For the week of June 14, 2021, to June 20, we’re looking back over our favorite Harry Bennett covers for Tapestry, Gallen, and, Pocket Books.
Covers of the Week #10
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Category Romance Review: Bride at Whangatapu by Robyn Donald
Harlequin #232
From the back of the book:
“Nothing has changed,” Fiona said in desperation. “Jonathan is my son.“
Fiona had had five years to think about her youthful folly–five years to remember Logan Sutherland’s treatment of her. Now, a whim of fate had brought them together again, and he laid claim to the son he hadn’t known existed.
Well, for Jonathan’s sake she would marry this cool, calculating stranger as he demanded. But she would never be his wife!
2 stars
Bride at Whangatapu includes the hallmark of almost every one of Robyn Donald’s books, as it intimately details the natural environment of New Zealand. Whether her books were set on a sheep station, on a yacht in the Pacific, or just a tropical backdrop, you could see the bright green grass, feel the ocean spray on your face or smell the hibiscus blossoms (which don’t even have much a scent, do they?).
Also present, Robyn Donald’s first published book is the other hallmark of her writing: an ultra-jerky hero who bullies his way over the heroine. Right from chapter one, when Logan finds that Fiona was the mother of his son who resulted from a one-night stand many years ago, he demands she marry him.... Read more “Category Romance Review: Bride at Whangatapu by Robyn Donald”
Historical Romance Review: Sweet Fire by Jo Goodman
5 stars
Sweet Fire by Jo Goodman is an action-packed romance filled with the requisite passion you’d look for in a Zebra Heartfire, but also adventure, murder mystery, and drama.
The Plot
Nathan and Brigham are former Australian prisoners & best frenemies now residing in San Fransisco, California. The pair are competing for the hand of Miss Lydia Chadwick. She’s a wealthy heiress, pretty enough, but she pales in comparison to her much more sophisticated and unsurprisingly young stepmother. But, of course, stepmom is the wicked type, and she’s secretly sexing it up with Brig.
On the other hand, Lydia is a woman of social conscience, as she tries to help orphans and prostitutes better their lot in lives. Unfortunately, Lydia’s charity work gets dangerous when a killer is on the loose, killing women on the streets. Sadly, the mystery was no mystery to me, as it’s telegraphed early on who the killer was, but I went with it, anyway, knowing the love story was the real centerpiece of this book.
Lydia lets Nathan and Brigham know she’s onto their game and is having none of it!... Read more “Historical Romance Review: Sweet Fire by Jo Goodman”
Pet Peeves and Deal Breakers in Romance
Each person has their own unique limit of what they can or cannot tolerate in fiction. However, despite its absolute requirement for a happy ending, the romance genre can still be filled with deal-breakers for readers looking for a pleasurable experience that takes them away from reality for a few hours.
Our Pet Peeves
Some of our negative book reviews at Sweet Savage Flame have focused on pet peeves for the reasons why we ultimately couldn’t enjoy our reading experiences.
In Nadine Crenshaw’s Captive Melody, there were two negative tropes that were deal breakers for Blue Falcon: a captive who experiences Stockholm syndrome for her captor and the hero seeking to inflict vengeance upon an innocent party. There are cruelties that characters experience that cannot be offset by writing skill or a conveniently happy ending.
As I’ve stated in several reviews, such as for Dana Ransom’s Love’s Glorious Gamble, I can’t enjoy a romance where the hero is still mourning the death of a previous love. While I prefer a heroine to be the hero’s only love, I can accept a rival for his affections, so long as she is alive. A flesh and blood woman will always pale to the perfection of a saintly ghost.... Read more “Pet Peeves and Deal Breakers in Romance”
Covers of the Week #8
“A bird, bird, bird, b-bird is the word!” For the week of May 31 to June 6, can you spy the birds on these Elaine Duillo and John Ennis illustrated historical romance novel covers? Enjoy!
Link-O-Rama #2: Blogs, Sites, Podcasts & More
All these links will be added to the Links menu above.
Sites:
- Happy Harlequin Harlots and Kiss My Mills and and Boons provides many discussions about your favorite category romances.
- Historical-Romances.com is a wonderful site for historical romance aficionados.
- I recommended the Rob Imes Blog in the first Link-o-Rama post, but it is so amazing and well-researched, I’m recommending it again! First, he’s done a splendid job compiling The Family Tree of Paperback Books, which I’ll be sure to link as well in the Publishers section.
Also, check out his Guide to Category Romance Series 1965-1989. The ~1970-2000 era in romance novels we focus on overlaps with this guide, so it’s a valuable reference for category romance.
