Dear Author » lynne-connolly

REVIEW: A Betting Chance by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:00:28 +0000

Sapphira Vardon needs five thousand pounds to avoid a cruel marriage and a grim future, and there's only one path for her. Don a mask and an assumed name, and risk everything to win at the gaming tables. First, though, she has to get through the door. Luckily she knows just whose name to drop.

Corin, Lord Elston, is curious to find out who used his name to gain entrance to Mother Brown's whorehouse and gaming hell. The enigmatic woman who calls herself Lucia isn't the sort of female usually found here. Behind her mask and heavy makeup, she's obviously a respectable woman-’who plays a devilish hand of cards.

Sapphira is desperate to keep her identity a secret, but Lord Elston's devastating kisses and touches demand complete surrender. And once he learns the truth, there's more at stake than guineas. Corin finds himself falling hard for a woman who's poised to run. A woman who's about to learn that he only plays to win-

Dear Mrs Connolly,

Since this is the fourth book in the Triple Countess series, perhaps it should be relabeled as the Countess Quartet? Anyway, on to my thoughts.

My, my this is a rather a grim look at 18th century fathers where even the kindest of them might easily resort to corporal punishment. And what does it say for society in general that Sapphira accepted the fact that her father whipped her and she still considered him one of the good ones? Times have certainly changed for the better here.

If there’s one thing I always look forward to in your books it’s the examination of another facet of 18th century life. The look into the life of a Cit woman – how she views the hawkers, sellers and constant sounds of London is new and I found it very interesting. Sapphira is a City woman born and raised and doesn’t feel at home anywhere else. I wish there had been a few scenes of Sapphia actually helping her father in his business but the glimpses to a time when a man’s word was his bond shows another way we’ve changed into a society where everything has to be in writing and even then people will try and back out. You also show how important London businesses and merchants are in the world economy.

I used to read a magazine called Colonial Homes that did a spread one time about a restored house in Spitalfields. I kept the pictures of it in mind as I read this book.

I like Sapphira’s pragmatic approach to marriage in that she’s not a girl with her head in the clouds about falling in love. All she wants is comfortable, kind and maybe someone who can have fun. Or even just even tempered and someone she can rub along with. To then be faced with the husband her father has picked for her – gadzooks, what a horror. Would the bizarre Barbers be considered that bizarre by their fellow Londoners? Are they Church of England or one of the newer, fiercely religious sects? Oi what a life to have to deal with them as in-laws.

Clever Sapphira has an escape plan worked out instead of just bolting and running with no destination, money, or papers as so many silly heroines do in romance novels. I did notice that at first she’s going to Coventry but when she actually purchases her ticket, she’s heading to Bristol but later laughs with Corin that she’d be in Coventry now if he hadn’t have come up with the plan that got her free of her father. She even would have been able to explain away any unintentional pregnancy from her “one night of love.” And Corin knows full well the price to Sapphira for losing her virginity – I hate the cavalier heroes who don’t.

The relationship between a romance hero and his family is so often fraught with friction that it’s nice to see how well Corin gets along with his as shown by the fun scenes of Corin and his mother laughing together at the first ball. Corin’s explanation of how he flies under the radar of the marriage mamas is smart and shrewd tactics. Did society men exchange tips? “Ways to Keep Marriage Minded Mamas at Bay:101?” One of my favorite scenes in the book is the slip sliding dance on the overly polished floor. Fact? If not, it’s a brilliant bit of fun and brought to mind hilarious mental images of hooped skirts and coat tails flying. Break dancing 18th century style. Bet the servants laughed their heads off when back downstairs.

I love Mother Brown – a good, honest, earthy business woman who takes no prisoners but also plays fair – even if that’s because just because it’s good for business. It’s also fun to see these polished society men with their coats off and relaxed. I can see how they’d be a little pissed to have a respectable woman invade this place where they go to relax. They have to behave themselves again, dammit. What kind of guidebooks are you referring to that say that Mother Brown’s is one of the best whorehouses in London? There were such things? I thought it more word of mouth.

The contrast between Welby and the other men at gambling tables is the second new and interesting way of showing the fine distinctions in social status in this book. His flashy but poorly made clothes, his slight air of deference to the other men, his ignorance of current affairs all tell even Sapphira that he’s low on the food chain. Would the final accusations against him follow him home and for the rest of his life? I had thought any accusations of cheating would be dealt with immediately then and not excused for any reason. The final lesson to Welby sounds like it would be a sight to behold by those who cottoned on that something was happening. Retribution at the hands of the masters in the art.

I know it’s your favorite plot to have your hero and heroine fall almost instantly in love but not having any, or very little, conflict between the two forces all the conflict outward and is getting repetitious. Plus I’m finding it hard to believe that all the couples in the worlds that you create have this instant, total and complete attraction to each other. Surely somebody needs a little coaxing or time to discover the wonders of their future spouse? But this does make it easier to believe that Sapphira, who starts the book with a deep seated feeling of EMFH, would be so willing to quickly trust Corin.

Love the sex but maybe not quite so many pages devoted to nothing but their total bliss. Even here everything is totally fantastic from the start including almost no pain the first time. The scene at coaching inn was almost too much.

Oh, Corin, typical man who thinks Sapphira knows what he intends and then is astounded she didn’t know his plans for marriage. How might they work out a marriage portion for Sapphira and any future daughters? What is the Mary Blandy case? Is the Belle Sauvage still in existence or did you make this up? Oh dear about last bit. I hoped something like this wouldn’t happen. I hate to say it but sometimes your villains take a turn for the absurd.

It’s fun to see the dynamic duo of Strang and Freddie at cards again. Now, remember, you promised us something for Freddie. Alethea, the minx, seems like she’d be jolly good fun to be around and up for about anything. Will we see more of her?

Well, I hope that Corin and Sapphira throw some marvelous card parties once they start to entertain. And that Sapphira manages to get used to life in the country at whatever Stately Heap Corin eventually inherits. Perhaps he’ll pay the servants to stand outside her windows and pretend to hawk things. B-

~Jayne

REVIEW: Hareton Hall by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:00:49 +0000

Dear. Ms Connelly,

At this point, I think writing a review in this series would be hard to do and still manage to avoid spoilers so, though I’m going to try, I can’t guarantee anything. In “Hareton Hall,” you have Richard and Rose plus their daughter Helen and Richard’s brother Gervase, journey to Rose’s childhood home in Devonshire, all done up now, to witness two marriages. But by the time it’s all said and done, the smugglers from book two will make another appearance, a frightening disease will strike down a beautiful young woman and someone from Richard’s past will begin a plan of revenge.

Though there are still things I enjoy about this series, I’m beginning to wonder if it hasn’t gone stale for me. The care you take with getting the historical details correct is a joy to me. Imagining Rose’s gorgeous new clothes and sumptuous jewelry is great fun. Reading about men who positively delighted in wearing lavender evening coats, powdered wigs and smallswords makes me swoon. And I’d love to witness some of Richard’s practiced, polished public moves: taking snuff, disposing of the skirts of his coat or making a magnificent leg to the lady of his choice.

