Once Upon a Kiss was a gem of a novel by Jayne Fresina. I had expected that a book ‘inspired’ by Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” would be very much like most books inspired by classics turn out to be—a pleasant read but not extraordinary. This book defied my expectations, […]
Knight of Love by Catherine LaRoche is set during a unique time for romance books, during the March Revolution of 1848. According to Wikipedia, this was “a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation.” It starts out with a literal *snap*, as the […]
How to School Your Scoundrel by Juliana Gray is the third book in “Princess in Hiding Trilogy,” about a trio of germanic princess from the small principality of Holstein-Schweinwald-Huhnhof. This one concerns the Crown Princess Luisa, destined to be head of state after her father and her husband are assassinated […]
Twelfth Night by Deanna Raybourn is a novella, number 5.6 of her “Lady Julia Gray series.” It is a story so full of life and lively characters that it nearly seems like a full novel, and not just fifty or so pages long. Additionally, any story about a woman who […]
The Scoundrel’s Seduction (House of Trent Series #3) by Jennifer Haymore: Obviously, the beginning of a book often determines the direction of an entire book. The Scoundrel’s Seduction starts with a state-sanctioned murder—that of a dissolute and traitorous peer. Viscount Dunthorpe is a treacherous and treasonous man, and Samson Hawkins, who […]
The Virgin of Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney takes place just slightly after the events of the previous book in the series The Witch of Clan Sinclair, and is the third book of the Clan Sinclair trilogy. This book focuses on Ellice Traylor. Her former sister-in-law is Virginia, who is now […]
Wed at Leisure by Sabrina Darby is the companion novella to Woo’d in Haste and both shows the other side of the relationship between the two sisters (Catherine and Bianca) and completes the story. This is Catherine’s story, and she turns out to be much more involved and complex than […]
Woo’d in Haste by Sabrina Darcy: Woo’d in Haste and its companion Wed at Leisure are “Taming of the Shrew” inspired novellas. They are basically two parts of the same book, one from Bianca’s and one from Kate’s point of view. And yes, Bianca and Kate, the same names as […]
Dreams of Lilacs by Lynn Kurland: I will gleefully admit that this is my favorite type of romance: lushly romantic, full of character development, loving families and a touch of mystery. It is also, most interestingly, a medieval romance, set in 1232. This is the fifteenth novel of Lynn Kurland’s de […]
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke: Nearly dying by lion attack is a stunning and attention-grabbing way to start a romance novel. You know at the very start that this is not your usual historical romance, and indeed it is not. The prologue starts with […]