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Friday, August 28, 2009

Best Romance Novel Reviews

Welcome!

This blog, in association with Best Romance Novels Today, is dedicated to posting the best romance novels we can find.

We scour the web, searching for the best romance novels. We search independent review sites for their latest 5 star novel reviews. We consider books from large publishers, and also gems from small presses. Then we check that novel's average star ranking in Amazon. If a book earns 5 stars from both sources, we post it here.

Enjoy!

NOTE: This week is the beginning of our new posting policy. Please read the sidebar for more information.

Temptation Ridge
(Virgin River, Book 6)

Robyn Carr
Mira, 2009
Contemporary

At twenty-five, after five years as her mother's caregiver, it's time for Shelby to experience freedom and adventure. Time for travel, college and romance. But when she visits Virgin River, she runs into Luke Riordan, decidedly not whom she has in mind.

A handsome Blackhawk pilot, Luke exited the army after twenty years, four wars and having been shot out of the sky three times. At thirty-eight he's tough and jaded. His major was in one-night stands, with a minor in commitment avoidance.
More…

“It is my belief that it takes a very special, rare talent to write a long running series, and keep their readers clamoring for more, and more, and even more still.” – Sandi, A Romance Review …full review
Available at Amazon


Paradise Valley
(Virgin River, Book 7)

Robyn Carr
Mira, 2009
Contemporary

Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraq—his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart?
More…

“It takes the writing of Ms. Carr’s caliber to tackle those [difficult] subjects and not have readers slam the book down in anger and frustration, but instead be so captivated that they have to root for the underdog to come out on top...” – Sandi, A Romance Review …full review

Available at Amazon



Just the Sexiest Man Alive
Julie James
Berkley, 2008
Contemporary

“Chicagoan Taylor is driven to succeed, and her track record in defending corporate clients against sexual-harassment lawsuits is unsurpassed. On loan to her firm’s Los Angeles office, she reluctantly agrees to coach big-name actor and sexy heartthrob Jason Andrews for his upcoming role as a lawyer. His attitude irks her, while her insistence on maintaining a professional distance intrigues him.” – Lynne Welch, Booklist.
More at Amazon…

Just the Sexiest Man Alive is a witty, competent, and thoroughly charming escapist fantasy.” – Mary Benn, The Romance Reader
…full review

* Note: This book now averages 4 ½ stars on Amazon, but three reviewers loved it, so I’m posting it. See reviews from
Mrs. Giggles and Joyfully Reviewed.

Available from Amazon


As Shadows Fade
(The Gardella Vampire Chronicles)

Colleen Gleason
Signet, 2009
Paranormal (Vampire)

Directly descended from the very first vampire hunter in the Gardella family, Victoria knows she must continue the lineage so humanity will have protectors against the undead. While Sebastian Vioget appears to be both the perfect warrior and lover to ensure the Gardella Legacy, Victoria cannot forget Max Pesaro - the former slayer still haunted by the vampire queen Lilith's obsession with him. But it is Lilith's obsession that may save all of humanity.
More...

“I loved As Shadows Fade, and in fact, I loved the whole series. I expected the conclusion to be great and it didn’t disappoint.” – Andi Davis, All About Romance
…full review

Available from Amazon

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Best Romance Novel Reviews

The newest romance novels rated 5 stars (or hearts, books, etc.) from The Wild Rose Press are listed here.

Click title to find the book, or stars to read the review. For a description of ratings, please click here.

NEW POLICY: Well, the day has come…I knew I could not continue this blog indefinitely as I’ve done for over a year, for it simply takes too much time. Unfortunately, I’ve been neglecting several important things, including my website, Best Romance Novels Today, because I don’t have time to keep up with it. Starting next week, I’ll post only books (from any publisher) that meet Best Romance Novels Today’s criteria (see "New Policy" in the sidebar). This will accomplish two things—I’ll actually start keeping up with my website, and my blog posts here will get considerably shorter, which is what I need, for sanity’s sake.

