Jane Litte's Blog, page 1048

REVIEW: The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

Dear Readers,

When an author has published over fifty books, where do you start? I want to make the case for one of Georgette Heyer's less frequently discussed novels. It features an on-the-shelf but still attractive spinster, a paragon of a hero, a brilliantly drawn cast of supporting characters, a country setting, and sparkling dialogue. There is a satisfying romance at its core, but that romance sometimes takes a back seat to her richly depicted social world.

[image error]Our heroine, Miss Ancilla...

REVIEW: The Bride Plan by Kasey Michaels

Dear Ms. Michaels,

Last year I gave the first two books in this series A- grades. And ever since then I've been eagerly waiting for Chessie's chance to find her Mr. Perfect after being left at the altar by Mr. Asshole. Would there be revenge? Or public humiliation? Or would MaryLou work her matchmaking magic again to get us a satisfying ending? I had to wait a while to find out and the results aren't quite up to the two previous books but I'm still fairly happy by the end.

As proprietor of the...

Reading List for Jane, Week of August 13

This is more a list of what I read last week because I don't know what I am going to read this week.  Last week I read:

Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid by Maureen Driscoll.  This was sent to me by the author. The pitch was really good.  The book not so much.  Standard fare Regency historical that pays no attention to societal restrictions in order to get the couple together.  Also a secret baby story.  It took me days (4) to finish this book.  Full review to come.

Goodreads | Amazon |  nook

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Review: Matchmakers 2.0 by Debora Geary

Dear Ms. Geary,

I'll be really, really honest – the entire reason I read this was simply because of all the reviews you have on Amazon. I picked up Matchmakers 2.0 when it was free several weeks ago, but I haven't really had any inclination to read it. Then I was browsing Amazon and noticed the sheer quantity of reviews. This book, for example, has 141 reviews, almost all of them positive. My skeptical eyebrow went up. Either this was a really good deal to be found, or someone had a lot of...

Which Is Harder: Warning a Reader Off or Making a Recommendation?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

 

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For me, it is harder to make a recommendation than to warn a reader off.  The reason is because if I make a recommendation and the person acts on that recommendation, I know she has spent time and money based on something I said.  Whenever I give a recommendation, I am thinking that this book is worth it to me and I hope it is worth it to you. I know that everything that I like isn't...

REVIEW: Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer

Dear Readers,

Tuesday August 16th would be La Heyer's 109 birthday and to celebrate Jane urged us to dust off our copies of her books and write reviews. I pondered and thought and recalled how much I've always enjoyed "Powder and Patch." I know it's not one of the best beloved of her books but it is one of mine. I first read it when I was about 14 and will readily admit that it made me a fan of Georgian era books. The silk coats, the small swords, powdered wigs and red heeled shoes! Ah...

REVIEW: Soldier On Her Doorstep by Soraya Lane

Dear Ms. Lane,

I am a long-time fan of the Harlequin Romance line, so when you offered Dear Author the opportunity to review your debut novel I was happy to volunteer. And when one of my favorite blogger-reviewers (and RWA Librarian of the Year!), SuperWendy, gave Soldier On Her Doorstep a positive review, the book moved to the top of my TBR. I agree that your book has some real strengths, but it also had a number of shortcomings. So my reading experience was mixed.

[image error]Alex Dane has returned to...

REVIEW: Turn It Up by Inez Kelley

Dear Ms. Kelley:

My feelings at the end of this book were ambivalent.  I liked a lot of it, but there were significant parts of the story that gave me pause.  Sebastian and Charlie have been best friends for six years.  They've seen each other through some difficult times and their friendship has never been stronger, but Sebastian is about to test their bonds by declaring his love for Charlie.

[image error]Charlie is a self proclaimed bad girl.  She glories in her sexuality and I loved that.  Sebastian is a...

Georgette Heyer's 109th birthday celebration: 46 ebooks for $1.99

Tuesday, August 16 would have been Georgette Heyer's 109th birthday. In honor of this most beloved author, who many call the Queen of Regency Romance, Sourcebooks is discounting EVERY SINGLE one of the eBooks we currently have available to $1.99 for one week,getting Heyer's Birthday Party started a day early on August 15!

[image error]That's 46 books, plus the fabulous reader companion, Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester, available for $1.99 from August 15-August 21.

Below is the full...

Avon Books Celebrates Liz Carlyle and Loretta Chase with a Vera Bradley Tote + Backlist Bonanza

Avon is sponsoring a giveaway for the Dear Author readers to celebrate authors Loretta Chase and Liz Carlyle.  The giveaway features a red Vera Bradley tote with the entire backlist of Liz Carlyle and a purple Vera Bradley tote with the entire backlist of Loretta Chase.  For those digital readers, Avon is giving away a gift card and a purple tech case.   You can find out more about Avon romances at Avonromance.com, "like" them onFacebook, or follow them on Twitter.  The giveaway is limited...