The issue for me with James is that I always get the feeling that she is trying to experiment with cliches and structure and make romances out of things that readers wouldn’t find romantic: i.e. an adulterous husband who is a crappy lover, a pot-bellied drunk, a hero who loves to wear lace. Or a hero who believes he’s in love with someone else for most of the book. But it’s like she’s trying too hard, and oftentimes something in the execution falls flat. I really don’t think it’s that we are not smart, there’s just not enough nuance there often enough. Or enough for me, at any rate. She loses sight of the romance a bit.

I will continue reading her books though, for a number of reasons others mentioned. She’s got a nice touch with the characterization and the turn of phrase. But I’m hitting the library from now on.

Yeah, I was not a fan of this one. I was so meh about it that I decided not to review it at all.

However, I, like Danielle, really really really hoped she would have “pulled a fast one” on us and not have given Mayne to Josie. I argued with my friends about it for months between ToD and PfP, not willing to buy into the Mayne and Josie setup. I didn’t want it to be that. I wanted Josie’s story and her hero to be unexpected and fresh–like she is.

I really hoped, even, at the beginning, that Josie might end up with Darlington! Wouldn’t that have been fun? Even though I “knew” it was going to be Mayne, I thought, wow. Wouldn’t it have been interesting if James had done that?

Pushed the envelope?

I mean, if she could make us believe (and that is a little debatable) that Mayne really loved Josie so quickly on the heels of loving Sylvie, why couldn’t she have redeemed Darlington for Josie instead of Griselda?

However, I did enjoy the book, I must say. There were parts that I skimmed, but I still read it straight through because I really wanted to see if she could make me believe that Josie and Mayne truly belonged together–since I’d been so adamant for so long that they didn’t.

Did she succeed? Meh. Not 100%, but I did buy into it.

I didn’t even buy TotD, I got it from my library. And my reaction to it was the same as last night’s: I shook my head and sighed. I so want Ms. James to succeed. I had heard about her unique approach to romance and went to meet her at a book signing. We had such a lovely conversation and I decided afterward to buy Much Ado About You.

The problem for me is that I have never been able to get caught up in any of the romances. The writing, yes, very good, and in PfB, it is better than I have ever seen it. But the chemistry between the characters is just not there. Maybe the problem is that these characters are modern placed in a Regency setting? (I’ve heard this criticism). I think a more pressing issue is that even those who loved the book (from what I read on her bulletin board, which really is lots of fun), is that we just don’t get enough time with Josie and Mayne to really believe in their love. We definitely didn’t need to be in Thurman’s head so much. Unless he is going to be a future hero in his own story–doubtful, but who knows?–there was too much detail and backstory for him. Who on earth is Emily Blechstedt? and why do we care? She and Griselda had a whole scene together, well done, but not needed. In general, I felt stretched in too many directions–which is saying something, since I’m a sales assistant to 14 people and can handle lots of stretch.

If I could give one bit of advice to Ms. James it would to focus on making her scenes connect. Know when to show and when to tell. It is such a common struggle for writers, including myself, but it something worth mastering. But I am positive she will have a lot less disgruntled readers. And her books will be worthy of her writing–if that makes sense to anyone.

Kit – I just don’t know. Alot of times I think it is me, as the reader, being inadequate for the book. I view James as being very intelligent and very educated and a very good writer. Maybe she tries things that are just over my head. There were certainly nuances in TOD that she thought were very clear and I couldn’t really understand even after reading the Spoiler Trail.

Estelle – You may be right – that romance isn’t the place for her. Maybe if the romance was secondary to the characterizations (actually it is secondary). Or maybe if my expectations weren’t that this is a romance, I wouldn’t be so disappointed.

The secondary romance didn’t bother me as much as it did you but that’s because I skipped most of it. I was so flabbagasted by what was going on with Mayne ‘Love meter’ that I wanted to see how the trainwreck was going to end. And now that I’ve finished the book I have no desire to go back and read it again.

After I finished PFP I found myself wondering whether James was really at home in the Romance genre. Her books read more like a cross between Chicklit and Women’s fiction IMO.

I haven’t read the book yet, but so far from what I read…I have a feeling I’m going to be disappointed again. I was so disappointed in The
Taming of the Duke.

Great review.