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Hotlists 2008
Crime Fiction - embedded
Seeing Stars
Lists of (mostly) hardcover books which received at least one starred review (indicating a work of unusual merit) from the following review sources: Booklist , Publisher's Weekly (PW), Kirkus and Library Journal (LJ).
The review journal assigns the star.
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Overbooked specializes in providing timely information about fiction (all genres) and readable nonfiction. Overbooked has been online since 1994. Overbooked is a work in progress . . .
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Starred Reviews
Romance Stars 2003
September 9, 2008
Annotations are from Advance, the Ingram Book Magazine - unless otherwise noted.
2003
- The Spy's Bride
Author: Abrams, Nita
Publisher: Zebra $ 5.99 (paper) ISBN: 0821775618
Booklist
The third installment of Abrams's sweeping series set during the Napoleonic Wars about an Anglo-Jewish family who find passion and peril serving as intelligence couriers for Wellington.
Updated 4.28.03 - The Pirate Next Door
Author: Ashley, Jennifer
Publisher: Leisure $ 5.99 (paper) ISBN: 0843952776Booklist
What is a proper English lady to do when a pirate, now a newly titled viscount, moves in next door? Alexandra Alastair follows her instincts--and no challenge is too great and no pleasure too wicked.
Updated 10.2.03 - Slightly Scandalous
Author: Balogh, Mary
Publisher: Dell $ 5.99 (paper) ISBN: 0440241111PW
In the final novel of Balogh's delectable Slightly trilogy, Freyja Bedwyn, the wild-hearted daughter of the high society family, meets her match in a man as passionate, and scandalous, as she.
Updated 4.28.03 - Thin Pink LIne
Author: Baratz-Logsted, Lauren
Publisher: Mira $ 21.95 ISBN: 0373250304Kirkus
Jane Taylor gets so blissfully caught up in the fact she's pregnant that she can't live up to the truth when, mere days later, she finds out that there's no proverbial bun in the oven. But she is only human, and what woman doesn't want the kind of attention that comes with pregnancy?
Updated 5.9.03 - Kill the Competition
Author: Bond, Stephanie
Publisher: Avon $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0060539836PW
Passion, wit, and thrilling suspense combine in this new novel from the RITA Award-winning author when the new girl in Atlanta learns that carpooling and climbing to the top can be murder.
Updated 8.25.03 - Stealing the Bride
Author: Boyle, Elizabeth
Publisher: Avon $ 5.99 (paper) ISBN: 0380820900Booklist
This seventh historical romance by the USA Today bestselling author tells the sparkling story of an impetuous beauty who elopes on a whim and the dashing adventurer who must steal her back at the risk of his own heart.
Updated 6.25.03 - The Pretender
Author: Bradley, Celeste
Publisher: St Martins $ 6.50 (paper) ISBN: 0312984855Booklist
This first book in a sexy new series introduces the Liars Club, a renegade group of rogues in the service of the Crown. Agatha Cunnington needs a "husband" to find her missing brother in London--and Liar's Club member Simon Montague Rain fits the bill.
Updated 5.14.03 - Seduced
Author: Britton, Pamela
Publisher: Warner $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0446611298Booklist
Although they loathe one another, roguish Lucien St. Aubyn and headstrong Elizabeth Montclair are thrown together in matrimony after they are caught in a compromising position. Although she was the only woman to resist his charms, how long can Elizabeth last before she gives in?
Suggested Reading: Historical Fiction Stars
Updated 2.20.03 - A Clean Slate
Author: Caldwell, Laura
Publisher: Red Dress $ 12.95 (paper) ISBN: 037325038xBooklist
A Chicago woman suddenly can''t remember the past five months of her life and begins to realize she has a clean slate. She can do anything she wants, but what, exactly, "does" she want?
Updated 10.23.03 - Mesmerized
Author: Camp, Candace
Publisher: Mira $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 1551667290Booklist
Denying her clairvoyant abilities, Olivia Moreland works instead to expose fake mediums. But when Stephen, Lord St. Leger, requests her help, she can't ignore the connection she feels toward him.
