I love those angst-y stories in which dark, tortured heroes and heroines burdened with equally dark secrets grimly battle genuine adversity. Definitely, count me in. But there is also a real pleasure to be found in another type of novel – one featuring bright, cheerful, nice people who, while facing their own genuine adversity, manage…
A True And Perfect Knight features poorly developed characters in a swiss-cheese plot, with the added bonus of several historical inaccuracies – or rather, historical events that the author has moved around in time to suit the needs of her storyline. While a touch of mystery toward the end adds some suspense, the resolution is…
Are you weary of all those “perfect” heroines – the ones with intelligence, common sense, compassion, and maturity? Are sick of all those heroic heroes that possess intellect, honor, and integrity? And how about all those plots that always seem to be credible, and, even more irritatingly, make sense? If so, have I got the…
Luscious Corinna Huntington is the youngest and prettiest of all the ladies at Queen Elizabeth’s court. Elizabeth is a great statesman, a hardened ruler with nerves of steel – but she is also an embittered, lonely woman. Proud Elizabeth knows all about lying men. As a result, the queen is strict and watchful, always keeping…
Readers who loved Isolde Martyn’s The Maiden and the Unicorn have been waiting (patiently or not) for the stateside publication of her next book. Here it is, and it takes the reader for an exciting ride as it follows the story of a forced, false marriage and how the two parties involved eventually make it…
The Knight and the Rose is a Medieval with a capital M, and those of you who read Isolde Martyn’s debut book, The Maiden and the Unicorn, know exactly what this means. If you like historicals with a lot of attention to detail and a real sense of the period, this very well may be…
Sir Josce FitzBaldwin, illegitimate son of Lord Haydon, has vowed to avenge the murder of his father and sisters. He blames Reiner du Hommet, the incompetent sheriff of the shire where Lord Haydon was fatally attacked. Josce tells Reiner that if the bandits aren’t caught in a fortnight, he (Josce) will avenge himself by killing…
A Rose For Julian is an historical romance which is lighter than light. Reading it was like looking at a pale watercolor painting of a landscape you know is in actuality filled with vivid and rich coloration. Julian, the hero, is a tortured and wounded man who survived the Charge of the Light Brigade. Rose,…
Every once in a while the tried and true is set slightly askew to great effect. Carla Kelly is famed for her ability to take oft-used regency characters/settings and make them fresh and thought provoking. She’s able to make you think of the people and the times they lived in a different light. Yvonne Jocks…
What do you do when somebody else plays with your life? You can rail at fate, or whine and moan, or seek revenge. Or you can be a grownup about it and try to make the best of things. That’s precisely what the characters do in A Most Suitable Duchess, which I found to be…
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