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
Contemporary Romance
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
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. 3.5 stars
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
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
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. 2 Stars
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.
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. 3 stars
Category Romance Review: To Cherish My Beloved by Dorothy Heaton
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.
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. I heartily recommend Out of the Shadows. 5 Stars