cornwall

REVIEW:  That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran

REVIEW: That Scandalous Summer by Meredith Duran

Dear Meredith Duran: I’ve been a Meredith Duran fangirl since The Duke of Shadows was published in 2008; none of your books has received less than a B+ from me. So naturally each new book is eagerly anticipated. For perhaps the first time, reading That Scandalous Summer, I ended up feeling…disappointed. Further, I’m not sure(…)

REVIEW: Lily by Patricia Gaffney

REVIEW: Lily by Patricia Gaffney

Dear Ms. Gaffney, When I heard the news that many of your romance titles were being released as ebooks by Open Road Integrated Media, I felt a pang of jealousy for those newer romance readers who would have the opportunity to discover your work for the first time. When the opportunity came to interview you, Jane(…)

REVIEW: Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison

REVIEW: Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison

“Isabel Hart is afraid of two things, the maze at Trencarrow where she got lost as a young child, and the lake where her brother David saved her from drowning in a boating accident. With her twenty-first birthday and the announcement of her engagement imminent, Isabel decides it is time for her to face her(…)

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

UPDATED: The winners of the giveaway are: 1) SeaGrace 2) Eilis Flynn 3) Julie L. 4) Robyn B. 5) Amy K 6) Maggie 7) Elizabeth56 8) DarcyO 9) Maili 10) Lindsey Please send me your snail mail address at sunita at dear author dot com. Congratulations to the winners, and thank you Sourcebooks!   Dear(…)

REVIEW: A Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C.A. Belmond

REVIEW: A Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C.A. Belmond

Dear Ms. Belmond, Before I started this book, I hoped that my reading experience wouldn’t continue the pattern of the previous three books – loved “Inheritance,” thought “Engagement” was just okay, enjoyed “Invitation.” In other words, up then down then up then maybe down again. Well, I liked “Homecoming” but definitely not as much as(…)

Guest Backlist Review:  Secrets of Midnight by Miriam Minger

Guest Backlist Review: Secrets of Midnight by Miriam Minger

The title is kind of gothicky, and I’ve always enjoyed a good gothic, so I was comfortable with that.  And the first page tells me the story is set in Cornwall in 1813.  As a great fan of both Daphne duMaurier and Winston Graham, I looked forward to another Cornish tale.  Unfortunately, Secrets of Midnight didn’t stand(…)

REVIEW: The Smuggler and the Society Bride by Julia Justiss

REVIEW: The Smuggler and the Society Bride by Julia Justiss

Dear Ms. Justiss, Thank you for sending me a copy of your latest book, “The Smuggler and the Society Bride.” Despite it being the third full length book in the “Silk and Scandal” series, I found that I could jump right in without feeling I was missing vital information or at sea about who the(…)

REVIEW: Shining in the Sun by Alex Beecroft

REVIEW: Shining in the Sun by Alex Beecroft

Dear Ms. Beecroft: When Sarah Frantz recommended this book to me, I knew that agreeing to review it would finally ensure that I read one of your books sooner rather than later (review books take precedence over pure leisure books in my personal hierarchy of reading these days). That it is a contemporary made it(…)

REVIEW: Once in a Blue Moon by Penelope Williamson

Dear Ms. Williamson, For my inaugural review for Dear Author, I thought it would be nice to review an old favorite (my thinking being that then I wouldn’t have to sharpen my claws right away). Having been reminded of my fondness for "outsider" romances by a recent read (Meredith Duran’s excellent The Duke of Shadows),(…)

REVIEW: Beyond Seduction by Stephanie Laurens

Dear Ms. Laurens: In the early days, I read your books the moment that they came out but after the 8th or 9th Cynster book, they began to lose their appeal to such a degree that when you made the move to hardcover, I left myself behind. Since the hardcover move, I’ve read only three(…)

REVIEW:  The Mermaid of Penperro by Lisa Cach

REVIEW: The Mermaid of Penperro by Lisa Cach

Dear Ms Cach, While this isn’t one of my favorites, I still enjoyed it. I remember it being a departure from the other books you had published then by virtue of it having no paranormal elements, despite the title. However, as several reviews stated, a reader does need to suspend a little belief in order(…)

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(…)