Theodora Taylor's Blog, page 17
January 23, 2012
EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN by Crystal Hubbard
Description: 40-something professor Zae Richardson, never expected to find love again after the death of her beloved husband, but her hunky, blond dojo trainer, 30-something, Chip, might give the feisty widow a new lease on life. This is the follow-up to BURN.
The Good: Ms. Hubbard is a very funny writer, and there were many laugh out loud moments in this book. I really enjoyed BURN, and loved catching up with Gian and Cinder as they pursued adoption. The side characters were well-drawn and...
January 17, 2012
MACNAMARA'S LADY by N.J. Walters
Description: When Missy and T.S. are called upon to serve as maid of honor and best man at their best friends' wedding, they have no idea that sparks will also fly between the two of them. However, things that happened in the past get in the way of the relationship they're forming today.
The Good: I'm a big fan of regular H/Hs with plausible internal conflicts, and this book falls neatly into that category. These are two people who have been hurt terribly in the past and this has them both...
THE SHADOW BOX by Alexis Ke
Description: Best friends Simon and Afryca are in lust with each other from afar, but each is too afraid to tell the other how they really feel. Can one naughty club finally bring them together?
The Good: This is a very good premise, and I liked that the H/H were regular folk. There were also some funny moments with the heroine. And I loved her best friend.
The Bad: The plot is largely propelled along through interior monologue as opposed to sex or actions. This means that we spend an...
January 13, 2012
How to Receive Criticism as an Indie Author
One of the things that being in a critique group has taught me has been how to receive criticism. I now have five big rules about criticism that have served me well over the first few months of my career as an indie author.
1. Don't seek out criticism unless you are using it for promotion. The nice thing about critique groups is that they alert you to possible flaws before it goes into publication. After publication, there's little you can do. I have a day job as another type of writer...
January 11, 2012
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK by Gale Stanley
Description: After getting dumped by his boyfriend, who also happens to be his boss, an American attorney travels to Thailand on business. Here he meets an enticing-but-secretive young man name Kai, and starts to let down his guard. But eventually Kai's secret explodes and threatens to take their relationship out with it.
The Good: This is a very sweet read with lots of mystery and plot. It's perfect for m/m romance virgins who may want to dip their toes in the water of this genre with a...
January 10, 2012
MACY'S AWAKENING by Pepper Anthony
Description: When the nineteen-year-old bi-racial daughter of an old college buddy gets in trouble with the law (through no fault of her own), Jerrod Preston, a divorced forty-three-year-old attorney, steps in to help. He agrees to not only represent her but also give her a place to live for seven weeks until her court date (she lives in another city, but was in town for a wedding). What he doesn't count on is Macy breathing fresh air into his otherwise stale life. But can they overcome the ...
January 9, 2012
BEG FOR IT by Minx Malone
Description: Best friends and ad execs, Mya and Milo, are fierce competitors in the boardroom, but they're both nursing secret crushes on each other. Can they change their status from friends to lovers without losing their hearts?
The Good: This was a blazing hot, sweet, and funny read. Mya and Milo have serious chemistry between the sheets and in the office. I liked that they were at equal levels in their careers and that their jobs figured so heavily into their love story. I also liked that ...
January 5, 2012
What Makes You Give Authors a Second Chance? (Baby, Come Back!)
This week I reviewed Thayer King's WINNING DAWN. I read her debut novel, FRIENDS, last year and gave that a C, so I was pleasantly surprised by how very munch I liked WINNING DAWN, going so far as to give it a solid B+. This got me to to thinking about how I decide whether or not to give authors a second chance.
Well, first of all, if I'm able to get through an author's entire book, that means she has enough storytelling skills to hold my interest. I spend at least a couple of hours each week ...
January 4, 2012
SUCK IT UP (Grassroots Series, Book Two) by Emma Hillman
Description: Everybody likes Dr. Nate Franks, except his prickly shifter nurse, Kellie. However, after he finds out and solves her secret — the one that got her tortured by and eventually kicked out of her original pack — they are literally and passionately bonded.
The Good: Ms. Hillman sets up a great inner-character conflict for her heroine, in that she's heterosexual while her inner-lioness prefers women. I have never seen this situation before and was immediately intrigued. I also loved...
January 3, 2012
WINNING DAWN by Thayer King
Description: After things go south with her long time boyfriend/fiance, Dawn finds herself entangled in a no-strings-attached affair with her cousin-in-law's brother, Evan, who has sworn off serious relationships after his bitter divorce. But what happens when they both start to catch feelings? This is the sequel to Ms. King's first novel, FRIENDS, which I reviewed here.
The Good: This was a phenomenal read and a huge improvement in both style and general character development upon it's...
