Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

Archive for July, 2006

REVIEW: Getting Even by Kayla Perrin

By Jane • Jul 31st, 2006 • Category: C Reviews Category, C- Reviews, Reviews

Dear Ms. Perrin:
You have a nice voice. It's very readable but the characters and plot of this story failed to do your voice justice. I am sure that you are writing within the guidelines that were put forth by HQN for its Spice line. I don't really understand what those guidelines are, as [...]



Ebook Weekly: Ebook Reader Diary Entry #2

By Jane • Jul 30th, 2006 • Category: Ebooks, Misc

I always think it’s interesting to read how others got interested in the ebook market. I found Jenn from Pocketables via PocketPC Thoughts. She had just reviewed a very cool tech toy called a UMPC (ultra mobile pc). I spent the day cruising her website, reading her detailed reviews and noticed that [...]



REVIEW: CB- An Endless Exile by Mary Lancaster

By Jayne • Jul 29th, 2006 • Category: A Review Category, A- Reviews, Ebooks, Reviews

Dear Mrs. Lancaster,
Thank you so much for submitting your book, An Endless Exile, for consideration in our July ebook contest. I’m always looking for a good historical novel and yours is excellent. I had heard of the name Hereward “the Wake” (Hereward the Watchful), the only Englishman to defy and defeat William the Conqueror, [...]



Non Sequitur: How the music is made in romantica land.

By Jane • Jul 28th, 2006 • Category: Misc, Non Sequitur

By the way, I am pretty sure this is fake. Its funny nonetheless.



REVIEW: Mozart’s Wife by Juliet Waldron

By Jayne • Jul 28th, 2006 • Category: B Reviews, B Reviews Category, Ebooks, Reviews

Dear Mrs. Waldron,
After reading your latest book last year (Independent Heart), I had to wait for the publisher to reset the type on Mozart’s Wife before it was available in paperback form.
It’s not a romance book but does tell the love story of Mozart for his darling little wife and of Stanzi Marini [...]



REVIEW: Cross My Heart by Carly Phillips

By Jane • Jul 27th, 2006 • Category: D Reviews, Reviews

Dear Ms. Phillips:
This book was a fairly average read until about page 145 or so when it turns into a complete wall banger for me. Probably you loyal fans will enjoy your latest installment, but I wasn’t won over. The tone, characters and plot were average and failed to engage me except in [...]



REVIEW: Undressed by Kristina Cook

By Jayne • Jul 27th, 2006 • Category: C Reviews Category, C- Reviews, Reviews

Dear Ms. Cook,
I know that authors usually have little control over their covers but I just have to mention the cover for Undressed since it’s so far off base. Way far. If I had just seen this book in a store, I would have immediately thought “contemporary screwball comedy.” If I’d bought it [...]



REVIEW: CB-The Fifth Favor by Shelby Reed

By Jayne • Jul 26th, 2006 • Category: B Reviews Category, B- Reviews, Ebooks, Reviews

Dear Mrs Reed,
Several people have recommended your work and this book in particular for our monthly contests. After reading it, I can see why. As Keishon said in her review of two of your books, the writing and characterization are stronger than most Ellora’s Cave books I’ve tried. I was most pleased about the [...]



REVIEW: His Lordship’s Desire by Joan Wolf

By Jane • Jul 26th, 2006 • Category: D Reviews, Reviews

Dear Ms. Wolf:
You hate writing these romance books, don’t you? I can see your boredom throughout your entire book as you cobbled together a story stealing scenes and characters from previous books. The whole story is uninspired.
Diana Sherwood is an impoverished young woman who lives with her mother, Louisa, in a cottage on [...]



REVIEW: Earth to Betsy by Beth Pattillo

By Jayne • Jul 25th, 2006 • Category: B Reviews, B Reviews Category, Reviews

Dear Ms Pattillo,
I am delighted to meet up again with Betsy, David and the good people at the Church of the Shepherd. You’ve managed the neat trick of making a series about a the personal and professional tribulations of a female senior pastor not only interesting but also funny, warm and at times deeply [...]