Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

Dear Mrs. Styles,

When I reviewed one of your Roman era historicals, I made some comment about how I wondered that you weren’t writing about Roman Britain since you’re so near to “The Wall.” Perhaps one day you’ll still place one of your books there but for now, this Victorian is a nice departure from what fans might have come to expect from you. Plus it’s set in Newcastle Upon Tyne as well!

Miss Emma Harrison begins the novel by flirting closely with a type of heroine who can get on my nerves at times. The “must help Daddy fulfill his dream” heroine can become obsessive in her efforts to make sure that her father’s ultimate goal/dream is finally realized in the face of all protests from the hero. Emma has some depths though and you show us the stifling life of a Victorian well-to-do young woman from which she escaped. I like that civil engineering hasn’t always been her secret goal in life and that, in fact, she comes to it rather late in life and only then discovers that she likes it and that she’s good at it. I also like …

Dear Mrs. Styles,

I trust that placing “Viking” in the title has got this one selling well in the UK. Isn’t that one of the words that your mother-in-law’s friend always looks for when deciding which new books to buy? Too bad for us US buyers that Taken by the Viking hasn’t been released here but it can be purchased in Canada. Go Amazon.ca! I’ll be frank and admit that when you emailed me that your next offering would be a Viking romance, I kinda cringed. I still have memories of reading “Fires of Winter” by Johanna Lindsey back in the early eighties (and not being bothered much by it then but my, how my tastes have changed). Viking raid, rape, rinse, repeat. Heroine gets treated like crap, hero goes all alpha every 4 pages and I’m supposed to believe in true love when it’s all over. Thanks, but I’ll pass on any more of that. Thank goodness there’s not a bit of the what I dreaded to find in your book.

Since we don’t know which Vikings actually carried out the horrific raid on the Priory at Lindesfarne in 793, I have …

Dear Michelle,

Thanks again for sending me an advanced copy of your newest Mills and Boon/Harlequin Historical release “The Roman’s Virgin Mistress.” As you hoped, I can honestly say that a) I enjoyed it and b) I think you’re still improving with each book release. The cover is lovely too. You certainly have been smiled upon by the art department because they’re showering you with coverluv. But where’s Silvana’s stolla? It kind of looks like she’s just got a palla over her tunica interior. Or is this what those naughty Baiae party hostesses wore? No wonder the town was known as more relaxed than stuffy old Rome. ;)

Scandalous!
Silvana Junia knows what the gossips say about her— and doesn’t care! Until a mysterious, dangerous stranger rescues her from the sea, and she’s instantly drawn to him.

Notorious!
Lucius Aurelius Fortis is rich and respected. But his playboy past could come back to haunt him if he cannot resist his attraction to beautiful Silvana. And in the hot sun of Baiae, their every move is watched….

Outrageous!
Tempted beyond endurance, Silvana will become his mistress. But she has …

Dear Mrs. Styles,

Thanks again for sending me an advanced copy of “A Noble Captive.” I agree with you that the cover is great. Not that “A Gladiator’s Honor” was bad, well except for the wrong color hair for the hero! Have you ever noticed the difference in the texture of Mills and Boon books vs US published Harlequins? Strange….anyway, back to the review.

Marcus Livius Tullio and his men have no idea where the pirates have taken them but Marcus knows he needs to get his men out of the stinking trireme where they’re being held captive before any more of them die. The junior tribune seizes an opportunity when the island’s gold-masked sybil comes to inspect the tribute goods also taken by the pirates, though those swine disguise their actions by saying they rescued the Romans during a storm at sea. After racking his brains to remember the correct words of supplication to invoke the hospitality of the goddess Kybele, Marcus maneuvers the sybil into offering the sanctuary of the goddess’s Temple while they all wait for the ransom money to arrive from Rome.

While Marcus is pleased with himself at getting his men …

Dear Mrs. Styles,

After years of Harlequin Historicals that made me think the only past acceptable for romance authors to write about was the Regency time frame, we finally (finally!) seem to be getting more of a range of eras. Praise Him (or Her, if that’s your preference) from whom all blessings flow. When I learned that there is a HH set in Caesar’s Rome and which has a fairly decent cover too, I was out the door to Waldenbooks.

Valens the Thracian is used to bored Roman matrons giving him the eye. So when a young woman makes eye contact with him at the baths, he assumes she wants an afternoon tumble. Julia Antonia didn’t realize that the curiously familiar man had any such ideas and quickly tries to set him straight. They part only to meet again when Valens arrives at her father’s house. To allay senatorial fears that he’s building a private army, Caesar has decided to house his gladiators amongst his clients and extended family and Valens has been quartered with the family of Julius Antonius.

Julia’s horrific former marriage has made her wary of a men in general and a second marriage …