It’s nice to see Rose’s family again and watch them settling into their newly redesigned old home place now made grand for James’s new Earldom. I see that it hasn’t changed his wife Martha’s practical nature nor her concern to be sure Rose is truly happy in her grand society marriage. I also like that Rose hasn’t forgotten those who were kind to her while she was growing up or that she’s not above a bit of Ladying it over those who snubbed her. She’s only human after all.

But there are some issues in the story and with the characters that didn’t work for me. The biggest is the way in which Richard deals with, or rather doesn’t deal with, the villain. I can see why Richard wouldn’t want to hand him over to the authorities but this is someone who threatened Rose – on more than one occasion, was willing to use germ warfare – which has affected the life of another young woman for life and which could easily have spread far wider, and who obviously isn’t going to reform. Just saying that he’ll have the person watched until that person’s inevitable downfall doesn’t cut it.

Since there is so little conflict between Richard and Rose, it all must come from others and frankly the whole smuggling subplot got boring. When I had finished the book and began thinking back, it hit me that it all just seemed to go on endlessly and meant nothing to me. The bit about their old enemies the Drurys also basically went nowhere until suddenly Stephen gets hauled front and center for a short act then dropped just as quickly. I also wanted to see a bit more about Lizzie and her fantastic wedding only to end up getting very little of this.

The Kerres have seen Richard’s love for Rose and now her family gets a taste of it. Rose has had her chance to do the “Lady Strang” thing in Exeter so I would hope that this will lessen in scope for any future novels. As well, despite the fact that Richard is *so* private about his feelings for Rose, he’s let them show so damn much that the whole country ought to know of them by now. Just get them the matching tattoos done and T-shirts to wear and drop this.

But my major disappointment with this book is the romance I’ve been awaiting for Gervase. Finally, finally Richard’s brother finds true love. After suffering heartache as a young man, then self banishing himself to India after which he returned and watched his twin find love with Rose, Gervase has been one I’ve wanted to see get his own HEA. I had an idea of who might turn out to be his love interest and wasn’t wrong. Yet, you don’t show him falling in love. Gervase simply confesses to Rose whom he loves and Rose finds out that the love is reciprocated and, ta-da! it’s over. Wha…t Where’s the suspense? Where’s the conflict? Nowhere and I felt cheated to have waited 5 books for this.

I’m not even sure that you plan further adventures for Richard and Rose though the ending of this one sort of leads me to believe there will be more books. After all there’re villains to deal with and one pissy younger sister of Rose’s to sort out plus an heir for Rose to produce. I just hope that Rose makes some more progress in becoming the grand lady and that I don’t have to read too much more about Richard’s public displays of his private feelings. C

~Jayne

Book Link | Kindle | nook | Sony| All Romance eBooks

Dear Author Recommends for February

Jane — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:57:03 +0000

You can get a discount on some of the recommended reads at Books on Board.

Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh recommended by Jane (but Janine didn’t like it as much)
Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione recommended by Jane
Eyton by Lynne Connolly recommended by Jayne
Twice as Hot by Gena Showalter (100% micropay rebate at Fictionwise) recommended by Shuzluva
My Darling Caroline by Adele Ashworth (it should be noted that this book is the subject to some dispute between Jane who really enjoyed it and Jayne who loathed it)
Bachelor Cop by Carolyn McSparren recommended by Jane
The Rich Man’s Blackmailed Mistress by Robyn Donald recommended by Jane
Pride/Prejudice by Ann Henreedon recommended by Joan aka Dr. Sarah
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale recommended by Dr. Sarah and Janet/Robin
Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis by new reviewer Jaclyn and Janet/Robin (review coming today)

REVIEW: Eyton by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:20:46 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

At last, at last. The continuation of the series faithful fans have been waiting for. It all started years ago with “Yorkshire,” “Devonshire,” “Venice” and “Harley Street” as we watched the aristocratic Richard Kerre, heir to the Earldom of Southland, and Rose Golightly, daughter of the gentry, fall in love at first sight then battle for the right to marry. Everyone said it would fail, that rake Richard would never stay true to quiet wallflowerish Rose. But these two knew their own hearts and found in each other that which most married couples didn’t even bother to look for: true love.

Now Rose has finally given birth to their first child. I say finally not because it’s been so long since R&R were married but rather it’s been so long since the last book in the series, “Harley Street,” when Rose announced her “interesting condition.” What was it? five years? Not even elephants stay pregnant that long! [G] Anyway, the Kerre family is gathering to celebrate the birth of young Helen (I totally agree with Rose’s reaction to the name suggestions Richard jokingly made) and love, theft and murder are in the air. Can R&R further the cause of true love, discover who’s got the light fingers, solve a murder and keep scandal away from the family?

I love the snapshot of the mid-eighteenth century presented in these stories. Your history is definitely not wallpaper but detailed, in depth, well researched and integrated into the fabric of the plot. R&R discover that the theft of a necklace ties in with the murder of one of the victims but to do this requires learning about the working class victim, his duties, his opportunities, his past and who might have directed his actions. This allows us to see a comparison between the aristocratic world of the Kerres and that of their working class servants.

But when the crime seems headed in the direction that would hit close to home with the Kerre family, Richard, who has a passionate interest in seeing justice done, is caught in a dilemma. Does he let nature take its course and risk a scandal for the family or does he work behind the scenes and do what’s right but not necessarily legal?

The eighteenth century world doesn’t seem that much different from today in that the masses avidly read about the rich and famous and are just waiting for the great families/famous celebrities to flub up. And you make quite clear what flubbing up for the Kerres would mean – difficulty in making advantageous marriages, weakening the power of the Earldom and wrecking the chances of Gervase who is standing for Parliament.

I like how you also use this subplot to point out the first bit of contention between Richard and Rose. Raised in the gentry, Rose is bothered by Richard’s decision to not only not tell the constable the truth but to actually lead the man’s investigation astray. Up until now, the personal differences R&R faced were seemingly minor and easily overcome by their love for each other. But here’s something that will present Rose with a major division between her old life and her new one. This showcases one of the strengths of the series – that it portrays the evolving relationship between these two characters as would be expected in any marriage.

In the previous books, Rose is seen to be struggling a little to find her way in her new world. In “Eyton” I’m glad to see that her confidence, or at least her public acting ability, is increasing. She’s not just aping the great lady anymore but we see that she’s slowly becoming one. She’s also a new mother, dealing with the changes that brings to her station and to those who, up until now, had stood closer in the line of succession to the Earldom.

As well, she’s worried about how motherhood might change her relationship with Richard – which surely all new mothers must feel. Richard is a champ in this department, displaying his love for his wife and new daughter to their family and in some cases to the masses. I have to admit that I got tired of having the point driven home about Richard’s public mask of aristocratic hauteur and how he sometimes lets it slip to show his real feelings for Rose. I recall it from the previous books and didn’t need a reminder every other chapter.

And now for the questions. You know I always have questions about your books. Is Eyton based on any particular stately home? Were international marriages among the aristocracy common? How did the Kerre family silver avoid being melted down to support the King during the Civil War? Are there prospects for Georgianna? And of course I’m still “Waiting for Gervase.”

Though new readers could actually start the series with this book, I would suggest beginning at the beginning to catch all the references and see the evolution of Richard and Rose’s relationship. I’m thrilled to see the series continuing and eagerly waiting for the next installment. B for “Eyton.”

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Samhain.

First Pages That Have Sold

Jane — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:00:06 +0000

Someone asked me if anyone’s first page that appeared here for critique is now for sale. I’m pleased to give you an update on three authors.

Kaye Syke’s Teacher’s Guide to Wildlife was featured on First Page Saturday last August and is now for sale by Samhain.
Lynne Connolly’s First Page entry sold to Ellora’s Cave and will be coming out as a Red Heat. The release date and cover art is to be announced.
S.W. Vaughn, one of the earliest participants, has not yet sold the first page she offered up for critique here, but Hunted, a fantasy romance, has been on sale at Lyrical Press, Inc., since June 2009.

REVIEW: Tantalizing Secrets by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:00:39 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

I must thank you for continuing to write in my favorite historical era, the Georgian. There’s just something I adore about strong men in powdered wigs, wearing bright colored coats with small swords at their sides. Oh, and red heeled shoes. Can’t forget those. Period paintings make them look so dashing and their ladies fair seem so dainty. But enough of my period gushing and on to the book.

“Tantalizing Secrets,” book three in your Secrets Trilogy takes us to Peter Worsley, second son of an Earl who is forging his way through London politics. Or was until the day that a young woman appears at the family pile bearing a letter from her dead brother-in-law who was a land steward to the Worsley family. Or was he?

Peter and his father immediately recognize the handwriting of the eldest son of the family, Gerald. But Arabella Mason says the man’s name was Lewis Worth and that he was married to her sister and was the father of her nephew. Secret number one. Peter knows he has to check this story out because if it’s true, then his brother was up to his neck in bigamy, already being married for the past ten years until his first wife died two years ago. If, at that point, Gerald remarried wife number two, then their son would be the heir and Peter off the hook.

What? A second son who doesn’t want the title? But indeed yes. Peter is quite happy as a politician and would desperately love to dodge this bullet. Arabella Mason cares little for this being only interested in her sister’s interests. She agrees to take Peter along with her to confirm his brother’s identity and see if a remarriage occurred.

Events quickly spiral into deeper complications as Peter begins to look into the manner of his brother’s death. Something’s definitely wrong in the town of Leicester. His brother was afraid of heights so why did he venture up onto the tower of the local church? Secret two. The button factory owned by Arabella’s late husband turns out a quality product but are clothes fasteners the only thing being made there? Secret three. And what is Peter going to do with the attraction he feels for this young woman who moves in a world so different from his own? Major secret four.

With this book, you place us squarely in the world of the upper middle class in a medium size town of mid-eighteenth century England. And thus highlight the social differences between Peter and Arabella. Though he was not raised to be the heir to his father’s title, his world is that of the aristocrat while Arabella, the daughter of an impoverished vicar, is thought to have improved her status by her first marriage to an older tradesman.

Peter, who has never felt more than dutiful affection for his distant parents nor an overwhelming sense of “home sweet home” for Ulverscroft House, finds himself charmed by Arabella in her natural world. No one’s bowing or scraping to his position. No one’s importuning him as a government official. Here he can relax, lightly flirt with the local ladies and pursue his interest in Arabella. I found that to be a refreshing change. He’s a man of the world, ready to indulge himself with a pretty woman should she prove willing.

Arabella is not, thank God, a virgin widow. True she didn’t climb the heights of ecstasy with her older husband but she’s direct enough to respond to Peter’s openly stated designs on her bed and person. No missish “should I or shouldn’t I” waffling from her. Once they find themselves in bed, she gives as good as she gets and enjoys herself immensely.

I would like to have seen more of Peter as a rake before he met Arabella. Yes, he does have to face his past when it threatens his future but the tantalizing, sorry I just couldn’t resist, glimpse of his sexual interests in heady London remained just that. You say he was bad, the gossip columns tittered about his badness, staid older matrons sniffed at his exploits but, gosh darn it, I wanted to see some of them.

The reason behind Peter’s decision to marry and produce an heir was also a breath of fresh air. I’ve often wondered what happens to aristocratic families headed by someone who just isn’t cut out for the responsibilities thrust upon them by primogeniture. Isn’t the current Duke of Marlborough still having problems with his heir? But, hey, you gave us bigamy so that counts for something. I know you often use historical events as a basis for things in your books so I must ask if this is one of them.

The actions of the villain of the story are more plausible to me than in the previous book. Yet there is still a slight degree of “where did this come from?” And where were all the agents of the Crown when things went down?

I feel for poor Arabella, having to take on Ulverscroft House. Though she indulges in one too many, “why are you interested in little ol’ me” moments with Peter, I think she’ll be able to take on her new responsibilities seeing how well she managed her own home. Plus she’ll have her new friends to help her be a Countess. And if you must bow to the pressure of having each one of your heroes end up a lord, at least you often pick the most abundant title.

When you introduced this series, you mentioned that each one would feature an interest that became fashionable in the eighteenth century. So far, we’ve seen chicken husbandry, astrology, and optics but what, may I ask, is the feature for this book? Button making?

Since this book ends this trilogy, I hope that you have more Georgian plots and books in store for us. I can count on being immersed in the era and learning something new to me each time. Though I wouldn’t mind reenacting a short amount of time “back in the day,” I will admit to being happy my house doesn’t require burning several trees to heat the entry hall in winter. B

~Jayne

This book can be purchased in ebook format from Samhain Publishing.

REVIEW: Alluring Secrets by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:00:28 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

“Alluring Secrets” is the second story of this latest trio available from Samhain Publishing. While it’s going to get a better grade than the first story, “Seductive Secrets,” there were still a few things that didn’t work quite right for me.

Penelope Makepiece is a young woman of aristocratic family who’s been invited, along with the young man who’s expected to offer for her, to a houseparty held by the older brother of Penny’s friend Antonia. Penny both anticipates and dreads it. She’s not crazy about the arranged match with her cousin Toby – though it will neatly tie the family fortune she’s due to inherit upon her heirless father’s eventual death with the title Toby himself will gain – and she’s been in love with Antonia’s brother Severus Granville, Earl of Swithland for years.

Severus is also dreading his own party. In a drunken moment, he set up the whole thing as a way to finally choose a bride from amongst the lovelies on the marriage mart. But now he feels like a buyer at a horse auction when the horses are flirting like mad with him and their parents are worse. One by one he decides he can’t face a future married to any of them but he’s got to choose someone or risk pissing off a goodly number of people.

