It may be growing darker and colder outside, dear readers…but that is nothing more than a good excuse to curl up with a good book (at least that’s what I tell myself around this time of year!).  And our genre aficionados at the Library are here, as ever, bring you our favorite readers from this month!

Bridget: The Fixer, Helenkay Dimon

I have had a tough time with contemporary romances for a number of reasons, but largely due to issues of gender and power relations that we can certainly discuss at a later time here…but then I read the debut of Helenkay Dimon’s Games People Play series, and realized there was still hope left in the world.

Years ago, Emery Finn’s cousin vanished without a trace, and her case was never resolved.  As a result, Emery has dedicated her life to helping find other missing women, and to following every lead into her cousin’s case, no matter how cold, no matter how obscure.  It is that search that led her to a man known only as Wren–a professional ‘fixer’, whose network of influence is vast, and whose true identity is a secret worth killing to keep.  But Emery refuses to take no for an answer.  Wren has lived most of his life in the shadows, doing the work that no one else can.  But as he gets to know Emery, to see the passion that drives her and the strength that keeps her going, he finds himself drawn ever closer to her.  But the more their search uncovers, the greater the danger to Emery grows, until Wren has no choice but to put aside his dark past and fight for the woman he has come to love.

I have a bit of a hard time telling you how much this book surprised me, dear readers.  But we’ll start with the part where Wren, who, despite his wealth and power, is awkward in social situations, apologizes to the heroine for intimidating her at their first meeting.  This is not a man who “takes what he wants”, like so many other heroes whose privileges are used to justify their horrible behavior.  This is a romance of equals who respect each other and value each other’s talents and input, and of two people who aren’t used to making interpersonal connections, which adds an utterly charming artlessness and humanity to both characters.  The mystery element of the plot is strong and interesting as well, but for me, this book was about shattering genre conventions, readers’ expectations, and telling a story about a strong, healthy, and honest relationship that was as meaningful as it was engaging.  This one probably one of my favorite reads of the year, and I can’t wait until it arrives on our shelves soon!

Kelley: Love and Other Scandals  by Caroline Linden

Sometimes it’s nice to read a simple love story without deception and drama, and that’s just what Caroline Linden gives her readers with Love and Other Scandals. There isn’t anything unexpected in this book, but it’s impossible not to like Joan Bennet and her family, especially her aunt, and though it took a bit longer for me, once more of his past was revealed I warmed up to charming rake Tristan as well.

Joan is a spinster wallflower largely because she spends most of her life dominated by her well-meaning mother, the only person both she and her brother fear to upset. From conservative rules of propriety to a religious observance of fashion that ignores flattering individual figures, Joan’s mother imposes rules that pretty much ensure that Joan will go unnoticed by potential suitors. When Joan’s parents and brother need to leave town while her mother recovers from an illness, Joan is left in the care of her unconventional aunt and, at the request of her brother, entertained by his good friend Tristan in his absence.

You can probably guess what happens next.  Joan’s trips to the modiste and outings with Tristan are full of the kind of light and fun romance that’s perfect when you’re looking for an escape from reality. Following Joan as she learns to embrace her own sense of style and understand that some things are worth fighting for even if it means upsetting the people you love is a true pleasure.

Until next month (next year!), beloved patrons–happy reading!

Well, it’s November, dear readers; the month that Louisa May Alcott described as “the most disagreeable month in the whole year”.  And, frankly, I couldn’t agree more.   Thankfully, so long as there are books, there is hope, and thus, we bring you this months’ Romance Garden, where there is plenty of dirt to help your mind grow, and countless happy endings to make November just a little bit more bearable…

Bridget:

Going Deep by Anne Calhoun

I have a lot of trouble with contemporary romance novels (those set in the present day) because it seems that very few of them are willing to challenge the “hard, rugged, dominant Alpha-Male” and “Damsel In Need Of A Hero” tropes.  Not only do I find them damaging for perpetuating ideas about how men and women “should” behave and interact–I also find them really boring.  So I cannot begin to tell you my joy at reading Anne Calhoun’s latest Alpha Ops novel.

Singer/songwriter Cady Ward’s career is finally taking off…but fame comes with a price.  Cady is being stalked online, and after one too many run-ins with some over-enthusiastic fans, Cady’s manager decrees that she cannot go home for the holidays unless she has a bodyguard with her.  Conn is in the middle of a career melt-down.  Though he knows that the accusations of unnecessary force being leveled against him are false, his chief orders him to take some time off…and take care of Cady…until things blow over.

And thus, we are set up with the old  damsel-in-distress/aggressive Alpha Male trope, right?  Actually…no.  The relationship between Conn and Cady is as far from convention as it is possible to get.  Conn may be big and strong, but he is all too aware of the kind of fear that physical strength can impart, and never stoops to treating Cady as anything but what she is–a force, both creative and intellectually–with which to be reckoned.  Cady, for her part, effortless shows how capable she is of rescuing herself, but Calhoun also shows how difficult this role can be, and deals with it beautifully.

