It’s the New Year, and time for me to catch up on that backlog of book reviews, over the next couple of weeks (I hope!).  One post that has been sitting in my draft folder for the longest time, is that follow-up to the Great Western Drive spearheaded by Kristie, Sybil and Wendy some months back.

Well, I had the chance to read through several Western romances from different eras in the last couple of months: Diablo (1990s), The Scotsman Wore Spurs (1997) by Patricia Potter, and Never Love A Lawman by Jo Goodman (2009). Without further ado, here’s how they stack up in my books …

I have Kristie to thank for pointing me in the direction of Diablo. I’ve read other books by Patricia Potter but never touched any of her Western romances until the Great Western Drive. And since the UBS I visited carried The Scotsman Wore Spurs, I took that out on rental too.

A brief summary on Diablo … Kane o’Brien, a.k.a Diablo, was sentenced to death when a US marshal who wanted information on a secretive, and notorious outlaw hideout called Sanctuary, approached him with a deal.  Find out where it is, and he and his friend would be pardoned. However, nothing prepared him for temptation in the form of Nicole Thompson when he rode in to Sanctuary.

One of the key elements I look for in a romance novel is humour, and IMO, Georgette Heyer and Julia Quinn have got this down pat, and none quite so evident as in these two books I read recently.

When I first blogged about the reissue of Georgette Heyer books, False Colours intrigued me with its story arc – that of a twin, Kit Fancot, impersonating his brother, Evelyn, who has gone mysteriously missing, and on the eve of the dinner meeting with the prospective in-laws. What was supposed to be a one-night only ‘performance’ soon evolved into playing host to his brother’s intended, Cressy, and her grandmother at the family’s country estate, and Kit soon found himself drawn to the heroine.

Ever since I picked up the debut novel by Eloisa James, Potent Pleasures, this romance author has won a place in my heart, and over the years, I’ve grown to enjoy a great many of her books and series.

Take the latest releases in the Desperate Duchesses series, This Duchess of Mine (Desperate Duchesses) and A Duke of Her Own. They are prime examples of Ms James’ unique brand of deliciously naughty and witty historical romance which I enjoy tremendously.

Of all the characters in the series, I must say that that it’s Jemma, Elijah and Villiers who captured my interest the most. Not just because of the so-called love triangle, but the mysterious past which led to the estrangement of the couple. This Duchess of Mine was much anticipated as it sheds light on the true state of affairs between Jemma and Elijah, the Duchess and Duke of Beaumont, and builds up to a marvellous and beautiful reconciliation.

Since picking up Somewhere I’ll Find You by Lisa Kleypas some ten years ago, I’ve never looked back.

Ms Kleypas has created many unforgettable, and unconventional characters who engage my emotions, strong heroes and heroines from vastly different worlds, who bravely embrace each other’s differences and go on to forge new beginnings, who seared my memory with their fierce passion and willingness to fight for and hold on to their love.

This month, I spent the weekends reading and rereading some of my favourite books of hers, and some that are new to me. Amongst her new works, I particularly enjoyed Smooth Talking Stranger, the follow-up to Blue-Eyed Devil , both contemporary romances written in first person from the heroine’s perspective.

Blue-Eyed Devil continues where Sugar Daddy left off, beginning with Liberty and Gage’s wedding, where Haven Travis, who’s in a relationship with someone her dad deem unsuitable, shared a brief, passionate interlude with Hardy Cates that left both of them shaken. Unfortunately, Haven was talked into eloping with her gold-digging boyfriend, but their marriage soon devolved into an abusive relationship until Haven finally made her escape after being severely beaten up.

This month’s focus for the TBR Challenge organised by Keishon requires us to pick a book by a new author or an author we haven’t read in a while. I have just the books that fit this theme, and which would help reduce the review backlog.

First up is Sunday’s at Tiffany’s by James Patterson, writing in partnership with Grabielle Charbonnet. The novel started off with a cliff hanger with Michael racing to the hospital to attempt to save someone from reaching death’s door.

The story then continues with Part One, a flashback to Jane’s lonely childhood and her relationship with her imaginary older friend, Michael, ending with him leaving her. Part two recounts the series of events leading up to the beginning of the story. An older, wiser Jane who’s a now a movie producer, but had never truly forgotten Michael, is reunited with her one true love finally. But love’s path never did run true smooth … one of them is dying. And it would take a miracle to bring about a happy ending.

I have long been a fan of Madeline Hunter for the fascinating historical novels she puts out. Her attention to the details of the period make for engrossing reading, and her talent for taking some little known facts or historical events and creating fascinating and highly imaginative story arcs are what kept me glued to her books the last couple of years.

Take The Sins of Lord Easterbrook, for instance. This highly anticipated follow-up to the Rothwell series reveals Christian’s mysterious past finally! Having been heretofore portrayed as an enigmatic recluse, who is given to generous shows of love and solidarity to those he love … as witnessed in previous books, Christian’s dark past, which involves a secret identity, an addiction to opium which he overcame, a beautiful and strong minded lady, and an unforgettable trip to Canon in China seven years ago, where he learned something about his father that would later involve him, finally caught up with him.