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Blue Falcon

Male, he, him, his, of a certain age. Loves sports, vintage television, and reading. Favorite genres of reading: romance novels (Contemporary, Regency, Victorian, American West, Romantic Suspense) and cozy mysteries. I like books with strong female characters, preferably with their own careers/lives who only love heroes to complete the circle of their lives. Dislike "simpering Sara/Olive Oyl" types who need to be saved constantly by the hero and are featherbrained.

Historical Romance Review: Kathleen’s Surrender by Nan Ryan

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Kathleen’s Surrender, Nancy Henderson Ryan, Zebra, 1983, Walter Popp cover art

SPOILER ALERT ⚠

5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This review is based on the Zebra print version of the book published back in 1983. Kathleen’s Surrender by Nancy Henderson Ryan–known better these days as Nan Ryan–is without question one of the best, most emotional romance novels I’ve ever read.

The Plot:

As the book opens, we meet the Beauregard family of Natchez-on-the-Hill, Mississippi. Patriarch Louis Antoine, Matriarch Abigail Howard Beauregard, and the heroine of the book, their only child, daughter Kathleen Diana Beauregard. At the start, Kathleen is a starry-eyed 15 year old who loves her Southern Belle life. She soon meets a handsome, wealthy man named Dawson Blakely and falls quickly and fully in love with him. They fall in love and want to get married.

However, Louis is vehemently against their relationship, although he and Abigail are nice to Dawson. Louis’ objection: Dawson’s ancestry isn’t as blue-blooded as the Beauregards’ is; Dawson’s ancestors are rather notorious people. Louis tells Dawson they can’t marry, and Dawson loves Kathleen enough to let her go without telling her that her father is the one who’s trying to keep them apart.... Read more “Historical Romance Review: Kathleen’s Surrender by Nan Ryan”

Covers of the Week #9

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Take a look and enjoy Blue Falcon’s favorite covers! For the week of June 7 to June 13, we asked our dear friend Blue Falcon to choose his favorite covers for this week’s theme. Thanks to these picks, I discovered a new line, Richard Gallen Books, which preceded the Tapestry imprint for Pocket Books.

(From left to right) Hearts Surrender, F. Roseanne Bittner, Zebra, 1988, John Ennis cover art; Passion’s Heirs, Elizabeth Bright, Gallen Books, 1983, cover artist unknown; Opal Fires, Lynda Trent, Gallen Books, 1982, cover artist unknown; A Taste of Wine, Vanessa Pryor, Gallen Books, 1982, cover artist unknown

Historical Romance Review: Savage Conquest by Janelle Taylor

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Savage Conquest, Janelle Taylor, Zebra, 1985, Elaine Duillo cover art

SPOILER ALERT ⚠

4 stars

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This review is of Savage Conquest, the 9th and final book–although the 6th published–in the “Ecstasy/Gray Eagle” series by Janelle Taylor.

The Plot:

Savage Conquest begins in 1873, approximately 17 years after the previous book, Forever Ecstasy, ended. It is not a happy time for Miranda Lawrence, the “heroine” of the book–only the second half–and her fraternal twin, Amanda, the heroine of the first half, both 18. Their parents, Joe and Marie “Morning Star” Lawrence, are presumed dead in a boating accident. (Their bodies have not been recovered.) Amanda, who is seeing fellow shipping company owner Weber Richardson, decides to take over the family business. She also later meets Reis Harrison, a man whom she is attracted to, and starts to fall in love with. There are, however, issues standing in their way: Reis is not entirely truthful about why he came to Virginia, and he has a long-standing beef with Weber, who feels similarly predisposed towards Reis.

