(TW: Alcoholism, emotional neglect) As many reviewers have said, the hardest reviews to write are the ones where all they can say about the book was that it was okay. Tempting the Knight by Heidi Rice basically embodied that reaction for me. There is nothing particular objectionable about it, but there’s not really anything that I absolutely loved about it either. Tempting the Knight is part of the Fairy Tales of New York series, but works … Continue reading Tempting the Knight by Heidi Rice →
“Toward the Sunrise” is a novella that I wished was a novel as then it would have had the space to show everything that was told. Ashton and Julia felt like a couple that would work due to a previous correspondence and shared dreams to travel. These letters were one of the many aspects of the story that was mentioned but not truly shown, as was the incident that prompted Julia’s being expelled. When Camden … Continue reading Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden →
This year’s RITA® Reader Challenge is officially underway and I want to thank everyone so far for participating! We’ve had some great reviews! However, we also understand that life happens, and so we have some books still needing to be reviewed and are passed their deadline. , if you see a book with a gray-shaded square, that means we’re still waiting on the book to be reviewed and you’re welcome to take that slot! Also, a … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge Updates & Notes! →
I have to start this review by saying that I should not have read it in the same week that I read several feminist writings. The story is engaging and the hero and heroine (Zach and Nessa) are likeable. It’s part of a larger series so it suffers from having zero character development for anyone aside from the lead characters, but most people would think that’s a feature, not a bug in a novella-length story. … Continue reading Blue Streak by Jules Barnard →
I’ve enjoyed Ms. Linden’s Scandals series, but had fallen behind. Despite being a modest 176 pages, this short novel is a complete story and has inspired me to pick up the last volume in the series. This book is the third story in the series of five. For those who are just starting the series, the Scandal books whirl around the conceit of naughty pamphlets, “50 Ways to Sin,” which detail the sexcapades of certain … Continue reading All’s Fair in Love and Scandal by Caroline Linden →
Chance of a Lifetime is the third in the Anderson Brothers trilogy. I chose it at random, being unfamiliar with the series, but once I’d read it, I immediately sought out the earlier books. This series entry stands on its own very well. There is no sense that the reader is missing any vital background, but some details (e.g., Michael’s dogs) are definitely teasers. I really enjoyed this novel. It worked for me on a … Continue reading Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke →
I think almost everyone has felt to be the outsider at some point in their lives and I think everyone would love a second chance. In Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress, Theresa Romain brings together two outsiders who live in the shadows of the glittering ton during the Regency and gives them the opportunity for second chances. At the beginning of the story, heiress Augusta Meredith is posing as a cheerful and not wealthy widow … Continue reading Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress by Theresa Romain →
So immediately after I read the glorious synopsis of this novella, I gleefully messaged every friend I thought would care about how I was currently reading a corpse-possession romance novel. Unfortunately, despite my initial delight, the “reaper trapped in her estranged husband’s body” element ended up being my main issue with what could have been a solid supernatural romance. First off, though, let the record reflect that I don’t consider reapers to be outside the … Continue reading The Resurrection of Sam Sloan by Erin Quinn →
This year is my year to review stuff that I am mostly unfamiliar with. I tried to choose titles that no one else had yet signed up for (all but one), and lest you think me puffing off my virtue, I’ll admit that just about every slot for historical anything was filled before I even saw the list. But—what the hey—I’m up for a challenge! “One Little Kiss” is a novella that takes place in … Continue reading One Little Kiss by Robin Covington →
I applaud the effort but “Desert Heat” didn’t work that well for me. Novellas can be a difficult format to write. Longer than a short story, not quite a novel. With a short story, you can do a tightly focused tale focused on a single incident or subject. A novel gives you a chance to explore a story – dig into the characters or plot, even add sub-characters and sub-plots. With a novella, it’s hard … Continue reading Desert Heat by Merline Lovelace →
Before reading this, I had only heard good things about this novella. Scratch that – amazing things. So I was prepared to be either blown away or severely disappointed. Thankfully, it was the former. This book induces Good Book Noise™ something fierce. It is both deeply harrowing and one of the sweetest books I have read in a long time – and both those aspects are melded seamlessly throughout the story. The story is set … Continue reading Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole →
