Friday, December 30, 2022

Books I Read in 2022

I read only 12 novels in 2022, which is a disappointingly low number compared to previous years.  As in 2019, 2020 and 2021, most of the books that I read this year were romance novels. (Click those links to read my reviews of the books I read in those previous years.)

The books I read in 2022 are listed below in the order in which they were first published, from oldest to newest. I have also included my Goodreads reviews and ratings for each novel, as well as the days that it took me to read them. (Some of my Goodreads reviews may have been revised and expanded for this blog.) I only read print books (no e-books), generally mass-market paperbacks. The covers shown are scans I made of my own copies of the editions that I read. (Right-click the images and open them in a new tab or window to view them at super-size.)

A note about the ratings: Goodreads uses a 5-star rating system, with 5 stars being for the best books, 1 star being for the worst. Goodreads doesn't allow half stars, but I have used them here for this blog.  Here is what I intend each star to indicate:


5 stars = I absolutely loved it, highly recommended
4 stars = very enjoyable, better than average
3 stars = generally enjoyable
2 stars = didn't enjoy it much, had many problems with it
1 star = I hated it (Thankfully I've not yet given a book only one star.)  


BOOKS I READ IN 2022:

MY ONLY LOVE by Daisy Thomson
 (1969)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadApril 6-16, 2022
Review: 
According to information online, Daisy Thomson (also sometimes bylined in the UK as D H Thomson) was born in 1918, and wrote romance novels from 1963 to 1985.  Her work appears to be mostly forgotten now; in fact I had to create the Goodreads entry for this book in order to write my review.  In Britain, many of her novels first appeared in hardcover from publisher Robert Hale and subsequently appeared in Fleetway's Woman's Weekly Library digest magazine.  In the 1970s, these novels were reprinted in the US by Pyramid (and later Jove) with a uniform cover design and usually with numbers on the front, evidently an attempt at replicating the success of Barbara Cartland (who Pyramid also published in this manner).  A blurb on the covers read "Exciting Romance In The Great Tradition of Barbara Cartland," but judging from My Only Love (the first Thomson novel that I have read so far) her work was nothing like Cartland.  A more accurate comparison, I think, would be a combination of the European settings and travelogue flavor of the Harlequin Romance line and the mystery plot of an Arlene Hale book.  Or, put more simply, a worldly Arlene Hale.
     My Only Love was originally published in 1969, but the Pyramid paperback edition came out in January 1974, and was the 2nd book in their Daisy Thomson line.  (According to her bibliography, it was actually her 10th novel.)  The cover art is a wonderfully realistic illustration, looking more modern than the Harlequin Romance covers of the period (although they would catch up around 1977).  I especially like the light that shines atop the heads of the two figures, giving them a more rounded, three-dimensional look.  The name of the artist is unknown to me, but presumably it is the same artist who did all of Pyramid's other Daisy Thomson books, since they have a similar style (and resemble some of Pyramid's Barbara Cartland covers, too).  (Update: I soon learned, shortly after writing this review, that the artist was named Len Goldberg.  On April 28, 2022, I uploaded a video to my YouTube channel about Thomson's books and Goldberg's covers.)
     The plot of the novel is that a young woman named Phyllida is traveling through Europe and arrives at a hotel in Austria where she happens to meet a young man named Sebastian that she had a "schoolgirl's infatuation for" years before.  Sebastian is now a popular folk singer who makes his living traveling around the world giving small concerts at places like the hotel where she is staying.  Phyllida also meets Sebastian's friends, Marisa and Henry who are there for a writers conference, along with married mystery writers Bella and James.  Phyllida helps a policeman who had been physically assaulted in the hotel parking lot (next to Sebastian's car), sending him to the hospital for the duration of the book.  The mystery gradually shifts from who attacked the officer, to who is trying to kill Phyllida, and why.  The answer, it turns out, involves someone she saw in the opening pages of the book (before she arrived at the hotel) and who she has met again without realizing it.       
     My Only Love is a thin novel, only 224 pages (and in "Easy Read Large Type," as it says on the cover), but it took me around ten days to finish reading -- although I enjoyed my stay in its pages.  The pace picks up at the end as the danger against Phyllida becomes more frequent and the mystery about who is responsible moves to the forefront.  There is an interesting twist near the end where our presumed hero Sebastian is suspected as the villain -- and many of the clues point in that direction.  Since this was a romance novel written before the "rules" of romantic fiction were necessarily adhered to, I wasn't sure myself if Sebastian would be the villain after all.  Thankfully the romantic embrace between hero and heroine that the front cover promises is fulfilled by novel's end.   
     There is a bit of a "meta" moment when Marisa describes her frustration at the pretentiousness of her fellow authors at the conference.  "I am afraid I am a low brow at heart," she tells Phyllida.  When Phyllida assures Marisa that her books are "first class," Marisa replies, "First class stories, I hope, but today a good story is not regarded as literature, and most of my colleagues here are literary types! They make me feel small!" (page 168).  On page 196, Marisa mentions that she is scheduled to make "a little speech" at the conference that afternoon, "along with my French and Spanish sister romance writers" (page 196).  I couldn't help but wonder if there was an autobiographical element in Marisa's comments, reflecting Thomson's own view of her writing and its place in the literary world.  
     Phyllida is described as "a travel correspondent for one of Britain's national papers" (page 18), but more often is shown demonstrating a talent for doodling cartoons and caricatures of the people she meets, capturing their essence in broad strokes. The novel's prose contains brief descriptions of plants and clothing involving words that aren't in my own everyday vocabulary, which raises the level of writing beyond the basics despite its overall simplicity.  There is the occasional vividly-worded passage; in one scene, for example, Marisa is described as "poised and sophisticated-looking in a dress of silver lamé which was so figure revealing that she looked as if she had bathed in a moonlight pool which had left a veneer of silver over her shapely body."  
     The story is written in first person from Phyllida's perspective, like Gothic novels of the time, which does signal to the reader that she will ultimately survive these attempts on her life (since how else could she be writing about them?).  And yet, while writing this review, a thought occurred to me that if one doesn't like happy endings, or finds the resolution of this novel too fanciful and unrealistic, that such a reader could imagine that Phyllida did not survive after all.  Near the end of the novel she does become sick and bed-ridden, so perhaps from that point forward what we are reading is what her dreaming mind imagines to be happening to her.  At another point later on she is knocked out and her body driven to a remote location where it can be dumped and not found; she awakens and jumps from the car to make her escape, but perhaps instead (for the more morbidly-minded reader) this escape happened only in her imagination.  The story gives no suggestion that the book ought to be read that way, but I suppose it's a consideration for anyone who finds the actual ending too convenient to be taken seriously.
     All in all, I liked this book.  It's not "great," but it's fun and I liked the characters and the setting.  I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

  
HELLO, MY LOVE by Daisy Thomson
 (1972)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadApril 21-29, 2022
Review: The title of this novel is also the last line of the novel, spoken by the heroine to the hero, although it doesn't give any indication of what the novel is about, other than having "love" as an aspect of the plot.  This is the second Daisy Thomson novel that I've read, and it's very similar to the first novel of hers that I read (My Only Love).  As with that one, I also had to create the entry on Goodreads for the book since none existed already.  Both novels have the heroine's life continually in danger, finally being abducted by the villain (someone she knows) and making a desperate escape.  In both novels, one of the male protagonists is someone that the heroine grew up with and had a crush on.  And in both novels the heroine is staying in a hotel in another country, far from home, and working with the local police chief to try and solve a murder.  So, it seems that Daisy Thomson had a bit of a formula for her novels, given the strong similarity of these two books.  I look forward to reading more of her novels (I have 15 more) to see if the rest conform to this formula or not.  
     According to the book's copyright page, the novel was originally published in the UK by Robert Hale & Company in 1972.  Pyramid Books released the book in paperback in the US in February 1974; my copy is the 2nd Pyramid printing from December 1974.  It was book #3 in Pyramid's line of Daisy Thomson novels.  The cover artist was Len Goldberg.
     The setting of the story is Venice, where our heroine Melanie is vacationing when she runs into her old friend Ben Ferguson (the object of her girlhood crush) who is now working as a globe-trotting journalist.  Melanie finds herself the witness to the murder of the woman in the hotel room next to hers, and subsequently bringing her into contact with the attractive Dr. Peter Somerville.  There are two mysteries for the reader to solve here: who murdered the woman in the next room (and why), and which man (Ben or Peter) will turn out to be the romantic hero of the book?  
     Overall I found the book satisfying, although it did seem a bit absurd that Melanie was enjoying the sights and sounds of the city despite the attempts on her life, and often "forgot all about" the occasional stranger that she suspects is following her.  Given that Somerville is aware of the danger to Melanie, it's odd that he walked so fast that he lost her in the crowd during a scene late in the novel.  However I put this down to the author needing an excuse for Melanie to get separated from him in order to help the villain get closer to her, for dramatic reasons.  
     On page 206 there was a weird printing error where three lines of text are in the wrong order.  The fourth line from the top of the page should actually be the 20th line.  Also, line 21 should be line 4, and line 20 should be line 5!  Hopefully this information will help anyone reading the book trying to figure out what is happening, or if the book gets reprinted in a new edition.
     I enjoyed the book and rate it 3 (out of 5) stars.  It's a good, old-fashioned romantic suspense novel, with likable characters and pleasant locations.


SUPERNATURAL WARNINGS by Robert Tralins
 (1974)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadMay 3-21, 2022
Review: Although some internet sites (like Goodreads and Fantastic Fiction) list this book as Super-natural Warnings, because the title is hyphenated on the cover due to lack of space, the actual title as shown on the book's spine and title page is Supernatural Warnings.  It was published by Popular Library in 1974 and consists of short (2-to-5 page) accounts of strange "unexplained" happenings.  The book runs a total of 192 pages, but I took my time reading it, a few stories at a time.  Unlike many other books of this type, most of the incidents are contemporary, taking place in either the late 1960s or early 1970s.  Unfortunately most of the stories are fairly forgettable after they've been read, although I enjoyed them for the most part while I was reading them.  They reminded me in tone of the ghost comics published by Charlton around the same time, or like the "true" mystic experiences that readers contributed to Fate magazine, where the reader is supposed to be awed by how fate intervened in the lives of these ordinary people.  I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the stories were all made up by the author, since there is no bibliography in the book with news reports backing up anything that is said.  None of the stories are really all that scary either.  Nonetheless I enjoyed the book.  One drawback with my paperback copy is that the pages kept falling out; I had to put Elmer's glue on the interior spine twice during the course of my reading the book.  I put that down to poor production rather than any paranormal sign.
 

SERVING IN TIME by Gordon Eklund
 (1975)
Rating: 3.5 stars
ReadJuly 20-24, 2022
Review: This was book #6 in the heavily-promoted but ultimately doomed Laser Books line, Harlequin's attempt at replicating their success with romance novels in another genre, science fiction. It's too bad that Laser Books didn't work out because the idea of a line of SF novels aimed at the general public is a good one.  Unlike sci-fi movies, which the masses enjoy, prose SF after the 1950s (i.e., since the pulp magazines died out) may seem too intellectual and intimidating for most readers, apart from TV and movie tie-ins (like the Star Trek novels).  This has the effect of limiting the audience of prose SF to those who are already fans.  Anyway, this was the first Laser Book that I've ever bought, and knowing that they were not held in high regard, I wasn't expecting much.  To my surprise I found the novel made for addictive reading, given its heavy emphasis on plot (as opposed to characterization) reminiscent of an old pulp story.  The plot of this particular book deals with time travel and alternate history, and since I'll be talking about that in my review, know that there will be Spoilers ahead.
     The story begins on a "Homestead" world (basically a farming community) where a young dreamer named Jan Jeroux prefers to sit beneath a tree reading instead of doing his daily chores. Jan is soon abducted into service with the time corps, a secret organization of time travelers who voyage to particular years in Earth history, ostensibly to observe and research. Jan eventually learns that the time corps is trying to change history (and in this story, the focus is on American history) in order to prevent a future takeover of the planet by the Watcher and his followers. The time corps had succeeded in preventing the Watcher's takeover -- which is why Jan's Homestead future existed -- but the Watcher has sent spies into the time corps who are working to undo that work, to change history back.  In the real history that leads to the Watcher's takeover, George Washington becomes President and JFK is assassinated, but in the history that leads to the peaceful Homestead future, Washington must be hanged by the British and JFK escape assassination. So, we are rooting for Jan and his colleague Gail to change the history that we know in order to save themselves from a world dictatorship under the Watcher.
     As I say, I enjoyed the novel although it does have a pulpy feel. Jan goes from being a layabout in the beginning to being a take-charge action hero by the end. Gail starts out as a more hard-edged character, but by the novel's end she has become more of a typical stock female character needing Jan's action-man leadership.  And the novel has a weird ending where he gets the girl, apparently to have sex with her, although previously there had been no hint that they were romantically involved -- apart, perhaps, from Jan's irritation at her interest in one of their male colleagues (who turns out to be a traitor working for the Watcher). The novel is short, only 190 pages, but it packs a punch, and I wouldn't mind rereading it someday to see if there are any details I missed the first time around (since its revelations, such as the true nature of the time corps, are only gradually revealed). The book's brevity may be the reason that some aspects of the story seem unresolved or undeveloped, such as the fate of Jan's parents, or any follow-up info about his Uncle Phineas and older sister Cassie (who we meet at the beginning of the book).  Obviously the book spends way too much time on American history at the expense of the rest of the world, and is itself a product of its own time (post-Vietnam War).  A writer today would perhaps choose different points in history on which to focus attention.  But aside from these minor quibbles, I liked it overall and now have a more favorable opinion of the Laser Books line.  I'll have to get some more of them, in time.
     

