Guest Reviewer
Complements of Lori S Green aka Jimerick.
So many authors I greatly admire
Have suggested I read Georgette Heyer
 Who in Regencies name
Has well deserved fame
So The Grand Sophy I thus did acquire.
When Sophie and her cousins first meet
The youngsters fall straight at her feet
She has a dog and a chimp
And a bird who’s an imp
Who swears like a sailor, no tweets.
Her cousin Cecilia has been betrothed
To a dear man who became indisposed
From a case of the mumps
Then he must take his lumps
When for a poet, Cecilia’s emotions grow.
There’s Hubert who hides what he’s done
Silly boy, is under the thumb
Of a mean moneylender
Who shows nothing tender
And Hubert can’t fix his sad run.
Into this household, dear Sophy emerges
With fix-it desires and urges
Her cousin, stern Charles
With Sophy, does quarrel
While his betrothed wishes a familial purge(s).
The writing is fast and has many plot holes
The characters lack personality but play their roles
But with Sophy, no matter
The plot’s mad as a hatter
And is better (not the parts) but the whole.
Contemps are my true cup of tea
But The Grand Sophy delighted me
Friday’s Child is next
And sits on my desk
Waiting to turn me into a fan of Regency.
This book can be …
Dear Mr. Crutcher,
 I picked up your book DEADLINE because my middle teenage daughter has a problem sitting still for long enough to read her required books for English, and when she does read them, she needs help absorbing them. She started your book, handed it to me and demanded to know “Is the main character really dying????”
As in she couldn’t believe her eyes. So I opened the book and read.
Yes, the main character is dying. Almost stopped reading right there because my kid-in-jeopardy tolerance is pretty low. But here’s the thing. I couldn’t. You sucked me right in with your easy, sardonic wit and devastating charm coated in a bluntness that as an author myself, I loved. Our hero is Ben Wolf, a pint-sized, eighteen year old who lives in a small town in Idaho. He has big things planned for his senior year, big things that don’t include a fatal blood disease.
But he takes the cards he’s dealt. Because he’s eighteen, he’s allowed to keep his terminal disease a secret from his crazy mother, distanced father and beloved brother. It’s a decision …
We hosted a series of posts by guests last year called “If You Like”. The purpose of the post and the comments is to explore what we like about a particular author and what other authors have books like the author. If you would like to host an “If You Like” post, please email me at Jane at dearauthor.com
Val Kovalin who writes about fantasy fiction at ValKovalin.com and m/m fiction at Obsidian Bookshelf is hosting this If You Like entry on Jordan Castillo Price. Val Kavolin did a great piece on Julia Spencer Fleming, a favorite of author of mine.
***
It’s with great interest that I’ve read the comments of many DearAuthor readers, already fans of traditional m/f romance, who are venturing into m/m fiction. I happen to be doing the same thing, but coming from the opposite direction (m/m to m/f) so maybe I can help.
Jordan’s strong points include the following:
- Comedy. This is so rare and so worthwhile! I deeply appreciate the author who can make me laugh.
- Creative genre-blending. A typical piece by Jordan can contain romance, erotica, comedy, horror, mystery, and paranormal elements.
- Male characters who
…
Live under a rock?
Jessica Bird is also
penname JR Ward.
 Spike = hero.
Ex-con gourmet chef hottie
Not millionaire.
Heroine is “Mad”
No, really – that is her name.
She is the rich one.
Reverse HP theme?
Maybe. But Mad comes off as
Poor little rich girl
Will they won’t they?
Goes on a bit too long, sigh.
Just get to the sex!
Second half picks up
Sex: Almost as hot as ‘Ward’
Liked it at the end.
Verdict: Is Ward ‘lite’
But Ward lite is still yummy
B minus in all
This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or ebook format from Mills & Boon (epub only folks).
I’ve been a romance reader since I was in high school, but during my school years, I read alone. I didn’t know anyone else who read romance – a few of my friends might pick up a Nora Roberts book a couple of times a year, but that was all. That all changed in the early 1990’s, when I discovered the fledgling internet, and found reading groups filled with romance readers. How exciting! But I was hoping to meet some of these readers in person – to see the people I’d only talked to online, and talk to people face to face, instead of just by email.
