THY NAME IS LOVE
by Diana Rubino

Genre: Historical Romance

RT Rating;  3 stars

Set against the turmoil of 1471 England, Denys Woodville and Valentine Starbury’s love story is woven through
with the tangled historical threads of the War of the Roses in such a way that history and fiction merge.

Richard of Gloucester plays matchmaker to his friends Valentine, a knight, and Denys, King Edward’s niece. The queen wants Richard to wed Denys, but he marries his beloved Ann, leaving Denys and Val to marry at the king’s command.

Val and Denys are drawn into the conflict that arises when Edward dies and the Woodville followers face off with Richard III and his loyal knights, including Val.

As Richards allies, their lives become even more complicated, with Val as Chancellor of England and Denys as confidante to both Richard and Ann as they follow their destinies toward war.

Anglophiles will enjoy the depth of detail and the large cast of historical personages Ms. Rubino has included in her debut novel. We meet kings, queens, nobles and commoners, even Christopher Columbus, in this colorful tapestry.

THE SEA OF LOVE
by Sorcha MacMurrough
Genre: Historical Romance
Setting: Ireland, 1546

RT Rating: 4 stars

Aidanna O’Flaherty’s world is pitched into chaos when she is wrongfully accused of murdering her stepson. Her only ray of hope lies in the dashing, English-bred aristocrat Declan Burke. They are drawn together against the threat of Aidanna’s evil brother-in-law, and soon fall in love.

Their love is threatened when Declan is falsely accused of treason and thrown into the dreaded Tower. Aidanna must expose her enemy to save all she holds dear.

The Sea of Love is a captivating tale woven with rich settings and vivid characters. Aidann’s and Declan’s attraction is magnetic, and the suspenseful drama keeps a reader turning the pages

Love’s Sweet Song
Annabelle Stevens

Love’s Sweet Song brings us the story of two people meant to be together but kept apart by outside circumstances.

Through a series of gross misunderstandings, communication failures and lies, Angelica and Winston have lost each other. She marries his brother and they appear to have the happiest of unions.

All is not as it seems, though, as Winston discovers after a tragic accident kills his brother and niece. Resilient, Angelica will turn the tragedy around to bring her true love back within reach. Winston and Angelica share a tender, touching and special love.

- Romantic Times

This was one sizzling book. The chemistry between the characters sizzles from the moment they meet. The hero has amnesia and is blind after the Napoleonic war. As the heroine tries to help him adjust to his new life, and recall his old one, they are caught in a web of suspense and intrigue which is a terrific continuation of what has been going on in the first 3 books of The Rakehell Regency Romance series. The action in this romance propels us to the stunning next book, The Scarred Heart. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but if you love historical romances with mystery and suspense, this will certainly be one you will enjoy.
Alexander is scarred in body more than mind, but he is redeemed through Sarah’s love and willingness to take on his enemies, even if it means staring death right in the face. This author can REALLY write hot love scenes, and great characters. This is page turning romance at its best. I found myself remembering the characters in this book long after I had finished reading it, so that makes it a keeper for me.

This excellent series of Rakehell Regency Romance novels continues with the love story of Jonathan Deveril, the third of the Rakehells in the series we have met so far.

Jonathan has led a colorful life in the past, but thanks to the Peninsular War, has found God, and devoted himself to the Church, duty, and honor.

All of his good intentions are nearly undone when he meets Pamela Ashton, the most glamorous of the local Brimley beauties. He sees vast potential within her, if only she will use her head for more than just holding up her stylish hair-do.

Pamela starts falling in love with Jonathan almost before she realises it. Included in his Rakehell set, and on a trip to Bath to stay at the Duke of Ellesmere’s townhouse, Pamela grows more in love with Jonathan every day.
She works hard against worldly temptation and social injustice as she aspires to be a better woman and good wife to the young vicar. The joy and wildfire passion she experiences from their almost daily contact is like nothing she ever imagined possible even in her wildest dreams.

But Pamela soon begins to wonder why, just as they seem to get so close she is sure he will propose, he backs away from their growing intimacy.

Soon news reaches her ears of the most appalling scandal touching Jonathan. In view of how he has treated her, the nightmarish tale seems to make sense. That he has betrayed her in every way possible, the better to get his hands on her considerable fortune.

But Pamela’s heart tells her a different tale, to trust to love. With the help of the Duke of Ellesmere, Pamela uncovers the dark secrets of Jonathan’s past that have prevented him from sweeping Pamela off her feet as he longs to. Only through her love and the vanquishing of his enemies can Jonathan ever move from his darkness into the light of love, hope and joy at last.