WHEN SUMMER ENDS by Gail Everett
 (1977)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadMay 2-13, 2022
Review: This novel was originally published in 1968 by Avalon Books.  This paperback edition was part of Dell's Candlelight Romance line (book #223), appearing in September 1977.  Although the book is copyrighted to Gail Everett inside, this was a pen-name for Arlene Hale, who wrote regularly for Candlelight.  It's a thin book, running only 173 pages, but it took me a week to finish because I was taking my time with it.  Unlike most of the other Arlene Hale books I've read, this one didn't have a mystery element to the plot, unless one counts a secret that gets revealed near the end of the book (which I got the sense was coming based on some clues in the text earlier). 
The plot is about a young woman named Beth Brooks who has returned home from college for the summer to the family farm only to learn that she can't go back to the school because her parents can no long afford to send her.  As a result she stays in the small town Hillsdale where she grew up, working as a secretary to the local elderly doctor (Dr. Dexter) and temporarily having to abandon her dream of starting a dress shop with her childhood friend LeAnne.  Meeting her at the train station is another friend, the young mechanic Chuck who is her boyfriend although the two may be drifting apart, especially with the arrival of the new young doctor in town, Dr. Jason Weatherford.  The assumption is that Jason will replace Dr. Dexter as the town's doctor so that the latter can finally retire, but Jason feels that he has been unable to earn the townsfolk's trust given their preference for seeing the older doctor instead of him.  Jason considers leaving the town and going back to the city with his fiancee, who has no love for Hillsdale.  There are some dramatic moments at the end of the story, including a tornado hitting the town, and you can probably predict how things will end up.
     I'm writing this review around two or three days after I finished reading the book, and the thing that sticks out in my memory about it is its happy ending.  The story really picked up at the end, and it felt like watching the ending of a Hallmark TV movie where the whole town comes together and everyone is celebrating.  The two older characters (Dr. Dexter and his love interest/longtime friend, the eccentric Melinda Penrose who "wore atrociously ugly hats" and "carried an umbrella and used it as a cane") were particularly memorable and fun to read about, having more personality than the rest.  I enjoyed the book about as much as I expected to, since I consider Arlene Hale to be a writer of solid if unspectacular stories.


WINNERS #1: THE GIRL MOST LIKELY by Suzanne Rand
 (1985)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadJuly 26-August 5, 2022
Review: Winners was a 3-book mini-series of the Sweet Dreams line of teen romance novels published by Bantam in the 1980s.  This book was the first in the series, published in November 1985.  Each book is about a cheerleader at Midvale High School, with the first novel being about the captain of the cheerleading squad, Stacy Harcourt. (The next book, which I've already begun reading, is about Italian-American Gina Damone and the last is about Tess Belding, both of whom also feature in this book.)  Stacy, a senior in high school, has become bored with her boyfriend Rich and breaks up with him. When Stacy accompanies Tess to a local garage to pick up her car, she meets Nick Cooper, a student at their school who works there as a mechanic. Normally Stacy would never be involved with someone like Nick, who is enrolled in vocational courses unlike her own "college prep" classes.  But Stacy finds him "the most handsome boy she'd ever seen" and he gives her feelings that she never felt for her previous boyfriend Rich. The two begin dating, but because they have such different interests and run in different social circles, Stacy spends more time learning about his world rather than bringing him into hers.  As a result, she spends less time devoted to cheerleading and hanging out with her friends, which causes some distance between Stacy and Tess and threatens Stacy's re-election as captain in the next semester.  Eventually Stacy realizes that her involvement with Nick has a selfish aspect: she's mainly attracted to him because of his good looks, and his being so different from the other boys she knows adds some spice to her life, relieving that boredom she had felt.  It turns out, however, that Nick realizes he may be more compatible with someone that shares his passion about cars, especially since he has no interest in the cheerleading part of her life.
     I was a little worried at first about how this story was going to turn out, that it was going to send the message that girls shouldn't get involved with boys on "the wrong side of the tracks."  Or that a girl needs to choose between sticking with her friends or her boyfriend.  But the way that it is written, it all turns out for the best for each of the characters.  Stacy may not have a boyfriend at the end, but she knows that she doesn't need one in order to be happy.  And Nick is just as happy without her, too, with no hard feelings.  The best thing about the book were the scenes showing Nick's life, especially the one about his older sister Cora who was in the same grade as Stacy's sister Sarah.  Sarah is away at college now, but Cora had to give up her dream of going to nursing school and now has two small kids to raise.  Stacy admires Nick and Cora because of their lives in the gritty real world, unlike many of her college-bound classmates who seem to be engaged in a prolonged adolescence.  And yet she finally understands that she may be romanticizing their lives, and that they were denied some of the opportunities for success that she was given.  They are making a success of their own lives in their own way, but it's not her own way of living.  For example, Stacy would never contemplate marrying as young as Cora did, nor having children of her own, and whenever Nick wanted to be in a more physical relationship with her, she would reluctantly push him away.  Despite her excitement at being in his arms, she knew that realistically her future did not involve being his wife and the mother of his children. 
     The book was a bit slow-going, and I took my time reading it, but it picked up and got more interesting by the halfway point as we saw more of Nick's life and saw how Stacy's life changed due to their relationship.  The novel does a good job of depicting high school life and the confusion and emotional turmoil that is felt by teenagers as they try to figure out who they are and who they want to be.  I was a little surprised to realize that I was in 10th grade when this book was released in 1985, although I would never have picked it up or even noticed it back then.  I'm more open-minded about reading different genres now, so hopefully that is proof that I've changed for the better since those old high school days.  


13 GHOSTS: STRANGE BUT TRUE STORIES by Will Osborne
 (1988)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadApril 6-25, 2022
Review: This is a thin 86-page "true ghost stories" collection, published by Scholastic's Apple Paperbacks imprint in October 1988.  It's a quick read, consisting of 13 chapters, with each chapter about a different haunting, with most of the chapters running 7 pages or less.  Presumably the book's title was inspired by the 1960 William Castle movie 13 Ghosts, but has no connection to it.  Most of the stories take place in the 1800s or earlier, and they reminded me a bit of the TV series One Step Beyond in their credulity on the subject.  Each story is followed by a short paragraph by the author providing some background about the case.  I found myself regularly looking up the facts for myself on Google after reading a chapter to learn whether the story had been accurately told, and in most cases I found that the author of the book had emphasized the supernatural and downplayed information that would cast doubt on that interpretation.  One example is the chapter titled "The Minister's Haunted House" about Borley Rectory.  The author concludes the tale by saying "Later, a number of people criticized [paranormal investigator Harry] Price's work, but the mysteries of Borley Rectory remained unsolved."  I think a perusal of the Wikipedia entry for Borley Rectory will put one's mind at ease that there was anything truly supernatural going on there.  Anyway, despite this complaint (which I think is common with books of this type) I enjoyed reading it.  I read only one or two chapters per day, taking my time, reading it whenever I wanted to hear a spooky story at the end of the day (although not too late at night)!  


A WHALE OF A MARRIAGE by Diann Hunt
 (2004)

Rating: 3.5 stars
ReadJuly 7-14, 2022
Review: This was Heartsong Presents #603, a Christian inspirational historical romance novel published in 2004.  It's a thin book, the story ending on page 170.  The book's heroine is Adelaide Sanborn, a young woman working in a general store in 1856 when the story begins.  Adelaide longs to be a seafaring woman, having been inspired by tales of the sea by her late father, but her opportunity to fulfill this dream seems unlikely.  One day, however, Josiah Buchanan, captain of a whaling ship, arrives at the store and gives her that opportunity.  He needs a cook aboard his ship, and asks Adelaide to take the job, allowing her to go to sea at last.  The catch is that Josiah asks her to marry him, so that she will be safe under his protection on board the ship, but it will be a "marriage in name only."  Adelaide agrees to the proposal, but gradually she discovers that she has fallen in love with Josiah, and he feels the same way about her, but each one is unwilling to admit this new development, since it was not part of the original bargain.  Also on board the ship is Adam, the romantic interest of Adelaide's sister Esther, and Josiah becomes jealous of their conversations, not knowing about Esther.  There is a lot of talk about prayer in the book, too, as Adelaide and Josiah learn to trust that God has a plan for their lives together, despite the complications that are thrown into their path.
     This was a difficult book to give a rating that reflects how I felt reading it.  Although I've never read a Heartsong romance novel before, I enjoyed this one about as much or more than I would expect to enjoy any other Heartsong novel.  So, for a Heartsong, it would be a 5-star book for me.  However, in the grand scheme of things, I think it would rate as a 3.5 star book -- one that occasionally reaches 4 stars in certain places.  I certainly enjoyed reading the book, for the most part, and thought it was well-written.  One thing that I didn't like was how the lack of communication between Adelaide and Josiah for much of the novel led to so many misunderstandings.  At one point, when Josiah overhears Adam talking about Esther, he assumes that Adam is admitting his love for Adelaide (instead of Esther).  I was reminded of how the TV sitcom Three's Company used to have such scenes to create confusion amongst the characters, in order to further the plot.  If the characters had been more honest with each other, I would have been less frustrated by their actions -- although admittedly there would be less tension in the drama.  
     It was the setting which caused me to read this book, since I like stories that take place at sea, and there was a lot of detail about life on a whaling boat that made it come to life on the page.  I wonder if the author ever wrote a sequel about the romance between Adam and Esther?  I'd read it!


AFTER DARK WITH THE DUKE by Julie Anne Long
 (2021)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadFebruary 23 - June 15, 2022
Review: This book is part of The Palace of Rogues series, published by Avon in December 2021.  I picked it up on a whim after reading the first page or two in the store and liking how it read. Although I generally enjoyed the novel, and found the prose to be well-written, it took me a long time to finish (almost 4 months), perhaps because it lacked a page-turning narrative drive.
     The story takes place almost entirely within a boarding-house called The Grand Palace on the Thames.  Our heroine, the disgraced opera singer Mariana Wylde, arrives at the house on page 2 and doesn't leave its walls until page 354.  Another temporary resident of the building, the famed war hero James, the Duke of Valkirk, departs the house briefly for a dinner date on pages 229-232, and moves out for good on page 338.  But for most of the book he is in his room, working on his memoirs and correspondence without much enthusiasm or success.  This limited setting may seem a little restrictive and claustrophobic for a 372-page novel, making me wonder if the book would have been better suited for a novel with a shorter page count.  James is compelled to give Italian lessons to Mariana as punishment for having insulted her, and so this results in even more of a "forced proximity" situation (a common romance trope).  There is tension between the irreverent heroine and the respectable hero in these meetings, but eventually their true feelings for each other cannot be denied, as demonstrated in their clandestine nighttime lovemaking sessions in Valkirk's bedroom.  Eventually the duke must decide whether his honor and reputation will prevent him from spending his life with this controversial woman that he loves. 
     One aspect of the novel that is glossed over is the difference in their ages.  We are told on page 49 that James is 43 years old, and on page 294 we are told that Mariana is 25.  This is nearly a 20-year age difference, but the age gap is not an issue in the book, perhaps indicative that such age gaps were commonplace in real-life relationships at that time.  At various points throughout the novel, Mariana "writes" a letter to her mother in her imagination about what she is experiencing.  We often see the planned letters, but we are told that they are not really being written down, and after awhile this felt a bit like a gimmick to me.  It was predictable that the novel would end with an actual letter finally written and sent, which brings a sense of closure to the story (the completion of this long-running plot thread), but it has the unintended effect of making Mariana seem inconsiderate towards her poor mother by taking so long to mail her a simple letter to let her know that she's okay.
     What I liked best about the book is the quality of the prose. The author has a fine ability at presenting a lovely turn of phrase, and so the actual writing was enjoyable to read.  Unfortunately, I thought the author bogged down the story with a lot of internal thoughts, self-reflection, doubts, and so forth from the hero and heroine as they contemplated the situation in which they found themselves.  After awhile it felt like padding, despite the nice turns-of-phrases. I wanted the author to just get on with the story instead of telling me how the characters felt about everything that was happening.  I also occasionally wondered whether the author's details were accurate to the period.  For example, the London Times is mentioned a couple times, printing an item of gossip, which made me wonder if the Times (as the newspaper is normally titled, I believe) published gossip columns back then.  On page 291, Mariana "gazed up to find one of the largest [fabricated] stars dangling over her head. She wondered if it was the Star of Damocles, or the sort she ought to wish on."  I'm no astronomer, but I wonder if the author confused it with the expression about the "sword of Damocles" that dangles precariously over one's head. Or did the author compare a star overhead to the famous sword on purpose?  (If someone knows about a "star of Damocles" that one wishes upon, let me know.)
     Despite these criticisms, I enjoyed reading the book and I was fond of the characters, especially Mariana, Valkirk, and the boardinghouse's amusing maid Dot.  If the book had been shorter, a bit more to the point and less dragged out, I would have rated it higher.  


