March#12
I am trying to remember the name of a book I read in the mid-90s. It was a historical, probably a Regency. I believe the heroine is working in a mental asylum (possibly Bedlam) in the beginning--I seem to remember a scene with one of the inmates trying to pee on her. She ends up going with the hero and her friend inmate (an older woman who changes her hair color a few times in the book) from the asylum for some reason. Ultimately, I think she discovers that she is the heiress to some great title and fortune, but her schemeing Uncle tried to get rid of her when she was an infant. Any help? Another historical, but older time period. I remember very little of the story except that the heroine turns out to be the secret daughter of Queen Elizabeth I. Any help?

The first book might be BRIDE OF THE UNICORN by Kasey Michaels. A reader says the second book is definitely MAGNIFICENT ROGUE by Iris Johansen.

March#30
I was only 14 when I read this (1983 or 84) so I can't remember much. It was about a man who was blind but in the end gets his eyesight back. There is something about "dew" either in the title or within the story. It could have been written by Yvonne Whittal or Penny Jordan, maybe. The story is based in a mountainous area and the heroine is looking after the hero. I am sorry that's all I can remember. I have searched the authors of M & B but none of the titles look familiar. The word wolf is also feat ured but I can't remember in what context.

Try LAIR OF THE DRAGON by Catherine George.

July#4
Hi, I have been searching for a book that I once remember reading that I cant seem to find. The main character was a woman who wished to write, but never could find the time. (I believe her father might have been a successful author, as well). Her neice and her neice's boyfriend come to her one day and tell her that they are engaged, and want to get married right away. They plan the wedding to be held out where the boy's uncle lives, who just happens to be a wildly popular author that the main character loves but is known for his privacy. Crazy family members (including her sister, the bride's mother, who is a famous photographer) create all kinds of messes, which she is frustrated with having to deal with. She and the Uncle wind up falling for each other and from her experience, starts writing a romance. In the end, instead of the kids, it is the two of them who get married.

Try MOTHER OF THE BRIDE by Lynn Michaels.

July#7
The later part of the story takes part in Sydney, Australia. Basically, A young woman sleeps with this slightly older free-spirit guy (may be named Jake), on the beach. Anyway, he leaves and becomes this famous Wildlife Photographer and does all this adventurous dangerous stuff. In the meantime the woman gets pregnant, and the guy's brother finds out and marries the woman. They don't tell the men's parents, but they are very close to them. Anyway, a little boy is born. So the husband gets very obsessed with having a child of his own, and they try to conceive but it never happens. The husband dies, and the funeral/wake is where the story starts. The child's father returns, not knowing he has a son. The grandmother starts to suspect the truth. The father eventually finds out, then leaves. The woman moves to Sydney and starts her own business working from home. One day while the son is at Kindergarten, the father returns, and the reunite, and the story ends with them going to pick the son up together etc etc. I think the woman's name may be Lexie, but I'm not too sure.

This is probably TAMING A HUSBAND by Elizabeth Duke.

July#8
Ok, I really cannot remember when i read this book, but i believe it was a thick novel. Anyway the story was set back in the victorian days if an not mistaken. And the guy in the story had to marry but he did not want to (i think a earl made him have to marry) any way, the intended bride did not want to marry either. SO she disguises herself to look ugly. But he still marries her (or he choose her out of her 2 sisters even though she looked ugly). The wedding night he callously takes her virginity (for getting the cream i think) and he leaves, going back to his mistress. Who in fact tells him he should have been more romanctic to his wife, so he heads back home in an attempt to mend their relationship and is shock to find that his bride is really a beauiful woman. Of course he is angry at the deceit but their relationship progresses.

This is MIDSUMMER MAGIC by Catherine Coulter

July #9
Help! I am searching for a book that I read years ago. It was futuristic. The Heroine lived at a time and planet where women no loger carried their babies. They were incubated. There was a medic chamber that healed wounds. The hero came looking for something and was wounded, then healed by chamber. They went somewhere, fell in love. She became pregnant and had to have the baby the old fashioned way. Oh yeah the women had human looking robots for sex companions, although the heroine did not make use of hers. Space ships were involved.

This is WARRIOR'S WOMAN by Johanna Lindsey

July#10
The main character, who is either Scottish or Irish, is sent to jail by an English Lord and he vows revenge. Time passes and the main character has gotten out of jail and setting his plan for revenge. He plans on seducing the lords daughter and leaving her in shamed. Of course he falls in love with the daughter but still leaves her pregnant with her father, to amend he leaves a valuable pieces of jewelry. The heroine is mistreated by her father and almost miscarriages. The main character returns to find her almost near birth and death. He takes her away to get better.

This sounds like DREAM LOVER by Virginia Henley.

July#11
I am trying to find a romance novel that I read a while ago.. 1991-2000? I am not sure of the publish date. It was a story of a girl that is in love with a boy. The boy leaves.. maybe off to war or work or something... she somehow ends up marrying the boys father. The boy comes back later and finds her married to his father.. (father and son have strained/hostile relationship). Anyway... father taunts his son about her. (I remember one scene where father comes out of bedroom and meets son in the hall and taunts him, that he had just had sex with her). I think eventually father ends up dying somehow and they get together in the end.

Try BITTERSWEET RAIN by Sandra Brown, or REDWOOD EMPIRE by A. E. Maxwell.

