Viking Magic by Angela Wells 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
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
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
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
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
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… 4 stars
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
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. 3.5 stars
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
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
