Dear Ms. Thomas,
When I read your historical romance debut, Private Arrangements, in February of this year, I was enchanted. The note I wrote in my book log reads as follows: “Excellent, excellent debut. Beautifully written and characterized, and quite different from the usual historical romance (especially in allowing a heroine to be less [...]

Dear Ms. Thomas,
Book two and all is still well between us. Keep this up and I’ll stay a happy woman and keep writing you nice reviews. I used to think I didn’t care for Victorian era historicals - something about the facial hair of the men and hairstyles of the women [...]

Dear Ms. Joyce,
When we first encounter Colin Radcliffe, the hero of your fifth book, Shadows of the Night, it is the morning of his wedding day and he has just risen from the bed he shared with Emma Morel, his married mistress. Colin agrees to Emma’s suggestion that they spend a few months apart [...]

Dear Ms. Guhrke:
Except for a quick skim of Conor's Way a year or so ago, The Wicked Ways of a Duke is the first of your books I have read. And after finishing it, I think I understand the source of your popularity: an ability to create a vivid portrait of characters who [...]

Dear Mrs. Styles,
When I reviewed one of your Roman era historicals, I made some comment about how I wondered that you weren’t writing about Roman Britain since you’re so near to “The Wall.” Perhaps one day you’ll still place one of your books there but for now, this Victorian is a nice departure from what [...]

The following is a guest review offered as part of our “Favorite Things” series wherein readers provide a review of one of their favorite books. Please consider writing your own “favorite things” review to share with the Dear Author readership. Send it to jane at dearauthor.com
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Dear Jane:
I’ve always been fascinated [...]

Dear Ms. Ranney:
Here's a problem I have. Sometimes I get authors mixed up in my head. I got you mixed up with another author named Karen and I thought you and she were the same person so I haven't picked up any books of yours since 2005. After reading the Scottish Companion, though, I clearly [...]

Dear Ms. Guhrke:
I admit to not buying your book when it first came out. It had nothing to do with you, the author, and everything to do with the fact I wasn’t really in love with the last couple books you put out. Further you wrote primarily in the Regency era which is done, [...]

Dear Ms. Joyce,
I've been reading your books since The Veil of Night came out. I thought it was a bit above average for a debut, but conventional. The two books that followed were somewhat stronger in my opinion. All three showed a talent for conjuring an atmosphere, and main characters of diverse [...]

Emma by Kaoru Mori. Published by CMX. Retail: $9.99 2/7 Volumes released in English. Series complete in Japanese. Rated T+ (teens and up; female nudity in a matter of fact manner, mild sexual references, kissing) . A-
Note: I feel distinctly uncomfortable addressing a frank letter to a Japanese mangaka. [...]

Dear Ms. Hunter:
So, for many years, I have been bemoaning the state of historicals. Particularly bemoaning the fact that a brilliant author such as yourself seemed to slide from vibrant and emotional books to recycled plots and lackluster characters. I had not bought your most recent two books and thought this one was [...]

Dear Ms. Putney,
This collection, published by Jove in 2002, includes one original contemporary Christmas novella and reprints of four of your older novellas from the early 1990s. All but one were new to me when I picked up this book. Here are my opinions of each of the stories:

“A Holiday Fling”
This is the [...]