Romance Books

I will start off by saying I love this series. I am so glad I took a chance on a new author and picked up C.L. Wilson's first book, Lord of the Fading Lands.

My main problem with this book was that it seemed to drag in places. There seemed to be little movement forward in the story until near the end of the book.

Overall, it is a good edition to the series and a necessary one, but it just dragged a little too much.

This is the third installment of Ms. Wilson's Tairen series featuring Rain and Ellie, king and queen of the fey, and Tairen souls (a large flying cat like creature) the last of their kind. They are leaving Ellie's city with her family in preparation for the fight with the Eld and trying to save the fey and their allies from the evil High Mage.

If you enjoy Christeen Fehan's Dark series this is for you. Wonderful powerful characters breathtaking out of this world landscapes.

I never want this series to end! I love Rain and Elysetta. I can't get enough of the Tairen Soul series. Every lover of fantasy romance needs to read this series. I hope somehow that Elfeya and her truemate either escape or are rescued soon because i can't freakin stand them being prisoners anymore it's making me crazy!

I loved the 3rd book in the series. Even though the book was almost 500 pages I never felt it dragged. We got to see just how evil the Eld are. Ellysetta starts to learn who she is as her powers grow. The only bad thing about the book is it really leaves you hanging and it is a long wait for the next book (It was supposed to be a month.....)!

As a bookseller, sometimes we get advanced copies of books from authors that are not well known. A little over a year ago I found a copy of Lord of the Fading Lands that we had received. And while you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, that's what drew my interest to pick it up. So glad I did!

C.L. Wilson is an author to watch! She has an artist's way with words. She's created a truly magical world filled with Fey, evil Mages, wonderful creatures called the Tairen and spun her own special weave of love, friendship, honor and sacrifice.
Her characters gain more depth with each new volume of the series, and while I love the main storyline of Rain and Ellysetta, I also have to admit her other characters have me hooked as well. Connecting the dots between the supporting characters, both Fey, Celerian, Eld, and the Tairen is a fascinating puzzle. Galen is my favorite secondary character. Why do I always like the 'bad' boys? :)

This third installment of the Fading Lands does not disappoint. It picks up right where the ending of Lady of Light and Shadows left off with Raine bringing Ellysetta back to the fading lands. The lovers face numerous challenges: The Mages of Eld are planning another war, Ellysetta still doesn't understand her vast powers nor how she will help save the Tairen. Not to mention the High Mage is trying to claim her soul.
And just HOW are the Fay going to react when they see Galen, the former dahl'reisen Dark Lord returning home? dahl'reisen are considered 'lost souls'...those who have strayed from the Fey path of honor due to killing so many others (in battle, etc) and the weight of those souls becomes too much for them to bear and they are banished from the Fading Lands. The Fey do not look kindly upon their 'fallen' brothers. Now Ellysetta is bringing one of them, the most notorious, home with her. But first they have to get through the Faering Mists that guard the Fading Lands.

The Tairen are counting on her to save them. The ferocious winged felines (the size of Clydesdales) are the source of the Feys magic, and are connected somehow to the life force of the Fading Lands. The kitlings are dying in the eggs and no one can figure out why.

If you like Fantasy stories with strong female characters (as well as compelling male ones), stories that bring the Fey out of legend, the creation of fascinating creatures like the Tairen, Good vs Evil on an epic scale, and a true love that lasts no matter what, then you will love this series. I guarantee it.

Lord of the Fading Lands
Lady of Light and Shadows
King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul)

And don't miss the next and final chapter of Raine and Elly's story, The Queen of Song and Souls, due out in March of '09. I can't wait!!!

Atlanta based public relations expert Kess Goodall refused to allow the city's PR community to destroy her though they shut her out of jobs after her latest insane stunt led to her firing; instead she accepted a PR position in Central West Africa. The President of Mallaruza Abioyne Bongani hired her to help him with his reelection campaign.

Abi also asked his college roommate Terrorist Force Logistic Assault Command (T-FLAC) psi operative Simon Blackthorne to investigate the recent increase in border fights and raids with the Hureni; Abi, a half-wizard, believes a full wizard may be behind the attacks so he wants a friendly full blooded wizard on his side just in case. Simon quietly investigates the incidents seeking magical remnants. He and Kess are attracted to one another, but avoid one another until a bloodbath by machetes followed by scavengers of workers bring them together.

The latest T-FLAC romantic suspense thriller (see WHITE HEAT and HOT ICE) is an exciting African adventure that blends some magic with non stop action. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the lead couple discovers the gruesome massacre and never slows down. Enhancing the tale is the often humorous gender war between these polar opposites as Simon introduces Kess to the notion that there is a lot more under the sun than science.

Harriet Klausner

The moral of the story is touching, its a great gift to give a parent.

I just read The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein for the first time. Now, I do remember having the book read to me at the public library when I was little, and I am pretty sure it was featured in Reading Rainbow, so the story is not new to me. However, since this is the first time I ever read the story on the other side of parenthood, I was surprised by my overwhelming emotional reaction to the book. I read it as a bedtime story to my two lovely girls and I wept for the brief interval of time where I can help form them as young Christian ladies.

More surprising to me than my emotional response, was how I understand the Tree much better now. As a child, I guess I pitied the tree and sympathized with the boy. I simply expected that the Tree enjoyed helping the boy so the Tree was happy. Now I know that the Tree did enjoy helping the boy, but that the Tree suffered as the boy grew since the boy grew further away. I guess The Giving Tree taught me the lesson of love which I only absorb intellectually from the tree of the cross. Successful love, like successful parenting, involves suffering. The better I do my job of raising my daughters into mature, independent ladies, the more I will miss these years of providing everything for them.

Reprinted with permission from http://naturalfamilylife.blogspot.com

Really, I believe this is a fantastic piece of work and a tribute to the genius that is Shel Silverstien. But I also always have to wonder about the ambiguous message of the story and is truly meant. There is so much contraction. Clearly the tree represents love, but she completely gives of herself entirely for so little. The debate is indeed the charm, though.

i bought this as a gift for a friend of mine who is always the person giving everything they have to others, it is a great story and if you havent read it, please do, it is truly wonderful

Every child and adult should have this book.

There are many controversies about The Giving Tree, many will write that it is a self-less act of love, an issue with co-dependency, or may even send a bad example of relationships with creating selfish children/adults.

I think one of the greatest things about this story is that you can interpret it differently at evolving life stages.

From a child who sees a self-less act of love to an adult who has been in a troubled relationship (much like the tree and the boy).

Regardless, I believe that this story clearly shows 2 sides of A relationship, and if the the reader feels bad for the tree - it is a way to learn how to appreciate and recognize such unconditional love. To always be thankful.

I was really looking forward to this anthology, mainly because of the sookie stackhouse story. Perhaps this is why i found myself disappointed. While each story was interesting in its own way, the whole thing felt repetative and a bit dull. I would recommend finding it at your local library.

I really enjoyed this book. Especially 'How Stella Got Her Grave Back.' I thought the title was very clever. This book would make a fun birthday present.

Many Bloody Returns is a collection of short stories by multiple writers. The stories are shorter than usual collections offering a buffet of the writing style and characters of each contributor. This gives the reader a choice of whether a particular appetizer is worth going for seconds or not. I would compare it to purchasing a trial size variety pack, where you can decide to purchase a full size item. Standing alone some of the well known authors contributions are short, 20 pages,if unfamiliar with a particular author's characters difficult stand alone.

A collection of short stories by 13 authors featuring vampires and birthdays. The collection is not for everyone, but provides well written stories for people who like this genre of fiction. I had bought the collection earlier, but saved it for my birthday, which just started at midnight.

Like most collections, you will find a variety, and will find some stories that you will like better than others. I particularly liked "It's my birthday, too," by Jim Butcher which had its lighter moments. White magic fights black vampires, with quite a bit of damage as things get in the way. However will you explain things to people? If you try to tell people the truth, they will lock you up in a funny farm.

"Grave Robbed," by P.N. Elrod, is about undead PI Jack Fleming dealing with a fake medium who is victimizing a widow. He has some special investigative skills, such as dematerializing to pass through walls. He does have to work at night.

Some stories are more on the dark side. In "The Wish," by Carolyn Haines, a woman tries to deal with Death, and then tries to thwart Death's plans. The stories are not for the faint at heart, but if you have an interest in tales of vampires, wizards, and goblins, by all means read on.

