The Nightingale’s Song is author Kathleen Eschenburg’s debut book, and as debuts go it is quite encouraging. Taken as a whole, though, it’s no more than average; the pacing is off, especially in the first half of the book, and the hero and heroine engage in some aggravating behavior towards the end. Still, there are…
Sophie’s Heart qualifies as one of the most frustrating books I’ve read in a long time. The story is interesting and at times, highly engaging, but there are a number of inconsistencies and so many preachy moments that I couldn’t enjoy it. These inconsistencies, which forward the plot at the expense of character, and the…
If you’re tired of the same old westerns and regency-set historicals, you might find a respite in Tracy Sumner’s Tides of Love. Set in turn of the century North Carolina, this book has a strong sense of place, and it’s a place and time we don’t often see. Adding to the originality is the hero’s…
One of the reasons I seldom read American westerns is because the characters and situations are so consistent. The cowboys, ranchers, spinsters and schoolmarms, all seem to have been born and raised on the prairie or on the plains. I wonder where the immigrants are. Willa Cather or Laura Ingalls Wilder often wrote about the…
I am thankful for buzz. Good or bad, it often draws my attention to books I’d otherwise overlook. There was so much buzz about the horrid cover of Rio Grande Wedding that I couldn’t resist picking it up when I spotted it to see whether it lived up to its bad rep. Yikes, it was…
Honey is a sweet slice of late Victorian Americana. It deftly mixes comedy and angst and features a spunky (but ladylike) heroine and a strong (but tortured) hero along with a fine group of supporting characters. Best of all, for a sports lover like me, most of the book takes place during the baseball season…
Despite promising sparks early in the book, The Brightest Flame fails to live up to its name, ending with more fizzle and smoke than fire. Lively but shallow characters with questionable ethics, writing that glows lavender, and an implausible plot filled with invented conflicts left me burned out long before the end. The year is…
The blurb of The Long Way Home, the newest in Jove’s Friends line, proclaims “When it comes to matters of the heart, you can always trust your friends.” Wouldn’t you say that sets up certain reader expectations? It’s unfortunate this book was included in this new marketing strategy because none of these expectations were met….
After reading a string of mediocre books, it was a great relief to read Pale Moon Rider. Marsha Canham has written a real winner here, with believable characters – not an evil sister in sight – and lots of suspense. Also, while it deals with dark subjects, like the French Revolution, it isn’t a downer….
I’m warning you, Patterns of Love is the worst kind of Romance. What, you say? Why, you ask? To begin with, there’s not one arrogant rogue, no heaving bosoms, no dysfunctional lust-crazed step-cousins lurking in the shadows bent on ravaging our feisty heroine, no forced seductions (ok, my favorite kind), nor any characters named Quirt…
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