ancient-Rome

REVIEW:  Master and God by Lindsey Davis

REVIEW: Master and God by Lindsey Davis

Gaius Vinius Clodianus is a reluctant Praetorian Guard, with a disastrous marriage history and post-traumatic stress – but he is a hero. Flavia Lucilla has given the imperial ladies a ridiculous hairstyle and makes toupees for the increasingly paranoid emperor – and she is good at her job. A devastating fire in Rome starts their(…)

Reading/Watching/Baking List by Jayne for March and early April

Reading/Watching/Baking List by Jayne for March and early April

My goodness, it’s been a long time since I wrote my last “what I’ve been reading/watching” post. I know I’ve been bad, bad, bad about this. So with no more excuses, here goes. Reading Lessons in Laughing Out Loud by Rowan Coleman I’m not sure what the author was aiming for here. I started this(…)

REVIEW: The Gladiator’s Master by Fae Sutherland and Marguerite Labbe

REVIEW: The Gladiator’s Master by Fae Sutherland and Marguerite Labbe

Dear Ms. Sutherland and Ms. Labbe. Your book was pointed out to me by someone in my “trust network,” the description intrigued me, and I checked it out. I’m glad I did. The book was compelling, even if I had issues with it all the way through. I kind of cringe when I read historical(…)

Friday Film Review: Quo Vadis

Friday Film Review: Quo Vadis

Quo Vadis (1951 and 2001) Genre: Religious Historical Grade: B- Yes, the dates are correct. This is a dual review of the famous 1951 Hollywood version and a Polish version made in 2001 which was also released as a six part TV version in 2002. I saw the Polish TV version which clocked in at(…)

Haiku Review: Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Haiku Review: Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

We briefly enjoyed regular haiku reviews and then our haiku-ist retired.   Over Christmas, I found this in my inbox.   How fun, right?   Bring back the haiku review. Lovely cover art Plus Cleopatra’s daughter Equals auto-buy You know your Romans. Wikipedia research? Not here. The real deal. Young orphan Selene The Isis cult sees her as(…)

REVIEW: Damon’s Price by Ali Katz

REVIEW: Damon’s Price by Ali Katz

Dear Ms. Katz, Since I love the time frame, I’ve done a number of reviews of books set in ancient Rome and am always on the look out for more. Hence when Samhain offered us your book, “Damon’s Price,” this month, I pounced. Pounce is a good word to use here since the book involves(…)

REVIEW: Flavia’s Secret by Lindsay Townsend

REVIEW: Flavia’s Secret by Lindsay Townsend

Dear Ms. Townsend,   Books set in ancient Rome or Roman Britain automatically get points from me. I dunno why. Maybe it’s the thought of those strong men running around in skirts and draped bed linens. But anyway, I’ve sought them out for years from back in the days when you couldn’t find one for love(…)

REVIEW:  Virgin Slave, Barbarian King by Louise Allen

REVIEW: Virgin Slave, Barbarian King by Louise Allen

Dear Ms Allen, I had planned on reading this book anyway because 1) I like a previous book of yours I tried and 2) I just had to support the era in which you’d set the story. After all, I can’t remember the last book I read that features Visigoths! When we all got together(…)

REVIEW:  Warrior or Wife by Lyn Randal

REVIEW: Warrior or Wife by Lyn Randal

Dear Ms Randal, Wow, Harlequin really seems to be getting the message that romance readers want something other than Regency set romances to read. Will wonders never cease? In the past year I think I’ve read more books set during ancient Rome than in the five preceding years combined. After two years spent battling the(…)

REVIEW: A Noble Captive by Michelle Styles

Dear Mrs. Styles, Thanks again for sending me an advanced copy of “A Noble Captive.” I agree with you that the cover is great. Not that “A Gladiator’s Honor” was bad, well except for the wrong color hair for the hero! Have you ever noticed the difference in the texture of Mills and Boon books(…)

REVIEW: Liberty by Kimberly Iverson

Dear Ms. Iverson, This turned out to be a lucky gamble book. And what made it even longer odds that I picked it up to try is that all I initially saw on the shelf at Waldenbooks was the spine. Let’s hear it for great cover/spine artwork. Yes, publishers, it really can sell your books.(…)

REVIEW: Novellas by Jennifer Mueller

Dear Ms. Mueller, My decision to buy some of your novellas was a good choice. Whether writing hot contemporaries or period detailed historicals, I’ve enjoyed all the ones I’ve read so far. In “A Little Roman Scandal” a heroine with a backbone of steel meets the hero to appreciate her intelligence and join with her(…)

REVIEW:  The Raven and the Rose by Doreen Owens Malek

REVIEW: The Raven and the Rose by Doreen Owens Malek

Dear Ms Owens Malek, Are you still writing? I hope so but haven’t seen anything new from you in ages. You’ve got me worried. I guess until I learn otherwise, I’ll have to just keep re-reading your OOP books. This is a dual ‘against all odds’ romance. Two sisters love men who are completely forbidden(…)

REVIEW: The Gladiator’s Honor by Michelle Styles

Dear Mrs. Styles, After years of Harlequin Historicals that made me think the only past acceptable for romance authors to write about was the Regency time frame, we finally (finally!) seem to be getting more of a range of eras. Praise Him (or Her, if that’s your preference) from whom all blessings flow. When I(…)