SSF LOGO 150

Sweet Savage Flame

Old School Romance From Avon to Zebra

Menu
  • Blog
    • Latest Posts
    • Monthly Wrap Ups
  • Book Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Ratings
      • 5 stars
      • 4 stars and a half
      • 4 stars
      • 3 stars and a half
      • 3 stars
      • 2 stars and a half
      • 2 stars
      • 1 star and a half
      • 1 star
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
    • Reviews by Plots, Tropes, or Setting
    • Reviews by Publisher
    • Reviews by Imprint or Line
    • Category Romance Reviews
    • Historical Romance Reviews
  • Authors
    • Author Pseudonyms
    • Rebecca Brandewyne
    • Emma Darcy
    • Teresa Denys
    • Cassie Edwards
    • Penny Jordan (aka Caroline Courtney)
    • Charlotte Lamb (aka Shelia Holland)
    • Miranda Lee
    • Johanna Lindsey
    • Debbie Macomber
    • Anne Mather
    • Laurie McBain: Pioneer of Historical Romance in the 70s
    • Fern Michaels
    • Natasha Peters
    • Rosemary Rogers
    • Valerie Sherwood
    • Bertrice Small
    • Janelle Taylor
    • Jennifer Wilde
    • Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
  • Covers & Artists
    • Covers of the Week
    • Romance Cover Artists
      • Francesco Accornero (Franco)
      • Renato Aime
      • George (G. A.) Bush
      • Pino Daeni
      • Elaine Duillo
      • Melissa Duillo-Gallo
      • Harry Bennett
      • John Ennis
      • Victor Gadino
      • Charles Gehm
      • Elaine Gignilliat
      • Max Ginsburg
      • Gregg Gulbronson
      • H. Tom Hall
      • Frank Kalan
      • Roger Kastel
      • Raymond Kursar
      • Robert McGinnis
      • Gary McLaughlin
      • Tony Meers
      • Robert Sabin
      • Diane Sivavec
      • Sharon Spiak
      • Ed Tadiello
  • Links and Fun Stuff
    • Podcasts
    • Blogs, Sites, Podcasts, & More Links
    • Fun or Interesting Book Links
    • Cover Links
  • Male Cover Models
    • Romance Cover Model: Rob Ashton
    • Romance Cover Model: Tracy James, A Heartthrob Then & Now
    • Romance Cover Model: Fabio Lanzoni
    • Romance Cover Model: Michael O’Hearn
  • Publishers
    • Avon
    • Bantam Books
    • Fawcett Books
    • Dorchester
    • Harlequin Historicals
    • Mills and Boon
    • Pinnacle Books
    • Playboy Press
    • Pocket Books
    • Warner Books
    • Zebra
  • About
    • Affiliate Disclosure and Review Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Licensing and Fair Use Page
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe to Sweet Savage Flame
Menu

heroine widow

lovefire pino

Dueling Review: Lovefire by Deana James #1 (Blue Falcon)

Posted on November 27, 2023November 28, 2023 by Blue Falcon

In this edition of Dueling Reviews, Blue Falcon reviews Lovefire by Deana James. It tells the story of Princess Joanna’s forbidden love and is set against a backdrop of royal machinations. 2 Stars

a durable fire robyn donald ray olivere

Category Romance Review: A Durable Fire by Robyn Donald

Posted on August 23, 2023January 9, 2024 by IntrovertReader

A Durable Fire by Robyn Donald is an intense Harlequin Presents where Arminel, a beautiful woman with no money, gets entangled in a web of emotions with a cruel hero and his family. 5 Stars

captive innocence fern michaels

Historical Romance Review: Captive Innocence by Fern Michaels

Posted on July 26, 2023August 7, 2023 by IntrovertReader

Captive Innocence is a fairly unexciting Fern Michaels historical from 1981. This romance shares no association with Michael’s far more entertaining “Captive” series. 2 stars

texas star

Dueling Review: Texas Star by Deana James #2 (IntrovertReader)

Posted on February 27, 2023January 9, 2024 by IntrovertReader

We’re posting a pair of Dueling Reviews where our reviewers have two very different opinions on Texas Star by Deana James. Here is IntrovertReaders’ take. 5 stars

texas star

Dueling Review: Texas Star by Deana James #1 (Blue Falcon)

