Agent/Spies/Undercover

REVIEW: The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

REVIEW: The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

Dear Ms. Garwood: This review of Lion’s Lady posted at Smart Bitches is fomenting a desire to reread your backlist (I liked Guardian Angel a bit more than Lion’s Lady). However your latest release is a contemporary. The Ideal Man is a solid entry into the Garwood bibliography but I still long for the magic(…)

REVIEW: The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig

REVIEW: The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig

Dear Ms. Willig, I’m late, I’m late, I know I’m late in getting to and reading this installment in the “Pink Carnation” series but after my slight disappointment with “Night Jasmine” I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t eager to jump into it. Now that I have, I will cheerfully say it’s my bad that(…)

REVIEW:  The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

REVIEW: The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Dear Ms. Young, Oh the cute YA spy story.   How I love it.   There are days when the only thing I am remotely interested in picking up is a lighter read that makes me happy.   These are the kind of reads where cliches aren’t really a problem and I don’t put as much thought into(…)

REVIEW: India Black by Carol K. Carr

REVIEW: India Black by Carol K. Carr

Note:   In order to combine comments for this one book, I’ve grouped two reviews together. The first review is by Jennie (and is the more negative review) and the second is by Jia (the more positive review). Dear Ms. Carr, The title of your debut novel jumped out from a list of new books for(…)

REVIEW: The Nobleman and the Spy by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

REVIEW: The Nobleman and the Spy by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

Dear Ms. Dee and Ms. Devon: This was a December Recommended Read for me. I enjoyed the characters, I liked the plot, I liked the historical feel. Just in general this was a good solid historical romance. The year is 1866. Jonathan Reese is a spy, a former soldier who didn’t know how to re-enter(…)

REVIEW: Truthful Change by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow

REVIEW: Truthful Change by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow

Dear Ms. Davitt and Ms. Snow. I have previously enjoyed your novels, both those I’ve reviewed and those I haven’t. And I had this book in my review pile for a while. But…someone (can’t remember who, sorry) jumped it way up my list by saying how wonderful it was and I spent most of Thanksgiving(…)

REVIEW: One Small Victory by Maryann Miller

REVIEW: One Small Victory by Maryann Miller

Dear Ms Miller, Thank you for submitting this novel to us for possible review. And for including an excerpt! Never underestimate that since it helps us choose what we’re going to try. And while the subject matter for the book might seem a real downer for some, the way you handled it moved it to(…)

REVIEW: Dangerous Allies by Renee Ryan

REVIEW: Dangerous Allies by Renee Ryan

Dear Ms. Ryan, When I saw that this book is set in Germany during WWII, I knew I had to try it. That, I’m afraid, is really the only reason I jumped at it but pounce on it I did. Like Wendy the Super Librarian I feel compelled to do my part to encourage the(…)

REVIEW: The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig

REVIEW: The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig

Dear Ms. Willig, I admit I haven’t read the latest in the “Pink Carnation” series “Blood Lily” so when Jane sent me the arc for “The Mischief of the Mistletoe” I inwardly cringed. Oh dear, I thought, there’s no way I can get “Lily” read in time so I’ll just have to plunge in and(…)

REVIEW x2: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

REVIEW x2: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Andrews: Other than Magic Mourns, the short story that was included in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology, I haven’t read any of your Kate Daniels series. I’m not sure why Kate Daniels unfortunately flew completely under my radar, but due to my giant, listing TBR stack, I doubt I’ll end up(…)

REVIEW: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

REVIEW: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

Dear Mr. & Ms. Andrews, The changeling William Wolf was introduced to readers in your earlier book, On the Edge. On your website, Mr. Andrews states in that book, William "lost Rose to Declan and did not save the day. This book [Bayou Moon] was his chance to be a hero, to get the girl.(…)

REVIEW: Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

REVIEW: Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

Dear Ms. Elliott, I first heard of your book while linkhopping across various reader blogs. I can’t tell you exactly where I learned of Cold Magic but the description stuck with me: an Afro-Celtic post-Roman icepunk Regency novel with airships, Phoenician spies, and the intelligent descendants of troodons. I later discovered this description was taken(…)

REVIEW: You Only Love Once by Caroline Linden

REVIEW: You Only Love Once by Caroline Linden

Dear Ms. Linden, My book log shows that the last book I read of yours was What a Gentleman Wants, at the end of 2006. That doesn’t seem right; I was sure I’d read one of your books more recently than that. I suspect I’m confusing you with another author (maybe Carolyn Jewel?), but in(…)

REVIEW: Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer

REVIEW: Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer

Dear. Ms. Dreyer, When a friend told me that you had started this historical series, despite the fact that I’m pretty much Regencied out, I was delighted. After all, you’ve written some wonderful category novels such as “A Soldier’s Heart,” and “A Rose for Maggie” that I love. After I finished it, all I could(…)

REVIEW: His at Night by Sherry Thomas

REVIEW: His at Night by Sherry Thomas

Dear Ms. Thomas, A new Sherry Thomas book is an occasion for rejoicing; I’ve given A grades to each of your three previous books. So I had high hopes for His at Night, hopes that were stoked further by the blurb on your website. A hero playing dumb (shades of  The Scarlet Pimpernel)? A desperate heroine(…)