The Rexanne Becnel story, LOVE MATCH, is the best of the four. The hero's sister elopes with the heroine's brother. Nice, quick read, good development of the characters.
BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE by Barbara D. Smith was the next best, but I felt the story went on too long and the heroine had the patience of a saint. A WEDDIN' OR A HANGIN' by Jill Jones was marginal because I felt that the feuding between the clans wasn't believeable. I did not like Brenda Joyce's story, IN THE LIGHT OF DAY, at all.

Very entertaining and romantic

Bravo! I set an all time record for completing a paperback. This is a wonderful book for those of us who feel good when we read romance. This book will leave you wanting to read more titles from the authors. I strongly recommend this book.

This book was good, but I didn't find it as good as her two previous, Dust Devils and Celebration. To me it seemed slower paced than the other two. Where with the previous ones I couldn't put them down and read them very quickly, this latest one I found I could put it down without a problem. I finished the book in three days, which is unusual for me. This is still an author I would definitely recommend. Her characters are wonderfully real. Her books make you wish you lived in a small town like Purple Sage.

Jolie Wyatt used to work at the Rose Sterling Advertising Agency in Austin, Texas. Everyone at the company knew how badly Jolie craved being a published writer. She has been away from the agency for many years, living with her husband Matt in Purple Sage. However, when she learns that she is finally going to be published, Jolie can't help but want to show off to her old cronies at the agency. The Wyatts decide to spend the holiday season with Matt's sister and her family so Jolie can attend the Sterling annual Christmas party. Her plans are to show up as the conquering heroine comes to an abrupt halt when Jolie finds the body of a murdered Sterling employee in the ladies room.

Jolie is no stranger to murder or homicide investigations (having been involved two others). However, this one is too close and personal, especially since the prime suspect is her ex-lover, a man married to the boss' daughter. With things in a tizzy at the office, Jolie is asked to temporarily return to do some copy writing, forcing her go back to work with the one person she wants to avoid.

Meanwhile, something dangerous is occurring at her sister-in-law's home with a little boy being the center of it. Ironically, this problem converges with the office mess, forcing Jolie to simultaneously deal with a traumatized child and a cold blooded killer.

MISTLETOE FROM PURPLE SAGE is a breezy, witty, and warm cozy starring a character who symbolizes every woman. This makes it easy, especially for women, to identify with her joys and concerns. The who-done-it is well done as it flows with many plausible suspects who have ample motives to have committed the deed. The sub-plot involving the heroine's nephew adds depth and intensity to a compelling tale.

Harriet Klausner

Jolie Wyatt, recently divorced and trying to raise a teenage son, is meeting with her writers' group one night when she learns that Judge Volney Osler has died. What might not have been such a big deal--after all, people do die, and the Judge was old--becomes a very big deal when it turns out that the Judge was murdered. What was a very big deal becomes a huge deal when the murderer's method turns out to be one Jolie herself devised for her as-yet-unpublished mystery novel. Since she had shared her manuscript with only the other members of the group and the officer investigating the crime, the list of suspects is small indeed. When the police officer devotes particular attention to Jolie, the townspeople of Purple Sage have little trouble narrowing the suspect list down to one: Jolie. The fact that Jolie had an argument with the victim shortly before his death does little to help her case.

With a very personal interest in solving the crime to absolve herself, Jolie begins to poke around. Soon she discovers motives for many of her writing group, but still the solution seems elusive--and the danger seems to be getting closer to home. With a son to protect and an ex-husband trying to protect her (and threaten her independence), Jolie finds that her efforts to solve the crime are not entirely consistent with her efforts to maintain her small family.

"Writers of the Purple Sage" is Barbara Burnett Smith's first novel in the Purple Sage series, and it is a most enjoyable read. Smith juggles a traditional cozy mystery in the Christie sense with a domestic tale, and it is the latter that really gives the novel its strength. Jolie Wyatt, as a single mother, is a very sympathetic character who is afraid of losing the life she has provided for her son and who has become an island unto herself. The events surrounding the murder threaten her and her son, and she fights back bravely. While the everyday citizen investing a crime so thoroughly can be problematic (and is indeed a problem in many of the novels of the cozy mystery genre), Smith seems well aware of this problem and has made strides toward explaining Jolie's sleuthing. Jolie investigates in self-defense. I'm not sure that this justification works completely, and there are times when Jolie seems a bit too brazen for either her own good or common sense, but overall the novel works well and is a pleasure to read.