As a singer, I really appreciated that Calhoun treated Cady’s art with respect, and showed what a difficult, taxing, and stressful job performing really is.  More than anything, though, I loved, loved, loved the final scene in this book–enough to make it among my favorites of all time.  Readers who haven’t read the other Alpha Ops novels won’t have too much trouble at all with this one, but Anne Calhoun is a darn good writer, so I highly recommend checking out the series as a whole.

Kelley:

Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch

Suzanne Enoch’s “No Ordinary Heroes” series is off to a great start with Hero in the Highlands, a story that turns the standard English rose meets untamed Highland laird trope on its head to introduce us to Major Gabriel Forrester, a soldier in the British army; and Fiona Blackstock, a capable and confident Highland woman.

When we meet Gabriel Forrester, he is actively fighting for the British army in Spain and enjoying a military career where he thrives on battle, and his family is made up of the men whose responsibility it is his to keep alive. Shortly after we come to understand what being a soldier means to Gabriel, we see that life taken away from him suddenly and unexpectedly when he inherits a dukedom he never knew he was in line for in the first place. As the Duke of Lattimer, amongst the money and some well managed properties in England, Gabriel also inherits a castle in the Scottish Highlands that comes complete with a curse that makes the estate entirely unprofitable and an uncooperative steward.

Fiona Blackstock is the steward of Lattimer Castle, and she has no interest in seeing an English duke in residence at a castle neglected by the previous duke and adequately managed by the Maxwell clan, the clan who owned the castle prior to the English win at the Battle of Culloden. Though it’s been decades since Culloden, and Gabriel wasn’t even alive at the time, the battle is remembered bitterly in Scotland, and he is despised simply for being English. Although Fiona is reluctant to help him at first, Gabriel proves time and again that he is willing to take action when needed and he cares about her clan, so Fiona comes to see that Gabriel might be just what Lattimer Castle and its people need.

The relationship that develops between Fiona and Gabriel is a surprise to both of them, and it’s sweet to watch their romance unfold. Fiona is smart and capable, has the respect of her clan, and has managed the estate for years without need of help or rescuing. For his part, Gabriel is a hard-working man who cares deeply about the people in his care, but has never envisioned a future for himself that didn’t end in an early death. Can Gabriel teach Fiona that having a partner to support and help you can be a very valuable and desirable thing? And will Gabriel ever be able to envision and live for a life that includes a real future and love? I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Hero in the Highlands to find out!

Until next month, beloved patrons…happy reading!

The winds may be getting a bit chillier, dear readers, and the nights ever longer, but here in the Romance Garden, there is no frost, and no daylight-savings time, and certainly no droughts (or elections, for that matter).  So why not come and enjoy a bit of escapism, and check out our genre experts’ selections for the month here, where we believe that every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow….

Bridget: Shift by Sidney Bristol

This book seemed, at first, to be way outside my literary comfort zone, but within only a few pages, I was completely hooked, and totally captivated by Bristol’s brilliant characterization and fiercely emotional love story.  The series as a whole focuses on the employees of a classic car garage, who are all tough, fearless street racers…and who are all also undercover government agents (usually as a way to pay down some sort of debt they owe to Uncle Sam, or because they have a personal stake in the mission at hand).

As the daughter of a KGB defector, Tori Chazov has spent her life keeping one step ahead of her father’s enemies.  Though she’s always ready to go back on the run, she has found some new sort of family with her fellow agents–and one serious crush in their tech guru, Emery Martin, the definition of the strong, silent type.  Emery might not say much, but he’s been captivated by Tori from the moment they met.  So when he detects in his surveillance that a Russian hit mob is on its way to Miami to find Tori, there is nothing he won’t do to keep her safe, even if it means letting her see every secret and scar that he holds close.

What I love most about this series, hands-down, is the fact that Bristol never gives in to any genre stereotypes–her heroes may all be well-muscled and strong-willed, but, as we see with Emery, they can also be insecure, unsure, and feel totally out of their depth, which allows us as readers to get to know them so much better.  Her heroine may be in need of help here, but Tori is never a damsel-in-distress, and is very clearly strong enough, both physically and mentally, to take care of herself and those she loves.  Together, these two share quite the sizzling chemistry, but they also start off quite awkwardly, desperate to make a good impression, but without a clue how to start.  It’s so incredibly endearing to see them both grapple with their feelings and their secrets and build a bond of trust between them.  Combine that with the thrill of spy hunt and some very slick car chases, and you have all the makings of one rip-roaring good read.  Though this is the second book in the Hot Rides series, new comers shouldn’t have too much trouble giving this book a test drive–and for those craving more, the third book, Chase, will be out in December!

