As long as I’ve been reading romances, I’ve never read a Harlequin Presents. Yes, I know they are very popular, but the titles are so off -putting, and I don’t find ultra-rich, ultra-macho Greeks/Italians/Sheiks/Royalty all that romantic. But I thought I’d try one just to see what the fuss is all about and asked to…
His Convenient Virgin Bride has snappy dialogue, a compelling setting, and sympathetic characters. It also has clumsy phrasing, underwritten subplots, and a dumbass leading couple. All of which plant us firmly in C-ville. Stephanie Ryder is a horse lady, which is absolutely appropriate considering her surname. At the enlightened age of twenty-two she not only…
One of my more recent arrivals at the library was an eight-book Harlequin Presents bundle, and I dig one out when I need to blob for a few hours. The last book was The Magnate’s Indecent Proposal, and to say I was surprised is an understatement. Frankly, if all HPs were this good, they wouldn’t…
I expected to like A Wedding at Leopard Tree Lodge more than I did. It has an edgy heroine (purple streaks in her hair) with a mysterious past, and a really cool setting; if you’re sick of the same old, same old, you can hardly beat Botswana for exotic. Unfortunately, I never really warmed to…
An Unexpected Father had a lot of potential, but ultimately was just too light on romance for me to recommend. Mimi Green and her nine-year old son Jack are back home living with her parents in Crab Creek, Maryland. Mimi spent the last ten years trying to succeed as a musician, moving from town to…
Janice Kay Johnson has written some of my favorite series romances, so I begin each one with high expectations. Match Made in Court did not disappoint, capturing my interest from the first page. Within a few paragraphs of reading about the hero and heroine, I felt that I knew and liked them both. Linnea Sorenson…
After I had finished reading Too Hot to Handle by Nancy Warren, the word that seemed best to sum up my impression of the book was adorable. It is funny, sexy, and romantic. And it combines the glamour of the 1940s with a firm grounding in today’s world. I loved it. Alexandra Drake is a…
I enjoyed Housekeeper’s Happy-Ever-After, finding it to be a fast read with a complex hero and heroine, but I was left wanting a bit more interaction between the two. If we had a category in the AAR Annual Reader Poll for most tortured heroine, Ellie Bond would get my vote, hands down. Nearly four years…
Memoirs of a Millionaire’s Mistress features an intriguing mix of old-school Harlequin Presents premise and more modern characters. The heroine really is the hero’s kept woman to a certain extent, but the story has a much more contemporary feel than it sounds. Though uneven in spots, I found it basically a fun read and I…
Although there are few romances I’ve come across with a celebrity as a leading man, I find the premise an attractive one. Do I want to read about an egomaniac who is intent on being famous? Not really. But give me a male celebrity retiring from the game and I’m willing to give it a…
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