STEM characters alert! Earth Bound is a historical romance set in the early 1960s, part of the Fly Me To The Moon series. Before I go any further, may I say that it is refreshing to see a historical that isn’t set in the Regency Era, the Victorian Era, or the 1920s. I love reading romance in those time periods, but I also think that setting a romance series in the 1960s during early days … Continue reading Earth Bound by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner →
From This Moment, a historical romance set in Boston in 1897, has a great premise and setting. Alas, it suffers from the fact that all of the characters are incredibly self-centered and frequently cruel to each other. I loved the historical aspect, but as far as romance goes all I can say is that these people deserve each other and that is not a compliment. Stella West is an American artist who has had a … Continue reading From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden →
Edited 14 December 2017: This review has been revised and the grade has been changed. Please see note at the bottom of this review for amended grade information. This week, while hanging out with the residents of my local cat café, I read my first Joanna Shupe historical. Shupe is known for writing American historicals set in the Gilded Age, and the first book of The Four Hundred Series, A Daring Arrangement, sticks to that theme. … Continue reading A Daring Arrangement by Joanna Shupe →
YOU GUYYYYYYYYS. Okay, so you know how sometimes the second book in series, especially when the first book was like AMAZEBALLS, can be a disappointment? THIS ISN’T ONE OF THOSE. This is one of those times where the second book is better than the first one. Our heroine is Marlie, a biracial woman with a complex background. Marlie’s mother is the local root woman, and Marlie has been learning at her knee. As explained by … Continue reading A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole →
NB: Trigger warnings for the below description racism and threat of rape. Well, I picked this book to review because I was late to the sign-up sheet and it was the only book left. Which wasn’t maybe the best sign, but you never know with these things, and part of my idea with this challenge was to get out of my comfort zone and try something new. The Depth of Beauty is not the book … Continue reading The Depth of Beauty by A.B. Michaels →
I did enjoy this, but I fear I will forget it quickly. I LOVED the aspect of Two-Time, Texas, being called that because there are two feuding jewelers/clockmakers who set their clocks differently. That the feud doesn’t just cause trouble inside the town, but causes the trains to not run on time, makes it more crucial that the feud be solved. No spoilers, but “What Time Is It?” used to be a bigger headache than … Continue reading Left at the Altar by Margaret Brownley →
Texas: Yeehaw! I put on my cowboy boots, poured a nice margarita (rocks, of course), and played me some Lyle Lovett. I was all set for my RITA Reader Challenge: historical romance in a small Texas town so quirky it has TWO TIME ZONES! I settled in for a good read, but a third of the way in, I was mystified. The hero was described as distinguished looking, and tall, and distinguishably tall, but why … Continue reading Left at the Altar by Margaret Brownley →
“Tycoon” is a charming story set in the Gilded Age. I’ve not come across many historicals set in this time period, and it’s a welcome change from the ubiquitous London Season. The novella opens with a “meet cute” – a young woman, Clara, approaches a stranger at a Grand Central Station and addresses him as “husband.” Ted is, needless to say, puzzled, although not so puzzled that he fails to notice how pretty she is. … Continue reading Tycoon by Joanna Shupe →
I don’t know how to start this review other than to say that “Let Us Dream” by Alyssa Cole is really, really good and you should go and buy it immediately. “Let Us Dream” is the story of Bertha, a black suffragette who owns a club in Harlem in 1917, and Amir, an immigrant from Bengal with socialist leanings and a hell of a way in the kitchen. If you’re sick of upper and upper-middle … Continue reading “Let Us Dream” by Alyssa Cole →
Marietta “Etta” Hawkins is the twenty-one year-old daughter of a ranch owner in 1892 in Texas. She runs the household and takes care of all the woman-slash-house stuff. Her father is extremely protective and warns all his ranch hands not to even think about “making advances” or they’ll be fired. He has fired several men. Daniel Barrett is the ranch foreman who has been breeding and training mules on the side and is in the … Continue reading “The Husband Maneuver” by Karen Witemeyer →
RITA time is the best time of the year. It’s like Oscar season, except better because instead of pretending like I’m going to sit through a black and white silent film, I get introduced to new awesome books. “The Husband Maneuver” is not really one of those awesome books, but nevertheless, I would never have picked it out by myself, and for that I am grateful. The plot is fairly straightforward: Marietta Hawkins has been … Continue reading “The Husband Maneuver” by Karen Witemeyer →
