Entries Tagged '4.5 Stars' ↓

I took great pleasure in reading this novel. It wasn’t a typical romance though it held many of the typical pieces you would find in a romance. Atypical you ask? Yes! The heroine for instance was raised by the Dakota, or Native American Indians. She had to return to England to pursue the rest of her destiny and avenge her dead mother. The banter was particularly snappy between the leads. The sex too was pretty phenomenal on the scale of none to steamy. I read this in about a day and half; I would put it down and couldn’t wait to get back to it as soon as possible.

The cover on this novel is hysterical, at least my version which is pretty old. My sister-in-law picked it up thinking a boob was sticking out, flagrant nipples and all, but realized upon closer inspection that it was simply a circular diamond pin stuck to the front of the dress. To me the models look like they are wrapped up in a sleeping bag decorated in some ancient Regency pattern. For being raised by the Dakotas in America, she’s certainly pale, no sign of a tan at all – on the cover or in the book. I wonder why that is? Could it be because society would have been shocked down to their slippers and boots?

Christina Bennett is the crème de la crème. The moment her dainty foot hit the first ballroom, London society gasped and capitulated at her feet. She finds it silly and they call her Princess, even though her father has lost his kingdom, even though she’s never met her father in person. With pale white hair and the deepest sky blue eyes, Christina is a lioness. Her arrival to London was predicted by a shaman’s dream and her destiny was to seek out justice for the crimes against her and her mother.

Is it any wonder when she’s introduced to the Marquess of Lyonwood that she was shaken from her stupor? The man looked fierce and vulnerable at the same time. He held himself like a warrior and bore a warrior’s scar down his cheek. To Christina, he looked positively virile and masculine, a far cry of the fops and dandies she’d met again and again from ballroom to ballroom. He was like a lion too, lithe and predatory. When he pursues her, part of Christina wants to give in and part of her fears doing so because she could learn to love him… worse he could learn to love her and her stay with the English was only ever meant to be temporary.

With tempting kisses and secret trysts, Christina’s head swims with the heady sensations of newly experienced passion. She begs him to marry her in one unguarded moment and the scoundrel declines. Lyonwood sees her proposal as a sign of her scheming ways, not realizing that Christina’s eager passion is unrehearsed. He plans to seduce her not knowing that she’s virginal until it’s too late…

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Review: The Wedding by Julie Garwood Julie Garwood is a staple, a household name, and Wedding is the first book of hers I ever read. Recommended to me by my closest friend, I came to the conclusion that it must go to the top of my...
• The Best Highlander Romance Novels What are they? I know this is pretty subjective and that personal tastes vary greatly, but I am pretty positive we can come up with a list of ones to recommend between us. Personally, my history with Highlander is brief....
• Review: Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood is the second book in the set of three novels, Guardian Angel follows on the heels of The Lion's Lady. I didn't know this when I started and was pleasantly surprised to find that I...

What makes a perfect hero? Is it his dashing good looks, his heroic deeds, or his charm? Third in the series Lessons in Love by Suzanne Enoch, England’s Perfect Hero, delves into the challenge of defining a hero.

Lucinda and her two best friends, Georgiana and Evelyn, create three separate lists on how to be a gentleman of high caliber. Each one is highly personal and defines what each girl feels about herself and what she looks for in a mate. On Lucinda’s list there are four items she wishes to teach a certain dashing gentleman, also known as Lord Geoffrey Newcombe, about being a gentleman.

Only her lessons are getting the attention of a different man; another soldier and nobleman whose past is a mystery and whose character is mysterious. Robert Carroway, brother to Dare, Georgiana’s husband. All she knows about Robert is this: he was at Waterloo, he came home from war injured, his experiences in war have made him withdrawn and edgy, and her father doesn’t like him.

Robert Carroway for his part has lived in a personal hell for three years. The darkness threatens to claim him, chew him up and spit him out. If only it would kill him so he didn’t have to live in silent agony about what had been done to him. The only ray of pure sunlight in his whole existence is Lucinda whose cheery disposition and sweet nature draw him like a moth to the flame. If helping her snare the husband of her dreams could also pull him from the darkness he would do it, or so he told himself. What he really wanted was to be the husband of her dreams.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Originally posted 2008-08-27 05:01:49. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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His Wicked Kiss is the seventh installment of Foley’s Knight Miscellany series. The novel was quite exceptional from the steamy romance scenes, the tender moments, and the insecurities that flared between Eden and Jack. His Wicked Kiss flirts with the tried and true plot of what you thought you wanted and what you get.

Dr. Victor Farraday, botantist, scientist, and certified loon resides in the jungle of the Amazon with his daughter, a small contingent of locals, and Connor their hunter and protector. Connor has had his eye on Eden Farraday since she was sixteen, but Eden does not feel the same way about him. She dreams of London and the sparkle of society and balls and handsome town dandies that will court her and dance with her. So when Victor tells her that they’re moving deeper into the jungles, toward certain death, Eden is desperate to make an escape.

