Miss Carlye's Curricle by Karen Harbaugh

Karen Harbaugh's Regencies were hit or miss for me - loved some of them, others were only OK, but they were all readable - except this one.  Possibly my own fault - the tiny type in this one made it hard to read.  (Or maybe just my aging eyes!)


Miss Carlyle's Curricle by Karen Harbaugh
(1999, Regency)  6/29/12
Grade: 3

After her uncle’s sudden death, Diana Carlyle is heartbroken - and then shocked to discover that her uncle’s will leaves her a large inheritance if she marries the new Lord Brisbane, her distant cousin and a former businessman, Gavin Sinclair.  Gavin falls in love with the spirited Diana instantly, but it takes her longer to recognize his true depths.


I wanted to like this more than I did, because there was an intriguing mystery as part of the storyline.  I guessed who but not why, and there were multiple twists.  But it was mixed in with a Regency that just didn’t work.  The characters didn’t seem real, and I struggled to plow through it.  I’m not sure why it didn’t work for me when I’ve enjoyed so many other Karen Harbaugh books (maybe it was me) but it just felt like a chore to read.  It had promise but didn’t deliver. 

After 100 degree temperatures all day, it's raining!  Hallelujah!

American Pie by Margaret St. George

Although she wrote a number of Westerns as Maggie Osborne, I always liked Margaret St. George's series romances.  (I have a soft spot for the one that managed to combine a royal princess and bat guano.) 

American Pie by Margaret St. George
(1990, Nineteenth Century New York)  6/28/12
Grade: 3

When Polish immigrant Lucie Kolska arrives in New York, she is determined to find her part of the American dream.  But she can’t stop thinking about Irishman Jamie Kelly, who’s also struggling as a new immigrant.  Can Lucie and Jamie find a place in the new world, and can they set aside the old attitudes to make a new life?

This was a really interesting story in an unusual setting (1890’s New York) but the romance really lacked drama.  The hero and heroine fell in love at first sight in the first chapter of the book, and there really wasn’t any conflict between them up until nearly the end.  (Her brother’s disapproval seemed like a forced reason to keep them apart.)  The more interesting part of the book was the vivid description of immigrant life in New York, and the sometimes brutal environment that didn’t work out for everyone.  (Greta’s death of what seems to have been arsenic poisoning was quite affecting and unfortunately realistic.)  The heroine's success with her face cream was a typical St. George touch.  Overall, it was an educational read but not quite a great romance.

This was part of an entire series of books set from the 1890's to the 1990's.  Unfortunately I couldn't find a cover image of the original edition, which is the one I have.  I read most of them but unfortunately they weren't all that exciting.  (Although I'd like to reread the 1990's one now - I remember it featured the "futuristic" background of internet chatting.)

Here Comes the Bride by Pamela Morsi

This is one of my last Pamela Morsi westerns.  Usually she's a reliable mix of emotion and humor, but this one just fell a bit flat.

Here Comes The Bride by Pamela Morsi
(2000, Western)  6/27/12
Grade: 3.5

After three years of waiting for Amos Dewey to pop the question, Augusta Mudd decides to make him a bit jealous, by stepping out with Rome Akers, who works for her at her ice factory.  But Amos starts to seem less attractive once she gets to know Rome - and Rome starts to see Gussie in a whole new light.


This was a reliable read, but it lacked the usual Morsi charm.  I found it a bit predictable.  It was easy to put down.  There was a lot of charming local color (set in the early 20th century Texas) and some humor, but overall, it just didn’t have the sparkle that Morsi’s other books had.  It got better in the last third, but still, a minor disappointment.  

It's hard for Morsi to live up to her best books (Something Shady is my favorite) but still, her books usually don't disappoint.  Maybe I was just in the wrong mood for this one.

Dog Days by Elsa Watson

I read about this book online, and I was curious - even though I don't care for paranormals, I have a weakness for "Freaky Friday" stories, especially if they aren't taken too seriously.  So I ended up buying this both in paper and in eBook form - happily Amazon takes returns.

