Stevie‘s review of Queen Elizabeth’s Daughter: A Novel of Elizabeth I by Anne Clinard Barnhill
Historical Fiction published by St. Martin’s Griffin 18 Mar 14

The Tudors always strike me as being rather under-represented when I’m looking for lightweight historical romances to read, being generally overshadowed both by the Regency period (for historical romance) and by weightier volumes covering the era or the fictionalised love lives of the most powerful members of the various monarch’s courts. So I was very pleased when this book came up for review, although a little nervous after some of my less-than-stellar encounters with historical romances by new-to-me authors. Fortunately, this one doesn’t disappoint.

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Veena’s review of Rekindled (Titanium Security, Book 5) by Kaylea Cross
Paranormal Romance published by Kaylea Cross 16 Jan 14

This book is the concluding novel in a fast-paced series that brings us up close and personal to a master terrorist who is spearheading terrorism around the globe. An elite team of intelligence and military operatives have worked against the clock to bring him down at the cost of heavy casualties. Unfortunately, before they can even take a deep breath of relief, he masterminds an escape out of captivity. Now he’s like a cornered wolf who wants revenge against the people who contributed to his capture, especially Alex Rycroft, the lead NSA agent who’s managed to stay on his back, finally bringing him down. Hold on to the edge of your seats, this is definitely a thrill ride, as Malik discovers Alex’s vulnerability and executes his revenge.
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Veena’s review of Sheikhs Scandal (The Chatsfield, Book 1) by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 15 Apr 14

This book kicks off a multi-author series featuring the Chatsfields. Aaliyah Amari is the illegitimate daughter of Gene Chatsfield. With her mother’s death she wants to find a way to connect with her father, so she takes up the position of a chambermaid at his flagship hotel in London. The Chatsfield London is going to open their doors to a lot more than her father for Liyah Amari.
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C2’s review of Three Weeks with Lady X by Eloisa James
Historical romance published by Avon 25 Mar 14

Hi! Yup, two reviews close together…but don’t get spoiled or build up your expectations, Faithful Reader. I’m shifty and capricious – like the wind! An aside: see what reading romances does for you? It helps you use words like “capricious” correctly (mostly).

You’re wondering why I’ve called you here today, I’m sure. It’s so I can tell you all the reasons you should hurry along and read Eloisa James’ newest book, Three Weeks with Lady X. First of all, it’s Eloisa James! You know she’s fab! But there are other reasons……O Faithful Reader, you know I loves me some witty banter and this book has the banter IN SPADES. Yay! Also, letters between the hero and heroine? Yes, please!

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Veena’s review of Night Diver by Elizabeth Lowell
Romantic Suspense published by William Morrow 08 Apr 14

Ms. Lowell is an author who has spelled ROMANCE for me since the day I graduated from children’s books and started reading this genre. I used to go to a little bookstore in Thousand Oaks where the bookseller would offer me new authors based on my Elizabeth Lowell yardstick. What appeals to me the most about her writing is the unfolding love story between the two protagonists, the inside story about what makes them tick, the witty conversation that I wish I could remember and use in my own interactions, and, to top it all, mystery and suspense. While the story is very true to the author’s style, it does follow a pretty predictable course with a few surprises lurking in corners to the keep the blood flow going. Read the rest of this entry »

Liviania’s review of Love and Other Scandals (Scandals, Book 1) by Caroline Linden
Regency romance published by Avon 30 Jul 13

I have a massive soft spot for Caroline Linden since she is one of the first romance authors I ever read.  Luckily, her books rarely require me to lean on that soft spot.  Her recently completed series, The Truth About the Duke, was rather intensely plotted – there was quite a bit going on in every book.  Love and Other Scandals is a lighter, more lively affair.  There’s very little to it aside from the romance between Joan Bennett and Viscount Tristan Burke.  Luckily again, it’s a good romance.  But maybe I shouldn’t say lucky, since it’s all due to Linden’s writing. Read the rest of this entry »

Sandy M’s review of The Collector by Nora Roberts
Contemporary Romance published by Putnam Adult 15 Apr 14

I doubt there’s a superlative, adjective, or any string of words that haven’t been used to describe Nora Roberts’ books over her very long career. Though I’ve been reading her work for quite a while now, there was a few years I didn’t, only because I discovered other authors I wanted to try. But when I had the opportunity to review The Next Always, the first book in her Inn Boonsboro trilogy, in 2011, I realized what I’d been missing for so darned long and I haven’t looked back, reading every release since that time. Doesn’t matter what she writes – romantic suspense to paranormal – Nora Roberts is one of the very few of the best in romance, as her latest book,  The Collector, shows us once again.

