Category Romance Review: Dark Fire by Elizabeth Lowell
Dark Fire by Elizabeth Lowell, a 1988 Silhouette Desire takes us on a trek through the jungles of Peru. 4 stars
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Romance Firsts: The First Kissing Couple on a Cover
The 1980 Mills & Boon reissue of Violet Winspear’s book Lucifer’s Angel is said to be the first romance (contemporary or category, anyway, not so sure about historicals) to feature a kissing couple on the cover. And what a pretty one it is.
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Category Romance Review: An Outrageous Proposal by Miranda Lee
Miranda Lee’s An Outrageous Proposal is an outrageously sexy Harlequin Presents. Laura had been happily married to Dirk Thornton. Laura was so obsessed with having a child, however. Soon their difficulty to conceive led to a divorce. But now Laura wants Dirk back. 4.5 stars
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Contemporary Romance Review: The Sheik by Edith M. Hull
The Sheik by Edith M. Hull, published in 1919, is as influential to the modern romance genre as Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps, even more so.
It was a blockbuster of a success, despite its many detractors. While some modern readers may cringe at its depiction of women, sexual roles, and racial attitudes, The Sheik remains a compelling read one hundred years after its publication. 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: Beloved Deceiver by Flora Kidd
Flora Kidd’s Beloved Deceiver still sticks out in my mind for one big reason. It’s the only Harlequin/Mills-and-Boon I’ve read to feature a hero from the Dominican Republic, which is my parents’ birth country. 3.45 stars
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Category Romance Review: Could It Be Magic by Gina Wilkins
Gina Wilkins’ Could It Be Magic is a comfy romance read. It’s a sensually-charged Harlequin Temptation from the early 1990s. Gwen DeClerck is a staid, young widow, who had been married to a man twice her age. When Jeremy Kane, a famous magician moves next door, he turns her stable world upside down with excitement and passion. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Wish on the Moon by Sally Wentworth
Wish on the Moon by Sally Wentworth has gotten mixed to low reviews around the internet, but it’s a romance I fully enjoyed. This is an unusual romance because technically, the heroine is “the other woman.” She comes in and breaks up a seemingly happy engagement–and not just a random stranger’s but her cousin’s. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: A Passionate Affair by Anne Mather
In Anne Mather’s A Passionate Affair, the heroine, Cassandra, is a divorcee whom the hero pursues and they engage in a…passionate affair. This was revolutionary. Before this book, lovemaking in this line had been restricted to married couples or “forced seductions” of initially unwilling virgins whose bodies “betrayed them.” A solid romance. 3.5 stars
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Category Romance Review: A Perfect Marriage by Laurey Bright
Silhouette Intimate Moments #621 It’s difficult for me to give Laurey Bright’s A Perfect Marriage a coherent review because it’s a romance novel that deals with adultery. 3 stars
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Category Romance Review: Melting Ice by Rosalie Ash
Melting Ice by Rosalie Ash is a hard little book to find in its original form. It was released by Mills & Boon in 1989 but only published as a special edition for Harlequin Romance subscribers. The book was #55 of that line. I’d give Melting Ice 2.95 stars.
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Category Romance Review: Lovers Touch by Penny Jordan
Whenever I see an “Award of Excellence” ribbon on a Harlequin-published romance, I know I’m in for a mediocre read. For me, Penny Jordan is an author who’s all over the place. One book can be great, another full of crazy-sauce, others on the blah side. Sadly, her Lover’s Touch is kind of blah. The two protagonists are kept apart by big misunderstandings and lack of communication, which is never fun. 2.5 stars
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Category Romance Review: Woman Hater by Diana Palmer
Woman Hater (what a title!) by Diana Palmer is a 1987 Silhouette romance that seems to be typical of the author’s style. The heroine is young, virginal, and escaping from a tragic past. The hero is a macho, Alpha male, who is also burned by the past, which makes him a “woman-hater.” 3 stars
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Category Romance Review: Guarded Moments by JoAnn Ross
JoAnn Ross’s Harlequin Temptation, Guarded Moments, introduces us to the princess Montcroix, the haughty Chantal Giraudeau. It’s up to Special Agent Caine O’Bannion to be on call as Chantal’s bodyguard. 3.59 stars
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Category Romance Review: Hard To Get by Carole Mortimer
Oh boy, when I read “the heroine in pursuit plot” synopsis for this Harlequin Presents, was I ever excited to read it. Heroines who are determined to get their men are my favorite kinds! Alas, when the object of said pursuit is a mean arsehole, the chase isn’t worth it. Still, Hard to Get by Carole Mortimer was a wild, emotional whirlwind. With a more charismatic hero, I could have loved this as opposed to liking it. 3.62 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Other Woman by Candace Schuler
This review is of The Other Woman, book #1 in the “Hollywood Dynasty” series by Candace Schuler. “Hollywood Dynasty” focuses on three siblings, children of a legendary Hollywood couple, as they make their names in the same industry that made their parents famous. (Harlequin Temptation #451, July 1993). 2.84 stars.
