Are any of these good?

In my efforts to stave off reading ennui (good historical word), I got some more books from the library. My pile is getting very big! Anyway, I was thinking that while I love historicals, but I always stick with the tried and true (Kleypas, Carlyle, Chase). I never try anything new.

With that in mind I grabbed these:



Once a Scoundrel by Candice Hern--Ugh, I felt weird having the circ lady check this out. I hate clinch covers. Is this author any good?



To Wed a Scandalous Spy by Celeste Bradley--I know nothing about this author, except that in one of her books, the hero has a very big shlong, which is why I picked up this one (does that make me a bad person?). But this is not it, apparently.



Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory--This should be decent. I loved "The Proposition", and I've heard a lot of good things about Ms. Ivory's books.

For change of pace, I also got See Delphi and Die by Lindsey Davis. I've been reading this mystery series, set in Ancient Rome, since I was a freshman in High School. Then I checked out Why Buffy Matters: the Art of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is the one I ended up reading. I'm about halfway through. I'm amazed by the proliferation of academic Buffy books. This author is reperatedly referred to as a leading "Buffy Studies" scholar. Buffy Studies? Can you imagine if it becomes a major one day? I can remember people scoffing at Women's Studies not that long ago.

So anyone got any hisotical favorites for me to check out? I want to try Julie Ann Long. A couple of bloggers have mentioned her lately, but she's not at the libraries I frequent. Although it's overdone, I do love the early 19th century setting. Not a fan of Medievals. Wouldn't mind seeing something set in America or elsewhere.