RISKING IT ALL FOR A SECOND CHANCE by Annie Claydon
 (2022)

Rating: 3.5 stars
ReadJune 23-July 6, 2022
Review: This book was Harlequin Medical Romance #1226 (Feb. 2022) and the second part of a story arc titled "Miracle Medics."  (The first part was How to Heal the Surgeon's Heart by Ann McIntosh, which I've not read.) This is the third novel by Annie Claydon that I've read, and I enjoyed it.  The first half of the book deals with a vintage car rally through villages in Wales and England sponsored by the GDK Foundation in order to raise awareness and get blood donations.  One of the vintage car drivers is our heroine, Dr. Emma Owen, who due to unforseen circumstances has to share her vehicle with an old flame, Dr. Josh Kennedy, the adopted son of David Kennedy who runs GDK.  So right away we have the "forced proximity" trope.  They share the ride with David Kennedy's dog Griff who helps to break the tension between them and provide some welcome comic relief and overall cuteness.  Along the way, when they encounter an accident on the road, they are able to use their medical knowledge to help the victims. 
     At first I wondered if the "medical" angle of this medical romance would be downplayed, given the "on the road" setting, but the car rally plotline is wrapped up by page 126, so the rest of the novel takes us back to London where Emma and Josh work together at his hospital.  (Unfortunately Griff goes back with David after the car rally, and therefore is absent from the rest of the book.)  Emma is working at the hospital only temporarily, intending to soon move back to her home in Liverpool, believing that a serious relationship with Josh is impractical -- despite the fact that they've resumed their romantic and sexual involvement with each other.  Josh has a fear of the pattern in his life of people abandoning him (as his biological father did) and Emma dislikes Josh's desire to control the things around him.  Eventually things work out (despite the obligatory third-act breakup, when she goes back to Liverpool) and there is a charming chapter near the end about their exchange of postcards in the mail which they use to help reassure each other of their continued interest.  
     A gay male couple is introduced in the liver-donation sub-plot (in the novel's second half) although the fact that they are gay is not actually mentioned, but implied.  I was reminded of the first Annie Claydon novel I'd read (Forbidden Night with the Duke, 2018) which also had a gay male couple in a similarly subtle manner.  This may be Claydon's way of expanding the types of characters depicted in Harlequin romance novels, and if so that is admirable.  While this novel is no literary masterpiece, it's enjoyable and entertaining.  Annie Claydon is a good writer and I enjoy reading her work.
 

SECRETS OF A WEDDING CRASHER by Katherine Garbera
 (2022)

Rating: 3.5 stars
ReadMay 15-30, 2022
Review: This book was Harlequin Desire #2874, published in May 2022. Garbera has written regularly for the Desire line since her first book in 1997. This current novel is the third and apparently final book in the author's "Destination Wedding" series. I've not read the other two books, or anything else by the writer, but I was able to follow what was going on, while being aware that there were references to characters in previous books being made (but more about that later). The heroine is the wedding crasher of the title: Melody Conner, a lobbyist gathering information for her employer who is trying to prevent Senator Dare Bisset from passing a health-care bill that they oppose.  Dare realizes that she has not been invited to the wedding, but takes a liking to her and soon the two fall in love (and, not long afterwards, into bed).  But when Dare later takes a meeting with the lobbying group, he is shocked to discover Melody among them.  Melody and Dare realize that they are drawn to each other, and yet their conflicting careers prevent them from openly pursuing their romance.  And there is always a sense of distrust between them, since they had first met due to Melody sneaking into the wedding and not telling Dare why she was really there.  There are a couple points during the novel where it seems like they may break up for good, including the obligatory third-act breakup (I call it the "HEA fakeout") that occurs a mere fifteen pages from the end of the book.  
     I'm rating this book 3.5 stars.  It would have been a 4 star book for me if not for two aspects that were occasionally annoying.  First, there was Dare's siblings, who I assume are characters from the other two books in the series.  If I had read the other two books, I think I would have enjoyed seeing them again, getting an update about their lives, etc.  But not having read them before, whenever they entered the story it felt like an intrusion by outsiders that were slowing down the momentum of Melody and Dare's story.  The emphasis on "happy families" can be a little nauseating, and everyone is supposed to be glad that they are all related to each other, such as this sentence on page 193: "It was clear that Nick wasn't feeling friendly toward Dare or Logan despite the fact that they all now knew they were related, and that Logan was actually Nick's twin."  In the epilogue, there's a hint that Melody's brother Ben is attracted to Nick's sister Olivia, causing Melody to think "they'd make a good couple."  As I was reading the book, I jotted down the words "soap opera" when I got to page 57 and read the following: "The other side of the coin was Juliette's revelation about Logan. That she'd swapped him in the hospital for her own stillborn child with none other than Cora Williams, who'd given birth to twins."  (Cora was the woman who had an affair with Juliette's husband, i.e. Dare's father.  If I'm following all of this correctly.  There were a lot of names, whenever Dare's family entered the story.)  I really didn't care about the drama involving the Bisset and Williams families.  Luckily it was only a small part of the novel, though -- but whenever it popped up, the main storyline about Dare and Melody's romance took a backseat.  The author made me like and care about Dare and Melody, but I didn't want to read about their relatives in this novel.
     The second thing that kept this from getting a full 4 stars from me is that there was a bit of Dare and Melody second-guessing themselves a lot, questioning their motives, asking themselves questions about how they felt, etc.  It wasn't excessive, but it was there (and, to be fair, is characteristic of the genre).  But I prefer to find out how the characters feel by seeing how they act, and not have to listen to them doubting themselves all the time.  Dare and Melody both seemed to be people who boldly go forth to achieve the things they want to get done, so the worrying thoughts they had seemed at odds with that personality trait. It was surprising to me when Dare was so quick to believe the tabloid headline about Melody near the end of the book, and his impulsive action made him look like a jerk since we had been led to believe by that point (from all his thoughts that we were privy to) he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her.  Melody's boss Johnny also had a very direct personality that I found appealing, a straight-shooter who was fair-minded despite having his own opinions.
     Although Washington, D.C. is the setting for the book, and politics its backdrop, there is nothing political about the book.  I don't think I saw the words "Republican" or "Democrat" in the text, and we weren't told which party Dare belongs to -- which seems a bit unrealistic considering how party membership often determines a politican's positions, especially these days.  One might assume that Dare is a Democrat, trying to get a health-care bill passed, since that issue has largely been a Democratic concern for many decades.  One might assume that Melody is working for an "evil" corporation putting their own profit over the health of people, but the story presents the lobby's concerns in a sympathetic manner, trying to help deserving people that Dare's bill would unintentionally hurt.  So no reader will be offended by the story despite their own political leanings.  I think the author succeeded in walking that line of not offending readers who follow politics closely and not turning off readers who dislike any perceived political bias in the entertainment they consume.  
     All in all, I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, and will keep an eye out for other novels by the author. 


DESTITUTE UNTIL THE ITALIAN'S DIAMOND
 by Julia James (2022)

Rating: 3 stars
ReadSeptember 4-December 29, 2022
Review: This book was Harlequin Presents #4030, published in August 2022.   I bought the book on a whim, probably because the face of the woman on the cover vaguely reminded me of Lady Gaga (of whom I'm a fan).  This thin 218-page novel took me four months to read because I was busy doing other things at the time. In fact, I probably would not have finished it in 2022 without the incentive of wanting to get it done before it ended up in my "Books I Read in 2023" list instead.  With that said, one might assume that I found this to be a dull book that I avoided reading, but in fact I enjoyed it and thought it was well-written overall.  It's just that, as I say, I had other things to do, and also because the nature of the romance genre itself made some of the characters' thoughts and actions seem needlessly prolonged and unnecessary.  (But more on that later.)
     Our heroine is an English fashion model named Lana whose parents recently died in a car crash.  In her grief she had gotten involved with an up-and-coming blond actor named Malcolm who ended up using her for her money and leaving her in debt.  Our hero is the wealthy Italian Salvatore Luchesi, whose parents died in a plane crash.  Salvatore has a business partner named Roberto whose daughter Giavanna is eager to be married to the unwilling Salvatore.  When he meets Lana at a party in London, Salvatore hatches a plan that will solve both of their problems: if Lana agrees to marry Salvatore for one year, he will pay the financial debt that Malcolm saddled her with.  Lana will play the part of his wife, which will get Salvatore off the hook of having to marry Giavanna and allow him to eventually disentangle his business affairs from Roberto.  Lana agrees to this marriage of convenience (a familiar romance trope) and she moves to his home in Italy, appearing to all the world as his devoted wife.  Gradually both Lana and Salvatore realize that they are falling in love with each other, but Lana resists his physical advances since that would make her feel like a prostitute (though the word itself is not said), i.e., being paid for her sexual services.  Salvatore is eager to make love to her, but the complication on his end is that he does not wish to be permanently married to any woman, due to the negative example of his parents' marriage.  (His father had affairs, but his mother stayed married to him anyway.)  For their honeymoon, Salvatore takes Lana to a remote log cabin where they spend their days together, just the two of them enjoying nature.  This forced proximity (another familiar trope) eventually causes Lana to succumb to her body's desire for Salvatore.  Their sex scene is on pages 156 to 159, with another on page 172, i.e., a total of only five pages; I had expected a Harlequin Presents to have a bit more, but perhaps it depends on the author. 
     The book allows both hero and heroine's feelings and thoughts to be represented on the page, back and forth in separate sections, although both sex scenes are limited to the heroine's perspective.  There also seems to be more of her thoughts shown overall than his, which has the unfortunate effect of making Lana seem somewhat timid, internally whining about her feelings rather than expressing them honestly.  An integral facet of the romance genre is that we know how it will all turn out in the end, with the two main characters getting together and their problems resolved, and the fun can be in seeing how the author is able to bring this promised resolution about -- hopefully in a credible and satisfying way.  Unfortunately we readers in the meantime must sometimes endure the characters worrying about things that we know aren't going to happen anyway, given the fait accompli of the genre's HEA.  Sometimes it can feel like a waste of a reader's time to hear them continually fretting about their contrived situation; it's done to create drama, but it can become tiresome after awhile.  A few times I wanted to wring their necks for not being more honest with each other, although the blame for this frustration lies entirely with the author for writing the story that way.  
     Another common trope is the third-act breakup of the couple and, sure enough, we get that when Lana discovers she is pregnant on page 180.  Instead of confiding in Salvatore like a rational person, she abruptly leaves him and returns back to her home in England, filing for divorce.  (It's explained that she did this to spare him having to be trapped in a loveless marriage like his father was.  Or rather, she explains this to the reader, but not to Salvatore, who is left feeling rejected and abandoned with no idea that she is pregnant with his child.)  It felt like more manipulation by the author, to create yet more dramatic tension, when the two villains of the story, Malcolm and Giavanna, return to cause more misunderstandings between Lana and Salvatore.  (Salvatore thinks that Lana has left him for Malcolm, an idea encouraged by Giavanna.)  Eventually it all gets straightened out in a somewhat melodramatic final chapter (not counting the epilogue) where Lana and Salvatore finally express their true feelings aloud for one another in big chunks of dialogue.  Kinda makes me wish they had done that earlier on, but then I guess it wouldn't have made for as dramatic a story.  
     And yet, a little less drama would have been fine with me: I liked the characters and could have read about them just enjoying their lives together without having it forced to fit into the confines of a traditional romance-novel plot with its attendant tropes.  "Traditional" is probably the key word here, since this book had the feel of an old-fashioned Harlequin romance novel.  For example, no mention of condoms or birth control was made during the (brief) sex scenes.  When Lana unexpectedly gets pregnant, there is no consideration whatsoever that she simply get an abortion.  I didn't want her to have one, but it would have been more realistic to at least have her consider (and then reject) the option.  Perhaps the author might have felt that any such consideration would ruin the heroine in the eyes of some pro-life readers, or cast doubt on Lana's love for the baby's father at their eventual reuniting. Whatever the reasoning, it made the novel feel a little less grown-up than it ought to have been.  
     Despite my gripes above, I enjoyed reading this novel.  It wasn't a masterpiece, and it wasn't perfect, but I liked the characters and I thought the writing itself -- the words that the author used to describe things, for example -- was well-done.  I was glad that I read it, and would be interested in reading more books by the author.  Heck, I wouldn't mind reading this one again at some point in the future, and hopefully faster this time.

