off to a very exciting start as the hungover Captain John Grayson, back in England on leave from the Peninsula, answers his front door to find a woman in the throes of labor and asking…
Unladylike Pursuits marks Alyssa Goodnight’s debut. And though it does have the same redundancy found in many other novels, I still found the voice fresh and the plot and characters to be charming and appealing. Although many would consider becoming a spinster to be a horrifying prospect, for Emily Sinclair turning 25 and landing firmly…
Initially this new-to-me author had my brain firing on all cylinders. The setting (though made up) is not England, the heroine is a thief with little background, and the hero is tortured for logical reasons. That’s all good – very good. What’s less successful is the amount of time spent rehashing these elements, which made…
The buzz on Rules of Engagement is that it’s a story full of laughs and, since I haven’t read an enjoyable humorous novel in a long while, that’s the main reason why I decided to review the book. Unfortunately, the comedy was completely lost on me. Yet, even with the lack of chuckles, the book…
This Chick-in-Pants novel by newcomer Shirley Karr was a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner in 2001. Benjamin, the Earl Sinclair, has had quite a run of bad luck lately. His father committed suicide several years ago, creating a great scandal and throwing his mother into seclusion and mourning from which she has not…
The premise of Call Home the Heart, centering on a young widow and her estate manager as they try to rebuild an impoverished estate in 19th Century Ireland is an interesting one. While this book has its strengths, it also has far too many rough spots to garner a recommendation. The novel opens dramatically as…
Okay, unquestionably, the “heroine as thief” thing has been done before. Ditto the guilt-ridden nobleman determined to drown his troubles in sex and alcohol. But, despite their undeniable familiarity, these tried-and-true characters spring to new and entertaining life in The Devil to Pay, the newest release from an author I believe is one of the…
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