Romance

By Kristin Ramsdell -- Library Journal, 6/15/2009

Trilogies, series, and other books linked by character, place, or theme continue to be the romantic rage, and their reach touches every subgenre. Contemporary or historical, sexy or sweet, paranormal or realistic, there's something here for everyone. Whether the stories are officially parts of named series (more often the case now) or stand-alone titles loosely linked to others by the same author, the current crop of books promises mouthwatering reading. So grab your iced tea, heat up the grill, and settle down with a few of this summer's sweet, hot links.

When stressed-out social worker Ava Warrick rear-ends attorney Kyle Chatham's vintage Jaguar, the sparks fly high and hard—until she ends up with a concussion and Kyle takes on the job of making sure she recovers. Attraction and friendship soon become something more, but the path is not smooth for Ava and Kyle, and they'll need to grow and overcome a number of issues if their relationship is going to be one of commitment and love. Although there are a number of interesting secondary characters, the subplots are muted, and in classic romance tradition, the action in this sexy story focuses primarily on the evolving romance between Ava and Kyle. VERDICT Well-developed characters and a good sense of time and place are pluses in this story, which is the first in Alers's "Best Men" trilogy. Alers (Secret Agenda) lives in Freeport, NY.

Furious when a careless car crash leads to her being stuck in backwoods Sulphur, OK, doing community service for four months, spoiled, willful Greta Fields is doubly frustrated to discover that Kyle Parsons, the hunky cop whose bull she ran over, will be overseeing her sentence. The results, of course, are predictable, but the fun of getting there, with the unexpected bumps along the way, is what this sweet, funny, small-town romance is all about. VERDICT Family expectations and conflicting lifestyles finally give way to love and acceptance in this fourth in Brown's Oklahoma-set "Broken Roads Romance" series. It overflows with quirky, likable characters, down-home ambience, and plenty of sweet tea. Brown (To Believe) splits her time between Texas and Oklahoma.

From the time Toby Aldridge had whimsically crowned her Goddess of the Hunt, 11-year-old Lucy Waltham had adored him. Now, eight years later, with Toby intending to propose to someone else, naïve Lucy boldly plans to seduce him but needs practice—and an ally. Who better than her emotionally chilly best friend, Jeremy Trescott, Earl of Kendall, to make Toby jealous? This is an exceptional debut novel, from the first hilarious "practice" session to the gradual melting of Jem's outward reserve and Lucy's maturing realization of whom she really loves. VERDICT A beautifully crafted tale that captivates with sassy wit, a lush, sweetly intense sensuality, and an abundance of beautifully articulated, appealing characters. The first in a trilogy of linked stories slated for back-to-back release. Dare lives in Southern California.

Kidnapped by Stavros Gratsos, a powerful and sadistic psychic businessman, Elle Drake, the fiery-tempered telepathic youngest of the magically gifted Drake sisters, is rescued by her family and the man she loves, Jackson Deveau, but returns home a shattered shell. Jackson gradually draws her out of her mental hell, but Stavros wants Elle back, and he threatens to destroy everyone she loves to make it happen. While this is definitely Elle and Jackson's story, the Drake sisters and their mates join the fierce battle for their lives and their family's magical heritage. VERDICT This intensely romantic tale is both tender and brutal, infinitely satisfying, and leaves the door open for more episodes in Feehan's (Burning Wild) popular "Drake Sisters" series. The author lives near the Northern California coast.

Pianist Jenna Davies goes into hiding with seven-year-old Lexie in remote Angel's Bay until reporter Reid Tanner snaps her picture after she saves a young woman from drowning. Suddenly, Angel's Bay is no longer safe. But Reid is curious, and as their relationship deepens, he vows to get some answers and keep Jenna safe—if only he can. A large cast of townspeople adds to this intriguing, suspenseful romance, which is the first of Freethy's "Angel's Bay" novels. Based in the San Francisco area, Freethy (Silent Fall) has a gift for creating complex, appealing characters and emotionally involving, often suspenseful, sometimes magical stories. VERDICT Set along the rugged central California coast in a town where angelic interference may be more than just legend, Suddenly One Summer features an idyllic setting, a welcoming community, and a supernatural shimmer, all beautifully setting the series scene.

Shocked but fascinated to find a beautiful woman asleep in his bed, powerful businessman Donovan Steele sets his sites on seduction. But Natalie Ford, a chemical engineering professor at Princeton who is temporarily helping her aunt keep her cleaning service going while she recovers from a broken ankle, is not about to be tempted. The chemistry burns white-hot between a man who won't take no for an answer and a wary woman wise to the ways of players. VERDICT This deliciously sensual romance ramps up the emotional stakes and the action with a bit of deception and corporate espionage. Short, sexy, and sizzling, this is the latest in Jackson's (Quade's Babies) popular series about the Steele family; she lives in Florida.