Updated 10.2.03 - Iron Rose
Author: Canham, Marsha
Publisher: Signet $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0451208153PW
Following a Spanish galleon's attack on his English merchant ship, Varian St. Clare discovers that the captain of the privateer who saved him is Juliet Dante, daughter of the legendary Pirate Wolf, who Varian has been sent to find. Juliet agrees to take him to her father--but only as her hostage.
Suggested Reading: Historical Fiction Stars
Updated 2.10.03 - The Devil You Know
Author: Carlyle, Liz
Publisher: Pocket $ 6.99 ISBN: 074343787xBooklist
Cast aside by her beau, Frederica d'Avillez is comforted by Bentley Rutledge, a scoundrel whose wild ways embroil the couple in a passionate romance. Soon, Frederica finds herself in need of a husband. And who better than the devil that got her into her situation?
Suggested Reading: Historical Fiction Stars
Updated 4.16.03 - Valentine's Change of Heart
Author: Fairchild, Elisabeth
Publisher: NAL $ 4.99 (paper) ISBN: 0451207726Booklist
Updated 1.25.03 - Unexpected
Author: Foster, Lori
Publisher: Brava $ 14 (paper) ISBN: 0758205481Booklist
In this deliciously erotic novel, New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster creates an unforgettable heroine in Ray Vereker, a female Rambo with quick reflexes, sharp instincts, a hot body, and a bad case of morning sickness.
Updated 10.2.03 - Isle of Palms
Author: Frank, Dorothea Benton
Publisher: Berkley $ 22.95 ISBN: 0425191362PW
A hot summer turns into a steaming one in this long-awaited hardcover debut featuring characters from Dorothea Benton Frank's previous bestsellers, Sullivan's Island and Plantation.
Updated 7.1.03 - Love with a Scandalous Lord
Author: Heath, Lorraine
Publisher: Avon $ 5.99 (paper) ISBN: 0380817438Booklist
The USA Today bestselling author presents an unforgettable story of a young lady seeking a proper husband in London society. Instead, she finds passion with a handsome, inappropriate rogue.
Updated 6.25.03 - Undone
Author: Henley, Virginia
Publisher: Signet $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0451210646PW
Known for her "passionate love scenes and steamy fantasies" (Booklist), the New York Times bestselling author follows up her sizzling Ravished with this seductive tale of an extraordinary beauty and the duke who knows her inside and out.
Updated 11.17.03 - The Very Virile Viking
Author: Hill, Sandra
Publisher: Leisure $ 6.99 ISBN: 0843950641PW
Strangely transported to a kingdom called "Holly Wood, " Viking warrior Magnus Ericsson meets the woman of his dreams--a modern-day winemaker who fails to recognize Magnus as her soul mate. So he must prove to her that he is a man of exceptional talents.
Updated 2.20.03 - The Affair
Author: Hingston, Sandy
Publisher: Berkley $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0425189074Booklist
Years after meeting gambling proprietress Christiane d'Oliveri in Paris, Irish lord Gannon Finn carries a torch for her--despite her humiliation of him. Now a respectable headmistress of an academy for girls, Christiane is about to learn a hard lesson when the rakish Gannon comes back into her life.
Updated 3.13.03 - The Charmer
Author: Hunter, Madeline
Publisher: Bantam $ 5.99 (paper) ISBN: 0553585916PW
In the third book in Hunter's Seducer series, the king of England sends a charismatic aristocrat to Paris to retrieve a duchess from her self-imposed exile and finds himself unable to resist her.
Updated 11.12.03 - The Saint
Author: Hunter, Madeline
Publisher: Bantam $ 5.99 ISBN: 0553585908Booklist
Continuing her Seducer series, Hunter introduces the Saint in this sizzling tale of a mysterious aristocrat, a high-spirited American beauty, and an innocent temptation that leads to the most dangerous of seductions.
Updated 10.2.03 - The Silver Lion
Author: Kerstan, Lynn
Publisher: Onyx $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0451411161Booklist
Kerstan wraps up her acclaimed trilogy that began with The Golden Leopard and continued in Heart of the Tiger with a novel of honor, sacrifice, and the redeeming power of love.