Dog Days by Elsa Watson
(2012, Contemporary)  6/22/12
Grade: 3.5

Jessica Sheldon lives in a town full of dog lovers, but she’s branded as a “dog hater” after her dog phobia got out of control at her local restaurant.  When she finds a stray dog just before Woofinstock, she decides it will be good publicity for the restaurant - but something strange is going on.  When she wakes up in Zoe’s body and Zoe wakes up in hers, she has to find a way to switch them back - and still save the restaurant.

I was looking for a light and cute book to read at the doctor’s office, and this seemed to fit the bill.  It had a cute premise and some of the situations with Jessica the person-turned-dog and Zoe the dog-turned-person were very funny.  But the book just didn’t gel in the first half.  I kept getting confused about which character was talking, and the whole thing just seemed overly cute and not that fun.  But the book finally started to gel in the second half (either that or the drugs kicked in) and I ended up enjoying it.  I’m not sure I can really recommend it - the romance is quite limited and you need to have a high tolerance for cute small towns - but it was a decent way to spend a couple of hours.

Star Sapphire by Rebecca Danton

This is a very old Regency - I think I picked it up at the fabulous bookstore Paperbacks in Snellville, Georgia.  One of the few stores with a great Regency backlist.  These older Regencies are disappearing - I rarely see the old ones any more...

Star Sapphire by Rebecca Danton
(1979, Regency)  6/19/2012
Grade: 4

Sonia Goldfine lives a quiet life in London with her uncle, designing jewelry for the ladies of the ton.  But she can never be a part of that world, due to her religion.  Although Jews are accepted in England to a certain extent, they will never be accepted in society.  But when Alastair Charlton, the Marquess of Fairley, finds himself deeply in debt, a marriage of convenience is his only option.  But Sonia wants more than that... she wants love.

This book was definitely memorable and unique, although it wasn’t always a pleasure to read.  It felt like two different books merged together.  One was historical fiction centering around the status of Jewish immigrants in England during the Regency, and the exciting (slightly fictionalized) story of how Nathan Rothschild smuggled gold to Spain during the Napoleonic wars to pay the troops.  This part of the story was fascinating and definitely different from a typical Regency.  However, the romance part of the story wasn’t as appealing.  Although the characters were fairly interesting and had moments of emotional connection, the romance was full of big misunderstandings, long separations and petty jealousies.  I found the romance dated and frustrating.  Overall, it was definitely worth reading, but I won’t be looking for more Regencies from the 1970’s.  

When I was looking for a cover image for this book, I discovered Rebecca Danton was a pseudonym for Janet Louise Roberts.  I remember reading her Gothics back in the 80's and early 90's when I glommed every Gothic I could get my hands on.  I'm not sure I'd enjoy them now (they'd probably seem just as dated as this one) but I loved them so much back then. 

Blue Moon by Jill Marie Landis

After my last experience with Jill Marie Landis, I wasn't sure if I wanted to try another one, but I decided to give this one a go...

Blue Moon by Jill Marie Landis
(1999, Western)  6/18/12
Grade: 4

Olivia Bond is running through the swamps of Illinois, escaping from a terrible past, when she is rescued by Noah LeCroix.  Noah has made a life for himself away from civilization, where he won’t be rejected for his Indian heritage and his scarred face.  But with Olivia, he finds a reason to love again - if he can free her from the nightmares of her past.

Well written and a pleasure to read!  I finished this book in just one day.  The setting was vivid and unusual, and the characters were well written.  I appreciated the role reversal (the hero is the virgin and the heroine is experienced) and that Olivia’s past wasn’t seen as something she needs to be “forgiven” for, but as part of her life that made her what she was.  There were a few issues here and there - there was a stretch in the middle that was a little boring, and the lisping cute kids were a bit grating - but overall, this was a very enjoyable read.  It’s been a while since I read an American romance that was this good.

It's always surprising to me that American historicals are so out of fashion these days, when there are so many interesting settings that haven't been explored.  (Who knew there were swamps in Illinois?) 

Tangled Hearts by JoAnn Ross

I've always had a weakness for "return from the dead" stories - even if they usually end up disappointing me!