But as the party progresses, he begins to see and really notice Penny. Kind, sensible, intelligent – and he’s enthralled by her secret hobby of stock picking – eligible and easy to talk to. She’s a woman he can actually imagine sitting across from at the breakfast table in the coming years without shooting himself at the thought. But has his “Wow, I could have had a V-8!” moment of revelation come too late?

While I’m not quite as nearsighted as Penelope, I’ve had times when I didn’t have my glasses or contact lenses in and couldn’t see squat. I feel for the poor dear – what with her relations who think it unbecoming, for whatever reasons, for her to wear her spectacles and her poorly adjusted lens strengths. Her delight in finally being able to see properly ought to have told her family what they’d put her through. Sev’s varied optical prezzies to her – I love the diamond edged ones – showed how much he was growing to care for her.

You include a little bit of Severus’s hobby/interest but I would like to have seen more. Perhaps a quiet, closing scene of Penny and Sev up at night, sitting in his mini-observatory, happily charting Venus together.

Jan has mentioned and I think I have too, how your books give such a wonderful feel for the period. Instead of just a catalogue of the various articles of clothing worn at the time, we see how the wearer felt in them. How the stays constricted and how the heat felt through all the layers of batting and boning. How a woman had to plan her sitting movements while wearing her side hoops. And when Penny rescues the kitten, how difficult it would be to move and maneuver and even get back upright in all of it.

Most of the action takes place in a Stately Home. A very stately home, indeed. Even though Penny has spent a good deal of time there and knows it rather well, there are still times she gets turned around and whole areas of the house she’s never seen. I enjoyed your trick of using the paying visitors to allow the housekeeper to describe some of the state rooms to us, the readers. And Sev’s impish dance with the matron shows the decent man he is.

Like the R&R series, Penny is more a mouse to Sev’s glorious peacock. He’s sought after, titled, rich, good looking, has some rakish qualities. She’s quiet, retiring, not in the forefront of their upper class world. His growing affection then love for her lights her inner candle so by the end of the story, she glows in his presence. He breaks his role of haughty lord to show, in little but telling ways, how much he feels for her so that society can see that these two will have that rarity in this world – the love match.

Unlike the Richard and Rose series, Penelope is no gentry interloper into this aristocratic world. Though I don’t recall you mentioning her father’s rank, he must at least be a Baron or Viscount. But while she’s a member of this societal class, her poor vision and retiring manner have, in effect, set her apart from her peers. In Antonia she has a best friend who knows and understands her. And while I appreciate watching her stepping up, clothing wise, to her new position, I like that she’s not all that sure she wants to become an arbiter of fashion, thus changing the nature of who she still is.

Yet, while I like watching what has come to be a trademark pairing from you of hero and heroine in a Georgian setting, by the same token, I feel I’ve read it before. I know you like to show a quiet heroine finding love with a flashy hero but just once, I’d love to see a heroine with a little more confidence in herself and a hero a tad more unsure of himself from your pen.

And then there’s the villain of the story. Right from the start, I knew we were in for trouble with this one. And my feeling was justified in more ways than one. Yes, he was nothing but villainous with, I thought, little depth of character, but also the sudden switch in gears of the story felt wrong. Here we’d had a gentle houseparty plot, a quiet, well mannered story which suddenly turns into an action adventure. “WTF?” I thought. “Where did this come from?” And then the villain turned out to be one of those annoying “just won’t shut up and die” types. I hate those types.

I was also mystified by something during the rescue. Here we have Sev and his best friend, riding vente a terre after his abducted fiancee with the villain having at least a 10 hour lead time on them and they stop for lunch. Yes, I can see the need to stop and inquire whether or not a coach has passed that way and I can even see the need for sustenance to sustain them while they gallop hell for leather. But not stopping long enough to eat a pigeon pie and down some pints. Had I been Sev, the culinary concoction eaten by so many today would not be known as the “sandwich” but rather as the “swithland” after the man who refused to take the time away from his pursuit to eat a proper sit down meal.

But I also must ask, since you base so much of your plots on actual events of the time, did this type of abduction actually occur? I know that it was common in the seventeenth century to abduct an heiress and force a marriage but did anyone ever try to sail off with one?

I will admit to looking forward to the last book in this series about Peter the politician. From things you hinted at in the first book, Peter isn’t particular about with whom he takes his pleasure in London. Could be interesting. In the meantime, B- for “Alluring Secrets.”

~Jayne

Dear Author Recommends for December

Jane — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:00:55 +0000

I hope you spent all your cash on last month’s recommended reads because this month has slim pickings. (Obviously, this is a good opportunity for you readers to jump in here and say “read this, it was awesome.”)

Collision Course by K. A. Mitchell from Samhain is a wonderful gay male romance between Joey, a hyperactive social worker, and Aaron, a paramedic. One of the many great things about this book is that the men’s jobs are not just props, but integral to their personalities, their conflict, and the resolution of their story. Mitchell’s writing is brilliant–these are real people, with real personalities, real flaws, and real internal and emotional conflict. And the sex is smoking hot! Mitchell has the too-rare skill of writing multiple sex scenes and yet making them all different because they’re about the emotions, not the body parts. A hot romance, but one focused purely on the romance, which is refreshing in this paranormal and suspense age. Recommended (and to be reviewed soon) by Joan/Sarah F.

Jan, Jayne and I all recommend Yorkshire by Lynne Connolly. We gave away a few copies but it’s only $2.25 at MyBookstore and More for a full length, Georgian novel with an unusual hero and a smart, plain heroine. There’s intrigue, awesome comeuppance, hot sex, and a great pairing. Plus Connolly does a good job at incorporating societal structure to provide conflict. This is no wallpaper historical. You can read the conversational review here.

Jan also recommends Red Blinds the Foolish by Est Em. It’s a really unusual BL manga of high caliber about matador and the butcher who disposes of the bulls once he’s finished with them. It’s a weird subject matter used to great symbolic effect in her hands. The art is just gorgeous. (There will be no review of this book).

In Beth Kery’s Wicked Burn, I read one of the better erotic romances of late. Niall Chandler and Vic Savian live next door to one another in a high end apartment complex in Chicago. They’ve been attracted to each other but haven’t acted on their attraction until Vic hears Niall being hassled outside her apartment one night by an over eager date. Vic dispatches the date and the two embark on steamy encounter after steamy encounter. The two start dating and it seems that there is little conflict to impede the two from moving foward to the inevitable happy ending. Niall, however, has a big secret and ultimately her inability to lance the boil, so to speak, with Vic leads to a wound in their relationship that seems insurmountable. Vic, the hero, has a strong personality and it overshadows Niall from time to time. If you like your men hot, earthy, and alpha, then Vic is for you. Beware, though, that Niall can act the doormat and that might set off buttons. You can read the full review here.

This book can be purchased in trade paperback from Amazon or Powells or ebook format (Mobi only).

