Ellen Fisher - Liz Flaherty - Rebecca Flanders - Connie Flynn
Fisher, Ellen - LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, THE (Bantam - 1998) (4+)
Seven years ago the Virginia aristocracy agreed that Edward Grayson had murdered his spouse, Diana, even though there was no evidence to prove it. Even Edward, who does not remember the events of that day due to a drunken stupor, feels he must have murdered Diana. Since that fatal day, Edward has lived inside a bottle of Madeira. In spite of the rumors and his sordid lifestyle, mothers constantly toss their virgin daughters at him as he is still considered a prize catch.
His sister Catherine constantly nags him to remarry and though he does not want a new wife, he heeds her pestering. He barters with a tavern owner, selling his horse in exchange for the man's niece. Edward figures that Jenny Wilton is a filthy, ugly, and moronic individual who would make the perfect spouse for someone like him. She could not demand things like love and family, and he would stop the parade of young ladies being thrown at him. However, underneath all that filth lurks a beautiful, intelligent, and determined young woman, who plans to become his fair lady...and perhaps earn his love during the transformation.
THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS is a marvelous retelling of George Bernard Shaw's PYGMALION; however, this being a historical romance, the novel ends much happier for the lead protagonists than the play. The story line is moving and filled with fun and authenticity. The lead characters make a dynamic pair as the heroine struggles to overcome her background while forcing her spouse to confront his demons. Ellen Fisher adds much freshness to the Colonial American romance sub-genre with this winning novel. ~Harriet Klausner
Flaherty, Liz - ALWAYS ANNIE (Precious Gems - 6/99) (4+)
Once upon a time...Annie and Josh Houston fell in love and got married. After Josh graduated from law school and began his career, Annie turned her attention to buying a home and filling it with children. However, after several miscarriages and many misunderstandings, their marriage ended in divorce.
Ten years later, Annie and her best friend (who happens to be married to Josh's brother) own a bookstore together. On one rainy Sunday morning, Annie is confronted by a teen who attempts to rob the store and she is injured when the ceiling caves in. While she convalesces at her friend's home, Josh arrives for the Christmas holidays along with his two stepsons. The boys' mother, Josh's second ex-wife, had decided at the last minute not to take them for the holidays. Because all the local motel rooms are full, Annie offers her spare beds to Josh and the boys. In addition, the teenager who attempted the robbery is found to be homeless, so Annie decides to take him in until his family is located.
Almost immediately, amid all the noise and confusion three teens can create, the passion between the two adults rekindles. It's during this "family style" Christmas that Josh and Annie, older and much wiser now, begin to reevaluate their past hurts and the reason their relationship failed. Josh realizes it was ALWAYS ANNIE who held his heart. Can he persuade her to try love again?
New author, Liz Flaherty, has written a heartwarming and sensual romance about love the second time around. Although ALWAYS ANNIE is a short read, it is long on plot and characterization, and the chemistry between Josh and Annie is explosive. My favorite characters in the book are Josh's two stepsons, Gray and Aaron, and Caleb the homeless teen. These three guys will have you laughing at their antics and banter! Don't miss this fantastic story. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Flanders, Rebecca - SECRET OF THE WOLF (Silh. Shadows 54) (4)
If werewolves are your cuppa tea you have to add this book to your to-be-bought list. It fascinated me from beginning to end. Aggie meets the hero by running him down with her car. After he regains consciousness, he doesn't know who the heck he is, just that his name is Michael. When Aggie learns he is going to be released from the hospital directly to the streets or a homeless shelter, she feels so guilty she takes him home (she also has ulterior motives—she's a journalist/columnist suffering from writer's block and will use his recovery as a scoop). Slowly he begins to regain bits and pieces of his past and it's mostly frightening. He fears he's not human and he wills himself to forget, but it's impossible when Aggie arouses his senses, his libido and his...ummm, true self.
I fully enjoyed this story. The plot was great fun, with a nice balance of lightness and angst, and it had a scrumptious hero and a likable heroine. There was an issue concerning children that I think was wrapped up a little too quickly, but overall that's a small complaint. The story was terrific and I don't think I'll ever tire of reading about werewolf heroes. There is just something so romantic about their mating for life that gets to me every time. This is the first book in a trilogy, but it does stand alone quite nicely. I highly recommend it. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
Flanders, Rebecca - WOLF IN WAITING (Silh. Shadows 57) (4+)
This book is terrific! The romance develops slowly and realistically—the characters become friends, learn to respect each other and then fall in love. The heroine is a werewolf, but she's an outcast because she is disabled (she can't shapeshift, mate, or have little werewolves). The hero is the new werewolf pack leader, who has recently been appointed head of the family business. In order to find a traitor in the company, he is assigned to work with the heroine. He can't figure out how a measly peon could help, until he gets to know her and realizes she's smarter than anyone ever gave her credit for. There is humor and sensuality, and a little (but not too much) angst. I loved this book and I didn't want it to end. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
Flynn, Connie - SHADOW ON THE MOON (Topaz - 1997) (4)
A spine-tingling book about werewolves. During the blizzard of the century in the Arizona mountains, there are some gruesome murders...with only body parts remaining. Dana, a specialist in wolf behavior, goes up to the mountain to try and stop the sheriff from killing the suspected wolves because she doesn't think they are responsible for the killings. A very scary, exciting read. I loved it. ~Ellen L. (ellenl1@hotmail.com)
Flynn, Connie - SHADOW ON THE MOON (Topaz - 1997) (3)
In my opinion, this is a a terrific werewolf novel, but not a successful romance. The hero holds the heroine captive to save her life during a snowstorm, but I never felt them fall in love or become friends. The book kept me interested, but only because I'm a big werewolf fan. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
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