I’m so pleased that Carla Kelly is back writing for Harlequin Historical (and I hope they’re paying her well!). Although her books aren’t always as “romantic” as I prefer, she has a unique voice, and I would hate for her to be lost to the romance world. Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly(2009, Regency) 1/21/09Grade:… Continue reading Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly

This has been an excellent reading year for me. I read more books this year (102) than in any year since 1996 – the last year before I started working full time. (Amazing how having a job cuts down on your reading time.) My continued unemployment probably explains why I read so many books this… Continue reading Best of 2008

Don’t judge a book by its plot description. That’s the lesson I can learn from this book – I never would have bought this book if I’d run across it at a bookstore, because it sounds so silly. The plot description is correct, but only a small part of the story. Unfortunately, it’s hard to… Continue reading After the Kiss by Suzanne Enoch

Harlequin Super Romance is probably my favorite series line. I like the focus on realistic characters and real-life problems. But, I’m still a picky reader. I’m reluctant to buy HSR books without a specific recommendation, because I don’t really like books about babies and kidlets, and it seems like they’re everywhere in this category line.… Continue reading A Man To Rely On by Cindi Myers

I’ve had mixed results with Harlequin Blaze. On one hand, a lot of good authors write for this line, and it’s one of the few lines where you won’t see cutesy-wootsy babies on every cover. On the other hand, most of them are based on the premise, “if the sex is good, it must be… Continue reading Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O’Reilly

I’ve had mixed results with Loretta Chase. I’m one of the few people who didn’t love Lord of Scoundrels – I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t the be-all and end-all of romance for me. But I’ve had a pretty good track record with her books on the whole – most of them have been enjoyable… Continue reading Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

The Wicked Ways of a Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke(2008, Victorian) 1/5/09Grade: 2 Seamstress Prudence Bosworth is dazzled when she meets the indebted Duke of St. Cyres, but she never imagined it would go further – until she inherits a fortune from a father she never knew. Suddenly she’s the heiress that everyone wants, but… Continue reading The Wicked Ways of a Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke

The first book I read by Laura Lee Guhrke was To Dream Again, which is still on my keeper shelf, although I haven’t read it in many years. It has a very similar plot to this one – repressed heroine learns to take chances – but I don’t remember finding the heroine as blind in… Continue reading And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke

It’s always difficult to judge a book that’s been praised and hyped – and this one was the darling of all the romance lists when it first came out. I had to put it aside and wait a little while, so I could try to read it more objectively. The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne(2008,… Continue reading The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne