REVIEW: Archangel’s Sun by Nalini Singh
Romantic Fantasy published by Berkley 24 Nov 20
Nalini Singh has a singular way with words such that they fire a reader’s imagination and sweep them into her stories so that they live, eat, and breathe with her characters. Reading an excellent book by this author is a given, but some books transcend excellence and really make an impact such as this book did for me. The Hummingbird has been an ethereal character who has drifted her way across the pages of some of the earlier books in the series, but she really comes into her own in this story.
In the author’s words – ” Shedding of the skin, remaking, resurrection, they were all just words. What mattered was that she was becoming someone new, a woman she’d always had the potential to be—an angel of whom her son could be proud . . . and an angel who could look herself in the mirror and smile.”
REVIEW: Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter
Historical Romance published by Zebra Books 28 Apr 20
Saint or sinner? That’s the question Chase Radnor wants an answer to as he investigates his uncle’s suspicious death. Minerva is a beautiful woman with a troublesome past, one of the Duke’s beneficiaries with little evidence of how they crossed paths. Adversaries to reluctant partners, Chase and Minerva investigate the mysteries of the Duke’s death and the three women to whom he left his fortune. An excellent start to a new series from Madeline Hunter.
REVIEW: A Delicate Deception by Cat Sebastian
Stevie‘s review of A Delicate Deception (Regency Impostors, Book 3) by Cat Sebastian
Historical Bisexual Romance published by Avon Impulse 10 Dec 19
I’m loving all the different bits of social and political history that Cat Sebastian is managing to slip seamlessly into this series, and also all the ways that conventional Regency romance tropes are being twisted to fit a more diverse cast than the average set of historical heroes and heroines. This time our main hero, Sydney, is a Quaker and an engineer to boot, who is rather embarrassed by having inherited property and wealth he could happily do without. Meanwhile, our principal heroine, Amelia, is the illegitimate daughter of a Marquess, who has fled her half-brother’s attempts to make her more respectable in favour of a reclusive life in the countryside – where, in a delightful twist, she and her former governess write fanciful historical novels and attempt to avoid the attentions of scandalised local worthies. Did I mention that they’re both bisexual?
REVIEW: Leopard’s Rage by Christine Feehan
Paranormal Romance published by Berkley 10 Nov 20
Flambé is a beautiful female leopard who runs a successful landscaping business. She has a flair for creating leopard friendly landscaping. Sevastyan is impressed with her work, but, more importantly, both he and his leopard find her attractive. From the moment Flambé shows up on Sevastyan’s property with a group of unfriendly leopards chasing her, Sevastyan is ready to defend and protect, and the story takes off in a red-hot flash which never cools until the end. This is one book in the series that is a defined “MUST READ,” in my opinion. read more…
REVIEW: Before He Vanished by Debra Webb
Veena’s review of Before He Vanished (Winchester Tennessee, Book 6) by Debra Webb
Romantic Suspense published by Harlequin Intrigue 18 Feb 20
A story so unbelievable that it will keep you on the edge of your seat as it’s unfolding. A grieving mother finally ends her silence on her young son’s disappearance, unleashing a flood of events will leave bodies in its wake before the dust settles. read more…
REVIEW: The Billionaire’s Fake Wife by L. Steele
Contemporary Romance published by 13 Suns 18 Jul 20
I’m usually one who loves an arrogant, tortured hero. In this case, however, said hero is also a jerk with a capital J. Right from the start. The heroine calls it like it is, and at first I thought she’d be worth the read. As I got to know her, though, things just didn’t mesh with what I was learning about her. But I kept reading despite all this, wondering if the author would be able to pull out a good grovel and turn the characters around.
REVIEW: Looking for a Cowboy by Donna Grant
Romantic Suspense published by St Martin’s Paperbacks 27 Oct 20
Adoption of newborn babies is big business. Pregnant women are being kidnapped and their babies cut out of their bodies while the mother’s throats are slit. P.I. Marlee Frampton arrives in Clearview, Texas, hot on the trail of a baby boy who was harvested in that great state. Her target is the Harpers, who have recently adopted a newborn. Not only are the Harpers a prominent family in town, but Cooper Owens is best friends with them. Can Marlee use their attraction to get an inside track to the Harpers?
REVIEW: Guardian’s Grace by Rebecca Zanetti
Romantic Fantasy published by Lyrical Press 13 Oct 20
I’ve recently read a few books by Rebecca Zanetti. So when this one came up on NetGalley, I requested it, not realizing that it’s Book 12 in a long-standing series. No surprise then that I was a bit lost on the back stories of some of the characters – even the back story on our two protagonists – because I kept feeling that I’ve jumped into the middle of a book. I will say that when I managed to follow along and put aside this strange feeling of not knowing everyone and everything, I managed to quite enjoy myself.
REVIEW: Scabby Queen by Kirstin Innes
Stevie‘s review of Scabby Queen by Kirstin Innes
Contemporary Fiction published by Fourth Estate 02 Apr 20
This is very much a book of my generation. Our heroine, Clio (short for Cliodhna) Campbell, dragged herself into adulthood during the Miners’ Strike of the late 1980s and shot to fame with an anti-Poll Tax song at the beginning of the 1990s. None of which is necessarily going to mean a lot to US readers, but bear with me. We never properly get to meet Clio. The book begins with the discovery of her body, when she commits suicide with her fifty-first birthday approaching, leaving a short and not exactly explanatory email in lieu of a note. Instead, we see her through the eyes of those whose lives she touched, the ones who loved her and the ones who were frequently exasperated by her.
REVIEW: A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong
Time Travel Paranormal Romance audiobook published by K.L.A. Fricke Inc 13 Oct 20
I listened to this book on Audible and the narration by Samantha Brentmoor is fantastic. This was my first Kelley Armstrong book and WOW, I am so happy that I was in the mood for something creepy and atmospheric with a romance. This hit all my expectations and more. I don’t know how any of you are dealing with the pandemic and life in general, but, for me, audiobooks have kept me sane and reading. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the authors, talented narrators, the romance community, and the great women in group messages on Twitter for making me laugh and commiserating our hopes and fears. Your intelligent discourse and funny sense of humor have kept me from going over the edge many times. So thank you. I hope some days I bring a smile or two to your life.
Now let’s talk about a boy from the past, ghosts, a haunted manor, and a heroine that I loved so hard.
