In Camelot’s Shadow is not a relaxing read. I was sitting on the edge of my seat for most of this book wondering how the lead characters could possibly prevail over the evil they had to overcome. I also have a confession: I really don’t know the “true” telling of Camelot. The last Camelot story…
Angel-Seeker is the sequel to Sharon Shinn’s wonderful novel, Archangel. Shinn’s subsequent books in this series, Jovah’s Angel, The Alleluia Files, and Angelica were solid reads, but not as satisfying for me personally, so I approached this one with hope but not expectation. Happily, I found it to be almost as good as Archangel and…
Although I can see that the author was trying for something fun and whimsical with this novel, ultimately all I felt reading it was frustration. Between the heroine’s too-stupid-to-live actions, an eight-year-old acting more like a fifteen-year-old, and numerous instances of coitus interruptus, it was too much for me and I heaved a sigh of…
My Secret Protector is a romance novel that entertains in spite of the romance, rather than because of it. This is a time-travel fantasy with some intriguing ideas and a story that gains momentum as it goes along. It also happens to work best when the love story is shoved into the background, which is…
Catching Midnight features the upyr, an immortal, shape-shifting, blood-drinking race. Although written about by no less than Tolstoy, Emma Holly first introduced the upyr to romance readers in 2002’s Fantasy anthology. As a fan of Ms Holly’s work, I had high hopes for a book that combines two sub-genres I also enjoy – vampire romance…
Heart of Fire is a paranormal romance about a fictitious country dealing with real historical events. Josie Litton did something similar (in concept, not in execution) with her Dream Island series. Heart of Fire, like Dream Island, owes much to Regency-set Historicals, even though its setting is imaginary. Lennox tossed aside the actual map of…
Josie Litton’s latest book stars the descendants of her first series, which I refer to as the Me books (Dream of Me, Believe in Me, and Come Back to Me). This story features a missing relative, a stowaway on a voyage to a mysterious island, and the secret of what really happened to the lost…
Though this is the much-awaited next installment in two paranormal series by Susan Krinard, I had a hard time getting through it. Quentin is a uniquely dark hero with unusual demons to slay, but his character is just about the only thing you can look forward to in this slow-moving and clichéd story. Set in…
Kate Fitzleger has been in love with Dr. Val St. Leger since she first laid eyes on him. There’s only one problem: the legend of his family is that any St. Leger who marries someone other than the person chosen for them by a Bride Finder will find tragedy. The current Bride Finder has announced…
Breaking the Rules is a different sort of Regency Romance. It is set in a small village and is mostly a fantasy in which the main characters find themselves recreating the lives of the characters in The Dream of Macsen Wledig, a Celtic manuscript which the heroine in translating. Even though this is not a…