REVIEW: Possessed by the Highlander by Terri Brisbin

Sandy M's review of Possessed by the Highlander (The MacLerie Series, Book 4) by Terri Brisbin
Historical Romance published by Harlequin Historical 1 Aug 08

I'm a huge Scottish Highlander fan. I love'em big, braw, alpha, and claymore-wielding. Imagine my surprise when I ended up loving the hero of this book just as much, although he's the peacemaker for his clan. He is definitely a warrior, as all men of his era were, but he is also a man known for his use of words, patience, and negotiation. Of course, I also love a hero who shows his sensitive side, protects his woman at all costs, and that is definitely Duncan MacLerie. Read more

Tags: 2008, August 2008, Grade A, Harlequin Historical, Historical Romance, Possessed by the Highlander, Review, Sandy M, Terri Brisbin, The MacLerie Series

Review: Taming the Highlander by Terri Brisbin

Holly's review of Taming the Highlander by Terri Brisbin
Historical romance published by Harlequin Historical 1 Jul 06

Although I enjoy historical romance novels, lately I've been disappointed in the majority of the ones I've read. I realized the other day the reason for my disappointment stems from the fact that I have a hard time suspending disbelief over some of the situations the characters find themselves in. Basically, I don't think the novels I've read recently have been in keeping with how I think historical times really were. While that doesn't always bother me, I think I've just been craving something a little more realistic. Terri Brisbin did an excellent job, in my opinion, of staying true to the times. It was very refreshing and just what I was looking for. Read more

Tags: Grade A, Harlequin Historical, Historical Romance, Holly, July 2006, Review, Taming the Highlander, Terri Brisbin

It is a Weekend of Anthology Goodness

TGTBTU has the pleasure of presenting (three or four) up coming Harlequin Historical anthologies for you to add to your 'I WANT' list:

Hallowe'en Husbands: "Marriage At Morrow Creek," "Wedding At Warehaven," "Master Of Penlowen" by Lisa Plumley, Denise Lynn, Christine Merrill (we will have their guest posts this weekend as well).

The Magic Of Christmas: "A Christmas Child," "The Christmas Dove," "A Baby Blue Christmas" by Carolyn Davidson (sniff don't think she is coming), Victoria Bylin (guest 6/25/08), Cheryl St.John (guest 6/23/08)

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Tags: Annie Burrows, anthology, Carolyn Davidson, Cheryl St.John, Christine Merrill, Denise Lynn, Hallowe'en Husbands, Jillian Hart, Julia Justiss, Lisa Plumley, One Candlelit Christmas, Terri Brisbin, The Magic of Christmas, Victoria Bylin

30 Days 30 Knights: Can You Do That In a Harlequin Historical?

by Terri Brisbin

I got the idea for this posting from Deb Marlowe’s about breaking the rules in Regency romances. In reading that and thinking about my own books, I realized that most of my books have broken rules that lots of readers and writers think apply to Harlequin Historicals. What do you think?? Have you heard these before?

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Tags: 30 Days & 30 Knights, Guest Post, Harlequin, Harlequin Historical, June Harlequin Spotlight, Terri Brisbin

HH Book Alert: Possessed by the Highlander by Terri Brisbin

Possessed by the Highlander by Terri Brisbin. This Highlander goodness comes to us from Harlequin Historicals 1 August 2008. Read on for a summary and a peek between the covers...

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Tags: August 2008, Book Alert, Excerpt, Harlequin Historical, Possessed by the Highlander, Terri Brisbin

Review: The Duchess’s Next Husband by Terri Brisbin

Sybil's Review: The Duchess's Next Husband by Terri Brisbin

Adrian, Duke of Windmere, has the perfect life of a Duke. A wife to show off, a mistress to screw, money, the right clubs and he knows his duty and does it.

Until he overhears his doctors leaving after his appointment. Adrian discovers he has won't see the year out and from that point on starts to put his life in order to prepare for his death.

The book opens with a sex scene. Oddly enough it is the h/h having sex, they have been married for seven years and have a weekly appointment to screw on Thursdays. It is really an icky scene and reminds me of The Other Boleyn Girl where King Henry is praying while fucking his wife, finishes up and goes and makes love to his mistress. We don't get the mistress scene here but it still just makes me so sad.

Just imagine living that way...

He gets rid of the mistress early in the book, at first due to not having time to deal with her and later due to loving his wife. And it is nice to see a 'mistress' character that isn't a bitch, after the hero for herself or trying to make the wife miserable.

They have been married seven years when the book opens. I really have such a hard time with that. Miranda really was living a shell of a life for seven years. And it was nice to see her grow some balls and learn to stand up for herself. I did have issue with the last scene she had with the mother-in-law. By that point she should have known better but hey you got to move the plot along.

I had great issue with the bitch of a mother-in-law. I can't see how anyone could ever let one woman control their life so much. But understanding Miranda's belief that she didn't deserve to be duchess and having 'lucked' into it, you can see her struggling and needing guidance.

Did I mention the 7 years that happened before the book started? Such a waste of time...

It was sweet watching them rediscover their relationship and fall in love. It was harder to understand that they did have a connection when they first got married, even though he was marrying her for her money. But soon after they were married, his brother died and he became the duke. Soooooooooooo, I guess that meant they had to quit talking. They both became so focused on 'duty' but neither really knew what they meant since neither of them thought they were going to be duke or duchess.

