Beauty-and-the-Beast

REVIEW:  The Lass Wore Black by Karen Ranney

REVIEW: The Lass Wore Black by Karen Ranney

Dear Ms. Ranney: I had such high hopes for this book, particularly when I realized it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast inverted. The heroine, Catriona Cameron, was a beauty who enjoyed the pleasures of men, both in bed and out. She enjoyed toying with them. She enjoyed getting away with almost any(…)

REVIEW: The Scandalous Countess by Jo Beverley

REVIEW: The Scandalous Countess by Jo Beverley

“Georgia, Countess of Maybury has it all, but then her husband is killed in a duel and she loses her homes, most of her possessions, and her reputation as well. Innocent of all charges, she returns to the beau monde determined to regain all through a second brilliant marriage, but a scarred ex-naval officer threatens(…)

REVIEW: Petals and Thorns by Jennifer Paris

REVIEW: Petals and Thorns by Jennifer Paris

Dear Ms. Paris, Around the time we were having the discussion of rape fantasies here at DA, Jane asked for recommendations of books similar to Cara McKenna’s Willing Victim, and your novella, Petals and Thorns, came up on Twitter. Reader MaryK, who hadn’t read it, thought it might fit the bill of what Jane was(…)

REVIEW:  A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl

REVIEW: A Little Bit Wild by Victoria Dahl

Dear Ms. Dahl: I read this book at the Romantic Times convention because you had brought me an ARC or perhaps the ARC was there for someone else and I appropriated it. I can’t recall. I read this throughout the conference, taking it with me to dinner and not going down to drink in the(…)

REVIEW: My Dangerous Duke by Gaelen Foley

REVIEW: My Dangerous Duke by Gaelen Foley

Dear   Ms. Foley, I read and very much enjoyed your novel, The Duke, back when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth (okay, slight exaggeration, but sometimes it feels that long ago; actually, the internet tells me that The Duke was published in 2000). Impressed as I was, I hunted up and read your previous series, the(…)

REVIEW: The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

REVIEW: The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Dear Miss Harrison, About one year ago, I had the pleasure of first discovering your novel, The Princess and the Hound, through my amazing school library. Now, a year later, the ARC of The Princess and the Snowbird is happily coming to me through the mail, and in preparation, I have decided to reread this(…)

REVIEW:  Charming the Devil by Lois Greiman

REVIEW: Charming the Devil by Lois Greiman

Dear Ms. Greiman: I think of myself as a big fan of the Beauty and the Beast tale, but I can’t help but wonder if we readers are being oversaturated with the retelling of this popular myth. Charming the Devil is the third entry in the Witches of Mayfair trilogy (and given that it is(…)

REVIEW:  Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell

REVIEW: Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell

Dear Ms. Campbell: I read your controversial debut and while I appreciated the chances you took, it didn’t inspire me to read your other books. When Captive of Sin arrived on my doorstep, I thought I would give the book a chance. Sir Gideon Trevithick  finds a woman cowering in the stable where his horse is(…)

REVIEW: To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

REVIEW: To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

Okay people, listen up. This is the last book in the series and the whole thing is a spoiler for the first three books. You have been warned. Dear Ms Hoyt, Capturing my attention for an entire series before I’ve even read the first book is something. Me remembering that a new book in a(…)

What Makes a Hero

Barbara Vey of Publishers’ Weekly asked those attending Lady Jane’s Salon in New York City for three words that describe a hero. Many of the respondents went for the superficial (tall, dark and handsome was one answer and yet another said “Sexy, handsome and luscious”): sexy and strong. One author appeared to be stumped and(…)

REVIEW: Tempted by His Kiss by Tracy Ann Warren

Dear Ms. Warren: It’s been a while since I’ve read a book of yours. I know I read your debut books that were released back to back but for some reason, I fell off the bandwagon. I was curious about what your move to Avon would produce and so picked up and read In His(…)

Two for One Review: Harlequin Historical Undones

Two for One Review: Harlequin Historical Undones

The Rake’s Intimate Encounter by Ann Lethbridge I’m still not sure I completely understand the set-up of this novella. I realize it’s a prologue, so to speak, for Lethbridge’s historical series for Harlequin but even so I felt like I was dumped midway into a story without any map to point me in the right(…)

REVIEW: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

Dear Mrs. Hoyt, Your books work for me. What else can I say? I believe in these characters. I believe in the circumstances you place them in. I believe the ways you make them act. I want them to find happiness and when they do, I’m thrilled. When Jane sent out a DA email asking(…)

REVIEW: A Witch’s Beauty by Joey W. Hill

REVIEW: A Witch’s Beauty by Joey W. Hill

Dear Ms. Hill, I’ve been known to have an aversion to mermaid sex.   But since I’m fond of your vampire novels, I decided to give your mermaid series a try.   Jane reviewed the first book, A Mermaid’s Kiss, when it came out and overall, I agree with her assessment.   In the hands of another writer,(…)

REVIEW: Castle of the Wolf by Sandra Schwab

Dear Ms. Schwab: I remember when The Lily Brand was release in 2005 and many were shocked by its dark tones. I had to read it because it sounded different and back a few years ago, we weren’t really getting the variety that we have today. Like many dark books, in The Lily Brand once(…)