A Retro Review originally published on October 11, 2013 My tolerance for treacle tends to be low, so it probably surprises no one when I say that small-town contemporaries tend to be a mixed bag for me. Happily for me, The Christmas He Loved Her ended up being both a wonderful read and something beyond…
It takes extraordinary authors to make extraordinary books out of ordinary people. Fortunately, Cara McKenna has what it takes. Erin Coffey earned her LPN while nursing her dying grandmother, so Larkhaven Psychiatric Hospital is her first professional position – one she only took to be close to her disastrous sister and beloved nephew. Kelly Robak…
Risk Aware is part of the Saugatuck Summer world, but is a totally standalone novel. This is a very readable romance, which considering the subject matter, is not overly heavy on the angst. A contemporary m/m romance with some very well thought out and imaginative BDSM elements, the title refers to the kink world’s mantra…
Over the years, Kim Harrison’s name has come up numerous times in conversations about urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Admittedly, I didn’t pay a lot of attention since the synopsis of the first book in The Hollows seemed kind of fluffy, not something I’d care much about. Then, The Drafter was published, and I took…
There are times when I’m glad a particular book I’m reading is a review book. Why do I say that? Well, some books just don’t start off well but if I get past the first few chapters, I end up feeling very glad that I read the whole thing. A Bollywood Affair is such a…
A story about the love of a father and his son as much as one about romantic love between two men, this is a superb example of Grey’s command of the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary. For readers who wonder what gay romance is all about, this is an excellent place to start reading. Single…
As Kill Me if You Can opens, we learn that home renovator Tish Amble has returned to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for her newest job – the cabin where she spent part of her childhood. The narrator takes the reader on a fascinating journey in which the mysteries of Tish’s past start creeping into…
Last year I discovered Karen Templeton and glommed her books. I enjoyed all of them, fell in love with the town of Spruce Lake, Michigan, where most of them are set, and put her on my automatic buy list. When I began What A Man’s Gotta Do, I was happy to see it takes place…
I like Jennifer Greene. She’s written several category romances I’ve very much enjoyed, most notably Kiss Your Prince Charming. I also appreciate that she often sets her books in Michigan, my home state. Greene’s first single title release from Avon, The Woman Most Likely To…, is set in Michigan. Greene does an excellent job at…
2002 has not been a good year for me when it comes to series romances. I have been cowboyed, secret babied and sheiked to the point where even my easy going self is about to scream “enough already!” One day at the used bookstore, I went on an extended browse and settled on Karen Templeton’s…