There’s been a trend- not a huge overwhelming trend, but a noticeable one- of heroes in historicals to have some form of neuro-atypicality. Sometimes it’s OCD (The Duke’s Holiday) sometimes it’s dyslexia (Unveiled); sometimes it’s handled well and sometimes it’s cured by the love a good woman. Like pretty much anything in any genre, it’s a mixed bag. In this case, Quint (er, Damien Beecham, Viscount Quint) thinks he’s going insane. His father did when … Continue reading The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe →
The good: Well, almost everybody we meet. The hero, Sebastian, is one of the nicest, kindest heroes I have ever read. When we meet him, he’s apparently already added a parenthetical (retired) behind his title of rogue extraordinaire, and is drowning his sorrows in a poor man’s drinking hell so as to spare his family the embarrassment of getting drunk. I know, the logic is a bit convoluted there, but it kinda-sorta makes sense if you … Continue reading In Bed with a Rogue by Samantha Grace →
I jumped at reviewing this book for the RITA® Reviewer Challenge because I just happened to be in the middle of reading the Maiden Lane series. This series mostly centers on a poor part of London called St. Giles and the problems gin has caused for that area. And most of the guy characters wear wigs, which I find so not attractive. But I’ve highly enjoyed the series. It has such a diverse set of … Continue reading Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt →
Moonrise has a purple cover that includes two protagonists of color and a lot of gold and teal in the background. It lured me with false promises of crazysauce but turned out to be a thoughtful historical about art and commence in 19th century Paris. The cover, front and back, promises melodrama and general insanity. The plot summary! Pascale is the granddaughter of an African Princess! Her father is a painter who hands out with … Continue reading Moonrise by Roberta Gayle →
Tessa Dare has done it again! Romancing the Duke, the first book in her Castles Ever After series is an awesome read! I have been reading Tessa Dare’s backlist and I must say she has become an auto-click author for me! Romancing the Duke is about Isolde Goodnight, a daughter of a well known children’s author who has been gifted a castle by her godfather. She has been left destitute by her father and had … Continue reading Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare →
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 →
This story could have made an excellent full length novel. The tale begins with a two page journal entry written by the hero detailing his entire backstory. If this was a novel, it would have taken chapters but to keep the page count down the author tells us everything we need to know about him in 3 pages. Starting a book off by showing not telling tends to drive me crazy. Our heroine, the Duchess … Continue reading The Last Wicked Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath →
Okay, this fuschia pile of incoherent nonsense came from the HABO a while back looking for pirate something something ridonkadonk. This is pirate something ridonkadonk, but not the correct pirate something something ridonkadonk. It’s a totally other pirate something ridonkadonk. So the basic premise is this: Adam Foxworth’s father died in a duel with Alexa Ashley’s father, because Adam’s father was banging Alexa’s mother, and Adam swore revenge upon Alexa’s father. 15 years later, Adam … Continue reading My Lady Vixen by Connie Mason →
A new spring (FINALLY THANK GOD), a new Beauty and Beast book! Yay! This had so much going for it. Just barely pre-Victorian/tail end of the Georgian era! Non-nobles! Slums! Delightful references to the Disney animated B&B! Other references to La Belle et La Bete! Turning other references on their heads! An exploration of where the line between “victim” and “survivor” is! This is the second book in Erica Monroe’s Rookery Rogue series (and I … Continue reading Beauty and the Rake by Erica Monroe →
I think we all know by now that I’m a big Eloisa James fangirl. I finished Four Nights with the Duke in a single sitting, and while it’s not her best book, it enjoyed it immensely. The thing I really loved about this book is that it’s happening in layers. The heroine writes over-the-top gothic romance under a pen name, and so this book is a romance novel that tackles the stigma on romance novels. It’s … Continue reading Four Nights with the Duke by Eloisa James →
When Bertrice Small died a few weeks ago, Courtney Milan said on twitter that she’d never read any of Small’s books, and asked for which one to start with. In about 30 seconds, there were 8 people who suggested Skye O’Malley. I have read some Small before- one for this very website, and I did not like them very much. Adora was not good. But in honor of the giants we stand on, and because … Continue reading Skye O’Malley by Bertrice Small →
