I define a “Desert Isle Keeper” as a book that sticks in my mind long after I’ve read the last page, a book I’ll re-read and think about, one I’d recommend to all and sundry. Usually I can give someone lots of information about a DIK read – but not in this case. This is…
Lately, I’ve had trouble finishing books. I get in, get interested, then the middle sags or the story becomes predictable, I lose interest, and end up flipping through the rest of the book just to get it over with. Not so in the case of Jo Goodman’s More Than You Know. The book isn’t perfect,…
There’s a period of mourning that goes along with finishing a Mary Jo Putney book. She’s one of the few authors whom I wish would write longer stories. The China Bride is no exception to this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The prologue of The China Bride opens with the arrival of a strange Anglo-Asian…
Ah … who doesn’t like a tale of adventure and the high seas and of pirates and fair damsels? Generally, I do and I had high hopes for Capturing Annie but for me, it didn’t hit the mark. Annie Bonny, the heroine of the book, was born and raised on a pirate ship. The daughter…
The book I began my keeper shelf with was Once an Angel. Rereading it, I found out why. Seamless, lyrical prose (Medeiros is truly a word artist), an unconventional setting, touches of magic realism, and a hero and heroine who need each other so deeply, I felt the world might end if they couldn’t be…
A great book is a always a welcome find but one recommended by a friend is even better. My Love, My Enemy is this kind of book. When her name was first mentioned to me, I thought, “Jan Cox Speas – who”? Now I think, “Jan Cox Speas – great author”! Everything about her writing…
Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn is offended to discover that her guardian, King Edward III, has betrothed her to a merchant. If she knew the whole story behind that betrothal she’d be a lot more than just offended, I promise you. By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter is a rather dark, deeply romantic tale of secrets and lies,…
On a Long Ago Night is the type of romance you can really sink your teeth into. It’s lush, exotic, and passionate – in a good way. It’s primarily set in England in 1838 (around the time of Queen Victoria’s coronation), but there are frequent flashbacks to Algiers in 1830. Partly because so much of…
Although I can’t give it an unqualified recommendation, Night Secrets is an entertaining book. Unfortunately it includes one of my major pet peeves, a heroine who is much, much too young for the hero. As a result, I often squirmed, even as I was whizzing through it. It doesn’t help that the hero takes advantage…
I hope I won’t need my fire extinguisher, but here goes – I found the romance in Titanic to be contrived and artificial. So when I began this book, a romance set aboard another real life doomed sea voyage, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Thank goodness Brenda Hiatt created the characters of Kent and…