Dear Reader:

In a previous life, before the time of Plum, I wrote twelve short romance novels. Red-hot screwball comedies, each and every one of them. Nine of these stories were originally published by the Loveswept line between the years 1988 and 1992. All immediately went out of print and could be found only at used bookstores and yard sales.

I’m excited to tell you that those nine stories are now being re-released by HarperCollins. Back to the Bedroom is presented here in almost original form. I’ve done only minor editing to correct some embarrassing bloopers missed the first time around.

I lived in northern Virginia when I wrote Back to the Bedroom. My children were young, and we spent a lot of time visiting the Washington, D.C. museums and wandering through the historic neighborhoods. One day while strolling Capitol Hill I came upon two townhouses that captured my imagination. The houses were totally different — a birthday cake of a house and a bran muffin of a house, and yet they shared a common wall. I wondered about the people who lived inside the houses. And eventually the houses inspired Back to the Bedroom.

Back to the Bedroom is the story of a young woman with the soul of a birthday cake living in a bran muffin house — and a nice-looking guy with the substance of a bran muffin living in a birthday cake. They share some misadventures, some romantic moments, some misunderstandings, and ultimately they turn into wedding cake.

And for Plum fans, you’ll be interested to find that this was the first of the four romances to feature Elsie Hawkins, the prototype for Grandma Mazur.

Janet Evanovich

This was a quick, fun read. There’s no deeper meaning, no seriousness, just a couple of seemingly incompatible people with great physical chemistry who are thrown into an unbelievable situation.  This is very typical Evanovich, full of wild, over-the-top scenarios. After all, there’s nothing quite like meeting your girlfriend’s parents for the first time while there’s a drug bust going on across the street. This is a perfect book for a hot afternoon at the beach.

Page count: 272 | Approximate word count: 54,400

2009: The BFG (Roald Dahl)
2008: Heartbreaker (Julie Garwood)
2007: Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Jeff Lindsay)
2006: The Carnivorous Carnival (Lemony Snicket)
2005: Three to Get Deadly (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2010; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

John "Preacher" Middleton is about to close the bar when a young woman and her three-year-old son come in out of the wet October night. A marine who has seen his share of pain, Preacher knows a crisis when he sees one—the woman is covered in bruises. He wants to protect them, and he wants to punish whoever did this to her, but he knows immediately that this inclination to protect is something much more. Paige Lassiter has stirred up emotions in this gentle giant of a man-emotions that he has never allowed himself to feel.

But when Paige’s ex-husband turns up in Virgin River, Preacher knows his own future hangs in the balance. And if there’s one thing the marines’ motto of Semper Fidelis—always faithful—has taught him, it’s that some things are worth fighting for.

This was a pretty good second book in the series, keeping us tied to our initial characters, Jack and Mel, but really focusing on other characters in their orbit.  This book isn’t just about Preacher and Paige, it’s about Jack and Mel and their baby, Jack’s protege, Rick and his girlfriend, and there’s a significant amount of set-up for the next book, about Jack’s sister Brie and his Marine buddy, Mike. There’s nothing special in the plot, and very few surprises — you know the "wronged", abusive husband isn’t going to go quietly, and the independent, plucky midwife isn’t going to have a routine birth. The strength in this series is in the characters, and Carr is able to make us fall in love with every one of them, even when they are over-the-top and too good to be true.

Other reviews:

not enough books: Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr
Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr « Scooper Speaks

Page count: 363 | Approximate word count: 90,750

2009: First Family (David Baldacci)
2008: Grave Surprise (Charlaine Harris)
2007: Through Violet Eyes (Stephen Woodworth)
2006: Eveless Eden (Marianne Wiggins)
2005: King’s Oak (Anne Rivers Siddons)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2010; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