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Category Romance Review: Guilty Love by Charlotte Lamb
Charlotte Lamb’s Harlequin Presents romance Guilty Love is so crazy and full of over-the-top drama. I loved every wild moment of it. As always, YMMV, although this sort of book is right up my alley. But a word of warning: it handles a dark subject that may cause readers some discomfort. 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: For the Love of Sara by Anne Mather
For the Love of Sara isn’t one of Anne Mather’s bests. It features a rather unlikeable hero, which is par for the course for Mather. It doesn’t help that he’s a functioning alcoholic who keeps cans of beer in his glove compartment to help him deal with stress. The heroine isn’t any better. She’s a professional martyr who’s made a lot of poor life decisions. When the book opens, she’s about to embark on another bad choice, but in this case, she’s doing it to save someone she cares for. 2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Marriage on the Rebound by Michelle Reid
Michelle Reid’s Marriage on The Rebound is about keeping it all in the family. Shaan Saketa is unique for a Harlequin Presents circa 1998 heroine, as she’s of mixed ethnic heritage: English and Lebanese. It’s her wedding day. Unfortunately for Shaan, she’s about to be dumped at the altar. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Too Many Husbands by Elise Title
There are Christmas tales that inspire, ones that make us cry, and others that make us laugh with the joy of being alive. Too Many Husbands by Elise Title falls into the latter category. It’s a zany romp of a romance that could have been an old-fashioned screwball comedy on the live screen. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Timeless Love by Judith Arnold
This review is of Timeless Love, book #11, and the final book in the “Bachelor Arms” series. It is the second of two written by Judith Arnold, a pseudonym for Barbara Keiler. (Harlequin Temptation #565, published December 1995)
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Category Romance Review: The Honey is Bitter by Violet Winspear
Along with Anne Mather and Anne Hampson, Violet Winspear was one of the three original authors for the Harlequin Presents line when it launched in 1973. Her bestseller, The Honey is Bitter, was originally published in 1967 by Mills & Boon. It had about 30 reprintings under Harlequin. Paul, a Greek tycoon, blackmails Domini into marriage. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Lady in the Mirror by Judith Arnold
This review is of The Lady in the Mirror, book #10 in the “Bachelor Arms” series, and the first of two books in the series written by Judith Arnold, a pseudonym for Barbara Keiler. (Harlequin Temptation #561, November 1995). 2.77 stars.
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Category Romance Review: Meant To Be Married by Ruth Wind
Meant To Be Married by Ruth Wind (aka Barbara Samuels) is a powerful romance that moved me to tears. This second-chance-at-love story is underscored by great characters and a sensitive writer’s hand. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Merry Christmas by Emma Darcy
Simply titled Merry Christmas, Emma Darcy’s category romance foray into the holidays will have you near tears. It may have you wishing some evil villains get their well-deserved comeuppance. This book is an angst-filled yet ultimately very happy Christmas Harlequin Presents. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Falling Angel by Anne Stuart
Anne Stuart’s Falling Angel is yet another paranormal from the American Romance line. Read it during the Christmas Holiday season, and it will get you in a merry mood
3 1/2 stars
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Covers of the Week #33
It’s time to appreciate category romance covers again! For this edition of Covers of the Week, we’re focusing on Harlequin publishing in the 1980s. For the week of Monday, November 22, 2021, to Sunday, November 28, 2021 (boy did November fly by, or what?), let’s look upon these passionate category romance covers from Harlequin.
