Romance Book Reviews
The Beauty and the Spy by Gayle Callen
Avon, October, 2004Paperback, 373 pages
ISBN: 0060543957
Subgenre: Historical
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Charlotte Sinclair is a young widow, finally free of the burdensome
restrictions of 1844 British society. Her mourning garb
discarded, she attends a grand ball to get back into the swing of
things. Desperately bored with her life and surroundings and
buoyed by her discovery that her father was a secret spymaster
for England, Charlotte
impulsively follows a mysteriously handsome stranger,
and overhears a conversation that she shouldn't. The handsome
stranger, Nicholas Wright, is actually an undercover spy himself, trying to
make a connection with a notorious traitor. His contact wants
Charlotte killed immediately, so Nick does the only thing he can to
save her life: he kidnaps her. Charlotte decides that adventures
are inconvenient things and that her boring life wasn't really so
bad after all. She also thinks that it's also quite unfortunate that she seems to have
fallen in love with a spy who worked for her father. But whose
side is he working for now?
The Beauty and the Spy is the second book in Gayle Callen's delightful "Spies and Lovers" series. Ms. Callen has a light touch with her writing that is very appealing. She keeps the action moving swiftly, and fills the pages with intrigue. Charlotte, the young widow who had a terrible experience with marriage, is as endearing as she is brave. Those who enjoy adventure and a bit of fun in their historicals are going to love Gayle Callen.
Dream of Me by Lisa Cach
LoveSpell, October, 2004Paperback, 352 pages
ISBN 0505525194
Subgenre: Paranormal
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Lisa Cach takes readers to 1423 Eastern Europe in this
unusual and wickedly fun new paranormal romance. Theron is
an immortal incubus of the Night World who longs to
become a mortal king. Theron decides
to cut a deal with the aggressive and ambitious
Prince Vlad of Wallachia, and so allows Vlad to summon him.
Theron agrees to use his powers to scuttle a proposed marriage
which will interfere with Vlad's plans to conquer every
nearby country, in exchange for giving Theron the use of Vlad's
body for three days.
But Vlad reneges on his end of the deal and Theron sets out for
revenge. He decides to pay a visit to Vlad's lonely, youthful
fiancé, who has been cloistered in a lonely castle for years with only a
nun and an obnoxious maid for company. Theron can only enter her dreams,
but he soon finds that Lucia has some powers of her own. Soon
Theron is breaking every rule of the Night World to see Lucia. But Vlad
is on the way, intent on claiming his bride after a good round of
killing some more villagers. Theron will have to use both magic and love to
thwart Vlad, but is a heartless demon really up to the task?
Lisa Cach has a vivid imagination coupled with a real talent for characterization which makes her books unique. Dream of Me plunges the reader into the Night World, with incubi, succubi and demons, along with a villain who is most likely based on Vlad the Impaler. This is a dark, sensual fantasy that also has its share of sly humor. Theron is especially amusing: the demon without a soul who succumbs to love. Paranormal romance lovers should put Lisa Cach on their "must read" lists.
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