When Spencer Ashton was murdered, he left his family affairs in a fierce tangle. He had three families by three different wives (one of whom he never bothered to divorce) and an illegitimate son by one of his lovers. The Dynasties: The Ashtons miniseries has been all about marrying off the various Aston offspring. Savor…
Yes, it’s true. AAR reviewers are not fond of writing C reviews. Christiane Heggan’s Now You Die perfectly illustrates why. When the biggest reaction a book provokes is an indifferent shrug of your shoulders or mildly raised eyebrows at a bit of plot inanity, there’s just not that much to say. So, instead of trying…
A decent hero falling for a spoiled, self-centered heroine is always a stretch for me when reading romance, but a premise I can accept if the heroine is allowed to mature and become more gracious within the course of the story. But if that character growth is missing for the majority of the book, I…
I’ve been aware of Leslie LaFoy for awhile now as her recent books have garnered good grades from my fellow reviewers. The problem is, I’m not too keen on Regency historicals or spies. So when I saw she was now trying her hand at category romance which is more my cuppa, I jumped at the…
Red Hot Santa is a collection of four romantic suspense tales set during the holiday season. Each of the heroes works for an elite agency specializing in “victimization prevention.” Unfortunately (or perhaps quite fortunately), each of the heroines finds herself in need of some personal protection for Christmas.
When Horses Fly, with its interesting premise and admirable heroine, didn’t live up to its promise. It started well, but lost steam as the story progressed. Cora, an impecunious young woman, offers her household and nursing skills to elderly relatives in exchange for room and board. After her latest patient’s death, she travels to a…
Rashi’s Daughters: Book One – Joheved is a book I never would have picked up had I not received it, more or less by default, for review. Though there are notable exceptions, generally speaking I’m not a big fan of straight historical fiction. And this book is set in mid-11th-century France and revolves around a…
A Fine Passion features an overblown writing style and a lack of internal conflict. Unfortunately, the external conflict didn’t compensate, and while the hero and heroine weren’t poorly drawn, neither were deep characters. Seven years ago, Lady Clarice Altwood was banished to the country by her disapproving father after she refused to choose a husband…
Games of Pleasure is that frustrating thing – a pretty good book that could have been a better one. In this case, the fly in the ointment is a nauseatingly self-sacrificing heroine who, believe it or not, manages to be one of the most annoying “I’m not worthy” types I’ve come across in a while….
Richard Stanton, the Earl of Stoke, is an ex-Army Captain who recently inherited his gamester father’s title. During the past year he has tried to untangle the estate’s finances and keep his young brother out of the gaming hells. The gambling gene runs rampant in the family and Richard works hard at not succumbing to…
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