Savage Destiny by Amanda Browning

Savage Destiny by Amanda Browning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this about a month ago, but didn't get a chance to review it or add it to my currently reading shelf. It's a great second chance at love book with a twist. Alix has every reason to hate Pierce and distrust him for the cruel way he treated her the first time they were married, and with him back, she can't believe he has good motives. The author does a great job of showing the reader they whys and how much Pierce really does love Alix. Alix doesn't want to believe (and can't afford to), that Pierce has good motives, so Pierce has to show her. I can see why she was so resistant and cynical about him. He had to prove herself to him and he did. I love a hero who is crazy about the heroine. After I finished this, I reread the beginning because there is such a huge revelation in what was really going on and how deeply Pierce loves Alix and regrets what he did. He had his reasons, but it was so unbelievably cruel. However, I believe that this is one hero who definitely redeems himself for the heroine.

I think I was recommended this by one of the girls on the Harlequin Presents group, and I'm glad I did get it on Kindle. It's an oldie but goodie that I definitely wouldn't have wanted to miss out on.

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Dangerous Obsession by Patricia Wilson

Dangerous Obsession by Patricia Wilson
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I think if I don't write this review sooner, I'll forget all the details. So, yeah, it wasn't my favorite Patricia Wilson. It was good though. It was obvious Dan was in love with Anna. I could see why he was keeping his distance from her when she was younger. It was interesting to see things from Anna's eyes and then to hear about Dan's point of view. When she's older, and when the story begins in the present Dan seems to making a play for her and he's definitely staking his claim when Dan takes her to his island to recover. I was surprised at the reveal with the woman that Dan had been engaged with years ago. I didn't expect that at all. I think that I've loved some books so much by her, that this one pales in comparison. It was entertaining and I had no major issues. Anne was a bit of a wilted flower for my tastes at the time (although I liked that she was a student in higher maths) and the story slows down a bit on the island.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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The Trophy Husband by Lynne Graham

The Trophy Husband by Lynne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this years ago, but I didn't really remember much about it. Downloading the Kindle and doing a reread was a good move. I liked this quite a bit. I miss the books where the heroine is a plain Jane. That trope doesn't seem as popular nowadays. The heroine tends to be exquisitely beautiful now more than anything, at least in my opinion. Sara wasn't really a plain Jane. She just wasn't tall and model Slender and blonde. Alex certainly had a very powerful obsession with her. Everyone could tell he was in love with her, except Sara. I like when the hero is crazy about the heroine, but she's a bit oblivious (but not in a she thinks she's too good for him kind of way). Alex is definitely a Lynne Graham hero but he's not quite as arrogant as some of hers run. He seems a bit more vulnerable. I think there would have been less trouble for them both if he had just been honest with Sara about being in love with her. Instead, he was sending out all these mixed signals and getting mad at her because he thought she was still stuck on her ex-fiance.

Glad I did a reread when I did.

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Taggart's Woman by Carole Mortimer

Taggart's Woman by Carole Mortimer
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I don't think I was really in the mood for this when I read it. Sometimes I think I'm in the mood for old school HP and maybe I want something more modern and vice versa. Sometimes you want the best of both worlds. Maybe I wanted that when I read it. What I did like was that it's not toe-tipping on some issues and it was surprisingly frank in the fact that Heather's aunt-in-law was cheating on her husband and everyone knew it but the uncle. And his reaction towards the end when there is a huge potential tragedy. Oh, wow!

I felt like Daniel was mean to Heather and you don't understand why. When you find out, it's kind of like, a weird, out of nowhere explanation. Heather's father was pretty awful. People like that shouldn't be parents. He made a choice to be in Heather's mother's life and to be a father to Heather. But he treated her like crap because she wasn't the son he wanted. What kind of man does that? Heather deserved better, and I kind of hate that her marriage had a similar tone of not being able to make her husband happy either, and his unwillingness to tell her what his deal was with her. I'm at a crossroads right now in my rating. I would have rated it highly if I wasn't as dissatisfied with Daniel's meanness towards Heather. Let's face it. A mean hero is par for the course with vintage HPs, but I have to be in the mood for it. I think I'll give this 3.5/5.0 stars. It's good and has quite a bit to offer, but in the end, it wasn't completely satisfying in all ways.

