Bertrice Small’s Rosamund is a romance novel only insofar as the author obviously assumes that we will all presumably fall in love with its eponymous heroine. Its storyline, incredible research and the promise (or threat?) that Rosamund’s story will be continued in the next book all speak of a family saga rather than a romance,…
John Black is a former doctor who gave up practicing medicine years ago and has since become a leader in the struggle against English rule. After years of fighting and negotiating, he’s decided to visit his friends Niall and Catronia Riordan (the protagonists of Seymour’s Rose in the Mist) for some much needed rest. But…
After reading His Bride I tried to remember the last romance I’d read that focused almost entirely on the relationship between the hero and heroine, and you know, I couldn’t think of one. So many current romances include a mystery, paranormal experiences, the dreaded evil villain – or all of the above. The result is…
Have you ever finished a book, closed the cover, and wondered to yourself whether you liked it or not? This is the dilemma I’m facing at the moment. In a word, I guess I’d have to say that Spellbound Summer is an unusual read (and doesn’t the title sound more like a series romance than…
By the end of this review, you might be wondering why I don’t pose the question, “why couldn’t this heiress have remained hidden?” I refrain only because I think there’s really room for only one person to be ridiculously obvious, and I will leave the field to Amanda Scott. To give the author her due,…
Sometimes same-old, same-old plotting is enough to kill a story, but other times it makes for a great comfort read. Tamed by Your Desire utilizes a favorite plot for writers of historicals set in Scotland – the family feud – and the hero and heroine at first glance seem remarkably stereotypical, as well. But what…
Shetland Summer is one of those books that I’m not going to remember in two weeks. It isn’t a bad book, but it isn’t a good book, either. A predictable plot coupled with forgettable characters make this a very average read. Gemma Sinclair is living in limbo. She attends Lady Margaret, the Earl of Orkney’s…
When I reviewed this book’s predecessor, His Betrothed, I thought it was a fairly average read. I guess I expected much of the same with His Scandal, but was very pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be something I can recommend without hesitation. While you needn’t have read His Betrothed to understand His Scandal,…
Rose in the Mist is certainly not a bad romance novel. It was a painless, mildly diverting read that went down quickly and easily. However, neither did it stay in my mind for any time after I read the last page. Niall Riordan finds himself in the unfamiliar court of Queen Elizabeth I, working to…
Secret Admirer takes place in Michele Jaffe’s patented Loony-Tunes Tudor England, which I became familiar with in this book’s companion, Lady Killer. In many ways both books are similar, but it lacks the light touch that made me enjoy LK in spite of myself. Lady Tuesday Arlington is the abused and demoralized wife of a…