May 22 2013
Dear Ms. Connor: Thank you for sending Dear Author a review copy of your book. I’m not a frequent reader of Harlequin Intrigues so I wouldn’t ordinarily pick up this book. Jillian Jones arrives at Sutton Hall posing as a bride to be in order to investigate the death of her best friend. Jillian was(…)
Apr 10 2013
Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock popularized the term “MacGuffin,” using it as shorthand for whatever object put the characters (and the story) in motion. For Hitchcock, the MacGuffin mattered mainly because the characters cared about it enough to go after it–whether the audience precisely understood it was a secondary concern. Today’s novels all feature a story centered(…)
Mar 10 2013
Dear Ms. Stewart: Among my first and most beloved romantic novels are the novels of Mary Stewart. Although probably best known for the Merlin fantasy trilogy, I first discovered the romantic suspense novels. When I saw that at least one was being rereleased I quickly asked to review, despite the fact that it was a(…)
Mar 4 2013
Dear Ms. St. James: I didn’t read, although I always intended to, your first book The Haunting of Maddy Clare. Janine included it in a reading roundup. Janine commented that one of the stand out parts of the book was how atmospheric it is. I found the same to be true with An Inquiry into(…)
Feb 27 2013
Dear Ms. Carlyle: The first four chapters appeared to address a number of events that took place in previous books. I barely remember these events and felt frustrated and lost. It seems like no book these days, be it historical or paranormal, can be read without having first powered through the previous four titles in(…)
Feb 3 2013
Warning – there is a long and horrible torture scene. I was not able to re-read it when I was re-reading the book in preparation for this review. However, I thought it was an integral part of the story, not gratuitous in any way, but beware if it upsets you. First, a disclaimer for readers:(…)
Jan 31 2013
“It is 1644, and Parliament’s armies have risen against the King and laid siege to the city of York. Even as the city suffers at the rebels’ hands, midwife Bridget Hodgson becomes embroiled in a different sort of rebellion. One of Bridget’s friends, Esther Cooper, has been convicted of murdering her husband and sentenced to(…)
Jan 16 2013
In honor of Edgar Allan Poe’s 204th approaching birthday (January 19th), a trio of novels that pay him homage: Poe’s wistful, haunting “Annabel Lee” provides between-the-lines clues in Jill Winters’ romantic mystery Kingdom by the Sea as Nicole Sheffield realizes the Cape Cod house she’s inherited holds a secret that puts her in danger. Bethany(…)
Dec 11 2012
Dear Ms. Harris: I have read the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series since the first book, What Angels Fear was published in 2005. My grades for the first six books have included three B+ grades, two B grades and one A-. So it’s fair to say that the series has been pretty consistent for me,(…)
Dec 9 2012
When Jane asked for lists of our “Best of 2012,” I got stuck on what best meant. Did it mean the best in terms of quality? The best in terms of most enjoyable? The best in terms of standouts? Did books I called best this year have to be as good as books I called(…)
Oct 4 2012
“With its dark legends and passionate history, the windswept shores of Scotland are an archaeologist’s dream. Verity Grey is thrilled by the challenge of uncovering an ancient Roman campsite in a small village. But as soon as she arrives, she can sense danger in the air. Her eccentric boss is convinced he’s finally found the(…)
Jul 23 2012
“‘What are you thinking, Amy? The question I’ve asked most often during our marriage, if not out loud, if not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions stormcloud over every marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Who are you? What have we done to each other? What will we(…)
Jul 11 2012
Romance Writers of America honors authors through the RITAs, awarded each year in a number of categories, including Best First Book. Once again, I’m pleased to host those nominees here at Dear Author. Each of the three installments in this series will feature a different sub-genre. The books you’ll see today finaled in a second(…)
May 10 2012
The Starving Years by Jordan Castillo Price This is a dystopian story set in the near past (1960) in New York. A new type of genetically engineered food, Manna, has ended starvation by providing basic nutrition to people all over the world. But something has gone wrong, leading to riots in Manhattan and implicating the(…)
Apr 11 2012
Dear Ms. Everett, I requested this book from Netgalley because I was intrigued by the blurb, which begins, “Dogged for years by painful gossip about his father’s homosexuality, the Marquess of Beningbrough—Ben, to his friends—has protected himself by becoming the ultimate man’s man.” I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a romance hero with that(…)
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