Sir Richard has a problem. Everything about Isabel’s too blatant desire for him had been wrong – wrong in God’s eyes the world’s. She had been betrothed to his brother; therefore, she was his sister by marriage, her attraction for him both incestuous and adulterous. She had become a stone thrown against his honor and…
Despite plot problems, character inconsistencies, and a carload of anachronistic language, I ended up liking His Betrothed more than I thought. The quote on the cover vaunts this as a riveting emotional read. While it’s neither riveting nor emotional, it’s a quick read with a hero and heroine who really are a perfect match. Lady…
Lady Christiana Fitzwaryn is offended to discover that her guardian, King Edward III, has betrothed her to a merchant. If she knew the whole story behind that betrothal she’d be a lot more than just offended, I promise you. By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter is a rather dark, deeply romantic tale of secrets and lies,…
The Obedient Bride takes on the issue of Regency adultery and humanizes it with the depiction of two very different people caught in an arranged marriage. Many Regency Romances speak lightly of rakes and adultery among the aristocratic classes. Many have heroes who regularly bed married women. Few examine the darker aspects of the matter….
A few months ago, I had a brief online chat with author Karen Ranney after I had reviewed her last book, Upon a Wicked Time. She told me a bit about her upcoming release, My Beloved, and emphasized that she truly believed in the healing power of love to the point where her heroes always…
Many historical romance novels are the literary equivalent of a Renaissance festival – diverting, but bearing little relationship to actual history. With good reason: most people are not interested in seeing or reading about the dark and gritty side of life when they are seeking entertainment and escape, and there’s a lot of darkness and…
If I had to choose one author whose books I would take to a desert island, it would probably be Penelope Williamson. Her books really are buried treasures and, without exception, keepers for me. Her characters are explored in depth, her stories excel through the richly textured historical background, her writing is lyrical, and her…
Halfway through reading The Weaver Takes a Wife, I was tempted to stop and look again at the copyright notice, just to assure myself that I wasn’t reading a long-lost and recently rediscovered work of Georgette Heyer’s. This was a delightful read from start to finish, reminiscent of the writing that made me fall in…
Velvet Bond is my favorite Medieval Romance. It isn’t filled with Court intrigue or warriors and battles. Instead it is simply the story of an incredible romance between a man and a woman amidst the country setting of medieval Britain. Lord Raynor and Lady Elizabeth are forced into marriage by edict of the King after…