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Category Romance Review: Hilltop Tryst by Betty Neels
Hilltop Tryst was another sweet romance by the famous Betty Neels featuring–as always–a fair-haired doctor as a hero, although this time he’s British, not Dutch. Nor is the heroine a nurse. She’s the daughter of a local successful veterinarian and works with Dad. 3 stars
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Category Romance Review: Song of the Waves by Anne Hampson
Wendy Brown is a not-yet-21-year-old Englishwoman who’s been given the worst news imaginable: she has an inoperable brain tumor and will die in a few months. Rather than spend her last days wallowing in despair, Wendy decides to make the best of her lot. Alone in the world, she sells her family home and buys a ticket for the maiden voyage of a glamorous cruise ship that’s set to sail the world. Thus begins Anne Hampson’s Song of the Waves, a vintage Harlequin Presents written in 1976. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Jade Affair by Madeline Harper
Madeline Harper’s The Jade Affair happens to be one of my top Harlequin Temptations due to its engaging reunited lovers’ plotline. The chemistry between the protagonists is fantastic as they play detectives to find some missing jade artifacts. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Rainy Day Kisses by Debbie Macomber
I adore a love story where one partner is restrained and uptight and the other is open and free-spirited. Rainy Day Kisses, a Harlequin Romance by Debbie Macomber depicts those elements just perfectly. It’s about a woman who has zero time for frills and silly moments enjoying life. However, she butts head with her neighbor, a laid-back kind of guy who loves flying kites. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: A> Loverboy by Judith Arnold
Published in 1991, Judith Arnold’s A> Loverboy is the final installment in the Harlequin American Romance line “A Century of Romance” series. A> Loverboy is a humorous romance about two coworkers falling in for each other in an unusual way. Before there was “You’ve Got Mail” with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, there was this book. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Stranger in the Night by Charlotte Lamb
Charlotte Lamb’s Stranger in the Night deals with a sensitive topic she’s approached several times: rape. No, it does not employ the controversial trope of “dubious consent” found in many Harlequins from the 1970s and 1980s. This is a healing love story about a traumatic assault that upended a woman’s life and affected her relationships with men. 5 Stars
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A Brief Look at Category, or Series, Romance
Category lines, or series romance, are one of the cornerstones of the romance novel industry. As we document the genre’s past on Sweet Savage Flame, we’ll delve deeper into each individual line. Category romance, as their name implies, are sorted into category lines and defined by tropes.
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Category Romance Review: Seduced and Betrayed by Candace Schuler
This review is of “Seduced and Betrayed”, #8 in the “Bachelor Arms” series, and book #2 of 3 in the series written by Candace Schuler. The book begins in 1970. A woman finds her boyfriend, naked, in bed with another woman, who is also naked. Their relationship isn’t the only thing that ends that night. 4 & 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: A Love to Last Forever by Linda Randall Wisdom
A Love to Last Forever by Linda Randall Wisdom is a fine romance between two former high school classmates, Stacy McAllister and Clarence “Mike” Harper. It’s 1986 and a 20-year class reunion brings the protagonists together. While Stacy was a popular cheerleader and prom queen who dated the captain/ quarterback of the football team, Mike had been a chubby, pimple-faced nerd who’d been picked on by students like Stacy’s boyfriend. 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Tabitha in Moonlight by Betty Neels
Tabitha in Moonlight is a light romance about an efficient, capable nurse (aren’t they always in these books?) of an elderly men’s ward who falls for the new surgeon, Dr. Marius van Beek. Betty Neels wields the typical doctor-nurse romance into a Cinderella story, with Tabitha starring as the poor, down-trodden stepdaughter who gets no love from her wicked step-mother and equally wicked step-sister. Dr. van Beek plays the role of the prince, but fortunately, this Prince is far more astute than his fairy tale predecessor, not requiring a glass slipper to identify his true lady love. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Pirate and His Lady by Margaret St. George
Margaret St. George’s The Pirate and His Lady isn’t a historical romance, but a time-traveling adventure published through Harlequin’s American Romance line. The romance here is bittersweet, as most time travels romances are. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Lovers and Strangers (aka Hollywood Nights) by Candace Schuler
This review is of Lovers and Strangers, book #7 in the “Bachelor Arms” series by Candace Schuler. It’s a Harlequin Temptation, from August 1995. I don’t have a favorite books list, but if I did–and I may start one–Candace Schuler’s Lovers and Strangers would definitely be on it! 4.95 stars
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Category Romance Review: Never a Bride by JoAnn Ross
This review is for Never a Bride, book #4 in the “Bachelor Arms” series published in May 1995 by Harlequin Temptation and written by JoAnn Ross. In the first 3 books in the series, Kate Hoffmann wrote about 3 male friends who find love. In the next 3 books in the series, written by JoAnn Ross, three female friends come together for one of the ladies’ weddings. 4 stars
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Contemporary Romance Review: Sometimes a Stranger by Angela Alexie
Like big, dramatic contemporary romances set in glamorous, exciting milieus? With dynamic characters and lots of plot? Then I recommend Sometimes a Stranger. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Whisper to the Waves by Helen Beaumont
Whisper to the Waves is a good contemporary romance that with a little tweaking could’ve been an excellent one. It was published by RCA Marketing in 1982 in its Sapphire Romance series. These were American reprints of British originals; this one was first published by Hamlyn Paperbacks in 1981.
