Sometimes only remembered for the epic motion picture and "Frankly ... I don't give a damn," Gone with the Wind was initially a compelling and entertaining novel. It... read more

Sometimes only remembered for the epic motion picture and "Frankly ... I don't give a damn," Gone with the Wind was initially a compelling and entertaining novel. It was the sweeping story of tangled passions and the rare courage of a group of people in Atlanta during the time of Civil War that brought those cinematic scenes to life. The reason the movie became so popular was the strength of its characters--Scarlett O'Hara, Rhett Butler, and Ashley Wilkes--all created here by the deft hand of Margaret Mitchell, in this, her first novel. (hide)

Setting: Regency England Sensuality Rating: 7 Relentlessly pursued by match-making mamas and their charges, Simon Bassett, the handsome Duke of Hastings, has grown tired of the societal chase.... read more

Setting: Regency England
Sensuality Rating: 7

Relentlessly pursued by match-making mamas and their charges, Simon Bassett, the handsome Duke of Hastings, has grown tired of the societal chase. Tired too is the lovely Daphne Bridgerton, whose matrimonially minded mother is set on finding her daughter the perfect husband. Neither Simon nor Daphne is happy with this annoying state of affairs and both would give anything for a little peace and quiet. Their mutual wish for a respite from the ton's marriage mart leads to a pretend engagement--a scheme that is threatened with exposure by Daphne's suspicious older brother, who happens to know Simon's way with women very well. The two never anticipated that a mutual attraction would lead to the very thing they set out to avoid--a wedding. But Simon fears that his painful past may keep him from being able to truly love anyone. And though Daphne cares for him deeply, she won't settle for anything less than his heart.

The Duke and I is rich with author Julia Quinn's trademark humor and engaging dialogue. Beneath the Regency charm of this novel, however, dwells an insightful exploration of the impact of childhood trauma and the healing power of love. Quinn just keeps getting better and better, a fact that's sure to delight readers. --Lois Faye Dyer (hide)

"One of the great voices in romance"

"One of the great voices in romance" (hide)

Read about the author.

Read about the author. (hide)

The nice little life that account executive Lisa Alvarez has spent the last eight years constructing is about to fall apart. She's due to marry her boss in... read more

The nice little life that account executive Lisa Alvarez has spent the last eight years constructing is about to fall apart. She's due to marry her boss in barely a month when painful reminders of her dead baby daughter and her ex-husband Nick Maddux force themselves on her. Both Lisa and Nick have tried to make new lives for themselves since the baby's death, although Nick has embraced his daughter's short life by becoming a master craftsman of cradles while Lisa has simply shut the door on her past. Their reunion is fiery, passionate and difficult to read, in part because Lisa is not a congenial character, having turned herself into a career-driven robot. The story veers between Lisa and Nick's rediscovery of their love and the burgeoning love of Nick's sister, Maggie, and sexy screen writer Jeremy Hunt. Maggie and Jeremy are both attractive and deserved more length and breadth than author Freethy (Daniel's Gift) gave them. A magical leitmotif throughout does, however, go some way towards transcending these weaknesses.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. (hide)