Bogus Bride breaks my record of giving Harlequin Historicals at least least a passing grade. This one is an F. It takes an interesting premise and mucks it up quite badly. It is 1842. Ten years before, Englishman Sam Jardine left home for the New World after failing to live up to his father’s wishes…
Heart of the Dragon is Sharon Schulze’s debut novel, and this book maintains my reading record of Harlequin Historicals – I’ve never graded an HH less than a C. I’ve not awarded many DIK’s to books from the HH line, but quite a few B’s and some C’s. This is important only because I can’t…
When I went to my favorite bookstore today, I got into a conversation with my bookseller about True Heart. Like me, she was a tremendous fan of The Highland Rogue, the first in this series written by Arnette Lamb. Like me, she was disappointed in this book. We disagreed, however on how disappointed. She was…
If you are looking for a good medieval read, I’d suggest passing this one by. While the hero and heroine are heroic, the plot filled with twists, turns, and danger, the love scenes long and filled with imagery, I remained utterly disengaged throughout the entire read. How is this possible, you ask? Frankly, I’m not…
I enjoyed this book a great deal more than I enjoyed this author’s previous release, Just One Kiss. This time around, Samantha James has written a more subtle romance. Instead of offering up an alpha hero who didn’t show the heroine any reason why she ought to love him, she offers up an alpha hero…
Innocence Undone is precisely the type of romance I enjoy reading when I’ve read several bad books in a row. Not just because it’s a good read, although it certainly is. But because it features a traditional premise, albeit with some unique twists. And a nice, traditional story-line is always welcome; it brings me back…
Love Me Not features one of the best endings I’ve read in a romance. Does the rest of the book live up to it? Yes, and no. Mostly yes, but there’s a bit of no as well. This is the tortured and tortuous love story between Damien, Duke of Westbrook, and Lady Kathleen. Sworn to…
Elizabeth Mayne’s teaching background shines through in her use of historical accuracy in this tale of 16th Century Ireland. The sights, scents, sounds, and mysticism surrounding the green isle are all used here to good effect, but the author goes a bit overboard. This other-worldly quality tends to overwhelm the love story between Hugh O’Neill…
Well, A Love for All Seasons is definitely different. More historical fiction than romantic fiction, it focuses on the lives of those outside the realm of the knight, and follows the lives of the two protagonists from childhood through adulthood. Denise Domning has a penchant for writing differently than other romance authors. So, it is…
Maiden Voyage is a hauntingly sweet tale, with touches of humor, depth, and romance. These touches, however, were fleeting and surprisingly soft. The author’s subtle touch was a bit too subtle for me – I wanted stronger touches, more humor, more depth, and, yes, more romance. Judith O’Brien has written a ghost/reincarnation story set in…
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