It is hard for me to admit I can’t do everything I want to do! I love The Wild Rose Press, and all of its wonderful authors, and I wish I could continue to solely promote this fantastic press, but I can’t. I will still continue to post Wild Rose Press books, of course, but only those which meet BRNT’s criteria. If an author has a book that meets these criteria, please feel free to email me at reviewfinders@yahoo.com, and I will be happy to post it.

God bless,
Jennette

Best Book
Familiar Strangers, by Allie Standifer ☆☆☆☆☆
Suspense, spicy

Louisiana born and bayou bred Galen Matthews doesn’t usually care about other people’s problems, but when one of his few friends calls needing a favor, against his better judgment he agrees. He had no idea the favor was going to be protecting the feisty and slightly flighty Regin Neff, without her knowledge. Little did he know how far accepting this new job would send his world careening out of its perfectly ordered existence.
More…

Read Long and Short’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Top Pick
Fire Eyes, by Cheryl Pierson ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical (Western), hot

Beaten and wounded by a band of sadistic renegades that rules the borderlands of Indian Territory, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner understands what the inevitable outcome will be for him: death. But Fate and a war party of Choctaw Indians intervene, delivering him instead to a beautiful angel with the skill to heal him. Jessica Monroe has already lost a husband and a brother to the outlaws who tortured Marshal Turner. As the rugged lawman lies bleeding on her bed, she faces a difficult decision.
More…

Read PNR’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Reviewer Top Pick
Meant to Be, by Donna Marie Rogers ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

She's running from her past, he's unsure about his future. Maybe together they can figure out what was MEANT TO BE. … Officer Garrett Jamison is at the lowest point in his life. He’s lost faith in his ability as a police officer after unwittingly setting his sister up with a dirty cop. Garrett ended up getting shot, and his sister's son kidnapped right out of his own bed. He takes a leave from the force, in need of some time to make a decision about his future. Too bad he can't get a decent night's sleep thanks to his sexy new neighbor and her howling cat.
More…

Read Night Owl Romance’s Review…
Also Read Long and Short’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Ashton’s Secret, by Liana Laverentz ☆☆☆☆☆
Suspense, spicy

From the moment he’d caught her snooping on his property, Meghan Edwards knew Nicholas Hawkinson was the man she’d been looking for. But would this dark, secretive stranger help her solve the mystery of her sister's death?
More…

Read Debra Gaynor’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Dancing with Dragons, by Tiarie Vaughn-Lazzar ☆☆☆☆☆
Inspirational, sweet

When Dorothy agreed to go fix up her grandmother's family home she decided to try and solve the old family murder mystery. She is determined to discover who killed her grandmother's twin. She just didn't expect to fall in love with the grandson of the main suspect, or that the killer was still alive, gaining her trust little by little.

Read The Romance Studio’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Babies in the Bargain, by Mona Risk ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

With only one year left to complete her medical training in Neonatology, Dr. Holly Collier vows not to let anyone mess up her sacrosanct schedule. Especially not the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Marc Suarez who broke her heart seven years ago.
More…

Read Long and Short’s Review...
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


The Dance Lesson, by Jocelyn Saint James ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, sweet

Caught in the throes of middle age and balancing life's responsibilities, Doreen never imagines that a trip to her daughter's dance studio would be the start of an adventure. When she reluctantly joins Andrew's ballroom dance class, she realizes that ballroom dancing isn't all she has to learn. Can she trust her heart to follow her feet and make the right moves?

Read WRDF’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Enter the Parrot, by Kiki Lon ☆☆☆☆☆
Young Adult, sweet

Meet Jade, the White girl in the Wong family. On the surface, Jade fits in perfectly. But just below the surface lurks the fragrance of ginger, ginseng, and a secret kung fu society. When her crazy grandpa’s deluded parrot goes missing, Jade must dive deep into the seedy underbelly of Chinatown to find him, keeping secrets from her best friends and her cute eco-mentor, Cedric: aka the hottest guy in school.
More…

Read WRDF’s Review...
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Getting Personal, by Diane Amos ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

Sometimes good intentions aren't enough. No one knows that better than Monique St. Cyr, parochial school dropout, dieter extraordinaire, and sucker for wounded animals. By day she writes obituaries for the local newspaper. By night, this investigative reporter wannabe with pit bull tenacity has a habit of leaping headlong into things, with both eyes closed. To liven up things a tad, her mother, an erotic fiction author, enlists Monique's help with research for her next book about online dating.
More…

