I really enjoyed Queenie's Brigade but I have no idea how to grade it. Should I assign a letter grade based on the over-all quality of writing, or the level of enjoyment? I find that all the ebooks I've read so far (steampunk, steampunk western, space opera, space opera western) are really, really fun and similar in style – but not what I would call Great Literature. The writing style is always over the top, … Continue reading Queenie’s Brigade by Heather Massey - A Guest Review by Carrie S →
I was inspired to read and review this book by two things: my local library's science book display (Yay, libraries!) and Sarah's articles on the myths about biology and anatomy that often appear in romance. I thought readers of those threads might enjoy The Science of Kissing (henceforth known as TSoK) based on my first impression of it as a light and entertaining science read. As it turns out, this was a hard book to … Continue reading The Science of Kissing by Sheril Kirshenbaum - A Guest Review by CarrieS →
This book was a big departure from what I usually read. I don't as a rule like Austen sequels, and I don't like sequel stories that take place within the same family. Sometimes the portrayal of the same people by two different authors, especially when one is Jane Freaking Austen, is so jarring and different I can't read either book for awhile, the classic and its sequel. When the author enquired whether I'd be interested … Continue reading The Unexpected Miss Bennet by Patrice Sarath →
I found this book to be fun and fast paced and easy to jump in and out of, with a pretty good balance of emotion, drama, action, humor and tension between the main characters. I liked the heroine and the hero, I wanted them to figure out a way to be happy and together, and I loved their scenes together. In the larger context of the mystery they were trying to solve, I cared more … Continue reading Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen →
Hearts Aflame, the current Avon .99c digital offering offering, inspired Betty Fokker to read and review this romance classic. Boy oh boy, does this book bring back the memories. I was a devoted reader of Johanna Lindsey in the 80’s, but I hadn’t read any of her books for years, so when I saw this book on sale for $.99 I suffered a fit of nostalgia and uploaded that sucker to my kindle. Here’s the … Continue reading Heart’s Aflame by Johanna Lindsey: A Guest Review from Betty Fokker →
Emily reviewed this book for the RITA® Reader Challenge. It finaled in the Inspirational category. Plot Summary: In Brussels at the height of WWI, a small, underground newspaper is the only thing offering the occupied city hope-and real news of the war. The paper may be a small whisper amid the shouts of the German army, but Edward Kirkland will do anything to keep it in print. Meanwhile, Isa Lassone, a Belgian-American socialite whose parents … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge Review: Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang →
Taking a slight break from our steady diet of high-fiber romance (what? Sure it is. If you’re reading paper books, that’s fiber. And if you’re reading digitally, you’re eating air. Either way, healthy!) Carrie S. has a review of a nonfiction book. And now for something – completely different: I was at the library when I saw this book, A Covert Affair: Julia and Paul Child in the OSS. Well, who doesn’t love Julia Child? … Continue reading A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child in the OSS by Jennet Conant - Guest Review by CarrieS →
Recently, I was sent a giant hardcover book. A book I had already read. And I read it. AGAIN. I am as amazed as you. Such is the power of the crack, and specifically the crack that is Dark Prince. I’ve written before about the Carpathian series, which I gobbled until I began to see the “psychic chick makes dude see color commence doggy style” pattern and had to stop. Dark Prince, however, rocked my … Continue reading Dark Prince: Uncut Edition by Christine Feehan →
Over lunch I read Susan Donovan’s novella in this anthology – it’s a novella, a complete story, so fear not. I think the Dahl story is the only tease in the book. There were moments when I empathized totally with the characters, and there were moments when the hero or heroine would do something so jarring I’d blink at the page to make sure I’d seen that correctly, but in all, it soothed the ire … Continue reading Gail’s Gone Wild by Susan Donovan →
You were right. All the people who told me after the “Hint of Tuna” adventure that I should give the Konigsburg series another try, you were right. It was worth another try, and I’m glad I did. This book didn’t knock my socks off, but I enjoyed reading it. “Venus in Blue Jeans” was a source of much Kindle ire for me, as the file was somehow locked for “another user” – except I was … Continue reading Venus in Blue Jeans by Meg Benjamin →
Song of Seduction is a fiercely turbulent and emotional story set in Austria in the early 1800s – in winter. It’s cold and passionate at the same time, with the greatest passion portrayed not by the characters but by the music they make. Mathilda Heidel is a hidden prodigy: she can play the violin by ear, mimicking perfectly and improvising instantly any piece she hears, despite a very little amount of instruction. But she’s buried … Continue reading Song of Seduction by Carrie Lofty →