Usually books with a number of short stories in them have some big names with great stories and some unknown authors with either surprisingly good or surprisingly bad stories. This was not the case with this book. All of the stories were really good and there was a larger variety of writing styles than I expected given the genre. All of the stories have to deal with vampires and birthdays.

The main reason I read books like this is to get a sampling of some authors I haven't read and get a glimpse into the series that they are writing. This book was a good read and I found a couple new (to me at least) authors to check out from it. Because of this book I will read more of PN Elrod's work, check out the Morganville vampire series, see what else Hallaway and Kelner have written, and possibly check out some of Jeanne Stein's work too. Below is a quick comment/synopsis of each story.

Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris
This story is an addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series and addresses the celebration of Dracula Night by the vampire community. It's a fun read; although there's not a ton of content here.

The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden
The only other book I've read by Christopher Golden is "The Boys are Back in Town"; which I liked pretty well. This story follows a girl as she learns about her unique heritage. I enjoyed it and it was well written and mysterious.

I Was a Teenage Vampire by Bill Crider
This was probably my least favorite story of the anthology. The story was predictable, boring, and seemed quickly and lazily written.

Twilight by Kelley Armstrong
I liked Twilight okay. It was a little boring and moved slowly but it was well-written and dealt with the topic of vampires dying of boredom.

It's My Birthday, Too by Jim Butcher
Fun addition to the Dresden Files series. I enjoyed a story in which Thomas played a main role. I especially enjoyed the role-playing; being a DnD player I thought it was hilarious.

Grave-Robbed by P.N. Elrod
This was my first time reading anything by PN Elrod and I liked it. The main character, Jack Fleming, is a bit campy. Some of it reminded me of Harry Dresden a bit. I enjoyed it and will read more of Elrod's writing.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine
This was a story that took place in the world of Rachel Caine's young adult vampire series "The Morganville Vampires". This was my favorite story in the book and now I am interested in reading this series. I've read some of Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series and that is also a good series.

The Witch and the Wicked by Jeanne C. Stein
This story creeped me out. I believe Stein is the writer of the Signs of the Zodiac series. The writing style wasn't my favorite since it was kind of plain and straight-forward; not as much flare to it as I had hoped. The premise is pretty darn creative and creepy though.

Blood Wrapped by Tanya Huff
This was a nice addition to Henry Fitzroy's world; it was a fun read. It really brought home the fact that I haven't read the last few books in this series yet. I was like, what do you mean Vicki is a vampire?

The Wish by Carolyn Haines
I've never read anything by Carolyn Haines but I did like this story. The story is very sad and yet it is beautifully written and really grabs a hold of you. It is a very beautiful and well-written story, if not as fun as the rest of the book.

Fire and Ice and Linguini for Two by Tate Hallaway
I've never read anything by Tate Hallaway before; this was a fun story. I was intrigued by the witch having a demon trapped in her and by the elemental evil forces at work. I could really sympathize with the characters and the cold weather, being from MN myself.

Vampire Hours by Elaine Viets
I really enjoyed this story. I liked that the main character was an older woman dealing with day-to-day issues a lot of women deal with (okay maybe not as extreme as these issues). I liked how the woman cleverly got back at everyone; it was funny and a quick read.

How Stella got her Grave Back by Toni L.P. Kelner
I've never read anything by Toni Kelner, I really liked this story. I liked the idea of vampire dams and I liked the mystery solving that went on in this story. The characters were fun and likable. I really want to know the history between them now.

[...]

If grammar and continuity errors make you crazy, don't even open this book. This book is so full of them that I found myself putting it down again and again in irritation. Verb tense errors, missing words in sentences, just little things like that which pull me right out of a book when I read them. If these sorts of errors are a pet peeve of yours (as they are mine) then just skip this one. In one scene the heroine is sipping her wine in a bar and just a few paragraphs later she is cringing at the bitter taste of her beer. That kind of thing makes me crazy when I'm reading. It just makes me wonder if anyone read this to clean it up before it was printed.
I read a lot of romance novels, and I was looking for a new author since I've exhausted all of my regular ones. Ms. Leigh isn't really my cup of tea, and this many irritating little errors just seals the deal for me and I won't be buying her books again. If she's one of your favorites, you can probably forgive the mess.

great story. interesting plot. not the same ole damsel in distress read. graphic sexual content. (some of you may think this is a plus...) great book overall. loved it.