Read WRDF’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Marrying Minda, by Tanya Hanson ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical (Western), spicy

Mail-order bride Minda Becker arrives in Paradise, Nebraska and eagerly marries the handsome man who meets her stagecoach. His wedding kiss melts her toes. Too bad he's the wrong bridegroom. Having honored his brother's deathbed request to marry Minda, Cowboy Brixton Haynes can't deny he'd like a wedding night with the eastern beauty. But the last thing he needs is to be saddled with a wife and the three children his brother left behind. First chance he gets, he'll be back point riding along the Goodnight.
More…

Read WRDF’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Mayhem, Marriage, and Murderous Mystery Manuscripts, by JL Wilson ☆☆☆☆☆
Suspense, sensual

Bea Emerson has finally married the cowboy of her dreams, but her honeymoon with L.J. Remarchik is cut short when Bea finds the body of an aspiring writer on Halloween, killed by a trick-or-treater. She and L.J. are soon pulled into a deadly search for a killer who is hiding among authors, agents, and publishers at a writing conference in a remote resort in Minnesota’s North Woods. Will their dreams of a life together be cut short before it can begin?

Read WRDF’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Miner in Petticoats, by Paty Jager ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical (Western), spicy

Shouldering the burdens of his family and the mining community, Ethan Halsey devotes himself to providing for the growing families of his brothers. However, Aileen Miller, a widow, also looking out for her family’s interests, refuses to part with the land he needs. As they battle—one to push his dream to reality and the other to prove no man will hurt her again—their lives become enmeshed and their hearts collide.

Read The Romance Studio’s Review...
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


More than Great Riches, by Jan Washburn ☆☆☆☆☆
Inspirational, sweet

Tracy Dixon is an unwitting suspect in a high-profile jewelry theft. The NYPD warns her not to leave town. But Tracy gets word that her beloved brother, Jeff, is barely clinging to life, seriously burned in an automobile accident. Although she had vowed never again to set foot in her hometown, Tracy throws caution to the wind and rushes back to Allerton.
More…

Read Debra Gaynor’s Review...
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Noble Blood, by Linda J. Parisi ☆☆☆☆☆
Paranormal, spicy

A Law Broken:
Tamara Duncan has just been made into a True Noble and left with no memory of her former self. Nicholai Valentin accuses her of trying to kill his brother and destroy his House by using the Water. Is she part of a plot, or simply a pawn in something bigger than either of them can imagine?
More…

Read Long and Short’s Review...
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Summer Lovin’, by Dara Edmondson, Laurie J. Edwards, Mona Ingram, Kimberlee R. Mendoza, Sydney Shay, and June Sproat ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary (Anthology), sweet

From a rich Southern country club to a Midwest ranch and all the way to the cool beaches of the Pacific Northwest, this sweet collection of summer love stories revels in the magic of first love.

Read The Romance Studio’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


A Summer’s Hope, by Amber Leigh Williams ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, sensual

Briar has spent half her life upholding the family business. As another summer rolls around, it looks like her luck is running dry and she’s dangerously close to losing the only thing that matters, Hanna’s Inn, her late mother’s bed and breakfast. Amidst deep financial difficulty, a shaky relationship with her estranged father, and a non-existent social life, hope is all she has left. Enter Cole, a new guest at Hanna’s. Fresh from the turmoil of a bitter divorce and haunted by his mistakes, he’s desperate for escape.
More…

Read WRDF’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Taking Advantage, by Larry Hammersley ☆☆☆☆☆
Vintage, sweet

Zack Thompson has been crazy about Gloria Garner ever since she came to Sheffield High in their freshman year. She's been elected basketball queen four years running and only dates the three top athletes. How can Zack compete for Gloria's hand when he's no good at sports and lacking in the looks department? And as if that weren't enough, Gloria has a super strict mother who has to approve her daughter's every date. Does Zack's excellence in academics and his gentlemanly conduct count for anything?

