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

Dear Mrs. Beecroft,

I’m sorry it took me so long to finally read the book you offered to DA way back in….oh dear, was it really February? ::Winces:: Note to self: must forgo sleep in order to read more books. But better late than never.

The way you opened the book was very powerful. It gives us an immediate hit to the gut as well as a good view of one of our heroes, Midshipman Josh Andrews. He’s trapped and horrified and angry all at once as he is forced to face what might happen to him if he doesn’t watch his step. Buggery is specifically forbidden by the Articles of War to which all Navy men are subject as well as unlawful in civilian life. Poor Josh is damned no matter where he is. And if anyone ever catches him out or lures him, as was the case for the poor sod (literally) he watches hung from a yardarm, he’s on his way to a necktie party.

So he can’t move, can’t look away from poor Henderson’s final death kicks because Captain Walker is watching for any signs of sympathy, any indications …

Dear Ms Rae,

Your book, “Marike’s World” sounded so interesting. Set during the turbulent years of the American Revolution, I had hoped to see it through the eyes of this young Dutch-American woman. Instead what I got was literally only Marike’s world and not much else.

The story reads more like a soap opera about Marike’s life. We see her as a young woman scrubbing the house, falling in love, getting in trouble, having a child, finally getting married then living with her awful mother-in-law, then the troubles with her sister-in-law. Okaaaaay.

Yes it’s a historical and we see how cold the winters were and how hard Dutch women worked but it could almost have been set in any time before the mid 19th century. Very little of the momentous events going on, the Revolution and the early setting up of a new nation, seem to affect these people and precious little mention is made beyond “we heard later that…” or “it was said that…” It was like watching someone skip stones - random mention was made of these events and with about that much depth. Philip fought for a year but all we hear …

(Being the account of Angelica TenBroeck’s flight from New York City during the late War of Independence, her would-be lovers, and a bluebird quilt)

Dear Mrs. Waldron,

I’m a sucker for 18th century historical romances and novels so finding your books was a delight for me. So far, I’ve read two but am saving the last. I hope you have plans to publish more as I hate to finish the last of any author’s books.

The above description is listed at the beginning of the book and it about covers the plot. Angelica is a daughter of an old Dutch New York family who has fled the frontier where she was born and raised and is staying with an aunt in New York City, recently lost to the British. It is here she meets one Major George Armistead who proves himself to be no gentleman when he attempts to kidnap her and force her to marry him. A man to whom she’s recently been introduced at a ball comes to her rescue and together they set out to return her to her home. But to get there, they will have to …

Dear Mrs. Norman,

One thing I can always count on in your books is that I’ll get to read about one or more strong women. And that these women won’t be doing silly things like swinging broadswords while in full suits of chain mail. “Taking Liberties” gives us two female lead characters and a unique way to view the American Revolution.

Diana, Lady Stacpoole and Makepeace Hedley, expatriate American, are determined to get different people out of an English prisoner of war camp. As women, no one takes them seriously, something they use to their advantage later on. Makepeace is brash while Diana employs more subtle methods. Both are appalled at the conditions under which the American prisoners are being held and as the book progresses, they decide to work together to accomplish their goals.

I think that in order to warm to Makepeace readers need to read “A Catch of Consequence” and see what Makepeace has already gone through. Makepeace isn’t spunky. She’s no nonsense, get the job done, straight to the point and no beating around the bush. And I love her for it.

Diana …

Dear Mrs. Norman,

Some reviews might lead readers to think this book is dry,
historical fiction. But I feel those reviewers would be doing readers a disservice. These characters came alive for me. The times and places seemed real. Your descriptions are so deft that for a day I was back in the 18th century of Boston, London, Hertfordshire and Northumberland. Your writing is fantastic and one gets a lesson in history without being aware of it.

But…this book won’t be for everyone. It’s not a true romance and though it has a happy ending, there is heartbreak and tragedy on the way.

Characters one has come to love will die. Others aren’t always good, or perceptive and some make mistakes. The smart ones learn from them even if one wants to still shake them at times. They are real people. One sees what 18th century business women were up against, what the poor and dispossessed had to fight, that right doesn’t always lead to justice.