One Good Earl Deserves a Lover (2013) Sarah MacLean This one a really liked. Lady Philippa Marbury is engaged to Lord Castleton, who is very kind, but according to all the ton, very stupid. Pippa’s sister and brother-in-law have both encouraged her to break the engagement, but Pippa made a promise, and she intends to […]
A Rogue by Any Other Name (2012) Sarah MacLean Borne is a rake and a rogue. Ruined by the loss of his estates, taken at the gaming tables by the man who had been his guardian, the father of the boy who had been his best friend. Now, part owner of one of the most […]
Night Shift (2014) Nalini Singh; Ilona Andrews; Lisa Shearin; Milla Vane Let me be clear from the start: I read only two of these stories. In fact, I was going to read only one story, Ilona Andrews’ story “Magic Steals” until I realized the next story was a Lisa Shearin SPI files story. I very […]
A Study in Seduction (2012) Nina Rowan I picked this up 1) because it was on sale and 2) because the heroine is a genius mathematician. I really liked the idea of a female mathematical genius, so I decided I’d try it. There was boinking, which, you know, not my thing. And I saw the […]
Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs This is the third Alpha & Omega story, and although it is about Anna and about Charles coming to terms with the changes in his position as the Marrok’s enforcer, but even more important are the changes to the world that Anna & Charles and Mercy Thompson live in. Throughout […]
Eternal: Shadow Falls: After Dark (2014) C.C. Hunter This is the second full book of Della Tsang’s story (although she has been the center of several novellas, one of which is the reason I started reading this series). Della coming to terms with being one of the Reborn, and also dealing with her continued guilt […]
The Paris Plot (2014) Teresa Grant I actually read this back in August, but had forgotten to review it. Set in Paris, in 1816, this novella finds Malcolm and Suzanne Rannoch awaiting the birth of their second child. However, events from the past have come back to haunt them, when a thrown rock with the […]
Hunting Ground (2009) Patricia Briggs The second Alpha & Omega book finds Charles & Anna sent to broker negioations with the European werewolves, to find a way to make the Marrock’s bringing the American werewolves out of the supernatural closet. The biggest problem is going to be the head of the European werewolves, who is […]
Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs My reaction to this book, re-reading it and after reading half the Mercy books and the short story anthology is quite different from my initial read. First and foremost, I realized this story is as much about Asil and Bran as it is about Anna and Charles. I’ve grown to […]
Bone Crossed (2009) Patricia Briggs This book makes up for very end of the last book, where only a week after her rape, it seems like Mercy is ready to jump into bed with Adam. She isn’t and she doesn’t, and Adam wouldn’t. So points all around for Adam. And it’s good that things are […]
The Duchess War (2012) Courtney Milan This is the first(ish) book in the series, and the third book I read. Wilhelmina Pursling has a past she is desperately hiding from. She’s changed her name and hidden with obscurity with her two great-aunts, and pushed down everything she once was, to avoid any whisper that might […]
The Heiress Effect (2013) Courtney Milan The is book two of the Brothers Sinister trilogy, and the second book I read, however, I started with book three. So, backwards. Miss Jane Fairfield is a wealthy heiress who is supposedly seeking a husband, however, she’s doing everything she possible can to let any man get close […]
The Countess Conspiracy (2013) Courtney Milan I absolutely was not expecting to enjoy this anywhere near as much as I did. I thought it would be a nice diversion, instead, I found myself sucked in and really wanting things to work out well for both characters. Despite knowing this was a romance and so there […]
Lord and Lady Spy (2011) Shana Galen This is not an historical romance. It’s a steampunk, without the automatons. Or perhaps it’s fantasy, with boinking. But it is not historical fantasy. Why? Because it’s wildly inaccurate as far as the history goes. So inaccurate that even I–who am terrible with dates and other numbers–caught multiple […]
A Fatal Waltz (2008) Tasha Alexander The third Lady Emily book finds Emily engaged to Colin Hargreaves, however, his work has caused their wedding to be put off, and now Lord Fortescue is doing everything he can to break their engagement for he doesn’t like Emily, and believes Colin’s work is too important for him […]
A Poisoned Season (2007) Tasha Alexander The second Lady Emily mystery finds Lady Emily Ashton still trying to find her place in society as a widow, and battling her mother’s domineering attempts to get Emily remarried. Emily is still refusing Colin Hargreaves offer of marriage, but not because she doesn’t love him, but because she […]
Silent on the Moor (2009) Deanna Raybourn Lady Julia Grey and her sister–against the wishes of both their father and older brother–are headed to Yorkshire, the Grimsgrave estate, where Brisbane has taken up residence and is attempting to rehabilitate the manor. There is a lot of work ahead of him. Although I guessed relatively quickly […]
