I hope that Regency Romance readers aren’t frightened away from this book by the dreadful cover. The hero and heroine are pictured outdoors. He looks like an underpaid model from the J.C. Penney catalogue, with his arm swinging up in a way that can only be called “dorky.” She’s worse; her dress is a green…
I am convinced that Carla Kelly doesn’t have it in her to write a bad book, or even a mediocre one, and her latest effort only confirms that impression for me. One Good Turn marks her return after several years’ absence from publishing, and it carries all her trademarks: complex and sympathetic characterization, an unflinching…
I have wished that more romance novels had South American settings, so when I found out that this book was a Regency Romance that took place partly in Peru (where I was born and raised) and had a Peruvian as a secondary character, I was intrigued. Let’s face it, your usual plot involving South American…
Sugarplum Surprises is exactly the type of book I hope to read when I open a traditional Regency Romance. It has a worthy heroine who is somewhat down on her luck, a noble hero (who is the furthest thing from a cad), a fun Bath setting, period detail (and period mores), an engaging plot that…
I’ve devised a method of rating characters in the books I read. It’s something I call Armstrong’s Patented Dinner Test, and here’s how it works. Ask yourself, “Would I enjoy sitting down to dinner with these people? Would I find the experience fascinating…maybe a little thrilling…perhaps even a touch dangerous?” Positive answers indicate the presence…
If you are fond of Regency Romances where the London Season is presented as a glittering round of balls, parties and fun, you will probably not like Allison Lane’s portrayal of it. In almost all of her books, the Season is presented as a pitfall for young women (and men too). They are prey to…
Mr. Montgomery’s Quest is one of those “okay” or “pleasant” Regency Romances. It’s competently written and doesn’t raise the hackles, but it’s not exactly a book one can get excited about. Charlotte Pelham is an unusual female who would like to be able to support herself after her mother’s recent re-marriage. The problem is that…
The Widower’s Folly was like the curate’s egg. Parts of it were very well done indeed, especially heroine Tessa Barlowe. The hero William, Lord Rivendale was a fairly pleasant character too, although he kept up his “I-am-not-going-to-fall-in-love-with-you” act for so long that it eventually became exasperating. And several of the secondary characters were likable, particularly…
The characters in Reclaiming Lord Rockleigh made this one of the most enjoyable Regency Romances I have read this year. Lord Rockleigh Conniston and Mercy Tavistock are not new character types – she’s a bluestocking and he is a rake – but they transcend their one-word descriptions and become very alive and engaging. I was…
As I read through this book, I kept stopping to wonder why I wasn’t enjoying it more. It’s not your typical Regency Romance; there are no house parties or endless speculation about the marriage mart. But I often enjoy Regencies that break the typical mold. The hero and heroine are both basically likable people. Finally…
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