WINNER of the Yorkshire by Lynne Connolly Giveaway

Jane — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:57:36 +0000

Congratulations to the winners of the Lynne Connolly/Samhain giveaway of Yorkshire, the first in the Rose and Richard series. The Rose and Richard series is a favorite of ours here at Dear Author. Click on this tag to see all the reviews related to Lynne Connolly. The Rose and Richard series, so far, is comprised of Yorkshire, Harley Street, Devonshire, and Venice (I might have these out of order).

The winners are:

Lizzie (greeneyed fem)
Sheryl Nantus
che
cyclops8
Karen
J L
Anji
ldb
Dana
Rylie

Your email addresses have been sent to Angela James at Samhain and she’ll be sending you a HTML zip file with the book.

CONVERSATIONAL REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Yorkshire by Lynne Connolly

Jane — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:00:46 +0000

When Jayne and I first began reading ebooks, one of the first epublished authors we read was Lynne Connolly. Actually, it was Jayne, being adventurous, who paid $17.00 to obtain a paper copy of the book. Jayne recommended it to her friends. Jan picked it up next and after all the chattering between Jayne and Jan, I bought it as well. Today, Lynne Connolly’s Rose and Richard series is finally being re-released through Samhain Publishing. Angela James has offered up 10 free copies of the first in the series, Yorkshire. The following is a recreated chat that Jayne, Jan and I had many moons ago about the series. I tried to edit out much of the spoiler information and keep the discussion primarily to Yorkshire, although, there is some overlap. Please drop a comment if you are interested in a free copy.

We’ll let Jayne start out with her plot summary:

What we get is a period (Georgian) detailed look at two people falling in love against some pretty tall odds. Richard Kerre is a handsome lord who could have his pick of women. Rose is frankly amazed that he seems to love her. And Richard is floored to have finally discovered his soulmate when he least expected her, and when he’s in no position to make her an honest offer. He’s contracted to marry a society beauty and in those days, a signed marriage contract was legally binding and if broken, could lead to expensive legal payouts and being shunned in society.

Rose’s family also has doubts about Richard’s true intentions. He’s known as a seducer and worldly man. Why would he choose a plain, twenty-five year old, on the shelf, provincial nobody? To add to that, there is an old scandal involving Richard’s twin brother and a possible one if the identity of a killer is not determined. Though it was originally listed as an out of niche romance/mystery, the mystery actually takes second place to the romance though there are already two more books in the series and perhaps they contain more of that element.

Connolly has done her research and I felt I was in the 18th century. The characters don’t act like transplanted 21st century people. Richard has a habit of glacial aristocratic hauteur that can depress the most forward social mushrooms. There is no sign of hobnobbing with the servants and everyone knows his place in society. It’s a fascinating world to look in on but one that has its moments of unease for a 21st century reader.

I think societal rules were a bit more relaxed than what we’re used to in historical regencies. Plus Richard was an aristocrat and Rose was gentry so they could bend them just a bit if they wished and took precautions to mollify the sticklers. I do love how Richard and his family use their consequence to kind of get their own way at times. And though all are polite to servants and underlings, they never, ever indulge in democratic flights-of-fancy of any degree of equality nor do the servants expect it.

From Jan:

I wasn’t sure what to expect of these, because to be honest from Connolly’s online posts I always felt she cared more about historical detail than what to me was important in romance, a great story with emotional resonance. But boy was I wrong. Once I started reading them I literally couldn’t put them down.

Richard and Rose were more real to me than most characters I read in romance, and I felt along with them. They were very romantic. And while they acted of their time, they didn’t behave like they had to constantly be proper and within the confines of societies rules (what I’d expected). To the contrary, they both see what they want, they examine the consequences, then accept them and go for it. I liked that. I liked the honesty between the two, and how Connolly never resorted to misunderstandings or TSTL heroine actions to further the plot. All of this served to create a romance I could really believe it, which made it all the more effective.

I enjoyed the settings, because she drew them carefully, the first book more so than the second. She made the time feel more real than it often feels in romances. She doesn’t always supply a lot of detail and lush prose, but she supplies all the necessary detail, and it makes you feel like you’re in the manor having dinner with the characters. It’s really a wonderful piece of worldbuilding. And accurate. I thought I’d caught her three times and she was correct each one.

RE: the first person story telling

Jayne: Richard is a great hero and I never felt like I was in the dark about his thoughts after that first little bit in Yorkshire when Rose is still trying to figure out what’s going on. Remember, he loved her first and it took her a bit to get over her awe at his appearance (I love the way he uses that to control what people think about him).

RE: Richard

Jan: I felt that way about all the characters really, that I understood their motivations and emotions despite the fact that we never see inside their heads. It seemed skillfully done to me.

I loved Richard’s use of awe too. He’d planned and used his status so well to keep everyone at bay. It made the times when his mask slipped so much more meaningful. And I also loved the fact that he used his advantages ruthlessly, just as a man of the times would, without PC interferences.

Jane: Richard is a spectacular hero. I loved his uppityness and how Rose couldn’t change him if she tried, but it was clear over the course of the books that love was changing him – making him more open, perhaps even more trusting.

RE: Gervase, Richard’s twin:

Jane: Gervase. Fabulous and heartbreaking. Connolly did a great job of turning conventional thinking on its head with these twins. Gervase was observed by outsiders as the match for Rose and not the popinjay. Connolly reinforced the idea through small touches such as the horse, the clothing, even the mannerisms, that Gervase was the masculine, hearty one while Richard was the snuff pinching, makeup wearing, bewigged dandy.

Jayne: “Waiting for Gervase!” He just has to get his own love interest or I’m going to explode with frustration. He’s really a great character.

RE: Societal conventions

Jan: I think the rules were looser then too. But what I liked so much was that they took the rules into consideration, then made the very difficult decisions they did, knowing what the consequences would be to themselves and their families. It made their passion seem much more real and overwhelming.

Jayne: And I like that Lynne makes sure the readers know exactly what those consequences would be. Not only for R/R but for their families as well.

RE: The sex scenes

Jayne: Lynne really has been able to slowly but realistically show their growing love and comfort with it and each other. The love scenes were hot. None of this “no sex please, we’re British!”

Jan: Oh, no kidding they’re hot! That was another thing I noticed. Normally in romances the first sex scene is all that the writer really concentrates on, and after that it’s kind of “then they had sex again in another position”. Here, as their intimacy grows in other ways, it grows in the sex scenes as well, and they are more and more fulfilled as the series progresses. Which is how it really is in good relationships.

This book can be purchased at Samhain.

REVIEW: Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:00:04 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

As always, I look forward to your Georgian historicals. In the past, I’ve found them entertaining, informative, moving. When Samhain offered us their new releases, I eagerly snapped this one up. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for me as well as most of your past historical books.

Has your hero Nick Seyton not heard the old phrase “Don’t shit where you eat?” If not, then he certainly knows the general reason why someone coined it by the time this book is over. I can understand that he was devastated when the woman he loves elopes with another man on the eve of their wedding. But…I mean, who has a sexual affair with one’s own cousin’s wife? And this is while he’s busy boinking half the female population of England by the sounds of it. Mention is made of one poxed old man and I can’t help but wonder if Nick’s insides are a roiling brew of bacteria that can cause the nastiest of infections.

