Genre: Romance

Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Rakes and Roses by Josi S. Kilpack

Jerk to Hero? A case in Character Development Josi Kilpack is a wonderful writer and always includes deep insights into character and motivations. I didn’t think I’d care for this story as much as the other ones in this series because we’ve encountered Harry in previous books. He was a jerk. When I started the book, I did not care at all if Harry made a love match—especially with Sabrina because, in my opinion, she was too good for him. But then Josi’s writing led […]

May 5, 2020 | 0 Comments
Divider

Daisies and Devotion by Josi S. Kilpack

Daisies and Devotion by Josi S. Kilpack

Marry for Money or Love? This is a tough question when you’re on the fringes of regency society and you don’t really have a lot of money. Sometimes you have to make the hard choice—and sometimes you get both. The premise of this series is that a wealthy uncle is attempting to set his nieces and nephews up with an inheritance—if they find an appropriate marriage partner and act respectably. Some of them are already respectable but others, not so much. Timothy has always tried […]

November 10, 2019 | 0 Comments
Divider

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen

Another great steampunk fairy tale! This is the third steampunk fairy tale romance from Nancy Campbell Allen. We start in London but this time we travel to Romania and you know what that means—vampire legends and dark magic! Hazel and Sam’s romance weaves through this story of revealed family secrets, intrigue and betrayal, with a healthy dose of steampunk. [br] What did I think? I loved all the steampunk elements—they added to the story without getting bogged down in the tech. The characters were well-written […]

July 26, 2019 | 0 Comments
Divider

The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden

The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden

Three Stories in One! I loved this book! First off, Sarah M. Eden is a great writer. She has lovable and relatable characters, strong plots, and great settings. So any story of hers is going to be good. But this one is a romance where both characters are Penny Dreadful writers—and we get to read both of their stories as well! Penny Dreadful stories began in the mid-1800s, were often serialized, usually shorter stories (what we would call novellas) and focused on action, adventure, and […]

July 20, 2019 | 0 Comments
Divider

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

Historical Time Travel Romance Amy Harmon is a one-click author for me. I don’t even bother to read the description on Amazon. She has a new book, I buy it. But when I realized this was a time-travel romance, I was prepared to be disappointed. I’ve read a few and didn’t like them. But I should have known if anyone could do it well, Amy Harmon could. It was AMAZING! Before I finished the book, I’d probably would have described it as a historical romance, […]

July 5, 2019 | 0 Comments
Divider

The Redgrave Murders by A.L. Sowards

The Redgrave Murders by A.L. Sowards

Murder, Mystery, and Romance Unlike many of the novels by A.L. Sowards, this one is not set on the battlefield. It takes place back at home, at the end of WWII. But the war still haunts the people and events of this book. I love a good mystery/suspense, and at its heart, that’s what this story is—but there’s also a strong romance running through it. It deals with so many themes: loss, grief, betrayal, prejudice, interracial relationships. And then there’s the mystery of who is […]

June 24, 2019 | 0 Comments
Divider

Finding Jack by Melanie Jacobson

Finding Jack by Melanie Jacobson

Funny and Clean Contemporary Romance I loved this book! I’ve liked a lot of Melanie Jacobson’s contemporary romances. They all seem to have some real message to them, beyond just finding your true love. This one did too. It was really great. [br] [br] The best part though was I loved the main character. She was so funny and clever. So is her roommate, so is her love interest. I just fell in love with the writing and the dialog. There were a couple of […]

January 23, 2019 | 0 Comments
Divider

Promises and Primroses by Josi S. Kilpack

Promises and Primroses by Josi S. Kilpack

Heartbreak, Resentment, Forgiveness, and Redemption I know I say this every time I review a Josi S. Kilpack book, but I love her stories. They are so character-driven, and include themes that speak to all ages and time periods. Promises and Primroses is the start of the Mayfield Family series. Years ago, Elliott inherited the family estate. Ashamed of the behaviors of his family members, he made it his mission to improve both the estate and the members of the family—breaking a heart in the […]

