Romance

By Kristin Ramsdell -- Library Journal, 4/15/2007

Other Worlds, Other Dimensions

Despite occasional dire predictions that interest in the paranormal and similar alternative-reality romances has peaked and that they are on their way out, the current offerings from romance houses indicate nothing of the kind. If anything, with last year's launch of Silhouette Nocturne, a dark paranormal line, and the forthcoming debut of Dorchester's speculative romance Shomi titles, enthusiasm is on the upswing. Granted, the popularity of various types will change over time (Whatever happened to all those angels from a few years ago? And time travelers?), but the general fascination with things supernatural and otherworldly is alive and well. Vampire and werewolf romances are still hot, but they are being joined by stories featuring immortal "protectors," superhumans of all stripes, parallel worlds, multiple dimensions, futuristic settings, and often darker elements, broadening the scope of the alternative-reality arena and taking it in intriguing new directions. Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Susan Grant, Mary Jo Putney, and Karen Marie Moning, as well as the authors reviewed here, are just a few of the notables in this still-expanding subgenre.

A particularly nasty race of parasitic vampires, the Thrall infect humans with an "enthralling" bite, making them part of their queen-ruled hive. This second in the series takes psychic courier Kate Reilly on a reluctant search for missing Thrall eggs and into a tad more danger than she had expected. Her werewolf firefighter boyfriend, Tom Bishop, isn't exactly happy about her latest venture, and it doesn't help that his pack is trying to break up the couple. Fast-paced action moves the complicated plot as Tom and Kate work to solve their own problems and a few dangerous mysteries as well. Once again, Adams and Clamp (Touch of Evil) have created a fascinating, fully developed world that fans are sure to want to revisit. The authors live in the Denver area.

Stunned when a warrior materializes just in time to save her from being killed by the same demon that killed her sister, hereditary witch Amber Silverthorne, wary of but attracted to sexy Immortal Adrian, is swept up in a battle between two ancient powers that threatens the balance of the world. For centuries following their routing of the dark Old Ones, the Immortals, five demigod half brothers, each sired by a different manifestation of the Goddess, have been charged with maintaining the balance between the light and the dark. Now one has turned rogue, and the scattered brothers must join forces if they are to save the world as well as their lost sibling. Magic sizzles through this violent, steamy story, the first in a projected series.

The Necromancers, human workers of dark, evil magic, are targeting the ancient Nightwalker races, and once again they have the Demons in their sites. Gideon, a committed healer and elder of the Demon race, knows it will take his considerable power to keep his people safe, a task made more emotionally wrenching when he and Magdelegna, a precociously powerful young Demon, finally accept their destiny together, and Legna becomes a target as well. Second in Frank's spicy Nightwalkers series (after Jacob; Elijah is coming later this year), this fascinating story skillfully reprises characters from the first book while providing a self-contained, fully charged story of its own. Frank lives in Saugerties, NY.

Gifted with the psychic ability to read the latent emotions inside objects, Raven Callahan, art thief and recovery specialist par excellence for the Antiquities Preservation Institute, retrieves lost/stolen artifacts and works of art for their rightful owners. Her job is often dangerous and her methods, slightly illegal. When her colleague is kidnapped and the ransom is a valuable painting, Raven does what she does best, but she attracts the attentions of an undercover cop on the trail of a killer—a killer who might just have targeted Raven, too. Suspenseful, fast paced, and lightly laced with paranormal elements, this riveting romantic mystery is the first of a pair (Out of Time, 2007). Upstate New Yorker Graves writes futuristic romances as C.J. Barry.

A member of a powerful clan and gifted with the ability to control electrical energy, homicide detective Gideon Raintree can also see and talk with ghosts, a hidden talent that helps when solving murders thanks to his postdeath discussions with the victims. Skilled, focused, and all business, Gideon certainly doesn't need a partner, especially one as sexy, smart, and curious as Hope Malory. Yet when Hope joins Gideon in his search for a killer who is targeting his prophetically endowed sister, it's only a matter of time before their professional relationship becomes a lot more personal. Well-described secondary characters and appealing protagonists enliven this high-voltage romantic thriller that neatly fills the center slot in the "Raintree Trilogy" (between Linda Howard's Raintree: Inferno and Beverly Barton's Raintree: Sanctuary) yet delivers its own compelling story. Jones (Prince of Magic) lives in Huntsville, AL.

Left irrationally fearful after the brutal deaths of her mother and her cousin, bookstore owner Claire Camden has protected herself well, but locks and sensors aren't enough to keep the ancient past away. When Highland laird Malcolm of Dunroch, part of a royal line descended from the Celtic gods and sworn to protect the innocent, bursts into her home in search of a page from a mythical healing book, claims her as his own Innocent, and sweeps her back in time, Claire is tossed into a world of violence, passion, and betrayal, with only Malcolm as her guide. Sexual tension crackles between Claire and Malcolm as he struggles with his desire for Claire and his protective duty in this sizzling, action-packed adventure, the first in Joyce's "The Masters of Time" series. Joyce (A Lady at Last) lives in Arizona.