Philip Quinn is juggling his high-powered advertising job and his new-found family duty of helping to care for his young adopted brother, Seth, when Dr. Sybill Griffin shows up in the sleepy town of St. Christopher. Philip had done everything to make his life seem perfect. With his career on the fast track and a condo overlooking the Inner Harbour, his life on the streets was firmly in the past. But one look at Seth, and he’s reminded of the boy he once was. Seth’s future as a Quinn seems assured – until Dr. Griffin shows up. She claims to be researching St. Christopher’s for her new book, but the true objects of her study are the Quinn brothers. Her cool reserve intrigues Phillip. He is determined to uncover her motives, and while Sybill can’t deny her own growing feelings for the charismatic Quinn, the secret she hides has the power to threaten the life that the brothers have made for Seth, and destroy any chance that the two young lovers have at happiness…

This was my second favorite of the Quinn Brothers novels (Ethan’s being my favorite). Nora Robert’s best skill is creating characters and complex family units that feel real, and this series is no exception.  I liked this more in-depth look at Philip, and I also liked his romantic interest, Sybil, even if she is a bit cold and shut down for most of the book. Nora also does a great job pulling us into the setting, giving us a more clinical look at small-town life through the eyes Sybil, an outsider. The one element of this series I could do without is the ghostly Papa Quinn, especially since he is one of the few ghosts who have a solid form capable of giving someone a boost up a wall. But we all know that Nora likes a little bit of the supernatural mixed up in her love stories. The book does a good job of bringing resolution to the trilogy and answering some important questions, like Seth’s parentage and Ray Quinn’s connection to Gloria. This is one of her more solid series.

Audiobook length: 8 hrs 54 min | Word count: 93,695

2009: The Masque of the Black Tulip (Lauren Willig)
2008: Hide (Lisa Gardner)
2007: The Night Gardener (George Pelecanos)
2006: Case Histories (Kate Atkinson)
2005: I’m Not the New Me (Wendy McClure)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge; Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2010;

A woman banished

Griffith, battle-seasoned warrior and the king’s most trusted emissary, expected to find a shallow, vain, frivolous woman at Wenthaven Castle. After all, as lady-in-waiting to the queen, lovely Lady Marian had been in a position of privilege, yet she had been banished from the court. And the rumors were that she had given birth to an illegitimate child.

An outrageous offer

When he arrived, Griffith found Lady Marian to be strong, intelligent and fiercely protective of the young baby in her custody…. and very suspicious of him. If he were smart, the knight would just deliver the message with which he had been entrusted. Instead, he longs to linger to delve into the mystery that is Marian, to discover what she so desperately fears-and why he so improperly wants her.

This wasn’t too bad, for a historical romance.  It’s set at the beginning of the reign of Henry VII, the father of the notorious Henry VIII, though none of it actually takes place at court.  However, Henry VII does play a large role. Political intrigue is the driving force behind most of the plot. The romance between Marian and Griffith could have been a little more developed — they went from lust to love very quickly — but there were things I enjoyed.  The dialogue, though not completely historically accurate, is more fitting than the speech patterns of today that are often used in historical romances. Also, I like the twisting intrigue of court. I’m liking Christina Dodd, and I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.

Page count: 384 | Word count: 105,341

2009: Kiss of the Night (Sherrilyn Kenyon)
2008: Relic (Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child)
2007: At Bertram’s Hotel (Agatha Christie)
2006: Cerulean Sins (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: The Hearing (John Lescroart)

Used in these Challenges: The Four Month Challenge; Random Reading Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; Year of the Historical;

Virgin River is abuzz with the news that a stranger bought the town’s abandoned church on eBay. The buyer, a young widowed reverend, is a little like the building itself: in need of some loving care.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he’s going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings an improbable candidate his way.

"Pastor’s assistant" is not a phrase that springs to mind when Noah meets brassy, beautiful Ellie Baldwin. With her colorful clothes and even more colorful past, Ellie needs a respectable job so she can regain custody of her children. Noah can’t help but admire her spunk and determination, and she may just be the breath of fresh air he needs.

This unlikely duo may come from two different worlds, but they have more in common than anyone would have expected. And in Virgin River lasting happiness is never out of the question.

