I have never before read a full-length Bertrice Small novel, though I have read an anthology contribution or two. I have, of course, heard much about them, and was looking forward to a great campy, sex romp of a book, with Tudor Court Intrigue as the backdrop. Well, there is very little romping and who…
I have long considered Patricia Potter to be a buried treasure. I’ve seldom seen her books discussed at any length, but she’s been out there for years, dependably writing thoughtful, entertaining books. While none that I’ve read have been DIKs for me, nearly all have been B level reads. That said, her latest book, Beloved…
While this was an easy, engaging read for me, the book suffered both from a surfeit of cardboard villains and too much fighting between hero and heroine for it to be a truly satisfying read. Most times, it’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly where I stop enjoying a book. Sometimes the events of the…
Legendary Warrior begins promisingly enough with an interesting set-up, a dark, tortured soul of a hero, and a heroine with a fascinating talent. Unfortunately, though, the journey quickly takes the main road, eschewing interesting twists for the predictable. At times, its larger-than-life drama and writing style made it seem as if it had been written…
Attention, readers in search of an exciting historical with a lush love story: have I got a book for you! Marsha Canham hits one out of the park with this gender-bending tale of pirates, spies, and love on the high seas. At the helm of her ship the Iron Rose on what’s supposed to be…
Kissed By Shadows was a smoothly written book. There was no laugh inducing purple prose and no awkward sentences jerked me out of my reading. Technically, I have nothing to complain about. Gentle Reader: “So why isn’t the grade higher”? O.K., I’ll explain. Lady Phillipa Nielson is a member of the Mary Tudor’s court. As…
When I hear the word “warrior” used to describe an historical hero, I expect certain things from him. I expect him to be arrogant, muscled, stubbornly sure of himself, intimidating, closed off from his emotions, willing/able to take on all comers in fights, able to accomplish the impossible, etc. What I don’t expect is for…
This book would have been so much better if the concepts of logic or credibility had been introduced into it. It’s a shame, because this probably could have been a decent read – or at the very least a pleasant diversion – with the addition of those two qualities. Without it, The Warrior Bride is…
As Captured By Your Kiss opens, Mona Musgrave, an Englishwoman of common birth, is about to be hanged for the murder of her abusive husband. She is saved when a mystical woman named Arlana, respected by all as the Keeper of the Bloodstone, appears and claims Mona as her apprentice. (The Bloodstone, in case you’re…
The publisher calls debuting author Elizabeth Holcombe’s Heaven and the Heather a “Highland Fling,” which is true in more ways than one. The word “fling” accurately describes the relationship between the hero and heroine, and also what I wanted to do to the book while I was reading it: fling it somewhere far away. Sabine…