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. 5 Stars
5-star rating
5 star rating
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 the second Johanna Lindsey romance I read and cemented her works among my favorites. This romance set in Russia and Victorian England was released during Lindsey’s peak years of output. 5 stars
Category Romance Review: Lovers and Strangers by Candace Schuler
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! 5 Stars
Podcast: Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey
Listen to the review as a podcast! Here, we review Johanna Lindsey’s Defy Not the Heart, which we happily rate a 5-star read! The Book In this podcast edition, we review Defy Not the Heart by Johanna Lindsey, which we happily rate as a 5-star read! For a while—except for maybe Jude Deveraux—there was no…
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
Historical Romance Review: Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas
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
Historical Romance Review: Midnight Captive by Penelope Neri
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
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.
Historical Romance Review: Sea Jewel by Penelope Neri
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