In genre increasing its use of gore and violence, "Writers of the Purple Sage" is a welcome diversion. While quite modern and friendly in its manner, "Writers" evolks images of mysteries of days gone by. No blood, guts, gore and profanity here - just a tightly knit mystery that doesn't bring you down.

the book opens up the exact opprotunities that all writers wish that you could do for the readers.The writer did a very good job in writing this book and capturing the total essecne that and it was like I was in the story and she was writing about me and my life, it was like reading the never ending story ofr the first time, it kept me at the end of my seat the whole way through the book .

Psychologist and career counselor, Barbara Sher, the best-selling author of WISHCRAFT, has synthesized a ground-breaking work of psychological insights and practical exercises that help us ferret out what we knew all along: we really do know what we want. There are many reasons for this sometimes lifelong memory gap. For some its fear of success, for others it's fear of failure, for many its insecurity or a lack of self-esteem. Whatever the reason, Sher has devised creative exercises from writing our own wish scenario to revisiting that point in our life where everything started to go wrong.

The question to ask of any self-help book is: can it really help? Yes, definitely, if you approach Sher's book without any expectations. If you think it's going to make you get up and quit that job you dread going to day after day, forget it. Sher's work here is to adjust your thinking not your life - that's up to you. As stated in the Upanishads: "As one's thinking is, such one becomes. " After reading this book, you just might appreciate that "dreaful" job you have and see how it actually helps get on with the work you really love to do. On the other hand, you might also find that the lifelong work you have been dreaming about can truly be a nightmare. It's all a matter of perspective as Sher points out so effectively.

I would recommend this book to anyone who felt it was time for a change and a little introspection. Whether you are highly creative or down-to-earth and practical, everyone can learn a lesson or two from Sher's revealing insights.

Psychologist and career counselor, Barbara Sher, the best-selling author of WISHCRAFT, has synthesized a ground-breaking work of psychological insights and practical exercises that help us ferret out what we knew all along: we really do know what we want. There are many reasons for this sometimes lifelong memory gap. For some its fear of success, for others it's fear of failure, for many its insecurity or a lack of self-esteem. Whatever the reason, Sher has devised creative exercises from writing our own wish scenario to revisiting that point in our life where everything started to go wrong. The question to ask of any self-help book is: can it really help? Yes, definitely, if you approach Sher's book without any expectations. If you think it's going to make you get up and quit that job you dread going to day after day, forget it. Sher's work here is to adjust your thinking not your life - that's up to you. As stated in the Upanishads: "As one's thinking is, such one becomes. " After reading this book, you just might appreciate that "dreadful" job you have and see how it actually helps you get on with the work you really love to do. On the other hand, you might also find that the lifelong work you have been dreaming about can truly be a nightmare. It's all a matter of perspective as Sher points out so effectively. I would recommend this book to anyone who felt it was time for a change and a little introspection. Whether you are highly creative or down-to-earth and practical, everyone can learn a lesson or two from Sher's revealing insights.

"Wishcraft" knocked my socks off many years ago. While this didn't pack the same punch for me, I still recommend it heartily as a follow-up to the previous book: she builds upon its insights to offer eminently practical help for discovering what you want in life. I like Sher's approach for two reasons: (1) she makes it clear that achieving what you want in life doesn't necessarily shape itself neatly into "career" (a common mistake in career and life-planning books), and (2) she recognizes that not everyone has one GRAND passion; some people are generalists by nature, and that's just as valid (and achievable!) a way of life. Her down-to-earth and realistic approach is refreshing, and she makes no extravagant promises. In fact, her books WILL change your life -- but only because she's shown you that you know what you're looking for, and just need some practical guidance about how to find it!

Taylor Smith's "Random Acts" plays out like one of those made for USA-TV Movies. Here's some of the ingredients:
*A feisty determined female reporter who has recently divorced her no-good husband who has subsequently married her sister.
*A gorgeous but icy cold FBI criminal profiler who may have had something to do with her husband's (also an FBI undercover agent) murder. Her husband, COINCIDENTALLY, was having an affair with above mentioned reporter.
*A rough and rugged FBI agent, a former cop, whose partner was killed mysteriously, and the father happens to be the father of the aforementioned reporter.
*A sneaky, yet sexy, FBI agent, who may have been having an affair with above mentioned criminal profiler, and who also may have helped in killing her hunky husband.
*A serial killer who kidnaps and then murders little babies.
*A dog who you know will somehow play an important part in a climactic scene.
So, with all that above, what happens? Well, to Smith's credit, she pulls off an interesting narrative, some nice characterizations, and a somewhat surprising climax. We can forgive her for some of her really mundane dialogue, and the plot contrivances that border on incredible.
But, and here's the point, it's a good read and one that entertains. That's what it's all about.
RECOMMENDED FOR GUILTY PLEASURE.

