The premise of Call Home the Heart, centering on a young widow and her estate manager as they try to rebuild an impoverished estate in 19th Century Ireland is an interesting one. While this book has its strengths, it also has far too many rough spots to garner a recommendation. The novel opens dramatically as…
Lawrence of Arabia meets Sylvia Pankhurst? Though this is the Victorian rather than the Edwardian era, the idea of a be-robed English soldier and fiery suffragist falling in love in Egypt is undoubtedly an intriguing one, and one ably executed by Melody Thomas. Brianna Donally, a photographer, and her sister-in-law, Lady Alexandra, a renowned archeologist,…
Make no mistake about it: Adele Ashworth is back. Elegantly written, refreshingly adult, and over-the-moon erotic, Duke of Sin marks the author’s return to form in a very, very big way and, to put it simply, I loved it. How did I love it? Let me count the ways. I loved the pleasingly authentic Victorian…
We meet Faris Nallaneen, the gawky eighteen-year-old duchess of Galazon, just as she arrives as a new student at Greenlaw College, a finishing school in northern France. Faris was sent to school against her will by her uncle Becker, who is ruling the independent duchy of Galazon in her absence. Faris is deeply annoyed at…
I really wanted to like Rebel Baron. It’s got a beefcake cover (if you’re going riding in Victorian England, you might as well leave your shirt unbuttoned, right?), but I noticed early on that the author had researched the period and knew her stuff. That’s something I always admire in a romance. Unfortunately, the book…
There were a great many unique ideas in Midnight Angel that I enjoyed. However, as I continued reading, the heroine grew annoying, parts of the storyline became cliched, and the villain turned into cardboard. <!– var browName = navigator.appName; var SiteID = 1; var ZoneID = 4; var browDateTime = (new Date()).getTime(); if (browName=='Netscape') {…
Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman is one of those books that you sometimes find in a used bookstore and buy without really knowing why. I think my guardian angel must have drawn my attention to it in the store because it’s now my favorite love story ever. I first read this book while on…
Beyond Sunrise is a rip-roaring adventure romance that keeps its hero and heroine hurtling from one dramatic and exciting moment to the next for most of its 423 pages. If that were all it was, it would be one terrific read. But Candice Proctor somehow manages to blend action, excitement and thrills with passion, emotion…
Sophie Haversham is an impoverished gentlewoman who can sometimes see the future in her dreams. This time, she has seen an image of a violent murder that she wants desperately to prevent, but when she goes to the police to report her vision, Sophie discovers that the victim she foresaw is none other than one…
Linda Madl’s Silk and Secrets is a flawed but fun Victorian romance with a very old-fashioned feel to it and strong Gothic overtones. <!– var browName = navigator.appName; var SiteID = 1; var ZoneID = 4; var browDateTime = (new Date()).getTime(); if (browName=='Netscape') { document.write('‘); document.write(”); } if (browName!=’Netscape’) { document.write(‘‘); document.write(”); } // –>…