As a member of that group of romance readers who have grown tired of rehashed plot lines that were only marginally interesting the first time, archetypes as shorthand for “real” characters and happily-ever-afters that seem conjured from thin air, I’m an absolute pushover for a real love story between real characters whom I can actually…
I hadn’t read Gwen Bristow’s Jubilee Trail in several years, but for some reason I woke up early one morning with the book’s plot running through my mind. More a historical novel than a romance, it nonetheless has an interesting, intelligent heroine and a tortured hero who fears gratitude – especially from the heroine –…
Life-long friendship combines with hot sex to create a wonderful story with friends crossing the line and becoming lovers. Paul Candellano is the quiet and dependable Candellano brother who works as a computer programmer. Always there when needed for investment advice or a shoulder to lean on, he’s the perfect sibling. Except that he’s long…
Barbara Wood’s latest novel Sacred Ground is a complex tale of mystery, insight, and history, with strong characters both in the present and in the past. All aspects of the plot are involving, and if the suspense is lacking in some subplots, it’s more than adequate in others. Dr. Erica Tyler is an archaeologist for…
Here’s how good Bloodsucking Fiends is: I was reading passages out loud to a friend on a long bus trip when I realized that at least three rows of people around us had been silent for the last 40 miles, apparently listening in. I got embarrassed and drifted off (who was I to inflict my…
Crooked Hearts begins exceptionally well, with a gorgeous step-back cover illustration. The two lovers are sexy, they’re good-looking, and they match their text descriptions pretty well. Best best of all they both look like they’re having fun. The step-back sets the tone for the book perfectly – this is a high-spirited, sexy romp; one look…
Morgan Wakefield was taught by her embittered mother to trust no man. After her father’s death, a father she has never known, his will is read. She will inherit only if she marries a man and lives in the New Mexico territory for one year. Her greedy uncle, who will get everything if Morgan does…
“Oh, no,” I thought, when I got a copy of the uncorrected proofs for Sweeter than Wine. “Here’s a book that wasn’t good enough to be accepted by one of the mainstream publishers, and I have to slog through it.” I have rarely been more delighted to revise my initial impression. This is a marvelous…
Winter Heart is the mail-order bride story of handsome half-Native American rancher Tristan Fletcher and provocative poseur Dinah Odell. Their story is as uncompromising as the wild and harshly beautiful California mountain frontier of the 1870’s. Somewhat reminiscent of Sharon Ihle’s delightful The Bride Wore Spurs, Dinah masquerades as a nurse (for Tristan’s sister) rather…