arranged-marriage

REVIEW:  Heart of the Dragon’s Realm by Karalynn Lee

REVIEW: Heart of the Dragon’s Realm by Karalynn Lee

“Princess Kimri is used to betrayal. Her brother sold her to a king in exchange for swords to defend his lands. King Tathan’s reputation is as fierce as that of his mountain kingdom–where dragons are said to guard the castle walls–but the realms are unstable enough without angering the mountain-king, so Kimri reluctantly agrees to(…)

REVIEW:  Unforgivable by Joanna Chambers

REVIEW: Unforgivable by Joanna Chambers

Dear Ms. Chambers: I picked up this book, the first I’ve read by you, because I was intrigued by the blurb. I’m fairly cautious about trying new writers, but marriage of convenience stories usually get my attention, and wronged heroine stories pique my interest even more. When Unforgivable opens, Rose Davenport is just recovering from(…)

REVIEW:  An Illicit Temptation by Jeannie Lin

REVIEW: An Illicit Temptation by Jeannie Lin

Dear Ms. Lin, I’ve read several of your other books and enjoyed them—I liked your novella “Capturing the Silken Thief” (reviewed here). I also liked “An Illicit Temptation” but didn’t love it—it felt incomplete to me. I bet, however, if I’d read the companion novel, My Fair Concubine (reviewed here), I would have appreciated your novella(…)

REVIEW: Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell

REVIEW: Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell

Dear Ms. O’Connell: When I saw that Kristie J. highly recommended your self-published Western, Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold, I admit I was excited but also trepidatious. I’m always a bit wary of Romance novels featuring Native American protagonists, because the stereotypes seem so entrenched in the genre. The opening scene of the book(…)

REVIEW: Married by June by Ellen Hartman

REVIEW: Married by June by Ellen Hartman

Dear Ms. Hartman: This turned out to be such a lovely book and in a way that totally surprised me. The story opens with Cooper Murphy proposing to Jorie Burke after knowing each other for six months, in a totally romantic and kind of scary way (come on, it was kind of creepy because the(…)

REVIEW: The Bartered Virgin by Chevon Gael

REVIEW: The Bartered Virgin by Chevon Gael

Dear Ms. Gael, I almost didn’t read your novel after a title mistake on the blurb page. The hero is described as Sir David Knightsbridge, Earl of Wolshingham. Um, just no. Thankfully, this is corrected in the text. Now, on to the review. Winnifred Percy doesn’t want to become the next New York heiress auctioned(…)

What’s wrong with the arranged marriage trope?

What’s wrong with the arranged marriage trope?

I guess my title should be why isn’t there any arranged marriage stories? Or maybe it should be why isn’t there any arranged marriage stories portrayed in a positive light? Two young adult books have been released in 2010 that dealt with arranged marriage. One, Passion Play presented the gang rape of the female protagonist(…)

Friday Film Review: The Swan

Friday Film Review: The Swan

The Swan (1956) Genre: Historical Dramedy Grade: B- Here’s a golden oldie, or moldy oldie if you don’t care for it. The movie is based on a play written by Ferenc Molnar and was filmed twice before this final one was made. It’s Grace Kelly’s next-to-the-last film made before her marriage to a real Prince(…)

REVIEW: Sheikh’s Forbidden Virgin by Kate Hewitt

REVIEW: Sheikh’s Forbidden Virgin by Kate Hewitt

Dear Ms. Hewitt: Thank you for sending me a copy of your book. The thing that stuck out most in my mind at the end of the story was how apt the title was. The story really was about the sheikh’s forbidden virgin. This is part of The Royal House of Karedes miniseries.   These series(…)

REVIEW: Dishonor and Desire by Juliet Landon

Dear Mrs. Landon, After my great experience with “The Warlord’s Mistress” I was in a quandary. I wanted to go out and read every thing of yours I could get my hands on and at the same time, I was worried that nothing would match up to that first book. I’ve been burned by the(…)

REVIEW:  Samburu Hills by Jennifer Mueller

REVIEW: Samburu Hills by Jennifer Mueller

Dear Mrs Mueller, I don’t think any of your stories has been less than a B grade for me and “Samburu Hills” continues that tradition. The unusual settings and eras you choose for your books are heavenly for me. My blogging partner Janine once said if there were a romance set in Timbuktu, I’d be(…)

REVIEW: Wish on the Moon by Barri Bryan

Dear Mr and Mrs. Houston, Now we’re back in business. After my disappointment in the contemporary book of yours I tried, I figured I’d better go back to a historical. And since I’ve been in the mood for westerns lately, this seemed a good choice. Twenty seven year old Isabel Delaney listens in amazement as(…)

REVIEW: The Rules of Seduction by Madeline Hunter

Dear Ms Hunter, It was with reluctance that I tried to follow you to Regency era books. Your medievals were so good and (though I hate to admit it) the few Regency ones I tried just didn’t seem to cut it. I was disheartened. Then “The Rules of Seduction” started getting rave reviews. Jane suggested(…)