Jan 27 2012
Dear Ms. Zane: I am trying to a) read more self published books in hopes of finding overlooked gems and b) respond positively to more of the authors who take the time to write us and ask for a review. Part of the review query process requires requesting authors to send in an excerpt, usually [...]
Apr 14 2011
Dear Ms. McCarthy: I have a feeling that this might not be the favorite book in the stock car racing series and I am going to blame it on Kendall, the heroine. She is a woman racing in a man’s sport and she feels her minority status keenly. Kendall Holbrook is the only female stock [...]
Jan 30 2010
Dear Ms. Stein: I get several requests a day from authors seeking a review of their book. I generally read the first page of every book I receive for review. Often times the first page is insufficient to keep me reading. The story however opens with an engaging premise, a humorous tone, any promise of [...]
Jan 5 2010
Dear Ms. Dahl: I’m probably not going to do this book justice in the review and I actually have some fear of turning people off the book based on what I am going to write. Robin and I talked about the book and she said it was brave and I agree. It’s brave because Jane, [...]
Jan 2 2010
A Black Tie Affair begins a series about the Smith sisters who are famously as beautiful as the “Cushing, Bouvier, and Miller sisters.” The Smith sisters have had a long history with the Clayworth’s of Chicago, the last event being the hasty termination of their father, former treasurer of the Clayworth department store. There are rumors that Mr. Smith was let go because of something shady and this only serves to foster negative feelings by the Smiths toward the Clayworths, or so we are told.
Athena Smith fell in love with Drew Clayworth and he with her. When his parents died in the Fastnet sailing race, Athena was there for him. Drew felt that Athena had betrayed him and their relationship ended.
Oct 20 2008
I’ve mentioned before that the contemporary romances that doesn’t feature vampires, campy vampires, werewolves, immortal peril, mortal peril, suspense out the wahoo, or extraordinary extraterrestrial extraneous circumstances seem to be fewer and far between. Every now and again I hear declarations that the contemporary romance is a dying subgenre and it’s harder and harder to [...]
Sep 11 2008
Dear Ms. Alexander: One thing that continually frustrates me in romance is the idea that readers will only find one type of male heroic. To wit, that only the alpha male, stern and unyielding, can make the loins aquiver and her heart to pitter pat. This is why the Duke is such a popular role [...]
Jul 19 2008
Dear Mr. Strand, When I read the title of your book “How to Rescue a Dead Princess,” I knew you were a different kind of author. And that I had to read this book. I did and loved it and then went out and bought lots of your other books. You can thank me later [...]
Oct 19 2007
Sandra Hill’s first time traveling romance book was published over 13 years ago before paranormal was even a sub genre. She is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and four anthologies in various genres, including historical, time-travel and contemporary. Hill’s trademark is her humor and you can see it in her titles, Sweeter Savage [...]
May 1 2007
All Scottish men are named Jamie. But that’s only if they’re not called Alistair. All Scottish men wear kilts, even when they were outlawed and even when they didn’t exist. All clans have an identifying tartan. All Scottish men carry claymores. Everyone is a Highlander because the Highlands start right at the border between England [...]
Nov 24 2006
Dear Ms. McCarthy: I thought since yesterday was Thanksgiving, I could get away with not posting today. But then I saw that everyone else in Blogland posted and I can’t be the one to drag us all down even though I ate enough food to feed a village. I hate the holidays. Or rather my [...]
Aug 8 2006
Dear Ms. Dimon: After this book, I am on an anthology diet because as a general rule, I find them dissatisfying. Your stories, particularly your first two, were like a breath of fresh air through the stale anthology shelf. Viva Las Bad Boys is set, well, in Las Vegas, of course. It features three stories [...]
Jun 27 2006
Dear Ms. Cassidy, I needed to pick a Changeling Press book for my epublisher review and yours caught my eye. I’m still not quite sure about the cover art (what happened to the heroine’s head?) but the book is great fun. Kind of “The Incredibles” crossed with a romance book. Kennedy Smith isn’t quite sure [...]
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