The heroine of Lord Carew’s Bride by Mary Balogh is a spinster who has put off romance but is searching for meaning in life. Through her chance encounter with the reclusive Lord Carew she finds friendship, love, and self-discovery. 4.5 Stars
friends to lovers
Category Romance Review: Mr. Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Mr. Valentine by Vicki Lewis Thompson is a hilarious Harlequin Temptation sure to engage readers with its endearing characters. It is full of humor, romance, and heart. 4 Stars
Category Romance Review: Hilltop Tryst by Betty Neels
Hilltop Tryst was another sweet romance by the famous Betty Neels featuring–as always–a fair-haired doctor as a hero, although this time he’s British, not Dutch. Nor is the heroine a nurse. She’s the daughter of a local successful veterinarian and works with Dad. 3 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
Contemporary Romance Review: A Violation by Charlotte Lamb
A Violation, a full-length novel by category author Charlotte Lamb, isn’t a straightforward romance, somewhere more between women’s fiction and romantic fiction. Like so many of her works, the major themes are the philosophy of love and what are the defined roles of being a man and a woman, especially when it comes to amorous relationships. 3 stars
Historical Romance Review: The Heir by Johanna Lindsey
Was this tepid, dull romance actually penned by Johanna Lindsey? The Heir was Lindsey’s first book where I noticed a weird change. Previously, if there was a Lindsey I didn’t like, it was due to a meandering plot or excessive fighting between the leads. There is friendship for sure in this one, but romantic isn’t what I’d call the relationship between Duncan and Sabrina. 2 stars
Category Romance Review: Having Faith by Barbara Delinsky
Harlequin Temptation #297 Despite this category romance getting the Award of Excellence, I wasn’t impressed with Having Faith by Barbara Delinsky. 2 1/2 stars
Category Romance Review: Four Dollars and Fifty-One Cents by Lass Small
Four Dollars and Fifty-One Cents by Lass Small is one of the best Silhouette Desires I’ve ever read. It’s a funny romance, passionate, sexy, and did I mention funny? 5 stars