For the first four books in James's "Desperate Duchesses" series, Jemma and Elijah, the Duke and Duchess of Beaumont, uneasily sharing a home after living apart for years, have been key players in the romances of others. In this, the penultimate book in the series, the time has come for them to produce an heir and, if Jemma has her way, rediscover passion and fall in love once more. Jemma is not a chess master for nothing, and this fun-living duchess is determined to win the heart (and heal it, if she can) of her proper, straitlaced duke by making him choose her in the most critical game of her life. VERDICT Clever plotting, luscious sensuality, and witty, intelligent banter are the hallmarks of this scandalously entertaining book, which nicely sets the stage for A Duke of Her Own (coming in August), the story of the wickedly charismatic Duke of Villiers. James (When the Duke Returns) lives in the New York City area.

Although dangerously attracted to the devilishly handsome illusionist Diego Montalvo, outspoken art teacher Lucy Seton is not about to let him turn the estate next door to Mrs. Harris's highly selective girls' school into another Vauxhall. But she, not the property, is the real reason Diego is in England; his goal is to regain his family vineyard by finding the long-lost granddaughter of a crafty Spanish nobleman and returning her to Spain—all without laying a hand on her. This fifth installment in Jeffries's (Let Sleeping Rogues Lie) "School for Heiresses" series teases readers with hints of the long-awaited final chapter, Wed Him Before You Bed Him (coming in July; look for an Xpress Review). VERDICT Honor wars with desire as the sexual tension crackles across the pages of this witty, deliciously sensual, secret-laden story. (Jeffries will talk about her series and juggling her secrets in the June 18 edition of LJ's e-newsletter BookSmack!)

Royce Varisey, Duke of Wolverstone and former enigmatic Bastion Club leader Dalziel, heads to Northumbria to assume his new ducal responsibilities and find a wife. But Minerva Chesterton, the estate's insightful chatelaine and woman of his choice, will only marry for love, creating a dilemma for a man who thinks he's incapable of that emotion. VERDICT Erotically specific yet emotionally touching and infinitely romantic, this electrically charged, danger-tinged romance deliciously concludes Laurens's "Bastion Club" series. Laurens (Temptation and Surrender) lives in Melbourne, Australia.

When Gracie flees from her stepbrother's kiss, Jason assumes his affections aren't returned and angrily heads for New York—and disaster. But Gracie is hiding a violent, soul-scarring past—one she fears will turn Jason against her if he ever learns the truth. VERDICT Long-kept secrets, misunderstandings, and an over-the-top other woman cause numerous but not insurmountable problems for Jason and Gracie in this sensual, Western-flavored romance that is the latest in Palmer's popular "Long Tall Texans" series. Palmer (Fearless) lives in Cornelia, GA.

Shaken to learn that she is not human but a member of the immortal Therian race of shape-shifters, Kara MacAllister is jerked from her quiet Missouri small-town existence when Lyon invades her home to claim her as their chosen Radiant, a woman necessary for survival in their battle against ancient evil to keep the world safe. Surrounded by a cadre of nine fierce and sometimes unpredictable shape-shifters, Kara struggles to "ascend" to her full powers, but darker forces have other plans. VERDICT First in Palmer's "Feral Warriors" series, this is violent, sexy, dark paranormal fantasy of the first order and creates a compelling world that fans will find hard to resist. Palmer (Dark Deceiver) lives in the Washington, DC, area.

Boston cop Mike Corwin has always tried to ignore the ancient family curse that dooms the Corwin men to lose both love and fortune if they marry for love. Yet when he wakes after an impulsive Vegas marriage to find his sexy new wife, Amber Rose, and the $150,000 he'd won gone, he thinks there may be something to it after all. But with her father's life on the line, Amber had no choice but to take the cash and play along with her former partner in one last card-counting con—a decision that eventually has her running from thugs and back into Mike's wary, unwelcoming arms. VERDICT Quirky, even slightly crazy secondary characters join these strongly developed protagonists and add to the fun in this sassy, sexy story with a rapid-fire pace. Second in Phillips's trilogy about the Corwin curse, this winner will send readers looking for the rest. Phillips (Lucky Charm) lives in Purchase, NY.

Newly orphaned and determined to avoid the advances of an unsavory, persistent suitor, Mariah Clarke impulsively invents a husband, never imagining that one will miraculously be washed up on the beach of her northern Cumberland estate. But Adam Lawford, the Duke of Ashton, has lost his memory in a steam yacht explosion, so when the lovely angel who rescues him says she is his wife, he is more than willing to believe it. VERDICT Gentle humor, exotic elements (courtesy of Adam's half-Hindi heritage), compelling, flawless prose, and irresistible characters caught in a sweet, sensual dilemma will leave readers smiling, breathless, and anxiously awaiting the next adventure in Putney's new "Lost Lords" series. Readers who loved Putney's "Fallen Angels" books are in for a rare treat; fortunately, there are more delicacies to come! Putney (A Distant Magic) writes some of the most sensitive, exquisite historicals in the field; she lives in the Baltimore area.