Posted on February 27, 2023November 28, 2023 by Blue Falcon

We’re posting a pair of Dueling Reviews. Here is Blue Falcon’s take. Texas Star a Zebra western romance by Deana James is not the worst book I’ve read, but it does rank in my list of top ten worst ever. .5 star

night fire catherine coulter

Historical Romance Review: Night Fire by Catherine Coulter

Posted on July 9, 2022November 11, 2022 by IntrovertReader

Night Fire by Catherine Coulter features one of her few truly nice guy heroes. This romance was a pleasant surprise–despite it dark themes–due to charming Burke Drummond. 4 stars

could it be magic

Category Romance Review: Could It Be Magic by Gina Wilkins

Posted on March 23, 2022November 28, 2023 by IntrovertReader

Gina Wilkins’ Could It Be Magic is a comfy romance read. Gwen DeClerck is a staid, young widow, who had been married to a man twice her age. When Jeremy Kane, a famous magician moves next door, he turns her stable world upside down with excitement and passion. 4 stars

passionate affair oakley

Category Romance Review: A Passionate Affair by Anne Mather

Posted on March 2, 2022November 28, 2023 by IntrovertReader

In Anne Mather’s A Passionate Affair, the heroine, Cassandra, is a divorcee whom the hero pursues and they engage in a…passionate affair. This was revolutionary. Before this book, lovemaking in this line had been restricted to married couples or “forced seductions” of initially unwilling virgins whose bodies “betrayed them.” A solid romance. 3.5 stars

surrender to love

Historical Romance Review: Surrender to Love by Rosemary Rogers

Posted on May 17, 2021November 11, 2022 by IntrovertReader

In Surrender to Love by Rosemary Rogers an independent woman from Ceylon travels the world looking for love. 2 1/2 stars

beloved enemy jane feather

Historical Romance Review: Beloved Enemy by Jane Feather

Posted on May 12, 2021December 17, 2023 by IntrovertReader

When my cat destroyed the cover of my edition of Jane Feather’s Beloved Enemy, chewing it to shreds, I lamented the loss. It was a pretty cover, although I cared nothing for the book. Beloved Enemy begins with an intriguing premise, then about 20 pages in, the annoying “insta-luv” trope rears its head. Everything goes downhill from there. 2 stars

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next

LATEST POSTS

Covers of the Week #155: Regency Easter by Zebra Books
Historical Romance Review: Bandit’s Embrace by Georgina Gentry
Covers of the Week #131: Steve Holland
Historical Romance Review: Comanche Cowboy by Georgina Gentry
Romance Round-Up: Our January Book Haul 
Covers of the Week #130: Aleta Jenks-Rafton
Romance Review: Savage Desire by Constance O’Banyon
Historical Romance Review: The Forever Tree by Rosanne Bittner
Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Pleasure by Valerie Giscard
Covers of the Week #129: Alan Ayers

Sweet Savage Flame participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means that we may earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, as per FTC guidelines.

TOP POSTS

  • Romance Cover Model: Fabio Lanzoni
  • 15 Old School Historical Romances That Revolutionized the Genre
  • The Hero Kidnaps the Heroine: List of 100+ Bodice Ripper Romances with this Plot
  • Covers of the Week #101: Francis Marshall and Barbara Cartland
  • Most Expensive and Hard to Find or Out-of-Print Romances
  • In Memoriam: Author Sharon Curtis
  • Historical Romance Review: Louisiana Dawn by Jennifer Blake
  • Asian or Pacific Islander Heroes in Retro Romances
  • Hidden Gems & Crown Jewels: The Rise of Black Historical Romances in the 1990s
  • 10 Historical Western Romances: A List of the Best Retro Reads

TOP PAGES

  • Old School Romance From Avon to Zebra
  • Author Pseudonyms
  • Teresa Denys
  • Elaine Gignilliat
  • Romance Cover Artists
  • Elaine Duillo
  • Melissa Duillo-Gallo
  • Tony Meers
  • Search Romances by Tropes
  • Johanna Lindsey

Creative Commons License

All original Sweet Savage Flame work by Sweet Savage Flame contributors is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Sweet Savage Flame participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means that we may earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, as per FTC guidelines.

Sweet Savage Flame | 2025 | Some Rights Reserved
Sweet Savage Flame
Privacy Policy / Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Simple ResponsiveBlogily.