Updated 10.23.03 - Waking the Princess
Author: King, Susan
Publisher: Signet $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0451208838Booklist
In the second title of King's historical romance trilogy set in Victorian Scotland, Sir Aedan MacInnes has little time for the local legend that claims he is cursed, and Christina Blackburn hides a smoldering past. So how will fate bring them together?
Updated 9.22.03 - Taming the Heiress
Author: King, Susan
Publisher: Signet $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0451209559Booklist
The USA Today bestselling author presents the first title in a brand-new trilogy, set in Victorian Scotland. Take one spoiled heiress, add one unimpressed suitor, and let the sparks fly.
Updated 7.17.03 - How to Meet Cute Boys
Author: Kizis, Deanna
Publisher: Warner $ 21.95 ISBN: 0446530727Booklist
This hilarious work of women's fiction is about a young woman writing for a women's magazine who's experiencing the L.A. dating scene. This book depicts itself as a "novelzine," where the protagonist's magazine articles are relevantly interspersed throughout the novel.
Updated 9.22.03 - Worth Any Price
Author: Kleypas, Lisa
Publisher: Avon $ 7.50 (paper) ISBN: 0380811073PW
Fleeing to avoid a marriage to a controlling nobleman, Charlotte is soon captured by a treacherous foe: Nick Gentry is daring, dangerous, and reputed to be the most skillful lover in England. His mission is to return her to her hated enemy. However, he shockingly offers her a very different proposal.
Updated 12.16.02 - Some Men's Dreams
Author: Korbel, Katherine
Publisher: Silhouette $ 4.75 ISBN: 037327307xBooklist
Updated 8.13.03 - To Catch a Wolf
Author: Krinard, Susan
Publisher: Berkley $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0425192083Booklist
When crippled Denver socialite Athena Munroe sees werewolf Morgan Holt in a traveling circus, she will have to fight tooth and nail to keep her passion for him at bay--or discover her own extraordinary destiny.
Updated 10.2.03 - A Garden in the Rain
Author: Kurland, Lynn
Publisher: Berkley $ 7.99 (paper) ISBN: 0425192024Booklist
The novel Kurland's fans have been waiting for--the untold story of Highland lord Patrick MacLeod, the first in his Scottish clan to travel through time for love.
Updated 9.22.03 - A Girl's Guide to Vampires
Author: Macalister, Katie
Publisher: Love Spell $6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0505525305Booklist
Armed with only a bag of rune stones and her wicked sense of humor, an American woman untangles the threads connecting a serial killer, vampires, and the handsome man who may not be as he appears.
Updated 10.23.03 - Skyward
Author: Monroe, Mary Alice
Publisher: Mira $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 1551667002Booklist
Monroe delivers this story of healing and new beginnings, set in the mystical South Carolina Lowcountry. Single father Harris Henderson finds himself torn between the troubled wife who left him and their young daughter and the woman who has awakened his feelings.
Updated 7.17.03 - Beyond Sunrise
Author: Proctor, Candice
Publisher: Ivy $ 6.99 ISBN: 0345447182PW
The bestselling author of Midnight Confessions presents this breathtaking tale of India McKnight, an independent 19th-century woman who sails to the unknown South Pacific and finds unexpected adventure--and love.
Suggested Reading: Historical Fiction Stars
Updated 3.31.03 - To
Sir Philip, with Love
Author: Quinn, Julia
Publisher: Avon $ 6.99 ISBN: 0380820854PW
In the latest title in Quinn's beloved Bridgerton series. Eloise Bridgerton's habit of writing letters attracts the interest of Sir Phillip Crane, with whom she has been corresponding. When they finally meet, Eloise is taken aback by this brute of a man--especially by his kiss.
Updated 5.12.03 - Eat Cake
Author: Ray, Jeanne
Publisher: Crown $ 19.95 ISBN: 060961004xLibrary Journal
Ruth loves to bake cakes. As Eat Cake begins, Ruth's husband has lost his job, her elderly mother has just come to live with them, and her smart-alec daughter won't keep the misery of adolescence to herself. It's funny and witty and wise and warm, with unforgettable characters.