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Veena’s review of Silver Skin (Cold Iron) Book 2 by D.L. McDermott
Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Star 14 Apr 14

I love strong women protagonists and Helene Whitney definitely fits the bill. Her character, coupled with a strong emotional centuries-old hero, just turned me into a mass of goo. I am so glad to have discovered this fantastic new voice and sorry to have started at Book 2, not just because it would have been nice to read the books in order, but mostly because I could have found her that much earlier. Read the rest of this entry »

Stevie‘s review of Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen
Historical Fiction published by Sourcebooks Landmark 21 Jan 14

It’s not often I give up on a book, but in this case I struggled to make the halfway point before deciding that life is too short and precious a thing for me to waste any more of it reading a story I really didn’t get on with. Still, I’m sure I learned valuable lessons about what does and doesn’t work for me in a novel in the process, and thus I am hopefully a better person for the hours I spent on it.

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Sandy M’s review of Texas Hold’em (Hotter in Texas, Book 3) by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance published by Hachett Book Group 28 Jan 14

I absolutely love the way Christie Craig meshes humor with romantic suspense, along with all the denial and angst a man goes through when it’s beginning to dawn on him there’s a possibility he can be shackled by a woman. Of course, if he’ll listen to his heart instead of the panic that sets in, life wouldn’t get so complicated for a while. But then we wouldn’t have a fun and lovable story to read.

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C2’s review of Between the Devil and Ian Eversea (Pennyroyal Green, Book 9) by Julie Anne Long
Historical Romance published by Avon 25 Mar 14

Ahoy The Pond! Have you missed me?? (I thought of slinking in silently but…pffft!) Sometimes life happens, so I’ve been away for a while. Also, sometimes reading slumps happen – ack! the dreaded S-word! – but I’m working through that. And books like Julie Anne Long’s latest, Between the Devil and Ian Eversea, help ever so much. Onward!

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Stevie’s Duckies Do Series review of The Weekday Brides Series by Catherine Bybee
Contemporary Romance published by Montlake Romance

I really shouldn’t have enjoyed this series as much as I did. The first book in particular made some glaringly wrong assumptions about the British aristocracy and inheritance laws, most of which could have been quickly fixed by Googling (My review copies of the first two books were the self-published versions and I noticed that the errors had been fixed in the third and fourth books, so maybe the republished first two have had the same fixes applied). On the other hand, I do like the central premise of the series as a whole: a matchmaking service that places couples together on entirely non-romantic criteria. This being Romancelandia, some of those carefully matched couples can’t help falling in love in spite of the rules, of course, and that’s part of the fun of the series.

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Veena’s review of Silence of the Wolf (Werewolves, Book 13) by Terry Spear
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 04 Mar 14

I’ve read and enjoyed many books by Terry Spear before, but this one did not do anything for me. I know that the paranormal genre lets the author stretch their imagination along with the reader, but meeting each other and being attracted in one day to move to mated and expecting in less than a week, that’s too big a stretch for even me.

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Sandy M’s review of Where Aspens Quake by Tory Cates
Contemporary Romance published by Simon and Schuster Digital Sales 25 Mar 14

From the title to the cover to the blurb of this book, I had high hopes for it being a good emotional read. Once I started reading, however, I had the feeling maybe this was a debut book. Not so, I found out. Having not read any of Tory Cates’ previous books, I couldn’t put my finger on anything other than the fact the characters fall short of being sympathetic, no matter how likable they may be, and the story doesn’t live up to the blurb at all.

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Stevie‘s review of Thrown for a Curve (Perfect Fit Series, Book 2) by Sugar Jamison
Contemporary Romance published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 25 Feb 14

I wanted to like this book, I really did, and it had some good points: mostly in the form of the heroine’s grandmother and their dog in the first part of the book and then the hero’s father towards the end. However, I failed to warm to either of the main characters, and the series of external conflicts they faced just seemed to be piled on one after the other for no good reason. On top of which, there was a series of Big Misunderstandings, all of which could have been fixed by hero and heroine talking to each other like grown-ups.

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