Historical Romances

She Who Laughs Last
by Jennie Klassel

Lady Syrah Dhion was thirteen the first time she laid eyes on the older Prince Jibril, and for her, it was love at first sight. He didn't seem as enamoured. Six years later, her mind wasn't on love when she concocted a plan to save her family's fortunes, she needed Jibril, or more accurately, the money from his ransom. With the help of her younger brother and a dedicated family servant, Syrah comes up with all sorts of outrageous plans to keep Prince Jibril under her thumb and unaware of her identity, involving lies, costumes and a coffin.

Meanwhile, Prince Jibril is intrigued with his mysterious kidnapper, who he doesn't know is the little girl Syrah, who he met all those years ago. After his release, he is determined to find his kidnapper and marry her, no matter what. Will Syrah and Jibril find true love or will the truth ruin their love?

Jennie Klassel won a national contest sponsored by Romantic Times Book Club with this novel. Medieval England is the setting and there are many drafty castles, horses and scheming royalty peppering the story. The main character, Syrah, is a strong, smart and resourceful woman, and her plans are inventive and fun to watch unfold. The pacing is fast, there is a lot of dialog and action, with some political intrigue thrown into the mix. A very inventive and interesting novel.

The Trouble With Harry
by Katie MacAlister

Frederica Pelham, called Plum, was a young, naive society girl when she married Charles de Spenser. The problem was, he was already married and neglected to tell her. The resulting scandal utterly ruined her and forced her to go into hiding, disowned by her family and penniless. She took her six weeks experience as a bride and wrote a controversial 'instructional' guide for husbands and wives under a penname to support herself. Fifteen years later, the money is running out and she has an orphaned niece to take care of. Everytime a potential suitor found out about her past, they turned tail and ran, but she is still hopeful that there is someone out there who can take care of her.

Widowed Harry Haversham, the Marquis Rosse, has five strong willed, wild children, and needs a wife to help him run his household and control his children. But he can't be bothered with the silly women of the ton, so he takes out an advertisement in a local country paper for a wife. Plum answers his ad and, before she can even think, the two are married. The trouble is, Harry neglected to tell her two important things: he has five children and he's a Marquis. Can Plum deal with five wild children, and  can she deal with the ton, who shunned her so many years ago? Not only that, but Harry's secret past life and hers have reared their ugly heads, causing havoc in their short marriage. Can they overcome all the problems they're facing and live happily ever after?

Plum is an unconventional character, strong and determined and very, very patient. Harry's secret past is an interesting twist in what might otherwise be an ordinary Regency romance, and there is another twist in the story that makes it worth the read and very interesting. The pace is quick, with lots of dialog and humor.

The Wyndham Legacy
by Catherine Coulter

Josephina Cochrane is the illigitimate daughter of the Earl of Chase, and, at the age of nine, she is dubbed 'the Duchess' by her cousin, Marcus Wyndham, because of her cool, haughty airs. When her father dies without a male heir because of the accident that claimed the lives of his only two sons, Marcus inherits his title and estate. The Earl, knowing that Marcus would inherit and bitter that he lived while his sons died, concocted a bizarre plot to punish Marcus after his death.

He puts Marcus' life in the hands of his illigitimate daughter, now called 'The Duchess' and forces her to marry Marcus in order to save him from a life of poverty and disgrace. Marcus' pride and Duchess' cold nature immediately cause problems in their marriage, not to mention meddling staff, coarse, treasure hunting American relatives and an ancient, mysterious treasure, called 'The Wyndham Legacy'. Can Marcus and the Duchess solve the mystery of the legacy, repair their marriage and learn to love one another before disaster strikes?

Catherine Coulter is a well-respected author in the romance genre. Her stories are well crafted and filled with historical detail, set in Regency England. Her female characters are strong willed, almost as strong willed as her male characters, and their interactions are filled with tension.