An AAR Top 100 Romance originally published on April 15, 1998 Beauty and the Beast stories are favorites with many readers of romance novels. There is just something about the whole premise that lends itself to romance and resonates with readers in a way that other fairy tale archetypes do not. Ravished is a touching…
Whether described by Sappho — “she that far surpassed all mortals in beauty” — or Marlowe — “the face that launch’d a thousand ships” — there’s not a woman in literature more lovely than the famed Helen of Troy. In Ms. Thomas’s latest historical romance, Beguiling the Beauty, the allure of her heroine Venetia rivals…
Tessa Dare had me at hello. Or rather, at A Week to Be Wicked’s dedication, which reads: “For all the girls who walk and read at the same time.” Like the book’s heroine, Minerva…or me. For the record, I only walked into a utility pole that one time. And there might have been a few…
Occasionally I like to dip into Women’s Fiction, where the stories have sharper depictions of today’s real problems and less fairy tale-like resolutions than straight contemporary romances. Lisa Wingate’s Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner was an angst-filled read, but warmth and great comic relief tempered the angst. Single mother Lindsey is a…
Crazy Hot is the first book in a new Brockmann-esque series, and I found it pretty interesting. It’s essentially about a bunch of guys who work for a top-secret quasi-government agency affiliated with a garage. But not just any garage; the place they refer to as “Steele Street” has top-notch security and dozens of souped…
Silhouette’s Bombshell line didn’t get off to the best start, but it seems to have found its legs the last several months. Most of my favorites have been the action/adventure stories set in exotic locales. An Angel in Stone is that type of story, a cool read about competing fossil hunters racing through the jungles…
One Way Out is an enjoyable and suspenseful read centered around a unique subject and featuring interesting characters. That unusual subject matter may be a bit on the dry side for some, but those who like scientific forays with their romance will likely appreciate the author’s efforts. Cassie Ashton never intended to quit college and…
Someone Irresistible was an interesting and very sensual read. I suspect that Ashworth fans will not be disappointed in this latest offering. Professor Nathan Price suffered an extremely humiliating setback to his career two and a half years ago. An up-and-coming paleontologist, Nathan expected that he would receive accolades and a cushy scientific appointment after…