Alas, all good things come to an end. The Ghost by Monica McCarty is the 12th and final book in the Highland Guard series. I loved this series and The Ghost does not disappoint. A couple of notes: this series does not need to be read in order although characters reappear throughout the series (this book ties in closely with The Viper, Lachlan and Bella’s book). This book also contains an attempted rape scene and mention of a … Continue reading The Ghost by Monica McCarty →
If I had not signed up to review this book, I would never have thought about it critically (or at all). Unfortunately, I did, and there are…problems. Let’s get this straight: I love this story. Love. I just want to acknowledge that it is liable to enrage some folks, so let’s wade right into trouble. But first, so as not to have spoilers ahead of the jump, and also because I cannot refrain from referencing … Continue reading Tremaine’s True Love by Grace Burrowes →
When I saw Grace Burrowes’ Tremaine’s True Love on the 2016 RITA review list, I grabbed it like a can of insect repellant in high bug season in the Northeast back-country. While I love a well written historical, until this review, I had never read anything by Burrowes. However, I had accidentally purchased a couple of her books a year ago when I was getting ready to write a 2015 RITA review of one of … Continue reading Tremaine’s True Love by Grace Burrowes →
Fair warning: if faux-dialect is not your thing, you will have a tough time with Must Love Chainmail. Even the ‘modern’ character’s POV gave me some trouble, but I am a grumpy old lady before my time. I also did not particularly like the modern heroine, who seemed at once a bit hyper-modern but at the same time too quick to blend seamlessly into medieval Wales. Must Love Chainmail is the second in the ‘Must … Continue reading Must Love Chainmail by Angela Quarles →
As an ardent fan of Jane Eyre, I have read many literary adaptations of her story. I’ve read about a vampire slayer Janes (Jane Slayre) and Jane in space (Jenna Starborn) and Jane in the 1950s (The Flight of Gemma Hardy) and many more, and I’m usually disappointed. Jane Steele, however, was just about the most viciously satisfying thing in the history of ever. NB: book titles in this review are italicized while names are not. … Continue reading Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye →
Sometimes a book just makes me sit back and sigh a happy sigh. Only Beloved is one of those books. It left me in an unexpected and rare place of peacefulness. Every time I think about it I feel calm – not bored, not “meh,” not analytical, but truly, happily, peacefully calm. This book is the culmination of a series in which people learn to come to terms with trauma, and it’s a lovely, gentle … Continue reading Only Beloved by Mary Balogh →
This was my first book by Angela Quarles, and I picked it purely because of the name. Must Love Chainmail is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read alone. The best way I can describe this book is to compare it to my experience with Lynn Kurland’s time travel romances: light-hearted, fun but rather forgettable, and with absolutely no explanation of how the time travel works. Katy is a busy professional … Continue reading Must Love Chainmail by Angela Quarles →
Marrying Winterborne was a little bit of a disappointment because I expect SO MUCH from a Kleypas novel, but somehow also compulsively readable. It’s the direct sequel to Cold-Hearted Rake and best read after that book in order to provide context. The general summary is that Helen Ravenel is a genteel, painfully shy lady who is in love with Rhys Winterborne, a low-born, brash, Welsh department-store magnate. In Cold-Hearted Rake, they fell in love then had a … Continue reading Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas →
Love and Friendship is so full of beautiful clothes that I kept forgetting that there was an actual movie involved. This being said, there is a movie, and it’s delightful. Love and Friendship is an adaptation of the novella, Lady Susan, by Jane Austen (I reviewed it here). Austen wrote the book early in her life and doesn’t seem to have planned to publish it. The movie retains the novella’s charms (a delightfully wicked protagonist … Continue reading Movie Review: Love and Friendship →
NB: Welcome to Flashback Friday! We’re taking it back to where Elyse’s Elizabeth Hoyt fangirling all began. She recently loved the latest Maiden Lane book, Duke of Sin, and it’s pretty awesome to revisit her thoughts on the very first romance in the Maiden Lane series. This post was originally published September 26, 2013. Oh my God, you guys. I think I’ve read my first crack book. The one that has some crazy going on and some plot elements … Continue reading Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt →
NB: Though Qualisign gives Sweetest Scoundrel a B as a standalone, she gives it an A- if being read as part of the Maiden Lane series. For the second year in a row, I have misread the date for the first of my two RITA reviews and have had to play catch up after the rest of the participants in this section have sent in their reviews. From the wrong side of the missed deadline, I can only … Continue reading Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt →
