There is a lot to like in Miranda Jarrett’s Starlight, particularly the unusual time period, some historical insights, and some very enjoyable moments in the hero and heroine’s initial interactions. But somewhere along the line, the book became something of a slog for me, hard to concentrate on and slow to finish, and I’ve been…
If you’re tired of the same old westerns and regency-set historicals, you might find a respite in Tracy Sumner’s Tides of Love. Set in turn of the century North Carolina, this book has a strong sense of place, and it’s a place and time we don’t often see. Adding to the originality is the hero’s…
Rules of Engagement is the second book in Christina Dodd’s series about the Distinguished Academy of Governesses. It follows Rules of Surrender. Here we find Devon, Lord Kerrich, who must become respectable or risk losing large sums of money that Queen Victoria has deposited in his family’s bank. He decides that the best way to…
Shana Abé tends to write a kind of romance that I generally avoid like the plague, what I like to call the “Adversarial Romance.” When she writes them, I don’t seem to be bothered by the “I hate you but want to bonk you” interactions, big misunderstandings, and revenge and/or established enmity that typifies her…
Some romances are like a two-humped camel. They start off on a high, sag in the middle, improve again at the end but all the while they move at a rather predictable pace. Such was the case with Shana Abé’s Intimate Enemies. Lauren MacRae is de facto head of the Clan MacRae on the Island…
Elizabeth Boyle’s newest release, No Marriage of Convenience, is a fun adventure that grabbed my attention with the prologue and kept it throughout the book. Fans of historical romps and strong heroines will want to check this one out. Upon his scandalous brother’s death in a boating accident, Mason St. Clair was pulled away from…
I feel I owe a lot to Jude Deveraux. She and Julie Garwood are the two authors who got me hooked on reading romances. Deveraux’s Knight in Shining Armour and her Velvet Quartet were among the first romances I ever read and they made a lasting impression on me. I’ve been disappointed by her last…
I don’t think I “get” Sandra Lee. I got the impression this book was supposed to be an amusing romp, but it just felt like a great dull bore to me. Lady Roscelyn of Cyning has just lost her father, brothers, and new husband in the battles against the Norman invaders. Now a Norman Lord…
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a regency-set historical with Jane Eyre? You haven’t? Neither had I until I started White Mist, which turns out to be just such a mix. It’s an unexpected combination, but it works. In this case, Jane’s role is filled by Lady Eleanor Wycliffe, who appears…
His Wicked Promise is the literary equivalent of a K-Tel album. It’s not horrible or anything, but it reads like a rehash of the “greatest hits” of several authors. You may not have read this book yet, but you have certainly read most of what’s in it somewhere else before, and more than once. Glenda…
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