Romance writers make history

Historical romance is the foundation on which all variations of romance -- contemporary, suspense, futuristic -- are built. So it's fitting we start the new millennium with a nod to three authors' newest novels that showcase the best of what historical romance can be.

REVIEWS BY SANDY HUSEBY

Prisoner of love

In Connie Brockway's McClairen's Isle: The Reckless One, Raine Merrick has had enough of hanging around a French prison. So when the mysterious Madame Noir arranges for his temporary release, he agrees to her terms. But temporary turns into permanent as Raine escapes to his Scottish home in search of his mother Janet's legacy, McClairen's Trust.

But Raine is not the only one heading for Wanton's Blush, the McClairen ancestral home. Favor McClairen trades her disguise as Madame Noir for an even more treacherous masquerade in order to destroy Raine's family and return Wanton's Blush to its rightful owners. Even the bitterest family feud is no match for the power of love as Raine and Favor struggle together in the search for McClairen family justice and Janet's treasure. Brockway's signature blend of crackling adventure and vivid characters make this continuation of the McClairen family saga a stellar tale.


Low Down and married

When a girl saves the lives of the men of Piney Creek and they promise her anything, what's she to do but ask for her fondest wish? Louise, or "Low Down," whose nickname aptly describes her life, longs for a baby of her own. Sure enough, the town pastor insists she marry the chosen "benefactor," Max McCord, in Maggie Osborne's Silver Lining.

Max and Low Down's marriage mangles both of their lives. The father of Philadelphia, Max's jilted fiancee, is determined to destroy Max and his ranch. Philadelphia herself is determined to prey on Low Down's insecurities and win Max back.

Maggie Osborne is a master storyteller of the western landscape. Though the proverbial dark cloud hangs over Max and Low Down, they ultimately do find a "silver lining."


Crazy for you

Only one fate could be worse than prison -- bedlam. Lady Kathryn Grayson is locked up in St. Bartholomew's insane asylum in Kat Martin's Silk and Steel. When she manages to escape, only to be recaptured and returned a second time, she puts her trust in Lucien Montaine, Marquess of Litchfield.

But trust sometimes needs a little prodding, Lady Kathryn decides, and so she arranges a tryst that will force Lucien to marry her, freeing her from her uncle's control -- and the family fortune.

Kat Martin's sultry tale of a woman of devious means who triumphs over her adversaries in love and war is a sure winner!


Computer problems

Light-based computer technology is stolen, forcing an uneasy business alliance between Elizabeth Cabot and Jake Fairfax in Jayne Ann Krentz's Soft Focus. Their high-tech world collides with the world of fantasy when they hunt the stolen technology at a neo-noir film festival. On-screen players have deadly roles in the intrigue as Elizabeth and Jake race to save the business. Count on Krentz, who deftly blends the worlds of business and film, for a jazzy story.


Why couldn't Isabella Joubert's inheritance be a simple trust fund? Instead, her father entrusts her with carrying out his deathbed wishes, courtesy of a computer disk containing detailed information about a lifetime of payoffs by an arms dealer. In The Inheritance by Jasmine Cresswell, Isabella confronts an old adversary, Sandro Marchese, who smolders with his own secrets. Cresswell tantalizes and torments with this page-turning thriller that will keep you riveted as the secrets of all the Joubert family legacy unravel.


Sandy Huseby writes and reviews -- and loves happy endings -- from her homes in Fargo, North Dakota, and lakeside near Nevis, Minnesota. She is online at SandyHuseby@aol.com.

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