Eden meets Jack as he is sailing down the river with a small crew to meet up with his ship, the Winds of Fortune, off the coast out of the Spaniards reach. Jack thinks the creature sitting up in the trees snipping orchids is beguiling and gorgeous with red flaming hair. Her offer of tea is not resisted, but he is bitterly disappointed to learn that she wants him to take her back to England with him.

Successful entrepreneur and black sheep of the family, Jack Knight is the second son of a duke and is more than used to people wanting things from him. He had hoped Eden would be different, but even if he wanted to, Jack could not take Eden along with him due to the nature of his mission helping the rebels. He would not put her life in danger. That doesn’t stop her from putting herself in danger though-Eden sneaks onboard his vessel.

Jack captures his little stowaway and so begins their romance. Being second has shaped Jack and how he approaches business. As his past is revealed Eden and the reader are drawn closer to him. The more trusting Eden is with Jack, the more she slips past his heart’s defenses. Soon Eden is all he can think about.

The one flaw with this novel is that Eden and Jack change from the fabulous characters we get to know while on his ship for most of the duration in England. Luckily, they both find themselves and each other again before they’ve lost each other for good.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Originally posted 2008-08-20 05:53:02. Republished by Old Post Promoter

• Review: Taken by the Highest Bidder by Jane Porter (no spoilers) This one had a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, and it was more believable. The background of the leading characters unfolds throughout the book, and some of it you don't find out until mid-point. Samantha van Bergen...
• Review: Her Every Pleasure By Gaelen Foley Her Every Pleasure is the third book in the Spice trilogy about three siblings, British citizens, who have grown up in India. It is a story of duty, honor and destiny which would seem predictable for a romance novel; but...
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This love story is one of the most endearing I have ever read. Lisa Kleypas spins a tale worthy of mystical magical world of fairy tales. Based on Russian superstition, a prince who is like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast meets the woman of his dreams and learns to love. The bedroom scenes are exciting and steamy. Prince of Dreams is a novel not to be missed.

Despite his wealth, Prince Nikolas did not lead a charmed life. Taught early on the abuses man could inflict, Nikolas is determined to avoid emotions at all costs. Tortured and exiled from Russia, Nikolas makes a new home in England where during his recovery he meets Emma Stokehurst. At the tender age of thirteen, Emma is the girl Nikolas is certain he will wed. She is his destiny.

Nikolas remains on the fringes of Emma’s life as she grows and now at the age of twenty, he is more certain than ever that she is the one for him. Emma is tall and lithe, her body he imagines will match his own to perfection. Her red hair, independence, and forthright attitude remind him of the women back in Russia. Though she has a large dowry, Emma is left alone and dismissed by the male of the species. Everything about her is unfashionable in the eyes of polite society.

When he discovers that a man is wooing her under false pretenses, Nikolas strikes swift and sure, cutting her secret beau out of her life with a single conversation. Everything is working according to his plan as Nikolas seduces and marries the bewitching Emma. Now with her by his side as his wife, he is positive that his life is going to turn for the better. He was wrong.

Emma’s gentle nature and guileless giving is more threatening than the memories of those that tortured him in Russia. She can cause more havoc with a single kiss than Nikolas is comfortable with. His life has been dedicated to suppressing his emotions and the feelings Emma brings out are threatening to destroy all that he’s worked for, so Nikolas does the most hateful thing he can think of… he sleeps with another woman.

But despite the wedge he’s driven between them, the bewildering flashes of déjà vu keep happening to him. Snippets of conversation leave him in a cold sweat and a painting once revealed causes him to faint dead away. When Nikolas awakes he is angry and confused. Destiny has taken him back in time to mother Russia, where he lives life through the eyes of his ancestor Prince Nikolai. It is here in the midst of the past, Nikolas learns to become a better man… Emelia, beautiful Emelia, who is in every way his wife Emma, teaches Nikolas how to love. Disaster tears them apart and sends Nikolas to the future.

Realizing what a mess he’s made of his own life, Nikolas is determined to set things right. But Emma won’t have him. She doesn’t trust in the changes Nikolas has under gone. She won’t love him… won’t let herself love him. This new man who is in every way the man she had hoped he would be can’t last, because she knows his nature. As soon as she loved him he’d revert and mock her for her love. After all Nikolas is not a man that can change, he is a product of others hatred and fear, whose innate stubbornness rejects all kinds of affection. But he has changed and he will prove it. If it’s the last thing he does, he’ll make her believe in him; love him as she once did in the past.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Review: Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell is not a spectacular read. It is however a pretty solid read. I found several segments to be unnecessary and jumpy and predictable in others. This Highlander romance contains all the elements of...
• Review: The Perils of Pursuing a Prince by Julia London Marcia is the first person to respond to the $10 Gift Card Contest! Her review for us this week by Julia London and looks to be a devilishly wild ride across England. The story mixes modern language with historical settings...
• Review: Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros Let’s start this blog with my all time favorite romance novel, Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros. The surprising aspect of this story is that I like it despite the myriad of children presented. I am not a fan of...
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The cover on this book describes Bet Me to be “wickedly witty, deliciously sexy.” More than that, Jennifer Crusie’s story is tender and full of Elvis (both varieties.) I enjoy this book immensely every time I read it. I think it’s the shoes.

