Must-read romances: 'I Loved a Rogue,' 'Bliss and the Art of Forever'

I Loved a Rogue by Katharine Ashe

What it's about (courtesy of Avon):

She can pour tea, manage a household, and sew a modest gown. In short, Eleanor Caulfield is the perfect vicar's daughter. Yet there was a time when she'd risked everything for a black-eyed gypsy who left her brokenhearted. Now he stands before her—dark, virile, and ready to escort her on a journey to find the truth about her heritage.

Leaving eleven years ago should have given Taliesin freedom. Instead he's returned to Eleanor, determined to have her all to himself, tempting her with kisses and promising her a passion she's so long denied herself. But if he was infatuated before, he's utterly unprepared for what will happen when Eleanor decides to abandon convention—and truly live ...

Why you should read it: Katherine Ashe's historical romances are rich and inventive, unexpected and smart, and she doesn't pull any emotional punches. She writes with a wry, provocative, angst-y energy that compels you to keep turning pages, even when it means the thrill of a blissful read will be far too soon behind you.

Oh, yeah. This author rocks historical romance.

Her characters are a complex, endearing delight. Ashe's hero Taliesin is as unique as his name. Certainly, he's tall, dark, handsome and brooding, but he's also insecure, kind, fierce and restive. Eleanor is even more impetuous and self-doubting than Taliesin, but these two do carry equal amounts of stubborn, which makes for a continuous push and pull that creates a stimulating buildup of tension — especially the sexual kind.

The tail of his shirt dipped in the water. He lifted it out and squeezed it, and silvery sparkles leaped on the pond's surface. "Are you coming in or not?"

"I already said I'm not. I don't wish to."

He looked up at her. "You sure about that?"

Beneath her shift, moisture trickled between her shoulder blades and down the gully of her breasts. The boy in the pond who had become a man over the summer looked cool as autumn rain.

Then in one fluid movement he pulled his shirt up his waist and over his head, and tossed it onto the reeds by the bank. He shook out his hair, and a slow, goading grin lifted the side of his mouth.

"Come on, pirani. Now it's your turn."

She couldn't breathe and the oppressive heat was not the cause. She had never seen such a thing and knew she should not be seeing it now. But she could not tear her eyes away. Lean and muscled from shoulder to belly, he stood before her without shame. He swept up a handful of water and splashed it across his chest and she stared like a pauper at a shiny guinea. As she watched his palm slide down his tawny skin, her knees went wobbly.

Taliesin and Eleanor challenge each other, rescue each other, yearn for each other and leave each other. The departures grow increasingly difficult, not only for them, but for the reader. Misunderstandings abound, and though a few could be resolved with an honest, if anguished, conversation, the majority of the misconceptions are true to character and circumstance. They also contribute to a heightened suspense, and a complex quest plot layered with romance, of course, but also with tragedy, brutality, betrayal, family secrets, class prejudices and a bromance that has me hoping a certain master swordsman named Saint will soon feature in his own happy ever after.

I Loved a Rogue is the third installment in Ashe's Prince Catchers series — the overall premise is that according to a Gypsy fortune, the three Caulfield sisters must fulfill a prophecy in order to uncover their true birthright, and that prophecy involves a prince. How it all unfolds in this ending to the series yields a surprising and engrossing adventure. But what really stands out in this story is the enduring devotion between Taliesin and Eleanor, and the simple, fragile realization that defeats all obstacles in the end.

Bliss and the Art of Forever by Alison Kent

What it's about (courtesy of Montlake):

Two years after her husband's death, kindergarten teacher Brooklyn Harvey is leaving Hope Springs for her in-laws' vineyard in Italy—with no plans of coming back. That is, until she meets a disarmingly sexy biker-turned-chocolatier. He might be the man of her dreams, but he's also the father of one of her students; as such, he's strictly off-limits.

Callum Drake knows a good thing when he sees one, and he doesn't want to let Brooklyn get away, even if his rival for her affection is the ghost of her dead husband. He'll do whatever it takes to win her over, including making chocolates concocted just for her—chocolates that evoke memories of their time together. But can he create a second love bright enough to pull her, and her heart, out of living in the past?

Why you should read it: It didn't take long for Alison Kent's Callum Drake to become one of my favorite romance heroes ever. Not only is the man a chocolatier (seriously, how handy would it be to have a boyfriend with 24-hours-a-day access to the sweet stuff?!), but he's also a bonafide bad boy, with a truly shady past and tattoos that map the struggles he's met head-on for the sake of the daughter he nearly rejected. He has reformed in a big way, and now owns a successful artisan chocolate shop. He's creative, self-deprecating, sincere, generous, fiercely in love with his little girl and blindsided by the instant enchantment he feels for her kindergarten teacher.

Callum blew out a loud puff of breath, not sure he was ready for this. Not sure what this was. Not sure he shouldn't just treat Brooklyn Harvey like he would any customer and stop trying to make something out of this attraction that left him bulldozed.

And ... that wasn't going to happen. He looked from the hallway door to the floor, then with his hands at his hips, looked at her. He did so just in time to watch her tuck her hair behind her ear and tilt her head, frowning as she bent to look more closely into the case.

"Hey," he said because he was lame.

The only way Kent could improve on her hero is by pairing him with a deserving heroine, and widow Brooklyn Harvey, with her affection for Callum's daughter, her loyal, loving nature and newfound fascination with tattoos, is exactly that.

