RT Reviewer Maria Planansky is such a fan of Christina Courtenay's historical romance Highland Storms,  that she wants to share exactly what makes this tale a standout read. 

I hate starting in the middle of a series. In fact, I almost never do it — so when I found out Highland Storms was a sequel to Christina Courtenay’s acclaimed novel Trade Winds (confession: I hadn’t read it before taking on Highland Storms), I was floored.

My reaction comes from Highland Storm’s strength. This killer Scottish romance is seeped in fascinating history, with plenty of chemistry and action to go around. Brice Kinross and Marsaili Buchanan are a devoted couple with passion that simmers into a slow, satisfying boil.

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Looking to add a few books to your TBR pile? In our column "If You Like ... You'll Love" RT staffers and reviewers will pick one new read and then suggest three other books that hold the same appeal. Today we look at this newest historical romance from Lorraine Heath.

Romance author Lorraine Heath has been crafting stories that sweep readers off their feet since the early 1990s. Since then she has written more than thirty romances set during the contemporary and historical time periods. However, the author is undoubtly best known for her historical tales of love and laughter. With an impressive nineteen RT Top Picks, 10 RT Reviewers' Choice award nominations (and two wins) under her belt, it's no surprise that she has been nominated for seven RT Career Achievement awards and won the award for the Americana Historical Romance category in 1996. It's a rare romance reader who doesn't have at least one Heath novel on their "keeper" shelf.

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This week Morgan and Whitney are Dishing about contemporary romance novel Secrets of the Lost Summer, which earned Carla Neggers a Top Pick! review. The story is about Olivia Frost a graphic designer who has come to a crossroads in her life. Tired of the big city life in Boston, she returns to her hometown of Knights Bridge where she hopes to open a Bed and Breakfast. But when a short note to an absentee home owner brings ex-hockey star Dylan McCaffrey to Olivia’s doorstep, she is not sure if she can juggle her growing feelings for him as well as the stresses of starting her life over.

Morgan: As soon as I found out this book was set near Boston, I got excited because while I haven’t visited the area a lot, I know that this is near where you grew up.

Whitney: I was raised not too far from Boston and have to say, this novel certainly captured the essence of the city and Massachusetts’ rural areas, too.

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Author Jennifer Haymore has only been on the scene for a few short years, since the publication of 2009's A Hint of Wicked, but she's already made a name for herself as one of the new faces of historical romance. RT's Morgan spoke with the author about how Haymore's loving spouse helps her write (by always trying to fit swordplay into her stories), why she loves to tell tales that involve sacrifice and what makes her latest novel the most "different" romance she has ever written. It's not just the heroine that makes Secrets of an Accidental Duchess stand out; this story is culled from Haymore's own personal experiences. Today, get all the details about this unusual historical romance and find out exactly why this novel is on our must-read list. 

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Spoiled shares a look at the books you can't wait to read, long before they hit stores. Today author Susan Mallery gives RT readers a peek inside her new Blackberry Island series before the series begins in April. Find out why her upcoming novel Barefoot Season was a story she simply had to tell — and what part of the book was inspired by a fan's photo!

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Barefoot Season is what I like to call a “romance-plus.” There are two love stories in the book — with terrific men I think readers will adore — plus a focus on the complicated friendship between the two heroines. I will always love writing romance. My mainstream books give me the added pleasure of exploring some of the other relationships that mean so much to women. We are complex creatures; romantic love is just one of the emotions that make up the tapestry of our lives.

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