I am a fan of Joan Wolf's historical romances, so I was interested in seeing her try her luck in the historical mystery market. I must say that she needs to work at it a little more.

Hugh de Leon is bereft at the lost of his foster father, but an unknown knight reveals to him that he may be the long-lost heir to the earldom of Wiltshire, a strategic stronghold in the war between King Stephan and the Empress Matilda. The only problem is, Hugh's father was murdered and he cannot remember his life before he lived with his foster parents. Hugh then journeys all around England trying to find out what really happened on that day thirteen years ago. Along the way he finds friendship and love in an impossible match and the courage to confront his past.

I am sorry, but as I am writing this review, I am realizing how shallow a lot of this story was. Although I liked the character of Hugh, the dialogue was silly and the writing stilted. I felt that each time the characters talked to each other, I was listening to ten year olds. The ending was wrapped up way to quickly and was anticlimatic at best. I never would have thought of the ending simply because it was the most uninteresting option. Definately not something that I expect from Joan Wolf.

Joan Wolf should have stuck to the first-person historical romances that she wrote, they were far more interesting and well-written.

Some previous reviews note the lack of steamy sex or passion, and a hero who is a bit too controlled. I personally found this a big plus in the novel. Wolf actually grounds her characters in the mores of the time (with reasonable deference to modern sensibilities, such as making our heroine an herbalist). That means sex had consequences; marriage was a serious business. So I enjoyed this story where the hero and heroine are in love, yet somehow manage to plan rationally about how to be together. I find it jolting to read a historical romance where the virginal heroine engages in steamy sex two minutes after meeting the hero. Hellloo! What alternate reality was that? Wolf's realism is one reason several reviewers commented they wanted to learn more about the era -- she actually tells us something about this period. NET, if you want an intelligent love story, with people you'd actually like to have a conversation with, in a historic period that actually occurred in this reality's timeline, I highly recommend this book. Also: Kinsale's My Lady's Heart. Kinsale takes it one step further to use time-appropriate language in a way that really transports you into the period.

This book was hard to categorize... Other reviews have touched on the plot, so I'll skip that and dwell more on content.

As a Historical-Romance, it doesn't have the physical sex of a Susan Johnson (super-hot!) book. Instead it has a more classical romance feel where most of the sex takes place off page. This doesn't mean Hugh & Cristen lack passion. They smoulder very nicely, thank you, and the few love scenes they have are intense. In fact, the biggest problem I have with this book is that the first love scene between Hugh & Cristen is an almost word-for-word copy from one of Joan Wolf's older regency romances "A London Season" (By the way, an excellent book if you can find it)

As a Historical-Mystery, it lacks in the detecting/clue-following department. Candace Robb's "Apothecary Rose" books have a better feel for history & detective work. The conclusion of this book comes all in an expository, less than satisfactory finish to the mystery of Hugh's past.

Despite all this, I found "No Dark Place" to be a very satisfying read. Joan Wolf writes well about the period, and afterwards I found myself going through the encyclopedia looking up King Stephan and Matilda.

I *care* about what happens to Hugh & Cristen, and their romance. I look forward to Joan Wolf's next book.

Who cares how fantastic she was in the theatre (and she was) this is a sad excuse for an autobiography. A date book jotted down for our pleasure. What fun!

No feeling, no emotion, no humanity.

Very different from what we witnessed on stage.

Shame.

Seeing Sutherland interviewed on television, I didn't expect much insight into her career from her -- her husband is clearly better at it. I had hoped that given time for reflection, something better than this would emerge. All that you really learn is how busy she was traveling here and there for engagements. It almost makes you believe that she wouldn't have had a career if hadn't been for Bonynge.

"A Prima Donna's Progress: The Autobiography of Joan Sutherland" is an interesting combination of scrapbook clippings and travel itinerary. Dame Joan waited until she had retired to write about her extraordinary career as the "Voice of the Century" and her fans have to wish she had not waited this long, because certainly they would be happier if the great soprano covered less in more detail. This autobiography does have the virtue of having actually been written by the subject, but it is rather devoid of the passion and artistry that defined her opera singing. For example, she mentions: "I paid a short visit to Noel Coward to check the Chalet Monet and met Charlie Chaplin and his wife Oona," and leaves it at that. Of course, readers are left to wonder about the meeting between the woman known around the world for her phenomenal singing voice and the world's greatest silent comedian. Time and time again she glosses over the sort of intimate details that one longs for when reading such a book. When Sutherland goes into her response to the famous reception she received during her debut performance of "Lucia di Lammermoor" at the Metropolitan Opera, but that is the exception rather than the rule. I have to think that Sutherland would have benefited from either a ghostwriter or an editor who would have shaken her reliance on displaying an encyclopedic knowledge of which hotels she stayed in and where parties were after performances. But Sutherland clearly leaves it to her press clippings, her impressive list of recordings and our still vivid memories to recall the fire of her tremendous career. Still, this is the diva recalling her life in her own words and therefore a required read for her legion of fans.

I thought this book was good, but there were too many storylines. I would have liked this book to focus exclusively on Jake and Hope, but the secondary characters were interesting.There were a few things that really bugged me about this book, however. Jake and Amanda obviously disliked each other. They even kept asking each other things like, Do you think wer'e doing the right thing? or Do you still want to marry me? I mean they were constantly second guessing their relationship. You think they would realize that they would not have a great marraige. And then Amanda catches Jake cheating on her with Hope and he STILL insists on marrying her. It got kinda old. Another thing that really bothered me about this book was Charity and why she was given away. I mean COME ON. You don't just give a two year old away. I am the mother of a two year old and I can tell you that no financial strain on this earth could posses me to do this. And then the way her family treats her when she confronts them. They act like she's an evil thing and they can't imagine why she would be so upset. Geez, I wonder? But besides from the problems the book had, I really did like it.

I recently purchased this novel from my favorite retail store and I love it I stayed up all night just to finish I could not put it down. This book has gotten a lot of mixed reviews but I personally liked it.

All the characters are great and I found myself Laughing Lot Loud a lot.

I recommend this and all the Hawk's Way books

Family reunions and weddings should bring joy, not chaos, but the latter is what the Butler sisters find in this book. Though Faith is happy in her romance, she knows her sister, Hope is miserable as she watches Jake Whitelaw, who she has loved for ages, prepare to marry her former teacher, Amanda. Faith also knows that neither Jake nor Amanda will be happy in this marriage; Amanda is in love with Jake's brother Rabb, and Jake does love Hope, but feels he is too old for her. Yet, both are so darned honorable, they would rather go through with something that they don't want rather than cause the other the shame of being jilted. So, Faith is determined to make sure the right couples match up before four lives are ruined and hearts broken.

Then, the Butler family gets a little surprise. The third daughter they gave up for adoption over twenty years ago finds her way home on the arm of Jake's cousin. Charity is naturally resentful to discover that she was given away, and the shock is a definite one for her family. It will take a lot of tears and rage for this family to unite, and there are still three weddings to make come together!

...Told so well that all of the subplots merge smoothly and none are left dangling or short changed, this realistic novel is heart warming and heart rending at the same time. Each sister, and Amanda makes for a believeable heroine, and all of the heroes are truly Texan, strong, sexy, and honorable to an almost painful degree. Fans will not be at all disappointed...

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

I felt let down by this book it could have been so much better. It felt like they were trying to cram 30 people in a vw car. It was too many people and not enough focus on the main couple. I have read the whole series but can't say that I liked this too much. But the other ones were great.

This is the second time this year when I have been less than satisfied by an installment in a series which I was very much engrossed in. In general I have loved Joan Johnston's Blackthorne/Creed series. The characters all have flaws and yet they are all deeply romantic. However this installment seemed to not develop the richness of the characters in the same way the previous books did. I also realize that it's difficult to keep up the intensity of a series that has so many installments; and I do look forward to the next book nonetheless. Readers of the series will enjoy this book to see what has happened to some of their favorite characters and especially to see Summer and Billy finally bring and end to the family feuds.

I thought this was an excelent book as are the rest of the books in this series. I can't wait for the 4th book in this amazing series to be published. If you are intested in this book i'd recomend that you read "The Cowboy and The Texan" first they are just as good as this one. Joan Johnston never fails to write a book that totally captivates the reader.

Living alone, and never over-indulgant, I am long-time fan of cupcakes - they're the perfect treat for a single person. I bought the Warrens' book blind, presuming to find photographs and recipes for the 20th century's top bite-size confectionary. The so-called 'Cupcake' cafe, however, seems to spend more time with muffins, scones, and other baked fares considerably larger than a mouthful; all but ignoring its core business: cupcakes! Sorry, Ann - but we can't all afford (financially or on our waistlines) to eat big huge cakes.