July#13
I read this in the 90s. It is a semi-typical historial pirate romance. The main characters' names are Beth (maybe Bethany?) and Captain Hawk (well, his alias.) It takes place during the Revolutionary War and contains such characters as Washington and Benedict Arnold. Beth is a Brit betrothed to a rich American (Hawk under another name) and she sails off to marry him. While enroute the infamous masked privateer Hawk captures her ship and they fall (eventually) in love. He esconces her away on an island which she later escapes only to discover the privateer she fell in love with is one and the same with her husband! They have trails and tribulations, as Hawk works for the newly budding American government and Beth is a loyalist. She takes up the alias the Dove to write poetry for the Revolution as she becomes taken to the American people and their spirit. There is more but I cannot remember it. Ye gods, if you could help you'd have my never ending gratitude. I've been searching for years!

This could be THE HAWK AND THE DOVE by Virginia Henley, or PIRATE'S BRIDE by Lynette Vinet.

July#14
In the 1980's, I read a novel set in Scotland. It had the Glencoe massacre in it. It started with an English girl being kidnapped by a Highlander. On their way to his home they take shelter under his tartan.When they reach is home she is at first not trusted. Later in the story they are involved in the MacDonald massacre at Glencoe.

Try LADY OF THE GLEN by Jennifer Roberson.

July#16
I read a historical romance novel at least 10 years ago. I can’t remember the characters names or the title but I do remember the plot. The hero and heroine are married; she is second wife. She had been friends with him for years, even when he was married to another woman and had at least 1 child. When 1st wife and kid die they got married. The hero made sure that she wouldn’t get pregnant. Heroine has orphaned niece and nephew com and live with them. The hero wants them gone until wife falls out of a loft and almost dies. He realizes that he loves her but she says that it is too late. Wife moves in with other sister. The plot also involves a cherry tree and a railroad.

This sounds like THE MARRIAGE BED by Stephanie Mittman.

July#23
It’s set in early 1800s? England. Heroine is American, hero English lord. She comes to England with her friend and black man from home (maybe slave, probably freed?). As the story opens they are in a carriage leaving London traveling to an estate for some reason and come upon another carriage being assaulted by highwaymen. She shoots the gun out the hand of the bad guy or some such and saves the day for the two men in the carriage. Then proceeds to patch up a wound on one guys thigh while nattering on about Beau Brummell’s vanity; of course turns out that’s who the guy is but is too embarrassed to say. The sub story is the friend has come to England to find the guy she fell in love with in Boston who disappeared after vowing he loved her. In the end, turns out he was burned (scarred) badly in a ship explosion in Boston harbor and thinks she wouldn’t want him anymore (coincidentally he’s a friend of the hero).

This is REBELLIOUS DESIRE by Julie Garwood.

July#24
It is from around 1980 - 1991 A passionate-romance story based around the 15 or 16 century type area This gorgeous man is very rich, he may be a duke (or equivallent). however he has to travel by horse and buggy and doesn't want to be recognized so he devised a little scheme that included wearing a steel mask that only showed his eyes, and a big overcoat, he said he was burned and that's why the iron mask (iron or steel). Then there is this beautiful woman who she knows as this man when he isn't wearing this mask therefore does not connect the man iwth the iron mask and burn scars to be this same man. She starts to fall in love with both of his characters, and he starts getting mad at her trying to understand how she could fall in love with a man who had scars all over him...when in reality it is still him as the man with no scars, he is trying to understand her loyalty. When he wears his iron mask and kisses her, he won't let her touch any part of his body that may be exposed or if his mask off, he'll pull her hands down so she can't touch his face bc he doesn't wnat her to discover he has no scars and is really the other guy she is also in love with (which is him playing both charactes)

This sounds like A ROSE IN WINTER by Kathleen Woodiwiss.

July#25
It's about two girls from separate time periods and they switch places. The girl that is from the past that is now living in the future has pneumonia, and thats why they switched places. Most of the book is based on the girl that is from the future that now is living in the past. Thank you so much!

Try THE SECOND LADY EMILY by Allison Lane.

July#27
I don't remember who wrote this book, but it's about a man that marries a woman that is guilty by association with a criminal. The man is a widower who loved his first wife and vows never to love again. I believe the book was written in the 90's. I thought the author might be Linda Howard, but I'm not sure. Does anyone remember a book like that?

Try ALL THAT GLITTERS by Linda HOward, or DANIEL'S BRIDE by Linda Lael Miller.

July#30
I read it about 10 years ago and am not sure if was new even then… Set in Scotland… Not sure of the Hero or Heroines name! She (am sure she was English) was taken captive during a raid and is held in a Scottish castle. She and he (of course) hate each other. The part that stands out in my mind the most is that he forces her down to dinner and then she does not attend which annoys him and then it comes about that she has no clothing or something that is not worth wearing and she comes down the stairs into the hall dressed in his tartan (which was a big no-no). He tries to seduce her which does not work so he goes about it by mostly leaving her alone and she has to come to him in the end and of course does. All other details elude me.

This is probably THE WEDDING by Julie Garwood.

Readers, have a look at our Needle in a Haystack column, where we've posted the TOUGHEST of the tough questions! We'll leave these up for six months to give you ample time to wrack your brains.