4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Tonight and Forever by Brenda Jackson
Brenda Jackson’s Tonight and Forever is her first published book and the first in her long-running series of the Madaris family. It’s a Pinnacle Arabesque romance from 1995, which are category romances but are not numbered, at least not to my knowledge. What propels Tonight and Forever into a “better than good” zone is that it isn’t just a romance about the healing power of love, it’s a book about the power of love itself. 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Driving Force by Sally Wentworth
Driving Force, a Sally Wentworth Harlequin Presents, offers few surprises but is a satisfactory read regardless. West Marriot– our hero, not a 3-star hotel but a famous race car driver–was terribly injured in a race several months ago. Madeleine French, a nurse and physiotherapist, had been married to West for four years. 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Strong, Silent Type by Kate Hoffmann
This review is of The Strong, Silent Type, book #2 in the “Bachelor Arms” series and the 2nd of 3 books in the series written by Kate Hoffmann. The book begins with Josh Banks, the hero of the book and a tax accountant (yes, you read that correctly), meeting with one of his clients, actress Olivia Wilde (NOT the current actress using the stage name, this Olivia Wilde is a 75-year-old octogenarian actress). Olivia asks Josh for a favor; to keep her granddaughter, Taryn, out of Los Angeles for a few weeks… 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: A Happily Unmarried Man by Kate Hoffmann
This review is of A Happily Unmarried Man, #3 in the “Bachelor Arms” series published in April 1995 by Kate Hoffmann. The story begins at a mall in Los Angeles… 4 stars
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Covers of the Week #22
For the week of Monday, September 6, 2021, to Sunday, September 12, we’re looking at gorgeous category romance covers painted by some of the greatest artists of romance novels. Below are a few category romances illustrated by the legendary Elaine Duillo, Robert Maguire, Elaine Gignilliat, and Pino. Enjoy!
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Category Romance Review: Bachelor Husband by Kate Hoffmann
This review is of Bachelor Husband, book #1 of 11 in the “Bachelor Arms” Harlequin Temptation series from February 1995 by Kate Hoffmann. Bachelor Husband begins with Harry Truman “Tru” Hallihan, the hero of the book and a private investigator, working a case.
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Category Romance Review: Duncan’s Bride by Linda Howard
Duncan’s Bride has an old-school plot, even by the standards of romances written in…1990. In Silhouette Intimate Moments #349 by Linda Howard, a 28-year-old beauty from New York City travels across the country to become the mail-order bride of a hero who’s damn lucky to get her. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Tangled Tapestry by Anne Mather
Thanks to Anne Mather’s Tangled Tapestry I now realize publishers don’t always put the correct copyright information in the front of e-books. Going into this read, I knew it was a vintage romance, but you only get to know that it was published in 1969 after you finish it. I’m only stating this because, like many things written in the mid 20th century, it’s aged as if… it was written in the mid-20th century! This book may offend some readers’ sensibilities, or, if you’re twisted like me, make you laugh! 2 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Shadows on the Moon by Peggy Gaddis
Peggy Gaddis was a big name in mid-century genre fiction. Gaddis is credited with almost 300 works under a dozen names (that I know of). Her fortes include contemporary category romance novels; Shadows on the Moon is one example. First published as a hardcover by Arcadia House in 1960, it has been reprinted several times and on both sides of the pond. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Uninvited Wedding Guest by Marsha Manning (aka Hettie Grimstead)
It’s not exactly the easiest vintage romance to find, but it’s a memorable one. Uninvited Wedding Guest began as a hardcover titled Friend of the Bride, originally published in 1968.
