Jackie Lau is a Canadian author writing diverse romantic comedy, something she definitely achieved in her first Kwan Sisters novel, Grumpy Fake Boyfriend. I thoroughly enjoyed that story about the romance that results when an introverted male science fiction writer does a friend’s sister a favor by playing her boyfriend for a beach weekend. In…
An AAR Top 100 Romance review originally published on April 07, 1999 If you want to read a book that comes as close to perfection as any historical romance, then pick up Flowers from the Storm. The story, the language, the emotional intensity: this book has everything. It’s Laura Kinsale at the top of her game…
In the three years or so that she’s been a published author, Virginia Heath has gone from strength to strength, having produced coming up for ten novels, all of which I’ve read, enjoyed and rated highly. A Warriner to Tempt Her, the third book in her Wild Warriners series, takes place around five years after…
Originally published in 1999, Lord St. Clare’s Angel is, on the surface, your basic fairy-tale type story of a plain-Jane who finds love with a handsome rake. But Donna Lea Simpson has turned that familiar plotline into something that transcends the trope. Our sometimes not-at-all likeable hero really IS a rake; a self-absorbed, all-round selfish…
Ruby Heart was the Olympian distance runner who lost everything by doping, and Micah Blackwell was the reporter who broke the story. Five years later, Micah (who is paraplegic) spots Ruby at an ultramarathon and wonders if who Ruby has become could be even better for his career – and for himself. Also, there’s a…
Pine Harbour, Ontario is the fictional setting for a small town contemporary romance series by indie author Zoe York. Some romances in this kind of setting veer into stereotypical territory – think gossipy neighbors, the coffee crowd at the local diner, high school sweethearts, etc.. This author has set her series apart by featuring tried…
WARNING: This book contains a main character with severe OCD who self-harms. If you find this subject matter triggering – even though the author handles it with tact – then this might not be a comfortable read for you. Proceed with caution. Everyone loves those Winston boys. And who can blame them? They’re funny, sexy,…
An AAR Top 100 Romance review originally published on August 16, 2006 It’s been some time now since I had a good cry over a book, but toward the end of Simply Love I had to get out several handkerchiefs. When Mary Balogh is on top of her game, she is hard to beat and…
I am at a loss to understand why Alissa Johnson doesn’t seem to get the same kind of attention afforded to the ‘big-name’ authors of historical romance. Every book of hers I’ve read has been superbly written, featuring well-drawn, three-dimensional characters, a well-constructed plot, subtle humour and a beautifully developed romance – yet for some…
I’m always on the lookout for books featuring competent, true-to-life characters with disabilities. Unfortunately, these aren’t as easy to find as one might think. So, when I heard about Not A Sound, the latest novel from author Heather Gudenkauf, I was eager to get my hands on it. Ms. Gudenkauf crafts wonderfully suspenseful novels, and…