I simply loved this story. Guy finds love of his live, is forced to be dead, lives his life on automatic pilot. He is finally forced to reenter her life when she's in danger and they fall for each other again.

If you don't like slightly weepy stories, this might not be for you, but its hot and emotional. A good read.

Wild Card by Lora Leigh
4 1/2 stars

Lora Leigh has a reputation for writing books that are so steamy it is a wonder your hands don't singe while reading her books. This book while not as erotic as some of her books sure packs a lot of heat, too! In this novel, Navy SEAL Nathan Malone goes on a mission to rescue 3 girls but the mission goes wrong and he is tortured and maimed. When he is finally rescued he has changed into a man dark and ashamed. He decides not to contact his wife, who already believes he died. After reconstructive surgery, Nathan, now known as Noah, finds his way back to his wife where he is involved in another mission.
Bella does not realize Noah is actually her husband and feels guilt over her attraction to him. But soon Bella realizes that Noah is her husband. However, she knows that Noah intends to leave her again once his mission is completed. As you can imagine there is a lot of tension between the 2 until the confusion of the situation resolves itself. This novel has a lot of drama, heat, and anguish. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!


Reviewed by Steph at Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Readers familiar with Leigh's "tempting seals" series will remember the character of Nathan Malone, who remained true to his wife while enduring the most horrific conditions imaginable when held captive by a drug lord who had him so doped up on an aphrodisiac (think PCP mixed with Spanish Fly) that he opts to remain dead to his family rather than return half a man with sexual issues brought on by the many months of captivity and restraint.

It has been six years since Nathan "died" and he now works for a clandestine group knows as the Elite Ops and goes by the name of Noah Blake. When a white supremacy militia group in his hometown has engaged in murderous "hunts" and now is targeting his former business as a great place to launder their ill gotten gains (thus endangering his wife Sabella), he is reluctant at first to take the case. But in the end he does and comes face to face with the independent woman that his wife has become (or was she always like that and he just didn't see it?) He discovers that she has never really gotten over the loss of her husband, and has dated in frequently, while her home is still a shrine to Nathan. He suddenly finds that he is jealous of ... himself? Working undercover at his garage, he's in a position to investigate and protect. But just how deep is the organization in the small town that he loves? As much as Bella fights her attraction to yet another alpha man, she notices some similarities between her new lover and her husband.

Leigh had mee hooked and hungering for a story about tortured SEAL Nathan. A man so unwilling to be untrue to his beloved wife that he "died" rather than have her see him half a man. But unfortunately, this story just did not do the character of Nathan justice.

When is too much sex too much? Well, in Leigh's case, it's when the sexual passages outnumber the rest of the plot to the point where they detract from the story. While I usually love Leigh's passionate storylines, this one was just ridiculous - I finally started to skip them altogether because they were so numerous and redundant. I felt like I was reading a horrible Shannon McKenna novel which are virtually plotless. And all that dirty talk just made me want to tell them to hush already and get it over with. The plot itself was pretty interesting (what little there was of it), but all the licking, sucking, talking, nipping, tugging, petting, talking, growling, mewling, talking, spanking, and other assorted verbs just subtract from the flow of the story.

© Tracy Vest, September 2008

There were many battles in this book. Battles in the background with vampires and mages, or Dark Fey against Light Fey and battles in mind dealing with certain things, and battles going on with family members and then just regular battles. There is also a lot of mythology around the vampire and Fey some new mixed with some old. I'd have to say I liked reading about the mythology more then the battles. I also liked reading about the attraction of Dory and Louis-Cesare. I didn't love this book though. It is weird because when I first started I was sucked in to the world but something changed maybe because at the end of some of the chapters you were already told what was going to happen next. The end was okay I think there are some unanswered questions there though, which is probably why it is the start of a series. I just don't think I will read the next one.

I am a big fan of Karen Chance. IMHO this book was even better than her Cassie series. I have read all three of the Cassie books but I had not read the short story from In the Prowl ANthology. I think you need some background before reading this book, because it jumps straight into the action.

This has all the features of the Cassie series- lots and lots of action. A strong heroine, and gorgeous vamps. I preferred Dory to Cassie because of the sense of vulnerablity she has and her insecurities related to being a Dhampir. The love hate relationship between her and her Dad (Mircea) was a nice touch. It was interesting seeing Mircea from a different POV.

