Monday, March 18, 2024

Lorna Peel’s BROTHERLY LOVE – Love Among Warring Families in a 19th century Irish Village

 

Set in Ireland in 1835, this is the story of Caitriona Brady, a widow of two years, who carries a torch for Michael Warner, the brother of the local priest. Michael also wants her and soon, they acknowledge their love. However, not all in the village agree.

 

Caitriona’s husband was the best fighter among the Bradys who battle the Donnellans at regular intervals, typically after a religious event. Caitriona and Michael have declared their neutrality but no one seems to be listening.

 

The well-written story brings to light Ireland’s past when “Faction Fighting” occurred and “Ribbonmen” held sway. (I had to look up the term “Ribbonmen”. They were Irish Catholics who worked to prevent landlords from evicting their tenants; the name came from the green ribbon they wore as a badge.)

 

As if the villagers’ poverty was not enough of a challenge, they took out their hatred on each other, making their lives even more miserable, Caitriona and Michael’s lives among them. Even Michael's brother, the priest, opposes their love.

 

I admired Caitriona, first for her patience in enduring a loveless marriage and an unworthy mother in law, and then in trying to hold onto love when everyone seemed bent on tearing her and Michael apart. Michael is a noble hero but his failure to disclose his troubled past did not help.

 

If you want a slice of Ireland’s troubled past, this fast-paced tale is a good read. I recommend it.

 

 

 

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Miriam Minger’s WILD ROSES – Well-written, fast-paced story from old Ireland

It’s the early 13th century and the Normans are in control of most of Ireland. This tells the story of Maire O’Byrne, sister of Ireland’s most infamous rebel, Ronan Black O’Byrne. One day, an attack on Maire’s men kills many in her detail and Maire is captured by the evil sister of Lord Duncan FitzWilliam, the Norman master of Longford Castle. He wants to return her to her clan but Maire feigns amnesia because her brother is the rebel Lord Duncan is hunting.


As he begins to fall for Maire, Duncan, a man of honor, sends his Irish mistress away. Meantime, Maire begins to have feelings for him and fears her brother may try to kill the Norman lord.

 

The story is well-told, the writing good and the relationship between Duncan and Maire slowly developed making it very believable. There is a lot of action, too. I had the impression the author did much research into Ireland of the era and that pleased me. Very authentic. You get a good sense of the tensions between the Normans and the Irish who aren’t loyal to King John.

 

It does have graphic sex scenes should that be a concern.


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Monday, March 11, 2024

Sara Hely’s THE LEGEND OF THE GREEN MAN – Superb Storytelling in this Irish Classic

 

Set at the dawn of the Regency period (years after the defeat of the Irish Rebellion in 1798), this is the story of an aristocratic young English widow, Lady Kitty Harcomb, who fleeing the scandal-ridden ton in London, decides to pay a visit to her Irish suitor, Sir William Fossick. Perhaps she would even marry him and settle down at last. Of course, she does not love him, but love played no part in her plans. So, she sets off with her young son and his nanny for Ireland.

 

On a stormy night in Ireland as her coachman refuses to continue, she is saved from the elements by a local hero, Luke Denny, who is the head of the poor Dennys, a family whose other branch sided with the English and gained an earldom. Luke and Kitty meet in a ruined Irish castle, where he holds her at gunpoint. But he soon realizes she is not the person he thought her to be. He takes her and her young son to his home where she becomes involved in the Denny family and a world of danger, not to mention her own attraction to Luke.

 

This story reminded me of Victoria Holt’s tales. It’s told mostly from the heroine’s perspective. I was immediately drawn in and could not stop turning pages as the plot thickened and the past came to haunt the present. I had to know what happened to the beautiful Lady Kitty and the mysterious Luke Denny. Irish politics abound as old stories rise to affect the present.

 

Luke is a clever, noble hero and Lady Kitty is a heroine with spunk. I could not help but love them. And, I loved this story. Written in the 1970s it is still fresh today though I had to buy it used, in paperback. I only wish Hely had written more.

 

 

 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Amanda Hughes’ BEYOND THE CLIFFS OF KERRY – Absorbing tale from old Ireland and the American Frontier with an Irish Heroine to Admire and a Frontiersman to Love!

This was Hughes' debut novel and it is a great story! Set in Ireland and America, beginning in 1755, this is a captivating tale of a beautiful young Irish girl, Darcy McBride, who has a thirst for knowledge and a spirit of adventure.