The Paris Affair (2013) Teresa Grant It is the summer of 1815, and Malcom & Suzanne Rannoch are in Paris, following the Battle of Waterloo. They are supposed to meet with a French informant who wants out of Paris, and is willing to blackmail multiple members of the British diplomatic corps in his effort to […]
Mercy Blade (2011) Faith Hunter Book three in the Jane Yellowrock series, finds Jane taking on a long term contract with Leo Pellissier and the New Orleans vamps to provide security. Unfortunately, Leo doesn’t seem to trust her enough to tell her things that are important–like the weres coming out of the supernatural closet and […]
Urban Shaman (2005) C.E. Murphy I read this several years ago, and never read any further in the series, though I remember finding the book and the premise interesting. But I’d forgotten the story completely, and decided I needed to re-read the start before I dove into any sequels. Joanne Walker (named by her mother […]
Dirty Magic (2014) Jaye Wells I desperately needed something distracting, so picked up Dirty Magic, read a couple chapters, wasn’t sure it was what I was in the mood for, but the next day picked it back up, and discovered it served admirably as a distraction. Kate Prospero spent her youth cooking dirty magic. She […]
Disenchanted & Co., Part 2: His Lordship Possessed (2013) Lynn Viehl Again, gorgeous cover, and I love the world building, but the story? Bletch. She now moons over Lord Dredmore, who has, at least according to Kit, zero redeeming qualities. Kit also seems to get dumber as the book goes on. Even though her friends […]
Disenchanted & Co., Part 1: Her Ladyship’s Curse (2013) Lynn Viehl This book has a gorgeous cover and a fabulous premise. Unfortunately, for me, it lived up to neither. Charmian Kittredge lives in Toriana, an alternate North America, one where there is no United States, because the Revolution failed. And one where magic seemingly works, […]
Tales of the Otherworld (2010) Kelley Armstrong Not knowing what I was in the mood to read, an anthology seemed just the thing. These are stories from Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series–stories that fill in the cracks between her novels–most of which I have not read. (I believe I have read Bitten, and that’s it.) There […]
Trail of Dead (2013) Melissa F. Olson The sequel to Dead Spots, it wasn’t horrible, but I would kick this book out of bed for eating crackers in an instant. I still liked the idea of the story. And the mystery was interesting. But I hated… no, I take that back, I despised the love […]
The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire (2012) Abigail Gibbs “Hmmm…. what do I want to read next?” (looks through books) (picks up Dark Heroine) … “What the hell? How is it one o’clock in the morning?! Shit! I have to work tomorrow!” So, The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire is that kind of […]
Miss Buncle’s Book (1936) D. E. Stevenson This book was a fun read. First published in 1936, it’s set in England, in that strange time period between the two world wars. Miss Buncle is at wits end as to what to do for money. Her dividends are no longer supporting her, so she has to […]
Under Camelot’s Banner (2005) Sarah Zettel Lynet Carnbrea is the daughter of Steward Kenan, the man who holds Camilard for Queen Guinevere, whose name is under a shadow, for she acted as a go-between for Tristan and Iseult. Shamed, and broken by her penance, she is seen as damaged goods, and so unlike her sister, […]
For Camelot’s Honor (2005) Sarah Zettel I still love the cover, but the contents didn’t live up to my memory. I’m not saying it was a bad story–it’s not–I just remember it as being fabulous, and instead it’s just fine. Elen is the daughter of a Welsh chieftan, and King Arthur wants her family to […]
Gunmetal Magic (2012) Ilona Andrews And now I reach the conclusion of my binge reading of Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels (& World) series. We end with Andrea’s book: how Andrea puts herself back together after being thrown out of the Order. Except there’s lots of monster fighting and shooting (this is Andrea) so it’s not […]
Magic Slays (2011) Ilona Andrews And here we are at book five. I’m thinking I may stop here for now. Book six came out relatively recently, and it wasn’t a particular favorite. But I have hunted down all the Kate Daniels short stories I can find, so I’ve got a little more Kate left. Kate […]
Magic Bleeds (2010) Ilona Andrews This one is more romance than mystery, but still all fantasy and action. First, I really appreciate how Kate actually thinks and considers before taking action. She doesn’t always so manages when it’s important. If Curran and I got into it, our fight wouldn’t be seen as a conflict between […]
In Camelot’s Shadow (2004) Sarah Zettel I originally picked this book up because I fell in love with the cover. This is one of my favorite book covers, ever. It’s gorgeous, it’s romantic, and it shows an active heroine not in need to rescue, but capable of defending herself. Luckily, the book lives up to […]
