Reading The Errant Earl was the romance equivalent of sitting down to a well-executed custard pudding. Not exactly haute cuisine, but a known quantity with a little extra something thrown in to make the experience enjoyable. And sometimes a little literary custard pudding is just the thing you’re looking for. Marcus Hadley hasn’t been home…
In Miss Tibbles Interferes, April Kihlstrom blends the traditional Regency romance with a cozy mystery. I am heartily in favor of any attempt to infuse Regencies with new vigor, but Kihlstrom’s book is, in fact, rather lifeless. Ariel Hawthorne spends her days assisting her father, Richard Hawthorne, who is a curator at the British Museum…
I picked up The Wedding Wish hoping for something light and fun. Instead I got shallow and silly, with plenty of typos thrown in for good measure. After a chapter or two I was not particularly engaged in the story, but my fingers were itching to fix everything with a red pen. Needless to say,…
While reading Romancing Mister Bridgerton was great fun, reviewing it is no picnic. Especially since readers at AAR expect a nicely detailed first-half of the book plot summary with every review. Well, in this case, I just can’t do it for one very good reason. Beyond the very basics of the plot, supplying any other…
Dear Diary, How can I find the words to express my deep disappointment with this book? I tried and tried to find something to like in it, but alas, I searched in vain. To the contrary, I found the plot contrived, the characterization flat, the dialogue inane, and the quality of the writing abysmal. My…
Tracy Grant’s newest release, Daughter of the Game, was not a keeper for me, but I did find it intriguing enough to seek out her backlist, and I’m glad that I did. Rightfully His was a most engaging read – exquisitely plotted, full of interesting, multi-dimensional characters, and drenched in moral conflict. If you’re looking…
A Debt to Delia scores a point for nice guy, “beta” heroes. Major Lord Tyverne (a Viscount who will be an earl someday, and who is known as Ty) isn’t a push-over, but he’s the kind of guy who does incredibly wonderful things for others. He’s convinced he is acting out of duty and honor,…
Miss Wilson’s Reputation could have been a fine little romance had it not been sidetracked by subplots and melodrama. Had Kirkland stuck to the romance story line and focused on the friendly characters, this would have been a recommended read. Unfortunately, too much is going on, which made for a much more average read. Harriet…
A Game of Patience started out strong but as the book progressed, it became increasingly difficult to read. The problem? An odd choice on the author’s part: she apparently decided that if saying something once is good, then saying it two or three times in different ways is even better. This not only applied to…
Stephen Wright, Viscount of Endicott, is appalled when he learns that his half-brother George has compromised the reputation of an innocent woman of good family. To win a bet, George kidnapped Miss Diana Somerville, not letting her go home until the next day. George has disappeared to the Continent, leaving behind a scandal that Stephen,…
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