In Crimson Obsession by Deana James, set in Victorian-era England, Cassandra seeks revenge against Edward Sandron for her family’s financial ruin. The story features a secondary romance and humorous elements. 3.5 Stars
retro romance
Category Romance Review: The Jade Affair by Madeline Harper
Madeline Harper’s The Jade Affair happens to be one of my top Harlequin Temptations due to its engaging reunited lovers’ plotline. The chemistry between the protagonists is fantastic as they play detectives to find some missing jade artifacts. 4 1/2 stars
Historical Romance Review: Passion’s Bride (aka The Captain’s Lady) by Jo Goodman
This review is of Passion’s Bride, aka The Captain’s Lady by Jo Goodman. The book begins in 1809, where the fledgling American navy hopes to enlist the services of the pirate Alex Danty to help sink British ships. 4 stars
Historical Romance Review: Dark Before the Rising Sun by Laurie McBain
Dark Before the Rising Sun, is the last installment in the Laurie McBain trilogy that began with Moonstruck Madness. It is a direct continuation of its sequel, Chance the Winds of Fortune. 1 1/2 stars
Category Romance Review: Rainy Day Kisses by Debbie Macomber
I adore a love story where one partner is restrained and uptight and the other is open and free-spirited. Rainy Day Kisses, a Harlequin Romance by Debbie Macomber depicts those elements just perfectly. It’s about a woman who has zero time for frills and silly moments enjoying life. However, she butts head with her neighbor, a laid-back kind of guy who loves flying kites. 4 stars
5 Romance Tropes We Love
At Sweet Savage Flame talked about tropes before. There are some plot devices and character types that never go out of style. We’ve looked around to seek the most popular tropes in Romancelandia that readers enjoy. Here are five that we think you’ll agree that make romance novels more exciting!
Historical Romance Review: The King’s Pleasure by Shannon Drake
Shannon’s Drake’s (aka Heather Graham) The King’s Pleasure is set amid the intense medieval backdrop of the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death. It’s a solid romance in a historical age that always grips my attention. 4 stars
Category Romance Review: A> Loverboy by Judith Arnold
Published in 1991, Judith Arnold’s A> Loverboy is the final installment in the Harlequin American Romance line “A Century of Romance” series. A> Loverboy is a humorous romance about two coworkers falling in for each other in an unusual way. Before there was “You’ve Got Mail” with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, there was this book. 4 stars
Historical Romance Review: Paradise and More by Shirl Henke
Paradise & More by Shirl Henke is memorable to me for having one of the most eye-catching covers in romance. A dazzling beauty by Pino Daeni, it features a fully naked couple in a glorious clinch, their nudity covered by some strategically placed flowers and the book’s title. Lamentably, I have a later reissue, the stepback version, where their nakedness is hidden under a respectable-looking cover. This is the first book in the House of Torres duo that takes place in late 1400s Spain. 3 & 1/2 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