This is only the second Virgin River book I’ve read, but it’s really not necessary to read these in order.  Each book deals with a different couple, though you do get to visit with past characters and see where life has taken them. Overall, this was a sweet romance with a recurring theme of children and what parents will do for them. Not only is Ellie fighting for her kids, but another couple in town struggles with a decision about a child they’ve unexpectedly "inherited". My one complaint is that the first chapter is quite awkward; it’s all just narration of how Noah comes to purchase Virgin River’s church.  I think that background could have been fit in more smoothly.  Also, I have no idea why this book is named Forbidden Falls.  There is no mention of falls or Forbidden Falls or anything like that in the entire book. I suppose that some might think that Noah’s relationship with Ellie is "forbidden", but I think that’s a stretch. Regardless, I thought it was a nice story and I definitely plan to read more in this series.

Page count: 384 | Approximate word count: 96,000

2009: Amelia Peabody’s Egypt (Elizabeth Peters)
2008: The Copenhagen Connection (Elizabeth Peters)
2007: Birthright (Nora Roberts)
2006: Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
2005: E is for Evidence (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; ARC Reading Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Second Reading Challenge; Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2010; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

Devlin Fitzwilliam caught Meadow Szarvas red-handed, breaking into his mansion to steal a painting. In sheer desperation, she used a case of amnesia as her excuse. But then he pulled a fast one-and claimed she was his wife. Playing along was the only way for Meadow to get her hands on that painting. But what she doesn’t realize is that Devlin has a hidden agenda too-and that someone’s keeping an eye on them both.

This was a cute little caper. Devlin and Meadow start lying to each other from the moment their eyes meet.  The humor comes from the fact that they both know each other is lying, but neither of them is willing to call the other on it. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow, including the frustrations they had with each other.  In fact, I got so caught up in the romance part of it that by the time the climax of the novel came around, I had forgotten they had another bad guy to deal with. I guess that can be seen as both a good thing and a bad thing.  I think Dodd’s books (at least the ones I’ve read so far) are fun, kicky romances, and I look forward to reading more.

Audiobook length: 9hrs 4min | Approximate word count: 100,000

2009: The Stupidest Angel (Christopher Moore)
2008: Loyalty in Death (J.D. Robb)
2007: Tokyo Woes (Bruce Jay Friedman)
2006: The Surgeon (Tess Gerritsen)
2005: One for the Money (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Second Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge; Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2010;

Dear Reader:

Night Fire, the first of the Night Trilogy, was first published in early 1989. I haven’t rewritten it, just cleaned it up a bit and Avon books has given it a wonderful new cover.

Arielle Leslie is a sixteen-year-old girl forced to wed Paisley Cochrane, a sadistic old man who abuses her. When he dies, she believes herself free. But she’s not.

Burke Drummond, Earl of Ravensworth — a young man she’d worshipped three years before — is home from the wars, and he wants her. When he catches her, he’s in for an appalling surprise.

I hope Burke and Arielle are two people who will touch you as deeply as they touched me. They face problems and obstacles never spoken of in Regency times.

If you haven’t yet read Night Fire, do give it a try.

– Catherine Coulter

I have mixed feelings about this.  Arielle is horribly abused by her first husband, but frankly, Burke wasn’t much better for much of the book.  He decided that he wanted to have Arielle as his wife, and who cares what she thinks about it.  Surely, if she’s forced to spend all her time with him, she’ll come around eventually!  Burke may have never physically hurt her, but the beginning of their relationship was no less abusive.  That being said, I did like Arielle and Burke and I liked them together, in the end.  There’s some interesting conflict here, and a recurring theme of how husbands and wives relate to each other.  Her groom, Geordie, was also an interesting character — I wish he’d been used more in the story. I’ll read the rest of this trilogy, but I hope the subject matter isn’t so difficult in the others.

