Review: Arrow to the Heart

Title: Arrow to the Heart
Author: Jennifer Blake
Publisher: Fawcett Columbine/Ballantine
Original Date of Publication: 1993
Genre/Sub-genre: Historical Romance
Part of a Series? No

I didn't enjoy Arrow to the Heart as much as the other historical romances I've read by Jennifer Blake. I've though hard about why that might be, and I've come to the conclusion that the power structure customary in Blake's novels is out of balance in this novel. Usually, the heroine is initially dominated by the man (i.e. kidnapped, held captive, forced into marriage) and a major joy of reading is taking in the situation, in which superficially the hero holds all the cards, all the while knowing the heroine, unbeknownst to herself, has completely mentally and emotionally dominated the hero. It's important that she not know, since (I believe) her power is greater than the hero's because it gives her the ability to control the hero's power, and the balance is equal only if she wields it unconsciously. Also, there wouldn't really be a plot otherwise.

However, in Arrow to the Heart, the hero and heroine are thrust into a situation by an external force and are equal in situational power, which immediately diminishes the hero's power. Also, the hero and heroine are more open and communicative than normal in Blake's historicals, which further upsets the power balance and makes the plot a bit more far-fetched, since the closer the heroine is to realizing the hero loves her, the more desperate the events keeping them apart appear. Basically, the delicious balance of the male dominating the physical while the female dominates the mental/emotional is off.

It's still a good book, and the ending is as satisfying as any other Blake historical. I wonder-- Blake returned to historical romances with Arrow to the Heart after writing a string of contemporaries-- can the difference in her typical power structure be attributed to the influence of more contemporary, "modern" expectations?

Review: A Walk in the Wood

Title: A Walk in the Wood
Author: Anna Gilbert
Publisher: Dell
Original Date of Publication: 1989
Genre/Sub-genre: Gothic/ romantic suspense
Part of a Series? Not that I know of

This was a really, really good book. Publisher's Weekly called it "Uncommonly meaningful romantic suspense", and once I got over being offended on behalf of the romance genre, I realized that it may actually be a good way of describing this book. I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot, and the overall depth of the work -- the ending, while satisfying and whole, does not tie up every loose end, leaving some things realistically ambiguous. It is very well written; a lot of lines made me stop and admire Gilbert's power of description. The heroine is a great female character -- rational, intelligent, and strong-willed. The ending, while probably predictable for some, took me completely by surprise. I didn't devour the book in one sitting like I usually do with my favourites, but my interest remained constant enough that even though I paused I did finish it, which is not generally the case for me (usually it's all or nothing). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants good writing and good romance combined, and who doesn't mind sacrificing the sex scenes to get it.

Review: Hunter's Moon

Title: Hunter's Moon
Authors: C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
Publisher: Tor
Original Date of Publication: 2004
Genre/Sub-genre: Paranormal Romance
Part of a Series? Yes, the A Tale of the Sazi series

This book has a great hero and possibly the weakest, most irritating heroine I've ever encountered. He's a hitman and she hires him to kill her at the beginning of the novel -- she can't even do that herself. The rest of the novel is a chronicle of her complete dependency on him. He helps her become more detached from her cruel and manipulative family, he gets her a psychiatrist, he fixes her security system, he finds her friends, rescues her from kidnappers and actually lives for her, actually breathes and makes her heart function for her, near the end of the novel. And then he marries her, thereby ensuring that she'll continue to cling to him for the rest of her life. At the beginning of the novel she is a multi-millionaire, but she did not earn this money -- she won the lottery. At the end of the novel everyone thinks she's dead and she loses the money, so when she becomes married to Tony (the hero) her financial independence (the only form she had) is gone as well. She says herself that the only reason she can think of living is for him. At no point does she think for herself or act for herself in the whole fucking 328 pages. All she does is whine and cling to Tony.

If you can stomach all that, Tony is a good character, and it's interesting to read a romance novel written entirely from the male perspective. However, as the only selling point for the novel, it's a bit weak -- as good as he is, it's hard to respect him, because he loves a complete moron.