I attended my first romance event when I graduated and moved to New York. The other readers online told me about a huge booksigning in New Jersey. (The annual NJRWA book signing.) I got on the Garden State Parkway and headed for New Jersey. When I walked into the hotel, I couldn’t believe it – there were crowds of people, and all of them were fellow romance readers! There was a huge ballroom with rows of tables, all lined with romance authors.
I timidly approached …
Oh boy, where to start?
Statement: Not a contemp fan…
But Dahl has won me.
It wasn’t the plot
It wasn’t Ben or Molly
Or the hot sexxors
The story? Saucy.
The voice? Fun, frisky & light.
I am your fangirl.
Blushing Sheriff Ben
Naughty kittenish Molly
Turns life upside down
Molly’s secret? Porn.
Just kidding. She writes for an
Ellora’s Cave Clone.
How to describe Ben?
‘Metrosexual’ does it.
Want to pinch his cheeks.
There is a stalker
Molly needs a slap to head
(Bit too dismissive)
No worries out there
Romanceland! TSTL
Radar never beeps.
Was giving a B
But write up gives warm fuzzies
So…you get an A.
 Story parallel to Cade’s
What I liked: EVERYTHING
Cole can do no wrong.
Illusion Queen is
Misunderstood, not evil
(Well, a bit evil.)
Rydstrom shows his horns
Grows a personality
Bondage fetish, yum.
One part of story
Disappoints: we never see
Ryd’s piercings, alas.
I’m a dirty bird
Wanted nasty hot sexxors
This has all & more
Witty, fun romp? Check.
Sex as playful torture? Check.
Gena shout out? CHECK.
Did I mention that
The cover is hotness itself?
Grade A from this girl.
Amazon grendel
is charming, lord vere is too.
bertie, not so much
headstrong reporter
debauched earl meet-cute in street
banter, love ensue
she wins the horse race
Vere wins her heart. And Tamsin?
Short end of stick, sigh.
Vere + Grenville: love
Tamsin…ends up with Bertie
Why, Loretta, why???
New to Chase books, hmm?
Ignore the bloated pink head
This is a good book.
B+
A long time romance reader was inspired to write me the occasional haiku review after visiting emilyreads.com. I asked whether she would do one for me once a week and I’ve finally bugged her enough that she’s given in. So Thursday afternoon check in for the Thursday Haiku Review Moment.
A witch’s beauty
Should be ‘A witch’s booty’
No legs need apply
David angel hunk
Mina is evil slam dunk
Or is she just sad?
Two tentacle legs
Virgin girly parts between
Of course, hero scores
Don’t get excited
Hentai fans! Sex is too tame.
Joey Hill, declawed.
World building is light
I have unanswered questions
Did not read book 1.
Still satisfying
Is it wrong I bought this for
Hardcore squid-leg sex?
C+
This book can be purchased in trade paperback from Amazon or ebook format from the Sony Store and other etailers someday but it’s not even out in Kindle.
Today’s guest opinion is brought to you by Jessica from Racy Romance Reviews. Jessica started blogging in 2008 and has provided some great reviews as well as thoughtful commentary. She first came to my attention by Janine linking to one of Jessica’s posts. (Word of Mouth, isn’t it grand?). Jessica started reading romances in 2007 after a decade of not reading fiction. She, like us, is the typical romance reader which is to say she’s not typical at all. She’s a self described feminist, a Ph.D., and most of all, a lover of the romance book.
***
more animals
Romance is defined by its exploration and celebration of romantic love. That said, I’ve been surprised and delighted by the number of other important themes that are explored in the genre. I think it behooves romance readers to discuss these non-romantic themes, because romance writers tend to bring a unique focus to these themes, and because highlighting the ways that romance authors approach nonromantic themes can help to forge links between a belittled genre and more respectable ones. …
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