Tangled Hearts by JoAnn Ross HT 333
(1991, Contemporary Series)
Grade: 3.5

Five years after her journalist husband was killed by terrorists, Alanna has found a new life with architect Jonas Harte - and a new career as a writer and magazine editor.  But when it turns out that Mitch isn’t dead after all, she’s torn between the excitement and passion that she had with Mitch, and the new happiness she’d found with Jonas.

This book was a mixture of highs and lows.  I love a good “return from the dead” story, and this one took an unexpected twist when the “bad boy” isn’t automatically the hero.  But it seemed like the “will she or won’t she” part of the story went on for far too long.  It took more than 200 pages for Mitch to learn the truth.  But just when I was about to give up on it, the author finally returned to the honest and emotional story from the first part of the book, and the ending was sweet and touching.  At least the book ended on a good note, and left me feeling better about it.  Still not great, but worth reading.

This is the last contemporary in my TBR pile (the paper version - I still have lots on my Kindle).  I still have a lot of historicals, but at least it seems like I'm making progress!

Exile's End by Rachel Lee

I've been hearing great things about Rachel Lee as an emotional writer for years, but her books have languished in my TBR pile.  Maybe I would have enjoyed her more back in the 90's when this book was written.

Exile's End by Rachel Lee SIM 449
(Contemporary Series, 1992)  6/16/12
Grade: 3

CIA agent Ransom Laird needs a place to heal after spending four years in a prison camp, and he’s found a safe place with widow Mandy Grant.  Mandy is afraid to open her heart again after losing her husband and family, but there’s something about Ransom that makes her want to love again.  But there’s someone out there who wants to hurt Ransom... and anyone else who might be in the way.

This book started off well.  The characters were well developed and there was a nice emotional buildup between the hero and heroine.  But once I got about halfway through, I started getting bored.  The hero and heroine jumped from attracted to in love without a real explanation, and the same problems just kept repeating over and over.  I was almost relieved when the book switched to action mode in the last third.  The resolution was exciting, but there was a slightly unpleasant undercurrent to the identity of the villain and her motivations - something that I’ve seen in other books by Lee as well.  (A rather harsh view of women who aren’t perfect mothers.)  I can see why readers like Lee’s books, but I ended up disappointed.  After looking through the other books by Rachel Lee in my TBR, I decided to skip them and move on to something else.

Just a couple of books left in the contemporary section of my paper TBR pile!

Glass Beach by Jill Marie Landis

Jill Marie Landis has been an up-and-down author for me.  This is an old one from 1998 - I have a couple of other books by her in my TBR pile so I hope they work better for me.

Glass Beach by Jill Marie Landis
(1998, American Victorian)  6/8/2012
Grade: 2.5

Elizabeth Bennett is thrilled that she is finally free when her abusive husband dies, leaving her free to raise her daughter on their Hawaiian estate.  But when the will is read, she receives a shock - although her husband left the estate to their daughter, he named his illegitimate son, Spence Laamea, as the trustee.  They must live together on the estate until her daughter comes of age...


This started off very well.  I loved the Hawaiian setting and the characters were interesting.  I was intrigued by a story about an abused woman learning to find her own strength, and the author at least tried to sidestep the I-hate-you-but-I-lust-for-you setup.  But the book started to falter in the second half.  There was a secondary romance that took up way too much space in the book, and the heavy dose of dialect in that storyline pulled me out of the book every time it popped up.  The setting wasn’t used as well as it could have been.  And finally, the hero and heroine seemed to be hitting the same notes over and over again, and I just got bored.  I found myself skimming hoping it would get better.  A long separation between the hero and heroine in the last quarter of the book was the breaking point for me - I just skimmed to the end to find out what happened.  I was surprised that a book that started out so well ended up being so dull. 

When I started getting bored with this book, I wondered if I was in the wrong mood and considered setting it aside to try again later.  But no!!  I've got to be more strict about these older books in my TBR - they get one chance to impress me and then off to the donation pile.  Putting books back on the shelf is how I ended up with 2000 books at one point!

