Comments on: REVIEW: Mistress of Willowvale by Patricia Veryan

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:40:34 +0000

Oh cool. Research. That means you could deduct it as a business expense. Right? I’m pea-green with envy. ;)

By: Julie Leto

Julie Leto — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:21:01 +0000

Thanks, Jayne. This book sounds like a perfect companion to the research I’m doing on Georgian England for my paranormal series–which is not historical, but has historical characters…if that makes sense. Anyway, my library apparently doesn’t do ILL online either, so I’m heading over today. I also found a copy in Jacksonville and I have a friend there I might ask to get it for me. I appreciate it!

By: Jayne

Jayne — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 09:44:17 +0000

Julie, I had to finally bite the bullet when I bought my copy a few years ago. I think I paid about $30 for it. You could try asking your library to do an Inter-Library Loan. There’s a form to fill out (my local library won’t do this online) which then gets sent out to see if other libraries in the country have a copy they’d loan to yours which would then loan it to you. Or you could keep checking online UBS sites. Every now and then someone will list one at ebay and the bidding won’t go up too high.

By: Julie Leto

Julie Leto — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:53:27 +0000

Where can I find this book? My library doesn’t have it…and eBay sellers want a whole lot o’ money. Even at Amazon it’s over $30. Jayne, was this a rare find?

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 19:54:05 +0000

Her books are kisses only, but she still manages great sexual tension between her heroes and heroines.

I ADORE the old Tom and Sharon Curtis Regencies, and they are also kisses only. IMO, if today’s Romances managed 1/2 of the erotic and romantic tension those old Curtis books did, I’d be one happy reader. I wonder, sometimes, if the genre’s openness to more graphic sexuality has ironically made many of the books less sexy. I would guess that it’s a lot more challenging to use the characters only and not all their intersecting naughty bits to create a palpable erotic spark.

By: Kristie(J)

Kristie(J) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:30:25 +0000

She really did some great covers. Years ago when I was in the depths of my Veryan love I wrote her a letter and she wrote back. She mentioned that she had a blown-up copy of The Tyrant that she had received.
Heh Heh – I’ve visited that site before. Great place to ‘borrow’ covers. The one that really made me chuckle was Ask Me No Questions (when you click on the cover you see the European versions) For those who’ve read her books – the suggestive covers are SO far removed from the type of books she writes it’s actually funny.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:15:14 +0000

Kristie, PV got showered with some good coverluv, didn't she? Some of the foreign covers are fairly awful but most of the US hardback and paperback ones are great. For those who've never seen them, check out this link.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:12:21 +0000

Robin, I agree with Kristie. The Tyrant and Love Alters Not are great books and will give you an idea of whether or not you like her writing style. If you do, I’d see if your library has “Practice” and “Journey.” If not, you can always try for a ILL. I would read the GC series before the JM.

By: Kristie(J)

Kristie(J) — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 17:50:16 +0000

Jayne: I’ve read those DIK reviews a number of times and she does a wonderful job in capturing the feel of the whole series. While still wonderful as stand-alones, when you read all books it really enriches the whole series. I think Love Alters Not is my favourite of this series and indeed of all her books.
And because I’m a visual kind of person *g* except for the PB copy of DV, all her covers are great in PB form. The first Veryan I ever read – Cherished Enemy – I picked up strictly for the cover – and then discovered the real treasure inside!
Robin – I think you could probably read either one of those two you have and get a feel for her style to see if you like her or not. She really isn’t for everyone. Her books are kisses only, but she still manages great sexual tension between her heroes and heroines.

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 16:41:58 +0000

I just picked up Tyrant and Love Alters Not for .01 and 1.50, respectively, figuring that if I love those I’ll choke down the 20 or 30 bucks for each of the first two (the last two are everywhere and they’re cheap). Thanks for posting that DIK AAR review, Jayne; it was exactly the clue I needed to figure out how to approach the buying dilemma. I don’t mind spending a lot for an old Romance (I just got a mint copy of Shana Abe’s The Promise of Rain for 25 bucks, a deal, even though it seems ridiculous), but since I’ve never read Veryan I figured I’d take it slow.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:47:54 +0000

DS, I think her series books would be better enjoyed if read in sequence. Especially the Jewelled Men. The first 4 books of the Golden Chronicles could probably be read in about any order but "Cherished Enemy" and "Dedicated Villain" should be read last. Here's a link with the Chronology. Note that Shipwrecked Spinster and Dangerous Dandy should go after the JM series and not the Riddle series.

By: DS

DS — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:24:57 +0000

She’s a writer I should like and I have most of her books including this one but for some reason I’ve been easily distracted in the past. I think I’ll give them another go and see what happens.

By: Keishon

Keishon — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 12:49:33 +0000

I have found a few of her books, just never tried them. As some are part of a series. This is one author where people keep her books.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 10:02:39 +0000

Lynne, I just checked a few online sellers and there are some copies of MoW for about $30 which would be, what? about Â£15? Not too bad for this book. ;)

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 09:57:58 +0000

Rolly and August both go through a lot on their way to hero status. I think Rolly much more so, though.

PV’s humor delights me each time I read one of her books. The single title Regencies I’ve read don’t seem to have quite as much but the GC and Jm series are brimming with it.

She was the one who brought me back to romance and was a huge contributing force in making me what I am today – romance reader wise (and thus spreading to on-line wise).

Kristie, I used to devour the old Fawcett Crest line of Georgians and Regencies way back when and PC reminds me a lot of them.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 09:50:25 +0000

Marg, an online friend of mine wrote the DIK review at AAR for the GOlden Chronicles series and those are what got me started reading and collecting her novels. I think I just have an anthology left to go before I own everything. I love her writing but admit that I've not yet read the Regency "Riddle" series (not to be confused with the two books she wrote that finish out the GC and JM series that also have "Riddle" in the titles) which are considered her weakest books. If you take the Veryan plunge, be prepared to pay a lot for a few of the titles. For some reason, there are about 5-6 which are very expensive though the others can be found for resonable prices.

By: Kristie(J)

Kristie(J) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:41:44 +0000

Jayne – hope you don’t mind me taking over *g*
Renee – I found some copies and posted ‘em at my place

By: Lynne

Lynne — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:38:34 +0000

The Dedicated Villain is my favorite Veryan, ever. I’m afraid to reread it because I halfway suspect it’s much cheesier than my current tastes in reading, but I have fond memories nonetheless.

I finally had to get MoW from the library after I couldn’t find it for under $80 online. I have no idea what it’s selling for, these days.

By: WandaSue

WandaSue — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:22:47 +0000

I remember reading “MOW” ages ago. Twenty years ago, at least. And boy, did I fall hard for Kit. Honorable, kind, vulnerable, and funny. Yeah, Leonie was shadowy, but she loved him so much, so … whatever. And I loved the little boy, Alexander. The rapport he and Kit develop, which gradually shifts into love, was very well done. This one of my favorite books of all time. If only knew what happened to my tattered copy of it …

By: RenÃ©eW

Kristie: Yes, he was the villain of previous 5 books so he went through a lot, poor guy. But when he finally gets his HEA… wow, it was wonderful. The hardback cover of this was beautiful as I recall.