8-25-12 The Wolf Hunt by Gillian Bradshaw - Fiction

4 - Oops, forgot one!  This is a period book set in France in the days of lords and lieges.  It is a good combo of intrigue, romance, politics, and the supernatural, surprisingly so.  Marie Penthievre is the heir to her fathers estate and is kidnapped by the Bretons from her Norman priory.  Ironically, one of her kidnappers is a blood relation.  She is kept at court but is treated as one of the family.  At the beginning of her stay, there is some drama with one of the lord's knights rushing off to steal away with his lover before her wedding to another.  The story is full of twists and turns with one mystery leading into the next and the battle, legal and personal, for Marie's lands once her father has been killed in the crusades.  This was a much more interesting book than I initially expected and well written historically.

12-14-11 The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks - Fiction

2 - Sappy, but what do you expect from Sparks? I saw the twist, bittersweet ending coming and, yeah, I was right. This is a standard boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with girl from a good family and they are kept apart but then come back together years later. Honestly, read The Notebook instead. Much better.

11-18-09 Vows by LaVyrle Spencer – Fiction

I’m not reviewing this again.  This was the book I kept free during the move so that I’d have something simple and well known to relax with when I had a chance.

6-1-09 Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer – Fiction

4 – I couldn’t figure out why I was slowing down so much in my reading and then I realized I needed a palate cleanser.  Enter LaVyrle Spencer.  This was a pretty good story set in the South during WWII, beginning just before Pearl Harbor.  It’s a standard Spencer light romance with two mismatched characters who continually have misunderstandings and situations that keep them from professing and celebrating their love for each other.  As I’ve said, I like Spencer, especially her historical novels, as a palate cleanser when I get a little too bogged down and apathetic with my reading.  They are always sweet and have a happy ending.  I recommend everyone find their own palate cleansing author.

6-5-08 Archangel by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

5 - This is one of those great crossover books that can be used to introduce a reluctant reader to a new genre. If you like romances, I dare you to try this scifi/fantasy and not like it. Shinn writes wonderful stories drawing the reader in and introducing characters the reader actually cares about. Try this book and if you like it, she has written four more books about Samaria.

6-2-07 Bittersweet by LaVyrle Spencer - Fiction

4 - Yet another fluff read, this is a sweet story about a second chance for first love.

5-19-07 Vows by LaVyrle Spencer - Fiction

5 - This is my favorite book by Spencer, a nice fluff read to clean the palette.

10-28-06 Archangel by Sharon Shinn - Fiction

5 - If you love romance novels but turn your nose up at fantasy stories, I challenge you to read this book and not enjoy it! Shinn has an incredible knack for creating characters that are rich and flawed and likable. Plus, her themes are so universal, the settings are easily believed.

3-13-06 The Fulfillment by LaVyrle Spencer - Fiction

3 - Not one of my favorites, but a nice fluff read with interesting historical points.

7-25-05 Vows by LaVyrle Spencer - Fiction

4 - This is a great fluff read (translation: palate cleanser. I know it has a happy ending and it doesn't take much thought to get there.). Spencer adds nice historical references to the happy fluffy story.