Okay, so now after the death of Isobel’s husband, Nick has a chance to regain the love of his life. Go Nick and ‘cheers mate’ that he persuades her. But am I the only one who finds it slightly creepy that he falls in love with her when he’s twelve and she’s eight (only the book incorrectly states her age as 10 but that doesn’t fit in with the other ages mentioned)? A twelve year old boy falling in love? With an eight year old? Sorry, and this might just be me, but that icks me out.

Well, we all knew what was coming with Isobel’s first husband. Henry gets turned into the worst kind of Romance First Husband – the uncaring homosexual who can’t even manage to get it up to at least deflower his bride before beginning to ignore her while at the same time destroying her self-confidence. I find myself agreeing with Mrs. Giggles’ assessment that Isobel, despite all the good reasons you give her, is way too needy. Half of her bedroom encounters with Nick tend to end with her dissolving into tears and casting herself on his manly chest as he vows to help her, soothe her, love her, whatever her.

Isobel does manage to stick up for herself in the area of household management with sharp preemptive strikes against her cold, hoity mother-in-law. Too bad it’s just chickens and servants she seems to be able to deal with. You tell us that she’s perfected a cool, unemotional front for society due to both the scandal of her first marriage and the cruelty of her family yet she lets villainess Mariah and her sidekick Judith get to her on a regular basis. I guess because this is the first time she’s falling in lurve.

And by the way, where was her family – nasty pack of vultures – for a week at at time? They try to extort more moolah out of her before the wedding and then suddenly drop from sight. Were they out trying to pilfer the silverware? Brava that Isobel knows them for what they are and isn’t going to put up with them or their sponging. Plus her mother needs to be shot for not telling Isobel anything about what to expect on her first wedding night. Please don’t tell me that Hugh’s commission is going to send him to the American colonies. Ship his ass off to the Caribbean and let him get yellow fever.

Nick’s friends – Severus and Peter – are, no doubt, the subjects of the other two books in this trilogy and the way you’ve set them up should led to some – ahem – interesting stories. What is it with politicians who think they’ll be able to boff whomever they want and no one will ever find out? And make that a double if the boffing involves members of the same sex. I am looking forward to seeing what you’ll do with them. However, I am appalled that Nick tells them the intimate details of Isobel’s first marriage. Surely there was a way to elicit the information he needed from his two friends without that. I hope Isobel never finds out as it would make future meeting with them rather awkward.

The details of the estate and Isobel’s duties as lady of the house were the most interesting part. I had to laugh when Nick manages to piss of both his wife and his mother over who’s in charge of the house. Yet, at times, these came off as rather dry. I wish we’d seen more of her hobby of chicken raising. Perhaps this will be explored further in future books.

As far as the villains went, Mariah was pretty much a one note character. Evil, seductive, oversexed whore. You tell us that she wanted the best for her children and cared for them yet she and Duncan lived full-time at Nick’s estate while their children were either in school or at their estate. Even for removed 18th century parents, this sounds like abandonment to me. The killer is just such a sad, pitiful POS. But what happens to him? Was a decision ever made? If so, I missed it.

All in all, I found “Seductive Secrets” to be a disappointment. It has melodramatic dialogue with lots of !!, a hero you use the word obsessed with to describe his feelings for his heroine, a heroine who turns martyr at the end -and wouldn’t letting Nick divorce her cause even more scandal? -and villains with little depth. I hate to say it but this one gets a C- from me.

~Jayne

This book can be purchased at Samhain Publishing.

REVIEW: Met by Chance by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:00:56 +0000

Dear Mrs Connolly,

I know we at DA (okay, me in particular) have harshed on some of your latest paranormal books but with “Met by Chance” I can happily say you’re cooking with gas again. After finishing this, I need to go back and try the first two books in this “Triple Countess” trilogy from Samhain.

You have this gift for being able to give modern readers a real feel for the Georgian period and life among the upper classes. In public it’s all show and aristocrats were trained for this from birth. There is one’s public ‘show’ face and the private self only revealed to a select few. Charles Dalton, Marquis of Petherbridge, is a master at hiding himself in plain sight. He seems more of a throwback to Richard, Lord Strang. Here’s a man who makes an entrance.

A stir at the other end of the room made her look up. People moved aside, silks and brocades swirling in a kaleidoscope of movement. "Now that," came her mother’s low voice, "is what I call an entrance." Rarely had Perdita seen anything so fabulous. A rara avis, a man so beautiful it was only by the male attire she could be sure of his sex. And even then she wasn’t positive. The newcomer wore a pale rose coat and breeches, with a delicate embroidered ivory waistcoat underneath. His natural hair, if he had any, was covered with an elaborate wig, the bulk of the confection drawn into a queue behind, with careful formal curls adorning his temples. Perdita gasped when she saw his face. He wore a full maquillage in the French style, rarely seen on a man in London’s ballrooms but usual in Versailles. Thick white ceruse covered his skin, and a delicate pink blush enhanced his cheekbones. One tiny patch close to the left corner of the rouged lips stood out against the matte starkness around it. A French exquisite. Perdita stared, fascinated by the effect.

When he finally allows Perdita to see the “real him,” it’s all the more meaningful. Few will ever see him at his ease or uncontrolled and you show us just how unthinkable this would be. He’s a man of power in an age when that meant something. His lessors and especially servants would jump when he issued a command and none would dare to presume any familiarity.

Lady Perdita Garland, daughter and sister of Earls, is of his class and even she’s a bit in awe of him. Recently returned to society after a disastrous experience at the hands of a suitor, she’s almost as adapt at hiding what she’s thinking and how she suffered during her rehabilitation from her riding accident. I think Perdita is one of your stronger historical heroines yet she still manages to remain an eighteenth century woman. She’s intelligent enough to work out how to help Charles and adaptable enough to switch horses midstream, so to say, when the occasion demands.

Both Charles and Perdita are experts in the rules of society which makes it all the more fun when they break most of them. Yet always in the back of their minds is the knowledge that what they did while trying to save Charles’s sister from eloping with a fortune hunter and recover Charles’s kidnapped young daughter must be kept secret. It’s staggering the amount of effort demanded from everyone to work out socially acceptable excuses for their movements around England. If you hadn’t've had Charles trained by his father in how to survive as a common man, I would have had trouble believing that he could submerge himself into working class Liverpool.

You went down to the wire with Charles’s daughter Aimée and sister Millicent. What a pair those two are and perhaps Charles ought to consider the fact that two females in his family are spoiled rotten — dare I say it? Yes, I dare — beotches. Perdita is not the sort to let any daughter of hers act as these two do, thank goodness. I’m not sure of Charles’s decision to let Aimée go back with her maternal grandparents where he admits she’ll be spoiled more but I certainly would want to live with her either. Good for Perdita for sticking to her guns about that situation. Will we see a reformed Millicent in the future?

As always, I adore reading about the clothes of the period. Though lovely to look at in pictures and period movies, I’m sure they must have been vastly uncomfortable to actually wear day in and day out. Did you base your descriptions on actual extant clothing or just make them all up? The glimpse into working class Liverpool was fascinating as well. I do have a question. Perdita mentions something about slavery being illegal in England yet refers to ‘the Colonies’ which I assume means that the story is set before the American Revolution. But I thought slavery wasn’t abolished until the 1830s so… what gives? Did I misread her thoughts? Also, thank you for mentioning that the villain of the story was probably going to come to a bad end in America. It’s one of my pet romance book peeves that so many English baddies end up in America!

I think readers waiting for the reissue of your complete Richard and Rose books 1-4 and first issue of the last two books of that series (me!!) should try this book to see what they’re missing and perhaps to spur them on to inundate Mundania Press with requests to speed up their schedule. B+

~Jayne

available in ebook format from Samhain

REVIEW: Jewel of the Dragon by Lynne Connolly

Jayne — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:00:40 +0000

Dear Mrs Connolly,

I love your Georgian historical series featuring Richard and Rose. Your Regency novel didn’t work as well for me so when you wrote offering a chance to read a paranormal, and one including American characters, I was intrigued and curious as to what I’d think of it. Well, some parts are okay while others are annoying.

Dev Wyvern is Welsh, tall, dark and sexy as sin. He’s also a shapeshifter. When he walks into Alix Lancaster’s jewelry shop she knows her brother, Clay, is setting a trap for him. Clay is a member of the PHR, sworn enemies of all Talents. So does Alix betray her brother by warning Dev, or let him walk into a lethal snare?
Dev is drawn to Alix like few other women. But can he trust her? Sent by the enigmatic Cristos, the boss of Department 57, to expose a PHR cell, he finds love and danger waiting for him. He takes both of them on, and has to make a choice; will she forgive him if he destroys the brother of the woman he loves?
Will they get out alive?

When I started reading “Jewel of the Dragon” I didn’t know it was a series (the first) but I quickly caught on. The shear number of different Talents plus all the info dumping about Department 57 and how they work and what they are and where they are and how they don’t usually work for any government agency (Interpol, MI6, CIA, FBI, etc) except as consultants gave that away fairly quickly. All of the above did fill me in about the series but also served to bring the action to a halt as you detailed everything, sometimes several times. By the end of the book, my head was spinning from so many paranormals – wyverns (dragons), griffins, firebirds, vampires, sorcerers ….If a reader can’t find a paranormal being to suit, it’s certainly not because you haven’t offered enough choices. Oh, I have to agree with Dev that the agency head’s secretary is going to ruin her hair with so many dye jobs.

I will admit to being disappointed that once again you have a heroine lacking in self-confidence. Woefully lacking it and needing almost constant proping up by the hero. I’d love to see you write a kick-ass heroine someday. And as with almost all of your books, your hero falls almost instantly in love/lust/interest with her and is attracted to her as he’s never been to another woman. Again, I would like to see something different from you.

Then there’s the heroine’s background with a fanatical group in which she was raised to distrust all paranormal beings. The book starts off well enough and even after she falls in with the hero, she’s still not totally at ease with him. So far, so good so I thought. Until ten minutes later when suddenly she’s willing to make love with him in a semi-changed form. Then comes the point that had me scratching my head. Alix goes from still resisting Dev’s offer of Conversion to accepting her change awfully fast. There’s not even a little bit of anger that she was changed against her will? Yes, I know it saved her life but she might have shown a little residual anger that her choice was denied and that she’s now a totally different being for the rest of her (now greatly increased) lifespan.

I noticed something that probably wouldn’t bother most readers but after a while, it did bother me. You describe the hero and his friends as all dressing in discreet luxury, having taste and class, knowing their way around a bottle of French wine and always staying in chichi hotels but then I noticed heroine’s bad brother Clay is described with a “heavy forehead,” living in a lower class neighborhood, the heroine’s clothes are ready made frump, Clay’s associates are all obnoxious — all very heavy handed descriptions on both sides here.

I thought the world-building was adequate, all powers and talents are explained in advance and you didn’t suddenly spring something on us out of the blue to explain a plot point or save the day. And a big thanks for taking care of the basics: you explain what Dev does with his clothes when he changes, how he takes care of assuming a new identity after every 60 years or so, how Talents try to spread rumors about their strengths and weaknesses to maintain an advantage. I notice little things like this while reading and hate to be pulled out of a story while I wonder what the shapeshifter’s going to do once he shifts back and is naked in public!

But, while I thank you for the opportunity to read something other than a historical novel, I think for the time being, I’m going to stick to those as I feel you do them so well. Any word on when the final two R&R books will see the light of day? C- for “Jewel of the Dragon.”

~Jayne

REVIEW: Yorkshire by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:00:27 +0000

This was originally posted last August. The book, however, was not in print anywhere as the author had moved publishers. I received notice that this is now available from Mundania Press in both print and ebook form. This is a favorite series of Jayne and mine and one of our first introductions to epublishing. Who knew it could be so good?

***

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

I had often heard you mention your books at the yahoo Regency chat site but when I first decided to try them, there were very few reviews out there. So I pretty much had to take a big ($17.00) gamble on this one as at the time I wasn’t reading ebooks. I’m glad to say it paid off nicely. Though it’s listed as an out of niche romance/mystery, the mystery actually takes second place to the romance. I’m glad to hear that the whole series, as well as two new books, will be available again in ebook and print form from Mundania Press.

Unfortunately, you do resort to some standard plot devices to tell your otherwise unusual story and parts of the book could have used a touch more editing. It’s told in first person and perhaps you were trying for a more natural sound but there are some awkward sentences. Typos, though not many, add to some sloppy typesetting that I hope your new publisher will improve on. But despite those problems, I was pulled into the story and wanted to know how things would work out. I felt I was getting a glimpse into a different era. This is, I believe, your first or second published book and one that I’ll give a qualified B. The next books in the series are Devonshire and Venice which follow Richard and Rose’s path toward matrimony. I’m glad the series will be out again and hope that readers who missed them the first time around will check them out.

~Jayne

PS, when your new publisher gets your new cover art set, we will upload it.

Triskelion Update: Two Sides of the Coin

Jane — Wed, 16 May 2007 20:40:05 +0000

I asked two Triskelion authors, one a former author, and one a current author, about the changes at Triskelion. Theresa Meyers, President of Blue Moon Communications, and author of The Spellbound Bride, related this tale:

My book was contracted to come out in print with Triskelion and would have been in bookstores in less than two weeks. There were multiple signings scheduled with Borders and Barnes & Noble, ads placed, I had gotten media coverage, high reviews from multiple sources and had spent a considerable amount in printing ARCs and excerpt booklets for massive mailings out to booksellers and bookclubs nationally. It was the bookstore who was to have my first signing that called me to tell me they couldn’t order my books for the signing and that I might want to contact my publisher. I did and that is when we all found out via email that the company had decided to restructure.

