Table of Contents

Coming Soon

Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood 

Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood

Slow Burn by Julie Garwood

Shadow Music by Julie Garwood

Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (historical romance)

An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James (historical)

My Fair Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren (historical)

Texas Princess by Jodi Thomas (western)

Beyond Seduction by Stephanie Laurens

Tangled up in You by Rachel Gibson

Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood 

High tech beauty Jordan Buchanan is bored with her safe, carefully managed life.  When challenged at her best friend’s wedding by family friend, Noah Clayborne, to make a spontaneous decision, she rushes off to a small town in Texas to pick up some family history from an annoying historian.  Her life takes a shocking turn when the obnoxious professor ends up dead in the trunk of her car and the local sheriff arrests her.    Luckily for Jordan, her brother the FBI agent and his partner (Noah) show up within hours of her arrest and soon the sheriff and the small town are being shaken up and shook down.  I liked this book better than Slow Burn, but was felt the characters were both too smoothed out ( I guess to make them more into romance leads).  I would have found them both more interesting if they had kept more of the personalities they had when they were secondary characters.   Jordan is not convincing as a high tech guru either, but I suppose that’s really only clear if you live surrounded by nerds the way I do.  Still, not a bad a read and the plot was exciting at the end, and the romance sweet.  **** By C. C. Moore

Heartbreaker by Julie Garwood

Don’t be confused by the genre of these books!  Julie Garwood is still a romance writer, and this book has more to do with romance than mystery, but that being said…the mystery isn’t too darn bad and the thriller part is written pretty darn well.  When a madman confesses to Father Tom Madden that he is going to torture and kill his sister Laurent, Tom calls in his best friend FBI agent Nick Buchanan ( a hunk with a gun, of course.)  Nick rushes to provide 24hr protection to Tom’s beautiful and vulnerable sister who is just trying to make a new life for herself in the little town of Holy Oaks.  The heart between these two is evident and well done, and the ending is heart stopping tense.  A fun, thrilling romance with characters that will make you smile and cheer.  **** by C.C. Moore

Slow Burn by Julie Garwood

Kate MacKenna sells candles and lives in a small town…so why are bombs exploding everywhere she goes?  Who could want Kate dead and why?  Worried about her best friend, Jordan Buchanan sends her brother Dylan (a police detective recovering from a near fatal shooting) to look after Kate.   Dylan is reckless, and too charming for comfort, but soon he is the only one standing between Kate and a killer who will stop at nothing.   This is another enjoyable thriller romance from Julie Garwood, and another part of her “Buchanan” series.   Kate is spunky and Dylan is sexy…and though there is never any doubt in the reader’s mind what the ending will be, the romance works without being too predictable.  I thought the plot was a bit overdone in this one, and the bad guys way to “bad” and unreasoning.  I knew who the killer was a little too soon.  Still, the romance worked and it wasn’t a bad read.  *** By C. C. Moore

Shadow Music by Julie Garwood

At the end of her contemporary thriller, there is a story of the historic feud between the MacKenna clan and the Buchanan's.  In Shadow Music, Garwood take the reader back in time to tell the tale in romantic historical.  As many of you know, Garwood became famous with her wonderful historical romances and many of her fans have been waiting eagerly for her to return to the genre that made her a household name. Unfortunately, those same readers seem intensely unhappy with this new offering.  The reviews for this books are split between hating it and loving it, and it seems mostly to be based on the expectations of the readers. 

My opinion is with those who were disappointed. Princess Gabrielle of St. Biel comes to Scotland to be married, and finds herself embroiled in highland politics and a war between feuding clans.  Lots of baddies, lots of action, and some sizzle cannot save this novel from being mediocre at best.   *** by C.C. Moore

Ms. Woodiwiss is one of the founding writers of the historical romance genre, a master of the epic stories and sweeping romances that won many a woman's heart.  Woodiwiss was the first romance writer I ever read, and her early books were detailed, well researched, and always...always romantic.  Everlasting is her last book and holds true to the spirit of her best, most famous work. Though it is perhaps not as accomplished or lyrical as some of her classic, it is a compelling and wonderful romance.  Abrielle travels to King Henry's court so that her stepfather may receive the king's thanks.  They hope that he will grant them money or land, but instead Henry's famously fickle mood strikes and they end up with nothing.  Abrielle must then take the best offer of marriage to save her family.  Meanwhile Raven Seabern has come to think of her as his, and he will do anything it takes to make sure she is safe and in his arms.  *** By Suzanne L.