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Island of the Heart by Sara Craven

Island of the Heart by Sara Craven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a ho-hum read for me. I didn't like the characters all that much. Flynn is a mean jerk for most of the book. I can deal with a jerk hero who seems to be head over heels for the heroine and that's why he's a jerk. In this case, it was hard to believe he was so crazy in love with Sandie. His excuse for how he was treating her was pretty darn lame. Sandie seems very immature. I really didn't like that one point she seemed like she was considering having an affair with Crispin even though she knew he was married. I just can't stomach adultery and while Sandie is young and inexperienced, I disliked that she was even thinking about getting with Crispin for a hot minute. Other than the characters not being likable, there's really not enough substance to this story for my tastes. While music is always an appealing element to a story, the music didn't add that much to it for my tastes. I am a pretty big fan of Sara Craven, but this one left me underwhelmed. It wasn't terrible, just not anything that stood out in this book for me.

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The Sicilian's Mistress by Lynne Graham

The Sicilian's Mistress by Lynne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another older Lynne Graham novel that slipped through the cracks for me. I read this one today and it was a nice way to while away some relaxation time. Graham sets a tone that is emotionally charged and involving. Gianni wasn't exactly my favorite person for most of the book, but I did see how his early childhood set him up for being the less than ideal lover in that he's not able to communicate in a healthy way. He's deeply emotionally locked up and Milly wore herself out practically trying to batter against his walls. She wasn't aware how much progress she'd made before a terrible misunderstanding caused them to separate the first time. Gianni makes a lot of excuses for his behavior, acting as though he's being rational throughout, while he distrusts Faith/Milly's more honest emotional approach. By the end of the book, it was clear that he loved Milly very much even though he wasn't able to accept that fact until it was almost too late.

At times, I didn't like that Milly was so emotionally vulnerable to Gianni and pretty much did what he wanted for the most part. However, it was clear that Milly didn't have any disillusions about who she was and what she valued or wanted for her life. Milly was in a tough situation having lost her memory and found that she had left a lot of pain behind her in her pre-memory loss life.

I made one of my reading resolutions to read more Harlequin Presents book this year than I did last year. My HP reading was at a near all-time low last year because of many things, but I hope to rectify that this time around. This is my 2nd this year and I really liked both of them. Of course, I consider Lynne Graham a very reliable author, which is why I pull her out when I want a sure HP vacation.

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One Hour of Magic by Melinda Cross

One Hour of Magic by Melinda Cross
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Wow. I really liked this book. The intensity and character development was fantastic. I like how the layers pull back and you can see more and more about both characters. Daniel was definitely a deep guy. He was like the Beast to Holly (even though she didn't consider herself beautiful)'s Beauty. He was super-grumpy and angry and initially, it gave me a way different impression of him, but as Holly's perception changes, so did mine. That was very clever storytelling.

As I get older, I get jaded about the power and the allure of romance. I really crave a true blue romance with deep, powerful emotions and a strong bond between the couple. I always go back to Harlequin Presents because they are short novels, but they have the desired intensity in the short format, when done right. This one was done right. On the surface, Daniel doesn't seem as accessible a hero to the one in Pulse of the Heartland, but he's ten times the man that Nick was. I love characters who feel things deeply, especially when still waters run deep, or when they are just intense by nature. Daniel was a little of both. I liked how he challenged Holly to come out of her safe zone and to see the world deeper and differently.

I like heroes who are very strongly attracted to the heroine, but I want it from a "Can't Live Without Her" perspective as opposed to just scratching an itch. At first you can't tell which is driving Daniel. But the reveal gave me goosebumps. The end was so touching and it really ends this book on a high note. I'm not afraid to admit I did cry a little.

This one is worth tracking down if you can.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.

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Element of Risk by Robyn Donald

Element of Risk by Robyn Donald

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


**Disclaimer:  This book does involve past adultery between the lead characters. I pretty much hate adultery in romance novels. I avoid those storylines when I can.  But this sounded very interesting, and the adultery does seem to fall into the accidental category, if that can be said about marital cheating.   One of the reasons I rated this four stars is because Donald takes this novel to deep waters.  What you think you know about the characters gets turned on its ear before everything is over.  And initially, while one might tend to think of the wife as the victim, you will find out soon that it's not the case at all.  Perdita is a strong woman, and I loved seeing that she went from vulnerable teenager to independent, self-actualized mature woman with her own life and her own finances. She goes back to confront Luke and to get acquainted on her own terms, willing to tangle with Luke in order to have the chance to know her children.

I liked this book quite a bit. I think the strength of it was that the author really allowed the reader to walk in Perdita's shoes. That was hugely crucial, considering that she's effectively an adulteress. And while I hate adultery, I couldn't judge her or even Luke for that matter.  I'm not saying that I'm sanguine about the situation.  But by the end of the book, I had to come to terms with everything.  I won't spoil, but the deceased wife definitely doesn't come out of this looking like a martyr or smelling like roses.  Luke did annoy me quite a bit, but he grew on me by the end of the book. He was as much as a victim as Perdita was, and he did really care about his children, loved his wife, and much to his chagrin, loved Perdita.  There were a lot of ugly words thrown at Perdita, considering that she was underage (at least according to my standards--16-17) when it happened, but she held her own, and Luke wasn't really as much of a b*stard as he could have been (especially by old school Robyn Donald standards).

The dynamic with the twins was interesting, as Perdita got to know them, and they got to know her.  The ending was a bit weird with what happens, but that's just me.

I give this four stars because it meets my criteria for a very good Harlequin Presents:  well written, angsty, dramatic, likable heroine, intense storyline. I wanted to keep reading and I wasn't in a hurry to finish it. It's a plus that the hero has to admit his love for Perdita fairly sooner than usual in these books.

This is on Kindle (and that's the format I read). It's worth checking out as long as adultery of any kind isn't completely a no-no for a reader. Normally I pass it by, but this was a good book and the adultery wasn't rationalized or dismissed as immaterial.



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The Vengeance Affair by Carole Mortimer

The Vengeance Affair by Carole Mortimer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


It took me a while to read this because of other stuff going on. This was pretty good. I think the name is hugely misleading. That's not what this book is about at all.  It's nothing that exciting.  Beau Garrett is a talk show host who is recuperating in the boonies after a life threatening accident.  He hires female landscaper, Jaz Logan, who is living under the shadow of her mother running off with someone else's husband.  They strike up an uneasy friendship that turns into love.

Beau is a bit of a misanthrope.  Jaded and sophisticated, and fairly grumpy.  Jaz is highly stressed with all the burdens she's had to carry her life, dealing a shame forced on her just because she is the daughter of her mother.  They find an unlikely connection that isn't just physical.  Beau knows he's too old for her, and Jaz feels that she's not sophisticated enough for Beau.  But there seems to be something that continue pulls them together.

I didn't think this was terribly exciting. It was okay. Not bad, but not particularly distinctive.  Books like this make you wonder how the writer felt when they were writing it. If I'm not excited as a reader, are they while they are writing it. Being creative is hard and lonely work.  You need to feel a drive to finish that work. If the results turn out blah, doesn't the author feel that when they are in the midst of its creation?  I digress.  So, yes this is just a three star read from me.  It kept my interest, but not in a spectacular way. It was a good read before bedtime. 



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Wife by Contract, Mistress by Demand by Carole Mortimer

Wife By Contract, Mistress By Demand by Carole Mortimer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Does step-sibs getting together turn you off?  You might still like this book.  Gabriella fell like a ton of bricks for her new stepbrother Rufus.  He saw it and ultimately gave into her amorous advances. Well sort of.  Then he walks away.  From then on, Gabriella hates him.  Five years later, they are brought back together by a clause in Rufus' father's will that states if they don't marry, Rufus will lose control of the family business, a department store chain, and fifty million dollars to his feckless cousin.  Gabriella gets half of the fortune if she marries and lives with Rufus for six months and she gets ownership of the restaurant in the London store. The problem is she can't stand Rufus and he doesn't respect her. He thinks she's a gold-digger, like her mother (who wasn't) and his ex-wife, who he had to buy off to get custody of his then infant daughter.  Gabriella has another incentive to marry Rufus. She can't stand his cousin since an altercation that occurred three months prior, and the idea of his inheriting is detestable and the implications it would have for her.  Can they make a marriage work, even for such a short time?

I liked this a lot. I admit I was a bit turned off by how Gabrielle just melts like a ton of bricks whenever Rufus touches her.  It doesn't shed the best light on a heroine who is so gaga over someone who thinks so little of her.  However, that's more or less standard vintage HP fare, and I think that it's apparent that she's still deeply in love with Rufus, although her so-called loved has appeared to turn into hate.  I would have liked Rufus to treat her better and not be such a jerk to her, even though I knew it was because he did have feelings for her and was afraid to feel for her, due to the situation with his ex. 

I really liked Gabriella.  She had grown into a pretty strong woman and had a good head on her shoulders.   I liked that she was a chef and made a pretty good career for herself in the five years (although she did have a financial crisis that made her need a loan from her step-dad, which of course made her look bad to Rufus).  She managed to hold her own against Rufus, for the most part, although she did have a bad case of putty knees for him.  I like how she gently takes on the role of stepmother to a reluctant and spoiled stepdaughter who really does need to have more discipline for a father who spoils her too much.

I gave this four stars because it had drama, passion and angst, and a likable heroine.  Rufus was a bit of a jerk, but with this line, that's not a deal breaker.  A nice older HP to keep me busy for a couple of hours.



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Shattered Dreams by Jacqueline Baird

Shattered Trust by Jacqueline Baird

My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars


This was intense like I like my Harlequin Presents.  I honestly didn't like Nick at all initially. I totally thought the worst of him.  But then there would be moments where he looked so devastated and heartbroken.  I sort of guessed what his issue was partway into the book, and that he was trying to push Abby away.  I also felt he must be deeply in love with her and that's why he was trying to get them back together. It was heartbreaking to see Nick interact with the son he had rejected four years before.  But I could see why Abby didn't trust him and certainly didn't want to fall back in love with him, since it had cost her so much the first time around.  This book really makes you believe the hero was a cheater, but hang in there if you don't like cheating.  It all turns out well.

I liked that both lead characters are so three-dimensional.  You see all their traits, even the ones that aren't as pretty, such as Abby's jealousy of other women.  Although that is really understandable, considering the situation.  I like that Baird shows Nick at his worst, but allows the reader to gain the ability to think favorably about Nick and believe he loves his family and his wife.  He was a very tortured guy and that came across very clearly.  I think this is one of the HPs where you can feel just as strongly about the hero and the heroine.

Books like these are why I avidly reach for the older Harlequin Presents. They really bring the emotion and intensity for the reader. 

Overall rating: 4.25/5.0 stars.



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Pulse of The Heartland by Melinda Cross

Pulse of the Heartland by Melinda Cross

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I liked this, but at the same time, I didn't love the hero. He came off as a jerk from the beginning.  I don't mind a hero who torments the heroine (in a gentle way like the boy at school who teases the girl he likes), but his attitude of entitlement and his overweening arrogance killed it for me.  I almost felt like Nick was considered perfect with no faults, but Emily had to justify herself for her practices and beliefs because they were wrong.  I guess I felt like there was a sexist overtone to this book (and a little bit of the "traditional woman is the right kind of woman" vibe to this that irritated me).  I'm not saying that Emily couldn't use a different viewpoint, but how much did Nick try to understand her or show acceptance for who she was and why she lived life that way? Not much. From the beginning, Nick seemed like he was on a mission to change her or shake her up.  I think I might have felt somewhat better if Nick had ever said that he loved her or in his pursuing  of Emily, he showed more than purely lust or sexual attraction. It seemed like he was all about getting her into bed.

I wasn't very satisfied with the ending of this book.  It left a bad taste in my mouth because no words of love were said, and Emily was the one who was doing all the giving up and submitting (other than Nick staying in town).  While submitting isn't a bad word (depending on the root of the act), her submission didn't feel right to me.

I tend to over-think things and I know that I am thinking about this book from a personal vantage point because I do have issues with the perception of women in society and the persistent view that all women need to fit the same mode in relationship with men.   Marriages and relationships don't always have to follow the same model, but it seemed as though being with Nick had to be according to his terms, and that's always wrong to me.  I feel that love should be about mutual submission. I would have love to see Nick do some of the surrendering in this book. 

** Part of men thinks the nice brown eyed guy she danced with a lot at the block party might have been a good choice for Emily. I guess we'll never know.

It's not a badly written book at all. It's good, but the underlying message that came across didn't work for me.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.



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Pulse of the Heartland by Melinda Cross

I liked this, but at the same time, I didn't love the hero. He came off as a jerk from the beginning.  I don't mind a hero who torments the heroine (in a gentle way like the boy at school who teases the girl he likes), but his attitude of entitlement and his overweening arrogance killed it for me.  I almost felt like Nick was considered perfect with no faults, but Emily had to justify herself for her practices and beliefs because they were wrong.  I guess I felt like there was a sexist overtone to this book (and a little bit of the "traditional woman is the right kind of woman" vibe to this that irritated me).  I'm not saying that Emily couldn't use a different viewpoint, but How much did Nick try to understand her or show acceptance for who she was and why she lived life that way. From the beginning, Nick seemed like he was on a mission to change her or shake her up.  I think I might have felt somewhat better if Nick had ever said that he loved her or did pursuing in a way that didn't seem purely lust or sexual.

I wasn't very satisfied with the ending of this book.  It left a bad taste in my mouth because no words of love were said, and Emily was the one who was giving up and submitting.  While submitting isn't a bad word (depending on the root of the act), her submission didn't feel right to me.

I tend to over-think things and I know that I am thinking about this book from a personal vantage point because I do have issues with the perception of women in society and the persistent view that all women need to fit the same mode in relationship with me.   Marriages and relationships don't always have to follow the same model, but it seemed as though being with Nick had to be according to his terms, and that's always wrong to me.  I feel that love should be about mutual submission. I would have love to see Nick do some of the surrendering in this book. 

** Part of thinks the nice brown eyed guy she danced with a lot at the block party might have been a good choice for Emily. I guess we'll never know.

It's not a badly written book at all. It's good, but the underlying message that came across didn't work for me.

Siirocco by Anne Mather

Sirocco (Mills & Boon Vintage Modern) by Anne Mather

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mixed feelings about this one.  I think that it's a lot of fun reading vintage Harlequin Presents, because it's a window into the past.  I get a kick out of the characters wearing clothes that will never (let's hope) be in fashion again, and I can visualize they way they look. For instance, Alexis is quite fond of velvet suitcoats and silk trousers.  Not something that you can get away with now unless you are deliberately channeling 70s pimp. 

Overall, this is pretty strong writing. I just didn't like Alexis, at all. I thought he was manipulative to the extreme.  While I will be the first admit I like stalkerific heroes, I felt like he was stalkerish in a very unsexy and offputting way. I know the difference between fiction and fantasy, and it's appealing when the hero is obsessed with the heroine, as long as he's not controlling and manipulative about it, and he's clearly not stalking every mode she makes.  After Rachel helps him the first night, he is pretty much following her every day or has his servants doing it. He knows where she works, who her roommate is, and other pertinent information that made him seem like a scary guy who might do Rachel harm.  I also didn't like how sexually aggressive he was.  Rachel made it clear she was engaged, and Alexis did everything he could to destroy her relationship with her fiance'. While her fiance' was a big time tool, that wasn't right.  I guess for me, the difference in why a hero can be stalkerific in a good way or just a plain old creepy stalker is unselfish love and concern for the heroine.  I still didn't really believe Alexis loved Rachel at the end of this story.  I think he was strongly attracted to her and obsessed, but I didn't get a sense of "I would die for you" kind of love from Alexis.

I agree with another reviewer that the descriptions of the Arab people in Alexis' family and his servants was a bit on the racist side.  At least stereotypical. That was a turnoff as well.

So let's talk about what I liked. I did like Rachel, although I wish she wasn't such a pushover.  It was pretty odd how the author hints at the fast that her fiance' is selfish enough to expect manual gratification but doesn't reciprocate. He doesn't seem to find Rachel sexy to me.  I wondered about that. I felt like maybe he wasn't attracted to her, or that he was possibly gay.  I still don't know about it.  But I did like Rachel. I think she deserved better than both her ex and Alexis, personally.

