Romantic Times Rewind: December 1997 Reviews

In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the book reviews for the December 1997 issue of RT Magazine.

Thank you to Mari, the Romance Girl for this issue, and big thanks to my old flatbed scanner, getting the job done page after page.

You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. 

And, most importantly, if you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read and absorb all the visual goodness:

Ok, let’s get started!

This cover gives us absolutely nothing to talk about, and we will be spending none time on it in the next episode.

That’s a belly dancing belt on her forehead, right?

There aren’t many reviews in this issue, but what books there are, they are a journey.

Historical Romance

Amanda picked Crimson Lace by Linda Francis Lee:

You’d think this would be A Cover, right?

I guess the red is the signal, but the possibilities of illustration remain unmet.

I picked The Wild One by Danelle Harmon. In part, I chose this because I know this is a cover that we absolutely LOVED back in the early years of the site.

If the text is too small:

Lord Gareth de Monteforte has no idea what responsibility really.
His idea of living is having fun and thus he has been dubbed “The Wild One” by friends and family. But when his recently deceased brother’s fiancée arrives with her infant daughter, he has a sudden change of heart.

With nowhere to turn, Juliet Paige makes the harrowing journey from colonial Boston to England in hopes of finding a home for her child. When her stagecoach is set upon by highwaymen, Juliet courageously fights them off, with help from a passing nobleman; Gareth.

Gareth is appalled when his eldest brother, Lucien, wants to turn Juliet and little Charlotte away. He follows her, planning to wed her himself and find a way to support his instant family. This is something new for the black sheep of the family; and just what Lucien wanted.

However, after spending their wedding night in a bordello and being evicted after Gareth gets involved in a brawl, Juliet begins to wonder how they will manage. Then Garect takes a job as a prize fighter for an unscrupulous villain and discovers the courage to fight for his family and his life.

Danelle Harmon’s new series about the de Monteforte men is sure to win readers’ enthusiasm. You’ll be intrigued by these men and the world in which they live. Ms. Harmon brings an England at war to readers in a new and exciting light with characters who shine and a story that enthralls. I’ll be eagerly looking forward to the next volume in this chronicle. SENSUAL.

SENSUAL!

The PLOT, y’all. Imagine this as an AITA post – “he got us kicked out of the brothel we’d spent our wedding night in, but should I stay?”

The cover is something:

I wish there were a bigger version, but alas, no. I may have to haunt a used bookstore or six with a list of titles where I only have a wee tiny image of the cover.

I chose this book in part because the review was a barmystorm, but I also have a giant affection for this series, because of this cover:

So subtle! Nothing to see here! Nothing at all!

Imagine the art direction meeting for this one.

“Do you think the erect columns are too much?” 

“Oh, no, not at all! Can you make the sun reflect off his pecs a bit more?”

“Oh, certainly.” 

Also, I spent a lot, and I do mean a sizable measurable amount, of my teenage years thinking that upon reaching adulthood, my hair would start doing that. Whatever her perfect cloud of hair was doing, mine would start doing that.

It has not. Alas.

(It is so funny to think about what I thought was ‘adult’ or ‘stuff that would happen when grown up’ and realize how much I was influenced by…covers like this one, apparently.)

Mainstream Fiction and New Reality

 What in the entire world is this category key.

Tag yourself! I’m “Ghost.”

What’s the difference between Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, and Contemporary Saga? (And ‘multicultural’ as its own category: insert lip curl gif here.)

Amanda picked Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz:

Again, if the text is too wee:

Just before as she announces her engagement/merger, CEO Charity Truitt realizes she can’t do it. She turns the business over to her step-siblings and opens a book store in Whispering Waters Cove. She fits in with the yuppie and hippie types, but Charity and the other shop owners on Crazy Otis Landing worry about new landlord
Elias Winter renewing their leases.

After years of cultivating revenge, Elias has the man responsible for his father’s death in his grasp. But he realizes that passing judgment will devastate his psyche and walks away.

He recently lost his mentor Hayden Stone, a mercenary-turned-existential-martial-arts-philosopher. Inheriting Hayden’s property brings Elias to Crazy Outs Landing and feisty Charity stirs his long submerged emotions.