Amanda and Reis become lovers and later marry surreptitiously, and Reis sets into motion a plan in which he hopes to trap Weber and expose him for what he really is.... Read more “Historical Romance Review: Savage Conquest by Janelle Taylor”

Historical Romance Review: Sweet Savage Heart by Janelle Taylor

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sweetsavageheart
Sweet Savage Heart, Janelle Taylor, Zebra, 1989, Pino cover art

SPOILER ALERT ⚠

5 Stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Plot

Janelle Taylor’s Sweet Savage Heart, a Zebra Lovegram historical romance, begins in Dakota Territory, May 1867. It is here that an Oglala Indian maiden, Wild Wind, the heroine of the book, is troubled, for she is arguing with her brother, Lone Wolf, over her future. (Backstory: Wild Wind is not actually Indian at all. Her name is Rana Michaels, and she was adopted into her band of Lakotas by Soaring Hawk, a Lakota chief who stole her from the Kiowa tribe which captured and enslaved her after they killed her parents, Marissa Crandall Michaels and Raymond Michaels). Rana is conflicted about her life, and things are about to get more complicated…

In Texas, rancher Nathan Crandall, owner of the Bar-C ranch and Rana’s grandfather, sees a painting of her and realizes it’s his granddaughter. He asks his foreman, Travis Kincade, the hero of the book, for help in getting Rana back. (Travis is half-Hunkpapa Lakota Indian and half-white).. Their efforts are successful, but are complicated by many factors, including Rana herself. However, she does agree to go with Nathan and Travis, and on the way to the ranch, Rana and Travis become lovers (According to Oglala customs, they are married.... Read more “Historical Romance Review: Sweet Savage Heart by Janelle Taylor”

Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Web by Cassie Edwards

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Passion’s Web, Cassie Edwards, Zebra, 1984, Walter Popp cover artist

2 stars

Rating: 2 out of 5.

***Spoiler alert***

This review is of Passion’s Web by Cassie Edwards.

The book begins in Key West, Florida, with the heroine of the book, Natalie Palmer, and the hero, Bryce Fowler, meeting in a carriage. Shortly after they meet, Natalie and Bryce become lovers.

Backstory #1:

Natalie lives with her father, Saul, a wealthy tobacconist. She also has an older brother, Adam. (Natalie’s mother, Kathryn, passed when Natalie was younger. The circumstances of her passing is one of many secrets-the word of the book-that Saul is trying to keep from Natalie).

Backstory #2:

Bryce-who has multiple aspects to his persona-has come to Key West at the request of his dying father, Tom, whom Bryce has been estranged from. Bryce also has to deal with his younger brother, Hugh, whom he has bad blood with.

The Plot

Bryce is hired by a businessman in New Orleans, Clarence Seymour, to find three things. An opium shipment, and Seymour’s wife and daughter, who were taken in separate incidents years apart. Bryce won’t be able to bring back Seymour’s wife-she, Kathryn, is dead-but he can bring back his daughter…Natalie.... Read more “Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Web by Cassie Edwards”

Historical Romance Review: Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw

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Captive Melody, Nadine Crenshaw, Zebra, 1989, Aleta Jenks cover art

***Welcome Blue Falcon to SweetSavageFlame.com, who will be contributing his great reviews to this site. Here, in his first review, he analyzes Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw***

1 star

Rating: 1 out of 5.

***Spoiler alert***

This review is of Captive Melody, a standalone Zebra from January 1989 by Nadine Crenshaw.

The Plot

The book starts in July 1876, Northern California. A young wife, Ling Kee (I’m writing her name in the traditional Chinese way, last name first), is brutally attacked by three “men”; among them is Richard Laird, a rancher. After being beaten and raped, Ling Kee commits suicide.

Fast forward five years. Laird has just married Laura Upton, the heroine of the book. Their marriage won’t last, however, as on their wedding night, Laura is kidnapped by Andre Sheridan, the hero of the book and Ling Kee’s husband. Andre plans to hold Laura as bait to draw Richard to Andre’s home and kill him.

As Andre takes Laura further away from Laird, they become attracted to each other, later acting on that attraction. Andre later takes Laura to one of his homes-he is quite wealthy-and their relationship deepens.... Read more “Historical Romance Review: Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw”