Reading report
I'm continuing to make inroads into the TBR shelves. My Goal, of course, is to thin the ranks enough to justify buying more books. Have I mentioned there is a Barnes and Noble within walking distance? I try to avoid crossing their threshold because I'm not to be trusted in a bookstore. But sometimes I weaken.
First up was a Harlequin Superromance; Brenda Novak's Stranger in Town , frankly I never got the title. But it doesn't matter because the story is lovely. Yes, for any skeptics, it is category full of introspection and predictability. Which is exactly why fans like them. Superromance is part of the home and family line, the heroines are frequently older than the twenty-something stars of straight romance. There are usually children present as part of the equation. The story focuses on the heroine's journey to true love. This particular title is part of a series Ms. Novak created set in Dundee, Idaho a small fictional town.
Next was a Samhain anthology, Caught by Cupid . The collection included three Valentine's themed stories. Gwendolyn Cease's Be Mine is the red-hot version of the classic friends to lovers tale. Bianca D'Arc's Forever Valentine is erotic vampire love. Maya Banks Overheard is another take on the friends to lovers with the added spice of two friends conspiring to please one heroine.
Last was Jude Deveraux's A Knight in Shining Armor. A time travel historical,which predates the famed Outlander. This book was urged on me by the charming proprietor of one of my favorite bookstores. She declared it one of her all time favorites. I've already admitted I'm not to be trusted inside a bookstore. Naturally I bought the book, but having read Ms. Deveraux before with indifferent results, the title lanquished for a few years. Ms. Deveraux writes well and is most likely intensely romantic, judging by her fans. But alas her story choices fail to connect with me. There's way too much detail of day to day events that fails to charm me because I'm not engaged with her characters. But this boils down to personal preference and is not a reflection of her story telling ability. I don't care for Hemmingway either.
First up was a Harlequin Superromance; Brenda Novak's Stranger in Town , frankly I never got the title. But it doesn't matter because the story is lovely. Yes, for any skeptics, it is category full of introspection and predictability. Which is exactly why fans like them. Superromance is part of the home and family line, the heroines are frequently older than the twenty-something stars of straight romance. There are usually children present as part of the equation. The story focuses on the heroine's journey to true love. This particular title is part of a series Ms. Novak created set in Dundee, Idaho a small fictional town.
Next was a Samhain anthology, Caught by Cupid . The collection included three Valentine's themed stories. Gwendolyn Cease's Be Mine is the red-hot version of the classic friends to lovers tale. Bianca D'Arc's Forever Valentine is erotic vampire love. Maya Banks Overheard is another take on the friends to lovers with the added spice of two friends conspiring to please one heroine.
Last was Jude Deveraux's A Knight in Shining Armor. A time travel historical,which predates the famed Outlander. This book was urged on me by the charming proprietor of one of my favorite bookstores. She declared it one of her all time favorites. I've already admitted I'm not to be trusted inside a bookstore. Naturally I bought the book, but having read Ms. Deveraux before with indifferent results, the title lanquished for a few years. Ms. Deveraux writes well and is most likely intensely romantic, judging by her fans. But alas her story choices fail to connect with me. There's way too much detail of day to day events that fails to charm me because I'm not engaged with her characters. But this boils down to personal preference and is not a reflection of her story telling ability. I don't care for Hemmingway either.
posted by Evanne Lorraine at 9:49 AM
2 Comments:
Read the soft cover copy of Knight in Shining Armor - this is the apology copy for the pitiful hardcover rendition. It's sixty pages longer and much better.
Dear TJ,
That was the edition I read. Sadly, I am never going to be one of Ms. Deveraux's millions of fans.
I like historicals. I adore Georgette Heyer, Judith McNaught, Johanna Linsey,and Loretta Chase. I could add dozens of beloved historical romance authors to this short list.
But my point remains the same. In Ms. Deveraux's case her characters fail to engage me. Obviously, she connects fine with other readers. My charming bookstore proprietor is a case in point.
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