Dec 5 2007
REVIEW: Wrapped and Ready by Julie Kenner
Dear Mrs. Kenner,
I was excited to see this novella offered for free at Fictionwise. I usually enjoy your books and was looking forward to a sexy start to the Christmas season. Well, after reading it, I was reminded of the saying ‘you get what you pay for.’
When I think of your latest series, I think of a writer who can change plots around to give readers something new. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing new or different about this one. We get a standard lower class heroine, Annie Silver, who’s lusted for hero for years and decides to “go for it” for “one night to remember” before she heads off to NYC. Brent Carrington has lusted after her for years as well but never made a move. Right. One night of hot sex (on the floor, in a department store basement no less) and it’s the bestest either has ever had. Forevah. All I can say is they must have been having really bad sex all their lives. Anyway, it’s instant love though neither will admit it. They will admit to the hots for each other. Insert scenes of hot sex. Then Brent finally finds the balls to tell daddy he doesn’t want to run the family store. I hope his backbone doesn’t remelt during his stint in law school.
“Wrapped and Ready” is okay but nothing new and certainly offers none of the plot innovations I’m used to seeing from you. I would have been annoyed to have paid for it. C
~Jayne
Available now for 0.84 at Fictionwise
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Dec 05, 2007 @ 09:22:50
Jayne–Just FYI, I am pretty sure all of the Harlequin Minis are former “free online reads” that were offered on eHarlequin in years past. This one probably dates back to pretty early in Julie’s career. (I know the one they have of mine is from 2002.)
Those free online reads can be a lot of fun to do, but they really are limiting in length and allowable content.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 09:58:56
Ah, so this is Kenner-The Early Years? It kind of shows if it is.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 10:19:51
Leslie beat me to it. I remember reading this one at least 2 years ago when it was a free online read. I downloaded it thinking it was something new. And when I was done I scrolled back to the beginning of the ebook to check the copyright statement, which says 2007. Nonetheless, it is NOT new. I bet I’ll find I’ve also read the free Julia James I downloaded.
Not a big deal, since they were free. And now I’m off to spend big bucks at today’s half off sale at eHarlequin.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 11:03:27
I enjoyed reading this story and I am a big fan of Julie Kenner, but I have to agree with Jayne’s review. I found this one to be just Okay.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 11:16:53
It’s a bit dangerous, isn’t it, to re-release old work that isn’t very polished as representative of the work being published today? I suppose Kenner is with Berkley/NAL whatever now and has no control over it but ouch. Not a good introduction to her work.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 11:30:14
Not just that…these stories were not intended to be released as one story…they were a series of chapters released on a weekly or daily basis…so they were written–at least mine were–in a very different way than I would have written a story that was meant to be read all in one sitting. And yes, they are pretty much the early work of a great many authors. I wrote my last one at least five years ago–maybe more.
Authors have no control over how these stories are released. They were pretty much work for hire. The authors get nothing financially from these, even if readers pay for them. I’m not complaining…we knew that going in. They were promotional work FOR THE TIME.
Dec 05, 2007 @ 14:39:50
Definitely. I downloaded both of those from Fictionwise to “try” the authors. Thanks for letting us know they’re not really representative.