Read WRDF’s Review…
Buy from The Wild Rose Press

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Best Romance Novel Reviews

The newest romance novels rated 5 stars (or hearts, books, etc.) from The Wild Rose Press are listed here.

Click title to find the book, or stars to read the review. For a description of ratings, please click here.

NOTE: What a number of wonderful reviews this week! In an effort to shorten the blog, and also to save myself quite a bit of time while putting this lengthy post together, this week I’ll only include a link to the review, instead of posting a quote from it.

Recommended Read
I Bid One American, by Amy Corwin ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical, sweet

She’s an American heiress nobody wants; he’s a Duke every woman is after. When Nathaniel, Duke of Peckham, meets Charlotte, he’s suspicious of her indifference. Too many women have sought—and failed—to catch him. However, Charlotte is more interested in dead pharaohs than English dukes.
More…

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Recommended Read
Letters from Home, by Jo Barrett ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

Letters from home lift John Caldwell’s spirits during his tour of duty in Iraq. Phoebe Honeycutt, otherwise known as Aunt Bee to all the kids in the neighborhood, fills an empty place in his life through her letters and cookie care packages after the death of his grandmother. But what John doesn’t realize is that Phoebe isn’t the doddering old lady he believes her to be. And when they come face to face at last, her delicious cookies aren’t the only things he wants to sample

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Recommended Read
Troubled Hearts, by Donna Hatch ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical, sweet

Desperate to escape her estranged husband and a home enshrouded with death and despair, Julia flees in the middle of the night. Little does she know that her determined husband is in pursuit. Along the journey, she discovers a telling revelation. But will it be enough to banish the ghosts of the past and soothe her troubled heart?

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


All or Nothing, by Ashley Elizabeth Ludwig ☆☆☆☆☆
Inspirational, sweet

RuthAnne Newcomb, a young widow starting over, nearly dies on the perilous winding road to Tucson, Arizona in 1876. The accident is a cover-up for a heinous crime at the hand of the murderous bandit El Tejano. Robbed and left for dead, all that remains for RuthAnne is her faith and her God-given talents. She needs both to endure the handsome, vengeful cavalry captain who saves her life.
More…

Read WRDF’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Babies in the Bargain, by Mona Risk ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

With only one year left to complete her medical training in Neonatology, Dr. Holly Collier vows not to let anyone mess up her sacrosanct schedule. Especially not the drop-dead gorgeous Dr. Marc Suarez who broke her heart seven years ago.
More…

Read Romance Junkies’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press



Blind Sight, by Susan Shay ☆☆☆☆☆
Paranormal, spicy

Cassie Reynolds is channeling the dreams of a serial killer. But without the resources to stop him—if she's able to discover who he is—how can she succeed? Only cynical Keegan Flynn, who believes in nothing and no one, has the tools needed to complete her gift. Will Cassie be able to make Keegan believe in time, or will Christmas this year be murder?

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


A Convenient Cowboy, by Shari Thayn ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

Nina Randall needs a change. Her career as an ad exec is in a shambles and she has no personal life to speak of. She has one last chance to prove herself—a soda pop commercial in a Western setting. The thought of rough, rugged cowboys positively beckons.
More…

Read WRDF’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


The Daddy Issue, by Melissa Beck ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, sensual

The last souvenir small-town girl Gretchen expected from her Chicago vacation was getting pregnant from one night of delight. The sexy, successful CEO she hooked up with told her he wasn't interested in a family, so she never revealed what had happened. Five years later, Daniel is at the top of his game in both business and womanizing, but he's shaken off his pedestal when a friend hints that he might have a daughter.
More…

Read You Gotta Read’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Dibs, by Lisa Wells ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

Everyone knows there are three things you don't take away from a woman. Her chocolate, her wine or her ability to have an orgasm. When fantasy coordinator Lacey Valentine finds herself in the unfortunate situation of not being able to reach the big O, she sets out on a mission to get it back. Hunky musician Covey James has just inherited millions of dollars. His wish is to live the life of a playboy. His grandmother's wish is to see him and his two brothers settled down while she's still living.
More…

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Enter the Parrot, by Kiki Lon ☆☆☆☆☆
Young Adult, sweet

Meet Jade, the White girl in the Wong family. On the surface, Jade fits in perfectly. But just below the surface lurks the fragrance of ginger, ginseng, and a secret kung fu society. When her crazy grandpa’s deluded parrot goes missing, Jade must dive deep into the seedy underbelly of Chinatown to find him, keeping secrets from her best friends and her cute eco-mentor, Cedric: aka the hottest guy in school.
More…

Read You Gotta Read’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


From a Distance, by Jo Barrett ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary (Western), sensual

One business consultant, one cowboy, and two thousand miles between them. Can their love survive the distance?

