Judith Merkle Riley

I have been reading Ms. Riley’s books and enjoying times long gone. Aside from “In Pursuit of the Green Lion: A Margaret of Ashbury Novel” the second book of Margaret of Ashbury Trilogy, I finished three more of Ms. Riley’s books all historical novels with a little romance for the flavor.
In “In Pursuit of the Green Lion”, Margaret tells us how she married Gilbert (aka brother Gregory) and how she came to love him.
“The Serpent Garden” is about a widowed young woman in England of Henry VIII. Susanna has learned painting from her father a master of Flemish style but she never thought she has to earn her living by painting. After the death of her unfaithful husband, she takes up painting portraits and ends up in the house of King Henry’s mighty advisor. She travels on assignments and witnesses important historical events all the while trying not to fall in love with Robert Ashton. I liked this book almost as well as Margaret series.
“The Master of all Desires” is happening in France when Catherine de Medici is trying to size power right before the death of King Henri II. Dr. Nostradamus is one of the characters in this book.
“The Oracle Glass” is about a deformed girl in France who can see visions in water at Louise XIV court. The story is about fortune-tellers, prisoners, and witches of Paris in that time.
All in all, very entertaining! Ms. Riley’s style of story telling is fascinating and her historical facts accurate. Her characters are well developed and each has her own distinguished voice. Her books are of the best historical novels I ever read. I enjoyed these enormously.
What else? Nothing as great as Riley’s books, I assure you! Well, “Devil may Cry” (A Dark-Hunter Novel, Book 11) by Sherrilyn Kenyon was disappointing. I have read four or five books of Dark-Hunter series and didn’t like them that much. Dark-hunters are like mafia thugs and Atlantian and Greek gods are more like mafia bosses. Those GODS! Artemis is a crazy pretentious bitch and Acheron is a masochistic lost soul! The whole series is so over-rated in my humble opinion! Not worth the time!
“Agnes and the Hitman” by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer was really long and (at the end) boring. Characters were too simple and one dimensional to be real or attractive.
And yes, I finally was able to finish “Fanged and Fabulous” (Immortality Bites, Book 2) by Michelle Rowen. I think the first book “Bitten and Smitten” was much better. Sarra came out kind of whiny in this one!
Maybe I made a mistake starting my holiday readings with Riley’s books, everything else paled comparing to her work!