Claire Gillespie was a top reporter on an overseas assignment when whe fell in love with an FBI agent, Michael Kazarian. When Claire accidentally broke his cover, Michael was murdered. During her next news assignment in California, she found out that Michael had been married! If just so happens that Michael's widow, Laurel Madden, was heading the case Claire was to cover about a serial killer targeting infants.

Claire was like a dog with a bone! She was out to prove Laurel a murderer. However, Michael's ex-partner, Dan Sprague, kept getting in the way.

***EXCITING! No John Grisham or Patricia Cornwell here, but well worth your time and money to read. Some stores have put this under Fiction, others Thriller, and still others as Romance. Well, the first two make sense. The last does not. Romance is such a small portion of this story. It is all Thriller!***

I think that this book was really great. Once I started it I was not able to put the book down, because I was in suspense and always wanted to know what was going to happen next. I didn't expect the ending to happen the way that it did so that came to be a big suprise but that made the book all the more interesting to read. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a great suspenseful book.

In this anthology of essays from her political career, Smith challenges America and the social science fields to recognize the multi-layered experience of queer women of color whose histories have been marginalized and erased in every single way imaginable. Better yet, she emphasizes that this struggle (through whatever means) is by nature hard, long and certainly not glamorus.

The best political organizing is not done for material or financial gratification, it is done for the betterment of all segments in the same society.

But it simmultaneously attacks it's own strong points through oversimplification of the facts regarding queer organizing in the late 20th and early 21st century.I feel that she is too quick to dismiss the contributions of groups such as HRC to the public policy table in favor of a romanticized version of policy making where radicals are the only ones doing any type of work to stop prejudice.

The HRC has attained and sustained numerous criticisms from people who believe the group's policies are a form of "sanitized" politics: because the group tends to court the more moderate politicians, it constructs a narrow context of gay rights suggesting that GLBT Americans are no different from their straight counterparts and can fit into the existing structures of society, only if they are allowed to.

In the fall of 2001, I worked on a local campaign that sought to halt passage of a ballot initiative prohibiting the Houston City council from even considering the offering of domestic partner benefits to GLBT municipal employees. The group I was with was a multicultural coalition of activists whose strategizing embraced the very radicalism Smith claims will bring true change.

Furthermore, HRC sent their representatives down to follow the agenda that we had already confirmed-although I realize much of the strategies and tactics differed from what they would have done in a similar situation without an existing radical coalition.

Even though I am personally more in line with Smith's idelogy, I also recognize that moderate civil rights groups provide a stepping stone for people new to political organizing---those who remain content with the level of analysis will stay with the organization, whereas the more politically assertive will look for other organizations who can fulfill their needs and address their issues in an appropriate manner as they begin to make deeper connections between their lot in life and the very structure of society itself.

Since the mid-1970s, Barbara Smith has been one of the United States' most productive and distinctive public intellectuals. As a critic, essayist, editor, and publisher, she has made available some incisive analyses and explorations of the paradoxes of American culture. And she has always written boldly and confidently from her own perspective as an African-American lesbian and feminist.

"The Truth That Never Hurts: Writings on Race, Gender, and Freedom" brings together Smith's own non-fiction prose writings from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. In this collection we can see her development as a thinker. The pieces include her groundbreaking 1977 essay "Toward a Black Feminist Criticism," her tribute to James Baldwin, and much, much more.

Smith discusses the work of such Black women writers as Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Particularly interesting is her exploration of the work of other Black lesbian writers like Pat Parker and Audre Lorde. She also writes about such volatile political issues as Black-Jewish relations, the Rodney King verdict, and the police brutality case involving Haitian immigrant Abner Louima. And she doesn't shy away from taking on other critics and public intellectuals. Smith doesn't discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation in her feisty quarrels with such figures as Darwin Turner, Elaine Showalter, and Andrew Sullivan.

As I write this review, I can hear the cynics and scoffers sneering, "Hey, if she wasn't Black, gay, and female, she wouldn't have anything to write about." To such a statement I would reply: Read Smith's writings with an open yet critical mind, and with an appreciation for the historical context of each piece. I believe that she has important insights for all people, regardless of our own ethnic or sexual self-identification.

In her tribute to James Baldwin, Barbara Smith writes that she loved him "because he made me want to shape prose with a clarity and fire that gave it the power to make people change." I believe that, in the course of her remarkable career, Smith has indeed changed our world for the better with her passionate writings. Read "The Truth That Never Hurts" and experience her own "clarity and fire."

I encourage everyone to read this new collection by Barbara Smith. She is one of the greatest writers of our time, and this new book will not disappoint.