The romantic tension between Dory and Louis-Cesare sizzles. They start out hating each other and move towards sexual and emotional attraction. I loved this! However there was no resolution in the end and Louis-Cesare just dissappears after the big climax scene. The introduction of Caedmon allows for a potential romantic triangle just as in the Cassie books.I hope there will be more books about Dory in the future.

Buy this book, you will gobble it up in a single setting, it is hard to put down!

Great book. I enjoyed the Cassie Palmer series and I think that this is a great spin off of that one.

This is the first book I have read by Karen Chance, however I have her others, in my to be read pile. I enjoyed it and pretty much read it though in one sitting. There is a lot of action in this book, one action scene near the end of the book is about 90 pages long and I felt it was a little to long for my taste. As the other reviewers here have said, Dory is half vampire, half human and she is on the hunt for her Uncle Dracula, yes that Dracula. She teams up with a vampire, Louis-Cesare, a very good looking Vampire and together they go searching for her Uncle Drac, but in the meantime, Dory is also hunting for her missing friend Claire. Claire's story begins in "On the Prowl" We learn a lot of Dory's background in this book as well as background on Louis-Cesare. The book teams with Vampires, Fey, Ogres, Trolls and other Supernatural creatures. The story ties up neatly at the end and sets us up for a sequel at the end. I am looking forward to reading the sequel.

For fans of the Cassie Palmer series, this newest walk on the dark side in Cassie's world is a welcome addition. For readers who have never met Cassie, you are not left in the dark. You can easily pick up this book & fall into the wicked fun & adventure in this world of vampires, and other creepy crawlies.
Dory is a strong, layered character, and fans of paranormal romance & adventure will delight in the escapades & the banter in this book.
And hey, if you like this, go back & pick up the first three books in the Cassie Palmer series. For those of us who took a chance on Chance back int he beginning, this is just one more keeper for the book shelf, and a taste of wichedness to come when book four in the Cassie series comes out in April 2009.

James Patterson does it to me AGAIN!!! A truly remarkable love story that so many can relate to, whether you have experienced an "imaginary friend" or not. For those who have not experienced having one....it makes you envious of those who have. I could not put it down!

Thank you Mr. Patterson for touching the heart of the young and old!

This is the first of Patterson's books I have read and I found it very good. I read it over the course of three days and I could hardly put it down. It's a beautiful love story that is not traditional and has a magical touch to it that I really liked. This book reminded me a lot of the movie "City of Angels", where a non human being falls in love with a human being and this love changes him. Although in the book it is not clear what kind of being Michael actually is, it is interesting because it is not something that is given too much importance and the reader is left to come to his/her own conclusions in that sense. I think this book is for people who don't need things to be logical or probable; it is for those who can read about things that seem impossible and still believe in the love story. I don't give it five stars because I feel some important issues are left unresolved or are given a superficial resolution, but I am definitely recommending it to my friends and I'm eager to read other Patterson books.

I am no light weight when it comes to intellectual activities and enjoyments. But I learned long ago that, just as you must stretch muscles you want to work well - once in a while you must completely open yourself to see the world as a child.

This takes some courage. We find a lot of security in our adult logic and structures. But delight and joy are not measured in the ways of adulthood. They are experiences not of the cognitive self but of the core self. This book speaks to a need our world has to relearn the values of compassion, the importance of a lack of pretension, and the essential need to learn to let go of the requirement to have all the answers (or find someone who does).

Loving another person does not always make sense. And that is OK. Stories do not always have all the loose ends tied up. And that is OK.
Letting go of perfection and reality now and then are good for you. Many people can only let go with the use of alcohol or drugs. But this book is a far better way to do it. If you let the story carry you along, you will end up as I did - filled with joy.

I bought this book because I love James Patterson. I was so disappointed in this book, it was terrible. I couldn't get past the fourth chapter and Patterson's chapters are not big. It was stupid and I would not recommend it to anyone. If you want to read it, get it from the library, don't waste your money buying it.

I love this book! I think this is probably James Patterson's best book to date. I love the way he draws you in to the characters and makes you feel like a part of his book. Also the way he takes an abstract subject and makes you believe. What a fantastic author!

Great and human writing showing this time in history. I read it again and again.

Thoroughly enjoyed this and all of her books which I have read already...planning for several more!

