Dear Author Recommends for January
By Jane • Jan 9th, 2008 • Category: Letters of Opinion, Misc • •
Joanna Bourne FTW! Three of us here at Dear Author have read Joanna Bourne’s The Spymaster’s Lady and the consensus is that it is super fabulous. The heroine is an amazing French spy who everyone believes holds the plans to Albion, the French invasion of Great Britain. This sets spymaster Grey, Head of the entire British Section, on her heels. The novel is a triumph of the use of language as Bourne creates unique linguistic patterns for her characters. Annique sounds French, Grey sounds English, and everyone else has their own unique cadence, lending a rich overlay to the complex and surprising plot. It’s a book that reminds you why you love historicals.
On the Wings of Love by Elizabeth Lane is a gem of a historical set in 1911. As Jayne called it, it was a period in which the individuals lived “on the knife edge of change” and Lane deftly weaves the spirit of the time period throughout the story. Alex is a woman who wants more from life than just marriage and babies. She pursues, almost doggedly, her passion for flying until she realizes that her quest for individual achievement can be costly. Rafe is of the newer generation and can see woman as more than baby makers. Rafe, like Alex’s father, is independent and proud. He wants to make his mark in life on his own terms and he must struggle against loving Alex for who she is and the feelings of protectiveness that she creates within him.
Jane is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. Jane also does not like to talk about herself in the third person, but apparently this is the way that this biography thing works (although in a true biography, someone else would be writing this blurb). Anyway, currently Jane loves urban fantasy authors Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. She's really excited about this year's crop of historicals including Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady and Sherry Thomas' Private Arrangements and the upcoming Loretta Chase Her Scandalous Ways.
She's looking for a good contemporary author. Email her with a recommendation!
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I have to agree with you on Joanna Bourne’s book — The Spymaster’s Lady…..I finished the year starting that book and started the new year finishing book. Icould not put this book down. I can’t wait to read her next book…you hoo…Joanna….do we see a story for Adrian?
It’s all I can do to keep from sounding like an inarticulate fangirl … It’s been quite some time since I read a historical as good as The Spymaster’s Lady. I was completely absorbed and unable to do anything else until I finished it. Good thing it was the weekend. More telling is that I wasn’t in any hurry to pick up the next book from my TBR pile to read. I wanted to savor this one, re-read parts of it. So I did. If I were to list my 10 favorite romances of all time today, this one would be near or at the top. OK, I’ll stop gushing now.
Only two…and both historicals? You are killing this diehard contemporary romance fan. But, thanks to the positive comments, I’ll give these a try.
Based on all the gushing recommendations, I picked up the Spymaster’s Lady last night at B&N. And finished it at 3am this morning. OMG, you guys were sooooooooooooooo right. About everything. Her turns of phrases were so delightful, I laughed out loud a number of times. I was completely satisfied with the ending; so satisfied that I think I’m going to read it a second time. *sigh* what a treat this book was.