Currently reading
The Horse Whisperer
Midnight in Your Arms
Far in the Wilds (A Spear of Summer Grass 0.5)
The Governess Affair (Brothers Sinister, #0.5)
WOW! This was so refreshing different!I loved that, Hugo, the male protagonist was such an atypical hero, being neither a nobleman nor the devastataingly handsome and charming rake. The heroine was also an underdog to root for, a woman who had been wronged and was determined to set things right, heedless of the personal sacrifice. I loved how the chemistry built between Hugo and Serena. It was wonderfully and believably done. My only quibble with the story was how so little was made of her pregnancy. It seemed like it should have surfaced in some manner either before or during their love scene. Rather the repercussion that Hugo would raise the despised duke's bastard son as his own appears not to have even entered either Hugo's or Serena's mind. It just seems like this should have been at least an internal debate with Hugo before he offered marriage, even if he and Serena didn't discuss it with one another. I guess I had a hard time believing what a non-issue it was in their relationship.
Overall, however, it was a great story and I look forward to the series that will follow.
Dream Lover
I rarely read contemporary romance but found the dream element in this story fascinating. This is a paranormal romance in which the heroine has a recurrent dream that she is murdered but it is always followed by a second dream of a highly erotic nature. After suffering for a year with her dreams she finally seeks help from a dream center and discovers that the doctor who attends her, a man she has never met, is also having erotic dreams in which she is his lover. The plot deals with the parallel lives of another pair of lovers from one hundred years earlier, but I don't wish to spoil anything by saying much more. This was a romantic escape read that I highly enjoyed. Recommended for those who enjoy time travel romances and stories of that nature.
At this time, this title is available for $1.50 on Kindle.
The Devil You Know (The Devil DeVere #3)
DISCLAIMER: I wrote this under my erotic pseudonym Victoria VaneTHE SEDUCTION:
She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell her budding arousal and would relish bringing her to full bloom. God, how he loved this dance! She had taken the first tentative steps, yet she still fought her desire, refused to give in to it, but he would lead her now. He was a master and a ruthless bastard.
This was a light-hearted and very well-written erotic romance novella in which the strait-laced hero and reckless heroine reminded me a good bit of Hew and Vesta in THE VIRGIN HUNTRESS.Although the sex in this novella was very advanced for the level of the heroine's experience, I have come to accept this as par for the course when reading "erotic" romance.
I would still like to have had more story and character development but the writing was wonderful. I will very likely read more titles by this author in the near future.
I will say first that the author is an excellent writer. If you are seeking historical erotica this would absolutely and wonderfully fit the bill.However (for me) this story sadly lacked the depth and development that I seek in romances. The sex came first and foremost with no true emotional connection between the charaacters until much later in the story. They basically married because they had sex.
I also felt the heroine was by far too accepting and eager to do unusual things to be believable.
Although I certainly don't mind graphic sex, I prefer for it to be portrayed within the context of a loving relationship. Otherwise I really don't enjoy it. This is just my personal preference.
The Virgin Huntress (The Devil DeVere #2)
**NOW AVAILABLE**I wrote this novella under my erotic romance pseudonym, Victoria Vane. This is the second title in the Devil DeVere series and a delightfully light-hearted romantic romp!
One of my Favorite Scenes between Hew and Vesta:
"But it is so large and swollen, is it painful?
"No, just uncomfortable. Now, may we stop discussing my ���" the appropriate word for feminine ears failed him.
"Phallus?" she offered. "That is what the grooms call it."
"Why are you eavesdropping on grooms?"
"I used to watch the stallions leaping the mares."
"You what!" Hew almost choked.
"Well, how else is a girl with no mother supposed to get any education? Although I doubt Mama would have told me very much. So there's really no reason to be timid, Hew. I already know all about the mating process. And to the best of my knowledge, the stallions never 'ignored it until it went away.' Please feel free to relieve yourself of it. I would even help you if you would like. I'm not the least afraid for I have seen much larger ones."
