This book has everything it needs to be a success and yet it left me feeling disconnected. In fact, there’s very little I could point out as being intrinsically wrong with the book, and yet it didn’t work. How’s that for a vague statement? The “everything it needs” includes: Heroine – Beth Simmons, an appropriately…
What a delightful book! I was charmed from the first sentence and I did not want this book to end at all. When I closed it, I wished for a sequel and I wanted that sequel immediately. I simply have to take I Do, I Do, I Do to the desert isle. In I Do,…
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…
In 1871, the city of Chicago burned to the ground in a catastrophe that was rumored to have been started by a cow belonging to Mrs. O’Leary. The Mistress, an exciting and original romance by Susan Wiggs, takes place during that fire and features Mrs. O’Leary’s daughter, Kathleen, as the heroine. Kathleen is a poor…
I admire the ability of some writers to use a setting to great effect in their stories, to make it almost a third character. This is the second book I’ve read this year whose setting is a natural disaster, and I really got into the story, learning how the characters reacted to the forces nature…
I’ve not read this author before, but my understanding is that she writes a more mainstream style romance – stories that have a lot more going on than just the relationship between the hero and heroine. In this manner, Painted by the Sun is no exception. Irish emigrant Shea Waterston is a lady photographer. Her…
Back in the Gilded Age, American Society gathered to meet, show off, and choose their mates at a place that was as exclusive and rule-bound as Almacks in the regency period. That place was Newport, Rhode Island. A Perfect Wife is set in Newport and several historical figures play roles in this fascinating novel. Anne…
An historical romance set in Cleveland?! Well yes, and it’s a refreshing change of pace from the old west settings of most American historical romances. For that reason alone, I was intrigued when I picked it up. In Name Only turned out to be not only intriguing but excellent – it’s one of the best…
Crooked Hearts begins exceptionally well, with a gorgeous step-back cover illustration. The two lovers are sexy, they’re good-looking, and they match their text descriptions pretty well. Best best of all they both look like they’re having fun. The step-back sets the tone for the book perfectly – this is a high-spirited, sexy romp; one look…
“You must lose something you can’t afford to lose, trust someone you have no reason to trust, and love someone with no hope of him ever loving you in return.” These are the words that eerily greet Cassie Bowen as she enters her Aunt Flora’s home in Lyman’s Gap, Pennsylvania. Quite an auspicious beginning and…