Agent/Spies/Undercover

REVIEW:  Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

REVIEW: Ice Blue by Anne Stuart

Dear Ms. Stuart, ummer Hawthorne, the heroine of the third book in your Ice series, is the curator for a Los Angeles museum that specializes in Asian art. She is also the owner of a blue ceramic bowl that her Japanese nanny entrusted to Summer just before she died. Summer's self-centered mother belongs to a(…)

REVIEW: A Wicked Gentleman by Jane Feather

Dear Ms. Feather: The most recent issue plaguing your books have been the appeal of your heroes. One common theme for your heroes is that they often use the heroines for their own selfish motivations and then are seemingly “redeemed” by falling in love with the heroines as if the “love” word automatically excuses villainous(…)

REVIEW:  Shadow Patriots by Lucia St. Clair Robson

REVIEW: Shadow Patriots by Lucia St. Clair Robson

Dear Ms. St Clair Robson, I began reading historical fiction at an early age and devoured books by Jean Plaidy and Norah Lofts. I’ve only read one of your other books (Ride the Wind) but it gave me an idea of what to expect from this one. I adore a good book that expounds on(…)

REVIEW: Petals in the Storm by Mary Jo Putney

Dear Ms. Putney, This book has been mentioned as being one of the weakest of this series (the Fallen Angels) and I can see why. I found myself far more interested in Robin and Maggie’s relationship, and for that matter Helene and von Fehrenbach’s relationship, than in seeing Rafe and Maggie get back together. Heck,(…)

REVIEW:  Cold as Ice by Anne Stuart

REVIEW: Cold as Ice by Anne Stuart

Dear Ms. Stuart, Genevieve Spenser finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time when she arrives on billionaire Harry Van Dorn’s yacht. Harry is not only rich but gorgeous and charming, and his sexiness has gotten People magazine’s stamp of approval. He is known for caring about working conditions in his factories and(…)

REVIEW: The Widow by Carla Neggers

Dear Ms. Neggers: I saw from your website that this is your first hardcover. I read your book directly after finishing Linda Howard’s Cover of Night. You would suppose that given La Belle Howard’s huge popularity and my love for many of her works, your placement in the reading order would result in a negative.(…)

REVIEW:  From London with Love by Jenna Peterson

REVIEW: From London with Love by Jenna Peterson

Dear Ms. Peterson: Your series has been advertised as loosely based on the Charlies’ Angels and it was the reason that I picked up your book. What a novel idea (pun sort of intended)–women Regency spies. I have always been a fan of the franchise, both in its original ideation and in the modernized version.(…)

REVIEW: Good Girl Gone Bad by Karin Tabke

Dear Ms. Tabke: I have a feeling that after this review, you aren’t going to like me very much. Please try to remember that this letter is about your book and not about you. Because I hated it – the book, that is. It was the worst piece of drivel that I have read in(…)

REVIEW: My Favorite Marquess by Alexandra Bassett

Dear Ms Bassett (aka Elizabeth and Julia Bass), The opening of “My Favorite Marquess” reminded me a lot of Laura Kinsale’s “My Sweet Folly.” Thank God your book stayed pretty good while that one ended up as a bit of a mess. Violet and Sebastian are two fantastic characters and the rest of the crew(…)

REVIEW:  Black Ice by Anne Stuart

REVIEW: Black Ice by Anne Stuart

Dear Mrs Stuart, I’m glad to see you get back to your nihilistic, “don’t give a shit” heroes but somehow being reminded over and over that Bastien is such a man took some of it away. All right, I wanted to say, I got the picture the first time and you don’t need to tell(…)

REVIEW: Sex as a Second Language by Alisa Kwitney

Dear Mrs. Kwitney, Your first book had more of a traditional “romance” style to it and since then, you’ve been moving in more a “chick lit” crossed with “women’s fiction” with some romance direction. I’m fine with that and have enjoyed all your books but it is something I thought I should mention in case(…)