The Crimson Lady

Sometimes I’m tempted to come up with a Letterman-type top ten list when I’m reading a book for review. Something like “You know it’s a bad sign when…” I’m sure you could fill in the blank with any number of romance clichés. Maybe because I had hoped for something else, Mary Reed McCall’s latest surprised…

The Willing Wife

Recently I read a mystery by Sarah Smith called The Vanished Child. Though written in 1992 the novel reads as though it were written at the turn of the 20th century – the period in which it is set. Her use of language works to draw the reader into that time and place so well,…

Falcon’s Desire by Denise Lynn

Oddly enough, Falcon’s Desire is a throwback to the historical romance novels of yesteryear – I say “oddly enough” because it’s the debut romance for a new author. It’s as if all the in-between progress in terms of nuanced plots and character development have been forgotten and we’re left with a derivative amalgam of Woodiwiss…

Once He Loves

Once He Loves has nearly as many flaws as it has strong points, but the scale tips in favor of the book. Its premise reverses gender roles, which was a nice change of pace, and the hero and heroine were likable enough throughout the book. But there were some annoying features as well, such as…

Impostress

Reading Impostress was like taking a lukewarm bath: not particularly enjoyable, but not exactly painful, either. And like a lukewarm bath, it was hard to get too excited about it, or even really remember much about it afterward. This book is one of the most generic romances I’ve ever read, despite being set in both…

Danelaw by Susan Squires

Life in England during the Middle Ages was fraught with danger. Epona (Pony) finds herself caught between two warring factions – Vikings and Saxons. Pony is drawn into King Alfred’s war to dominate the land but her involvement with the Valgar, a Viking, will put all of her beliefs to the test. Valgar the Beast…

The Warrior’s Game

I’m probably one of the six people in America who will admit to liking junior high. Like anything, I thought it had its ups and downs, but most of the time I thought the melodrama and angst were kind of fun. That said, it’s not something I want to relive, and when I read a…

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