4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Viking Magic by Angela Welles
Viking Magic by Angela Welles was the entry for the nation of Denmark in Harlequin Presents’ line 1990s Postcards from Europe mini-series. Viking Magic features a nice guy hero and a neurotically insecure heroine (aren’t they all?) united on a quest of sorts. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Ready, Willing and Abel by Nancy Martin
Ready, Willing and Abel was my first foray into the Silhouette Desire line. Nancy Martin penned a ridiculous, sexy romp that made me fall in love with the series. Featuring an Indiana Jones-like hero and a button-downed heroine working in fast-paced Washinton DC, this story was not based at all in reality. It was so over-the-top and silly; I adored it. 4 1/2 stars
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Contemporary Romance Review: A Violation by Charlotte Lamb
A Violation, a full-length novel by category author Charlotte Lamb, isn’t a straightforward romance, somewhere more between women’s fiction and romantic fiction. Like so many of her works, the major themes are the philosophy of love and what are the defined roles of being a man and a woman, especially when it comes to amorous relationships. 3 stars
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Category Romance Review: Sunday Kind of Love By Lois Faye Dyer
Lois Faye Dyer, who would go on to produce numerous Special Edition romances for Silhouette Books, was one Kismet’s more prolific writers. Her romance Sunday Kind of Love is book #2 in a series about 4 siblings. 2 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Dillon After Dark by Leandra Logan
Dillon After Dark, Harlequin Temptation #362, is a cute, fun romance by Leandra Logan. Dillon Danvers is a laid-back California DJ who airs a talk/ music show where he discusses many fun subjects to delight in. Dr. Kristina Jordan is a psychologist and single mother with no time for relaxation. Together these two opposites could make for an exciting couple. However, Kristina needs major convincing to be part of it. 3 stars
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Category Romance Review: Time Enough For Love by Suzanne Brockmann
Suzanne Brockmann’s 1997 Time Enough for Love is a different kind of love story for that era, as it entails time travel plus a love triangle. Between one woman and two versions of the same man! 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: Cheap Thrills by Tiffany White
At the beginning of Tiffany White’s category romance Cheap Thrills, the hero Crew Harper is working this side gig as a window-washer when he becomes an accidental peeping Tom. A woman enters an office, she undresses… 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Whisper to the Stars by Hettie Grimstead
Whisper to the Stars is a vintage-contemporary romance that revolves around a trope hard to find nowadays: unrequited love. It starts out strong, with the promise of a deeply moving emo story. And it delivers, up to a point. Then it falters. Somewhere in the middle, it loses sight of what a romance is supposed to do: to engage and enthrall the reader. 2 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Sirocco by Anne Mather
An Anne Mather Harlequin Presents is what I considered to be an “old reliable.” In this category romance, Sirocco, Anne Mather employs one of her commonly used tropes: a hero in pursuit of an already “attached” woman. 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Forbidden Fantasy by Tiffany White
As long as I have memory, Tiffany White’s Forbidden Fantasy is a book I will never forget reading. Hopefully, if you pick it up, you’ll feel the same way, just for a slightly different reason. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: This Hell Called Love by Jane Donnelly
This Hell Called Love is a remarkable example of the “such is the power of love” trope. It also deals with themes like mental illness and substance abuse. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: To See a Stranger by Kate Cartwright
In a way, Kate Cartwright’s To See a Stranger is a fine novel. It’s well-written. It ticks most of the boxes. But it still disappointed me. Why? Because IMHO if a story is labeled a romance, there should be plenty of romance in it. Here there’s hardly any.
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Category Romance Review: Yesterday’s Love by Marsha Manning
Yesterday’s Love is a moving romance with a rather mysterious background. It’s part of the Magnum Books imprint of Prestige Books, Inc., a small New York paperback publisher active during the mid to late 1970s.
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Category Romance Review: Man in Control by Alice Morgan
Man in Control by Alice Morgan features a unique heroine, an avaricious young woman who openly acknowledges that she’s looking to settle down with a man, not for love but money.