According to the “Voyagers” and cult leader Gwendolyn Pitt, the small town is the future landing site for visiting extraterrestrials and next Monday is D-day. The whole town turns out for the expected show, bur instead murder transpires. A second killing muddies the waters even more, forcing Charity and Elias to interrupt their offbeat courtship to solve the murders.

Ready for quirky humor, passionate romance with a touch of suspense thrown in? Then you are ready for superb author Jayne Ann Krentz’s hot DEEP WATERS. Happy Reading!

“…a mercenary-turned-existential-martial-arts-philosopher.”

A MERCENARY-TURNED-EXISTENTIAL-MARTIAL ARTS-PHILOSOPHER.

I cannot.

There’s a cult, yuppie and hippie types, Whispering Waters Cove, Crazy Otis Landing – what a glorious series of words.

The cover is very art deco, which we couldn’t figure out. There’s no sign of mercenaries, philosophers, alien cults, or anything. You pick this up and you get an experience.

I chose Dear Enemy by Maxine Barry:

Keira Westcombe decides co marry her friend, elderly Lucas Harwood, to help him fend off his controlling daughter and out of an old-fashioned sense of duty co her family’s Nature Reserve and her inability to finance it.

As Keira and Lucas walk away from the altar, Keira sees Fane, her husband’s son. The two experience love-at-first-sight in che church, followed in both by consummate resistance.

Artist Blaise Clayton moves to Westcombe co study a Stonehenge-like ruin. Keira’s commitment to save the Nature Reserve also appeals to her.

She soon meets earthy Aidan Shaw whose idea of paradise is living and working on a farm, remote from the daily heartache of dealing with others.

Keira and Fane’s intense attraction and the problems it presents remains central, but the pagan ruins, the story of Blaise and Aidan, plus the environmental themes, provide point-counter-point in Maxine Barry’s pleasant narrative. (Dec., 388 pp., $3.99)

“Point-counter-point?” Honestly, we talk a lot about how the reviews don’t say very much of anything specific, and this is and the prior reviews are more examples. What does “provide point-counter-point” mean for the reading experience?

To say nothing of “followed in both by consummate resistance.” Huh.

Series

The series reviews are very short, but we stumbled upon a terrific bizarre Silhouette series.

Amanda flagged All She Wants for Christmas by Liz Fielding, because of the words at the bottom: BOOK CLUB ONLY.

A lovely young woman gets the shock of her life when the seaplane transporting her to her godmother’s house crashes. On a deserted island with the handsome pilot, she learns about love and crust, but will chat be enough when she finds our about his deception? Set In the tropical Caribbean, ALL SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS (3) by Liz Fielding is a warm read with good character development in a lush ambiance.
(BOOK CLUB ONLY)

Book Club Only? Huh – that’s interesting!

There’s a bow tied on that palm tree, and some lights in the foliage! Nice!

So we’re guessing that you had to be part of the book club to get this book, which makes it interesting that it’s reviewed in RT.

Amanda picked Santa Cowboy by Barbara McMahon:

Best-selling author Barbara McMahon sends the sensual sparks flying high when a fiery-tempered rancher clashes with a lovely banker over the foreclosure on a neighboring property in SANTA COWBOY (2).

Although as opposites they attract, can this unlikely couple overcome the disillusionments of the past to find happiness together? Although the hero’s intentions toward the heroine are not particularly admirable, Ms. McMahon knows how to make things snap, crackle and pop between her vibrant lovers.

Awesome. Also, what precisely are not admirable about his intentions?

Is that a red cowboy hat or a plastic firefighter hat?

Also I definitely had a dress like that. Definitely. Loved it, wore it all the time.

I picked Father and Child Reunion by Christine Flynn:

This is just completely off the entire wall. All the walls. All the walls in a house with 15 bedrooms and 19 baths.

An interior designer had returned home for her brother’s wedding. Instead she finds herself having to bury her mother, and deal with the fact that she was murdered. She also has to deal with an ex-love, now an investigative reporter, and handle his reaction to a FATHER AND CHILD REUNION (4). Christine Flynn delves well into her characters. and gives readers a well-rounded story.