On this third installment tracing the romance of the Kenyon Brother after Tempt Me Twice and Romancing the Rogue, Barbara Dawson Smith returns triumphantly with the story on Lord Joshua Kenyon - galvanizing with a smorgasbord of romance and intrigue in the well-plotted whodunit.

It is Brighton, 1815 and war veteran Joshua Kenyon embarks on a duel with Pankhurst to settle a long-standing feud where Joshua was rumoured to have abandoned Pankhurst's sister Lily and seduced Lily's best friend. The duel was sabotaged by a mysterious intruder who shot his opponent - and what was even more astounding was that his opponent was a female - identified later to be Miss Anne Neville. She had substituted Pankhurst to rescue her beloved friend from a brush with death.

Who could have wanted Miss Neville's life? Could it be her cousin Edwin who bears a seated grudge when she is the recipient of her uncle's fortune? Could it be the enigmatic Samuel Firth who had intended to shoot Joshua but ended up hitting the wrong target? Barbara Dawson Smith takes readers through a labyrinth of red herrings and paranoia as suspects surface with cloaked shenanigans. The mystery is intelligently plotted and cogently structured to deliver a rousing epilogue.

Even more stirring is the romance. Joshua and Anne complements beautifully in wits and intelligence as well as heart. As the veteran plagued with darkness, Joshua is determined to portect the innocence of Anne by maintaining his distance. Yet as danger approaches his desire to protect Anne stems from a deep yearning of wounded souls. The couple evokes an emotional gravitas that is searingly tender in the face of treacherous miscreants.

With a romance that is equally measured in the intensity of its mystery and mayhem, I gladly proclaim Ms. Smith a maverick tale-spinner- with all my heart.

"With All My Heart" is part of the Kenyon brothers-Rosebud series (other books in the series include "Romancing a Rogue" & "Tempt Me Twice"), and I think is probably the best of the bunch so far.

Seven years ago Lord Joshua Kenyon abandoned his bride-to-be on their wedding day and returned to the Peninsula to carry on fighting Napoleon (Joshua was a captain at that point). His fiancee, the incredibly beautiful and vivacious Lily Pankhurst, went into decline because of his desertion and died soon after. And Joshua has been reviled ever since as a scoundrel and a cad. The wars are now over, and Joshua has returned to England to pick up the pieces of his life. But barely has he set foot on the island when Lily's brother, David, seeks him out and challenges him to a duel. Except it is not David that Joshua faces that fateful morning, but rather Miss Anne Neville, a good friend and neighbour to David Pankhurst.

The only daughter of an incredibly large family (Anne has 9 brothers), Anne is used to taking care of everyone around her. And knowing that David is not at all proficient with guns (while she is actually quite a skilled shot), Anne decides to take David's place at the duel. What Anne hadn't counted on was that someone else would be at the site, and that that person would shoot her, thus putting and end to the duel and unmasking her masquerade to Joshua. And while Joshua is understandably furious at Anne, he also resolves to uncover what is going on. Why would anyone would seek to kill universally liked Anne Neville? Or was David Pankhurst the real target?

Anne is equally determined to discover who tried to kill her, and so although she despises Joshua almost as much s David does, Anne is determined to work with him in order to get to the bottom of what is going on. But the more time she spends with him, the more she realises that there is more to Lord Joshua Kenyon than meets the eye. The Joshua she is getting to know may be a tad dictatorial and reserved, but he is also kind and compassionate. How could this Joshua be the same man who jilted Lily so callously? On top of it all, this sober and thoughtful Joshua is beginning to affect her in a way that no man has ever done before! Could spinsterish and firmly-on-th-shelf Anne be falling for the silver-tongued cad?

A word of warning: while the bulk of the book does not revolve around the should-she trust-him-even-though-he-is-a-cad motif, there is a fair amount of this going on as Anne tries to reconcile the Joshua of the scandal with the Joshua she knows. So, if you really hate those kinds of plot devices you might want to take note of this. However, because this plot device is actually an integral part of the novel, and because Barbara Dawson Smith handled the whole thing rather well, this plot device did not become quite so tiresome as it might have. Another small detraction was that the language was a tad too modern for my taste. But again this was a minor enough annoyance.

On the plus side however, the authour has created two rather memorable principal characters who did engage my concern and fancy. When I first met Anne Neville, she came across as being incredibly rude, bossy and confrontational. But as the story progressed, and I got to see all the different sides of her personality and character, I couldn't help but grow to like and approve of her wholeheartedly. Joshua is pretty much the usual run-of-the-mill angst-driven hero -- but a likable one at that! What I esp liked about this novel was that you get the sense that while Joshua is totally appreciative of Anne's charms, that it is her character and personality that captures and holds his interest. As such, the romance that develops between Joshua and Anne turns out to be a touching and poignant one as well, and one that one cannot help but root for.