Kelley: A Promise of Fire  by Amanda Bouchet

First time novelist Amanda Bouchet has given the gift of a completely addictive fantasy romance to genre fans everywhere. A Promise of Fire is the first book of Bouchet’s The Kingmaker Chronicles, and based on the Orange Rose Contest and Paranormal Golden Pen wins, Romance Writers of America thinks it’s pretty great too. Typically, I gravitate to historical romances, but do read a lot of non-romance fantasy, so when review after review for this title was so exceptional, I decided it was time to find out what happens when romance and fantasy meet.

With magical abilities that come complete with an overwhelming destiny, and a dangerous and powerful mother,  it’s clear why Cat Fisa has been secretly living under an assumed identity as a circus soothsayer. She’s been there long enough to make her circus friends a sort-of family, and would have stayed if it weren’t for the unwelcome arrival of the legendary Beta Sinta, a warlord famous for conquering seemingly indestructible magical kingdoms despite having no magic of his own.

Beta Sinta, also known as Griffin, wants to further the power of his kingdom by harnessing Cat’s ability to glean when people are lying. Like Cat, he is strong, stubborn, and fiercely protective of the people he cares about. Fairly quickly, he comes to care about Cat, but she wants nothing to do with him and his advances. In Cat’s experience, when people love her, they die. Her solution is to avoid attachments and to never reveal her true identity, but Griffin is determined to earn her trust and give her the courage to let love and a real family into her life.

In addition to a very well developed cast of characters- Griffin’s family in particular- the world Bouchet creates is believable and well-built. The plotting is also first-rate, making it very difficult to find a good place to put this book down. If you like fantasy and you like romance, like me, you’ll be wonderfully glad you picked it up… until you remember that A Promise of Fire is Bouchet’s first book, and you have to wait until January 2017 for The Kingmaker Chronicles Book 2: Breath of Fire.

…Until next month, beloved patrons, happy reading!

It’s the beginning of a new month, dear readers, and that means another review of the best books that our genre devotees have found this month.  We hope it inspires you to try something new, and revel in all things romantic.  Because, as we always say, every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow….

Bridget: The Chocolate Touch by Laura Florand

For reasons that we shall discuss a bit later, I had Paris on my mind a little while back, and whenever that happens, I always turn to Laura Florand’s work.  Her books are always fun, always clever, full of terrific descriptions….there’s only one drawback, which will become evident shortly…

Jaime Corey, the younger sister of the owner of Corey Chocolate (fans of this series will know all about this fictional American mass-market chocolate company), has spent years trying to compensate for her privilege by helping those less fortunate.  But after suffering a severe trauma, Jaime decides that the time has come to take care of herself.  So she decides to travel to Paris for a little ‘chocolate therapy’.  And it is there she discovers Dominique Richard’s chocolate boutique, and simply can’t stay away.

Dominique has clawed his way from nothing to become Paris’ top chocolatier, and his bad-boy reputation only adds to his enormous reputation.  But nothing can keep him from noticing the young woman who has started coming to his boutique everyday–for reasons he can’t quite define.  And soon, Dominique finds himself crafting chocolate concoctions specifically for her, delighting in surprising her with his invention.  But Dominique is a big, imposing person with a temper, and is terrified that he will develop into his abusive father if he lets himself care too much about anyone–can he and Jaime overcome their mutual fears to find their way together?

This book was a bit darker than the other books in Florand’s Chocolate Romances, but she handles both Jaime’s issues and Dominique’s with admirable grace.  The romance here was also a bit less fiery and wild, and more intimate, gentle, and deeply felt, giving this story a beautifully different, and wonderfully unforgettable feel all the way through. I can’t tell you how tired I am of aggressive alpha-males in romances, and Dominique’s willingness to put all his own privileges aside to win Jaime was precisely what I needed.

The only problem?  Florand’s books leave me starving.  Her description are so vivid and visceral…I dare you to read this book without making an emergency run for some chocolate.  Consider yourself warned!

Kelley: A Season of Ruin by Anna Bradley

Looking for a short but sweet tale to fill a late summer afternoon? Anna Bradley’s A Season of Ruin delivers a can’t-put-it-down romance in just over 300 pages! Don’t be fooled by the book’s length though; the characters are well-developed, the wit is sharp, and the romance is just as passionate as in any longer tale.

When perfectly proper Lily Somerset goes to London for her first season she is not looking for love or passion; her goal is to simply make a practical match with a gentleman of impeccable reputation, no matter how boring he may be. However, Lily’s plans quickly get complicated when she mistakes a room containing none other than Robyn Sutherland, London’s most notorious rake, for the ladies’ salon.

In order to save Lily from ruin, Robyn reluctantly becomes her escort for the season. We quickly learn the reason for Lily’s inhibitions and extreme propriety, and Robyn might be just the person to convince her to come out of her self-imposed shell. But will Lily be able to show Robyn that he is capable of better than the life he has chosen to lead up until now?

A novel of hidden passions and awakened potential, the second in Bradley’s Sutherland Scandals series is definitely one to check out.

Until next month, dear readers…keep your heart happy!