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Category Romance Review: To Cherish My Beloved by Dorothy Heaton (aka Mary Cummins)
First published in 1976 by IPC Magazines Ltd. in the Women’s Weekly Library series, To Cherish My Beloved by Dorothy Heaton in its 1977 Magnum reprint caught my eye with an intriguing blurb and a gorgeous emo clinch cover; wish I knew who created it.
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Category Romance Review: Out of the Shadows by Stella March
Out of the Shadows by Stella March was first published in 1967 and has been reprinted several times. This Sapphire edition was published in 1982… I heartily recommend Out of the Shadows.
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Category Romance Review: Country Bride by Debbie Macomber
Debbie Macomber’s Country Bride was my introduction to this hugely popular author. I’m ashamed to admit that although I’ve read a handful of her Harlequins, I had no idea that Debbie Macomber was such a commercial hit with her small-town romances. Up until recently, I had no clue that she’s got a whopping 200 million books in print and has written several movies for the Hallmark channel. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Tangled Hearts by JoAnn Ross
Harlequin Temptation #333 I have to give it JoAnn Ross for her book Tangled Hearts, in that she tried to do something unique in a category romance novel. It’s just unfortunate for me that I didn’t like where she went with it.
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Category Romance Review: Bride at Whangatapu by Robyn Donald
Harlequin #232 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?
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Category Romance Review: Red Rose for Love by Carole Mortimer
Harlequin Presents # 522 Usually, Mortimer’s heroes are cruel and overbearingly alpha. While in Red Rose for Love the hero-in-pursuit starts dominant and determined, when he realizes how hurt the heroine’s been in the past, he changes course and woos her in a gentle and loving manner. 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: Nelson’s Brand by Diana Palmer
Nelson’s Brand was my first and, so far, only foray into Diana Palmer’s little corner of Romancelandia. Palmer has got a bit of a reputation in the genre as an author of ultra-macho, hairy-chested heroes and virginal, too-stupid-to-live heroines. 2 stars
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Covers of the Week #9
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.
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Category Romance Review: Easy Lovin’ by Candace Schuler
Harlequin Temptation #331 Candace Schuler Easy Lovin’ is slow romance written by an author who’s produced much better books. Kate Hightower is a prim and proper miss who’s always done what’s expected of her. Except now, she’s running away from her life, having left her fiance at the altar. She’s not sure what she wants, but it’s definitely a drastic change. So she goes to New Orleans to find herself. 1 star
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Category Romance Review: Trust in Tomorrow (aka Cherish Tomorrow) by Carole Mortimer
Harlequin Presents # 804 What can I say about Carole Mortimer’s Trust in Tomorrow (originally published as Cherish Tomorrow in the US & Canada)? Sadly, that I wasn’t really feeling this one. The romance aspect of the book was fine, kind of adorable, actually, with a very young heroine, Chelsea, in pursuit of the much older hero, Lucas. She knows she wants her man and is willing to fight for him. I really wish Chelsea and Lucas could have had a better plot to go along with their romance. The romance was fine, but it was the story that had me going, huh?
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Category Romance Review: Forever Mine, Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Harlequin Temptation #288 Forever Mine, Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson, sequel to Be Mine, Valentine, and St Valentine weilds Cupid’s bow and arrow to great success. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Beyond Compare by Penny Jordan
Holly Witchell, the heroine of Penny Jordan’s Beyond Compare, suffers a bit from an overinflated ego combined with an oblivious nature. Thankfully, Drew, the wonderful hero of this book, sorts matters all out for her. 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Waterfalls of the Moon by Anne Mather
In Anne Mather’s The Waterfalls of the Moon the teenaged heroine is in pursuit of a much older man, but the hero’s not taking what she’s offering so easily. 3.5 stars
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Category Romance Review: Mansion for My Love by Robyn Donald
Harlequin Presents #567 Mansion for My Love is one of those Robyn Donald books where you can’t believe what the supposed hero does to the heroine. 3 stars
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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 covers painted for the Harlequin Romance line. Enjoy!
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Category Romance Review: The Dedicated Man by Lass Small
The Dedicated Man by Lass Small is a sweet romance between a slightly older man and a young girl just starting to grow her wings.