Frustrated by a rash of violent rapes and killings in which the victims, as well as the witnesses, don't remember anything, Washington, DC, police detective Jack Hallihan's only lead is attorney Larsen Vale, an ice queen who knows far more than she is telling but whose slightest touch has the uncanny ability to stop the unintelligible voices in Jack's head that have plagued him all his life. But Larsen has a chilling secret of her own, and as she and Jack get closer to the truth, they not only learn that they share an ancient heritage but realize that complete honesty between them is the only way to stop the carnage and send the intruders back to the dark dimension where they belong. Although trust between Jack and Larsen is slow in coming, the sexual pulse between them is immediate, adding a zing to this romantic, magical, and terrifying story. Palmer invests an old theme with creative twists, building a vivid, imaginative world. A compelling debut. Palmer, a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart winner, lives in Oak Hill, VA.

Bizarre dreams and hallucinations begin to plague Neva Jones after she meets March in a weird pub while on a business trip to Wales, so she quickly heads home to her normal life in Alabama. But "normal" is no longer an option. A plunge into a pond takes Neva into a magical, Alice-in-Wonderland world where she reconnects with the hunky March and ends up on a convoluted quest to save him from a recurring curse, with unexpected results. More fantasy than romance, this surreal story blends Welsh myth with fairy tale adventure, spikes it with humor and a dash of modern sass, and lets the plot, in all its quirky glory, unfold. Sims (The Midnight Work), a relatively new writer, has an offbeat style that should have cross-genre appeal.

Continuing her Hetar fantasy series begun with Lara (2005), Small sweeps her adventurous heroine—the half-mortal, half-faerie Lara—from domestic happiness with Magnus Hauk, Dominus of Terah, to the realm of Kol, Twilight Lord of the Dark Lands, and sets the lusty pot boiling with threats of war, conquest, and retaliation. Evil magic, a craving for power, and base treachery add spice to this seductive tale that takes the strong, powerful Lara another step along the path to her ultimate destiny and should please fans of the series. Small (A Distant Tomorrow), one of the original writers of the sweet/savage style of historical romance, is particularly noted for her Skye O'Malley saga. She lives on Long Island, NY.

Judd Walker is still suffering from the brutal murder of his wife almost four years earlier, so the last thing the bitter, reclusive attorney wants is to become involved once more with the Beauty Queen Killer. Still, when Detective Lindsay McAllister informs him that the killing cycle has started again, and this time the murderer has left one victim alive, Judd's quest for vengeance sparks him to action—and back into the land of the living. Romance blossoms reluctantly between Judd and Lindsay as they track a killer who sees murder as a twisted game in this latest chiller from the popular Barton (Most Likely To Die), noted for delivering fast-paced, serial-killer thrillers. She lives in Alabama.

Having secretly borne a child out of wedlock as a teenager and therefore no longer a virgin, beautiful, intelligent Lady Charlotte Hayward has spent most of her adult life protecting her heart and her reputation by skillfully—and charmingly—avoiding all offers of marriage. But when Darius Carsington, a noted rakehell with a serious agricultural bent, moves onto the neighboring property, charged by his autocratic father to either make it productive within a year or find a rich bride, Charlotte's and Darius's single days are numbered, despite their determined intentions to the contrary. A deeply conflicted heroine, a surprisingly perceptive hero with issues of his own, a surfeit of wonderfully defined secondary characters (some reprised from earlier books), and a richly complex plot lightly laced with humor result in another winner for the popular New England-based Chase (Lord Perfect). This is the fourth title in the Carsington Brothers series.

Concerned that the acquisition of the resort on Hawaii's Big Island by Donovan Enterprises might endanger the dolphin program where she works, marine behaviorist Jade Kanahele is totally unprepared to be so attracted to the magnetic Adam Donovan when he shows up on a reconnaissance mission—and the same goes for Adam. Is it simple biology, or could it be the heirloom quilt that Jade has just been given, which supposedly ensures that the recipient will be married within the year? Sexual tension shimmers between the protagonists in this sweet, heartwarming romance that is filled with the exotic but realistic flavor of the islands and is the first in the author's "Matchmaker Quilt" trilogy. Mahon (The Secret Wish) writes gentle, beautifully descriptive Hawaii-set romances; she lives in Paradise Valley, AZ.

When a daring effort to retrieve a family heirloom from a disreputable rake results in rebellious Francesca Dunroy's being apprehended—and ultimately bedded—by Justin Maddox, the new Duke of Colster, the requisite marriage is exactly what they both needed—much to their surprise. Thoughtful, insightful character development and accomplished writing are hallmarks of Virginia-based Maxwell's work. Fans who first met Justin in In the Bed of a Duke will enjoy seeing how the Scottish-blacksmith-turned-English-duke fares in London society. A legendary sword, a bit of treachery, and English/Scottish politics add emotional depth, intrigue, and historical detail to this lively romance.