Comments on: REVIEW: Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly

By: Randi

Randi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:26:51 +0000

OK, I’m a total dork. I had NO IDEA Samhain had print book for sale from their site. I just thought they did ebooks (thus my joyous shock at seeing a Samhain print book at B&N).

I still maintain this is the first Samhain print book I’ve seen at B&N, though.

By: Randi

Randi — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:00:52 +0000

I just picked this up at B&N (sooooo happy and shocked to see a Samhain book in hard copy). I’ve seen Lynne posting here, at SB and KKB, so I wanted to give her a try. ;) I’ll jump back when I’ve finished the book.

ps. Hi Lynne! Tell whomever that I’m very glad to see a Samhain book in print!! yay!

By: Jayne

Jayne — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:05:08 +0000

All right. If any author wants lessons on how to respond to a less than glowing review, they should read your response. Though I’m sure you’d probably like to pour boiling tea over my head, one would never know it. ;)

I got the story from a scandal-sheet of the time, not the henhouse bit, but the situation Isobel found herself in, and it intrigued me so much, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

This is one of the reasons I do like to read your books. You do your research, you read source material and you have such a sense of historical “place” in your stories.

He was careful, and the women he bedded were disease free, so worry not.
And he’s the only rake in this series. In general, rakes don’t interest me too much, unless there’s a reason behind their rakishness (is that a word?)- rakehellery? – but Nick was doing all he could to forget her – without success. Cos he knew it was a bit obsessive, as well.

Hmmm, generally I want real rakes too. Not poor momma’s crybabies who only think they’re bad boys. However, VD is usually something I can’t get over. The ‘cures’ didn’t work and the way syphilis progresses, one might think one is cured but still be able to pass it to a lover. With Nick’s boffing history, it just boggles the mind to think he could manage to dodge the bullet for that long. But be that as it may, I can see that if he did have a nasty infection ongoing, it would kill the romance so I’ll shut up about that.

Harry’s a bad man not because he was gay, but because he didn’t have the courage to face it, and because he forced Isobel to take the blame for his shortcomings (which were cowardice and secretiveness, not his sexual orientation).

I’m still waiting for Gervase! I think if – when? – you do a m/m romance, you’ll treat the characters with dignity and do a good job by them.

I knew Isobel’s leaving Nick would piss people off, but she wanted to distance herself until scandal died down. The divorce was just her despair talking, and in those days it would have been up to Nick to decide, but hey, he’s not going to do that, is he?

No, I guess not! ;)

Anyway, on to the next. That’s Severus’s story, and it’s coming in October. I did a lot of research into eighteenth century Spain and Portugal, so I used that for the next book, as well for an unpublished Richard and Rose book (there should be news about poor R and R soon!) I hope you like that one better!

I am looking forward to these next stories. And Jane and I were just emailing each other today about the R&R stories, wondering when they’d finally see the light of day – or computer – again. Poor Rose – preggers for how many years now?

By: Lynne Connolly

Lynne Connolly — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:22:32 +0000

Sorry this one didn’t work for you, but I did know going in to this story, that it wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste. It’s ‘harder’ historically than many of my books, but it had to be that way. I got the story from a scandal-sheet of the time, not the henhouse bit, but the situation Isobel found herself in, and it intrigued me so much, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I love Nick, and yes, he was obsessed with her, but I thought in a good way. He was careful, and the women he bedded were disease free, so worry not.
And he’s the only rake in this series. In general, rakes don’t interest me too much, unless there’s a reason behind their rakishness (is that a word?)- rakehellery? – but Nick was doing all he could to forget her – without success. Cos he knew it was a bit obsessive, as well. His journey is from obsession to love, to try to understand that Isobel was a woman, not a straw woman, but maybe I didn’t do as well with his story.
Harry’s a bad man not because he was gay, but because he didn’t have the courage to face it, and because he forced Isobel to take the blame for his shortcomings (which were cowardice and secretiveness, not his sexual orientation).
I knew Isobel’s leaving Nick would piss people off, but she wanted to distance herself until scandal died down. The divorce was just her despair talking, and in those days it would have been up to Nick to decide, but hey, he’s not going to do that, is he?

Anyway, on to the next. That’s Severus’s story, and it’s coming in October. I did a lot of research into eighteenth century Spain and Portugal, so I used that for the next book, as well for an unpublished Richard and Rose book (there should be news about poor R and R soon!) I hope you like that one better!

By: Jayne

Jayne — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:19:49 +0000

Lori, thanks for that. I reread the ending twice but obviously must have skimmed right over that. Mrs. G’s grade would be slightly higher than mine too. I am looking forward to the other two books in the series.

By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:14:59 +0000

The killer is just such a sad, pitiful POS. But what happens to him? Was a decision ever made? If so, I missed it.

SPOILER
Yeah, a quick mention was made that it was Duncan and he killed himself, so Isobel could come back home to Nick.
END SPOILER

I enjoyed this a bit more than you did, I think, but I’m laughing at your pox reference at the top. That one totally passed me by.