Some authors write character based stories, some write plot based ones. Beatriz Williams writes great characters and places them within a gripping plot. Such is the case with her latest novel, Cocoa Beach. Although most of her books are standalones she is able to uniquely link her novels through a shared universe. Fans will probably…
I truly enjoy historical novels where I’m not only entertained by a well-written story, but I also learn about a part of history of which I had no prior knowledge. So I really appreciated seeing a bibliography at the end of three of the stories in this anthology – a welcome first, because I’m interested…
I have a confession. A reading confession: I don’t like ensemble casts in books. Every so often it works because the story being told is just so darn epic it needs a whole host of heroes and heroines. Think Lord of the Rings. But for the most part I prefer that the story concentrate primarily…
I have enjoyed some of Paula Marshall’s Regency trads published by Harlequin Historicals, including Lord Hadleigh’s Rebellion, which I reviewed for AAR. This novel, set in 1920s England, revisits descendants of some of Marshall’s Regency characters but the book stands alone. Jack Compton returned from the Great War to find himself and his circumstances greatly…
I love heroines who display spirit, backbone and intelligence with ease and elegance. That’s exactly what happened in this novel and I found myself completely enthralled by the story as a result. Rachel Woodley is working as a governess in Paris when the telegram reaches her: “Mrs. Woodley ill. Influenza. Immediate return advised,” it reads…
This was my first book by Simone St. James, but will definitely not be my last. The Other Side of Midnight was a refreshing tale of intrigue and suspense set in the unusual era of post WWI England. I love romantic suspense as well as historical fiction, and while I have read a few authors…
You know how sometimes you read the opening line or two of a book, and not only does it hook you immediately, but you can just tell it’s going to be a great read? Well, Night of a Thousand Stars is one of those books. It opens with Penelope Hammond, step-daughter of a rich American…
Lowe Magnusson returns to San Francisco with a mythical amulet that he recently unearthed in Egypt. Hadley Bacall is sent to secure it from him for her father, a museum curator. Hadley’s father had four crossbar pieces that went with the amulet, and he wants to assemble the whole shebang. Unfortunately, Hadley’s late mother bequeathed…
As a longtime fan of Ms. Willig’s Pink Carnation series, I had mixed feelings when I heard about this stand-alone novel. The historical portion set in post-WWI Nairobi sounded fascinating, but how would this stack up? And when I learned that there was a different narrator, I was even more nervous. No Pink Carnation? No…
Narrated by Pamela Garelick The print version of this has been in my TBR pile for ages but I decided to wait for the audio version to come out. Big mistake. If not listening for review, I would have stopped in the first hour and turned to the print version. I remain fascinated by this…
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