Thursday, December 29, 2022

My 2022 YouTube videos (in order of popularity)

In 2022, I uploaded a total of 50 videos to my YouTube channel, ranging in length from 2 minutes to over 2 hours.  I've arranged the list of them below according to how many views that they have received so far (as of December 29, 2022), from highest number of views to lowest.

     There's really no formula or reason that I can figure out as to why one video will receive more views than another.  I hadn't even bothered noticing my video's viewing numbers until May when I had uploaded "My romance novel collection (Part 41)" and discovered that the video was racking up a larger-than-normal number of views.  Evidently the video got shared somewhere which resulted in a lot of people clicking on it, but I don't know where or why.  

     Some videos that I subsequently uploaded I thought were certain to get larger viewing numbers than they did.  For example, I uploaded two videos showing "How to Draw Batman" that I did purely as an attempt to get a large number of viewers that would then perhaps watch other videos on my channel.  But the two "How to Draw" videos got low viewing numbers, and so I haven't bothered with doing more of them.  

     Some of the videos I uploaded this year were done on the spur-of-the-moment, with little thought behind them, such as the video I did of the Southgate Shopping Center sign when I happened to be walking past it this summer.  I shared it on a local history Facebook group, and was surprised when the simple video got over 300 views, which is better than average for my channel.

     Conversely, some videos I felt ought to have received more views than they did.  An example would be the video I uploaded in July of the 1940s issues of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine that I have in my collection.  I intended to upload more videos showing the rest of the EQMM issues I have, with a video devoted to each decade, but the low viewing numbers (less than 50 views) for the 1940s video has discouraged me from doing more of them.  Why bother?

     Two of the videos that I uploaded this year were attempts to re-do past videos that I hadn't done properly before.  In 2019, I had uploaded a video about the 1970s Marvel Comics series Weird Wonder Tales, but my phone's video camera cut off after showing only one issue.  I left the old video up, but did a new proper one this year showing all the issues that I have of the series.  Similarly, in 2012 I had uploaded a video showing my issues of the New York Review of Science Fiction zine, but back then the picture quality was so bad that the text on the printed pages was too blurry to be read on the screen.  I re-did the video this year and deleted the old, unwatchable video. (The old video had received only 21 views during the ten years that it was on YouTube anyway; the new version has received 30 views already.)

     The biggest project that I did on my YouTube channel this year was a series called "An overview of Steve Ditko's comics career."  Originally I intended to do this as one big long video, but it soon became apparent that I would have to split it into smaller parts, with each video taking a look at the comics Ditko drew during a particular time period.  I wanted to upload them in chronological order, and so far there are five videos in the series, covering the years from 1953 to 1978.  I made these videos in August and at the same time had shot video looking at Ditko comics from 1979 to 1981, as well as his final work from 2008 to 2018.  But there are still more comics to be looked at post-1978, so I've held off on uploading any more videos in the series until I'm able to do it right, not wanting to neglect important parts of Ditko's career during those years that are being covered.  I also want to be able to speak intelligently about the comics being shown, which means reading or re-reading a lot of them in order to be able to talk engagingly about them.  The Ditko-career videos are a huge amount of work, but they do tend to receive a larger-than-normal number of views, which is an incentive for me to continue doing them.

     So, with all of that preamble out of the way, here's the list... 


My 2022 videos (arranged in order of popularity)


1.) "My romance novel collection (Part 41): vintage Historical & Category Romance book haul" (May 12): 1,253 views

2.) "I bought a box of comic books for 25 bucks! (Part One): DC Comics" (November 30): 638 views

3.) "An unboxing & review of The Beatles GET BACK Blu-ray 3-disc box set 2022" (July 14): 590 views

4.) "I bought a box of comic books for 25 bucks! (Part Two): Marvel Comics" (November 30): 492 views

5.) "My romance novel collection (Part 42): Unboxing vintage Harlequin eBay book haul" (June 6): 489 views

6.) "My romance novel collection (Part 43): More category & historical romance book haul" (June 15): 449 views

7.) "An overview of STEVE DITKO's comics career (Part 2): 1960-1965" (August 7): 392 views

8.) "An overview of STEVE DITKO's comics career (Part 1): The 1950s" (August 4): 363 views

9.) "Riding the bus Downriver (Riverview & Trenton, MI) in 2007 & 2008" (August 22): 343 views

10.) "An overview of STEVE DITKO's comics career (Part 3): 1966-1969" (August 12): 325 views

11.) "Southgate Shopping Center sign (Eureka Road entrance)" (August 2): 325 views

12.) "My romance novel collection (Part 44): vintage 1980s YA teen romance novels" (July 20): 312 views

13.) "An overview of STEVE DITKO's comics career (Part 5): 1970-1978" (August 18): 305 views

14.) "My romance novel collection (Part 45): Huge book haul & How to Remove Stickers from Book Covers" (July 28): 278 views

15.) "A look at DITKOMANIA from the 1980s to now" (December 3): 277 views

16.) "An overview of STEVE DITKO's comics career (Part 4): 1970s CHARLTON ghost comics" (August 14): 271 views

17.) "I got a mail subscription to ARCHIE COMICS!" (July 12): 257 views

18.) "My romance novel collection Part 39: Unboxing old books!" (March 22): 248 views

19.) "New Books, Magazines and DVD movies at department store in Michigan" (May 24): 240 views

20.) "My romance novel collection (Part 49): Huge historical romance library sale book haul" (September 19): 220 views

21.) "I bought a box of comic books for 25 bucks! (Part Three): Other publishers" (December 1): 217 views

22.) "My romance novel collection (Part 48): Unboxing more 1980s SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE books" (September 6): 203 views

23.) "My day of shopping at thrift stores, library used-book sales & a comics shop" (June 2): 188 views

24.) "Unboxing new Harlequin Romance novels -- one June 2022 book out of stock!" (June 8): 182 views

25.) "My romance novel collection (Part 47): Johanna Lindsey, Brenda Joyce & more historicals" (August 31): 181 views

26.) "My romance novel collection (Part 46): Unboxing huge 1980s SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE book haul" (August 27): 176 views

27.) "How to Draw BATMAN (lesson 1)" (June 1): 161 views

28.) "My bookshelves" (March 20): 149 views

29.) "My latest comic book haul from the local comics shop" (October 18): 140 views

30.) "My romance novel collection (Part 40): Daisy Thomson & Len Goldberg" (April 28): 121 views

31.) "My romance novel collection (Part 38): My latest book haul" (March 9): 117 views

32.) "A look at TV GUIDE magazines in the 1980s and 1990s" (December 5): 114 views

33.) "My romance novel collection (Part 37): Latest book haul" (March 1): 114 views

34.) "WEIRD WONDER TALES: An Appreciation (updated video, 2022)" (June 29): 112 views

35.) "How To Draw BATMAN (lesson 2)" (June 13): 108 views

36.) "New books for sale at my local Kroger supermarket" (January 11): 89 views

37.) "Looking thru the dollar boxes at a local comics shop" (February 10): 84 views

38.) "My ROMANTIC TIMES collection (Part Two): Affaire de Coeur, etc." (May 16): 75 views

39.) "New magazine special about SPIDER-MAN" (October 3): 72 views

40.) "My ROMANTIC TIMES collection (Part Four): 1999-2004" (May 16): 69 views

41.) "My ROMANTIC TIMES collection (Part Three): 1995-1998" (May 16): 65 views

42.) "My ROMANTIC TIMES collection (Part Five): 2004-2016" (May 16): 61 views

43.) "New issues of DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE (# 576 & 577) + a look inside Barnes & Noble bookstore" (July 28): 49 views

44.) "Harlequin Books is shutting down their Rewards program!" (October 28): 47 views

45.) "My latest comics haul from the dollar bins" (March 1): 45 views 

46.) "My 1940s issues of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE" (July 11): 44 views

47.) "Vintage hardcover O. Henry books found at a local thrift store" (August 2): 37 views

48.) "Looking at "The New York Review of Science Fiction" (NYRSF) back issues (1989-1997)" (July 5): 32 views

49.) "A few more comics I bought for a dollar today" (March 3): 24 views

50.) "A look at recent issues of DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE" (February 22): 24 views


Monday, October 17, 2022

An (Incomplete) Guide to Berkley's DIAMOND imprint, 1990-1995

On October 10, I received the following direct message from Twitter user Daily Clinch: 

"Hi Rob!  I'm wondering if you know anything about Diamond, which published romances in the early 90s. I've only found historicals, but don't know if it published others. I'd love to find a source with near comprehensive info like the article available on Bookscan about Pageant, but so far no luck on that front.  I have a feeling Diamond, like Pageant, may have been short-lived." 

As it turns out, I knew nothing about Diamond. I answered off-hand that I thought Diamond was an imprint of Dell, but I was actually getting it mixed up with Emerald.  I also thought I had a few Diamond books in my collection, but after a quick search was unable to find any.  The starting point for my research, later that day, was when I searched the word "Diamond" on my Romantic Times index site (which contains scans of various pages of the magazine from the 1980s and 1990s) where I found the following item from RT #74 (April/May 1990): "Starting in August, Berkley's Charter line will be revamped and renamed DIAMOND. The line will offer nine titles each month... [which] will include two historicals... and one Regency... The DIAMOND line will also publish two mysteries, a western, an occult, a horror, and a Super Horoscope guide each month."  (So, to answer Daily Clinch's question, Diamond's romance output was mainly historical, not contemporary romance.)
 

I knew about Charter, the publisher of the Nick Carter Killmaster novels when I bought them as a teenager back in the mid-1980s.  For that reason, I had a vaguely nostalgic attachment to Charter, but didn't know whatever happened to them.  Well, now I knew: Charter became Diamond in August 1990.  In fact, prior to that month, some Charter books said "Charter/Diamond" on the covers, perhaps to prepare readers for the name change, and the Charter/Diamond name remained for a few months afterwards, including in the pages of RT. Charter may have been gone from the covers, but inside the books on the copyright page, one would find this: "The name 'DIAMOND' and its logo are trademarks belonging to Charter Communications, Inc."  (Diamond, incidentally, had been the name of a short-lived Berkley imprint in 1960.  So reviving the Diamond brand may have been an affectionate nod to the company's history, or perhaps simply intended to keep a trademark alive.)
 
Even though I had no Diamond books myself, I do have a lot of back issues of Romantic Times, and it occured to me that I might be able to compile an index of their publishing output by going through the Diamond listings in the pages of RT.  There were a few problems with this idea, though.  Firstly, the RT listings were not always accurate, sometimes listing a book as being from Diamond when it actually appeared under the Jove or Berkley name instead.
 
Secondly, romance novels were only a third of what Diamond released each month, at least at the beginning, so that meant I would have to somehow magically discover the titles of their non-romance books and fit them into the chronological list.  Searches on Google, eBay, FictionDB, Amazon and Goodreads would help, but sometimes their info is not always accurate either (as we shall see). For this reason, I have mostly ignored the horoscope books that Diamond put out.
 
The third problem is that for the period being discussed in this post, from 1990 to 1995, I'm missing 10 issues of Romantic Times: #86 (April/May 1991), #88 (July 1991), #89 (Aug. 1991), #92 (Nov. 1991), #110 (May 1993), #111 (June 1993), #127 (Oct. 1994), #135 (June 1995), #137 (Aug. 1995), and #141 (Dec. 1995).  So it's possible that there is information about Diamond in those issues that is not reflected in the post below.  Because of the limitations outlined above, the information in this list gives priority to the romance novels -- since I had more info about them and that is my primary interest anyway. The romance titles are listed first for each month's entry, with the other genres (when known) listed beneath them. 
 
Daily Clinch had mentioned above the short-lived Pageant publishing house (a few of whose authors also wrote for Diamond). Originally I had assumed that the Diamond imprint was similarly short-lived, but in fact it lasted nearly five years -- longer than some better-known and better-documented imprints (such as the Richard Gallen line that I've previously attempted to index) and longer than its obscurity would imply.  Its Homespun line used cartoon-like drawings for its covers many years before they became popular for romance novels. Diamond also published early novels by Lorraine Heath (her first two novels were for the Homespun line), Susan Mallery, Hannah Howell and Peter David.   
 
Before we get to the chronological list of titles, I want to address the question of who was responsible for selecting the books that Diamond published.  In other words, who ran Diamond, behind the scenes? 
 
Based on my perusal of RT issues from the period, my initial assumption was that Melinda Metz had the most responsibility over the Diamond imprint, since she is the Berkley editor most often cited by the authors as having bought their books.  See, for example,  RT #93 (Dec. 1991), page 40; RT #102 (Sept. 1992), page 63; RT #105 (Dec. 1992), page 84 ("Melinda Metz, my editor at Berkley/Diamond, suggested I try to write a romance for the new 'Homespun' historical line they were introducing..."); RT #106 (Jan. 1993), page 101 ("Recently, my editor at Berkley, Melinda Metz, sent me a copy of the reviews... of my latest Regency...a January release from Berkley/Diamond. ... I had been happy when Berkley thought well enough of my writing to buy [the book] on a four-and-a-half page synopsis; no sample chapters needed this time. I was also happy when Melinda told me that they were keeping my original title, because it truly fit so well the entire premise of the story.")
 