I have actually used the recipe for buttercream and it was perfect as well as delicious! All the recipes' instructions are very easy to understand and any problems you may encounter are covered so they are practically foolproof. The recipes are unique and I appreciate that Ann Warren has used actual recipes from her shop and not fudged up something just for a book. My only disappointment is the small amount of colored photographs of decorated cakes. I really wanted more, even some illustrations would have been useful in the "how to" section on making buttercream florals. All in all, a very good book to add to your dessert book collection.

I have decorated cakes for more than 20 years, and have devoured cake decorating books from the early days of Wilton in the 70's to the more recent publications of artists such as Colette Peters. I first learned of Ann Warren's beautiful cakes, unique style, techniques and recipes on a fairly detailed segment of Martha Stewart Living on Lifetime, and saw a couple of short segments on the Food Network -- I tried them and I'm hooked. If I had the privilege and pleasure of spending a day with anyone in the field of cake decorating, it would be Ann Warren.

The book does a great job of explaining all the important details of her unique style and gives detailed recipes and instructions. I highly recommend it. Though there are several pages of color photos of Ann's beautiful cakes, I would like to have seen more of them and more close-up shots of some of the flowers for studying techniques. Perhaps a sequel???

This modest book is written in the form of a journal by a fourteen-year-old girl named Catherine Hill. For some 18 months she records the daily events and personal feelings of life in New England. She shares her fears and disappointments, her sorrows and small triumphs of spirit with modern readers. The author bravely discusses serious moral and social issues--as seen through the eyes of a young girl: the Underground Railroad (slavery debate), school discipline (perhaps the origin of Zero tolerance and Corporal Punishment), the pain and humiliation of step-parenting (blended families were quite common even then), and women's domestic roles (we've come a long way, baby!)

Catherine's life is not as peaceful as we might think on that pioneer farm in New Hampshire. Who is this mysterious Phantom and how does he affect her life and behavior? How will she survive emotionally her father's remarriage? Or the loss of a dear friend? This is a thoughtful book which quietly discloses the budding woman she will become. Catherine's coming-of-age story is woven as gently and firmly as Yankee homespun--with the warp of historical integrity and the woof of Blos' ancestral compassion. A good introduction to early 19th century Americana, which may not fascinate high spirited youngsters of the 90's. But that is their loss, since the heroine's feelings are remarkably like our own.

As other reviewers have said, this book gets better as the reader gets older. I read this in grade school (15 years ago!) and never liked it much, but now it's a whole lot better. It's not a fast-paced, super exciting book, but life in the 1830s on a farm wasn't exactly fast-paced either. When Catherine writes that the family was snowed in and she knitted all afternoon, that's exactly what happened. It's not exciting but life can't always be a thrill a minute. I thought the language was appropriate for the times, and the depiction of relationships was appealing. The small pleasures of life are recorded, and the problems of life also weave their way through the journal.

If you hated it when you were young, try it again when you are through high school.

This story centers around Catherine Hall, a thirteen-year-old young girl growing up in New Hampshire. The journal format of this novel makes it easy to read and wonderful to share with school age students. Catherine is a tender girl that has lost her mother and must gain instruction on housekeeping skills from her neighbor who is her best friend's mother. Because of the loss of their mother, Catherine keeps house for her father and younger sister, Matty. The main happenings of Catherine's exciting year are that her father remarries and brings a new stepmother and stepbrother to come and live with them, interesting events at school, the issue of slavery and runaway slaves, and a loss and new love interests close to home. One of the most interesting parts of the story is when Catherine encounters a "phantom" of sorts that she aids along his travels. The correspondence of Catherine to future generations is an interesting beginning and end to the book. This is a highly praised and decorated book from the Newberry Medal, School Library Journal's Best Books of the Year for 1979 to the appointment of an American Library Association Notable Children's book. I would highly recommend this book for any read aloud in an age appropriate setting or as a trade book integrated in a social studies curriculum on the time period.