As many of you already know, two and a half years ago I founded a Goodreads group called ROMANTIC HISTORICAL FICTION LOVERS(http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/33864to ) bring to the forefront books that exemplify the very best combination of history and romance. Since that time our group has expanded into Facebook, and we have recently started our own book review blog. http://romantichistoricallovers.wordpress.com)
The purpose of each of these endeavors has been to feature the best representations of romantic historical fiction in all of it's various sub-genres. DEFIANT by Pamela Clare is a shining example of this kind of book.
Powerful and gripping in its unfurling, DEFIANT is a beautifully written and emotionally compelling love story set within an impeccably drawn historical setting. It truly epitomizes the best of romantic historical fiction. Brava, Ms. Clare!
Link to RHFL review: http://romantichistoricallovers.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/defiant-by-pamela-clare/
This was a gripping and emotionally charged story from the first page. The developing romance was engaging and tender. It was sweet torture how the author kept the hero and heroine apart but the anticipation made it all the more satisfying and passionate when they finally came together. Highly recommended to lovers of Scottish Historical/ Highlander romances.
I found this non-fiction memoir a truly fascinating and inspiring read. I have known only a handful of severely hearing impaired/deaf people in my life and have never really imagined what day to day life would be like without the gift of hearing. I am amazed at how the author has adapted and carried on a fairly "normal" life. Indeed I met this author and intereacted with her for almost a year through Goodreads before I ever became aware of her hearing impairment. Her story is related anecdotally from age five and jumps around a bit but I was very engaged from the start and finished wanting to know more. I also read the book in one sitting. I highly recommend this book but especially to anyone who has any interaction at all with the disabled, particulalry with the hearing impaired.
Grace Burrowes is a gifted writer. I found myself frequently re-reading paragraphs or bits of dialogue out of appreciation for her eloquence of expression.She layers her stories with emotion and seems to uniquely embrace the subtleties of not just the developing romance between the h/h but the various familial relationships that impact her characters lives.
This book is a romance between missionaries and clearly inspirational. There is much prayer and discussion of the Christian faith but it is placed very well within the context of the story. The faith of the hero and heroine also plays a large part in the romance and is challenged in many ways. The author's research into both the era (post WWI)and the place (Liberia) appears impeccable and parts of the story had me almost holding my breath. (How many of us deal with cannibals in our work, after all?)
I think this an excellent read for those seeking an inspirational love story with a well depicted historial setting.
A Wild Night's Bride (The Devil DeVere #1)
ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES:DeVere, on the other hand, evinced no such qualms. He had already loosened his cravat and was stripping off his coat.
"As I said earlier, there is no need," Phoebe insisted. "A couple of buttons and a raised petticoat are all the business requires."
"How delightfully unromantic you are, my dear!" He chuckled. "But while most men would be charmed to comply with your simple wishes, I have quite another game in mind. One that most definitely requires you to disrobe."
"But what if I don't want to?"
"Oh but you will," he said with a smug smile.
She glared. "You are very sure of yourself!"
He studied his buffed fingernails. "I am sure of Ned. Thus, we must put on a convincing show."
Her brows came together in a deep scowl. "What do you mean? What has Ned to do with this?"
"Everything. And at any moment, I expect him to burst through that door like a raging bull."
The Captain and the Courtesan
I thought the story was a bit too short for the romance to be believable but was also surprisingly low on the heat scale. I really would not call this an erotic read although it's what I had expected given the title. It was very well written, however, and I would certainly read this author's other work.
Speaking strictly as erotica, this book definitely fills the bill. It is extremely titillating with a variety of explicit sex scenes with multiple partners/combinations accompanied by graphic detail and language. It would make an excellent accompaniment for a mechanical boyfriend if that was what one was seeking. LOL! I've never read menage or M/M sex scenes so this was rather eye opening to me. Just don't know if it's really my cuppa.
From a story point of view, I feel like this lacked relationship development. We began with established relationships between the two men who were both supposedly in love with Kate, but we never saw HOW any of this came about. It was all telling. For me this was an essential component that was lacking if one were reading this as a romance.
Also the female characters' speech and behavior is not at all true to the times, especially the young girl Veronica as her language is vulgar and behavior very forward. This bothers me because I am such a history junkie and love accurate period details in my reading.