Kelley Armstrong: Exit Strategy

Title: Exit Strategy
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher/Series: Spectra
Original Date of Publication: June 26, 2007
Genre/Subgenre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense
Part of a Series? Yes - Nadia Stafford Series


Exit Strategy is the first book in a new series by Kelley Armstrong, or at least I assume it is the first book in a new series. As far as the romantic element goes, it leaves a lot to be desired, but in a good way. There is a well-done UST (unresolved sexual tension) between the main female character Nadia and Jack. The plot of the book is original, and Kelley once again shows her talent for writing an excellent mystery in the midst of a story of real-seeming characters with realistic personal problems. I've always admired the way Kelley could make a werewolf or a witch seem real to me, and she continues the trend with Nadia the cop-turned-assassin.



I suggest this book to people who are fans of the Women of the Otherworld series, as well as those who enjoy fast-paced mysteries with a hint of romantic undertones. The assassin plot is believable, and I highly enjoyed seeing the opposite side of the spectrum in a mystery. It is a nice change from the police/FBI novels I'm used to.



From an author's point of view, keep an eye out for the chapters from the perspective of the victims, and the killer. They were my favourite part of the book because they allowed an insight into things the reader may not have been able to see otherwise. For the romantics out there, make sure to pay special attention to the one in the theatre.

Review: The Rest Falls Away and Rises the Night

Title: The Rest Falls Away and Rises the Night
Author: Colleen Gleason
Publisher/Series: Signet Eclipse
Original Date of Publication: January and June 2007
Genre/Subgenre: Paranormal-Historical Romance
Part of a Series? Yes - The Gardella Vampire Chronicles

I read these two one after the other, so I'll review them together rather than separate them. I tend to view this type of series as one continuous book rather than several complete books anyway, which is one reason I've been so resistant to them. I prefer books that can stand alone. However, The Rest Falls Away has a very positive review by J.R. Ward on the cover, and J.R. Ward is currently my favourite romance author, so I thought I'd give Gleason's series a try.

I wasn't disappointed. The heroine is basically Buffy the Vampire Slayer of the Nineteenth-Century (from the television series, not the movie). She is strong and capable in ways that are not off-putting in the least. I'm normally annoyed by more than one man in the heroine's life, but it does not bother me in this series. Like Bitten, I think it's pretty clear who she's going to end up with in the end. Because this character doesn't show up in Rises the Night until page 180, there's something a little flat in her relationship with the other guy. Still, I don't feel much irritation over drawing out the romance of one heroine and heroine over several books because I like the hero and heroine and I'm interested in how things will play out. I'm bitter about having to wait, though.

Review: Scottish Ecstasy

Title: Scottish Ecstasy
Author: Rebecca Sinclair
Publisher/Series: Kensington Books
Original Date of Publication: 1993
Genre/Subgenre: Historical Romance
Part of a Series? No

I have several weak spots when it comes to romance. One is that I am a sucker for heroes with names like "beast" and "devil", so Alasdair "the Devil" Gray reeled me in. There's also just something about the portrayal of Scottish men in romance novels that's just so cute and sexy at the same time.

This is a good book. The author tends to drag her scenes on endlessly, which becomes a good thing about 200 pages in when the sex starts, but it was a bit irritating before that. It seemed more like self-indulgence on the part of the author than genuine good writing. Of course, it's all subjective.

The heroine's accent got annoying, and all the "yers" and "mauns" seemed to make me even more conscious of the cornier bits of dialogue (though there weren't that many, really). Still, overall it was enjoyable.

Review: Devotion

Title: Devotion
Author: Katherine Sutcliffe
Publisher/Series: Jove
Original Date of Publication: 1996
Genre/Subgenre: Historical Romance
Part of a Series? Sort of...Miracle is about this hero's twin brother

Devotion is a lot like Flowers from the Storm, though in my opinion it's better because the heroine is smarter, more articulate, and more real. It's a refreshing change: the heroine is outspoken and sexually aware (though still a virgin), and the hero is a near-catatonic lump for a good portion of the novel. The ending is a bit different than most formula romances, but I liked it. I really enjoyed this novel and it also has the virtue of being a very quick read -- I polished it off in five hours or less, and I'm no speed-reader.