Love-Triangle

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:  Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

REVIEW: Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

Dear Ms. Stephens: Thoughtless is the perfect title for this book because all of the main characters act in thoughtless ways.  But because the story is told in the first person from Kiera’s point of view, her behavior is what I focused on.  My first reaction on completing this book was hell no and then(…)

REVIEW:  Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

REVIEW: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Dear Ms. Griffin, I’m a big Edgar Allan Poe fan. Any book with a title referencing him is always going to get a second look from me. Combined with a striking cover, it’s almost guaranteed I will pick it up. I initially thought Masque of the Red Death was a debut, but your name sounded(…)

REVIEW: A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh

REVIEW: A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh

The following review contains SPOILERS. The spoilers from late in the book are hidden, but others are visible. If you have never read A Promise of Spring and prefer to avoid spoilers, read this review at your own risk. Dear Ms. Balogh, A Promise of Spring, now being reprinted in a 2-in-1 volume with The(…)

REVIEW: By the Pale Moonlight by Jennifer Hendren

REVIEW: By the Pale Moonlight by Jennifer Hendren

Dear Ms. Hendren: Your book came to my attention through the recommendation sent to Sarah and I via our podcast email. In the podcast, Sarah and I both buy the book. I hoped it was going to be as awesome as promised, unfortunately this young adult novel read as juvenile as its characters. There was(…)

REVIEW: The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams

REVIEW: The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams

Dear Ms. Williams: I admit I passed this book over when it first came across my desk. The cover, the story blurb all seemed a little twee to me. It’s largely about the fae and I’ve never really been interested in that fantasy world. Months later (the book was released at the end of October(…)

REVIEW: The Trysting Place by Mary Balogh

REVIEW: The Trysting Place by Mary Balogh

Dear Ms. Balogh, For two whole weeks everything that happened in the Maynard household revolved around one fact: Felicity was coming home. So begins The Trysting Place, one of your early, out-of-print trad regencies (and a prequel to The Notorious Rake). I loved the opening of this story, in which we see eighteen year old(…)

REVIEW: My Fair Succubi by Jill Myles

REVIEW: My Fair Succubi by Jill Myles

Dear Ms. Myles, You are another author whose books have caught my eye, but I haven’t managed to pick up. I’ve realized I need a lot more free time for loafing on the couch and reading. Does anyone want to give me that as a belated Hannukah or surprise Christmas gift please? Anyways, I’ve seen(…)

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

Dear Ms. Kleypas, There's been some discussion online about the pricing of your newest contemporary, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. The book is a hardcover priced at $16.99 (though I myself paid $9.99 for the e-book version at the Sony Store and have recently seen the hardcover on sale at Amazon for as little as(…)

REVIEW: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

REVIEW: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

PLEASE NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD! Some of the spoilers refer to the first book in the series. If you prefer to avoid spoilers, you might not want to read this review until after you have read the book(s). Dear Ms. Crane, Between not having realized that Janine Ballard wrote a fabulous review of Mind Games, and(…)

REVIEW: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

REVIEW: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Dear Ms. Cremer, I should preface this review with the fact that I am a huge fan of Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. I know I’ve mentioned it before in other reviews of werewolf YA novels, but I’m not sure I’ve specifically articulated how much I love that book. So much so, in(…)

REVIEW: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

REVIEW: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

PLEASE NOTE: The following review contains a few SPOILERS. If you prefer to avoid spoilers, you might not want to read this review until after you have read the book. Dear Ms. Crane, You've been part of the romance community since at least 2007, and I occasionally lurk on and enjoy your reading blog The(…)

REVIEW:  The Best Man in Texas by Tanya Michaels

REVIEW: The Best Man in Texas by Tanya Michaels

Dear Ms. Michaels: I admit to being a little leery when I picked this book out to read. The story begins with the heroine engaged to a man not the hero. To make matters worse, the hero and the fiance are best friends. On the one hand this meant the fiance wouldn’t be demonized but(…)

REVIEW: Steve’s Story by Jess Dee

Dear Ms. Dee: Thank you for sending me Steve’s Story.   I had purchased and read Ask Adam at the recommendation of other readers when I asked on Twitter for good erotic romance titles. Ask Adam didn’t work for me but you offered a second story and I jumped at the opportunity to take a look(…)

REVIEW: A Chance Encounter by Mary Balogh

REVIEW: A Chance Encounter by Mary Balogh

Dear Ms. Balogh, A friend loaned me A Chance Encounter, one of your earliest books. Given that the book is twenty-five years old and does contain a few elements that I associate with romances from that era, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. I know some of your traditional regencies are being(…)