Updated 4.7.03 - The Perfect Summer
Author: Rice, Luanne
Publisher: Bantam $ 7.50 (paper) ISBN: 0553584049PW
The "New York Times" bestselling author of "Firefly Beach" delivers this dazzling original paperback novel that explores the mysteries hidden within a marriage and the enduring powers of heart and home.
Updated 7.8.03 - Key of Knowledge
Author: Roberts, Nora
Publisher: Jove $ 7.99 (paper) ISBN: 0515136379Booklist
In the second novel of her thrilling Key trilogy, Roberts introduces Dana, whose passion for books puts her on the quest for the Key of Knowledge. Will her search lead her to find the truth hidden among deception and lies--or succumb to her worst nightmare?
Updated 11.12.03 - Key of Light
Author: Roberts, Nora
Publisher: Jove $ 7.99 (paper) ISBN: 051513628xBooklist
Updated 11.12.03 - Remember When
Author: Roberts, Nora
Publisher: Putnam $ 25.95 ISBN: 0399151060LJPW
A thrill-ride of a novel that blends present-day romance and futuristic suspense, Remember When is a tale of deceit and secrets, of strong women and fascinating men--a brilliant combination of the incomparable talents of the two sides of Nora Roberts.
Updated 9.08.03 - Remember When
Author: Roberts, Nora & J.D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam $ 25.95 ISBN: 0399151060PW
A thrill-ride of a novel that blends present-day romance and futuristic suspense, Remember When is a tale of deceit and secrets, of strong women and fascinating men--a brilliant combination of the incomparable talents of the two sides of Nora Roberts.
Updated 8.25.03 - The Solomon Sisters Wise Up
Author: Senate, Melissa
Publisher: Red Dress $ 12.95 (paper) ISBN: 037325041xBooklist
The Solomon sisters are all totally different and are dealing with their own life issues, but have found themselves living under one roof after too many years. Thanks to a little help from each other--and some unexpected allies--the Solomon sisters are about to wise up.
Updated 12.15.03 - Hot Pursuit
Author: Skye, Christina
Publisher: Dell $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0440237599Booklist
Suspense writer Taylor O'Toole's life starts to resemble one of her novels as she's thrown into the path of a stalker. Navy SEAL Jack Broussard is assigned to protect the writer, who now may be a key link to finding a missing scientist, and poses as her neighbor. When an attempt is made on Taylor's life, Jack had better watch out for his heart.
Updated 1.25.03 - When a Texan Gambles
Author: Thomas, Jodi
Publisher: Jove $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 0515136298Booklist
Raffled off in a wife lottery, Sarah Andrews discovers her groom has a knife in his back. She agrees to help him, but never in her wildest dreams does she imagine that this dangerously attractive Texan would steal her heart.
Updated 10.23.03 - A Summer Affair
Author: Wiggs, Susan
Publisher: Mira $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 155166710xPWBooklist
Isabel Fish-Wooten arrives at Blue Calhoun's surgery with a gunshot wound suffered in a shootout. He treats her wounds and thinks that he's seen the last of the troublesome woman until he finds her unconscious in his barn. Will he save her from the police and herself?
Updated 8.13.03 - Escape to Love
Author: Wootson, Alice
Publisher: BET $ 6.99 (paper) ISBN: 1583143734Booklist
After witnessing the murder of her boss two years ago, Angela Baring entered the witness protection program, and Detective Trent Stewart housed Angela in his Maryland cabin. Now, Trent puts his love--and life--on the line to protect and cherish Angela for all time.
Suggested Reading: African American Fiction Stars
Updated 6.25.03
Hotlists
African American Fiction | Christian Fiction
2008 Excel Files: (download - print, sort, etc.)
Crime Fiction | Fiction | African American Fiction | Christian Fiction | Nonfiction Notables
Stars
Fiction: Jan-June | July-Dec Crime Fiction: Jan-June | July-Dec
Speculative Fiction Romance Historical Nonfiction | YA
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