Darlene's Digest

Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey My rating: 4 of 5 stars A bittersweet novel, beautifully written. You know how it ends, you've seen The Tempest performed or read the play. But Carey gives us the deeper story, the story of life on the island and especially the lives of Miranda and Caliban. Carey is a talented writer whose range continues to impress me. I look forward to seeing what she tackles next. View all my reviews

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn My rating: 4 of 5 stars I am loving this series. The snark between the main characters makes me grin, and the mystery is snappy and intriguing. The author clearly knows her period and setting, and that too adds to the enjoyment. Finally, the idea of a butterfly-hunting heroine and a taxidermist hero just tickles me. They may not be Eve Dallas and Roarke, but they're a wonderfully matched pair. View all my reviews

Six Gainesville, Florida area romance authors are gathering for an afternoon of fun, prizes, light bites, and, of course, books. There will even be a cash bar! Join us at Fresco Pizza and Pasta in the Haile Village Center from 2-4 p.m. and stock up on your summer beach reading. I'll be there with signed, award-winning historical romances, and I'd love to meet more readers. The weather forecast says "awesome", and it's a great opportunity to have some springtime fun. You can even take care of your Mother's Day shopping!

Jewish Stories of Love and Marriage: Folktales, Legends, and Letters by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso My rating: 4 of 5 stars A delightful treat (it would make a perfect Tu B'Av gift [ http://bit.ly/2bCQSNe ]) about love and marriage, highlighted by letters between lovers, and lovely people sharing tales of their courtships. It starts, of course, with the first couple matched by G-d, Adam and Eve, and follows Jewish tales of love and marriage down through the Bible, the Rabbinic Period, folktales and more up to modern times. There are stories from the Shoah and stories from Israel, stories of rabbis who marry one another, and stories of soldiers who don't come home. The book is inclusive, with stories of love that cross gender lines. The People of the Book are also the People of Romance, sometimes with a little nudge from a friend, a mother, or even with heavenly intervention. After all, when Rabbi Yosi was asked what God has been doing since the six days of Creation, the answer wa...

Courting Carrie in Wonderland by Carla Kelly My rating: 4 of 5 stars Authors always hear "Write what you know" (Disclaimer--I have never been a pirate...but the day's not yet over.) and Carla Kelly is an excellent example of this dictum. I enjoy her Regency era stories, but I really like her tales set in the American West. They have a feeling of authenticity that too few authors can bring to their work, and her background with the U.S. Park Service comes through. In Courting Carrie in Wonderland we get a history of the beginnings of Yellowstone Park, the crown jewel of the park service. We also get an absolutely charming love story, about a girl with too few opportunities striving to make something of herself, and an Army Noncom dealing with PTSD and, well, Army life. These two loners find each other at "Wonderland", an early name for the camping areas where city slickers could get a taste of the great outdoors in the summer. Ms. Kelly is an autobuy for me...

Hot Head by Damon Suede My rating: 4 of 5 stars Whew! It suddenly got hotter and steamier on my Kindle! This M/M romance will have you falling for firefighters all over again, as two BFFs navigate their way into a much deeper and burning commitment. Beautiful and touching, and it shows how family is sometimes what you create, not just where you're born. View all my reviews

Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital by David M. Oshinsky My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was fabulous, and is really a history of three centuries of American medicine. I couldn't put it down, and as a non-New Yorker it was a revelation to learn of all that city has done over time to ensure that it's poorest people had access to quality health care. There's a lesson for all of us regarding the need to have health care available to underserved populations. It was far from perfect, but at times it was glorious. View all my reviews

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas My rating: 4 of 5 stars When you're matching two people as different as Gabriel and Pandora you have to bring your "A" game, and to my great pleasure, Ms. Kleypas does just that. I admit, I was skeptical at first because I was with Pandora--everything she said about why she and Gabriel would be a disastrous marriage had me nodding my head in agreement. It takes a true master of the craft to make it work, to have us believe that the (male) catch of the season would fall for a klutz who makes convincing arguments for spinsterhood. It's also a delight to see the older characters from the earlier books return, though really, no one got out of shape or had a receding hairline over the last 30 years? Ah well, that's why it's fiction, and why we keep closing the books on a happy sigh. View all my reviews

Hold Me by Courtney Milan My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love the sheer, unabashed geekery of this couple and their story. They're not mismatched because one's a nerd and one's "normal", they're inhabiting a world of STEM and academia where they're comfortable dealing with Deep Thoughts on a minute-to-minute basis. I also loved how the gender fluidity of the couple wasn't the main story, but part of the story. Jay being bi and Maria doesn't define every minute of their day--their conflicts were much more connected to Jay's sexist behavior and Maria's professional choices. Ms. Milan is a star in the world of historical romance, but it's clear she's equally adroit when it comes to truly contemporary romance. I highly recommend the Cyclone series and can't wait for the next installment. View all my reviews