While I understand that Triskelion, like any business, needs to protect its bottom line and that a healthy Triskelion will ultimately be better for ebook authors all around, I am disappointed that in my case the book didn’t make it to the shelves so close to its release date.

Lynne Connolly, a current Triskelion author of the Department 57 paranormals, shared her feelings:

There will be print, they are just cutting back on print titles for now. The market is bad all around for print, whether it’s big publishers or small – just check the market figures – but smaller ones can’t absorb the losses as well, so Triskelion is cutting back on print until the market picks up. It started as an ebook only company, and I joined it as such. I’ve always seen my writing as taking two threads – ebook, which is expanding like you wouldn’t believe, and print, which is declining, but is still in the hearts of most writers. I’ve also always believed that the markets are so separate, they should be treated as such.

On the plus side, I can say from my own sales that the new website has made a real difference to Triskelion’s electronic sales. Royalties are perking up nicely, and they were pretty good to start with, but the last website just didn’t work. The new one has received a positive response, both in sales and hits. So it makes sense to go with where the profits are, not to try to compete with the big names in print publishing, who have the distributors more or less sewn up.

What I hope for is that Triskelion cleans up its act and turns its business into a profitable one that benefits both authors and readers of the romance community. I know that my blogging partner, Jayne, and I have been disappointed in the copy editing while pleasantly surprised at the diversity of the offerings. I don’t know whether there is a corollary to Harlequin although many authors were unhappy with the Luna line’s restructuring. I think that anyone can empathize with Meyers’ financial loss and career disappointments. I would have liked to have seen Triskelion meet those commitments but I think we all echo Meyer’s sentiment that Triskelion continues to provide quality ebooks to the romance reader.

REVIEW: Harley Street by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:00:41 +0000

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

Even if I have to wait for the next two new books about Richard and Rose, I’m so glad that Mundania will be releasing the entire series to some new fans. “Harley Street” takes up where the third novel in the Richard and Rose series, “Venice,” left off. The series follows the courtship, marriage, honeymoon and now first months of married life back in London of Richard Kerre, Lord Strang, heir to the Earldom of Southwood and Rose Golightly, a young woman of no great distinction from Devonshire, England.

In book one, “Yorkshire,” the two met and fell instantly in love much to the distress of their families. Richard was a well known rake and philanderer while Rose was a provincial nobody. Add to that fact that Richard was betrothed and Rose had a young curate who fancied her as a step up in their society and you can see why neither family was pleased. But the couple persevered and we watched the lead up to their marriage in “Devonshire” and their honeymoon in “Venice.”

All along, they’ve had to deal with a society who thinks Richard will soon begin to cheat on Rose, family members still unsure of the match, society eager to witness any faltering and the two poisonous people with whom our hero and heroine were first matched. Julia, the wealthy heiress to whom Richard was betrothed and Steven the young and handsome curate who cold blooded wanted to use Rose. They have joined forces against our young couple and are determined to make life difficult for them. In “Harley Street,” the battle is brought back to London and involves some episodes from Richard’s dark past which have come forth to haunt him and test the strength of their love. While Rose begins to navigate her new life in Georgian high society, she and Richard must see that a murder is solved, an old wrong is righted, and escape the nets of viciousness with which Julia and Steven try to entangle them.

If you got anything wrong in your research, it didn’t stand out. The love scenes are passionate without being purple and the characters well drawn. I got a real feel for being in Georgian London, presented at Court, living among the ton and having to watch my back to avoid the more dissolute members of that world. I enjoyed watching Rose gain confidence while she moves into her new life and both gain strength from their love for each other. The secondary characters are nicely done though some are more in the background of this story as befits the fact that Rose is moving on into her new life.

Where the book falters a bit is in the fact that I’m getting a little tired of the two villains and their schemes for revenge. I would have thought that Richard and his family would have had enough power and means to squash these two by now. Perhaps we won’t see them in book five or six.

I do like the fact that you have the gumption to allow a secondary character to have a fate that is more in keeping with the times and not forced into a Cinderella Happily Ever After. You’ve done some things with your stories which I don’t think conventional publishers would have allowed and it’s a refreshing change. This one gets a B. While I think that readers could probably pick up any of these books and enjoy them without having read the previous ones, it definitely enhances the experience to know what has happened before. I know that you’ve already written books five and six in the series. Dare I hope for more?

~Jayne

REVIEW: Devonshire by Lynne Martin (aka Lynne Connolly)

Jayne — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:00:46 +0000

“A wedding… or a funeral?

Rose Golighty and Lord Richard Strang anticipate their long-awaited wedding. But dark whispers reach Richard’s ears of smugglers threatening the county’s peace. Events escalate until Rose’s life is threatened. Richard knows he must act to save her and her friends from disaster. Even if his bride has to trade her wedding gown for widow’s weeds.”

Dear Mrs. Connolly,

You’ve given us a strong sequel to your first book in this series, Yorkshire, which follows the on going romance between Richard Kerre, Lord Strang and his love, Miss Rose Golightly. We watched these two fall in love at first sight in Yorkshire and now, six
months later, they are counting down the last weeks until their marriage.

We get to see Rose triumph at the Exeter Assembly when she arrives with her beloved (and very handsome) fiance. Shy Rose had suffered many an evening there passed over by the young men and it was a joy to see her blossom. We see the county gentry being convinced by the obvious love between the two that this is no rash marriage and that Rose really has gained the heart of this notorious lord. We see the dark side of the rampant smuggling that was commonplace in the seaside counties of England during the 18th century. And we get an ending that was one of the most viscerally satisfying that I’ve read in a long time.

I will warn possible readers that some unsettling things happen to Rose during parts of this story. And that she and Richard do take their revenge and see to justice, even if it isn’t totally within the law.

I’m not sure if you had got into your writing stride in your second R&R book or if I just got used to your style. You do have one slightly off putting habit of sometimes having two people speak within the same paragraph. And Novelbooks still needed a little more editing and better type setting but that’s water over the dam with them.

But this is a darn good story. You’ve done your research and I felt I was in the 18th century. The characters don’t act like transplanted 21st century people. Richard has a habit of glacial aristocratic hauteur that can depress the most forward social mushrooms. There is no sign of hobnobbing with the servants and everyone knows his place in society. It’s a fascinating world to look in on but one that has its moments of unease for a 21st century reader. Brava for that.

One thing that does get slightly repetitious is Rose’s frequent wondering if Richard will stay faithful and how she managed to win his love. I guess after 25 years of being the plainer sister she is entitled to her doubts and she does gain in self confidence but (to give some slight spoilers) I’m glad the wedding convinced her and she dropped that line of thought.

Their story is continued in Venice, the third novel which should rereleased later this year This one is a B for me and I look forward to the new ones in the series.

~Jayne