September 5, 2018 | 0 Comments
Divider

Review + Giveaway: Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

Review + Giveaway: Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

A Mixed-Genre Novel Veins of Gold doesn’t fit neatly into one unique genre. It’s set in Utah during the Gold Rush Era (1848–1855). The details are clear enough that it could be labeled a Historical novel, or even an alternate history. As such, the reader gets a great look into what that time and place was like—the mountains, the desert, small Utah town, and even a peek at Mormon culture (but there is no preaching in this book). It also contains magic—a mix of earth […]

July 16, 2018 | 0 Comments
Divider

Miss Wilton’s Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack

Miss Wilton’s Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack

So Much More Than Two People Falling in Love! I’ve followed Josi Kilpack through her Women’s Fiction, her Cozy Mysteries (I miss Sadie), and even though I’m not a huge Historical Romance fan, her writing compels me to read those as well. I am never disappointed. Josi’s romances have so much more to them than two people falling in love. There is always something of depth to them—a social issue or personal trial that must be overcome—and her characters are very relatable. Miss Wilton’s Waltz is […]

April 12, 2018 | 1 Comment
Divider

Between the Lines by Annette Lyon

Between the Lines by Annette Lyon

Sweet 1920s Romance Novella Set in 1926, extremely shy Jane Martin is a member of the local Aid and Cultural Society. As part of a cultural exchange, the group decides to write to members of a similar society in Canada, becoming “letter friends” (or as we would call it, pen pals). When they are short a few names, Thomas (a member of Jane’s group) agrees to secretly become Jane’s letter friend—creating a new identity to spare her feelings. As the weeks go by, Jane shares […]

June 15, 2016 | 0 Comments
Divider

If We Were A Movie by Kelly Oram

If We Were A Movie by Kelly Oram

A Clean(ish) New Adult Contemporary Romance Let’s address the whole New Adult/Clean-ish thing first because this is going to be a make or break for some readers. The “New Adult” designation is sort of code for 18-25 year old characters and steamy love scenes. When a New Adult book is marked “clean” it doesn’t always mean no sex or swearing, what you’d typically expect from a “clean” romance. It usually means that relationships are implied, but not descriptive. And that is the case with this […]

March 10, 2016 | 0 Comments
Divider

Eleanor and the Iron King by Julie Daines

Eleanor and the Iron King by Julie Daines

A Medieval Romance that Feels like a fairy tale! From the description on Amazon, I thought this was going to be a fantasy. While there are some mysterious things happening, this is really a medieval romance. It reads a bit like a fairy tale, and I have no idea if its historically accurate. I’m assuming it is, but if it’s not I don’t really care. It feels very medieval and historic, and I loved it. What did I think? I loved pretty much everything about […]

February 23, 2016 | 0 Comments
Divider

Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt

Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt

Although I’m part of a book tour, I bought my own copy of Pimpernel. Leverage. Mission Impossible. Pimpernel. Yep. If you like those first two, you’re going to love Pimpernel! Although Pimpernel is marketed as a romantic suspense—and there is enough romance to make that an accurate description—I was so much more intrigued with the suspense part of the story. There were secret identities, twists and turns, cons within cons, with just a bit of romance. Pimpernel seriously reminded me of some of my favorite […]

February 18, 2016 | 0 Comments
Divider

{Review + Giveaway} Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson

{Review + Giveaway} Not Always Happenstance by Rachael Anderson

A Magical Romance series by 12 best-selling authors! Not Always Happenstance is part of The Power of the Matchmaker series. While each book is a stand-alone read, they all contain the recurring character of Pearl, the matchmaker. The story of Lani and Easton is takes place against the backdrop of Hawaii. I loved the rich descriptions and culture that weave through the story almost as a counterpoint to the plot. I really felt like I was there. Pearl is back on the job as matchmaker […]

February 5, 2016 | 0 Comments
Divider