The "they" in those words, however, suggests that the responsibility for Diamond may have been shared across Berkley's editorial team. RT #98 (May 1992) listed Berkley's editors as Hillary Cige, Carrie Feron, Melinda Metz, and Judith Stern. RT #101 (Aug. 1992) listed the same names, as seen in the scan below (Melinda Metz's name is misspelled).  In RT #97 (April 1992), page 37, it is indicated that Hillary Cige had bought two novels that were released under the Diamond imprint. In RT #120 (March 1994), Diamond author Cait Logan gives "thanks to my fine editor, Hillary Cige." 
 

In RT #109 (April 1993), page 76, writer Deborah Wood says that "Gail Fortune at Berkley had made an offer for my book for its Homespun line."  In RT #129 (Dec. 1994), page 47, author Linda Francis Lee, who wrote two Wildflower books for Diamond, directs any correspondence about her books to editor Gail Fortune at Berkley Publishing.  This confirms that more than one Berkley editor was responsible for what got published at Diamond.
 
In RT #129 (Dec. 1994), page 115, it was reported that "Melinda Metz has left her editor post at Berkley and moved to Parachute Press, where she will be editing young adult books."  (Metz later wrote the series of Roswell High books that became the basis of the TV series Roswell.)
 
Two issues later, in RT #131 (Feb. 1995), page 86, we read that "Berkley is no longer acquiring for the Diamond Wildflower. They are phasing out the line."  I was not able to find an announcement or mention in the pages of RT that the Diamond imprint itself was being discontinued. By April 1995, it appears that the Diamond symbol on the covers of both the Wildflower and Homespun lines has been replaced with the Jove symbol.  Wildflower evidently ended shortly afterwards, while (according to FictionDB), the Homespun series continued as a Jove line until the end of 1997.  I will provide a separate list of Diamond's Wildflower titles at the end of this blog post. 
 
It's important to remember that Jove and Diamond co-existed as imprints of Berkley throughout the early 1990s.  Diamond had its traditional Regency line, releasing one thin book per month, but so did Jove with its own trad Regency line.  Berkley also released some books under the Berkley name (i.e. neither Diamond nor Jove).  Eventually Diamond's mystery output was moved to the Berkley Prime Crime imprint (introduced in 1994), which was focused on that genre.  It may have made sense, by 1995, to simply fold the Diamond output into Jove and eliminate the Diamond name entirely, just as its predecessor Charter had been phased out.  (Incidentally, an item in RT #125 (Aug. 1994), p. 55, about the "Romance Arrival Schedule at Waldenbooks" notes that Berkley titles arrive on the shelves in the "middle of month," while those from "Diamond/Jove" are on sale "early in month." This doesn't quite match what an ad for a Diamond release in the same issue tells readers, that it will be "available mid-July.")
 
This chronology of Diamond books is incomplete.  If you have any additional information to add, or corrections to make, please share it in the comments section.  I will likely update this post as more info becomes available.  Thanks!  (This post was last updated on October 19, 2022 at 4pm.)
 
-- Rob Imes

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A list of titles published by DIAMOND (Berkley), 1990-1995:
 
 
July 1990:
- SEARCHER by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] (This was book #1 in the Searcher series, of 12 published in the series. Although FictionDB lists it as Charter, the front cover shows the publisher as "Charter/Diamond."  Levinson's editor on the series was Tom Colgan, per his Facebook post on the subject.)
- BLOOD FLIES by Gene Lazuta [horror]
 
August 1990 (launch month, per RT #74):
- TAME THE FURY by Cait Logan [historical] (review in RT #78, p. 45; author's column on p. 104)
- TIDES OF SPLENDOR by Luanne Walden [historical; "set in 1853"]
- THE WAYLAID HEART by Holly Newman [Regency; "Marriage to Mr. Waddley was passionless, but the beautiful Cecilia still feels it's her duty to unmask the man responsible for her husband's murder."] (review & small ad in RT #78, p. 94; author's column on p. 105)
- SCREAM PLAY by Douglas Soesbe [horror]  (You can watch a YouTube channel's review of the book here.)
 
September 1990:
- CAPTAIN'S BRIDE by Kat Martin [historical; "set in the old South"] (review in RT #78, p. 47; ad & article, p. 64-65)
- STOLEN DREAMS by Susan Anderson ["set in England"]
- GAME OF HEARTS by Leonora Woodbury [Regency] (review in RT #78, p. 94)
- LONG RIDER #12: KILLER MUSTANG by Clay Dawson [western] (This was a western adventure series written by multiple authors under the publisher's house name "Clay Dawson." The previous book in the series (#11) was released in July 1990, under the Charter brand.  This book, #12, says "Charter/Diamond" on the cover. The series began with Charter in November 1988.) (Note: Both FictionDB and Goodreads say this book came out in August, but the Catalog of Copyright Entries gives its release date as September, so until I know for certain, I'm going with the latter.)
    
October 1990:
- NORTHERN STAR by Jodi Thomas [historical; "set at the end of the Civil War"] (ad & review in RT #80, p. 46; column, p. 84-85)
- A HUSBAND FOR HOLLY by Monette Cummings [Regency]
- PASSION'S PRICE by Linda Andersen [historical; "set in 1807 in England and America"]
- SEARCHER #2: LYNCH LAW by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- PSI-MAN #1: MIND-FORCE WARRIOR by David Peters (a.k.a. Peter David) [action/adventure] (book #1 in the series, of 6 published; see its Wikipedia entry for more info)
- SHILOH by Dalton Walker [western] (book #1 in the series)
 
November 1990:
- SKYLARK by Elane Osborn [historical] (ad & review in RT #80, p. 44)
- SILKEN TIGER by Cynthia Leigh [historical; "set in India"]
- THE HEART'S COMPANION by Holly Newman [Regency]
- THE RIVER QUEEN by Melanie Daniels [historical; "a sweeping saga set in New 
Orleans"]
- ASHES TO ASHES by Lillian Stewart Carl [Gothic]
- MURDER AT THE SPA by Stefanie Matteson [Charlotte Graham mystery series]
 
December 1990:
- SILVER MIST by Theresa DiBenedetto [historical] (originally titled Divided Love in 
RT #74) (ad on back cover of RT #82; column, p. 12-13; review, p. 37)
- HEATHER MOON by Sharon Gillenwater [historical] (review in RT #82, p. 49)
- A HOUSE FULL OF VISIONS by Lillian Stewart Carl [ghost/suspense]
- FAINT HEART by Sheila Rabe [Regency]
- LONG RIDER #13: VENGEANCE TOWN by Clay Dawson [western] (FictionDB lists 
this as November, but the Catalog of Copyright Entries says December)
 
January 1991:
- THE GOLDEN SWAN by Aileen Humphrey [historical]
- DAKOTA DREAM by Sharon MacIver [historical] (review & small ad in RT #82, p. 43; column, p. 90-91)
- A SERIOUS PURSUIT by Ellen Rawlings [Regency] (short review in RT #82, p. 85)
- SEARCHER #3: TIN BADGE by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- EAGLE ATTACK TEAM by Larry Hicks [action/adventure] (book #1 in the series, of 6 published)
- PSI-MAN #2: DEATHSCAPE by David Peters (a.k.a. Peter David) [action/adventure] 
- ADJUSTED TO DEATH by Jaqueline Girdner [Kate Jasper mystery]
- PLAYGROUND OF DEATH by John Buxton Hilton [mystery] (reprint of a 1981 book, 
per FictionDB)
- SHILOH #2: DESERT HELL by Dalton Walker [western]
 
February 1991:- FIRES OF MIDNIGHT by Karen Finnigan [historical] (review & small ad in RT #84, p. 41; mention in RT #120, p. 51)
- DESERT NIGHTS by Susan Stern [historical]
- SCARLET LADY by Monette Cummings [Regency] (short review in RT #84, p. 87)
- FRIENDS AND FORTUNES by Savannah Stewart [contemporary] (Note: FictionDB mistakenly lists this as published by Penguin. I was able to confirm that it was a Diamond book from an eBay auction that showed the copyright page inside the book, as shown here.)
 
March 1991:
- BITTERSWEET DESTINY by Luanne Walden [historical] (review in RT #84, p. 44)
- MORNING SKY by Constance Bennett [historical] (mention in Flavia's column and photo 
of author in RT #98, p. 7)
- THE GENUINE ARTICLE by Mary Butler [Regency] (FictionDB lists this as published 
by Ace, but the front cover says Diamond)
- SECRET PLACES by R. S. Adams [Silk Stockings series]
- BLEEDER by Gene Lazuta [horror] (FictionDB mistakenly lists it as Ace, but Google 
Books scan confirms it is a Diamond book.)
- PSI-MAN #3: MAIN STREET D.O.A. by David Peters (a.k.a. Peter David) [action/adventure] 
- MURDER AT TEATIME by Stefanie Matteson [Charlotte Graham mystery series]
- LONG RIDER #14: THE COMANCHEROS by Clay Dawson [western] 
 
April 1991:
- FORTUNE'S CAPTIVE by Juliana Butterfield [historical]
- RAVEN AT SUNRISE by Claudia McCormick [historical]
- A HEART IN JEOPARDY by Holly Newman [Regency]
- SEARCHER #4: WARPATH by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- SHILOH #3: BLOOD RIVAL by Dalton Walker [western] (FictionDB lists it as a March release, but the Catalog of Copyright Entries says April.)
 
May 1991
- LOVER'S GOLD by Kat Martin [historical]
- THE CHARLESTON WOMEN #1: CRIMSON SUNRISE by Kristie Knight [historical; "the first of a new Revolutionary War trilogy"]
- A SCANDALOUS LADY by Helen Argers [Regency]
- THE SECRET AT OCTAGON HOUSE by Jane Peart [Gothic; ghost/suspense] (Flavia note in RT #94, p. 7 about award the book won)
- MOTH TO THE FLAME by Kathleen Dougherty [thriller/suspense] (review in RT #87, p. 99)
- CURSE OF THE VAMPIRE by Geoffrey Caine [horror]
- EAGLE ATTACK TEAM #2: DEBT OF HONOR by Larry Hicks [action/adventure] 
- NIGHT MOVES by R. S. Adams [Silk Stockings series]
- CRADLE OF CRIME by John Buxton Hilton [mystery]
 
June 1991:
- WILD IS THE NIGHT by Colleen Quinn [historical] (review in RT #87, p. 38; ad 
column on p. 48-49)
- TENDER DECEPTIONS by Sherry Roseberry [historical] (review in RT #87, p. 43)
- A KISS FOR CAROLINE by Monette Cummings [Regency] (review in RT #87, p. 73)
- WOMAN OF THE MISTS by Lynn Armistead McKee [pre-history] (review in RT #87, 
p. 91)
- THE SUMMONED by Steven Ray Fulgham [horror] (review & column in RT #87, p. 103) (FictionDB lists this as a May release, not June.)
- PSI-MAN #4: THE CHAOS KID by David Peters (a.k.a. Peter David) [action/adventure] 
- THE LAST RESORT by Jaqueline Girdner [Kate Jasper mystery] (The rest of the Kate 
Jasper novels published under Berkley brand, not Diamond?)
- AFTER HOURS by R. S. Adams [Silk Stockings series]
- LONG RIDER #15: BLOOD HUNT by Clay Dawson [western] (FictionDB lists this as 
May, but the Catalog of Copyright Entries says June)
 
July 1991:
THE CHARLESTON WOMEN #2: MIDNIGHT STAR by Kristie Knight [historical]
- THE OATH by Lindsay Chase [historical] (FictionDB lists this as published by Berkley, 
but Google Books scan of the book's title page confirms it was a Diamond release.)
- THIEF OF HEARTS by Melinda Pryce (a.k.a. Linda Shertzer) [Regency] (mention & 
photo of author in Flavia's column in RT #95, p. 7)
- LADY OF THE MOORS by Mary Eileen Petty (a.k.a. Eileen Van Kirk) [Gothic] (short 
author profile in RT #87, p. 23)
- SHILOH #4: THE HUNTED by Dalton Walker [western] (The Catalog of Copyright 
Entries says that the author is a pseudonym of Billy Walker.)
 
