Books I've Loved: Historical (Fiction and Romance)
Masterful Time-Travel
As you guys know, Veronica Wolff is my critique partner. So, yeah, I may be a bit biased in saying her debut book Master of the Highlands
rocked.
But I doubt it. It was, objectively speaking, a great read. I got so caught up in Ewen and Lily's story I didn't want it to end. What a great pair! I loved how they connected. And their supporting cast of characters were so vivid and well-drawn I felt like I was getting reacquainted with old friends. And I absolutely loved Robert's storyline too. I'd describe it some more but I don't want to give it away.
There Can Only be One
Anything highlander-y fascinates me, so when I saw How to Abduct a Highland Lord by Karen Hawkins on the shelf, I didn't hesitate to pick it up. Good thing too—I greatly enjoyed it.
About a woman who's family is cursed, she kidnaps the only man she ever loved to marry him—to stop the feud that's escalating between their two families. Well, that's it, in short. But How to Abduct a Highland Lord is about a whole lot more too. Like meddling, overprotective brothers and steamy passion.
Perfectly Entertaining
I got The Perfect Kiss because the cover attracted me. Plus I needed to read something different than what I've been working on, and I can't get more different than a historical. I was delighted that I really enjoyed it. The Perfect Kiss is the last installment in the Merridew series about a set of orphaned sisters. I didn't know this when I bought it, and it didn't make any difference in the scheme of things.
I loved the hero and the secondary characters in The Perfect Kiss. The prologue rocked too. I can't wait to check out Anne Gracie's previous books.
Kate, Author of Historical Romances
After I read To Wed A Scandalous Spy by Celeste Bradley, I decided I wanted to be a writer of historical romances. My sister was quick to point out that they didn't use dude very often in Regency England and that perhaps I should stick to contemporary. Maybe she's right. Besides, Celeste Bradley does such a great job that I'd rather read her work anyway.
To Wed A Scandalous Spy is about a noble spy who has to live with being shunned by society to catch a threat to the crown, and the woman who takes him down with a sling shot. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters, and the heroine was a refreshing mix of naivety and earthy curiosity. I'm definitely picking up the next three books in the series.
An Avian Tale
I loved Elizabeth Hoyt's The Raven Prince. Loved it. The characters were well drawn and not typical for a historical romance.
In The Raven Prince, the widowed heroine needs to earn money to support her household, so she becomes the secretary for the local earl, who desperately needs a secretary but can't manage to keep one in his employ.
I also just read the The Leopard Prince, which features one of the minor characters from the first book, and enjoyed it too. Sexy with great characters.
Men in Kilts
I picked up On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens because the cover appealed to me. I do that. I know it's probably shallow judging a book by it's cover but I can't help myself.
Anyway, with On a Highland Shore I wasn't disappointed. The characters were rich an the story was nicely woven together. It did make me long for a sword-weilding guy in a kilt though. (Don't worry—I've already figured it out. Nate's excellent with the sword. I just need to get him a kilt.)
To Love a Book
Historicals intrigue me, I admit. I read them often because they're so different than the stories I write. But I don't always love them.
I loved To Love a Thief by Julie Anne Long.
I've been trying to figure out why To Love a Thief struck a cord, and I'd have to say it's the characters. (I hear your gasp of shock.) They're adorable—from the main characters down to the secondary characters. I can't wait to pick up more books from Julie.