Her brother got married, her mom died, and was murdered, and now her ex, who is an investigative reporter, is about to find out about their kid. What on earth. WHOMST is going straight to bonetown under those circumstances?

During a 36 hour power outage? When all your food has gone way, way bad?

But this book led us both into the Silhouette 36 Hours series, where a whole pile of books took place during, per the Browne Popular Culture Library (likely Steve Ammidown wrote this) “a cross-author shared plot collection that centered on a 36 hour long power outage in a Colorado town and its aftermath.”

Y’all are not going to BELIEVE what all went on during this power outage. There’s a whole series! The mayor goes missing, there’s babies everywhere, there’s hostages and a mudslide. There’s probably bears.

And the covers!

They’re growing out of the trees!

That guy kinda looks like George Clooney. Think that’s his cab? Will he fit inside it?

Look at those giants on top of the hospital!

Another hairstyle I thought my hair would do when I was an adult. Sadly not.

And look – EMO MEDICAL CARE. Perfect for series romance! Imagine the theme song!

Regency

Amanda picked The Changeable Rose by Jessie Watson.

Zebra introduces a sparkling new talent co divert Regency aficionados with a charming tale of love on the town.

Despite the protestations of her aunt, Miss Clare Winchester leads a retired life in the city after her father’s disastrous loss of fortune and subsequent death.

But her quiet existence is disrupted when she takes pity on a swooning young lady and cakes her back to her modes home to recuperate.

To her surprise, the young lady turns out to be the niece and ward of the gallant earl of Northrup, who has just returned home from the Peninsula. Impressed with her ability to exert at least Some discipline over his wayward young relative, the earl persuades Clare to sponsor the girl for the up coming Season.

But will whispers from the past destroy the growing harmony between Clare and the earl? And what about the scheming beauty determined to sink her claws into Northrup one more time?

Aside from a few errors in matters of address (as found in the uncorrected page proofs), this lively drawing room romance will more than please the demanding Regency audience. (Dec., 221 pp., $4.50)

Sadly, is it NOT a lesbian historical, which disappointed Amanda, but the hero is wiping his nose on the heroine’s eyebrow, which delighted me!

I selected Lord and Master by Rosemary Stevens.

The rising star of Rosemary Stevens shines brightly in this spirited tale of love, laughter and the importance of cats.

It is, after all, a cat who is responsible for the first meeting of Miss Daphne Kendall with the sinfully handsome Earl of Ravenswood. Her heart couched by the plight of the
“world’s smallest tiger” at the Astley Royal Amphitheater, Daphne takes on the cat’s rascally owner in an attempt to purchase the suffering beast. Only the intervention of the earl, however, persuades the scoundrel to part with his showpiece

Both the earl’s Egyptian manservant and Daphne’s new companion are convinced that their principals are meant for each other. But. disillusioned by his father’s second marriage to a scheming younger beauty, Ravenswood is determined to avoid passion and wed for convenience.

When it comes to the test, will he really be able to walk away from love?
Ms. Stevens tickles our fancy with this delicious cat caper featuring an intricate subplot chat captures the imagination with its dash and verve, (Dec., 198 pp., $4.50)

Love Laughter and the IMPORTANCE OF CATS. 

I am LISTENING!

This book is the third installment of Cats of Mayfair.

CATS. OF. MAYFAIR. Regency CATS! Look at the others!

Look at his little bandit mask!

That cat is (a) Massive and (b) About to sharpen claws on that man’s backside.

And the last one, with NO CAT.

WHERE is the cat, I ask you? You cannot have a series about Cats of Mayfair with no cats on all the covers. Everyone involved in production needs to go back and fix this. I know it was 1998 but this can be fixed.

And that’s all of the reviews for this issue!

Our next episode will examine the advertisements and features in this issue, and that’ll air on June 26. Some of them are a LOT of fun.

And remember, if you join the Patreon, you’ll get access to the entire issue as a PDF.

What do you think? Do you remember where you were in December 1997? Did you read Cats of Mayfair? Do you remember any of these books?