"Valentine's Day isn't Valentine's Day without chocolate."

At the deep male voice, Brooklyn spun, reaching for her scissors, yet realizing instinctively she wouldn't need them. What criminal sort announced himself before committing his crime? Also, after today's story hour, she knew that voice well. She imagined she'd be a long time forgetting it.

She turned from her desk, forgoing the weapon. Callum Drake stood in her doorway, wispy twists of hair hanging loose from the knot on the back of his head to brush his cheeks. He had a forearm on either side of the frame, his feet in the hall as if he were a vampire awaiting an invitation. For a very long moment she wondered how safe it would be to offer him one. "Mr. Drake," she finally said. "You scared me." She brought her hand to the base of her throat, less frightened than ... other things. Things that had no business in this classroom.

It's both symbolic and the source of all kinds of conflict, the fact that Callum and Brooklyn are each "moving on." Callum is switching up his rented loft for a house so his daughter can have a yard, while Brooklyn is closing up shop, so to speak, in preparation for a new life abroad with her husband's family. Brooklyn's intentions are honorable — she needs to say goodbye to her husband, and she does deserve an adventure. Then again, what is Callum, but one big, sexy, high-stakes adventure? I found myself rooting for Brooklyn to leave as fervently as I rooted for her to stay, and I had no clue which she would decide to do.

Of course I did know that Brooklyn and Callum would end up together, but they take their sweet time, which is as authentic as it is gratifying. Brooklyn protests her feelings a tad too long but in the end, Callum helps her move on from the past. In return, she inspires him to come out from behind his candy counter.

Watching Callum craft his confections is riveting, and touching, too — his creations for Brooklyn showcase his vulnerability as well as his artistry. I adored this aspect of the story, that Callum uses his gift to pay tribute to meaningful moments he shares with Brooklyn. Between the descriptions of the ingredients he uses for his artisan chocolates and the recipes scattered throughout the book — including Oreo cake, orange-spiced white hot chocolate, banana bread spice cake, Italian cream cake — your sweet tooth will be begging for mercy.

Sensuality, strength and well-earned second chances rule in this alluring fourth book in Kent's Hope Springs series. Bliss and the Art of Forever delivers every last bit of rapture promised by its cover, and every bit of the exceptional story its author is known for writing.

Her Brooding Italian Boss by Susan Meier

What it's about (courtesy of Harlequin):

Pregnant and broke, Laura Beth's only option is to take a job with brooding yet brilliant artist Antonio Bartulocci. He may be darkly handsome, but the fiery Italian proves to be a difficult boss!

Since his wife's betrayal, Antonio has been unable to pick up a brush. But captivated by Laura Beth's guileless beauty, he wonders if she could be the woman to unlock the talent he thought he'd lost forever… It's a miracle which reminds him of all that's now good in this life: Laura Beth!

Why you should read it: Because reading a Harlequin Romance is the ultimate escape plan. And reading a Harlequin Romance by Susan Meier? That ultimate escape is guaranteed to involve a heartwarming, heart-pounding story crafted with loving care, serious skill and a charming ingenuity. It has been a while since I've had the chance to read a book from this particular series, and I couldn't wait to lose myself in the glamorous, luxurious, angst-filled sphere of this classic line. And, boy howdy, did I regret turning that last page and finding myself back in the real world.

Meier creates instant compassion for her characters. Not only has poor Laura Beth lost her best friends and roommates to a pair of happy ever afters, she's lost her apartment, too. To make matters much, much worse, she needs a job, and she's pregnant, by a man who couldn't turn his back on her fast enough. Hard to top that batch of misfortunes, right? Meier manages it with her hero, Antonio, who's grieving his wife's betrayal more than her death, and that saddles him with more guilt than one man should have to handle. He's also struggling to regain his desire to put brush to canvas. His painting meant everything to him, and he's lost without it.

He almost followed her to the door, but hesitated. He'd been thinking about painting her. Imagining it. Mentally feeling the sway of his brush along the canvas. The ease of movement of his arm and hand as they applied color and life to a blank space.

But his hand had shaken when he'd reached for a brush. His heart had pounded. His fingers refused to wrap around the thin handle.

"Come on, mister," she said. "I don't have all day."

He laughed. Dear God, how he wished he could get that on a canvas. Sensuality, sass and sense of humor. A few years ago, capturing that wouldn't even have been a challenge.

This absorbing friends-to-lovers story is all about control vs. passion. Laura Beth has long suppressed her attraction to Antonio, Antonio's dead wife once used desire to control him, Antonio's father practices a little harmless manipulation in the name of love, and though Laura Beth revives Antonio's passion for painting, he's convinced he's not good enough for her and does his darnedest to keep his feelings in check. It's refreshing to see Laura Beth get fired up and take charge — and what I find refreshing, Antonio finds irresistible.

The ending is the stuff of fantasies, though I would have loved a peek at Antonio's resurrected career. With Italy as a vibrant backdrop, mouthwatering glimpses of a moneyed lifestyle, a sweet sensuality and a feel-good plot, Her Brooding Italian Boss is one seductive story.

Kathy Altman's latest contemporary romance novel is Staying at Joe's. Kathy prefers her chocolate with nuts, her Friday afternoons with wine and her love stories with happy ever afters. Her website is KathyAltman.com.