Page count: 400 | Word count: 99,867

2009: Kopek the Destroyer (Phil Owens)
2008: The Ice Queen (Alice Hoffman)
2007: Agnes of God (Leonore Fleisher)
2006: Postmortem (Patricia Cornwell)
2005: The Bad Beginning (Lemony Snicket)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Reading From My Shelves Project; 1st in a Series Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; Year of the Historical;

Attempting to hide from her past, reclusive glassmaker Maggie Concannon devotes her life to her art, until gallery owner Rogan Sweeney recognizes her talent and offers to help her build a lucrative career.

This started out a little slow for me… (slight spoiler).. Maggie’s father dies right at the beginning, and the foreshadowing is as noticeable as a neon sign. That turned me off a bit.  But once you get into it, you get what you’re looking for in a Nora Roberts tale: strong characters in a beautiful setting. Rogan comes off as the more likeable character, but you do warm up to Maggie over time, especially when you realize what her childhood must have been like.  The details about the glass blowing are interesting at first, but do get a little repetitive. Regardless, I’m looking forward to continuing the trilogy with Briana’s story.

Other reviews:

My First Nora (Review – Born in Fire) «
ReadingAdventures: Born in Fire by Nora Roberts

Page count: 416 | Word count: 97,988

2007: The Body Box (Lynn Abercrombie)

Used in these Challenges: none

Wanted: Midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, population six hundred. Make a difference against the backdrop of towering California redwoods and crystal-clear rivers. Rent-free cabin included.

When the recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees this ad she quickly decides that the remote mountain town of Virgin River might be the perfect place to escape her heartache, and to reenergize the nursing career she loves. But her high hopes are dashed within an hour of arriving: the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous and the local doctor wants nothing to do with her. Realizing she’s made a huge mistake, Mel decides to leave town the following morning.

But a tiny baby, abandoned on a front porch, changes her plans…and a former marine cements them into place.

Melinda Monroe may have come to Virgin River looking for escape, but instead she finds her home.

This series was recommended to me by someone a few years ago, and I’m just now getting around to giving it a shot.  I really enjoyed this!  It’s more contemporary romance than romantic suspense, but it’s a much more developed story than you get from something Harlequin-esque. Melinda is a fish out of water in Virgin River, and I liked seeing the town and its people through her unfamiliar eyes. The cantankerous old doctor is a bit of a cliché, but he’s endearing enough that it doesn’t matter. And who doesn’t love a Marine?  The series as a whole focuses more on the town than on a specific main character, but I’m hoping to see familiar faces in the next books.  If you like a little more meat to your romance, this is a series for you.

Other reviews:

World According to Books: Virgin River – Robyn Carr
Bibliophile By the Sea: 174 – Virgin River; Robyn Carr
Romance Rookie: Series Sunday – Virgin River

Page count: 416 | Approximate word count: 104,000

2007: One Sunday Morning (Amy Ephron)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010

Queen of the Vampires Betsy Taylor is in the middle of planning the perfect wedding to drop-dead gorgeous vamp Eric Sinclair. But all is not bouquets and bridal showers-Betsy is plagued by ghosts who demand her help in rectifying their past mistakes, and a serial killer is on the loose. With his victims all being tall, blond women, Betsy fits the profile exactly.

This will be my last Queen Betsy book.  As much as I like the characters, there was just no plot here!  You get a few promises of interesting stuff that might happen later, particularly with Betsy’s sister (the daughter of the devil), but nothing actually happens. I expected there to be a lot more involvement between Betsy and Nick as they search for the Driveway Killer, but instead, it’s all wrapped up inside of a chapter in a pretty anti-climatic way. Oh yeah, you get some expected bickering between Betsy and Sinclair, but that’s pretty much par for the course now.  There wasn’t even any vampire politics. So I’m no longer wasting my time.

Other reviews

Review: Undead and Unreturnable « Bermudaonion’s Weblog
Rhinoa’s Ramblings: Undead and Unreturnable – MaryJanice Davidson

Page count: 288 | Word count: 47,157

2007: Blue Smoke (Nora Roberts)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010