As I began my first vampire/werewolf romance, I was a little skeptical. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the setting, plot, and characters Susan Krinard creates in Chasing Midnight. Allie Chase was the belle of Long Island society until she was stricken with a debilitating illness that left her wasting away and bedridden. Abandoned by…
On rereading Barbara Hambly’s Bride of the Rat God for the purpose of writing this review, I was surprised once more by what a truly superb novel it is. On rereading, I found new details to savor, ones that I had overlooked before because I had been too caught up in the excitement of the…
Edith Layton is no newcomer in the field of paranormal historicals, having written stories in the sub-genre before – the novellas Hounds of Heaven and The Last Gift (in A Regency Christmas VIII and A Regency Christmas Present, respectively). So when I picked up Bride Enchanted, I hoped that in the hands of an experienced…
For a debut novel, Heather Waters’ The Devil’s Possession isn’t bad at all. The writing is well done and the plot nicely developed. However, I found the characters weak – weak enough to make me put the book down at certain points in frustration. Faith Maitland stands to become the chieftain of the clan upon…
What is it about emotionally distant men that make my inner heroine stand up and take notice? Inner masochism? Love of a challenge? Bone-deep belief in the power of love? Whatever it is, it was on high alert through Nalini Singh’s third installment in her Changeling/Psy/Human world – Caressed by Ice. Ice follows the story…
I had this vague impression that Minda Webber wrote light-hearted paranormals. Little did I know that meant encountering bad jokes and glaring historical liberties in her latest book, The Reinvented Miss Bluebeard. Eve Bluebeard, the daughter of, yes, the notorious pirate Captain Bluebeard, abandons the pirate life for which he groomed her and decides to…
With so many paranormal romances being published, it’s hard to find plots and characters that are original and fresh. Julia Templeton’s Return to Me is fresh, due mainly to the secondary romance of the hero’s homosexual brother. Templeton has taken a chance here – and it works. Darius MacLeod, a 14th century Scot, would have…
Paranormal touches are very popular in romance right now and, as every romance reader knows, Regency-set historicals have been popular for quite a while. I’ve seen several books combining the two and wondered how well authors managed it. Sadly, Lost in Shadow combines some of the most tired Regency clichés with paranormal touches far too…
First of all, let’s call this series what it is: Regency Buffy. Now, if you’re as intrigued as I was when reading the review of last year’s The Rest Falls Away, the very good news is that what we have here isn’t a rip-off of that great television show, but instead something that takes the…
I’m definitely a little late to the party when it comes to Lucy Blue’s medieval vampire series. Starting with the third book was not the wisest decision, but once I got my bearings, I became completely engrossed – which shows Ms. Blue’s talent. Too bad she lost her contract with Pocket. * Roxanna is a…