Tag Archives: Romance

Night Angel by Renee Reeves

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Night Angel
by Renee Reeves
 Black Velvet Seductions
2009
ISBN: 978-0-9802246-3-4
246 pages
Print/eBook
Contemporary Erotic Romance

Buy this book at my Amazon.com store
Buy this book at my Amazon.ca store


Morgan Fletcher is living in peaceful seclusion in Montana, doing her best to overcome the physical and mental damage left by years of abuse at the hands of her late husband. The last thing she wants is another man, especially one with as much potential for danger as her neighbour, rancher Nick Evanoff. Why is he so dangerous? Tall, heavily muscled and handsome enough to devour, Nick makes Morgan want to reach past her terror and try for a normal relationship. She knows all men are alike; he knows his past will prove it.

Night Angel by Renee Reeves is a  modern and intense romance. Yet, when I finished the story, I felt as though I had been reading one of the better, old-time Harlequins. Let me put it this way: while there is something refreshing and very entertaining about Night Angel, the novel also feels comfortable, even familiar. As it is my job to define such things, let’s give it a whirl.

The characters are vivid; they walk right off the page and into your mind. No paper cut-outs here. The relationship between Morgan and Nick feels real, including the intimately described and often touching sex scenes. It’s also unusual for a romance to provide a damaged heroine or to deal openly with abuse. Hmm… doesn’t sound like a Harlequin at all, does it?

But, there’s more. Reeves has penned a tale where both characters act in ways that ensure they will end up together, mainly their valiant struggles to overcome personal demons while helping the other to do the same. Real life just isn’t that clean. This is where my mention of the formula romance comes in. Yes, the two lovers experience definite ups and downs, but it’s the expected coming together and pulling apart until love conquers all formula of romance, not the messy, imperfect love typical of real life.

The thing is, Reeves writes so well, involves you so deeply, the fairy tale ending is not just acceptable, readers would be crushed if it wasn’t provided. This is why Night Angel falls into the category of romance, rather than garnering the more general label of fiction.

In the end, I would have to say that what Renee Reeves has given the reader in Night Angel is a rich example of what a genre novel can be. This is an achievement deserving of compliment.


Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon
ISBN: 0-7704-2879-7
Seal Books, 1991
850 pages
Mass market paperback
Historical adventure/Romance

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It’s 1945, and the war is over. Field nurse Claire Randall is holidaying in the Scottish Highlands while reconnecting with her scholarly husband, Frank. She’s an amateur botanist, and as Claire is searching for a particular flower alongside an ancient stone circle, she stumbles upon a gateway to the past. Ripped from her own time, the bewildered English woman is mistaken for a Sassenach, or Outlander, by a raiding border clan.

Now it’s 1743. And Claire is not only in danger of losing her life–she may also lose her heart. Jamie Fraser is a dashing warrior who shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes torn between fidelity to Frank and her desire for the gallant young Scot. Two loves, two different times. Who and when will Claire choose?

Outlander was recommended to me by a good friend. As it is an 850 page romance, the book is not one I would otherwise have read. But there’s a reason Diana Gabaldon’s 1991 historical romance is still kept in stock at bookstores like Chapters and Amazon: Outlander is much more than a romance. This novel is a time travel, historical adventure so full of sizzling romance and interesting characters it’s almost impossible to put down.

The book has been criticized for its length (repetitive and some scenes aren’t necessary) and for its sex scenes (erotic rather than traditional romance). My own dislike is that Gabaldon’s writing is more formal than one would expect from a mainstream or genre novel; her style is almost literary.

Such criticisms aside, Outlander provides tremendous entertainment for your money, and the romance between Jamie and Claire is one I’ll never forget. In fact, I can’t remember reading any other book where I wanted to be two characters at the same time. Gabaldon drew me so deeply into her fictional world I put aside my reviewer’s hat and gave her a couple of days of my life (and there’s the justification for both the detail in and the length of the story). Well done!

There are six books in the Outlander series, with a seventh coming out September 22, 2009. I’m looking forward to reading them all.


Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009

Twins of Darkness by Lisa Lane

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The Darkness and the Night 3: Twins of Darkness
by Lisa Lane
A Ravenous Romance™ Breathless™ Original Publication
Published: 2009-06-04
ISBN:  978-1-60777-145-6
eBook
217 pages
Erotic, paranormal (vampire) romance

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Karen is finding that being a mother, lover and a vampire is no walk in the park under moonlight. Her children, the fraternal twins Anna and Andy, must be protected from her terrifying past and constantly watched for signs of vampirism. Hard to do when you’re forced to sleep all day. Anna, although seemingly human, has the ability, like her mother, to travel the Astral. But she’s so much more than her mother knows. Her brother, Andy, appears to be a normal human boy, but as he reaches for manhood he, too, comes into his own.

With the help of her blood donor and lover, Jason, Karen does her best to offer the twins a “normal” suburban life. Despite this, the children fully exploit Anna’s abilities and become more and more aware of their family’s past.

Prepare yourself for a wild ride outside our reality, past our sexual mores, through love and sacrifice and, finally, back to the dreaded vampire commune featured in Lane’s previous novel in this series.

Twins of Darkness is the third book in the series The Darkness and the Night by Lisa Lane. Not having read the first two installments it took me about 40 pages to get into the novel. When I picked up the book again, I read it through in one sitting. This is an event. I have a disability which severely limits my attention span.

What’s so different about Twins of Darkness? Well… The author’s style makes for effortless reading; Lane’s novel is interesting, variable and complicated without the heaviness often associated with stories of substance, and she balances her many characters and plot lines like a master. Also, this is not your typical vampire story, and although there was enough sex to make my  temperature rise, the story is not just a vehicle for eroticism.

Yes, as another reviewer pointed out (in detail), there are editing and/or grammatical issues. But, and this is an important one, I was so drawn in by the story that I missed all but a few glaring spelling mistakes during my initial read. When an author can pull off such a feat, who gives a damn!

I would caution this author to make sure editing of her next book is stringent, but to otherwise keep doing what she’s doing. She has a definite voice and a wonderful imagination. Twins of Darkness stands out from the crowd.

Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009