Romantic Leads
May 24, 1998

By A Janine Taylor

TAKE A TRIP through time this month without resorting to the Time Travel genre. Here are some of the latest titles available, just pick a period from medieval onward.

The Witch and the Warrior
By Karyn Monk (Bantam - May 98, $7.99)

You don't have to like Karyn Monk's writing just because she's Canadian. Enjoy Monk's writing because her characters find a spot in your heart. I begrudged coming to the end of this medieval story. Alex MacDunn rescues Gwendolyn MacSween from being burned as a witch. Now he will force her to use her magic to save his dying son. Gwendolyn, armed with no more powerful magic than simple common sense, tends to the ailing child while plotting her next escape. Alex is nicknamed the Mad Laird because he has been unable to recover from his wife death, four years earlier. The MacDunn clan is fiercely loyal to Alex, but distrusts the beautiful young "witch" and they worry for his sanity. Alex and Gwendolyn are heartbreakers, with comic relief provided by a priceless supporting cast.

Romance of the Rose
By Julie Beard (Berkley - May 98 $7.99)

Julie Beard has written an interesting Elizabethan story but has fallen prey to trite romantic plot devices. Drake Rothwell has returned home to claim his inheritance, Thornbury Manor. But there is a catch. Lady Rosalind Carbury has been left the same estate. And, Queen Elizabeth will take possession the property herself if the dispute goes unsettled. Of course the bitter enemies, Drake and Rosalind, get married in name only to keep from losing their property to the Crown. The political intrigue certainly evokes the historical accounts of the machinations of Elizabeth's court and the use of Shakespeare, as a character in the book, was unique. The forced marriage and hate/love relationship, however, was not.

The Gamble
By Joan Wolf (Warner Books - May98, $8.50)

Joan Wolf writes wonderful witty dialogue in a surprisingly funny Regency suspense. Georgiana Newbury, upon her father's death, suddenly needs a "respectable" home for herself and her younger sister. To her dismay she discovers her father was a blackmailer. However, Georgie is exceedingly practical. She reluctantly decides to use some of the information her father had used in his extortion schemes to assist her during "husband-hunting season". Her victim, world-weary Philip, Earl of Winterdale, decides to sponsor Georgie in society despite her rather inept scheme. Unfortunately for Georgiana, four victims of her father's extortion now believe she will continue his work, and at least one of them is determined to stop her, permanently. Georgie's character shines in this fabulous first person narrative. Philip will touch fans of tortured heroes. The Gamble is a sure bet.

Sleeping Beauty
By Judith Ivory (Avon - June 98, $7.99)

The title isn't very original but the story sure is. Judith Ivory creates characters that defy romance novel stereotypes. Sir James Stoker has survived an African expedition and Queen Victoria has just knighted him. He has now been made vice-provost of his college at Cambridge University. Nice, young Dr. Stoker is sitting on top of the world when he is bowled over by a horribly inappropriate love. The infamous Coco Wild is a charming older woman with a deservedly shady reputation. She is definitely not for the respectable Sir James. Coco's past seems destined to bring about James' downfall. This sensual fairy tale is definitely not G-rated, but if you want to read an atypical "happily ever after" story, this is it.

The Long Road Home
By Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press - May 98, $34.95 HC)

If you want to be depressed, this is the book for you. Gabriella's life as an abused child is agonizing. It is impossible not to pity this child. She is abandoned by her vicious mother and has a pathetically short respite in a convent before being victimized yet again. Danielle Steele obviously felt a calling to use her large readership to publicize the child abuse issue. The story doesn't have much of a plot, however. The tortuous, abusive phase of the story is horribly long and does nothing to further the characterization. I only recommend this story to those who enjoy bouts of overwrought outrage and are immune to misery. 

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