Minerva Dobbs will never be described as thin, but her mother won’t stop harping on her to lose weight. The reason behind the nagging this time is her sister Diane’s wedding. What could be worse than being the fat bridesmaid forced into a too tight corset? Oh that’s right… she could not have a date.

David, the smuck, breaks up with Min three weeks before her sister’s wedding. It’s not her, it’s him… and the fact she won’t have sex with him. And even though she can’t bring herself to feel bad about the breakup, Min’s mad as hell at men. No man more so than that vile Calvin Morrisey who took David up on his bet to get her into bed. It really pissed her off that not only he took the bet but that he said it would be a piece of cake. The beast!

Cal for his part can’t stand being around Min. She called him Charm-Boy, Beast, and the Devil. Who would want to stick around the sharp tongue harpy? Not to mention her friend who can’t seem to stop herself from hitting him over the head with her handbag. If it weren’t for those shoes, the uptight little actuary would not be getting a call from him.

Cal never had a foot fetish before, but one look at Min’s sexy heels and he’s a goner. Of course it doesn’t hurt watching her eat… when she lets herself. He wants her to look at him with the same look of ecstasy on her face as when she consumes bread, or donuts, or hotdogs. Now how was he going to get her to stop harping and start laughing?

Rating: 4.5

Kathryn Caskie spins a delightful tale in How to Engage an Earl. My only complaint is the hero’s name. I mean really, Laird? I can’t decide if I am supposed to pronounce it like Lard, Lord, or L’AIR-ed. Apparently, Laird is a Scottish name, if that helps anyone else figure out how to say it.

So after Laird, Caskie gives us a much easier name to pronounce: Anne Royle. Anne is one of three Royle sisters; Mary was married off in How to Seduce a Duke and Elizabeth is younger than Anne. I figure that makes Anne the middle child. She’s very pale in coloring; white skin, flax hair, gold eyes, red lips. She’s also used to not being noticed. In fact, Anne is so unnoticed in crowds that she can literally steal the goblet that they are drinking from right out of their hands.

Of course, this is how Laird MacLaren first notices her and maneuvers her to try to steal his glass. Anne distracts him and manages to escape… with his drink, back into the crowd. That was not the last time Laird saw her that night however. Anne is set on the mission of finding the letters that will prove her heritage as a daughter of the Prince Regent. These letters are rumored to be in the Earl MacLaren’s bedroom. Thrilling and sexy, Anne’s presence in the master bedroom is only topped by Laird’s, who had gone up earlier to sleep off the brandy.

Not five minutes after her discovery by Laird in his bedroom than the rest of the ton finds out. The scandal was only narrowly subverted by his friend, Apsley, who claimed that she was in his room because Anne was Laird’s betrothed. Thrust into the center of attention, Anne is shocked speechless and highly uncomfortable. All Anne wants is out!

The next day Laird agrees she can end the engagement only after she helps change his character in the eyes of the ton. Laird wants to marry Constance Henceforth, but she will only have him if he’s changed. After all who would want a rake?

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Review: Highland Barbarian by Hannah Howell Highland Barbarian by Hannah Howell is an exceptional romance novel. The love story is both captivating and highly amusing. A tale of a Lowlander (with Highlander blood in her veins) and a Highlander (whose warrior skills include brains), this is...

Highland Barbarian by Hannah Howell is an exceptional romance novel. The love story is both captivating and highly amusing. A tale of a Lowlander (with Highlander blood in her veins) and a Highlander (whose warrior skills include brains), this is sure to be on your favorite shelf.

With his Laird on his deathbed, Sir Artan Murray cannot refuse the task of going to the Lowlands to lure Cecily, his Laird’s niece, home again. Throw in her tempting dowry and the fact that his Laird wants to make him, the second son of twins, the heir and future Laird, Artan finds himself traveling south before he knows it. In his heart of hearts, Artan knows he could never marry a girl no matter how bonnie she is or how bonnie her dowry. He wants a marriage like his parents, as all the Murray’s wed for love.

When he first lays eyes on Cecily Donaldson, Artan thinks he’s seen an angel. Glorious red hair and beautiful green eyes have tempted him as no woman has ever tempted him. Stealing kisses, usurping her arranged betrothal’s rights, and fighting off a few dozen men are all fun and games until Artan overhears a conversation from the girl’s guardians between her betrothed. His questions and fears answered, Artan knows what he must do.

He will have to kidnap his future bride from the midst of wolves and take her back with him whether she wants to go or not. Cecily, hurt and betrayed, struggles against her passion for this Highland barbarian. Her struggles however are halfhearted, because when Artan touches her or kisses her or loves her, she burns for him with a yearning that can’t be denied.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Highlander Romance- From the Wilds of Scotland and Wales What is highlander romance? Highlander romance is a subgenre of historical romance. Not to be confused with the show, highlander romance is all about those sexy warrior men. The setting for these romances usually takes place in Scotland or Wales....
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• Highlander Contest Entry #2: Laird of the Manor Excellent, Love Romance Passion has it's second entry for the Highlander Romance Novel Cover Contest. This entry was submitted by Sasha, who also participated in the Pirate Novel Cover Contest. Leave a comment to vote for this entry as the...
• Review: Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell Beauty and the Beast by Hannah Howell is not a spectacular read. It is however a pretty solid read. I found several segments to be unnecessary and jumpy and predictable in others. This Highlander romance contains all the elements of...

Lion of Darkness by Melinda Cross was the first romance novel that I read where one of the lovers was handicapped. The story is absolutely beautiful, filled with domineering masculinity and the helpless unyielding fall into love. It is far too short a tale in my opinion and could use another two hundred pages easily. Perhaps then I’ll be satisfied.

Cassandra Winters was blinded in the car accident that killed her mother. The doctors told her it was hysterical blindness and that she should receive her sight within a few days of the trauma, but it has been eighteen years and Cassie knows one thing for sure; they were wrong.

In the two weeks after her father’s death Cassie has had to face some hard truths. The first is that her wealthy lifestyle is going to change drastically. Her father had lived beyond his means and the only money left after the estate was settled was the small trust her mother set up for her. If she was going to have a future she would have to cope with being blind and learn useful skills that could win her a job, so she enrolls at Windrow, a school for the blind and the best of its kind.

Dr. Wyatt Field is a cynical, stoic man who is so reviled by his patients it’s a wonder that his success rate is so high. The moment he sees Cassie, he has her pegged as a pampered, spoiled, brat. Never mind that her looks are as pale and as beautiful as her last name implies. Never mind that when she touches him his blood pounds, his muscles tense, and that he can’t seem to tear his eyes from her. He is helpless before her and he doesn’t like it. Not one bit. But he’s determined to succeed, to help her see again. He won’t lose this case even if it means loses her love.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Happy Readings!

• Review: Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros Welcome to RRN Amy! I am so happy to have you with us today! Amy is the first entrant into the current blog giveaway contest here at RRN. She's hoping to win a signed copy of Teresa Medeiros' Some Like...
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• Welcome to Love Romance Passion - Where Romance is Reviewed! Welcome to my Romance Blog. I am sure many readers will have their own particular favorites that are as well worn as my own. This blog is going to categorize and rate novels that I’ve read myself with reviews on...

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Faro’s Daughter by Geogette Heyer is an excellent read, but fairly short. The whole story gets told in 285 pages. This is one of the first novels of hers that I’ve read that has a lot of lead interaction. In fact they’re nearly at each others throats in every other scene. It makes for a fun read.

Who is Deborah Grantham?

If you asked Adrian Maplethorpe he would say she is like a living goddess. She is beautiful, poised, elegantly mannered, full of grace, and charm. He would ask her to marry him if she would have him.

If you asked Max Ravenscar he would liken her unto a harpy, a jade, a doxy, a trollop, a wench, a cheating baggage, and a Jezebel. The woman would strangle a kitten for money and power. In short Deborah Grantham is vulgar.

What’s a Faro’s Daughter to do?

She’ll make Max Ravenscar pay for the ill treatment and poor manners he’s bestowed upon her person, that’s what she’ll do. What better way to make him regret his folly but to do the exact thing he fears and agree to marry his cousin? No money could bribe her to relinquish Adrian from his calf-love. The only thing she wants is for Ravenscar to admit his faults and misconceptions of her person.

So for the first time, Deborah caters to Adrian’s infatuation. She lets him think she will marry him upon his majority but begs him not to tell his mother about their plans. It is however a most excellent idea to inform his trustee and cousin Max all about it!

On a public excursion surrounded by good ton, Deborah chooses most willfully to look and behave in the worst of fashions. Let Ravenscar see how a true harpy would behave! Adrian is disturbed by the affectation but writes it off to nerves.

In counter Max wins her aunt’s debts from the brute who would use them to finagle Deborah into a position as his mistress. But even holding the debts and mortgage over her head, Deborah refuses to relinquish Lord Maplethorpe. Instead, Deb comes to the most brilliant of ideas!

She is going to kidnap Lord Ravenscar….

Overall this was a wonderful farce that included some of the best tit for tat I’ve had the pleasure to read. I simply couldn’t put it down. For a wager between hearts that is full of flair and humor read Faro’s Daughter. This is definitely going on my favorites shelf!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Book Review: Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer is loosely based on the premise of Pride and Prejudice. I would not go so far as to say it's a retelling of the classic tale, but there are elements of this Regency romance that...
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I am very upset with Associated Press Movie Critic Christy Lemire’s review of Twilight. She gave the film 1.5 Stars and wrote a very unappealing look at the book’s film adaptation. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I think the review was written to be controversial rather than an adequate depiction of the movie. I don’t know why critics try to take the fun out of something, but I am determined she was just being a sourpuss about the whole affair.

I went to the midnight premiere last night wearing one of my handmade Twilight pendants. I sat there in my seat waiting for the movie to start for nearly two hours and chatted with a nice girl who came dragging along a friend who wasn’t at all interested in the movie or books. We were both Edward fans and had similar opinions and views of the books and the waiting time was spent very pleasurably. I commend the theater for opening up seating immediately instead of making us wait outside. The one question we both asked was:

Would the movie live up to the hype?

I say it did. Sure there were some over the top segments, but it was done in accordance to the book. The slow-down filming of the scenes pushed it to the level of being too much. This mostly occurs with the introduction of the supermodel vampires - wonderfully cast and in the biology scene when Edward first gets a whiff of Bella’s pungent and lethal scent. It was unintentionally funny, and I think watching it a second time away from immature boy commentators will be thoroughly acceptable instead of slightly laughable.

Thoughts on the Casting:

Bella was perfectly cast with Kristen Stewart. She made watching the slightly awkward and shy Bella Swan very enjoyable not at all the sullen face Lemire makes her out to be. (Her hair I could kill for - gorgeous!) The sexual/romantic tension between Stewart and Robert Pattinson, playing vampire Edward Cullens, was phenomenal. Very hot kiss scenes between them (once again would be more enjoyable without the immature boys yelling across the theater… and that’s saying something because the scenes were amazing even with the commentary going on.)

The Cullens family was wonderfully cast too. I was worried with how many unknown names (at least to me) that were appearing throughout the film that it would fall short of readers’ expectations. Alice played by Ashley Greene was perky, cute, and fun. Jackson Rathbone played a seriously sexy Jasper. I loved him in the film and could watch him as often as Bella and Edward. Jasper is the newest Vegan vampire and it’s very hard for him to be around humans - hence the nearly always present expression of pain on his face.

Lemire mentioned that Rosalie only had one expression - the sneer and scowl. Well if Lemire has read the books Rosalie is the disapproving vampire. She doesn’t like Bella and all Bella ever sees her do is sneer and scowl. Rosalie does provide some good humor at the start of the flight from danger scenes.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen is also one sexy vampire. Yum. He plays the hot fatherly doctor figure very well. Of the vampires, he looks most like a vampire. The others are as pale as Bella in most instances.

The high school mortals were also amazing in their roles. The film built up their friendship quickly without much dialogue. I could easily believe that the group had been friends for years. Eric and Mike were fantastic. Jessica and Angela too. Jessica provided a lot of humor to her scenes because you can see where her thoughts were all the time based on her facial expressions.

Bella’s father and mother were similarly excellent choices, though I agree with Lemire’s comment on the bad cop style mustache for Billy Burke.

Jacob and the rest of the Quileute Tribe were done well. I have never been a Jacob fan by any stretch of the imagination but I enjoyed him in this movie. I did hear on the way out of the theaters that some girls were switching loyalties to Edward. I thought Jacob was pretty cute - apparently they didn’t agree.

Casting gets a 5 out of 5.

Thoughts on Special Effects:

Lemire says Twilight was a low budget film. I don’t know what that means, or how much Twilight ran on so I can’t really comment on money to visual effects and ask something like where did all the money go?

Edward’s flying through the trees reminded me of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It was more choppy than the Chinese film and harder to get behind. This goes very much into the over the top area. The meadow sequence was perfectly acceptable. I also enjoyed his second run through the trees and climbing up them with Bella on his back. That was easier to believe in a way. Sort of Spider Manish. I also liked his pet name for her in spider monkey. Much better than sweetheart, baby, luv, honey, sexy, etc. we hear most of the time. It’s unique and therefore special.

The ballet studio sequence was wonderful. I can only imagine how hard it was to edit out all the camera and extra people and I’ve seen the behind the scenes look at the ballet studio and what they were doing. It was amazing! I liked it a lot and I sure most moviegoers will too.

Back to the meadow - Edward as his sparkly vampire self could have passed easily any sunny day in San Francisco as a Queen with glitter decorating his whole body. I could see the diamond comment, but it wasn’t as noticeable or excessive as the books made it out to be. If all vampires looked like that in the sun they should just move to California and nobody would notice or look twice.

Ending:

The ending was great with prom. Jacob showed up but didn’t get to dance with Bella. I’m so vindictive that I giggled on the inside at this, striking up a point for Edward. Very possessive returning to Bella’s side when he spies the soon to be werewolf.

The gazebo reminded me of a lot of dancing sequences in other high school films… for instance A Cinderella Story. But I loved how he picked her up and had her dance with him. As they were dancing the other couples noticeably left the gazebo giving Edward and Bella a few private moments at the end. The parting words were sweet and the moment sizzling even as it was tender.

Overall I give this movie 4.5 Stars. A must see for any Twilight fan and a chance for non-Twihards to become smitten with Twilight and its biting appeal.

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I loved The Viscount in Her Bedroom by Gayle Callen the third in the Sisters of Willow Pond Trilogy. What I like about Gayle Callen is that you don’t have to read the first two in the trilogy to really enjoy this book. You can pick up at the end and go backwards and have just as much pleasure in the reading of the love matches. The descriptions in this book are so sensual and touching.

The sisters of willow pond found themselves out of money and out of favor in little society, not to mention big society when their father died. Louisa Shelby is the last remaining sister to be unmarried. She doesn’t need to work anymore, but Louisa has found comfort in helping others. Being a companion to elderly women; reading to them, writing letters for them, singing and talking to them makes her feel useful. Louisa left her previous position when the men in the family pursued her as if she were nothing but a common whore. She couldn’t believe that men would treat her differently just because of a lowered status. Never again, she thinks. But when Dowager Wade asks her to come be her companion, Louisa can hardly resist, especially when she factors in Simon Wade.

Simon Wade was blinded in a riding accident. Adrift in the world of the seeing, Simon retreated to his grandmother’s estate. There he has learned to cope reasonably well with being blinded and his manservant Manvil is there for him when he can not let his family into his world. Mostly he is afraid of being seen as a creature to be pitied and refuses to show his personal accomplishments in front of his grandmother, sister… or one Miss Louisa Shelby. Simon is especially worried about Miss Louisa Shelby, before his accident he had heard that she was fast. What kind of an influence would that be on his poor already socially awkward sister? He is determined to make sure nothing untoward happens, but the more he supervises Louisa, the more he’s sure those awful words against her are just that words. Now, however, he wants to ruin her reputation worse than any rumor. He wants her for his own.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

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One of the first romance novels that I ever read was the Gamble by LaVyrle Spencer. I snuck it out of my mother’s collection because I was curious about all the fuss. I am glad I did, because it rates as one of my dearest favorites, set during the Temperance movement.

Scott Gandy dresses smartly, behaves politely, and smiles cheekily at Miss Agatha Downing. She can’t stand him! Scotty Gandy owns a saloon, sells alcohol, promotes gambling, and why he even hangs nude portraits over his bar! Ever proper, Agatha is a touching heroine because she is handicapped.

Made lame by an abusive alcoholic father, Agatha has come to terms with the sorry little life she leads; dinner every night at Perry’s down the street, a slowly dying millinery shop, and Miss Violet Parsons as her only friend. She isn’t expecting a man or any children in her future, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming.

Then one day that infuriating Scott Gandy brings three saloon singers into town and nothing is dull again. Agatha is given a job that just might save her business. She is to make each of them a can-can dress. What follows is a colorful tale about friendship, love, and one woman’s fight against alcohol. Agatha is determined to see Kansas dry, save the little boy Willy Collinson from his abusive father, and to not fall in love with Scott Gandy. She will succeed at all but one of this goals.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Happy Readings!

• Regency Romance versus Historical Romance What is regency romance and how does it differ from historical romance? You may well recognize Jane Austen as a regency romance writer. She is best known for works such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. So what...
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• Heart and Soul- Evolution of African American Romance Black romance is a blooming section of romance industry and is still growing. Officially having its start in 1980 with Entwined Destines written by Rosalind Welles, black romance has expanded and taken shape over the years. While it's true that...

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Jamaica Layne writes a steamy, sticky, and ultimately sweaty good read. Market for Love is a quick little contemporary that was fun to devour. This novel was a smooth read and wonderfully well-executed! Layne sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the last page.

Miranda Johansson’s day is completely tanked from the get go the moment her stock portfolio takes a nosedive. In one fell swoop she has managed to lose 87 million dollars of her clients’ money. Dreading writing up and sending her necessary First-Call bulletin, Miranda dips out of the office for some desperately needed caffeine in the form of three double-espressos.

When the Rastafarian behind the counter insults her looks, Miranda snaps out a petty retort and gets caught. Who catches her at the height of her bad manners but Mister Drop Dead Gorgeous. Mortified Miranda ducks into the bathroom and sees the damage the young man with purple hair had tried to inform her about. Some very expensive eyeliner and mascara did not live up to their hype of being waterproofed.

Facing Mister DDG again in the lobby, he whips her up into a posh office he has access to and offers her the fully stocked bathroom to clean up. Miranda accepts and gets to work restoring her destroyed appearance and frayed nerves. Meeting DDG again in the main part of the office Miranda spills her story to his compassionate ears including her fears of getting fired. His response to this deluge of woeful news is to tell her to try to earn some of it back for her clients before the end of the day and surely her boss will not see the need to fire her.

Helpful on top of be DDG is all it takes for Miranda to give into the quidgy feeling that’s been bubbling in her tummy since the moment she laid eyes on him. One kiss turns into another and another and kisses lead to mind-blowing orgasms for both parties. Surprised at her own behavior Miranda fights the glow and gets the hell out of the office, stopping only long enough to exchange names.

He said his name was Max. He ended up being Maxwell Moore Junior, a corporate financial muckety-muck and her new boss. Completely horrified that she’d just slept with her boss Miranda is formulating resumes in her head until Maxwell calls a meeting of all the top executives. Of course this news comes just after she started her period and to make matters worse she was unprepared for the early arrival. How could a bad day get any worse? Since hiding out in the bathroom wasn’t going to work Miranda shores up her resolve and some toilet paper and heads up to meeting.

From spying ex-girlfriends to hostile corporate machinations to seriously distracting mind-blowing sex Miranda and Max are in for a whirlwind affair and a lot of news coverage. Will they manage to escape with their reputations relatively unscathed? Will their hearts take the beating of ugly public accusations? Will their phobias keep them from loving each other? Read and find out!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Titanic is one of the highest grossing films in romance. Romeo and Juliet were not as star-crossed as Rose and Jack. Interesting how both couples names start with R and J.  Before you ask, Rose and Jack are a fictional couple not based on historical accounts. A J. Dawson did exist but he was a Joseph Dawson who worked down in the boilers. The romance was invented to keep moviegoers engross in the unfolding historical catastrophe.

I found this interesting website that looks into the fact and fictions of the movie compared with real life and it makes for a really great read. There are also several actors and actresses paired against photos of their namesakes in the movie. This was fun to see because some are very uncanny in how alike they look.

Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in this disaster film, wins a poker hand and gains a ticket on the RMS Titanic for its maiden voyage for America. Excited by this once in a lifetime opportunity Jack Dawson rushes to the harbor and scrambles as quickly as he can onto the departing vessel. As his ticket is a third class ticket, he’s living below deck much like the ship hands were. Life is an adventure for him and every moment was not to be wasted. His life’s philosophy is to make it count.

Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet, is a poor little rich girl stuck in an engagement she does not want with the snobby and slimy Cal Hockley, Billy Zane. Distraught by the life she sees unfolding before her, Rose attempts to commit suicide off the back of the boat. Jack casually smoking nearby comes to her rescue as her attempt almost succeeds and she slips off the railing.

Her shriek alerts Cal and sailors who were nearby and they hotfoot it to the scene. One glance and it appears that Jack was attempting to rape poor Rose which would have lead him to be locked up were it not for Rose’s intervention and a quick story. Jack confirms her telling.

From there the pair meets up again and again, sneaking off and running around the ship. They fall head over heels in love and Rose gets the nerve to act on the lust she feels building inside her for Jack. One risky and risqué nude drawing later and Rose has had enough of proper conventions and respectable distance. They make love in a car, steaming up the windows as they pursue the phantom edge of ecstasy.

After this fated moment, the story turns as the RMS Titanic hits the iceberg and time as Jack and Rose knew it runs out. Desperate to see her safe, Jack struggles to get Rose to safety and in the process is framed for theft, locked up below level with frigid water rushing every second into the room. Their story is heart wrenching and tear jerking as they fight for their love swearing to do so to their dying breaths.

The movie won 11 Academy Awards. Here’s the list:

• Best Picture
• Best Director
• Best Costume Design
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Sound Mixing
• Best Sound Editing
• Best Original Score
• Best Film Editing
• Best Original Song
• Best Art Direction
• Best Cinematography

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• Review: Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer The second Georgette Heyer novel that I read was a lot easier to get through. It helped that there was few if any references to my lord or my lady in the narrative. The diction used is as exacting and...

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While You Were Sleeping is one of the sweetest movies I have ever seen. This movie is entirely based on a series of misunderstandings and hilarious situations. The movie features an all star cast including Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, and Jack Warden. Everyone was amazing in this film. I even liked Michael Rispoli as Joey Fusco Jr.

Lucy Eleanor Moderatz, played by Sandra Bullock, is a Chicago transit tollbooth worker. What Lucy most wants out of her life is a stamp in her passport and a reason to not work every holiday. She is also hopelessly besotted with daily commuter, Peter Callaghan, played by Peter Gallagher, whom she has never met.

Peter is a charming schmuck, but Lucy doesn’t know this. One day after flashing his perfect white smile in her direction Peter gets mugged on the platform for the L train and falls onto the train tracks. Lucy saves him from certain death and follows him to the hospital.

There a nurse overhears Lucy dreaming aloud to herself and misinterprets. Lucy is ushered in to see Peter, but he is in a coma. Minutes later his family bustles in and the nurse introduces Lucy to them as Peter’s fiancée. Oh boy! Now the fun starts!

Well you can imagine. The mother and father are hysterical in these moments. I love Peter Boyle as Ox Callaghan. Saul, the beloved sort of godfather, played by Jack Warden is a hoot and the grandmother Elsie played by Glynis Johns will leave you in stitches. Elsie sort of reminds me of Grandma Mazur in the Stephanie Plum novels, just crazy in a different way.

As the story spins out Bill Pullman playing as Peter’s brother Jack is suspicious of Lucy. She is not his brother’s type. Surprisingly both find themselves drawn to each other. Jack gets possessive and there’s this whole scene about “The Lean.” Loved it! But they’re not supposed to be with one another as Lucy is Peter’s fiancée.  Jack has a great scene with Peter in the hospital while Peter is still in his coma. Poor Jack!

Anyway the fun is watching Lucy navigate her way through muddy waters. She loves the Callaghan family and doesn’t want to give them up and if she comes clean about who she it they won’t want her anymore… not even Jack. Or so she thinks. Feel good fluff!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

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Most Regency Romances portray life in this period as opulent and sensual.  And it was, but it was also very hard. Wealthy children were valued not so much as individuals but for what they could contribute to the family in the way of money or power.  Each member of the family was bound by duty to do their part, but could not hold a paying job or engage in industry or business.  They were not encouraged to marry for love.  In fact, most people of this class did not think such a thing was possible.  Debt was a worry for all classes of people.  There was no welfare system and many people died of starvation and exposure.  Even those from good families could suffer the effects of malnutrition since keeping up appearances was more important was maintaining one’s health.  Women and children were legal chattel (personal property) and did not have the right to self-determination or to manage their own money or affairs.  With money and power a man could easily get away with murdering members of his family; abuse and neglect were not crimes.