Podcast:
This outrageous podcast, The Bodice Tipplers, reviews romances from all eras and genres:
Tumblr:
Look for beautiful Harlequin covers at: Vintage Harlequin Romance Cover Art
Twitter:
Every day @ArtOfTheClinch tweets out a gorgeous clinch cover.
Covers of the Week #7
Romance is in the air! For the week of May 24 to May 30, here are some lovely Frank Kalan painted covers from the Harlequin Romance line. Enjoy!
Author Spotlight: Johanna Lindsey
A Historical Romance Favorite
To this day, I still mourn the passing of a romance great, Johanna Lindsey. Lindsey holds a special place in my heart, more so than any other historical romance author. Oddly enough, the first Lindsey I read was not a historical romance, but her 1990 science-fantasy romance, Warrior’s Woman. After that, her books became an addiction for me.
It’s no wonder that her publishers labeled her with the motto “Everyone Loves a Lindsey.” She reached the #1 position on the New York Times Best Seller list with Defy Not the Heart, Angel, and other books. Lindsey sold over 60 million copies of her approximately 56 published romance novels. Her works were translated into at least a dozen other languages.
Life, Love, Family, & Career
Lindsey was born Johanna Helen Howard on March 10, 1952, in Frankfurt, Germany, to Edwin Dennis Howard, a soldier in the U.S. Army, and his wife, Wanda Lindsey (nee Castle). After her father died in 1964, Lindsey and her mother settled in the state of Hawaii, as her father had always dreamed of doing.
While still attending high school, at the age of 18 Johanna married her one true love, Ralph Bruce Lindsey.... Read more “Author Spotlight: Johanna Lindsey”
A Closer Look at Cover Artist: H. Tom Hall
H. Tom Hall’s art work on romance book covers is legendary. His style is instantly recognizable, refined, yet sensual.
Hall was born in 1932 and grew up in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania. He studied at the Tyler School of Fine Art and received his BFA from Philadelphia College of Art.
While in the U.S. Army, Hall wrote and illustrated a children’s book published by Knopf. After illustrating children’s books and magazines for many years Hall moved on to create book covers. His work has graced some of the biggest bestsellers of all time, like Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire and some Colleen McCullough works, including The First Man in Rome and The Thorn Birds.
His career was so widely varied and successful that he was commissioned to do the reprint of John Steinbeck’s Cup of Gold and illustrated the cover of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’s blockbuster bodice ripper, Shanna. The latter book sold millions of copies, and the passionate clinch cover was a huge part of the romance novel’s allure.... Read more “A Closer Look at Cover Artist: H. Tom Hall”
Covers of the Week #6
A pair of Pinos! For the week of May 17 to May 23 let’s admire some historical romance novel stepback covers illustrated by Giuseppe Dangelico Daeni, aka Pino, a legendary artist we will explore at length very soon here at SweetSavageFlame.com!
Left to right: Deception, Amanda Quick, Bantam Books, 1993, Pino cover art; Dangerous Anita Mills, Topaz, 1996, Pino cover art
The Languages of Love
Old-school historical romances were quite diverse in settings, ranging from the Occident to the Orient, from the Middle East to everywhere in Europe to the Americas. In my time reading these books, I’ve come across several ways to say “my love,” “my beloved,” or “my darling” in various languages. As language is very nuanced, there are many words of love you can express among your friends, family, lovers, pets, etc.
I’ve tried to compile some ways to share intimate words with the one you love most in various languages.
Is your language on this list? If not, how do you say these words and phrases in your native language? Please, drop a comment and let’s talk romance!
| LANGUAGE | My Love/ My Beloved or My Dear/My Darling | I love you. |
| Arabic | (f) habibti; (m) habibi | Ana uHibbuki. (to a female) Ana uHibbuka. (to a male) Ana Ahabak. (to a male) |
| French | (f) ma chère; (m) mon cher (darling) mon amour (my love) | Je t’aime. |
| German | mein(e) Liebling (my darling) mein(e) Schatz (my sweetheart) | Ich liebe dich. |
| Greek | agápi | Se agapó. S’agapó. |
| Irish | mo stór (my love) mo chuisle (my heartbeat) | Tá grá agam duit. |
Covers of the Week #5
They may be late, but here are romance covers to enjoy for the week of May 10 to May 16. Since this week will be short and hopefully end up sweet, we’ll celebrate some short and sweet romances illustrated by Will Davies covers for this week!
Left to right: Promise Me Tomorrow, Leigh Michaels, Harlequin, 1991, Will Davies cover art; That Dear Perfection, Alison York, Harlequin, 1988, Will Davies cover art; Country Bride, Debbie Macomber, Harlequin, 1990, Will Davies cover art; Don’t Call it Love, Lindsay Armstrong, 1984, Will Davies cover art
Blue Falcon
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