Midnight Blue-Light Special (2013) Seanan McGuire So… I had pre-ordered this, and then it sat, unread, for… ten months. I think, first and foremost, it’s a sign that I’ve become predominately an eBook reader. (Further evidence? The last Cat and Bones book is sitting on my coffee table, staring at me, wondering why I haven’t […]
Midsummer Moon (1987) Laura Kinsale Let’s get the important thing out of the way first: This is a FABULOUS cover. There are many covers for this book, but this one–hands down–is the best. I mean, there is a HEDGEHOG in his pocket. A hedgehog that plays an important part in the story! He looked at […]
Kitty (1979) Marion Chesney and M. C. Beaton Anymore, Kitty just wants to be warm. But her mother wants her to make a good marriage, to move the family socially upward, and is willing to do almost anything to achieve that marriage. There’s also a mystery–after Kitty becomes a very rich heiress, it appears someone […]
An Affair of Honor (2011) Candice Hern This was both enjoyable and frustrating. First the frustrating. She was in the process of removing a jaunty black beaver hat with a green plume, to reveal hair of a remarkable shade of russet, and eyes of almost the exact same color. What? She has red eyes? That’s… […]
Desperate Measures (2011) Candice Hern Lydia Bettridge is in love with a gentleman who seems not the slightest bit interested in her. So her brother and his best friend, Philip Hartwell, cook up a plan to make this gentleman jealous. Unfortunately for Lydia, not knowing who the gentleman in question is her brother and Philip […]
A Change of Heart (2011) Candice Hern Lady Mary Haviland is quite content being a spinster. In fact, she enjoys being a somewhat eccentric spinster, making friends with all sorts, including rakes. “I much prefer the man who is open adn straightforward in his dealing with people, even if he does not often stay strictly […]
The Privilege of the Sword (2006) Ellen Kushner I’ve been listening to the audio book version of this, when I reached a point where I gave up and started re-reading (from the beginning) on the Kindle. Mind you, I’m still listening to the audio version, but it had been too long since I’d read the […]
A Proper Companion (2011) Candice Hern Emily Townsend is of good birth, but impoverished (her mother ran away with her father, and was disowned by her parents), so Emily takes one of the only options available to a genteel lady: a companion to an older woman. Robert, Lord Bradleigh is a recently betrothed Earl with […]
Tempest Reborn (2013) Nicole Peeler Alas, all good things come to an end: this is the final book of the Jane True series. I’m honestly delighted with the whole thing. I hate series that go on too long, or series where every book is a cliffhanger that is little more than a teaser for the […]
Lady of Quality (1972) Georgette Heyer Annis Wychwood is twenty-nine and an old maid. Her beauty led to previous offers for her hand, but she turned them down, none from a man for whom she was willing to give up her independence. Of course, she is still young enough she must keep someone with her, […]
Cotillion (1953) Georgette Heyer Another re-read, because there’s nothing quite like foolish young people to distract from the real, modern world. Kitty Charing was adopted by the very rich and very unpleasant Matthew Penicuik. When he makes his will, he states that she will inherit his entire fortune–if she marries one of his great-nephews. The […]
These Old Shades (1926) Georgette Heyer This was a reread. I got so depressed by the news I needed something comforting, and this is what I ended up reading. Some of the bits are somewhat horrifying–and probably not the bits that were originally so. More the whole fact that Alistar will not–cannot even!–marry anyone so […]
Saved at Sunrise (2013) C. C. Hunter I’m a fan of C.C. Hunter’s Shadow Falls series, and was introduced to it through the free novella Turned at Dark about Della Tang, who is also the main character in this novella. Della wanted to go into law enforcement before she was turned, now, she wants to […]
Twice Tempted: A Night Prince Novel (2013) Jeaniene Frost NOTICE: If you had not read Jeaniene Frost before, SHE WRITES BOINKING BOOKS. Okay, that’s out of the way… The sequel to Once Burned is also not the final book in this series (I’m guessing the middle book of a trilogy, but I don’t know that […]
The Rake to Ruin Her (2013) Julia Justiss This is a straight up historical romance (with boinking) which hasn’t been anything I’ve particularly liked in the past, but after enjoying Darlene Marshall’s Sea Change, I thought I’d give it a try, since it was relatively inexpensive. So. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t my […]
Kiss of Steel (2012) Bec McMasters Honoria is trying to hold her family together after the murder of her father. But her job doesn’t pay much, and the medicines they need for her brother are very expensive, and even worse, don’t seem to be working very well. To make things worse, she is expected to […]
Cards & Caravans (2013) Cindy Spencer Pape THIS IS ANOTHER BOINKING BOOK. Although there is less boinking here than in the Bloodhounds series. The fifth book of the Gaslight Chronicles finds Connor McKay coming to the rescue of Belinda Danvers who has been convinced of murder by witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake. […]