After writing a number of very enjoyable stand-alone titles, Louise Allen has embarked on telling the stories of the members of a large family. In her case, it’s not a set of siblings, but of cousins. A family tree is printed right at the front of the book, which is a shame, because it contains…
Blythe Gifford’s latest historical romance is set in a most unusual period – Ghent at the outbreak of the Hundred Years’ War. That in itself would have drawn my attention, but in addition, Innocence Unveiled proved compelling and interesting, making much of this little-used setting. The historic background is as follows: Edward III of England…
A Passion For Him is the sequel to Passion for the Game. I haven’t read the first book in this series, but after reading this installment, I’ll be sure to pick it up. Amelia Benbridge is courting a longtime friend, the Earl of Ware, and one of London’s most eligible bachelors. She knows that it…
I almost passed on reviewing The Spymaster’s Lady. The cheesy cover (open ruffle-shirted hunk – yawn) and even cheesier title (oh, no – not another spymaster!) led me to believe that it would be yet another boring, cookie-cutter, Regency super-spy romance. I could not have been more wrong. Joanna Bourne hasn’t had a book published…
I am so glad I read this book. I had never read any of Beverly Jenkins’ novels before and didn’t know what to expect, but I came away from this story very impressed. Jenkins does a wonderful job of balancing passion, emotion, an exciting story, and a masterful command of history, and, while this did…
With her first book, The Runaway Duke, Julie Ann Long showed she could take an oft-told story and make it her own. She does it again with Beauty and the Spy, the first in a new trilogy. Yes, Kit Whitelaw, Viscount Grantham the hero of this book is yet another Regency era spy, but don’t…
Jane Feather is a longtime favorite of mine. Even when her books are not complete hits (Almost Innocent and the Duncan Sisters trilogy, there’s something about the strength of her writing that gets me every time. When she is on her game, she skillfully intertwines historical fact, intrigue, and romance in a way that is…
There are some key adjectives to describe this book: Dark, very dark, and did I mention dark? Seriously, anyone with an aversion to rape, torture, blood, violence and evil will need to avoid this book. I have a pretty high tolerance for violence, etc., and even I was a bit taken aback by some of…
Bodyguard Rescue is one of the more impressive series debuts I’ve read in some time. This may be Donna Young’s first release, but you’d never know it from the book itself, which outshines what many veteran authors are delivering these days. Roman D’Amato is an operative working for a top-secret, ultra-elite branch of the CIA….
Julie Kenner’s The Spy Who Loves Me features Phineas (“Finn”) Teague, a hero who’s dissatisfied with his law career and likes to slip into his alternate, pretend persona of Python, secret agent extraordinaire. When he begins following an attractive woman who he has cast as a villainess, his pretend life and real life collide. The…