August 1991
- DESERT ROSE by Linda Lee [historical]
- THE TENDER TEXAN by Jodi Thomas [historical]
- A HEART IN DISGUISE by Monette Cummings [Regency]
- DUST TO DUST by Lillian Stewart Carl [Gothic]
- SEARCHER #5: HELLFIRE by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- INCUBI by Edward Lee [horror]
 
September 1991:
- THE CHARLESTON WOMEN #3: CAROLINA MOON by Kristie Knight [historical] (final book of the series)
- WESTERN WINDS by Theresa DiBenedetto [historical] (cover of RT #90; column, p. 12-13; review, p. 41; cover art by Leslie Pellegrino, profile of the artist in RT #90, p. 60-61)
- CHANCE ENCOUNTER by Diana Delmore (a.k.a. Lois Stewart, a.k.a. Lois Nellet) [Regency] (review in RT #90, p. 74)
- WAKE OF THE WEREWOLF by Geoffrey Caine [horror]
- SCALPEL'S EDGE by Margot J. Fromer [mystery]
- SHEER DELIGHT by R. S. Adams [Silk Stockings series]
- LONG RIDER #16: SNAKETOWN by Clay Dawson [western]
 
October 1991:
- RIVER SONG by Sharon MacIver [historical] (column in RT #82, p. 90-91; review & ad 
in RT #91, p. 46-47; column in RT #91, p. 61; book fair photo in RT #93, p. 7)
- SILK by Eileen Van Kirk [historical] (short author profile in RT #87, p. 23; review in RT 
#93, p. 100-101)
- A LARCENOUS AFFAIR by Ellen Rawlings [Regency]
- EAGLE ATTACK TEAM #3: TANK KILLERS by Larry Hicks [action/adventure] 
(mention in RT #95, p. 88)
- SHILOH #5: HELL TOWN by Dalton Walker [western]
 
November 1991:
- DESIRE'S MOON by Elane Osborn [historical]
- MAGIC NIGHTS by Laurel Collins [historical] (review in RT #93, p. 57-58)
- A CAPTAIN'S LADY by Helen Argers [Regency?]
- VELVET TOUCH by R. S. Adams [Silk Stockings series]
- SHADOWS OF BLACKBRIAR HALL by F. Jacquelyn Hallquist [Gothic]
- MURDER ON THE CLIFF by Stefanie Matteson [mystery] (review in RT #93, p. 105) [Charlotte Graham mystery series]
- SEARCHER #6: DEVIL'S BRAND by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- OFFSPRING by Jack Ketchum [horror]
 
December 1991:
- BLOSSOM by Constance Bennett [historical] (review in RT #93, p. 51-52)
- VIRGINIA BRIDE by Elizabeth Douglas [historical] (review in RT #93, p. 56)
- THE IMPROPER MISS PRYM by Sheila Rabe [Regency] (short review in RT #93, p. 80)
- THE LEGACY OF HUNTER HOUSE by Jeri Smith [Gothic] (column in RT #93, p. 40-41; review & small ad, p. 59)
- THE FORSAKEN by Steven Ray Fulgham [horror]
- PSI-MAN #5: STALKER by David Peters (a.k.a. Peter David) [action/adventure]
- LONG RIDER #17: TOWN TAMER by Clay Dawson [western]
 
January 1992:
- SECRET SPLENDOR by Sharon Gillenwater [historical] (review in RT #94, p. 50)
- FRONTIER FLAME by Susan Macias (a.k.a. Susan Mallery) [historical] (review in 
RT #94, p. 51; column & ad, p. 56-57) (FictionDB mistakenly lists it 
as from Ace.)
- THE WICKED STEPDAUGHTER by Monette Cummings [Regency] (short review in 
RT #94, p. 60)
- LEGION OF THE DEAD by Geoffrey Caine [horror] (FictionDB lists it as Ace, but Goodreads lists it as Diamond/Charter.)
- EAGLE ATTACK TEAM #4: DESERT FIRE by Larry Hicks [action/adventure]  
(FictionDB mistakenly lists it as Ace)
- SHILOH #6: SIDEWINDER by Dalton Walker [western]
 
February 1992:
- LOVING HEARTS (Valentine's Day anthology by Jill Marie Landis, Jodi Thomas, Colleen Quinn, and Maureen Child) [historical] (review & ad in RT #95, p. 51)
- PRAIRIE SONG by Jodi Thomas [historical] (review in RT #95, p. 44-45)
- TWILIGHT SECRETS by Constance Laux [historical] (column in RT #95, p. 32-33, 
small ad on p. 35; review & ad in RT #96, p. 46)
- SWEET REMEMBRANCE by Judy Christenberry [Regency]
- THE HOUSE OF HAUNTED DREAMS by Jane Peart [Gothic; "set against Mardi Gras 
in 1915"]
- SEARCHER #7: STAMPEDE by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] (In a Facebook post, author Len Levinson called this book "my all-time favorite Western novel that 
I ever wrote.")
- DEAD MAN'S PATH by John Buxton Hilton [mystery]
 

March 1992:
- DEFIANT ROSE by Colleen Quinn [historical] (see RT #87, p. 49; review in RT #96, 
p. 43-44; column & ad, p. 58) (Note: The illustration in the ad, presumably used as the 
stepback, was the work of artist Robert McGinnis, signed in the bottom right corner.)
- RUN WILD MY HEART by Maureen Child [historical] (review in RT #97, p. 48)
- A LOVE TO TREASURE by Melinda Pryce (a.k.a. Linda Shertzer) [Regency] (column 
in RT #96, p. 34; short review, p. 85)
- THE SECRET OF MONTROTH HOUSE by Muriel Newsome [Gothic]
- SUCCUBI by Edward Lee [horror]
- LONG RIDER #18: TEXAS MANHUNT by Clay Dawson [western]
 
April 1992:
- SEA OF DREAMS by Elizabeth DeLancey [historical] (column in RT #97, p. 36-37; 
review & ad, p. 45)
- THE JADE GARDEN by Laurel Collins [historical] (review in RT #97, p. 49)
- CHARADE OF HEARTS by Carol Michaels (a.k.a. Jeanne Carmichael) [Regency] (short review in RT #97, p. 78)
- ALMOST PERFECT by Roberta Grimes [contemporary]
- WITCH TREE INN by Jeri Smith [Gothic] (mention in column in RT #93, p. 41; review 
in RT #97, p. 53) (The RT #97 review lists it as Berkley, but FictionDB lists it as Diamond.)
- VYRMIN by Gene Lazuta [horror] (review in RT #97, p. 105)
- SHILOH #7: VENGEANCE TRAIL by Dalton Walker [western]


May 1992:
- DESERT SUNRISE by Raine Cantrell (a.k.a. Theresa DiBenedetto) [historical] (review 
in RT #98, p. 42, column & ad, p. 58)
- FORTUNE'S FURY by Linda Andersen [historical]
- DARING GAMBLE by Maria Greene [Regency] (column & small ad in RT #98, p. 64-65; short review, p. 82)
- SEARCHER #8: RECKLESS GUNS by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- A WHISPER OF WINGS by Steven Ray Fulgham [horror]
- PSI-MAN #6: DEATHSCAPE by David Peters (a.k.a. Peter David) [action/adventure] 
(final book in the series)
 
June 1992:
- WILD DAWN by Cait Logan [historical] (mention in Flavia's column in RT #98, p. 7; 
review & ad in RT #99, p. 47-48; column, p. 73)
- HIGHLAND HEARTS by Sandra Dustin (a.k.a. Hannah Howell) [historical] (review in 
RT #99, p. 51)
- THE RELUCTANT HEIR by Shirley Callander [Regency]
- THE SHADOW OF THE RAVEN by Catherine Rieger [Gothic] (review in RT #99, p. 
43-44, column & ad, p. 56-57) (Note: Her next Gothic for Berkley, Waltz in the Shadows, in 
Dec. 1993, was published by Jove, not Diamond, even though RT #117 mistakenly listed it as 
a Diamond book in their review.)
- LONG RIDER #19: CHISHOLM TRAIL by Clay Dawson [western] (Note: I was able to confirm the month of June on this book because an eBay seller took a photo of the copyright 
page, showing the June 1992 date -- which concurs with the date given for the book in the 
Catalog of Copyright Entries.)


July 1992:
- GAMBLER'S LADY by Cait Logan [contemporary; a reissue of her novel for Second 
Chance at Love #419, with a new cover] (mention in Flavia's column in RT #98, p. 7)
- SUDDENLY A LADY by Melinda Pryce (a.k.a. Linda Shertzer) [Regency] (column in RT #100, p. 77; short review, p. 96; small ad, p. 97)
- OUTLAW HEART by Catherine Palmer (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #100, 
p. 70)
- SUMMER ROSE by Bonnie K. Winn (Wildflower line?) [historical] (review in RT #100, 
p. 72)
- LESS THAN HUMAN by Gary Raisor [horror]
- SHILOH #8: BLOOD BOUNTY by Dalton Walker [western] (final book of the series?)
 
August 1992:
- THE LOST HEIR by Sheila Rabe [Regency]
- FRONTIER BRIDE by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (Wildflower line) [historical] (mention in RT #100, p. 61; review in RT #101, p. 51)
- GOLDEN CHANCES by Rebecca Hagan Lee (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #101, p. 49-50)
- SPRING BLOSSOM by Jill Metcalf (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #101, p. 50)  (The above two books were the launch titles of the Homespun line, released the same month. Afterwards one novel would be released each month. RT #98, p. 39 noted: "The Wildflower 
imprint will signal readers about more sensual Western romances, while Diamond's Homespun Romances will be sweeter love stories that touch the heart of America.")
- SEARCHER #9: FORT HAYS BUSTOUT by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- NO FREE LUNCH by C. J. Henderson [mystery]
 
September 1992:
- TOUCH OF HEAVEN by Michelle Brandon (a.k.a. Virginia Brown) [historical] (review 
in RT #102, p. 50)
- MOONTIDE by Dianna Devlin [historical] (mention in her column in RT #115, p. 104)
- A PERFECT ARRANGEMENT by Ellen Rawlings [Regency] (her column in RT #102, 
p. 27, saying it was "my third Regency for Berkley Diamond"; small ad in RT #102, p. 81)
- CAPTIVE ANGEL by Elaine Crawford (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #102, 
p. 47-48)
- MOUNTAIN DAWN by Kathleen Kane (a.k.a Maureen Childs, a.k.a Ann Carberry) (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #102, p. 45)
- TOUCH THE STARS by Lynn A. McKee [pre-history] (review in RT #102, p. 91; mention 
in RT #103, p. 37: "Berkley Diamond author Lynn McKee has come up with a lively, eye-catching promotional idea. She is bringing a handsome male model (Chippendale style) dressed as an Indian character from her Touch the Stars to all her book signings.")
- EAGLE ATTACK TEAM #5: NIGHT STRIKE by Larry Hicks [action/adventure] 
- LONG RIDER #20: MOUNTAIN KILLER by Clay Dawson [western]


October 1992:
- GYPSY JEWEL by June Cameron (a.k.a. Sharon MacIver) [historical] (ad in RT #103, 
p. 2; mention in Flavia's column of the cover by Pino, p. 7; column, p. 17; review, p. 44)
- THE RELUCTANT GHOST by Sheila Rosalynd Allen [Regency] (Originally published 
by Walker & Co. in hardcover in 1989.) (RT #101, p. 108, notes: "The ghost is slated to star in three future novels by this author." Review in RT #103, p. 76)
- GARDEN OF THORNS by Lillian Stewart Carl [Gothic]
- COLORADO TEMPEST by Mary Lou Rich (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT 
#103, p. 45-46)
- PRAIRIE DREAMS by Teresa Warfield (Homespun line) [historical] (mention & photo 
of author in RT #103, p. 7; review, p. 47)
- THE WEREWOLF'S KISS by Cheri Scotch [paranormal] (Review in RT #103, p. 82: 
"the first book in her stunning new Werewolf trilogy.")
- RANSOM GAME by John Buxton Hilton [mystery]

November 1992:
- MOONSONG by Constance Bennett [historical, "sweeping saga of two sisters on the rugged Western frontier"] (review in RT #104, p. 52-53)
- AN UNLIKELY LADY by Helen Argers [Regency]
- GOLDEN FURY by Deborah James (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #104, p. 54)
- SWEET JASMINE by Alyssa Lee (a.k.a. Linda Francis Lee) (Homespun line) [historical] (column & ad in RT #104, p. 24-25; review, p. 49)
- CURSE OF THE MOORS by Muriel Newsome [Gothic]
- SEARCHER #10: BOOM TOWN by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- FORGET ME NOT by Gene Lazuta [mystery?]
- MURDER ON THE SILK ROAD by Stefanie Matteson [Charlotte Graham mystery series] (review in RT #104, p. 96-97) (The remaining books in the series are not for the Diamond imprint.)
 