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

I keep buying Courtney Milan books even though I haven't read one yet!  Her short stories have always fallen short for me, but they were interesting enough to keep me buying.  This one wasn't perfect but it definitely made me interested to read more...

The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
(2012, Victorian)  6/5/12
Grade: 4

Serena Barton has arrived at the home of the Duke of Cleremont, determined to make him pay for ruining her and making her lose her position as a governess.  But instead of the Duke, Serena ends up with Hugo Marshall, the Duke’s man of business.  Initially Hugo just wants to get rid of her, but he begins to admire her determination... and to want to get to know her better.

I’ve read several of Courtney Milan’s short stories, but so far they’ve all been promising but disappointing.  They both had an interesting premise but fell down on execution.  This one worked much better for me.  The characters were interesting, and the author managed to build attraction and sexual tension that felt believable even in a short period of time.  (This was her weakness in previous books.)  It was refreshing to read about characters that weren’t titled, weren’t part of the ton and had a completely different idea of what a “happy ending” might be.  The only failing was that the book started to feel somewhat unbelievable near the end.  I wanted more, but the novella length meant that the characterization had to be cut short.  From what I’ve read, Courtney Milan wrote this as a novella because she didn’t think there was enough story to fill an entire book.  She may be right, but I’m greedy - I wanted more.  So very good, but not a keeper.

The Doctor's Wife by Cheryl St. John

Cheryl St. John has always been an under appreciated author, in my opinion.  Her books may not be flashy but they're well written and a joy to read.  And yet, she's still toiling away writing Harlequin Historicals.  She started writing inspirationals recently, and while I think her style fits very well in the inspirational category, it's disappointing to me.  I didn't find her first inspirational all that impressive.  I hope she still keeps writing Harlequin Historicals too.

The Doctor's Wife by Cheryl St. John
(1999, Western)  6/5/2012
Grade: 4.5

Ellie Parish is trying to make a new life for herself after a terrible childhood.  When she breaks her arm and meets Dr. Caleb Chaney, a widower with a young son, she is warmed by his kindness and consideration.  But when he asks her to marry him and be a mother to his son, she isn’t sure if she can continue living a lie.  Would Caleb ever accept her if he knew the truth?

A warm and charming story from Cheryl St. John, set in 19th century Kansas.  St. John is an expert at writing stories that deal with very difficult subjects but manage to still be sweet and heart warming.  There wasn’t that much conflict between the hero and heroine (although the heroine’s past was far more than a “big misunderstanding”) but it was enjoyable to read about the heroine finding love and acceptance with a new home and family.  I’d probably get bored if I read one of these books every week, but her books are always a wonderful change of pace that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

The one funny thing about this book was the quote on the cover - "The sexual tension simmers relentlessly...".  Who picks these quotes?  As much as I love Cheryl St. John's writing, someone who picked up this book looking for sexual tension would be very confused. 

Mostly a Lady by Lisa Manuel

I read Mostly Married by Lisa Manuel back in 2008, and thought it was thoughtfully written, with a great premise.  It took me a few years to track down Mostly a Lady but I was hoping it would live up to the promise of the first book.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me.

Mostly Married by Lisa Manuel
(2005, Regency Historical)
Grade: 3

Widow Eliza Kent has been thrown out into the streets after her husband’s death, and just as she’s facing death herself, a carriage accident gives her an opportunity to take the identity of another woman - Elizabeth Mendoza.  She is rescued by the handsome and gallant Dylan Fergusson, the Scottish brother in law of a duke, but she had no idea she was taking the identity of a woman on the run...

This started off really well.  The setup was intriguing and the characters interesting and unusual.  Elizabeth’s attempt to fit into society (or at least, into Dylan’s family) kept me turning the pages.  But then the book lost its way.  The section at Wakefield seemed to go on forever, and once the action moved to London, the situation became confusing and frustrating.  It jumped around from one character to another and the pacing went from tedious to too much information crammed into a few pages.  It’s unfortunate that the author came up with such a unique premise but just couldn’t see it through.  I ended up skimming the last quarter of the book.  

On the positive side, my paper book collection is now down to 129 books!