I think the love scenes were pretty good, but too bad I felt like Rachel was coerced into sexual situations moreso than truly voluntary.   So that did take the blush off the rose for me.

I'm sure many vintage HP fans will like this more than me. The hero really kind of killed it for me. Otherwise, it was a diverting blast from the past.




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Glass Slippers and Unicorns by Carole Mortimer

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I'm torn on the rating for this book. It was cute, indeed.  I expected a lighter romp when I reached for this, but it wasn't quite as light as I expected.  It's one of those books that it's hard to age.  The storyline is more on the modern side, but there are aspects that make it feel more vintage. I didn't expect for Darcy's absent-minded facade to hide serious emotional scars from an event that happened six months prior. 

It took me a while to figure out Reed. I thought he was hiding feelings for Darcy, but it seemed like he was still tomcatting around. At least, he had stuff at his recent ex-girfriend's house that he had left there.  That implies they were sleeping together. I'm hesitant to believe in people being in love when they are still sleeping with other people.  Some may feel differently, but when it comes to romance, I'm a stickler for that sort of thing.  In the end, his beautiful gesture to Darcy won me over. He's actually quite the closet romantic.

I like how even in her older books, Carole Mortimer manages to write very sensual even when things aren't descriptive. That was another reason why it was hard to date this book.  I was surprised at Reed's family's acceptance of him bringing over girls and sharing a room with them.  That's part of why I was questioning the age of this book. I didn't think this would happen much in a pre-1990s book.

I really liked Darcy. I think that her struggles to recover from a very traumatic experience are poignant. I also liked her because she was very sweet.

It's a silly thing, but I get a little disapointed when the hero in a HP book is American. I think Reed is about half and half, but I figured he spoke with an American accent. I miss my British heroes.  It's part of why I like HP books.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars  ( I wasn't quite as satisfied with this, hence the lower rating)






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An Arabian Courtship by Lynne Graham

An Arabian Courtship by Lynne Graham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I suppose I have read this, but I don't remember. That's fine, because I liked experiencing it without any preconceived notions.  I liked this quite a bit.  Polly is young, but she's doesn't act addle-brained as some of Graham's more recent heroines. Don't get me wrong, I love LG's books, but sometimes I wish she didn't seem to make them so silly (especially over the hero because he's so good-looking).  Polly in a difficult situation, having essentially been sold into marriage by her greedy father (who has gotten his family into dire financial straits, with four younger children and a wife of delicate constitution).  Polly believes she has no chance for love, since her true love doesn't see her as anything but a friend.  When she meets her future husband, Raschid, she might be impressed by his good looks, but his personality leaves a lot to ask for.  Plus, he makes it seem like she'll be living in a modern version of purdah.  But she can't really say no. Polly is nervous and drinks a bit too much at the wedding, so she doesn't make the best example of herself at the wedding.  So far their marriage is off to a very bad start.  It's pretty certain that Polly won't have to worry about losing her heart to her husband.  Or so it seems.

I will always like arranged marriage and marriage of convenience books. It's a great way to put two people into very close proximity and where they are forced to build a relationship without any expectations of insta-love or sex.  Raschid was far from likable at first, but he wasn't trying to be.  It turns out that he's a very good man.  Deeply honorable and with a core of kindness that over time Polly gets a chance to see.  Like many of Graham's heroines, Raschid doesn't know what hits him.  His silly English bride who he at first thinks the worst of, steals his heart in a big way, and with him determined never to fall in love.  His first marriage, also arranged, went very badly, and he still has some very deep wounds that haven't healed.  Polly is haunted by the spectre of his so-called perfect first wife (traditional and culturally appropriate to Raschid), and she thinks that Raschid's rejection is out of his enduring love for his wife.    I felt sympathetic to Polly and for her in this tough situation.  I couldn't imagine how tough it was to have so much of a change in culture she was experiencing, plus with a husband who can't seem to stand her.  Over time, her viewpoint shows that things aren't as black and white.

I liked that this was a bit more serious than some of her newer books, with a more mature-seeming hero who isn't a womanizer or playboy.  At first, I didn't like the way he was treating Polly, but there was a good explanation for that.  I think it's more than evident before the book ends how much he loves Polly.  I almost always like Lynne Graham's heroines, and I did like Polly quite a bit.