December 1992:
- THE VOW by Lindsay Chase [historical] (review in RT #105, p. 95)
- LADY LUCK by Sheila Rabe [Regency] (short review in RT #105, p. 86)
- DESERT FLAME by Anne Harmon (a.k.a Phyllis Herrmann, a.k.a Phyllis DiFrancesco & 
Nina Herrmann) (Wildflower line) [historical] (column & ad in RT #105, p. 28-29; review, p. 46)
- HOME FIRES by Linda Shertzer (a.k.a. Melinda Pryce) (Homespun line) [historical] 
(review & small ad in RT #105, p. 49; column, p. 84)
- THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT THERE by Robert Morgan (a.k.a. C. J. Henderson) 
[Teddy London Supernatural Mystery series] (review in RT #105, p. 96)
- LONG RIDER #21: RANCHERO by Clay Dawson [western]
 
January 1993:
- MOONLIGHT WHISPERS by Constance Laux [historical] (Jove?)
- BELOVED RIVALS by Danice Allen [historical] (review in RT #106, p. 58)
- THE LAST LORD by Melinda Pryce (a.k.a. Linda Shertzer) [Regency] (column in RT 
#106, p. 100-101; small ad, p. 105)
- BANDIT'S KISS by Mary Lou Rich (Wildflower line) [historical; sequel to Colorado 
Tempest] (review in RT #106, p. 52-53)
- HARVEST SONG by Karen Lockwood (a.k.a. Karen Finnigan) (Homespun line) [historical] (Review in RT #106, p. 49-50; column & ad, p. 65; column in RT #107, p. 117; mention in RT #108, p. 41) (Flavia's column in RT #95, Feb. 1992, p. 7, notes: "Karen Finnigan will be writing for Berkley's Homespun line as Karen Lockwood." This was the first of four books that she would write for the line.)
- SEARCHER #11: BLOODY SUNDAY by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] 
- EAGLE ATTACK TEAM #6: FORCE RED by Larry Hicks [action/adventure] (final 
book of the series)
 
February 1993:
- SWEET HEARTS (Valentine's Day anthology by Jill Marie Landis, Jodie Thomas, Colleen Quinn, and Kathleen Kane) [historical] (review in RT #107, p. 58-59)
- LOVING HEARTS (the previous year's anthology was reissued this month, per RT #105, p. 108)
- TENDER VICTORY by Susan Macias (a.k.a. Susan Mallery) [historical] (review in RT #107, p. 54-55)
- THE MEDDLESOME GHOST by Sheila Rosalynd Allen [Regency] (Originally published by Walker & Co. in hardcover in 1989.) (review in RT #107, p. 103)
- AUTUMN BLAZE by Samantha Harte [historical] (Wildflower line) [historical]
- COUNTRY KISS by Sharon Harlow (a.k.a. Sharon Gillenwater) (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #107, p. 57-58)
- WATCHFUL EYES by Muriel Newsome [Gothic]
 
March 1993:
- RECKLESS by Anna Jenners (a.k.a Hannah Howell) [historical] (mention in her column in RT #102, p. 57; review in RT #108, p. 52)
- THE SUBSTITUTE BRIDE by Diana Delmore (a.k.a Lois Stewart, a.k.a. Lois Nollet) [Regency] (mention in her column in RT #102, p. 27; short review & ad in RT #108, p. 90; column, p. 92)
- RIVER TEMPTRESS by Elaine Crawford (Wildflower line) [historical]
- SMALL TREASURES by Kathleen Kane (a.k.a. Maureen Child, a.k.a. Ann Carberry) (Homespun line) [historical] (review & ad in RT #108, p. 44-45; column, p. 60)
- THE HAUNTING OF VICTORIA by Jeri Smith [Gothic] (review in RT #108, p. 56)
- LONG RIDER #22: CRAZY KNIFE by Clay Dawson [western]
 
April 1993:
- CHERISH THE DREAM by Jodi Thomas [historical] (review in RT #109, p. 51)
- GENTLEMAN BUTLER by Maria Greene [Regency] (review in RT #109, p. 92-93; 
column in RT #113, p. 62-63, about her Zebra Regency novels)
- WYOMING WILDFIRE by Anne Harmon (a.k.a Phyllis Herrmann, a.k.a Phyllis 
DiFrancesco & Nina Herrmann) (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #109, p. 47; ad & column, p. 64-65)
- GENTLE HEARTS by Deborah Wood (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #109, 
p. 55; column & small ad, p. 76, where the author mentions that the novel's working title was 
The Widow Preston. She also mentions that her next Homespun novel will be titled Hidden 
Bonds, but that title was evidently changed, too.)
- SEARCHER #12: THE BARBARY COAST by Josh Edwards (a.k.a. Len Levinson) [western] (final book of the series)
- SOME THINGS NEVER DIE by Robert Morgan (a.k.a. C. J. Henderson) [Teddy London Supernatural Mystery series]
 
May 1993:
- UNVEILED by Colleen Quinn [historical] (small ad in RT #108, p. 53) (FictionDB says 
this was a June release, but the ad in RT says May.)
- THE WEDDING DECEPTION by Sheila Rabe [Regency]
- GUNMAN'S LADY by Catherine Palmer (Wildflower line) [historical]
- AUTUMN LEAVES by Jill Meltcalf (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #112, 
p. 42) (RT #108, p. 116, says this is a May release, while the review in RT #112 says June, and FictionDB says July.)
- NIGHT SHIFT by Margot J. Fromer [mystery]
- LONG RIDER #23: VENGEANCE VALLEY by Clay Dawson [western]
 
June 1993:
- TOUCH OF LACE by Elizabeth DeLancey [historical]
- THE HELPFUL GHOST by Sheila Rosalynd Allen [Regency] (Originally published by Walker & Co. in hardcover in 1990.)
- RECKLESS WIND by Bonnie K. Winn (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #112, 
p. 41-42)
- BRIGHT PROMISE by Connie Deka (a.k.a Constance Laux) (Homespun line) [historical] (mention in Flavia's column in RT #114, p. 13)
- THE WEREWOLF'S TOUCH by Cheri Scotch [paranormal] (book #2 in the trilogy)
 
July 1993:
- CALICO by Raine Cantrell (a.k.a. Theresa DiBenedetto) [historical] (column & ad in RT 
#112, p. 16-17; review, p. 32-33 [the ad says "on sale June 1993," but the review says July]; mention in RT #115, p. 38, that the novel "is to be reprinted in Chinese.")
- A CONVENIENT MARRIAGE by Ellen Rawlings [Regency] (short review in RT #112, 
p. 97; small ad, p. 98; column, p. 99, where she notes that this is "my fourth Regency novel for Berkley/Diamond.")
- NEVADA HEAT by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (Wildflower line) [historical]
- HARVEST MOON by Rebecca Hagan Lee (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT 
#112, p. 40-41)
- LONG RIDER #24: DEAD AIM by Clay Dawson [western] 
 
August 1993:
- THE PASSIONATE GHOST by Sheila Rosalynd Allen [Regency] (Originally published by Walker & Co. in hardcover in 1991.) (review in RT #113, p. 110, which lists it as a Jove release, not Diamond)  (Final Diamond book in their traditional Regency line?)
- TEXAS JEWEL by Shannon Willow (a.k.a. Gimone Hall) (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #113, p. 40-41) (Note: RT's review credits Gimone Hall as the book's author -- who, according to FictionDB, hasn't had a book published since 1985. Texas Jewel is the only book listed for Shannon Willow on FictionDB.  It's possible that the RT review, based on an uncorrected review copy [see Feb. 1994 entry below] had Gimone Hall's byline on it.  The Catalog of Copyright Entires 
for the book confirms that Shannon Willow was a pen-name for Gimone Hall.)
- TENDER WISHES by Jo Anne Cassity (Homespun line) [historical] (review & ad in RT 
#113, p. 39; column, p. 93)
- KEEPER OF DREAMS by Lynn A. McKee [pre-history] (review in RT #113, p. 45; 
column & ad, p. 60-61)
- LONG RIDER #25: GUNS AND GOLD by Clay Dawson [western] 
(Note: RT #113, p. 42, lists SUMMER STORM by Teresa Warfield as a Diamond book, but 
the cover shows it to be a Berkley book.)
 
September 1993:
- HEAVEN ON EARTH by Michelle Brandon (a.k.a. Virginia Brown) [historical]
- REBELLIOUS BRIDE by Donna Fletcher (Wildflower line) [historical] (column in RT 
#114, p. 32, review & ad, p. 39)
- HEART STRINGS by Lydia Browne (a.k.a. Cynthia Bailey-Pratt) (Homespun line) 
[historical] (mention in her column in RT #107, p. 101; review & ad in RT #114, p. 46; 
column, p. 108-109)
 
October 1993:
- TENDER TRIUMPH by Dianna Devlin [historical] (small ad in RT #115, p. 44; review, 
p. 47; column, p. 104)
- RENEGADE FLAME by Catherine Palmer (Wildflower line) [historical]
- LONG RIDER #26: DEVIL'S GUNS by Clay Dawson [western] 
- LILA'S DANCE by Jill Metcalf (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #115, p. 45)
(Note: RT #115's review of CHEROKEE ROSE by Teresa Warfield, published in Oct. 1993, 
lists it as a Diamond book, but an ad in the same issue says it is Jove, and the Google Books 
scan of the book confirms that it was a Jove book, not Diamond.)

November 1993:
- A VOW TO KEEP by Elizabeth Bonner [historical; Medieval] (review in RT #116, p. 43)
- SHOTGUN BRIDE by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #116, p. 44)
- WINTER SONG by Karen Lockwood (Homespun line) [historical] (mention in Flavia's column in RT #116, p. 6; review, p. 44; column & small ad, p. 79)
- THE THING THAT DARKNESS HIDES by Robert Morgan (a.k.a. C. J. Henderson) 
[Teddy London Supernatural Mystery series] (The rest of the books in the series were not for 
the Diamond imprint.)
- LONG RIDER #27: WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE by Clay Dawson [western] (final book 
of the series)
 
December 1993:
- WILD WINDS by Peggy Stoks (Wildflower line) [historical]
- MOUNTAIN MAGIC by Suzanna Gray (Homespun line) [historical]
(Note: RT #117's review of LOVE EVERGREEN by Ginny Aiken, published in Dec. 1993, mistakenly lists it as a Diamond book, but an ad in the same issue and the book's cover shows 
it to be a Jove book.)
 
January 1994:
- THE TEXAN AND THE LADY by Jodi Thomas [historical] (review in RT #118, p. 49)
- HOSTAGE HEART by Lisa Hendrix (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #118, p. 44)
- WEDDING BELLS by Lydia Browne (a.k.a. Cynthia Bailey-Pratt) (Homespun line) [historical] (review & small ad in RT #118, p. 49; column, p. 90-91)
 
February 1994:
- HONOR by Lindsay Chase [historical] (review in RT #119, p. 52-53; RT misspells her first name as "Lindsey" throughout)
- DECEPTION'S BRIDE by Jaclyn Reding [historical] (review in RT #119, p. 49-50) (Note: RT #115's list of upcoming releases, on p. 122, said this book was scheduled for Dec. 1993 and mistakenly said it was by Catherine Coulter. Coulter did write the blurb of praise on the front cover of the book, though.  In RT #120, p. 30, reviewer Kathe Robin wrote about their review of the book that had appeared in #119: "As reviewers, we do not read bound books, but uncorrected page proofs, meaning that changes and corrections are often made after we read them. Such is the case with Jacqueline [sic] Reding's Diamond book, Defiant [sic] Bride. All the discrepancies have been rectified, and readers will not find any unusual errors in titles or time spans.")
- FORBIDDEN FIRE by Bonnie K. Winn (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #119, 
p. 49)
- ALMOST HOME by Debra S. Cowan (Homespun line) [historical] (review & ad in RT 
#119, p. 46; column, p. 109)
 
March 1994:
- NIGHT FIRE by Cait Logan [historical] (review in RT #120, p. 38; ad, p. 39; column, p. 56)
- WARRIOR'S TOUCH by Deborah James (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #121, p. 42) (FictionDB says it came out in April; RT review says March)
- SWEET LULLABY by Lorraine Heath (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #120, p. 40, "an impressive first novel, not to be missed")
- THE WEREWOLF'S SIN by Cheri Scotch [paranormal] (book #3 in the trilogy) (review in RT #120, p. 72)
(Note: RT #120's review of PIRATES AND PROMISES by Anne Caldwell lists it as a Diamond book, but the ad on the back cover of the issue shows that it was a Jove release, the first in their Tea Rose Romances series.)
 
April 1994:
- JOURNEY OF THE HEART by Caitlin McBride [historical]
- RUNAWAY BRIDE by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #121, p. 37)
- YOURS TRULY by Sharon Harlow (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #121, p. 44, where the book got only a one star rating: "The accurate historical research makes this book very educational, but the romance gets lost in the process. ... This novel probably won't satisfy romance readers, but it is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys the details of a frontier Texas town.")
- THIS DARK PARADISE by Wendy Haley [paranormal; book #1 in vampire series] (column & ad in RT #121, p. 27; review, p. 112) (Working title was House Revenant, per her column in RT #108, p. 99.  It was still called by that title when mentioned by Anita Gordon in her column in RT #112, where she notes that she tied in her own current novel with Haley's vampire novel. In RT #118, p. 22, it was mentioned that it was "the first book in a trilogy." If so, then it appears that the third book was never released.)
 
