England

REVIEW:  Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

REVIEW: Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

  Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose during lunch at one of London’s fanciest restaurants. But when his big question involves a trip abroad, not a trip down the aisle, she’s completely crushed. So when Ben, an old flame, calls her out of the blue and reminds Lottie of their pact(…)

REVIEW:  The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abé

REVIEW: The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abé

Dear Ms. Abé, As a longtime reader of your fantasy-romance Drakon series (books aimed at adults), I was eager to read your newest book, The Sweetest Dark, which is both related to the Drakon series, and the first book in a new series aimed at readers of YA. You state on your website that The(…)

REVIEW:  India Fan by Victoria Holt

REVIEW: India Fan by Victoria Holt

Drusilla Delaney, daughter of an English Victorian vicar has grown up near and with the aristocratic Framling children – handsome Fabian and spoilt Lavinia. While she isn’t in contact with Fabian as much until they are adults, she has been tutored along side and then sent off to boarding school with nearly out-of-control Lavinia, since(…)

REVIEW:  Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick

REVIEW: Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick

  “Ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. As an act of encouragement, his father sends him to be fostered as a knight in the household of Joscelin, Lord of Ludlow. Here he meets the lord’s youngest daughter, Hawise, and a strong friendship is formed. When Brunin aids his lord in(…)

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(…)

JOINT REVIEW:  The Dark Lady by Maire Claremont

JOINT REVIEW: The Dark Lady by Maire Claremont

Janine: I was initially going to review Maire Claremont’s debut, The Dark Lady: A Novel of Mad Passions, alone, but when I discussed the novel with Sunita, she caught a couple of historical errors. Since she is also knowledgeable about India, where part of the book takes place, I invited her to join me. Sunita:(…)

REVIEW:  The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas

REVIEW: The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas

“It is 1644, and Parliament’s armies have risen against the King and laid siege to the city of York. Even as the city suffers at the rebels’ hands, midwife Bridget Hodgson becomes embroiled in a different sort of rebellion. One of Bridget’s friends, Esther Cooper, has been convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to(…)

REVIEW:  When Chocolate is Not Enough … by Nina Harrington

REVIEW: When Chocolate is Not Enough … by Nina Harrington

Dear Ms. Harrington, Chocolate seems to be the new “thing” in romance books. And here we have luscious, organic, single estate, premo, “to die for” chocolate. Chocolate that makes chocolatiers swoon with delight and weep with envy – if they don’t have access to it. We also have a hero convinced of the wonder of(…)

REVIEW:  Emily (aka Waiting at the Church) by Paula Allardyce

REVIEW: Emily (aka Waiting at the Church) by Paula Allardyce

Dear Readers, Paula Allardyce has been a favorite author of mine for years. She wrote during the 50s-70s so her style is a bit old fashioned. She also usually clearly spelled out who the villain was early in the story. Another issue is that her books are OOP and haven’t been digitized. Still, if you(…)

REVIEW:  Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson

REVIEW: Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson

Dear Readers, “Miss Buncle Married” takes up nine months after the close of “Miss Buncle’s Book” with Barbara Buncle now happily married to her publisher Arthur Abbott. They live fairly blissfully in Arthur’s house near London with the only blot on their happiness being the tiresome round of social obligations both finally admit to each(…)

REVIEW:  A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry

REVIEW: A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry

“Bronte Talbott follows all of the exploits of the British royals. After all, they’re the world’s most preeminent dysfunctional family. And who is she to judge? Bronte’s own search for love isn’t going all that well, especially after her smooth-talking Texan boyfriend abruptly leaves her in the dust. Bronte keeps a lookout for a rebound(…)

Friday Film Review: Different for Girls

Friday Film Review: Different for Girls

Different for Girls (1996) Genre: Romantic dramedy Grade: B-/C+ Frankly, I’d forgotten I had this movie in my Netflix queue until I noticed that it was due to be taken off the streaming option. With a viewing deadline looming, I first pulled up the information to refresh my memory of why I’d decided to save(…)

REVIEW: Once a Playboy by Kate Hardy

REVIEW: Once a Playboy by Kate Hardy

Dear Ms. Hardy, I haven’t read too many of the Harlequin Medical Romance line up til now. I do like the medical slant of the stories and the fact that many of them are set outside the U.S. The short length, though, might turn out to be a problem for me as it seems to(…)

Friday Film Review: Genevieve

Friday Film Review: Genevieve

Genevieve (1953) Genre: Comedy Grade: B Originally I had another film lined up for today but yesterday I was reading that this coming weekend is the annual London to Brighton Rally. “That’s it,” I said. “Genevieve is on.” From a little film that the studio heads didn’t think much of and didn’t want to release,(…)

REVIEW:  The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne

REVIEW: The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne

Dear Ms. Browne, In all fairness, the title does promise what is delivered. But I found that I didn’t care for a woman who would consider this acceptable behavior. The romance is like one of the heroine’s mother’s fairy cakes or ‘light as air’ sponge cakes. And even the farting dog and images of Amy(…)