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Category Romance Review: Game Plan by Rosemary Hammond
Harlequin Romance #3026 Game Plan Rosemary Hammond An ultra-macho football coach pursues a buttoned-down young, college professor. 3 1/2 Stars
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Category Romance Review: Dark Fever by Charlotte Lamb
Harelquin Presetns #1840 Dark Fever was part of a series of Harlequin Presents by Charlotte Lamb about the Seven Deadly Sins. The sin is lust, but this is not a sexy book.
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Category Romance Review: Arafura Pirate by Victoria Gordon
Harlequin Romance #3025 Arafura Pirate by Victoria Gordon A spunky marine biologist butts head with the captain of the ship she and her crew are sailing on to tag sharks in the Australian ocean. 31/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Show Me by Janet Dailey
Harlequin Presents #200 Show Me Janet Dailey An embittered husband returns back home to face the wife and child he never wanted. 2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Asking for Trouble by Miranda Lee
Harlequin Presents #1614 Asking for Trouble by Miranda Lee a beautiful, yet virginal woman and a burn-by-love playboy find passion together. Is it enough to last? The problem with reading a much-beloved author almost 50 times is that their books begin to blend together. Plotlines get replayed. And replayed. And replayed. 2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Come Back to Me by Catherine George
Harlequin Presents #1321 In Catherine George’s Come Back to Me, revenge is the on the agenda for the heroine when her sister dies after having a baby. 1 1/2 star
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Category Romance Review: Seduction by Charlotte Lamb
Harlequin Presents #428 Seduction Charlotte Lamb features a ridiculously innocent and sheltered heroine and a hero that is so crazy and obsessed, he kidnaps her! 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: A Frozen Fire by Charlotte Lamb
Charlotte Lamb Harlequin Presents #380 A Frozen Fire is a strange romance about a married woman with a cheating husband. She falls for her coworker but she can’t be with him.
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Category Romance Review: Stay Through the Night by Flora Kidd
Harlequin Presents #344 Stay Through the Night by Flora Kidd is a romance about big misunderstandings, adultery, & kidnapping. A solid vintage romance.
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Category Romance Review: Spell of the Mountains by Rosalie Henaghan
Harlequin Romance #3027 Spell of the Mountains by Rosalie Henaghan is a sweet Harlequin Romance and the first romance I read. Recommended! 4 stars
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Category Romance Review: Having Faith by Barbara Delinsky
Harlequin Temptation #297 Despite this category romance getting the Award of Excellence, I wasn’t impressed with Having Faith by Barbara Delinsky. 2 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Don’t Ask Me Now by Emma Darcy
Harlequin Presents #948 Don’t Ask Me Now by Emma Darcy features a unique love triangle about one woman, her ex-lover, a rich playboy, and her nice best friend. Guess who wins? 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: Changing the Rules by Gina Wilkins
In Gina Wilkins’ Harlequin Temptation #299, Changing the Rules, two lovers experience an unplanned pregnancy & have to decide whether to stay together or go their own ways. 4 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Four Dollars and Fifty-One Cents by Lass Small
Silhouette Desire #613 Four Dollars and Fifty-One Cents by Lass Small This is one of the best Silhouette Desires I’ve ever read. It’s a funny romance, passionate, sexy, and did I mention funny? 5 stars
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Category Romance Review: The Lion Rock by Sally Wentworth
Harlequin Presents #662 Set in Ceylon/ Sri Lanka The Lion Rock by Sally Wentworth is an average romance read with weird overtones. 3 stars
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Contemporary Romance Review: Gypsy by Carole Mortimer
Widowed and pregnant Shay returns to the home of her former lover, her dead husband’s brother, Lyon Falconer. Lyon’s still married, though. Will Shay and Lyon reignite their affair?
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Category Romance Review: Surrender, Baby by Suzanne Forster
Loveswept #604 Book Review of Suzanne Forster’s Loveswept romance Surrender, Baby. Final analysis: this book is a 5 star read!
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Category Romance Review: The Millionaire’s Mistress by Miranda Lee
Miranda Lee’s The Millionaire’s Mistress is a bit of an uneven read. I’m undecided on this one…Still, this Harlequin Presents makes for an enjoyable, quick read. 3 1/2 stars
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Category Romance Review: Night Shift by Nora Roberts
Silhouette Intimate Moments #365 Nora Roberts Night Shift Cilla is a radio host with a stalker. Boyd is the police officer determined to stop him from hurting the woman he loves. 4 stars
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