This is an excellent novel, a true love story as we share all the delight and turmoil of this wonderful couple falling in love. Pamela grows up wonderfully thanks to Jonathan, his sister Sarah, and the Rakehells, and surprises us as well as herself with all she is capable of.

Jonathan is a delight, his marvelous character taking center stage amid his beguiling Rakehell companions.

The Rakehells, as usual, are excellent secondary characters that support but do not intrude upon the flow of this compelling love story.

The Gothic elements of the book are spine-tingling. The sensual elements are just perfect, promising an explosive passion which does not disappoint. The book is fast-paced, and the interaction between the couple is enthralling. Jonathan is an enigma, and really keeps us guessing as to whether he will choose duty, or love. The suspense elements are great. I was really on the edge of my seat seeing what would happen next.

Readers of traditional Regency romance novels will be captivated by the author’s command of the Regency period, the wonderful but tasteful love scenes, and her sumptuous attention to detail.

This is what historical fiction, and historical romance novels, should be: Great characters, fantastic meaty plot, and gorgeous love scenes with a couple who well and truly fall in love and get their happily ever after, despite all the trials and tribulations they endure. The Miss Matched is definitely a keeper!

This was a surprising and sexy romance that hooked me from the moment I met the sexy Duke of Ellesmere, Thomas Eltham.

Far from being a rakish seducer, he sets out to rescue one of the local heiresses from a fate worse than death, when she is in danger of eloping with complete degenerate Herbert Paxton (who has not only ruined Thomas’ sister Jane, but has even darker secrets which will be revealed.

Thomas hurries to the scene of the assignation, and sends for her father and beefy male cousins to put on a show for them. He plans to pretend he is a friend of Herbert’s and party to the elopement, be caught in a kiss with her on the road, their names linked together, and she will be safe.

But he has fancied Charlotte ever since her coming out, and doesn’t count on the whirlwind of sensual passion he unleashes between them, nearly making love to her in the carriage until her family intervenes.

Charlotte is amazed–she thought she was in love with Herbert. How then can she desire this stranger so? As all of her family and their friends propel her down the aisle, she digs in her heels. Yet all the while, his body beckons hers, and her heart and head merge as Charlotte realizes that the Duke has saved her from the biggest mistake of her life.

We follow their rocky road to true love from first kiss, to sparring, without it just being pointless whining, to their marriage, (what a lovely wedding ceremony, and what a wedding night), to them both falling in love. The Duke’s dark family secrets finally come to light, which resolve any of her lingering doubts that Thomas truly loves her, and makes Charlotte see her husband for the great man he is at last. And not just because of his title.

This is a wonderful, sexy couple I was eager to follow all the way to the stunning conclusion of this first-rate Regency romance.

The Fire of the Heart Series: A beautiful and compelling pair of novels

In The Fire’s Center, we are introduced to Riona Connolly, desperate for work so she can support her family. Thanks to a chance meeting, she is shown the full horrors of the famine and fever raging in Ireland. Far from being repelled by what she learns of the state of her homeland, she is moved by so much suffering and is thrilled at the chance to work at Dr. Lucien Woulfe’s clinic, even if it is in the poorest slum in Dublin.

Some of his friends and family look down on her as being a peasant, but Lucien can see things that others can’t: her courage, intelligence, selfless devotion to others, and her beauty and passion. Draw to her like a moth to a flame, he is scorched by desire, and terrified that he is falling in love.

His last relationship to the faithless Antoinette ended when she married his brother. This is a minor inconvenience to the scheming woman as she plots to win Lucien back as her lover.

Riona, far from being overawed by Dublin’s upper-class, finds them vain, selfish, and debauched. As Antoinette moves against her, and the evil Dr. O’Carroll blackens her name, Riona knows that she and Lucien can never be happy together with so many people trying to pull them apart and so many social differences seemingly standing between them.

She is appalled when all the love they have shared seems to mean nothing to Lucien, who prefers to believe lies about her rather than admit his true feelings. Determined to carve out a good life for herself through hard work and medical studies. she makes the hear-rending decision to leave Lucien and return to her family in Donegal.

In The Unquenchable Fire, the famine continues to rage, but so do the passions of this emotionally intense couple. Only when Riona is gone does Lucien come to recognize her true worth. But circumstances have gone completely out of control, and he nearly loses everything he has cared about before he sees at last what a wonderful gift of love they share.

Lucien and Riona seek to carve out a place for each other in their lives and cope with the devastating consequences of Antoinette’s scheming. This is a beautiful novel, with two compelling characters and a set of events which propel them toward growth, understanding and love.

We are not just following a moving romance and passionately sensual love affair, but the march of history, in this exceptional work by this remarkably talented author.