Leslie Feinberg is a radical trans in men's clothing. This book is written with the typical radical political slant. Her statements and "facts" are called into question by her bias. Would you believe a book about Hitler's Germany written by a right wing fascist? In a similar fashion one has to take Feinberg's book with many grains of salt. Her objective is to justify any and all types of transsexual, transgender BEHAVIOR. Yes, it's a BEHAVIOR. No one forces this type of BEHAVIOR on those that would obsess themselves with trying to become the opposite sex.
The theme of the book is that transsexuals have always fought, that they are fierce; they have an attitude of rebellion. We can still see that today with the Gay Pride parades that shove their BEHAVIOR in your face! Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. When you have an attitude and you shove it in someone's face many times they shove back. Stop trying to justify your BEHAVIOR by desperately searching through history and rewriting stories like Joan of Arc to justify your BEHAVIOR.

Those interested in transgenderism have long been teased by all-too-brief descriptions of its existence in times past. If mentioned at all in previous works, transgendered history has been soft-pedaled into vague meanderings on Native American "two-spirits".

Leslie Feinberg not only provides comprehensive documentation of the roles of transgendered people in ancient societies, but also interprets these traditions and their decline by deconstructing our current views of gender as the result of patriarchy. Feinberg also weaves into the interpretation elements of socialist theory and class oppression.

These theoretical passages are interspersed with personal vignettes from the Feinberg's life which flesh out the explanation. Even if one doesn't fully buy into Feinberg's views, the book takes you on a fabulous journey and forces you to re-examine your beliefs about gender.

Although not scholarly,the book serves the important purpose of contributing one volume that consolidates documentation of many of the instances of transgenderism that previously were splintered throughout the literature.

The book is a quick read, which is both refreshing and disappointing. Perhaps in the near future Feinberg or others will branch off this pioneering work and continue to re-discover the robbed tradition of transgenderism throughout the world.

Of course this book is personal. Of course it is passionate. It is an important attempt by a recognized trans author and amateur historian to catalyze a larger project of tracing authentic patterns of gender expression that don't conform to the binary that has been forced upon society since the rise of class divisions (i.e., since the collapse of "primitive" or "tribal" collectivism). And the book thereby contributes to efforts to demystify the notion that "two sexes" are a scientific fact and historical truth.

Hopefully others will pick up where Feinberg leaves off and apply other methodologies to uncover what has really been going on throughout human history where it comes to gender.

What the book lacks in traditional academic rigor it more than makes up for with its first-person self-consciousness, originality and plausibility in the interpretation of historical data. It is richly illustrated, literate, contemporary and very relevant to today's discourse.

I happen to be a CF by choice - ever since I was a child myself and it isn't a very light, casual decision. In fact, I've struggled quite painfully on the inside many times from such a fearsome, worrying guilt trip that I might be "wrong" after all and that I'd better answer to biological instincts in the very end - whether I like it or not - as well as the ruthless social pressures and myths that will have me believing that I will have no choice but to fall into love with children and thus want to bear them someday. But the truth is that no one would need to go through that ordeal simply because they intellegently put down their foot about what to do with their own lives; in fact, that is their very own birthright. So the CF group need this kind of respect as well as the homosexuals do.

Unfortunately, it sounds like Joan Brady's book actually contributes to the guilt that a childfree woman has to suffer from the fears of biological and social pressures constantly inclined on her rather than reassuring her about her very personal life choice. In fact, two of quotes from the book alone are quite cloyingly sentimental about such poor, needy little kiddies (but they are already SPOILED ROTTEN in this country!) and thus screaming from child-hunger. Ms. Brady, I'm very sorry to hear that you didn't get to fillful your REAL desire in the very first place, but it doesn't mean that a woman is made to be a human receptacle merely waiting to be filled sopping full of unconditional love and breast milk.

I appreciate that the author is proud of her book and her story. However, I do feel that this book is geared solely to people that had to settle for their second choice in life - rather than people who chose (and achieved) their pathways, without regret, from the start. People that are struggling with the loss of their "chosen" life - marriage and/or children - for whatever reason - should read this book. Even then - those people should use this book as a starting point - but then move on to more affirming books. I would suspect that if someone was really hurting from a loss of their desired lifestyle - that this book might teach the person to keep tending their "wounds" instead of healing them. The misleading title of this book, in my opinion, attracted many childfree women to buy it. If you are CF by choice - it's best you don't purchase this book - we should not consider ourselves the intended audience - despite the title and no matter how many children the book is dedicated to! Laurie Lisle, Mardy Ireland, and Elinor Burkett are more appropriate authors for CF people to read!