 

Darcy survived The Hunger in Ireland that claimed most of her family and when the story opens, she is keeping house for her embittered brother. To pay taxes and put food on the table, Darcy and the young men of County Kerry take to smuggling, illegally trading their wool with the French for brandy. In one shipment, they also smuggle in a Jesuit priest who befriends Darcy and teaches her to read and write.

 

When British soldiers discover the smuggling, Darcy is transported to the English Colonies for 7 years of indentured service, which for a beautiful young woman meant sexual servitude to her owner. One day at Fort Lawrence, Darcy meets Jean Michel Lupe, a surveyor for the Crown and an educated man, who will change her life.

 

This is a romance, to be sure, but quite unusual in that the hero isn't introduced until half way through the book, a characteristic of Hughes’ stories. Much of what would be "back story" in other historical romances becomes an intense, well-told tale that at times is heart rending. For example, we experience the brutality of cruel English soldiers and savage Indians on the American frontier. But there are many warm, charming moments and we see how times of great hardship affect people for both good and bad.

 

There are some truly, desperately sad moments that will tear at your heart since both life in Ireland and on the frontier was hard. Darcy is a wonderful heroine with a strong heart, a giving nature and great courage.

 

Hughes brings to life a cast of wonderful characters, including the wise and kind-hearted Father Etienne (a kind of hero).

 

Darcy's story has great realism and I highly recommend it.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Cordia Byers’ THE BLACK ANGEL –Irish Privateer and an English Lass in the Revolutionary War

This is the sequel to Byers’ DEVON, though it can be read as a “stand alone.” Set in England and the Caribbean in the time of the Revolutionary War, this is the story of Roarke O’Connor, the Irish privateer captain of the Black Angel, who rescues Brianna McClure when her ship goes down after a storm.

 

Brianna fled England after stabbing her stepfather when he tried to rape her. Hiding her deep secret by taking a different last name, she hopes for a new life in the West Indies. Since Roarke is headed to Eustatia Island, she decides that will do.

 

When the Black Angel docks, Roarke’s first mate thinks to seduce Brianna by taking her to a certain tavern where aphrodisiac herbs come with the rum, which he does, but Roarke intervenes to save her, but alas, not from himself. Brianna, who is already half in love with Roarke, then becomes the object of jealousy from Roarke’s mistress and Roarke must save Brianna once again.

 

It’s a fast-moving, well-written tale of adventure and peril as Brianna tries to make her own way in a hostile world. And when the English lord she stabbed recovers and wants vengeance, Brianna gains one more enemy. There’s lots of action and shipboard scenes to please the lover of high seas romance. I recommend it.

 

It’s on my Irish, Pirate/Privateer and Patriotic Best lists.


 

Friday, March 1, 2024

Alexandra Ripley’s SCARLETT – If You Only Saw the Movie…you must read this sequel to Gone With The Wind. It’s a great love story!

March is Irish Historical Romance month so I thought to start with one of my favorites…Scarlett!

 

After seeing the movie Gone With The Wind for the umpteenth time and once again being disappointed there was no happy ending (sorry you classic lovers, but the ending where Scarlett says she’ll find a way to win Rhett back just begs for the rest of the story!), I was glad there was a sequel. It was commissioned by Margaret Mitchell’s estate and the author selected in a competition.

 

Scarlett satisfies the romance lover’s need for the ending we crave. It tells us what happened to Scarlett and Rhett after he left her, when she declared her love for him and he told her he didn’t give a damn.

 

The story begins in 1873, as Melanie, Scarlett’s lifelong friend, is buried and the mourners standing around gossiping about Scarlett, saying she’s “all business, and no heart.” When Atlanta society shuns her, Scarlett is left very much alone. It’s the bane of a strong woman’s existence, that people think she doesn’t care and hate her for it when, in fact, she cares very much though she doesn’t allow herself to show it. Of course, in Gone With The Wind, Scarlett was selfish and spurned Rhett’s love when offered. And when she finally realized she loved him, it was too late. He believes she only wants him because he doesn’t want her. But stay tuned…Scarlett is about to grow up.

 

Where you wanted to slap Scarlett in the movie, now you will want to hug her as she triumphs over trials that would break any other woman on the way to learning how to love.

