Historical Romance Review: Night Fire by Catherine Coulter
Night Fire by Catherine Coulter features one of her few truly nice guy heroes. This romance was a pleasant surprise–despite it dark themes–due to charming Burke Drummond. 4 stars
Mixed Genre Authors
Author Spotlight: Robert Vaughan
Robert Vaughan may not be a big-name author, but he sold tens of millions of books in the 20th century under many names. His pseudonyms include Paula Fairman, K. C. McKenna, Paula Moore, Fancy DeWitt, Patricia Matthews, Jonathon Scofield, Lee Davis Willoughby, and Kit Dalton. Have you read any Robert Vaughan romances?
Category Romance Review: A Naked Flame by Charlotte Lamb
Sad to report, but A Naked Flame has to be the worst Charlotte Lamb book I’ve read so far. It features a wishy-washy, stupid heroine who wouldn’t know her butt crack from the Grand Canyon. 1 star
One Book: Multiple Covers #2: Highland Velvet
A few weeks ago, we highlighted the many covers for the alternate and foreign editions of Jude Deveraux’s The Velvet Promise. As a result, we decided to continue displaying the multiple covers for the book’s sequels. Today, we focus on Highland Velvet which we previously reviewed It is one of our favorite books.
Historical Romance Review: Rebel Vixen by Dana Ransom
In Dana Ransom’s Zebra Heartfire romance, Rebel Vixen a Southern woman and Northern soldier find love during the Civil War. As the Civil War rages throughout the United States, Miss Savannah Russell is on a ship in the Caribbean where she saves a Yankee sailor’s life. 5 stars
One Book, Multiple Covers #1: The Velvet Promise
We’re introducing yet another new feature here at Sweet Savage Flame! This One Book, Multiple Covers series will look at the original cover art for a popular romance novel and then compare it to re-issues and foreign language or alternate editions. Today, we’re focusing on The Velvet Promise by Jude Deveraux.
Historical Romance Review: And Gold Was Ours by Rebecca Brandewyne
And Gold Was Ours is a sequel of sorts to Rebecca Brandewyne‘s Love, Cherish Me. I’d consider this more of a companion piece. While both novels have Brandewyne’s hallmark baroque-gothic atmosphere, And Gold Was Ours is not as dark and emotional as its predecessor. 3.63 stars
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
Historical Romance Review: Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers
Where to begin with this review? Sweet Savage Love by the great Rosemary Rogers is–along with The Flame and the Flower–the blockbuster historical that launched a new genre: the modern romance novel. Published in 1974, this doorstopper epic was a monumental game-changer in an era of social transformation. 4.24 stars
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
Historical Romance Review: Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas features one of her most beloved characters, Derek Craven. Derek was previously seen in Then Came You, whose reserved hero, Alex Raiford, was more to my liking. This is a wonderful romance by the talented Kleypas where two people from contrasting social classes come together in love. 4 stars
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
Historical Romance Review: Kiss of the Night Wind by Janelle Taylor
This review is of Kiss of the Night Wind, #3 in the “Western Wind” series by Janelle Taylor. Kiss of the Night Wind is a good book, but has too many issues to be great. 3.72 stars
Historical Romance Review: Passions Wild and Free by Janelle Taylor
This review is of Passions Wild and Free, book #2 in the “Western Wind” series by Janelle Taylor. Randee Hollis, the heroine of the book, has plans to go after the Epson Gang, a ruthless band of killers who killed her aunt and uncle… 3 stars
Author Spotlight: Charlotte Lamb
Sheila Holland nee Coates, known to most readers of romance as Harlequin/ Mills & Boon author Charlotte Lamb is one of my favorite writers, period. Although she wrote seemingly simple category romances, her books were much more than that. She wrote like few others in her field could: fully inhabiting her characters’ minds and giving them larger-than-life personalities.
Historical Romance Review: The Lord of Hawkfell Island by Catherine Coulter
In The Lord of Hawkfell Island by Catherine Coulter Mirana is a young, unmarried woman who lives with her brother in a massive fortress. When he’s away, their home is attacked by Viking raiders seeking vengeance against him, as the Viking leader Rorik blames him for the death of his wife and child. Usually, a hero grieving over his lost love is grounds for me to dislike a historical romance, but thanks to Rurik, I had plenty of other reasons to despise this “love story.” 2 1/2 stars
Historical Romance Review: First Love, Wild Love by Janelle Taylor
This review is of First Love, Wild Love by Janelle Taylor. The book begins begins in Texas, where Calinda Braxton, the heroine, has come from England to investigate the disappearance of her father… 4 1/2 stars
Author Spotlight: Janelle Taylor
Janelle Taylor was part of the pantheon of the Zebra romance’s “Leading Ladies of Love.” Her Native American, Fantasy, western and contemporary romance novels sold millions.
Covers of the Week #17
I enjoy playing the game of “I Spy” with my vintage book romance covers. Can you guess this week’s theme? For the week of Aug 2 to Aug 6, here are some contemporary and historical covers for you to look over and play “I Spy.”
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