Miranda is too easy on the man who had been screwing a mistress for 7 years. But hey it is a short book. The scene where she brings it up knowing about the mistress is priceless.

As Adrian is working really hard to knock up his wife, if he dies without an heir she gets nothing, he is looking for - The Duchess's Next Husband. No matter what he wants Miranda to be ok and have a future, even if that future is without him.

The book could have been very melodramatic but really it isn't. Brisbin has a different way of looking at the same old cliches. The Duchess's Next Husband is fast, funny and a story of love and emotional growth. What more can you ask for in a romance novel?

Grade: A-

The Duke of Windmere receives word that he’s going to die, and tries to get his affairs in order—which includes finding his wife a new husband!

But as the duke's efforts go awry and he starts to fall in love with the duchess again, dare he hope they will find true happiness together -- before it's too late?
read an excerpt

Tags: Grade A, Harlequin Historical, Historical, May 2005, Review, Sybil, Terri Brisbin, The Duchess's Next Husband

Review: The King’s Mistress by Terri Brisbin

The King's Mistress by Terri Brisbin

Hey look I read a beta hero book. It was odd to see a Harlequin Historical with a nonvirgin/been a kings whore/had his baby heroine. That took guts, at least I think so.

I would recommend the book on that alone. Brisbin's writing is something I find I enjoy, she was the one story I really liked in The Betrothal. She doesn't seem to always take the easy way out, not that she doesn't wrap up some things with a nice neat bow. But not in normal HH fashion.

I don't read many beta boys and I have to say I am not much for REALLY beta boys. But I don't like over the top alpha's (mostly) either so I think I might just be bitchy and hard to please. Then again, I can't really think of too many beta hero's. Maybe I have read them and just didn't notice.

And Marguerite of Alencon isn't a good girl. She doesn't always make the right choices. And when she fucks up, it isn't so much TSTL, as it is a reflection on what she has learned growing up as she did.

But how in the hell she couldn't have known what a whore Henry II was is laughable. I guess it feeds into the want that 'this' person loves you, that you are different and you will make a impact in this person's life. So you see what you want to see and not what is there. Or not.

I digress...

I would recommend this book. It is a good HH with a good written character in Henry II. There is some life in him and he isn't just holding up the wall. Sort of makes me what to go pull out a historical fiction novel and read. Although I think the only thing I have to do with Henry II is The Book of Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Or not, I think I will go read Drive Me Crazy by Nancy Warren.

Tags: Harlequin Historical, Historical, Review, Sybil, Terri Brisbin, The King’s Mistress

Review: The Betrothal by Terri Brisbin, Joanne Rock and Miranda Jarrett

Sybil's Review of The Betrothal by Terri Brisbin, Joanne Rock and Miranda Jarrett
Historical Romance by Harlequin Historical

The Claiming of Lady Joanna by Terri Brisbin was the story that caught my eye. I started reading it while in line at Wal-Mart and decided I needed to know what happens at the end of the story.

It is your basic, man wants to marry girl, girl doesn't want to marry man because of his evil wicked rep. Girl runs away. Yes you didn't see that one coming did you. Joanna sneaks out dressed as a monk, and she cuts her hair to do it. YES! I gasped. How do all these chicks run around pretending to be men and keep their long hair? I can't put mine under a hat.

Anyway, I like this story. I hated the hero, wanted to hug him, wanted to slap him being stupid and thought he handled the betrothal well. And this was just in the prologue. And Joanna? Hell if you can argue why you don't want to marry a man, in front of the man, your parents, king and court - you have balls and I like you. And I thought it was interesting that we didn't meet Joanna at court, you saw it through Lord Braden's eyes.

The set-up intrigued me and I wanted to see how it played out. Hence how I ended up with a new book with three authors I have never read before.

Highland Handfast by Joanne Rock had another strong female... stops - thinks - hmmm all three stories did - damn I am quick. Ok, where was I, we start the story with Brenna Kirkpatrick rushing to get help from Gavin Blackburn. She had been imprisoned in England after warning the scots of an attack; her husband's family had kept her children and wouldn't give them back.

Blackburn is something of a young crush/love of hers and the only person she can think of to help her. He lost his wife in childbirth a year before, a wife he loved. YES he loved her. And hasn't left a woman in his home since her death. He agrees to help if she will handfast with him. See he needs an heir and she has three sons, survived childbirth, is a woman he respects and had feelings for at one time.

She doesn't think so and wants him to do better... you know the rest. I enjoyed the story, but I can say I paid no attention to the history here so I can't tell you if it was right or wrong. Bad reader

A Marriage in Three Acts by Miranda Jarrett was a much lighter tale than the other two. And well it was something of a star-crossed lovers story. An earl and an actress... the story is really two short for me to buy the pairing. The banter is amusing but I didn't really care for the story.

Of course if you follow the amazon link (not that there is one because blogger hate me), the one review there is the reverse of mine. Got to love it ;). I would like to read Brisbin's next The Duchess's Next Hustband and will look over the next Joanne Rock I see but will need to be rec'ed another Jarrett.

Tags: anthology, Harlequin Historical, Joanne Rock and Miranda Jarrett, Review, Sybil, Terri Brisbin, The Betrothal