 

For much of the 823 pages, the story is told through Scarlett’s perspective. Though Scarlett shows great kindness to others and pursues Rhett because she genuinely loves him, her motives are often misunderstood and others, quick to judge, reject her. Society snubs her and Rhett is cold, even cruel. His only aim is to get out of the marriage, describing her as a drug that will destroy him. (It was easy to see Clark Gable saying those lines.)

 

The book is divided into four sections, each finding Scarlett in new place:

 

Lost in the Dark (Atlanta)

High Stakes (Charleston)

New Life (Savannah)

The Tower (Ireland)

 

Ripley paints a compelling picture of Ireland, its people and their struggles, with wonderful characters, rich dialog and emotional scenes. We mourn the lost history of the O’Hara family as Scarlett seeks to regain her family’s land. And we cheer Scarlett as her incredible intelligence and courage rebuild, at least in part, of what was lost.

 

If you are used to the pace of a normal historical romance, this story may seem a bit meandering. (There are whole chapters where Scarlett and Rhett never encounter each other.) Still, I found it a very satisfying love story and it kept me reading late into the night (two nights in a row!). When the “black moment “ came, it was the blackest I’ve ever experienced. But the ending is a sweet reward.

 

The book is a treasure, a keeper. I recommend it!

 

 


Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Best Pirate and Privateer and High Seas Romances!

 

Who doesn’t love a good pirate or privateer story? All that capturing, swashbuckling and romancing on the high seas—oh yes! Gets my blood boiling just thinking about it. Some of these do not have pirates as such, but may have a swashbuckling sea captain or a privateer. In almost every case, part of the story takes place on the high seas. Here’s my list of those rated 4 or 5 stars.

 

·      A Kiss in the Wind by Jennifer Bray-Weber

·      A Pirate’s Love by Johanna Lindsey

·      A Pirate’s Pleasure from the North American Women trilogy by Heather Graham

·       A Wild Hope by Celeste De Blasis

·      Across a Moonlit Sea, The Iron Rose and Following Sea, Pirate Wolf trilogy by Marsha Canham

·      Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer

·      Bound by the Heart by Marsha Canham

·      Bride of the Baja by Jane Toombs (original author Jocelyn Wilde)

·      Broken Wing by Judith James

·      Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart

·      Captain of My Heart by Danelle Harmon

·      Chance the Winds of Fortune by Laurie McBain

·      Crimson Rapture by Jennifer Horsman

·      Dead Man’s Kiss by Jennifer Bray-Weber

·      Desire in Disguise by Rebecca Brandewyne

·      Desire in the Sun by Karen Robards

·      Devil's Embrace and Devil's Daughter by Catherine Coulter

·      Embrace and Conquer by Jennifer Blake

·      Fields of the Sun by Nadine Crenshaw

·      Fortune’s Flames by Janelle Taylor

·      Fortune’s Mistress and Fortune’s Bride by Judith E. French

·      Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsey

·      Her Pirate to Love by Michelle Beattie

·      Island Flame and the sequel Sea Fire by Karen Robards

·      Lady of Fire by Valerie Vayle

·      Lady Vixen by Shirlee Busbee

·      Lord of the Sea by Danelle Harmon

·      Love of a Lioness by Sawyer Belle

·      Magic Embrace by Jennifer Horsman

·      Master of My Dreams by Danelle Harmon

·      Master of Seduction by Kinley MacGregor

·      My Wicked Pirate by Rona Sharon

·      Passion’s Joy and the sequel, Virgin Star by Jennifer Horsman

·      Passion’s Ransom by Betina Krahn

·      Perfume of Paradise by Jennifer Blake

·      Pirate in my Arms by Danelle Harmon

·      Pirate’s Angel by Marsha Bauer

·      Pirate Royale by Cordia Byers

·      Sea Raven by Patricia McAllister

·      Sea Mistress by Candace McCarthy

·      Sea Mistress by Nancy Morse

·      Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale

·      Silver Storm by Cynthia Wright

·      Sweet Piracy by Jennifer Blake

·      Tainted Lilies by Becky Lee Weyrich

·      The Black Angel by Cordia Byers

·      The Black Rose by Christina Skye

·      The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole

·      The Duke’s Lady by Brenda Jernigan

·      The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss

·      The Game by Brenda Joyce

·      The Hawk and the Dove by Virginia Henley

·      The Hidden Heart by Laura Kinsale

·      The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk by Sally Malcolm

