Historical Romance Review: White Lion’s Lady by Lara Adrian (aka Tina St. John)
For anyone who loves historical or medieval romance, White Lion’s Lady by Lara Adrian (aka Tina St. John) is an absolute keeper. I highly recommend it. 5 stars
5 stars
Historical Romance Review: Ride the Free Wind by Rosanne Bittner
This review is of Ride the Free Wind book #2 in the “Savage Destiny” series by Rosanne Bittner. Ride the Free Wind begins shortly after the first book, Sweet Prairie Passion, ended. Abigail “Abbie” Trent Monroe and her husband, “Cheyenne” Zeke Monroe, are traveling to find Zeke’s Cheyenne mother and three Cheyenne half-brothers. 5 Stars
Historical Romance Review: Cherish Me, Embrace Me by Sylvie F. Sommerfield
This review is of Cherish Me, Embrace Me by Sylvie F. Sommerfield. The book begins in 1851 in France. The coming revolution forces Jules Dubonne, his wife Marie, and their three children, sons Alexander and Dante, and daughter, Celeste, to leave France. They journey to a new home they believe will be free from war and violence, America. They will soon discover the fallacy of that belief. 4.80 stars
Category Romance Review: Rumor Has It by Celia Scott
Celia Scott’s Rumor Has It is a modern-day Cinderella story where the fairy godmother is not an actual person but a false rumor that transforms a frumpy heroine into a glamorous new woman who finds her prince. 5 stars
Historical Romance Review: Dangerous Obsession by Natasha Peters
Dangerous Obsession is the sequel to Natasha Peters’ first book, Savage Surrender, although the relation between the books is not revealed until midway through this 630 page epic. 5 stars
Category Romance Review: Devil in a Silver Room by Violet Winspear
There’s good reason Violet Winspear’s Devil In a Silver room had many reprints: it’s an enthralling, hypnotic love story that pulls you in from the moment the hero enters the story. And oh, what a hero he is! 5 stars
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
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
Historical Romance Review: Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey
Defy Not the Heart is a favorite of mine. It’s a wonderful, funny, and romantic medieval historical romance by the late, great Johanna Lindsey. 5 stars
Historical Romance Review: Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey
In Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey, her popular Malory series romance, ex-pirate James Malory meets his match in Georgina, an American girl disguised as his cabin boy! 5 stars
Historical Romance Review: Captive Angel by Deana James
Deana James’ romance Captive Angel was an emotional, turbulent Zebra Lovegram romance with a heroine who was forged in fire and a hero not worthy to lick her boots. One of the best non-romance romances 5 stars
Historical Romance Review: Stranger in My Arms by Louisa Rawlings
Harlequin Historical #90 Stranger in My Arms by Louisa Rawlings is a book I’ve read many times, and I love it more today than ever. Absolute perfection. 5 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: Texas Blonde by Victoria Thompson
This review is of Texas Blonde, book #3 in the “The Lady and the Cowboy” series by Victoria Thompson. (Zebra/Kensington, October 1987). This review is of the ebook version. 4.87 stars
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
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: Secret Fire by Johanna Lindsey
Secret Fire was, I think, the second Johanna Lindsey romance I read which cemented her works among my favorites. Published in 1987, this book was written during Lindsey’s peak years of output. 5 stars
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
Sweet Savage Flame Podcast Old School Historical Romance Book Review: Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey
For a while–except for maybe Jude Deveraux–there was no other mass-market romance author in the 1980s to 1990s whose prolific writing achieved such commercial success than Johanna Lindsey. Lindsey reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list with Defy Not the Heart. Here we at Sweet Savage Flame we review Defy Not the …
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
