[NB: Trigger warning for rape and assault. – SW] This is a sweet spin on the small town romance, the eighth book in a so far nine book series. The book is a prequel about the founding of the town of Harmony. I have not read any of the previous books in the series, but had no trouble following the action and understanding the characters in the context of the book. I assume that there … Continue reading A Place Called Harmony by Jodi Thomas →
When the list of RITA-nominated books came out, I signed up to review Where the Horses Run, well, because “horses.” I am a horsewoman and have sought out horse stories since I started reading. When I first looked the book up, I thought it was a contemporary Western from its cover. I could handle that. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of cowboy contemporaries lately since finding the genre. I don’t remember many millionaires or … Continue reading Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner →
Comedy Central has tapped directly into my soul with their new half hour show, Another Period. This show satirizes reality shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and period dramas (especially Downton Abbey) by placing a turn of the century rich family in Newport (The Bellacourts) under a reality show microscope. We get candid interviews with family members, confessionals from the much-trodden-upon servants, and footage of all the exciting events upstairs and downstairs. Of course … Continue reading Another Period: Comedy Central Meets Downton Abbey →
I didn’t plan on liking this book. Seriously. Despite a crazy schedule, I signed up to review five books for the RITA® Reader Challenge–and then I signed up to take an intense college course so I could finish my degree early. Yeah. I thought about dropping this book from my list as it seemed the least appealing to me, but I decided that I made a commitment and that I could manage. Of course, life has … Continue reading Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett →
I had never heard of Deeanne Gist before the “Everything Old Is New Again” panel at RT, where she talked about how she had three books set at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and how Tiffany the Stained Glass Guy (son of TIffany the Fancy-pants Jewelry Guy) was making a mosaic chapel for display, and then his glassworkers went on strike and he hired women from art schools to do the glass selection and cutting … Continue reading Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist →
The Widow’s Suitor is a quick and easy read, a sweet and simple inspirational romance with a straightforward plot, some drama and excitement, and easily recognizable character types and conflicts. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t for me. Our heroine, Cora Anderson, is a young (twenty-something) widow living on a South Dakota homestead with her mother in law Bertha. Cora’s husband Hank (Bertha’s son) has died some seven or eight months before, and the two women are … Continue reading The Widow’s Suitor by Rose Ross Zediker →
Hope at Dawn is the first book in Stacy Henrie’s “Of Love and War” series, set around the time of World War I. Since this is an underutilized period in the historical romance novel world, there’s a potential for freshness here. And the specific issue is one I’ve not seen addressed in a romance novel before, namely, the persecution of German Americans on the home front during WWI. It’s an interesting backdrop for the tale. … Continue reading Hope at Dawn by Stacy Henrie →
This is not the worst book I’ve ever read, but it’s tedious and cliched. We open on a dark and stormy night. Widowed Ivy Powell is watching the weather with her rifle close at hand, ruminating on some recent “troubles.” Suddenly, a shadowy figure appears on her porch. It’s Gideon Black, a “giant of a man” with a “hard jaw and glittering eyes.” Ivy’s brother (who has an injury that prevents him from assisting personally) … Continue reading The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride by Debra Cowan →
I have to admit right up front that I would not have picked this book if I had been one of the first to sign up for Smart Bitches’ RITA Reviews instead of one of the last. But holy cow, am I glad I did. Nate is an old man in a wheelchair who has had a stroke and is living with his daughter. His grandson has come by to take him out to Times Square to listen … Continue reading The Bells of Times Square by Amy Lane →
Grave Phantoms is the latest book in Jenn Bennett’s “Roaring Twenties” paranormal series about the Magnusson family in San Francisco. I love this series for the ambiance and the heroines, although I’ve disliked the heroes in previous books (they tend to be morally murky). This time, Bo, a Chinese American man who works for the family, is the hero and it’s by far my favorite installment in the series. The Magnusson family is headed by … Continue reading Grave Phantoms by Jenn Bennett →
I’m really the wrong person to review this novella. First of all, I’m not a huge fan of novellas, because I like an author to have space to really expand on his or her characters and settings. I love showing rather than telling and strong sensory impressions of person and place, and the novella format requires a certain efficiency that can seem sparse. Furthermore, I am not a huge fan of inspirational romance. In fact, … Continue reading A Love Letter to the Editor by Robin Lee Hatcher →