This book can be considered a sequel to Gregory's book The Other Boleyn Girl. This book though tells a slightly different story.

This book centers on three women who have to deal with the aftermath of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour.

Jane Boleyn was the wife of George Boleyn and the sister in law of Anne Boleyn. Her testimony helped convict both of them leading to their deaths. When Henry VIII decides to marry Anne of Cleves Jane comes back to court to help.

Anne wants to get out under the thumb of her mother and brother and so is very excited when she is to become Queen of England. However the relationship between Anne and Henry is tumultuous and only six months after their marriage they are divorced and she becomes Henry's beloved sister.

Katherine Howard is the cousin of Anne Boleyn. She lived with her step-grandmother until her uncle says that he wants her to serve Anne of Cleves. Soon she catches the heart of Henry and several days after the divorce she is the new Queen of England. There is only one problem, she does not love Henry. Soon Katherine catches the eye of Thomas Culpeper and Jane Boleyn must help them to keep their relationship a secret from King and court, which ends with both Jane and Katherine beheaded for treason.


A very interesting look at history.

I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed "The Other Boleyn Girl," I liked "The Boleyn Inheritance" a great deal more. First and foremost, we are treated to a story about three women from English history that have been for the most part relegated to footnotes and back-burners, with the sole exception being Katherine Howard, who has received a more substantial amount of attention lately; however Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth and most obscure (though not uninteresting) wife whose marriage to the king was a very short-lived 7 months and Lady Jane Rochford (sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn and wife to her brother, George Boleyn) whose false accusations were considered the catalyst for their fall from grace and, ultimately, execution are sometimes played off as minor historical figures in a time and place that never lacked for larger than life personalities. The novel is narrated by all three of the aforementioned women and we see how their lives, though, woven in many respects, were very separate and their narration tells us as much. While serving as a lady to the king's new protestant German wife, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard catches the eye of the aging king whose lust and sense of romance are rekindled by her calculated flirtations and feigned innocence. As a willing pawn for her ambitious family, headed by her ruthless uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, she has little idea of the price she will pay for a childhood indiscretion that surfaces soon after being crowned queen of England. Lady Jane Rochford named Queen Katherine's lady-in-waiting, quickly becomes her greatest confidant, a role that will ultimately lead to her downfall, as court secrets and accusations of betrayal surface and she's named a conspirator in the queen's affairs. Throughout all this, Anne, who thought she'd gained relative safety when Henry annuls their marriage, declares her his sister and grants her various properties, among them the Boleyn ancestral home, Hever Castle, soon realizes the precariousness of her position when the king's fickle and suspicious nature rears its ugly head and her quiet existence is threatened with fear of imprisonment and, perhaps, even death. Just like with her earlier novels, Philippa Gregory's storytelling is both succinct (no padding here) and first rate, with every character given ample attention, which keeps the story moving along at a breathless clip. The narrative never wanes and the climactic exchange between Lady Jane Rochford and the Duke of Norfolk is alone worth the price of admission, as it were. The ferociousness of the encounter is such that it will not soon be forgotten. By far, my favorite PG novel, so I highly recommend it.

Be warned, those who enjoyed the juicy romanticism of The Other Boleyn Girl may be disappointed here. But the facts of the story have a little less debauchery as history writes...

The author was daring as she split her tale between several women's voices... and in the end wove them back together again. (I listened to this novel on my iPod, and this gave the story a better cohesion.)

Lade Jane Rochford, Anne Boelyn's sister in law, whose husband went to the scaffold for incest with Queen Anne is the narrator.

QUEEN- Anne of Cleves is a well drawn character.
QUEEN- "Kitty" Howard is given a flippant air.

and the Duke of Norfolk attempting the regain standing after the Howard girls' spiraling defeat.

This novel gave meaning to many elements we could not understand looking back centuries later. It touched on the political structure and strings being pulled in Europe. It touched on the influence of the church and a wave of reform crashing through Europe.

It spoke clearly of the tyrant Henry had become, touching on those whose livelihoods depended upon the moody man. The perspective on a monarchy, vassals and power within a court... these are the HIGHLIGHTS of this novel. Not the juicy (historical licensed) affairs and torrid romances in Henry's youth. In truth, the tone of the court had changed. Henry's focus, although always self serving, had changed. Be ready for the divergence.