May 1994:
- TEXAS ANGEL by Linda Francis Lee (a.k.a Alyssa Lee) (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #122, p. 41-42) (Coincidentally this book was released the same month as the similarly-titled Montana Angel by Kathleen Harrington, published by Avon.)
- SUMMER'S GIFT by Deborah Wood (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #122, p. 38)
- A HOMESPUN MOTHER'S DAY (anthology, by Rebecca Hagan Lee, Jill Metcalf, and Teresa Warfield) (Homespun line) [historical]  (This book was also released as an audiobook set. From the article in RT #122, p. 58-59: "Audio Entertainment, Inc. and Putnam-Berkley are pleased to announce A HOMESPUN MOTHER'S DAY, a special six audio cassette collector's set  published by Putnam-Berkley under their Diamond Homespun imprint. This set contains three historical romances: Twice Blessed by Rebecca Hagan Lee, Emma's Day by Jill Metcalf, and Coming Home by Teresa Warfield -- celebrating love in the heartland of America. Each audio novella is three hours on two audio cassettes -- a total of nine hours of romance." An ad for ordering the set was in RT #122, p. 115.)
 
June 1994:
- MEANT TO BE by Elizabeth DeLancey [historical] (review in RT #123, p. 36; mention, p. 54)
- FRONTIER HEAT by Peggy Stoks [historical] (Wildflower line) [historical]
- FAMILY REUNION by Jill Metcalf (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #123, p. 39; mention, p. 54)
(Note: RT #123's review of CHEROKEE BRIDE by Teresa Warfield lists it as a Diamond release, but FictionDB and the ad for the book in the same issue show it was Jove, not Diamond.)
 
July 1994:
- LADY AND THE WOLF by Julie Beard [historical; Medieval, 14th century England] (mention in RT #123, p. 57; review & ad in RT #124, p. 52; column, p. 109)
- RECKLESS RIVER by Teresa Southwick (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #124, p. 52)
- KEEPING FAITH by Kathleen Kane (A Town Called Harmony series; first book in the series where all of the novels take place in the small town of Harmony, Kansas) [historical] (review in RT #124, p. 51-52)
- PICKETT'S FENCE by Linda Shertzer (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #124, p. 51)
(Note: RT #124 mistakenly refers to SWEET IRIS by Aileen Humphrey as a Diamond book, but it was a Jove book.)
 
August 1994:
- SWEET ESCAPE by Susan Macias (a.k.a. Susan Mallery) [historical] (review in RT #125, p. 34; column & ad, p. 70-71) (RT #123, p. 30, notes: "Susan Macias, a western writer for Berkley, has signed with HarperCollins.")
- LIGHTNING STRIKES by Jean Wilson (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #125, p. 37-38)
- TAKING CHANCES by Rebecca Hagan Lee (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical] (review in RT #125, p. 37)
- COURTING SEASON by Jo Anne Cassity (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #125, p. 37)
- WALKS IN STARDUST by Lynn A. McKee [pre-history] (FictionDB lists this as Berkley, but the cover shows it is a Diamond book.)
 
September 1994:
- WARRIOR'S PRIZE by Patricia Williams [historical; set in "South Africa in 1818"] (review in RT #126, p. 42)
- TENDER OUTLAW by Deborah James [historical] (Wildflower line) [historical]
- CHASING RAINBOWS by Linda Shertzer (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical] (review in RT #126, p. 38)
- COUNTRY SUNSHINE by Teresa Warfield (Homespun line) [historical] (Note: In RT #123, p. 75, the author says it "will be released in August"; the upcoming releases list in RT #124, p. 120 shows the book scheduled for September. FictionDB lists it as an October release.  The Catalog of Copyright Entries lists it as a September release.)
 
October 1994:
- FALCON MOON by Catherine Palmer [historical]
- MY DESPERADO by Lois Greiman (Wildflower line) [historical] (mention in RT #120, p. 55)
- PASSING FANCY by Lydia Browne (a.k.a. Cynthia Bailey-Pratt) (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical]
- FORGIVING HEARTS by Christina Cordaire (Homespun line) [historical] (mention in RT #121, p. 45 where it is called FORGIVING HEART)
 
November 1994:
- NIGHT TRAIN by Maryann O'Brien (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #128, p. 36-37)
- PLAYING CUPID by Donna Fletcher (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical]
- OUR HOUSE by Debra S. Cowan (Homespun line) [historical] (review & small ad in RT #128, p. 34; column, p. 110)
(Note: The review in RT #128, p. 42, of STOLEN KISSES by Karen Lockwood lists it as Diamond, but it was a Jove book.)
 
December 1994:
- TO TAME A TEXAN'S HEART by Jodi Thomas [historical] (review in RT #129, p. 33)
- WILD HEARTS by Linda Francis Lee (a.k.a Alyssa Lee) (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #129, p. 33; column & ad, p. 46-47)
- COMING HOME by Kathleen Kane (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical]
- PARTING GIFTS by Lorraine Heath (Homespun line) [historical] (review in RT #129, p. 34-35) (The review lists it as a Jove book, but the ratings list on page 29 has it as Diamond. This was her second novel to be published.)
 
January 1995:
- CHARMS by Kathleen Kane (a.k.a. Maureen Child, a.k.a. Ann Carberry) [historical] (review in RT #130, p. 33-34)
- DRIFTER'S MOON by Lisa Hendrix (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #130, p. 36)
- GETTING HITCHED by Ann Justice (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical]
- ANNA'S TREASURE by Dorothy Howell (Homespun line) [historical]
 
February 1995:
- GOLDEN GLORY by Jean Wilson (Wildflower line) [historical] (review in RT #131, p. 40-41)
- HOLDING HANDS by Jo Anne Cassity (A Town Called Harmony series) [historical] (review in RT #131, p. 39-40)
- SOMETHING BORROWED by Rebecca Hagan Lee (Homespun line) [historical]
 
March 1995:
- SO RECKLESS A LOVE by Eileen Winwood [historical] (review in RT #132, p. 33; column & ad, p. 102-103)
- SUMMER SURRENDER by Lynda Kay Carpenter (Wildflower line) [historical]
- AMAZING GRACE by Deborah James (A Town Called Harmony series; last book in the series) [historical]
- HEART'S SONG by Deborah Wood (Homespun line) [historical] (FictionDB lists as Penguin)
- THESE FALLEN ANGELS by Wendy Haley [paranormal; book #2 in vampire series] (review in RT #132, p. 71-72; column & ad, p. 107 -- the ad shows the same painting that was used on the ad in RT #121 for her previous book, THIS DARK PARADISE. Both ads are shown below.)



It appears that March 1995 was the final month for books published under the Diamond imprint. 
 
The FictionDB site continues to list some of the Wildflower and Homespun books as being from Diamond, but the covers of the books themselves, as well as their listings in Romantic Times, indicates that these supposedly Diamond titles are in fact Jove, not Diamond.  See, for example, some of my notes for the rest of 1995:
 
April 1995:
- GENTLE THUNDER by Rebecca Craig (Wildflower line) [historical] (RT #131, p. 122, lists this as a Jove book, but FictionDB lists it as Diamond. The cover appears to have the Jove symbol.)
- FAMILY RECIPE by Pamela Quint Chambers (Homespun line) [historical] (RT #131, p. 122 lists this as a Jove book. As does the review of the book in RT #133, p. 39-40. And the front cover appears to have the Jove symbol.  But FictionDB lists it as a Diamond book.  This may be the first Jove book in the line, as the rest appear to be listed as Jove on FictionDB.)
 
May 1995:
- RECKLESS HEARTS by Bonnie K. Winn (Wildflower line) [historical] (RT #132, p. 122, lists this as a Jove book, as does the review in RT #134, p. 44.  But FictionDB lists it as Diamond. The cover appears to have the Jove symbol.)
 
June 1995:
- TEXAS KISS by Alexandra Blackstone (Wildflower line) [historical] (apparently a Jove book, not Diamond)
 
July 1995:
- GAMBLER'S DESIRE by Maryann O'Brien (Wildflower line) [historical] (Jove, not Diamond; scan of the book on Internet Archive) (review in RT #136, p. 44)  (Note: Final Wildflower release?)
 
September 1995:
- TEA TIME by Dorothy Howell [historical] (Homespun line) (FictionDB lists this book as Diamond, but the symbol on the cover appears to be Jove.)
 
November 1995:
- LILAC CIRCLE by Karen Lockwood [historical] (Homespun line) (FictionDB lists this book as Diamond, but RT #138, p. 121 lists it as Jove.  The symbol on the cover appears to be Jove.)
 
Even a Homespun book published as late as January 1996, HONEYSUCKLE SONG by Lydia Browne, is listed on FictionDB as Diamond, when the symbol on the cover appears to be Jove.  So, it seems safe to say that there were no Diamond titles released after March 1995, regardless of what it may say on a webpage listing like FictionDB.  For Diamond, March 1995 appears to have been the end of the road.

 
The WILDFLOWER line:
 
The Wildflower line was a historical romance line published by Diamond from 1992 to 1995; the 
setting in all of the books was the American Old West.  The line was first mentioned in RT #91, Oct. 1991, p. 41: "Berkley/Jove announced that, as part of the Diamond imprint, they will be publishing Western romances by new writers under the umbrella of the name Wildflower."  The line would debut the following year, initially with two books in July 1992, and then with one book per month thereafter. The covers are identifiable by the row of flowers shown along the bottom and right side of the front covers. 
 
In RT #131 (Feb. 1995), page 86, it was announced that "Berkley is no longer acquiring for the Diamond Wildflower. They are phasing out the line."  The final Wildflower book under Diamond was in March 1995, the same month that Diamond itself seems to have been phased out.  The line continued for the next few months under the Jove imprint, with the final book apparently being published in July 1995.
 
Unlike most of the other Diamond lines (like Homespun, etc.), the monthly Wildflower line does not have its own entry on the FictionDB website.  And I was unable to find a list of them elsewhere online.  So, for the convenience of those readers who would like to collect them all, here is my list of all Wildflower books that I know about, in the order in which they were published:
 
- OUTLAW HEART by Catherine Palmer (July 1992)
- SUMMER ROSE by Bonnie K. Winn (July 1992)
- FRONTIER BRIDE by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (August 1992)
- CAPTIVE ANGEL by Elaine Crawford (September 1992)
- COLORADO TEMPEST by Mary Lou Rich (October 1992)
- GOLDEN FURY by Deborah James (November 1992)
- DESERT FLAME by Anne Harmon (a.k.a Phyllis Herrmann, a.k.a Phyllis DiFrancesco 
& Nina Herrmann) (December 1992)
- BANDIT'S KISS by Mary Lou Rich (sequel to Colorado Tempest) (January 1993)
- AUTUMN BLAZE by Samantha Harte (February 1993)
- RIVER TEMPTRESS by Elaine Crawford (March 1993)
- WYOMING WILDFIRE by Anne Harmon (a.k.a Phyllis Herrmann, a.k.a Phyllis 
DiFrancesco & Nina Herrmann) (April 1993)
- GUNMAN'S LADY by Catherine Palmer (May 1993)
- RECKLESS WIND by Bonnie K. Winn (June 1993)
- NEVADA HEAT by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (July 1993)
- TEXAS JEWEL by Shannon Willow (a.k.a. Gimone Hall) (August 1993)
- REBELLIOUS BRIDE by Donna Fletcher (September 1993)
- RENEGADE FLAME by Catherine Palmer (October 1993)
- SHOTGUN BRIDE by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (November 1993)
- WILD WINDS by Peggy Stoks (December 1993)
- HOSTAGE HEART by Lisa Hendrix (January 1994)
- FORBIDDEN FIRE by Bonnie K. Winn (February 1994)
- WARRIOR'S TOUCH by Deborah James (March 1994)
- RUNAWAY BRIDE by Ann Carberry (a.k.a. Maureen Childs) (April 1994)
- TEXAS ANGEL by Linda Francis Lee (a.k.a Alyssa Lee) (May 1994)
- FRONTIER HEAT by Peggy Stoks (June 1994)
- RECKLESS RIVER by Teresa Southwick (July 1994)
- LIGHTNING STRIKES by Jean Wilson (August 1994)
- TENDER OUTLAW by Deborah James (September 1994)
- MY DESPERADO by Lois Greiman (October 1994)
- NIGHT TRAIN by Maryann O'Brien (November 1994)
- WILD HEARTS by Linda Francis Lee (a.k.a Alyssa Lee) (December 1994)
- DRIFTER'S MOON by Lisa Hendrix (January 1995)
- GOLDEN GLORY by Jean Wilson (February 1995)
- SUMMER SURRENDER by Lynda Kay Carpenter (March 1995)
- GENTLE THUNDER by Rebecca Craig (April 1995) [JOVE]
- RECKLESS HEARTS by Bonnie K. Winn (May 1995) [JOVE]
- TEXAS KISS by Alexandra Blackstone (June 1995) [JOVE]
- GAMBLER'S DESIRE by Maryann O'Brien (July 1995) [JOVE; final book of the line?]