Horse breeder Tobin McMurray thinks it will be  simple task to teach the senator’s daughter, Liberty Mayfield, how to ride a horse.  When he finds her hiding in the barn from her brutal fiancé Captain Buchanan, he has a feeling that nothing about this job is going to be simple.  Thomas is a master of the western romance and fills her novels with characters that are vivid and unforgettable.  Tobin is strong but honorable, and Liberty has a heart of gold.  By Suzanne L ****1/2

My Fair Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren (historical)

Rafe Pendragon (the author doesn't win points on this cliché name…) is shocked when the prim widow Lady Julianna Hawthorne agrees to be his temporary mistress to secure her brother’s debts.  What surprises them both is the pleasure and passion they find in each other.  As love blooms between them, rivals plot to destroy Rafe and he must soon chose between desire and revenge.  Well, the hero’s name aside, this was a pretty good book.  I found the romance hot and the characters strong enough to be interesting. By Suzanne L  ****

An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James (historical) Nov 14th

Continuing her Desperate Duchesses characters, James weaves together three stories all showing different aspects of love.  Jemma is reunited with Poppy, both of whom are struggling with loves that seem to be lost forever.  Jemma and her husband barely talk, while Poppy is tired of lost love and has come to England to make a new life.  Meanwhile, the Duke of Villiers is healing from a near death wound, and he and Caroline turn friendship into something more during his recuperation.  Can these ladies find love everlasting?  James does a great job of weaving the three stories together into an enjoyable and sexy romp.  By Suzanne L ****1/2

Tangled Up in You by Rachel Gibson

The third book in Gibson's series, this one takes place in Truly, Idaho, the fictional town of her earlier book Truly Madly Yours (Avon Light Contemporary Romances). Maddie is a true crime reporter investigating the murder/suicide of her own mother and her mother's lover.  She comes to town under a false story and starts her investigation, but meanwhile finds herself attracted to handsome, rugged Mick, the owner of the same establishment where the scandal took place. 

Mick can't avoid getting tangled up in tantalizing Maddie, but the past will come up to haunt them both, and quite possibly tear them apart.

This is by no means a suspense novel, and though there is some mystery, the romance always take precedence.  With humor and a likable heroine, Tangled Up in You makes an enjoyable, lively read. By Suzanne L. ****

Gervase Tregarth, earl of Crowhurst has decided to find a wife.  His three high-spirited younger sisters ask him to find a local lady they can approve.  He finds Madeline Gascoigne, acting regent of nearby Treleaver Park, but she is hard to get know because of her very busy schedule.  Meanwhile Madeline's three younger brothers all get into the act, adding a certain chaos to this romp.  There is also two villains and a missing treasure to consider.  While the warm romance here is very enjoyable, the suspense aspect starts to feel overly melodramatic when you throw in two abductions and an overall silliness to the plot.  Still, fans of the Bastian novels will enjoy this slightly too familiar romp.

 Coming Soon

 Someday (Sunrise Series-Baxter 3, Book 3)by Karen Kingsbury (Author)
Release Date: February 5, 2008
 

 Strangers in Death (In Death)by J.D. Robb (Author)
Release Date: February 19, 2008

Dawn's Awakening (The Breeds, Book 4)by Lora Leigh (Author)
Release Date: February 5, 2008
 

Let Sleeping Rogues Lie (School for Heiresses)by Sabrina Jeffries (Author)
Publication Date: February 19, 2008

 Honor Thyself by Danielle Steel (Author)
Release Date: February 26, 2008
 

 To Seduce a Bride: A Novel by Nicole Jordan (Author)
Release Date: March 25, 2008
 

 Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas (Author)  Release Date: March 25, 2008

 The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn (Author) Release Date: May 27, 2008

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Our Rating System is a cumulative collection from not only our own reviewers but critical press and other booklovers. ***** A classic **** A great read *** The kind of book you can leave on a plane or pass to a friend ** Some might like this, but most don't * Universally panned and hated