Well, I’ve made my first discovery of 1999, and I’m very happy about it (okay, technically I read the book in 1998, but it’s got a 1999 publication date so I’m fudging a little). Strong characters and a sweet love story make this novel a winner. Samantha Northrup, the vicar’s daughter, is awakened in the…
I’ve always been in awe of an author who can write one excellent book, but to follow it with yet another recommended read is a feat indeed. Elizabeth Boyle has achieved this feat with her newest novel, Brazen Heiress. Set almost a decade after Brazen Angel, this romance centers around Lily D’Artiers, who appeared as…
As a gawky teenager, Lily D’Artiers Copeland was in love with Webb Dryden. Webb was handsome, dashing, and well-traveled (thanks to his work as a spy) and basically it for Lily. Unfortunately, Webb saw Lily as an irritant and acted cruelly towards her. The thing about gawky teenagers is that they grow up, and the…
Back in the 19th century, Mrs. E.D.E.N. Southworth wrote books of gothic-mystery-suspense-romance that were enormously popular. Titles like The Hidden Hand and The Curse of Clifton sold in the hundreds of thousands. Starting in the 1970’s, Kathleen Woodiwiss wrote books of gothic-mystery-suspense-romance that sold in the millions. The two writers are very similar. Both writers…
After reading a string of mediocre books, it was a great relief to read Pale Moon Rider. Marsha Canham has written a real winner here, with believable characters – not an evil sister in sight – and lots of suspense. Also, while it deals with dark subjects, like the French Revolution, it isn’t a downer….
Scandals is ruined by a “too stupid to live heroine”. Unbelievable plot twists and purple prose also spoil the experience. To top it off, this book takes what could have been an enjoyable Gothic plot and turns it into a parade of cliches. Wealthy, young Victoria Hawthorne is in love with laborer Ned Thomas. What…
Only His was my first introduction to Elizabeth Lowell a number of years ago and today she is one of my very favorite writers. This book is not only historical romance at its very best, but romance at its very best. Only His is the first in the Only series, a quartet of western historicals…
Inspirational novels can be difficult to review. You can’t exactly give a novel a lower grade simply because you don’t agree with the beliefs of the author. As you might expect from an inspirational novel, the crux of this novel is a spiritual conflict. The hero has rejected God, and the heroine feels compelled to…
I was really looking forward to The Present because, as Laurie said, I am a fan of the Malory family. While I found some points in this book that tempered my enjoyment of it, overall it was a fairly nice little Christmas story for Malory fans, albeit a pricey one. Since Marianne has already summarized…
The Present is just about the most boring book I’ve ever read. It’s not bad, it’s just dull as all get-out. I had to force myself to turn the pages, and unless you are a super-duper Malory family fan, you probably will, too. The first nine chapters are devoted to recounting all the members of…
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