When Jenny Easdale, a young orphaned noblewoman, escapes from her own betrothal party to enjoy one last taste of freedom before she is forced to marry her guardian's feckless, spoiled younger brother, she and her maid join a troupe of traveling minstrels as they leave town. But Jenny is in for a wee bit more adventure than she'd planned when she inadvertently learns of a plot to assassinate a powerful laird. She and Sir Hugh Douglas, her intended's widowed elder brother, who has been sent to find her, make plans to warn the man, never thinking that they will find a totally unexpected love along the way. VERDICT Noted for her exceptionally well-written and well-researched Scottish historicals, Scott breathes vivid, colorful life into 14th-century Scotland with strong, well-motivated characters, a passionate love story, and enough political intrigue to keep the action lively in the first in a projected series. Scott (Border Moonlight) lives in Folsom, CA.

When a plan aimed at catching a group determined to assassinate Queen Victoria is foiled by a young woman's gunshot, Secret Service Agent for the Crown Alex Hepburn uses his psychic skills to identify a young boy linked to the shooter. However, what Alex finds is not a boy but a woman—a woman with past connections to the traitors but who turns out to be a surprising ally when he needs one the most. The second installment in Thornton's "The Seers of Grampian" series about three men who inherit differing psychic abilities from their grandmother, the renowned witch of Drumore. VERDICT Murder, treachery, and intrigue are driving forces in this action-packed, cleverly plotted story that pairs a brilliant, calculating, relentless hero with a passionate, courageous heroine and lets the adventure begin. Thornton (The Runaway McBride) lives in Canada.

Kidnapped as a preteen while on a trip to Egypt, Zoe Octavia Lexham escapes after 12 years in a harem and returns to her family only to confront social censure. It is childhood friend Lucien de Grey, Duke of Marchmont, who comes to her aid. Always a hoyden, the now sensually trained but still virgin Zoe is a seductive force to be reckoned with, and while Lucien feels honor-bound to take her under his wing, he soon becomes as captivated with her behavior as he is annoyed. VERDICT Chase (Your Scandalous Ways) has created another unconventional, thoroughly delightful heroine, provided her with a hero worthy of the title, and added enough scandal and outrageous fun to keep the pages turning. A longtime and well-deserved favorite of historical romance fans, Chase lives in Worchester, MA.

Ten years after Sophie Heller and her family fled Germany because of the darkening political situation and built a new life as U.S. citizens and farmers in Victory, IL, their peace is shattered as they fall victim to a few German-hating bigots bent on running them out of town—or worse. Barn burnings and vicious taunts and slurs are only the beginning in a story that highlights fear, prejudice, and other less honorable aspects of life at home during World War II. Sophie and crippled teacher Cole Ambrose provide the light romance, plus some heroics, in this fairly predictable story. Garlock (Leaving Whiskey Bend) has written a number of novels set in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. VERDICT The true strength here lies in the author's choice of theme and setting and her exceptional ability to make that place spring vividly to life. Garlock lives in Clear Lake, IA.

Beautiful, well-dowered, and nobly born, Lady Olivia Bevelstoke is practically on the shelf at 21, when the enigmatic Harry Valentine—rumored to have killed his fiancée—moves in next door. Curious and attracted, Olivia follows her dubious instincts and finds herself in more trouble than she'd ever imagined—and also more in love. VERDICT Funny, endearing, and full of adventure, this lively tale retains all of Quinn's characteristic witty charm but adds a dangerous dash of mystery that is sure to delight her many fans. Quinn (Mr. Cavendish, I Presume) lives in the Pacific Northwest.

When her brief, disastrous marriage to mathematician and overall Renaissance man Quentin Leonidas Marsden falls apart, Dr. Bryony Asquith reads the signs, gets an annulment, and takes her considerable medical skills to Germany, America, and, finally, the Rumbur Valley on the Indian frontier. Several years later, learning that Bryony's father is ill, Leo comes to ferry her back to England, and their tortuous trek home provides just what they need to reclaim the love they thought had been lost forever. VERDICT Thomas (Delicious), who has made a name for herself with her exquisite use of language, deftly switches between past and present in this lyrically written, emotionally captivating story graced by beautifully developed, realistically flawed characters, clear motivation, and descriptions that make late Victorian India spring to life. Thomas lives in Austin, TX.

Just in time for Father's Day, this title includes two of Macomber's earlier series romances: The Courtship of Carol Sommars (Silhouette, 1990), in which a pair of independence-seeking teenage boys become matchmakers for their single parents, and Father's Day (Harlequin, 1991), the story of a boy who finds the perfect dog living right next door, along with a man who turns out to be perfect for his mom.

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