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press




Krysta’s Curse, by Tara West ☆☆☆☆☆
Young Adult, sweet

Everything about Krysta Richards is wrong, from her short height to her unmanageable hair. Her ability to talk to spirits doesn’t help things, either. Her physical flaws don’t seem to matter to Bryon, her lab partner. Just as the chemistry between them is about to ignite, a homicide detective asks her to summon a murder victim, her drunk father suddenly takes an interest in her life and her dead friends enlist her in a crusade to save their decrepit cemetery.
More…

Read Night Owl Romance’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Miner in Petticoats, by Paty Jager ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical (Western), spicy

Shouldering the burdens of his family and the mining community, Ethan Halsey devotes himself to providing for the growing families of his brothers. However, Aileen Miller, a widow, also looking out for her family’s interests, refuses to part with the land he needs. As they battle—one to push his dream to reality and the other to prove no man will hurt her again—their lives become enmeshed and their hearts collide.

Read Love Western Romances’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Mixed Blessings, by Diane Amos ☆☆☆☆☆
Contemporary, spicy

When Monique St. Cyr's mother, erotic fiction author Ann Marie, leaves on a three-month honeymoon, Monique is certain her life is about to improve: that is, until old-fashioned Aunt Lilly and deaf Gramps move into the duplex next door—boxes of her mother's ripped erotic books show up on Monique's doorstep with threatening notes—and her aunt and her best friend end up pregnant. While Monique struggles to balance her career and her romance with gorgeous cop, Jake Dube, his ex-fiancée announces she wants him back.
More…

Read Romance Junkies’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


The Rosemary Thief, by Fiona Law ☆☆☆☆☆
Paranormal, sweet

Meagan is passionate about cooking and goes to great lengths to obtain the right ingredients for her recipes. She prides herself on turning out perfect dishes. Desperate for fresh rosemary she plunders a bush belonging to a witch. Caught red handed by Brock, the witch’s enigmatic henchman, she finds herself working off her theiving in the witch’s kitchen.
More…

Read Long and Short’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Shadows in the Fog, by Doris Jean ☆☆☆☆☆
Vintage, sweet

Amanda yearns for adventure--to drive an automobile or ride in a flying machine--but her parents expect her to marry well. When she won’t cooperate, they order her to a mountain spa to cure her 'nervous disorder.' Unhappy and alone, Amanda watches out her window every day as a solitary stranger appears at the foot of the mountain like a shadow in the fog. Amanda knows nothing about him except she must meet him.
More…

Read Fallen Angels’ Review Bold
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


That Wyoming Wind, by Jo Barrett ☆☆☆☆☆
Historical (Western), spicy

The weather had never been so strange, but Jodi Parker didn't give it much thought since she'd lost everything to her lying cheating boyfriend. That is until a dust devil picks her up and drops her in a different time and place. One with a few too many handsome cowboys.

Read Fallen Angels’ Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press


Truths Unveiled, by Kimberly Alan ☆☆☆☆☆
Inspirational, sweet

How do you deal with someone you can't avoid and who makes it their business to constantly irk you? And how do you forgive yourself for getting involved with them in the first place? How do you forgive yourself for surviving a fatal accident when deep inside, you believe you were the cause, and then someone unknown to you exploits that belief in order to keep you from discovering the truth?
Pam Harrington and Tom Jarrod shared a past that tore them apart fourteen years ago. Since then, they have separately struggled to right the individual wrongs they’d committed.
More…

Read The Romance Studio’s Review
Buy from The Wild Rose Press

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