Recommended Reads

REVIEW:  A Different Kind of Forever by Dee Ernst

REVIEW: A Different Kind of Forever by Dee Ernst

Dear Ms. Ernst, Once upon a time, in a seedy bar, many years ago, I met a man, fell for him on the spot, married him, and decades later count myself lucky to have and hold him as my own. And yet, as I read your book, the wonderful A Different Kind of Forever, I found(…)

REVIEW:  Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

REVIEW: Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry

Dear Ms. Mayberry— I think your novel Hot Island Nights is splendid—I love the rapport between Elizabeth and Nathan—and I was happy to learn your new self-published novel Her Best Worst Mistake is a companion/sequel to that tale. Her Best Worst Mistake chronicles what happens between Elizabeth’s wild best friend Violet and Elizabeth’s stuffy ex-fiancé(…)

REVIEW:  Homefront Hero by Allie Pleiter

REVIEW: Homefront Hero by Allie Pleiter

Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can’t help being impressed–although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the(…)

Recommended Reads Saturday: Beloved Vampire by Joey W. Hill

Recommended Reads Saturday: Beloved Vampire by Joey W. Hill

  The following is an excerpt from Beloved Vampire posted with the approval of Joey W. Hill Clarifications for this excerpt: After Lord Mason rescued Jessica from the tomb of his previous lover and servant, Farida, he brought her to his South American estate. This is one of her first nights there. Though Farida has(…)

REVIEW: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

REVIEW: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Dear Ms. Norris, I admit I went into your debut novel not knowing much about it. I knew it was a YA. I had an idea about the basic set-up: a girl dies in a car accident and is brought back to life by a classmate. This somehow leads into a race against the clock(…)

Dear Author Recommends for May 2012

Dear Author Recommends for May 2012

We haven’t posted any reviews of these books yet, but we will this week so stay tuned. If you have recommendations yourselves, let us know about them. Historical Beguiling the Beauty by Sherry Thomas. Recommended by Dabney and Jennie F (Amz | BN | S | K) The Governness Affair by Courtney Milan.  Recommended by Dabney (Amz | BN | S | K | ARE) Rogue by Ava(…)

REVIEW:  The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich

REVIEW: The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich

Dear Ms. Rich, I have a love/hate relationship with historical novels. When they work, they can be wondrous – taking me to foreign lands, to different eras, into the rich and complex lives of the characters. Bad ones can seem endless and are worse if I get the feeling that these are just people dressed(…)

Recommended Reads Saturday: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Recommended Reads Saturday: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

The following is an excerpt from Dragon Bound posted with the approval of Thea Harrison When he discovered the theft, Dragos Cuelebre exploded into the sky with long thrusts from a wingspan approaching that of an eight-seater Cessna jet. Modern life had gotten complicated. His usual habit was to focus Power on averting aircraft when(…)

Recommended Reads Saturday: Master of Crows by Grace Draven

Recommended Reads Saturday: Master of Crows by Grace Draven

From Nicci: I am recommending this book because From the very first chapter, I was hooked. The storyline is compelling and kept me enthralled, but it’s the characters that commanded my attention. Silhara is one of the most interesting heroes I’ve ever read, and Martise’s quiet strength and determination is the perfect complement to such(…)

REVIEW:  The Only Gold by Tamara Allen

REVIEW: The Only Gold by Tamara Allen

  Dear Ms. Allen, This review is long overdue. I loved this book when I read it last year, so much that I put it on my Best of 2011 list. But I didn’t get the review written in proper time, and then the Dreamspinner Press debacle happened and Sarah and I stopped reviewing DSP’s(…)

REVIEW:  A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan

REVIEW: A Private Gentleman by Heidi Cullinan

(This one is addressed to readers, not the author) Dear Readers: As we all know, it’s impossible to be objective about a review. And this is fine, as long as we can be honest about the sources of our lack of objectivity, if we know them. This book has flaws, even major flaws that have(…)

REVIEW: Heart of Flame by Janine Ashbless

REVIEW: Heart of Flame by Janine Ashbless

And on the One-Thousand-and-Second night, Scheherazade told this story… By day, Taqla uses her forbidden sorcery to move freely about the city of Damascus in the guise of an old sage. Her true identity known only by her faithful servant woman, Taqla is content with the comfortable, if restrictive, life that keeps her safe from(…)

Recommended Reads Saturday: Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

Recommended Reads Saturday: Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

From Darlynne: I am recommending this book because The fantasy genre of magic users in urban settings is turned on its head and re-imagined in this Portland, Oregon-based series about Allie Beckstrom, magic Hound and reluctant daughter of the city’s most powerful businessman. Magic is available to all, but the use of it exacts a(…)

REVIEW:  The Price of Innocence by Susan Sizemore

REVIEW: The Price of Innocence by Susan Sizemore

Dear Ms. Sizemore, I loved The Price of Innocence. And, I expect to get grief from a few for doing so. The relationship between your leads, Jack and Sherrie, begins with what could be called at best forced seduction and what will be seen by some as rape. This trope makes many crazy. Before I began(…)

REVIEW:  Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (and giveaway)

REVIEW: Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (and giveaway)

Dear Ms. Kearsley, It’s no secret that I love your books. The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden made my Best of 2010 and Best of 2011 lists, respectively, so it’s probably past time that I let one of my DA colleagues have a chance to review you. But when I heard that Mariana was(…)