Historical

REVIEW:  Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale

REVIEW: Seducing Mr. Knightly by Maya Rodale

Dear Ms. Rodale: I have not read the previous three books in this series but the recent sale by HarperCollins piqued my interest. I had a review copy in my files and decided to give it a chance. The premise behind the series is that newspaper owner Derek Knightly hired four women and dubbed them(…)

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:  Lord Gray’s List by Maggie Robinson

REVIEW: Lord Gray’s List by Maggie Robinson

Dear Ms. Robinson: I haven’t read such an adorable hero in a long time. I was just sad he was matched up with Evie. There was an inequality to the characters that set me on edge and I never quite felt balanced in the end. Evie Ramsay took over a printer’s shop that her father(…)

JOINT REVIEW:  A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long

JOINT REVIEW: A Notorious Countess Confesses by Julie Anne Long

Dear Ms. Long, Dabney and I are both fans of your work and we both enjoyed your latest Pennyroyal Green novel, A Notorious Countess Confesses. I, however, liked it more than Dabney did and thought it would be interesting to discuss the book with her. A Notorious Countess Confesses continues the pattern of the last(…)

REVIEW:  The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens

REVIEW: The Lady Risks All by Stephanie Laurens

Dear Ms. Laurens, Your latest book, The Lady Risks All, is almost 500 pages. That was at least 350 too many for me. In many ways, this is a typical Laurens book—although it differs in one excellent way. The man has enough sexual experience to train several brothels; the virginal heroine is so responsive to his(…)

REVIEW:  Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas

REVIEW: Tempting the Bride by Sherry Thomas

Dear Ms. Thomas – You have the terrible tendency of ruining me for other books. What I mean is, I read a Sherry Thomas book, and then nothing else I read really satisfies me. This was the case for me with Tempting the Bride because it has within its covers several romance tropes that I(…)

REVIEW:  Saving the Rifleman by Julie Rowe

REVIEW: Saving the Rifleman by Julie Rowe

Dear Ms. Rowe, It used to be that books set in the early years of the 20th century were few and far between. This situation has changed a little but whenever I read a blurb or description for a story set during this time frame, I still get excited and will always investigate it further.(…)

REVIEW:  Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson

REVIEW: Miss Buncle’s Book by D.E. Stevenson

“Barbara Buncle is in a bind. Times are harsh, and Barbara’s bank account has seen better days. Stumped for ideas, Barbara draws inspiration from fellow residents of her quaint English village, writing a revealing novel that features the townsfolk as characters. The smashing bestseller is published under the pseudonym John Smith, which is a good(…)

REVIEW:  Rules to Catch a Devilish Duke by Suzanne Enoch

REVIEW: Rules to Catch a Devilish Duke by Suzanne Enoch

Dear Ms. Enoch: The Scandalous Bride series as this is called has been a challenge for me. I really appreciate the thoughtful presentation of women and their powerlessness in the Regency period. Through the Tantalus Club, set up in Book 1 of the series, women of all backgrounds have found a safe haven. As Diane,(…)

REVIEW:  A Study in Seduction by Nina Rowan

REVIEW: A Study in Seduction by Nina Rowan

Dear Ms. Rowan: I admit passing this book over because lately historical romances have such a sameness to them, that I felt like I’ve read all the stories before.  However, the review at JenniferRNN’s site intrigued me and I found the book on NetGalley, allowing me to try the book out for free. The heroine,(…)

REVIEW:  The Last Renegade by Jo Goodman

REVIEW: The Last Renegade by Jo Goodman

Dear Ms. Goodman: Your books always present a challenge for me to review because oftentimes the plot is a mystery and thus delving into the story can ruin the surprise for many readers. The Last Renegade is one of those types of stories.  Set in Wyoming Territory, 1888, Lorraine Berry answered a newspaper ad to(…)

REVIEW:  A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis by Jillian Stone

REVIEW: A Dangerous Liaison with Detective Lewis by Jillian Stone

Dear Ms. Stone: I had high hopes for this book. It is set in the late Victorian era and features a yard man as the hero and an industrialist’s daughter as the heroine. Everything about the premise and story is fresh and different. Unfortunately this is more of an action flick than a mystery with(…)

REVIEW:  A Lady Never Lies by Juliana Grey

REVIEW: A Lady Never Lies by Juliana Grey

Dear Ms. Grey I was sent this book by Berkley with a note that they know I like unusual historical settings. The book takes place in Italy in 1890. The set up is a little strained. Three male friends – the impoverished Duke of Wallingford, his brother, of Lord Roland Penhallow, and their friend Phineas(…)

Friday Film Review: The Black Shield of Falworth

Friday Film Review: The Black Shield of Falworth

The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) Genre: Medieval Swashbuckler Grade: B- The second Friday Film Review I did was of “Captain Blood” and in the comments Kathleen MacIver described this movie and asked if anyone could help her figure out the title. I knew immediately what she was talking about as I’d seen it a(…)