Review by Moonlight: Stolen Heat by Elisabeth Naughton

Stolen Heat is the second book in what I think of as a "loose" trilogy. What I mean by that is the books are related, but only loosely -- i.e. secondary characters in the first book become the protagonists in the second and third. Each of the books may be read on their own, but it's fun to see the other characters get their own time in the spotlight.

The first book in the trilogy, Stolen Fury, was also the author's first published book. Stolen Fury was fast-paced fun and I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I looked forward to Stolen Heat with both anticipation and a little dread. Why the dread? I've had a few experiences where an author's second book definitely did not live up to the promise of his/her first book. I really hoped that wouldn't be the case here, because I liked not only Naughton's writing, but also the genre. I haven't run into very many romantic adventures that actually live up to their name and were entertaining and I really hoped to have more good books in the genre to read.

I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was pleasantly thrilled. Stolen Heat is an even better read than Stolen Fury. The characters are fresh and their predicament is exciting. I started reading and didn't want to put it down until I'd finished, a rare thing for me these days. I ordered the third book in the trilogy -- Stolen Seduction -- from Amazon and I can't wait to dive in!

I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone looking for a solid romantic adventure story. There's enough mystery and thrills to keep mystery buffs intrigued and plenty of romance for the romance reader.

Moonlight Rating:


Disclaimer: This review is my opinion only. YMMV. You should judge the book for yourself.

Review by Moonlight: What Happens In London by Julia Quinn

Let me preface this by saying that it's been many years since I've read an historical romance. I picked up What Happens In London by chance and was intrigued enough by the back-of-the-book blurb to buy it. From the description, I figured I was in for a fairly light-hearted romp and in that I wasn't disappointed.

It is completely unlike the historical romances I used to read way back when. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I was just a bit surprised at first at the lack of detail of setting and customs, the kind of submersion into period with which I'm more familiar. It didn't take me long to realize that I couldn't judge What Happens In London by those older stories. Once I shucked my preconceived notions of what it should be, I was able to thoroughly enjoy it for what it is--a frothy meringue, not too sweet, but with enough substance to be just right.

The hero and heroine are both delightful. Olivia displays just enough independence and spunk to be interesting and I enjoyed Harry's sense of humor. I really wish the author would have included the scene where Olivia first observes Harry wearing the Hat, rather than just describing it after the fact. I know that scene would have had me chuckling out loud.

I finished What Happens In London, cover to cover, in one day. It's a quick and enjoyable read.

Moonlight Rating:

Disclaimer: This review is my opinion only. YMMV. You should judge the book for yourself.

Reviews by Moonlight

I've decided I'd start something new with this blog. I read -- a lot -- and I want a place where I can discuss/record what I think about the books I read. So, I'm going to start something called Reviewed By Moonlight. I tried to come up with something that didn't have the word "review" in it, because I don't really consider these true "reviews," but I couldn't come up with a better word. So, until I do, I'm stuck with it.

Basically, each "review" will be my thoughts, opinions, feelings about a book. I don't claim to be a professional reviewer. This will be solely my thoughts. Take what I say with a grain of salt, YMMV, yadda yadda.