I rather liked "With All My Heart." It was a satisfying read. The first two books in this series weren't exactly memorable, but this one definitely was. The book ends with the hint that there are two more books (at least) in the series. And on the strength of "With All My Heart," I will be checking out these forthcoming two.

In 1815 England, former soldier Lord Joshua Kenyon fights a duel of honor with David Pankhurst over the death of the latter's sister following the former ending their engagement seven years ago the day before the ceremony was to occur. Josh fires at a tree only to see his foe fall to the ground wounded. Someone else shot Pankhurst. Josh sees that his fallen adversary is a woman. Being a doctor used to gunshot wounds from his military time, Josh tends to the female before taking her to his home where he can treat her.

Josh learns that Anne Neville, fearing for David's life, drugged him and replaced him at the duel. Though she thinks he is the enemy, Anne admires the way Josh took charge. As she reluctantly agrees to work with him in uncovering her assassin or perhaps David's, their pretense of courting turns into love. However, for years she thought the worst of her beloved and finds it difficult to believe otherwise.

WITH ALL MY HEART is an engaging Regency romance that sub-genre fans will enjoy due to the mystery investigation that provides freshening suspense to the story line. Though readers will wonder why Anne behaves out of character for the period by risking her life in the duel and tire of her shrilling accusations, the audience will admire her courage and fully appreciate the fortitude and moral fiber of the honorable Josh. Barbara Dawson Smith renders a wonderful historical romance that will send the Regency crowd seeking her novels starring siblings of the lead male protagonist.

Harriet Klausner

I would have loved this book, just like the rest of B.D.S's, if it weren't for the heroine, Jane. She is so pious and prideful. I generally love the prim spinster, bad rake romances but not this time. Jane is too extreme for me. And I lost any respect for her whatsoever when she traps Ethan, the hero, into marriage, just like his horrible first wife did. Ick! I just felt she was a big jerk throughout most of the book and almost couldn't bear to read it through. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who must read a book all the way through, even if my fists are clenched and my teeth gritted.

I've always been a great fan of Barbara Dawson Smith, and she outdid herself on this one. I have to say I ADORED this book. Ethan and Jane were absolutely delicious and fun!!! I was sighing at the romantic parts and laughing out loud at their witty dialogue. It's a fresh and orginal twist on the spinster/rake story, with an adorable baby who brings them together. You're in for a treat with Too Wicked to Love!

Barbara Dawson Smith is a personal favorite, and this book is a perfect example of what I love so much about her books. The plain-Jane heroine, who is smarter than everyone in Regency England, and the brooding sexy hero suffering Freudian complexes before Freud was born are the most perfectly matched pair you could hope for. Their quarrels are surpassed only by their love scenes. A wonderful read!

Sorry to disagree with the rest of you but I thought the plot and the characters were very shallow. The fiancee/sister was the only one that showed any intelligence. The only reason I finished reading it was because I bought the book and I hate to waste my money.

Isabel Darling is a courageous woman of her time. She is determined to step into the shark-infested waters of the Ton to discover two things, her mother's murderer and her real father. She's willing to risk scorn and her life. The hero, Justin tries to thwart her because his father was one of Isabel's mother's many lovers. Isabel's mother was writing a book of memoirs and someone wanted her silenced. I didn't like Justin at first. He thought she wasn't his equal just because her blood wasn't blue like his, but once he saw the she was a human being, and started treating her as such, the author endeared him to me and Isabel. The story moves along at a fast pace as Isabel proves she's his match with her seductive plays and clever wit. The mystery of who killed Isabel's mother and who was attacking the other "ladies of the night" kept me glued to my chair. I also liked the way the author revealed Justin's secret and why he disliked Isabel in the beginning. This was the first BDS book I've read, and I'm looking forwarding to read Once Upon a Scandal as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I really enjoyed this book. I like her style of writing and the characters she creates. This had romance, a spellbinding mystery and a great twist at the end. Again I recommend this good read.

I didn't find the story interesting at all. I read this book because the story outline looked appealing and because of the warm review. I was disappointed. The story has not much substance and it is loosely-knitted.

I enjoyed reading this book, and would suggest it to others looking for a good romantic novel . . .If you want to read a book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever

This is a really fascinating story about a man who has a near death experience at the Battle of Waterloo, and afterward sees visions about a woman he's never met. It's full of twists and turns and lots of great romance. I loved it!