Reply #67: Well I already recommended

[GreenPartyVoter]

The Daisy Gumm Majesty series further up the thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3358460&mesg_id=3360785&page=

Sounds like you enjoy period stories, so Daisy, being set in the 20s, might work.

I'll let you know when my website is back up and running so that you can scan through for more mystery series to investigate.

Let me see, what else...You might try Thornyhold too. it's set in Britain in the.. 50s, I think. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3358460&mesg_id=3360814&page=

My mother was big into the mysteries. She read Cadfael and the Didyus Falcos and the various Elizabeth Peters ones among others.

She also read the Steph Plum ones, but they are set in present day: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3358460&mesg_id=3358724&page=

There are some fun vampire books out there. The Southern Vampires by Charlaine Harris. I don't have a review of those, though.

As I said elswhere in the thread I am not wild about a lot of fantasy and sci-fi romance. I prefer those other genres undiluted. (Hands-down sexiext book I ever read was MAIA by Richard Adams)

So in those genres I love Rober Asprin, Piers Anthony, Douglas Adams, Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Aasimov, James Blish, C. Arthur Clarke, David Eddings, Poul Anderson, Terry Pratchett, David Brooks, Elizabeth Scarborough, Anne McCaffrey etc etc

There was one futuristic romance I did read that was pretty good, but more for the romance than the other world setting (I like hard science in my sci-fi, even though I don't understand a word of it.)

~The Star Princess~
by Susan Grant

Heroine: curvaceous

Pampered playboy Prince Ché Vedla of the planet Eiryea is caught in the middle of conflicting royal intrigues. His family is in danger of losing face in the Federation because his betrothed has thrown him over for another man, whom Ché's brother Klark is under house arrest for trying to murder. Ché's advisors decide the best way around the situation would be for him to marry before his former fiancée does. But Ché, though willing to do what duty and honor requires of him, doesn't want to stick around through the process of finding himself the correct bride. So he hightails it to Earth--and meets with none other than the sister of the man who stole his fiancée!

To the world at large, independent filmmaker Ilana Hamilton looks like a strong woman. But deep down she is afraid. Afraid of flying. Afraid of commitment. Afraid of having her heart broken. But one thing she is not afraid of is Prince Ché Vedla. He's simply the arrogant, annoying, uninvited houseguest (and soon-to-be-brother-in-law) who turned up on her doorstep unannounced in the dead of night. Clearly, it's not her fault she doused a Prince of the galaxy with pepper spray!

But sparks are soon flying between the two and before long it looks like things will be getting spicier than the contents of the canister Ilana erroneously emptied on Ché.

If only he wasn't bound by eleven thousand years of tradition to marry a Vash Nadah woman who is his equal!

What worked for me:

Ilana and the ultra-Alpha male Ché were great characters and the culture clash that resulted from their interactions was very amusing at times.

I loved the fact that the Conan-type bodyguard in the story (named Muffin of all things!) really dug thick chicks.

And hopefully Ms. Grant's vision of the future comes true in at least one respect: all the cars on the CA freeways in her story are electric.

Size-wise Ilana was barely described and would have been considered an "everywoman" character but for the briefest of references to her strong, shapely figure.

What didn't work for me:

Dropping into the middle of this series wasn't a problem for me as I felt I got a fairly good background on what was happening in this universe. But those who have already read "The Star Prince" and "The Star King" may possibly find themselves scanning past the background passages so they can find out what's new in the Star world.

Overall:

I'd recommend this sexy, enjoyable story to fans of futuristic romances, but it's not for sci-fi addicts looking for a book with hard science between its pages.

Warning: The Prince has a brief steamy dalliance with one of his courtesans in the beginning of the story, and there are some other spicy passages later on in the book as well.

If you liked "The Star Princess" you might also enjoy "Ascendant Sun", "StarKissed", "Star-Crossed Lovers", "Oracle", the "Darkover" series, "Channeling Cleopatra", "Cosm", "HomeGoing", "A Civil Campaign", "Memory", "Mirror Dance", "Cleopatra 7.2", "The Petaybee Trilogy", the "Mike Callahan" series, or "Time Pressure".