The Iron Warrior Returns is one of a number of medievals I’ve seen slowly making a comeback at Harlequin Historicals (new full-length mass market medievals remain elusive). Unfortunately, it isn’t a good example of the genre. Lord Robert of Penrith, his illegitimate half-brother Piers, and the miller’s children, Morwenna and Brian, were captured during an…
A Retro Review originally published on December 30, 1999 I was never much of a history student. Dry textbooks just didn’t hold my interest. Because of my love for adventure, intrigue and romance, much of what I’ve learned about medieval England has been gleaned from historical romances. I believe Roberta Gellis is one of the…
Although The Last Arrow can be read as a standalone, I don’t recommend it. There will be spoilers for earlier books in the Robin Hood trilogy in this review. In Through a Dark Mist, Lucien Wardieu (aka the Black Wolf; aka Lord Randwulf de la Seyne Sur Mer, champion of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine) plots…
Note: Although In the Shadow of Midnight can be read as a standalone, I don’t recommend it. There will be spoilers for Through a Dark Mist (Robin Hood #1) in this review. ItSoM begins with a prologue. After a failed attempt to reinstate himself as a claimant to the throne of England, Arthur, Duke of…
I’m currently having a love affair with medieval romances, and two recent blog posts (HERE and HERE) only fueled the fire. Friends, I’m also squarely in the Shana Abe camp: … if you insist upon immersing yourself in the nitty-gritty of everyday medieval life (and let me warn you, it isn’t pretty), go buy a…
I have never seen a medieval cover before that accurately depicted a heroine with her hair covered, and that raised my hopes that The Rebel Heiress and the Knight would be an immersive, well-researched experience. I’m sorry to tell you that the cover is the only thing I can praise about this dull, predictable, and…
Not too long ago, just as I was looking for more historical romance set outside the Regency, someone recommended I try Kris Kennedy. I read Claiming Her (because that’s what my friend recommended), and I liked it. A lot. I proceeded to go through most of Kennedy’s back catalog, and I liked quite a few…
Uncovering the Merchant’s Secret is a lot more tough-minded than the last two Hobbes novels I’ve read – and a lot darker. It’s also very entertaining, with the most fascinating heroine I’ve read about recently, and is set in a period I’ve not often come across in historical romance. While I didn’t quite feel the…
The Welsh Blades series is darker and significantly more complex than most of the historical fare I read; its heroines are strong and powerful – far from cookie cutter in every way. Clever, complicated and thought-provoking, each of the novels in the series has engaged my heart and mind in equal measure, staying with me…
As a fan of medieval romances, I’m so, so excited to have discovered this buried treasure. Venetian nobleman Dante Chiaveri’s parents were murdered by his grasping uncle, so Dante and his sister fled to England, where Dante grew up to fill the role of the King’s Assassin. Everything is in place for Dante to return…