So this is not The Other Boleyn Girl. But the story told is a solid, entertaining one. And when you are writing about history, it is also well known the outcome. This is a fluffy, entertaining historical novel.

Anthologies are always a great risk to buy. If you're lucky there will be one or two good stories to justify purchase. This particular anthology has four of my favorite authors, with the added attraction that Candice Hern's story is the conclusion of the 'Merry Widows' series. On the whole, I thought this was one of the best anthologies I've read.Sadly for me, I thought the Hern story lacked sparkle and didn't do the other three 'Merry Widows' books justice, but having said that, it was still a competent story. The other three stories were lovely stories about lost love that gets a second chance. Possibly too much emphasis on sex in too short a word count, but otherwise, no real complaints.

I bought this group of short stories only for the incomparable Mary Balogh, and I was not disappointed. Her story is absolutely marvelous as I knew it would be and, by far, the best of the bunch. I actually saved it for last because in other anthologies, I've read her story first and was bored to tears with the rest. This time, I read the other stories first. Stephanie Laurens and Jacquie D'Alessandro's bits were pretty average. They both start off fine but then whimper to the end filling pages and pages with sex scenes.....boring and unimaginative. That's the sign of an author who is on auto-pilot and not creative enough to plan a well-thought out story. Candice Hern, on the other hand, is a very good writer. I was involved with her story to the bitter end. But, as in almost every other book I've read of hers, I am repeatedly disappointed in her heroines. Why does every single heroine Hern creates have to be promiscuous? Without fail, her heroines have indiscriminate sex with a wide variety of men. Those heroines must appeal to a large group of women, but I am personally turned off by them. Hern is a good enough writer, however, to keep the reader glued to her story. I was drawn in and involved with the story even though I didn't really care for one of the main characters. That takes talent in a writer. So, while I was tempted to give this book three stars, I felt I had to go with four. I find it very hard to rate any Mary Balogh effort lower than four stars. My advice, however, is to read Laurens and D'Alessandro first, then Hern, and finish with Balogh, the main attraction in this anthology.

From the inside cover-

The Fall of Rogue Gerrard by Stephanie Laurens
Robert Gerrard is London's most notorious rake. But he once did everything in his power to protect Lydia Makepeace, igniting a yearning that persists to the day they are trapped alone at an inn. Fueled by desire, Lydia is determined to finally have Robert for her own and delight in The Fall of Rogue Gerrard

4 1/2 stars -Best of the bunch IMHO. More lighthearted than the others, Laurens tells a tale of a young 22 yr old rake who kissed a girl (16) and shockingly realized that he'd found his soul mate. Of course this scares the hell out of him and he makes a run for it. Fast forward ten years and a chance meeting ..and well...he's tired of running from his heart. Bold/assertive heroine and wickedly dashing hero make this a fun read. Lighthearted romance with plenty of love scenes.

Spellbound by Mary Balogh
Bound for London, Nora Rider might have died in the terrible stagecoach accident were it not for the man who risked his life to save her. He is Richard Kemp, Lord Bourne, her husband -and she had no idea his ador could still hold her Spellbound.*note*-this is an error by publishers, Richard didn't actually save Nora from an accident but the incident did fuel their chance meeting.

4 1/2 stars -Great writing from Balogh's reversal of fortunes novella. Nora and Richard were in love once but were pulled apart rather brutally. Neither realized the other wasn't at fault. This was a slightly bittersweet deeply emotional read for me. I felt the ending didn't make up for all that previous turmoil the characters were originally put through -sort of left me hanging and begging for more. I would have liked to see what the future held for them.

Only You by Jacquie D'Alessandro
Casandra Heywood and Ethan Baxter were once cherished childhood friends. Now after ten long years apart. Ethan is determined to win Cassandra for his own. But Cassandra has her own ideas.

3 stars -Hero formally worked for Cassandra's family. They were friends as children and perhaps felt more but Lady's don't marry the stable master's son. Recently widowed, Cassie returns to see if she still feels something for Ethan. Although I generally enjoy these kinds of opposite in social stature parings, this one was sadly predictable all the way through. Tons of cliche's down to the abusive husband. A good read but nothing out of the ordinary.