It's a good one worth tracking down for Lynne Graham fans.



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Nanny for Christmas by Sara Craven

A Nanny for Christmas by Sara Craven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute Christmas book. It seemed a little lighter than usual for Sara Craven, until the evil ex shows up and it gets real. And that woman was wretched! I can't imagine how much Dominic regrets marrying her, except for his daughter. When it's just Phoebe, Dominic and Tara, this almost has a sweet feel, a family oriented holiday romance. It's nicely steamy in parts, but appropriate to the subject matter. Phoebe is perfectly likable, an orphan with a bit of a Cinderellaesque feel. Dominic is a hot dad who is on the intense side. And Tara seems troubled, missing the love of a mother. It works perfectly well for a reader looking for a holiday themed contemporary romance including children. Enough said.

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Don't Ask Me Now by Emma Darcy

Don't Ask Me Now by Emma Darcy
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This is a bonafide love triangle book. Not all that common in Harlequin Presentslandia. Usually the hero is undeniably one man and there's no question that another could claim the heroine's affections. It was kind of a cool twist, actually. The real hero is one that you might not expect at first. Darcy seems to have read plenty of HPs where the heroine moves from the dangerously sexy, irresistible man who broke her heart to a safe, nice man. But something was missing. And her heart seemed to call her back to the 'bad boy' and away from 'safe.' She turns that on its head with this book.

Disclaimer: What I'm going to say in this review isn't quite a spoiler, but it might be!

I'm glad. I couldn't stand Cathy's ex. He was a jerk and user. He was so smug and arrogant and had no respect for boundaries. He was touching the heroine sexually in public, knowing it would cause her discomfort. That's not cool. I was so glad that she came to her senses and realized that sometimes a compulsive attraction to someone isn't always the same thing as true, sustainable love. She realizes it almost too late. I was glad that this point she realizes that Thomas isn't just the safe guy who helped her get back on her feet, but he's a man that is truly worthy of her love.

The descriptions of Cathy's relationship with Anthony are pretty detailed and it's kind of twisted for an older Harlequin Presents. I suppose it's par for the course with an Emma Darcy book. They seemed to be more daring for the time.

This was pretty good, but I don't much care for love triangles, to be honest. And the fact that there was a slight question who the heroine was going to end up with makes it not quite my taste. Others may appreciate it more than I did. I can't deny it's well written though.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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The Winter Bride by Lynne Graham

The Winter Bride by Lynne Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is classic Lynne Graham. The heroine is sweet and downtrodden, desperately in love with the hero. The hero had some unexpected depth. He's a tycoon, but has angst from the loss of his wife. It seems like Leo used and dumped her, but he was actually in love with her as well, although he felt guilty that she was barely of age. When they meet again, Angie doesn't want to be bothered with this man who dumped her so callously. She doesn't think he would care that she had his child, especially when she was told he didn't care about her back in the day. Leo actually thinks she had his cousin's child instead, which is ridiculous, considering that she's blond and so is the cousin. But his jealousy clouds his mind. Their reunion is complicated by the fact that his grandfather and her father's employer wants to see her, and her troubled relationship with her estranged father.

This one has a lot of family drama and the angst level is good. As always, the heroine is likable, and the hero seems jerky at first, but turns out to be a good guy, so you root for their happy ending together.

No reason at all to give this less than four stars.

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The Hawk and the Lamb by Susan Napier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked how the whole set up builds suspense, but it's in a lighter, humorous way. I'm a sucker for that spy vibe, so I enjoyed it. Elizabeth is clearly way out of her depth as a spy, but she's clearly good enough to keep the hero guessing. I agree with one of my friends that the description of the hero in a tight swimming briefs didn't sound that appealing to me, and he sounds kind of skeevy with the earring and the abundant chest hair. However, I felt the chemistry was well done, and it was nice touch the the heroine feared being too passionate because of her first and last lover making her feel bad that her libido was much stronger than his (he was older). I felt the way that Elizabeth wigged out near the near was kind of weird and melodramatic. It was tension the story really didn't need.

Not my favorite by this wonderful author, but still a four star read.

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