false 1 1 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Thu May 24 19:51:09 -0700 2007 Wed Jun 17 15:42:41 -0700 2009 1 Love in Idleness by Amanda Craig. I hardly know what to say. Perhaps I could start off by saying that even if you have a fascination with Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream you don't have to work it into your novel.

When I first started Love in Idleness, so many characters were thrown at me that I was about to walk away from the book--which I hardly ever do. Finally I figured out the relationships (kind of) and the nationalities (sort of) and saw where Craig was taking me (or so I thought). I was getting into the storyline and was putting aside my thoughts on her less-than-perfect dialogue when suddenly there was magic and fairies and love potions and mists that rose up and dissipated at a moment's notice. I knew who was going to end up with who from the very beginning (except for Polly and Theo), but why did she have to incorporate a Midsummer Night's Dream moment to accomplish it? I think it was a cheap way out. I don't think I'll be reading another of her books...although maybe I should, just to see if this is a common strain in her writing.]]>