recently read romance novels
Pretty decent but not outstanding batch of romance novels, with the exception of Venetia, which was excellent.
The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh: Part of Balogh's "Dark Angel" series, I believe, though I don't remember character names from the others well enough to spot the crossovers. This is best summed up as "Future duke hires governess to marry him so he can horrify his father with his unsuitable bride, things get out of his control." The latter part largely referring to the heroine deciding to fix all his family's problems and make him and his father talk to each other like sensible human beings of sound mind. Which is actually more interesting than the perfectly decent romance.
A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh: I like the concept of this one more than the actual book. The heroine (who has a Scandalous Past) enters into what is essentially a comfortable marriage of convenience with a man 10 years younger than her and the book is about roughly their first 2 years of marriage and the awkwardness of figuring out you love someone who you only expected to be (and were only supposed to be) comfortable friends with and figuring out if their feelings have changed to. Unfortunately, the end result is a bit dull when it shouldn't be, and the conflict that's evwntually introduced isn't one that I cared much for.
Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare: The first half of Dare's debut novel is entertaining, though only really stands out from every of Regency Historical by beiginning with the heroine essentially sexually assaulting the hero. (HERO: "Uhm...what...?" ME: "Uhm...what? Well, not exactly the norm...") The second half of the book consists of the leads having no clue what the other thinks or wants due to their not talking to each other while living under the same roof and jumping to conclusions. I'll check out Dare's other books (I have several) based on the entertaining bits, but I've read many better debut novels.
Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer: Entertaining, but I couldn't help comparing it to Lady of Quality, which was a lot more entertaining, and one of my favorite Heyers.
Venetia by Georgette Heyer: By far the favorite of my mot recently read Heyers. I was uncertain about it at first because it's a rake plot, but that becomes fairly irrelevant (aside from a bit of "I'm no good for you!" stuff later on) before long, and the leads become friends before they become lovers (even if one initially intended otherwise). Lots of great dialogue (my favorite bit is when the leads are trolling her uncle about orgies) and I like that most of the action takes place in the country in this one, instead of a city.
Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer: Also entertaining, but with a makeover plot, and I'm not fond of those. I did like that it was the guy who got the makeover, not the girl, but I feel that a lot of it was so that Cleone could Learn The Error Of Her Ways. Also, Cleone was absent for a lot of the book, and she and Philip didn't spend a lot of time together. It's an earlier Heyer, and it shows, especially in how the banter between the leads isn't up to Heyer's normal standards.
The Taming of the Rogue by Amanda McCabe: This has (I think) the questionable quality of being the first of McCabe's books I've read that's set in England, with both leads being British and having lived their entire lives in England. This is a fairly typical but enjoyable Elizabethan romance, spy hero and all. It's largely set apart by the heroine helping her father run his theatre (and less savory properties as well) and the hero being a playwright and actor, as opposed to either or both being nobility. Not my favorite of McCabe's books, but still pretty fun.
The Temporary Wife by Mary Balogh: Part of Balogh's "Dark Angel" series, I believe, though I don't remember character names from the others well enough to spot the crossovers. This is best summed up as "Future duke hires governess to marry him so he can horrify his father with his unsuitable bride, things get out of his control." The latter part largely referring to the heroine deciding to fix all his family's problems and make him and his father talk to each other like sensible human beings of sound mind. Which is actually more interesting than the perfectly decent romance.
A Promise of Spring by Mary Balogh: I like the concept of this one more than the actual book. The heroine (who has a Scandalous Past) enters into what is essentially a comfortable marriage of convenience with a man 10 years younger than her and the book is about roughly their first 2 years of marriage and the awkwardness of figuring out you love someone who you only expected to be (and were only supposed to be) comfortable friends with and figuring out if their feelings have changed to. Unfortunately, the end result is a bit dull when it shouldn't be, and the conflict that's evwntually introduced isn't one that I cared much for.
Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare: The first half of Dare's debut novel is entertaining, though only really stands out from every of Regency Historical by beiginning with the heroine essentially sexually assaulting the hero. (HERO: "Uhm...what...?" ME: "Uhm...what? Well, not exactly the norm...") The second half of the book consists of the leads having no clue what the other thinks or wants due to their not talking to each other while living under the same roof and jumping to conclusions. I'll check out Dare's other books (I have several) based on the entertaining bits, but I've read many better debut novels.
Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer: Entertaining, but I couldn't help comparing it to Lady of Quality, which was a lot more entertaining, and one of my favorite Heyers.
Venetia by Georgette Heyer: By far the favorite of my mot recently read Heyers. I was uncertain about it at first because it's a rake plot, but that becomes fairly irrelevant (aside from a bit of "I'm no good for you!" stuff later on) before long, and the leads become friends before they become lovers (even if one initially intended otherwise). Lots of great dialogue (my favorite bit is when the leads are trolling her uncle about orgies) and I like that most of the action takes place in the country in this one, instead of a city.
Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer: Also entertaining, but with a makeover plot, and I'm not fond of those. I did like that it was the guy who got the makeover, not the girl, but I feel that a lot of it was so that Cleone could Learn The Error Of Her Ways. Also, Cleone was absent for a lot of the book, and she and Philip didn't spend a lot of time together. It's an earlier Heyer, and it shows, especially in how the banter between the leads isn't up to Heyer's normal standards.
The Taming of the Rogue by Amanda McCabe: This has (I think) the questionable quality of being the first of McCabe's books I've read that's set in England, with both leads being British and having lived their entire lives in England. This is a fairly typical but enjoyable Elizabethan romance, spy hero and all. It's largely set apart by the heroine helping her father run his theatre (and less savory properties as well) and the hero being a playwright and actor, as opposed to either or both being nobility. Not my favorite of McCabe's books, but still pretty fun.