Reviews by Noelle Leslie de la Cruz
It's always something of a gamble when a romance novel contains paranormal elements. They might make a book more memorable than the typical conventional read, but if there are flaws, they tend to be more glaring. Katherine Stone's Star Light, Star Bright has an isolated fantasy aspect and a psycholo ...
In Loving Jessie, two childhood friends fall for each other. Despite this not-used-enough premise, the book suffers from sheer unbelievability. Some of the plotlines are too old-fashioned for a contemporary romance. Throw in weak characterization and blatant head-hopping and the result is a story th ...
On the surface, Abducted Heiress seems like a traditional period romance involving familiar elements such as warring nobles, an impregnable castle, and a guardian-ward relationship that spirals into passion. Thanks to a refreshing supernatural angle, the tale stands out. Too bad the same cannot be s ...
D+
Some romances entertain immensely when they present a different world, one that comes with its own creatures, social structures and norms, and characters who have paranormal powers. But while the world created by Robin D. Owens in HeartMate doesn't disappoint, the book itself is actually difficult t ...
I had certain preconceptions about this book, because judging from the advance copy I was given, it seemed to be "Women's Fiction" rather than romance. So I expected a lyrical profundity in the prose, as what you might experience in, say, Anita Shreve's writing - charming but not exactly what you'd ...
After several attempts on her life, a former beauty queen turned trophy wife is forced To Trust a Stranger. Unbeknownst to her, the man she's been married to for eight years has mob connections and a history of mysteriously-disappeared wives. The attractive stranger she falls for has a personal stak ...
Once in a while I come across a book that's first in a series, breeze through it, and keenly anticipate the next installment. Since The Border Bride appears to be Elizabeth English's debut book, I'm doubly impressed. Although I wasn't completely satisfied with the development of the characters' rela ...
I thought pirate romances went out some time ago, along with the clichés associated with them: forced marriages, family feuds, women who stamp their feet but are always out-maneuvered. Minus the raping hero, Night Shadow is a throwback to a time when headstrong heroines clashing with outlawed swash ...
It's got a charming hero and one unexpectedly humorous interlude. But between the nebulous back story and the two main characters' stubborn mistrust of each other, The MacGowan Betrothal couldn't hold my attention for more than thirty pages at a time. The year is 1535, and lovely Isobel Fraser ...
If there's a novelist whose hand with plot, character, dialogue, prose, sensuality, historical detail, humor, and emotion is very near perfect, I'd say without a qualm that it's Diana Gabaldon. Several books after the incomparable Outlander - the one that started it all - she can still produce a 1,0 ...