Practice to Deceive This is the first book in the fantastic Patricia Veryan series, the Golden Chronicles, and early on shows all the promise that make every novel in this six-book series a Desert Island Keeper for me. I read it in a matter of hours when I first bought it and now I re-read…
This book had such an intriguing premise. It seemed to have elements of Outlander, one of my all-time favorite books, and Highlander: The Series, an entertaining television show that no longer airs. What I found was a story that had promise but ultimately took too long to engage my interest. Amber MacPhee wakes up in…
An ancient legend, passionate emotion, and wonderful detail make The Truelove Bride a memorable tale. The climactic ending slips a bit into the unlikely, but the sheer power of the romance between two magnetic personalities left me sighing with satisfaction as I finished the last page. Lady Avalon d’Farouche is the strong yet wounded result…
Teresa Medeiros is best known for her historical novels that span the time from Dark-Ages Ireland to Regency England. Her style is elegant and graceful and she can skillfully combine whimsy and angst in a way that few writers can. Try her Scottish novel A Whisper of Roses to see what I’m talking about. Teresa…
Before you all tar and feather me, please hear me out. I know this is a Julie Garwood Scots romance (her best sub-genre, in my mind) and we have all been waiting for this book for a long time (what was that For the Roses series about, anyway?). She can do no wrong in our…
I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover. A blue plaid kilt in the background and an ornate sword with roses tied to it gave me the impression this would be a story of battles and love won and lost. Happily, that first impression was right on the money! The Blood of Roses…
Susan Johnson achieves emotional involvement along with hot, hot sexuality in this historical. Although we associate this author with the latter quality in all of her books, we rarely use the term emotional when describing her work. In Outlaw, Johnson successfully portrays a deep emotional involvement between the hero and heroine without sacrificing any of…
What do you get when you mix a Celtic myth, feuding Scottish clans, and an English lord? A romance novel, Touch Not the Cat, by Tracy Fobes. Set in the Scottish Highlands during the 19th Century, this intriguing story brings to life the Celtic myth of the grimalkin, a wraith-like wildcat, supposedly the familiar of…
Touch Not the Cat has an intriguing premise. Centuries ago, the MacClelland clan murdered several members of the the McQuade clan. The McQuades put a curse on the MacClellands, which causes the MacClelland women to turn into grimalkins (giant cats) during the full moon, or whenever they are under the influence of strong emotions. The…
this review is by Arnette Lamb The first time I read Border Lord, I was about twelve. I fell in love with both the Border Lord (Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell) and Sir Patrick Galbraith; and I loathed the Earls of Morton and Maitland (the king’s wicked advisers and Bothwell’s worst enemies), and wondered…