The trouble with stories wherein one party is betrothed to another is that the jilted person must either be unspeakably awful, or really wonderful but not quite right for the protagonist. It’s a tough balance. Unspeakably awful calls into question the judgment of the protagonist, and you can’t have a reader wondering if the hero or heroine is secretly a complete idiot for having chosen that turnip head in the first place. If the … Continue reading Delicious by Sherry Thomas →
I loved 80% of this book. I loved that Dahl took a risk with a character who wasn’t what she seemed, who was a walking con artist, who fooled people who adored her, but still allowed that character to be likeable and brave and clever. I loved that Dahl played with the idea of identity in a society where one’s status is largely based on fiat, where if everyone agrees you are who you say … Continue reading A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure by Victoria Dahl →
I checked the reviews on Amazon before I wrote my review for this book, just because I was curious to see how other people’s reactions stacked up to mine, and found that the two most popular complaints were: 1. OH MY GOD THE HEROINE IS A WHORE YOU GUYS THIS IS TOTALLY GROSS. 2. Loretta Chase has lost her zing. The first criticism is something I can empathize with, even though I strongly disagree with … Continue reading Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase →
A two-book review from the “And Now For Something A Little Different” department. You know those women who are friends with scads of men but not so many women? What if one of those women was in a historical romance? What if she were a widow, free of those pesky expectations of innocence and demureness? What if she were bawdy, outrageous, and friends with absolute piles of handsome, rakish men who adored her and considered … Continue reading Lord Scandal and Lord Sin by Kalen Hughes →
Hello. I’m here to keep you on track. Oh, shut up. I can ruminate on whatever the hell I want. Yeah, but someday you’re going to hog all the bandwidth on the internet. Coooool. *starts making plans* Hey! *sigh* FINE. What would be the screenplay version of Sarah Reading The Duke of Shadows? *peeking through fingers* “oh, shit oh shit, oh no….” *tight sensation in chest at depictions of violence* “fucking hormones….” *train stops, people … Continue reading The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran →
I’m currently at page 216 of a book that I had to talk about to someone. I first tried to talk with my husband about it, but he doesn’t read romances and can’t really get into a conversation about the merits (or lack there of) of one. So I emailed Candy and Sarah to see if they’d read it. Neither of them has, but Sarah thought that my take on it might be of interest, … Continue reading Devil’s Embrace by Catherine Coulter →
Blame it on Bindel, man, blame it on Bindel. When she claimed in a Guardian On-Line article that romance novels represented “misogynistic hate speech” and cited various romance novel titles and back cover copy as proof, the heat, as they say in Kitchen Stadium, was on. Assorted people agreed to review the book as part of an examination of whether Bindel’s accusations had any bite, and we Smart Bitches joined in, of course. The good … Continue reading Virgin Slave, Barbarian King by Louise Allen →
Well, nothing. If try I write in Spanish the words as come from my mouth and change them directly into English without moving them, the style will be very different. If I write directly in English, the rhythm, the cadence of the words is unique entirely from my brain attempts to translate. If I write directly into English, which is my native language, the sentences are different. If I write in Spanish without reordering the … Continue reading The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne →
Candy once said that Lisa Kleypas is her romance novel crack, and I can see why. Even as my brain questioned the possibilities and the circumstances of a happy ending for the two protagonists, I smiled and read along anyway, because her historical romances are comforting and happy in the way that soft flannel and hot cocoa are reassuring. I know the story isn’t going to demand too much of my brain or toss me … Continue reading Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas →
In recent entries about alphas within marriage, I mentioned my deep abiding love of Catherine Coulter’s Midsummer Magic, which holds a place of honor as (a) the first romance I’ve ever read, and (b) the most mis-labeled, incorrectly-described romance in my collection. Consider the description on the back of my copy: Clever, Beautiful Frances Kilbracken disguised herself as a mousy Scottish lass to keep Hawk, the…dashing Earl of Rothermere from being forced to marry her. … Continue reading Midsummer Magic by Catherine Coulter →
When a romance resonates with me days and weeks after I’ve read it, forcing me to think and remember parts of the plot or specific elements of a character’s story, that can be a good or a bad thing. There’s one book I read recently wherein the full story behind the trauma of the hero was introduced so late in the story that while he got over it quickly due to the magic power of … Continue reading The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt →
