Recent Reads - A Thumbnail Sketch Of Some of The Books I've Recently Read - Books - http://maxpages.com/readersplace/Authors_G_to

- Classic
- One Of The Best
- Very Enjoyable
- Okay But Have Read Better
- Should I Say Don't Bother?

= New February 2002

THE BRIDE - Julie Garwood
It had been a long time since I'd read a Garwood, and I'd only read 3 of her books so I went into this one with anticipation as it had been highly recommended by some friends who couldn't understand why it was taking me so long to read it.While I enjoyed it a lot, her HONOR'S SPLENDOUR still remains my favorite Garwood book and now I'm wondering if a re-read of HP would have me feeling the way I felt about THE BRIDE - that the "feel" of the book was much too contemporary to have a real Medieval flavor to it. The book was very readable but I unfortunately I didn't have big blocks of time in which to read it so I was able to read it only in fits and spurts. I don't buy Garwood's books any more as I'm so far behind on them; maybe RE-reading old favorites of hers would be a better way to spend my time. 10/17/99

WHEN THERE IS HOPE - Jane Goodger
While on the way to her obstetrician, Susan Butler is killed in an interstate accident. She awakens in 1888 Newport, RI, in the body of a young socialite who is universally disliked and despised by everyone who knows her, including the young husband who once loved her. From the day she awakens as Margaret Johnsbury, Susan (now "Maggie") strives to change everyone's opinion of her but it's an uphill battle because each time she gains a little ground circumstances knock her back again, and for her and her husband, Carter, it's a rocky road from distrust to happiness and contentment. There are some interesting secondary characters in the book, but most of the action takes place at Rose Brier, the Johnsbury home, and there is only peripheral mention of "the" Newport society which glittered at that time - but that's a small price to pay for an interesting paranormal, Ms. Goodger's first novel. I'm sure I have all of Goodger's books, but if there are any missing from my collection I'll be hunting them down. And soon! + 12/26/00

UTTERLY CHARMING - Kristine Grayson
What would you do if the guy who knocked out Sleeping Beauty a thousand years ago came into your office and hired you to hide her in her glass coffin for ten years? This is what happens to Attorney Nora Barr in this utterly delightful contemporary/fantasy romance. Nora doesn't believe what she's hearing or seeing when Blackstone and his sidekick Sancho Panza hire her to hide Beauty from her wicked mentor, Ealhswith. When the ten years are up, Nora wakens Beauty according to the directions left by Panza and thus begins a charming tale of magic and wizardry, love lost and love found. Blackstone is a handsome and charming hero who is confused by his feelings for Beauty and his attraction to Nora and how they resolve both the issues of magic and love (which aren't to entirely separate when you think about it) makes for a page-turner of a story. Emma (Beauty) will have her own story in 2001, THOROUGHLY KISSED and it will be fun to see how this medieval lass has learned to cope with 21st century life. 5/24/00

THE ELUSIVE BRIDE - Deborah Hale
A Harlequin Historical (#539), this is Hale's first Medieval but not, I hope her last. Set in approximately 1141, Lady Cecily escapes from her home after it is attacked by the evil Fulke DeBoissard who wants her as his wife. Making her way to safety, she meets up with a wandering soldier who is not all he appears to be and who carried the weight of years of guilt on his shoulders. The two wanderers team up and head to Ravensridge, home of the man Empress Maud has decreed should marry Cecily. While not fully ready to marry anyone, Cecily knows marriage to Rowan Decourtenay will give her the army necessary to retake her castle and punish the evil Fulke. Cecily is a charming, independent heroine, never being TSTL but always doing what the reader doesn't expect from a usual kind of heroine. She's a delight! And Rowan, carrying years of guilt, finally meets the woman who can bring peace to his heart but he also never fully believes himself worthy of that kind of love and forgiveness. A wonderful story! And I hope Ms. Hale plans to write Con's story; we get a hint of his future but a full-blown story would be even better. 12/24/00

LORD RIVINGTON'S LADY - Eileen Jackson
I first read this Regency shortly after it came out in 1977 and it wound up on my keeper shelf. Needing a comfort read recently, I decided to give it another go-around and it's STILL on my keeper shelf. It's a traditional Regency with many cliches Regency readers have seen time and again but it's a lovely little read even 22 years later. A bluestocking heroine who is delightful; a rich, handsome hero; her social-climbing mother and butterfly of a sister; brother getting into debt.....hero coming to the rescue....all wrapped around a charming love story with overtones of Austen's P&P in many of the scenes. I loved this book in '77 and still loved it in '99. 10/17/99

FANTASY LOVER - Sherrilyn Kenyon
This one's going to be one of the best books I'll read in '02, unless the next book in this series (Kyrian's story) surpasses Julian's book. Mythology meets reality, ancient world clashes with the contemporary and Kenyon deals with the mix beautifully. Julian, a Macedonian warrior general is cursed to go through eternity alone, only periodically being summoned for a month of release as a love-slave, to be used as a sexual plaything by his female summoners, but when he meets Grace Alexander in 2002 New Orleans he finally meets a woman who cares about him and who wants to help him get out from under the curse he's lived with for two thousand years. Kenyon's imagination is beyond wonder: how she creates the plot, how she realistically and logically resolves issues make for one humdinger of a read. There's hot sex, humor, sadness, caring and compassion by the H/H for one another, a battle of wills between Grace and Aphrodite, a delightful mix of ancient and new worlds. I can't wait for NIGHT PLEASURES, Kyrian's story, which will be relased in the fall of 2002. Run, don't walk, to your nearest book store and pick up FANTASY LOVER. If you can find it. This has been one elusive book. Let's hope there's another print run so everyone can grab a copy of it.

THE BRUGES ENGAGEMENT - Madeleine Ker
Presents #1650. The setting, beautiful old-world Bruges, was the best part of this book. Heroine was engaged to a man 18 years her senior but it wasn't until after 80% of the book that she realized what a snivelling, petty, mean-spirited jerk he was. The hero was a wealthy industrialist with childhood issues of his own to deal with but a childhood friend of his, a beautiful professional model, created some mischief of her own, which the heroine believed (a typical Presents plotline). All said, it was only a so-so read; sometimes the so-so reads can seem to last forever. 2/3/99

THE SOUND OF SNOW - Katherine Kingsley
1812 - Joanna attempts to console her cousin, Lydia, who has contracted measles and is unable to attend her own 18th birthday ball. Joanna reluctantly attends the ball; after she has gone to bed she awakens with a man in her bed. Unable to win Joanna's hand, Henry Warnock has resorted to compromising her. He has underestimated Joanna's backbone - she refuses to give in to a marriage to save her reputation and is therefore driven from her home in disgrace. 1818 - Joanna is summoned from Italy by a letter stating her cousin, Lydia, is dead. Joanna is determined to "save" her cousin's young son, Miles, from his wicked, cruel father, the Marquess of Greaves. Thus begins one of the most beautiful Regency-set historicals I've read in a long while. Joanna is tough, strong-willed but also loving and compassionate. She soon comes to realize that there is much more here than meets the eye. Miles is silent and withdrawn, alienated from his father but Joanna soon learns that Lydia is at the root of Miles' trauma. Guy de Salis is a tormented man, carrying the burden losing some of his men in the Peninsular War plus the torment of Lydia's cruel death in a fire. How can I describe the way Joanna wins over Miles' confidence, turning him into the affectionate, fun-loving little boy he is; or how she comes to admire, respect and love the Marquess for the man he is? This is a moving book about found love, redemption, the power of pure, unselfish love. This is a book about people and their relating to one another. I'm no reviewer - I can simply say I loved this book, which had me in tears in more than one chapter. I'm told this isn't quite Kingsley's best book, which I find hard to believe. Can she get any better?! This is my first Kingsley but I look forward to reading everything she has written. 5/02/99

AN ANGEL'S WISH by Mary Kingsley
Young Jennie Fairfax wants only one thing for Christmas: to meet her mother. Six years earlier David Fairfax, Marquess of Stowe, was divorced from his wife, Tess. He adores his young daughter and can deny her nothing so he gives in, travels north to Yorkshire to the family seat to celebrate Christmas with a party of friends. Once he meets Tess again his life is turned upside down with feelings he thought he'd lost, he begins to view Emily, the woman he was planning to marry, in a new, unflattering way; and Jennie is thrilled to finally meet her mother; but for Tess seeing David again turns out to be life-altering. You can imagine the happy ending to this story and how all the misunderstandings are ironed out - it's a charming little story about people and their relationship to one another. If you're a [traditional] Regency purist you might be pulled out of the era with this book re the divorce issue, plus the book has a very modern feel to it in plot and dialogue but if you're looking for a holiday read and can overlook much, do read the book. It's an uncomplicated, easy read. 11/26/01

AN EXCELLENT WIFE? by Charlotte Lamb
This HP had the potential to be an excellent read - it's a story from his POV. The heroine was charming, the secondary characters were extremely likeable (or not in the case of the hero's g.f.) but Lamb turned the hero of this story into something of a whiny wimp. He was a successful businessman, following in his wealthy father's footsteps; however, his mother had abandoned him at age 10, leaving him with his cold-hearted father which affected his outlook as an adult. Yes, the hero had issues however dealing with these issues has been handled better in other stories. I've been a long-time Lamb fan but this one is not a keeper.

THE CYNSTER SERIES - Stephanie Laurens
(Devil's Bride, A Rake's Vow, Scandal's Bride)
This is a series of six male cousins and the story of fate's hand in finding their brides!
DEVIL'S BRIDE: Devil Cynster and Honoria Wetherby sizzle.... DO NOT start reading this book at night because you will stay up all night to finish it!!! It will make you laugh until you cry.

A RAKE'S VOW: Vane Cynster and Patience Debbington keep the pages turning with laughter and suspense...funny, funny, funny!

SCANDAL'S BRIDE: Richard Cynster and Catriona Hennessy bring a paranormal flair to the already humorous style of this author! HOT, HOT, HOT!!! I can't wait for the rest of the series. If you have never read Stephanie Laurens, read her - she's wonderful! If you never thought to read historical/Regency romance give Stephanie a shot, she's worth it!
What a book...What a series....What an Author! StaceyT. 3/3/99

THE DANGEROUS GENTLEMAN - Julia London
Book 1 of the "Rogues of Regent Street", this book deals with the dysfunctional lives of Adrian Spence and Lilliana Dashell. There were four Rogues of Regent Street but Adrian has killed his cousin, Philip, in a duel and throughout the book Adrian is haunted by this one compulsive act: was his cousin actually going to shoot him? should Adrian have deloped again? was his cousin's treachery a means of self-destruction? The duel has caused Adrian's father to disinherit him and in retaliation, Adrian proposes to the young woman his brother wanted, Lilliana Dashell. Lilliana wants to "fly" - to be free to explore all the world has to offer and she thinks Adrian's proposal will allow her to do this. What she doesn't realize is that she's married a man haunted by the death of his cousin and the loss of the one thing he has loved, Kealing Park, the family home which was taken from him by his vengeful father. This isn't an easy read, I'm not sure I liked it very much. Lots of angst for those readers who enjoy a more serious read. Book 2 will deal with Julian Dane and he seemed to be an interesting character so I look forward to his story with optimism. (Gail, 5/19/00)

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