Today we think of the Caribbean as a luxurious place to vacation with warm tropical breezes and beautiful scenery.  During the 19^th century the Caribbean was a backwater place without culture or conveniences of any kind.  There was no air-conditioning, running water, window screens, paved roads or hurricane warning system.  Insects thrived in the swamps and hot, humid weather.  Many of the resident landowners had been exiled from polite society.  The slave population far outnumbered white landowners.  The slaves were angry, desperate people with nothing to lose and access to fire and machetes.  Slave uprisings were not uncommon and greatly feared.  As a result, the methods used to keep the slave population cowed and in check are too horrible to mention.  A hard life makes people hard.

Mademoiselle Camille Marchand has come to London with her natural father, Comte de Valigny, a devious and dissolute man intent on using Camille for his own ends.  Camille has her own plans.  She has learned to trust no one and is intent on not making the same mistakes as her mother, who was foolish enough sacrifice all for love.  Camille has recently learned that her maternal grandfather has left her an inheritance with the caveat that she marries an English nobleman before the age twenty-eight and give birth to a child within two years.  Camille’s twenty-eighth birthday is in six weeks.  Her parents’ reputations are so bad that she has no hope of finding an honorable husband so in desperation she has agreed to allow her father to offer her in a card game.  A small group of men have gathered at Valigny’s home.  It is very late and the men are drunk.  Valigny has lost a great deal of money. For his final bid he offers Camille, providing the winner marries her and splits her dowry of 50,000 pounds with him.  Her beauty mesmerizes the men at the table including Lord Enders, whose depraved proclivities are well known and Kieran, Baron Rothewell.

Kieran and his brother and sister were orphaned and a young age and sent to live with their paternal uncle in Barbados.  The uncle, exiled for killing a footman, is a violent drunk who abuses the children.  Kieran tormented by his past and slowly killing himself with hard living, is suffering from alarming symptoms that suggest that his death will be sooner rather than later.  Despite that fact that he has no use for a wife, Kieran cannot stomach the idea of Enders winning Camille and he cheats to win the hand. Kieran and Camille agree that theirs will be a marriage of convenience but, of course, that is not to be.

This novel is written in beautiful, sumptuous prose with realistically structured scenes that showcase the torment and vulnerabilities of the characters.  The bedroom scenes are elegantly erotic.  Ms. Carlyle skillfully immerses us in the intense emotional struggle of Camille and Kieran to relinquish their fear of intimacy and trust themselves and each other enough to fall in love. Never Romance a Rake is a stupendous finale to the Rothewell trilogy.

4 ½ Stars

Readers are warmly invited to submit reviews of novels they have read. We would love to have you as part of our growing forum here at Love Romance Passion. Any novel in any sub-genre of romance, from erotica and romantica to paranormal, will find its home here. So what are you waiting for?

• Review: To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn was a fairly decent story. There were times in the story when I wondered if the main characters would ever fall in love before the pages ran out. The sex scenes were...

I’ve recently started and stopped a few novels. I just couldn’t get into them past a few chapters and it wasn’t because the story itself wasn’t good it just wasn’t the storyline I was in the mood for at the time. Luckily I came across Julia Quinn’s It’s in His Kiss, a delightful tale that was just what I was in the mood for. It’s in His Kiss is a Bridgerton Family novel. I would assume since all the Bridgerton children were named A-H and that one child is mentioned to still be unmarried, that Hyacinth’s story is number seven in the set. Just don’t quote me on it! Grin.

Hyacinth is delightfully outspoken young miss of age twenty-two. She is good friends with the Countess Danbury, an elderly lady known for her sharp tongue and exuberant use of her walking stick on unsuspecting shins. Hyacinth meets Lady D, as she is known, every Tuesday to read the racy and seriously over the top shenanigans of the Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron and other works by the same author.

Mr. Mozart would die in disgust all over again if he had to hear the latest in the annual Smythe-Smith Musical. Four girls, tone-deaf with sausages for fingers attempt to play classical music. In truth they mutilate it beyond words which provide Hyacinth and Gareth St. Clair much amusement as they discuss their bleeding ears. Gareth is Lady D’s grandson and it is no surprise that he runs into Hyacinth again and again – or is it?

Gareth has been avoiding his grandmother’s home every Tuesday since Hyacinth began making her appearance. He knows his grandmother wants to make Hyacinth her new granddaughter and that’s precisely why he stayed away. He only consorted with women of a certain reputation and not wholesome girls with marriage-minded mamas. And now that he’s conversed with her, Gareth can’t seem to stay away from Hyacinth.

Add in awful poetry meetings, a search for lost diamonds, and Gareth’s secret and it’s a party in the making! Hot, steamy, and full of titillating midnight adventures It’s in His Kiss will entertain you to the very end; a fabulous tale that can’t be missed!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

• The Peerage of England When reading romance novels about English gentry and nobility I always wonder about the rankings. I know diddlysquat about this subject, mostly because I am American. I decided to do some digging to see if I could sort the matter...
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