From This Moment On by Candice Hern
He left her to defend His Majesty's honor. But Captain Sam Pellow never stopped fantasizing about Wilhelmina, Duchess of Hertford -and nothing she said or one will keep him away from her bed.

4 stars -Last story from Hern's Merry Widow series. I'm not fond of much older couples and the fact that the heroine was once a courtesan -thats already two strikes against this novella in my mind. But I found the novella to be very good even if its only for originality sake. Sam is a lovable and ardent suitor and who wouldn't cave under his *persuasions* even if they thought themselves to be unworthy? Enjoyable.

Good anthology with four very different but similar stories. Recommended.
Other anthologies I've enjoyed-
A Gift of Love -fantastic

All good "2nd chance at love" stories. All were very well written by really good authors but all four felt unfinished. After every story, my first thought was, "Then what happened?" "Was there children finally?" Even if there weren't it would've been nice to know if they tried and still couldn't have any. In that day and age children were a biggie. None of the women had had children prior to getting back together with their lost love. Also, "Where and how did they live?" "How did the other's in their lives react to them getting back together?" "Were these really Happily-Ever-After stories?" So many questions it left me unsettled and thus unsatisfied. Even though it was really nice, and almost mystical, that fate managed to get these couples back together again after so long- there's no "A-h-h-h" at the end of these stories.

"The Fall of Rogue Gerrard" by Stephanie Laurens. Robert and Lydia search for some missing papers; he may be the rake, but she has the seduction planned.

"Spellbound" by Mary Balogh. A decade ago Nora and Richard eloped, but her family annulled the marriage. Richard rescues Nora from a coaching accident; both want to elope again as they remain in love.

"Only You" by Jacquie D'Alessandro. Widow Cassandra Heywood has always loved the innkeeper Ethan though their social classes keep them apart until now; she is determined to marry her beloved

"From This Moment On" by Candice Hern. While at war, Sam hid his love for Wilhelmina. Now home, the former captain plans to make the duchess his wife.

The plot premise of this enjoyable anthology as described by Ms. Balogh in A Letter to the Reader is: "A man and a woman, who have not seen each other in ten years, meet again when they find themselves staying at the same inn for a twenty-four hour period." That concept provides the underlying fascination to this compilation as historical romance fans will compare each work (and rank them). These are four gutsy authors to do this somewhat limiting method. However, each provides a strong novella starring interesting lead couples; and more important different well written slants on the basic theme.

Harriet Klausner

I found the woman of my dreams and my relationship with her was failing. I could not understand what it was that I was doing that was wrong, so I became frustrated in general, confused at how the most passionate relationship I could ever wish for was now cold and distant. I bought this book as a last chance to try to rebuild what I was losing and salvage our life together. I got tired of all the Mars and Venus references, but the info was right on. I now understand what my faults were and by applying the info my life is easier and the frustration is gone. If you have a woman that seems super sensitive and you find her getting upset and distant when you try to talk to her, this book may help you to see the changes you can make to better your life with her.

This book gives a very accurate picture of the communication issues in relationships. It also has good, implementable suggestions to improve things. However, I managed to read this through the end, for one reason only - the accuracy of the content. I think it could have been better written, to make it a more interesting reading. All the same, this is highly recommended, since it gives you good insights into the key aspect of any successful relationship - communication.

This book was very beneficial for understanding the opposite sex, and how they are "wired" differently! We had to read it for pre-marriage couseling, and it really opened our eyes about each other, and why we do those crazy things we do! It really helped me to learn that the things he does that drive me crazy are instinctive for all men, and not to take them personally. I would recommend this if your relationship/marraige has reached a rough spot, or if you are just interested in those quirky aspects of the opposite sex!

This book provided good insights into my makeup as well as insights into the opposite sex. I recomend it for anyone who intends to marry or is married.

Before you buy this book and before you start applying these principles to your life, you have a right to know about John Gray's qualifications. Both his bachelors and masters degrees were awarded by a farcical unaccredited "school" run by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which is difficult to pin down, but rumored to have consisted of a few desks in a hotel in Seelisberg, Switzerland. His PHD was "earned" from Columbia Pacific University, a mail-order diploma mill that was shut down by the California attorney general. I'm not saying that his ideas are all worthless; I've read the book and there do seem to be a few common sense pointers. I'm just saying approach with caution, because Mr. Gray seems to have a huge credibility gap, as far as I am concerned.