This is a great book by a great author. It does, however, seem to threaten alot of other reviewers. I wonder why?

I felt a bit deceived as soon as I saw the size of the book. Yes, it has 100+ pages, but the format is small, and the print large. The stories are very short and predictable. A perhaps interesting setting which invariably leads to a sex scene. Yes, they are often arousing, and indeniably well written, but I miss that extra bit which would make them excellent. I tried to select one story, that would be good enough to show my partner, but failed.

but that is just my opinion. I was hoping to find a collection of romantic, tasteful erotic stories...and there is an element of those things in these stories...but the author frequently uses words that you would expect to see in some trashy porno rag. Granted that is probably a turn-on for a lot of people, but for me I prefer sensitive, tasteful references to genitalia, especially imagery, which the author includes at times (in one story referring to the woman's genitalia as a "tender bud"). I read these stories alone, and I couldn't imagine reading them with a partner or having a partner read them to me. I would be so turned off.

This book is really hot. Of course what I liked best was the fact that the writer used a measure of taste when writing it....... Granted not all of the stories were a turn-on for me, but most were. The stories were about good, clean, fun sex, nothing more and nothing less. Most stories were conventional with one man and one woman, however there was one with one woman and two men, two women, one man and three women, etc etc etc. The author even thoughtfully included stories for an older population, as well as stories for other races. I found the whole book delicious, even the candid intro written by the author was nice. Enjoy!

I choose books to read based on two factors: either I like the author and enjoyed his/her previous books, or the storyline looks promising. I've never read a Joan Wolf novel, and I don't think I will after this. I expect a romance to carry me away to another world - a world full of passion, seduction, maybe even a little intrigue. This book fails on all accounts. The passion is promising in the beginning, but completely fades out about half way through the book. There was absolutely no seductive scenes, I could not even tell if they had done anything intimate. And finally the villians were so weak that they weren't even an impact in the storyline. I rarely put a book away without finishing it - but I was sorely tempted to do so with this book. I was deeply disappointed and recommend that you look elsewhere if you want a truly romantic escape. -TEP

I've never read a Joan Wolf book before, therefore I had nothing to gauge it by. I liked the book. The idea of someone wanting to marry for love is quaint but I can't fault her either. Just because someone is handsome don't mean you have to sleep with them, there are some really good looking guys that are so wrapped up in themselves they don't have time for anyone else.

A lot of people married for convenience not for love. And given the option to marry and get rich or not marry and remain poor, I'd choose married in a minute. The coming together of the two is what makes the book and a little suspense makes the book interesting.

I don't understand all the complaints about the book, I've read plenty of bad, gosh awful books before and this is not one.

I love it when I see that a new Joan Wolf book has been published because I know that it will be a quality book. Her newest book about an English noblewoman and her Highland husband, Someday Soon, is no exception. This book has romance intrigue, a great hero and heroine and a strong story line.

Lady Alexander Wilton is one of the most beautiful women in England. She is also one of the most stubborn, she wants to marry for love. After three seasons and innumerable marriage proposals her father loses patience and adds a codicil to his will that forces her to wed the seventh Earl of Wilton, who everyone thinks is her Cousin Geoffrey. Of course her father dies soon after adding this to the will. If she does not marry the seventh Earl all of her fathers un-entailed wealth will go to the Jockey Club. If this happens Alexander will be without money and her beloved home will be without funds. Only Geoffrey is not the seventh Earl, a wild Highlander is. Niall Macdonald is the grandson of a Highland Chief and the son of the late Earls younger brother. He is the rightful heir.

What I enjoyed so much about this story was that it was a story of equals, while Wolfe never specifically gave Niall's age it was inferred that he was around the same age as Lady Alexander who is 21 years old. Niall was kept from being portrayed as a callow youth by his responsibilities and his care for his people as the Mac-Mhic-Donnail Chief in training. He vows to never love a frail English woman even though he is half-English himself and she is sure that she could never love a Highland barbarian like him. Of course since this is a romance they are both wrong.

Someday soon was a wonderful book, a quick engaging read with a sweet love story. The main characters are equals are both likeable characters and most of the secondary characters are engagingly drawn although if a couple of them had been taken out it would not have changed the story line really at all.