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…
A Midsummer Knight’s Kiss gives Elisabeth Hobbes another solid notch in her quiver of appealing romances. While I liked this one less than her phenomenal last novel, she still produces a fine romance that, even with its problems, will make readers happy. Back when they were kids, Rowenna – Ro – Danby and her cousin…
An AAR Top 100 Romance originally published on September 30, 1999 Whenever I start reading a book by Laura Kinsale, I expect an intense and compelling read, a complex love story that’s usually on the darker side, and at least one tortured protagonist. This mixture may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is…
Medieval stories have long been a favorite of mine, yet they seem to have fallen out of favor with publishers. And the few recently published ones I have read I considered lackluster at best. To my most pleasant surprise, Lindsay Townsend’s latest did not fall into this category. When Edith’s overlord Giles feared the pestilence,…
There are defining texts in many of romance’s subgenres for me: Novels that may be among the first I read in a subgenre, but, more important, encompass for me all that is fascinating about the subgenre. For historical novels (or romances) set in the Middle Ages, among these texts are the Margaret of Ashbury books…
If you’re on the hunt for something different, a mute albino papermaker in Medieval France is a heroine who doesn’t come along too often. Though Watermark, like many debut novels, seems a bit unpolished, the story is still an engaging one and gives readers an indelible picture of a tumultuous era. When Auda is born,…
Of course I bought Mistress of the Monarchy by Alison Weir because of Anya Seton’s historical novel Katherine. I love the novel, and I thought it would be deeply interesting to take a closer look at its main characters from a historian’s point-of-view. I was not disappointed. The love story of Katherine Swynford and John…
Blythe Gifford’s latest historical romance is set in a most unusual period – Ghent at the outbreak of the Hundred Years’ War. That in itself would have drawn my attention, but in addition, Innocence Unveiled proved compelling and interesting, making much of this little-used setting. The historic background is as follows: Edward III of England…
As historical fiction, I really liked this book. As a historical romance, however, I was somewhat disappointed. Notorious is set at the time of the turbulent reign of Edward II, a period of great political strife and intrigue, and revolves around the relationship that develops between Brianna de Beauchamp and Wolf Mortimer. To set the…
Historical romances have always seemed more incredibly romantic to me than any other subgenre because there is just something about a big meaty historical saga that fires my imagination. However, a good historical must have not only a well-told story but also must have characters who capture the reader’s heart. If one of these elements…