Sunday, April 02, 2006

MORE BOOKS READ (CONTINUED AGAIN)

Of course, I also read Romances, too. In keeping with the just-finished season, I read a couple of Christmas-related books:
The Brides of Christmas, a collection of three novellas by Jo Beverly, Margaret Moore, and Deborah Simmons, all set in the Middle Ages--all three were interesting and touched on different aspects of the Holiday celebrations of the period
To Marry at Christmas by Kasey Michaels--a reprint of a story from the 80's, really too sugary for today's tastes (a department store buyer and the son of the owner meet and at once (it seems) decide to get married)
A couple of the books were by very popular authors:
Red Lily by Nora Roberts--the conclusion of the In the Garden Trilogy, a nice finish to the ghost story and the romances
All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz--good romantic-suspense occurs when a young lady returns to her hometown at the request of a long-ago friend only to find her dead and the mystery of her own parents' death re-opened.
The rest of the romances read since January were historicals:
In Pursuit of a Proper Husband by Glenda Garland--a widow is attracted to the widower husband of her deceased friend, but secrets get in the way of their romance in this well-done Zebra Regency
Alas My Love by Edith Layton--a former street urchin, sent to Australia, has returned to England after amassing a fortune and sets out to find his possible family in this well-written story by the always reliable Ms. Layton; a most unusual hero
Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister-- another wacky "Regency" by the very amusing MacAlister, full of outrageous characters and malapropisms, misunderstandings and sensuous romance
Just Say Yes by Myretta Robens--charming story of a vicar's daughter who is attracted to a land steward who is really a Lord.

Since I started this topic, I have read a few more books:
Let It Be Love by Victoria Alexander--the latest in the Effington Family stories has moved on to the grown children of the original Effington characters; here Jonathan reneges on a promise to marry a desperate young lady, but then falls in love with her while they write a sensuous book about Gods and nymphs
This Rake of Mine by Elizabeth Boyle--a schoolteacher meets up with the man who had ruined her reputation by kissing her in public years before and gets involved with spies and murder as her three young lady charges attempt to match-make; I didn't like the hero at first, but he became more likeable as the book went along
Forever by Jude Deveraux--a Kentucky girl with the power of "True Persuasion" helps a Montgomery to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearance years before, while confronting witches in this unusual paranormal romance
Shadows in the Dark by Elaine Cunningham--a former vice cop now PI specializing in finding lost children is herself sought by evildoers as the heiress to enormous Powers (strong hints as to her heritage come from a character called Ian Forest who owns a club called Underhill) [a real page-turner!]