·      The Pirate and the Pagan by Virginia Henley

·      The Pirate Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

·      The Pirate’s Captive by Dana Ransom

·      The Pirate’s Widow by Sandra Du Bay

·      The Pride of the King by Amanda Hughes

·      The Prize by Brenda Joyce

·      The Rogue Pirate’s Bride by Shana Galen

·      The Storm and the Splendor by Jennifer Blake

·      The Redemption by Marylu Tyndall

·      The Wind and the Sea by Marsha Canham

·      The Windflower by Laura London (aka Sharon and Tom Curtis)

·      Till Dawn Tames the Night by Megan McKinney

·      Treasured Embrace by Marsha Bauer

·      Under Crimson Sails by Lynna Lawton

·      Velvet Chains by Constance O’Banyan

·      Wild Bells to the Wild Sky by Laurie McBain

·      With One Look by Jennifer Horsman

 

And, if you want to read a seafaring adventure with a British privateer hero, you might enjoy my novels, To Tame the Wind and Wind Raven. Both feature a pirate and a lusty sea captain. And for a pirate’s second chance at love, try Echo in the Wind with the dashing Jean Donet, comte de Saintonge.

 

For Norse pirates and a hero who became the first Lord of the Isles, you’ll want to read Summer Warrior.

 

And my short list of recommended pirate sea stories.

 

 

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Elizabeth Ellen Carter’s LIVE AND LET SPY – Early Regency set in Cornwall

The story begins in 1804 when Adam Hardacre, a seaman in the Royal Navy, is refused a promotion to officer he well deserves. He quits in disgust and is then approached by a senior spy who wants him to serve his country undercover. It was all a setup to put Adam in the place the government agents want him.

 

Adam takes up his work as a spy and is assigned to Cornwall where he spent his youth. There he is to ferret out traitors plotting a French invasion of England. While about this task, he meets a governess between jobs, Olivia Collins. Interested in Adam, she finds a secret from his past—a youthful summer love affair with the local squire’s daughter that led to a child he is not aware of.

 

Olivia gets tangled up in Adam’s spying and both end up in trouble. The story is well-written and has enough twists to hold your attention. While the hero is a seaman turned spy, there are no scenes aboard a ship. It’s more of an early Regency, but the Cornwall setting adds flavor. The characters are well drawn and the bad guy(s) deceptive.

 


 

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Karen Robards’ SEA FIRE –Sequel to Island Flame as Exciting a Pirate Story as the First

 

This is the sequel to Robards’ Island Flame and it involves the same hero and heroine two years after their “happily ever after” in book 1. Like the first one, this is an 80’s bodice ripper, so accept that going in, but it is very well done and I recommend it.

 

Robards knows how to write historical romance. Few authors could follow the same couple after the happily ever after and still produce great sexual tension, a suspenseful story and as many twists and turns, but Robards does and with great success in my mind.

 

Sea Fire is set in 1844, beginning in South Carolina where Jonathan Hale and his wife, Catherine (“Cathy”) are living with their young son, Cray. When word arrives her father is ill, Cathy hurries back to England with her young son to find her father recovering from what appears to be a stroke. Meanwhile Cathy learns her marriage to Jon was not valid and cannot wait to get back to America and wed him again. But before she can leave, her pirate husband shows up and is seized and thrown in prison. Harold, her cousin who has designs on her—and her money—tells Cathy he will save the pirate from hanging if she agrees to marry him.  

 

Like the first story, we are once again immersed in the troubled but sexually charged relationship of Cathy and Jon. His past will not allow him to trust any woman, much less the beautiful minx he married. Cathy loves him, but is too proud to admit it when he treats her like a cad. Still, she will save him from death if she can.

 

A great tale with many twists and turns and lots of action. Yes, Jon is a brute at times and Cathy’s a brat, but I still kept reading it late into the night. I recommend it. If you liked Island Flame, I daresay you will like this one.


Monday, February 19, 2024

Karen Robards’ ISLAND FLAME – An Exciting Story with Pirates—very well done!


You cannot beat Robards for an exciting read. This one and its sequel Sea Fire are bodice rippers, too. Every now and then, an arrogant alpha male (in this case a sea captain) can be cathartic, reminding us that all historical romance heroes are not all nice guys. This one certainly wasn’t. The heroine starts out as a 17-year-old innocent brat, but she quickly grows up and actually develops a very mature outlook. She may take longer than some to get there, but eventually, she sees the light.

