It’s fair to compare So Speaks the Heart (which should be subtitled: Medieval Norman Psychopath Falls for French Co-Dependent and Fellow Anger Management Classmate) to another of Johanna Lindsey’s works, A Pirate’s Love, which had a similar captor/captive trope. 4 stars
For the week starting Monday, July 12 to Sunday, July, 18, I thought some Highland or Scots-themed old-school romance covers would be a bonny sight for your eyes to enjoy.
The heroine of Lisa Kleypas’ Then Came You was, at the time of the book’s initial release, a unique female protagonist. Today, Romancelandia is replete with hoydenish, unmarried non-virgins who thumb their nose at society’s rules. Back in 1993, the wild Lily Lawson was, for the most part, unusual for a historical romance heroine. 5 stars
This review is of Midnight Captive, a standalone Zebra historical romance from March 1989 by Penelope Neri. The book begins ominously. A man finds a cache of gold and wishes everything he touches would turn into it. 5 stars
Moonstruck Madness was Laurie McBain’s second and, in my opinion, her best book. It is a thrilling read. 4.5 Stars
For the week of July 5 to July 11, here are a few Walter Popp romance covers to appreciate. Walter Popp was a fantastic artist, part of the original pantheon of pulp genre masters who would later go on to create covers for Gothic, Regency, Historical romances, including bodice rippers and epics.
The Treacherous Heart by Angela Alexie is a tale of a Gaelic, black-haired, fiery-spirited lass forced by circumstances to become a thief to provide for her family, only to be thwarted by an arrogant, scar-faced, golden-haired Duke
It’s the mid-1830’s and Scottish immigrant Reiver MacPherson has been granted lands by the new Texas government…So begins Deana James’ Texas Storm.
Sea Jewel by Penelope Neri is a bodice-ripper Viking romance with a resilient heroine. While it also has some troubling problematic plot elements, it ultimately deserves a five-star rating. 5 Stars
For the week of June 28 to July 4, 2021, enjoy this small sample of funny or awful-looking covers from romances from four different artists. Including Pino, DonBerco, & Robert Maguire.