 

Set in 1842, this is the story of Lady Catherine Aldley, whose father sent her on a military ship to London from Lisbon where he was an ambassador, never knowing it is a silver transport ship and bate for an American pirate named Jonathan Hale, who thinks nothing of ruining an innocent wellborn lady half his age to have his pleasure. Cathy may be young and innocent but she is not tame. When Captain Hale captures her and sets out to tame her in a most brutal way, he has no idea that he will become her victim.

 

Say what you will about the old romances that don’t reflect 21st century sensibilities, but I can tell you this: this story kept me reading hours past my bedtime and that, folks, is a well-told tale. The pacing is fast, the action never ceasing and the chemistry between the two is compelling. Great sexual tension.

 

Modern historical romance authors can learn much from Robards. She makes some masterful twists and turns, I must say. All believable, which counts for much in my book. However, there was definitely some Stockholm syndrome going on as Cathy came to see herself at fault (“she had brought her injuries on herself”), and the captain as heroic. Yes, he saved her from a band of nasty thieves and murderers in Cadiz, but she never would have been exposed to them in the first place if he hadn’t taken her captive.

 

I also thought Robards did a great job with the ship setting and the sailor/ship jargon, bringing to life the ship’s culture. You might take that for granted, but having done that work for my novel, Wind Raven, I know it required much work on her part. Her descriptions put you in the setting, trust me. If you love a good bodice ripper…this is a great one!

 

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Virginia Henley’s THE HAWK AND THE DOVE - A Privateer to Love, a Sea Hawk, and a fiercely independent Irish lass...oh yes!

I love Henley’s attention to historic detail and her ability to weave a captivating tale. This one is no different. The story is set in 1586, when Queen Elizabeth ruled England and her sea hawks ruled the seas, robbing the Spanish fleet to fill her coffers. Captain Shane Hawkhurst was Queen Bess' favorite. She named him “the sea god.” He was, in fact, not the son of Lord Hawkhurst, but the son of an Irishman named O'Neill, the Earl of Tyrone. But his English father claimed him as heir, and when Shane’s father died, Shane became Lord Hawkhurst.

 

Shane had promised his father he would marry, and to stave off Queen Bess’ jealousy and because he did not really want a wife, he had his solicitor find a country lass who had some land in Ireland he wanted and married her by proxy. Little did he know his new wife was the red-haired Irish vixen, Sara Bishop, referred to by her jealous half siblings as “Sabre Wilde” after her dead father and his sword. Shane planned to have his brother Matthew take Sara to one of his estates and dump her there, never wishing to meet her. Ah, but Sara—as Sabre—has a different plan. She intends to go to Court and seduce her husband and become his mistress, making him her love slave and having her revenge.

You have to love this heroine. She is fiercely independent, courageous, feisty and smart. Just the woman to tame a wild man like Shane Hawkhurst. And Shane is a man worthy of taming. Both have Irish blood running through their veins—at a time when Queen Elizabeth feared the rebellious Irish. So the sparks fly continuously. It’s one of the things Henley does so well—excellent characters and a plot with great twists and turns!

Henley’s love scenes are unique and fit the people and the story, so very well done, very sexy, tasteful and not contrived. It is so worth it to dive into one of her complex, winsome tales.

 

In addition to wonderful characters, a great plot and interesting history, she has included some great one-liners. One of my favorites was: “...to be Irish is to know the world will break your heart before you are thirty”. So true.


 

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Elizabeth Chadwick’s THE SUMMER QUEEN – First in a Series about the Magnificent Eleanor of Aquitaine

Set in the 12th century, this is the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who at 13 lost her father and was forced to marry the young Prince Louis of France. A week after the marriage she becomes a queen. Louis is a disappointment to the intelligent young queen, preferring his devotion to the church to her or much else. In addition, she has a mother-in-law no one would want. Her sister  Petronella is self-willed and Eleanor must deal with her as well.

 

Eleanor gives birth to a daughter (to Louis’ disappointment) and then he forces her to go on Crusade with him because he does not trust her with France while he is away. With their marriage in trouble ,Eleanor falls in love with an old flame and, missing Aquitaine, seeks an annulment from her marriage.

 

This is another well-written historical novel by Chadwick based on much research into some truly interesting characters, Eleanor being the primary one. I enjoyed it. It’s the first in her Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy. Henry of Anjou only shows up toward the end and one must read book 2 for their marriage.

 

The Summer Queen

The Winter Crown

The Autumn Throne