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Hometown Memories #4
Again
Just when your life seems to be going exactly as planned; just when you think you are probably happy; and just when you think there will be no surprises, along comes the love you never knew you needed...
Jenny Cotton is having the time of her life as the head writer of daytime's only historical soap opera. But beneath her dashing sparkle is a vulnerable woman who can't seem to write herself out of a longtime relationship...until Alec Cameron walks before the camera and into her life. Jenny can't imagine being able to love...again.
Alec had perfected his craft with the same broad-shouldered courage that got him through his failed marriage. He thinks of himself as "one of the good guys," and yet he hides wounds no one, including himself, can see. And he can't stand to watch the woman he loves run from happiness... again.
Now, suddenly, the story that unfolds on weekday afternoons is more than just a script for Jenny and Alec—it's their story. But can they see how close they are to happiness, or how close they are to losing it?
Jenny Cotton is having the time of her life as the head writer of daytime's only historical soap opera. But beneath her dashing sparkle is a vulnerable woman who can't seem to write herself out of a longtime relationship...until Alec Cameron walks before the camera and into her life. Jenny can't imagine being able to love...again.
Alec had perfected his craft with the same broad-shouldered courage that got him through his failed marriage. He thinks of himself as "one of the good guys," and yet he hides wounds no one, including himself, can see. And he can't stand to watch the woman he loves run from happiness... again.
Now, suddenly, the story that unfolds on weekday afternoons is more than just a script for Jenny and Alec—it's their story. But can they see how close they are to happiness, or how close they are to losing it?
378 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
78 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 6, 2018
Never have I read a romance based on a soap opera - not for me. Even the little bit of romance couldn't save it; I wanted to read about the romance but the script and the show took up the majority of the story line. I chose this as a simple read, which it was, but definitely only a two star review from me. Very basic. Happy ever after was sweet for Jenny and Alec, this story was not my cup of tea. Maybe soap opera fans will love this more than I.
June 26, 2022
Possibly my favorite contemporary romance. I've read it at least a few times.
4.75 / 5 stars
Again takes place on the set of a daytime soap opera set in Regency England. The show is called My Lady’s Chamber. The story begins when its head writer, Jenny Cotton, asks that daytime veteran Alec Cameron be hired for a role that needs recasting.
Alec is coming off of a disastrous experience on another soap. Aspen’s head writer did not understand daytime soaps, the directors could not come up with a consistent look for it, and the audience tuned out.
Alec, who has a personality that compels him to solve problems even when that is not his role, valiantly tried to fix these issues. For his pains, he was not only fired, but made to take the fall for the show’s low ratings. He found himself unable to get another acting job, until My Lady’s Chamber called.
Now Alec has decided not to make the same mistakes on My Lady’s Chamber. Members of the cast tell him he’ll love it there, that the show is like a happy family. Alec is determined not to fall for it, to remain detached, until he meets Jenny Cotton.
Jenny is the creative heart of the show, the one the actors come to with their problems. Alec finds her smile when she greets him “bright and gamine” and thinks “everything about her sparkled with energy.” To his eyes she appears “fresh and uncomplicated,” and Alec wonders why it’s hard to meet more women like her.
If this were the kind of story we often read, this would be Alec and Jenny’s cue to begin courting. But this isn’t that kind of story, because Jenny already loves someone – her longtime boyfriend Brian, the actor who plays Hastings, butler to Alec’s character.
Jenny met Brian when they were both fourteen. Jenny, the motherless daughter of a pool hall owner, was from a poor neighborhood and did not know how to do “girl stuff.” This made her an outsider at her Oklahoma school, and yet, she was well-liked by kids from a variety of backgrounds.
Brian, whose mother left his alcoholic father and brought her son with her to her hometown, was under pressure to be respectable, but wanted only to be free. And Jenny, who had by then accepted her outsider status, “seemed like the freest person he had ever met.”
Together, Jenny and Brian moved to New York. Together, they grew their careers. It was Brian who encouraged Jenny to create her own show, even making it possible for her to quit her job and so she could work full time putting My Lady’s Chamber together, and later helping her sell the show.
And yet, despite this, Again makes the case that Brian is the wrong man for Jenny. Our first inkling of this comes when Alec witnesses Brian confront Jenny about a script in front of the entire cast. A second clue comes when Alec has difficulty figuring out his character, Lydgate. A castmember suggests he discuss it with Jenny, but during their conversation, Jenny suffers a miscarriage.
Alec rushes Jenny to the hospital. He then realizes Brian should be called, but when Brian arrives, he is worse than useless.
But even if Alec is starting to realize that Brian’s behavior isn’t fair to Jenny, Jenny does not want to face it. In the wake of her pregnancy, her sex life, which was never satisfying, becomes nonexistent. The miscarriage leaves her sad and forlorn, though before it happened, she had not even realized that she wanted a child.
When she returns to work, Jenny learns that Alec has figured out his character. He is playing Lydgate as cold, more interested in things than in people, even cruel to his wife. While watching Alec portray Lydgate, Jenny has an uncomfortable epiphany.
I don’t want to spoil where Again goes from here, but I have to touch on a couple of things that come later to explain the book’s appeal.
One of the things I love about Again is that almost nothing is simple. The characters feel real and their relationships messy and complicated. It takes a long time for Jenny to fully see and accept who Brian is, and realize that he is not as committed to her as she is to him.
This is a partial review. The complete review can be found at Dear Author, here: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
4.75 / 5 stars
Again takes place on the set of a daytime soap opera set in Regency England. The show is called My Lady’s Chamber. The story begins when its head writer, Jenny Cotton, asks that daytime veteran Alec Cameron be hired for a role that needs recasting.
Alec is coming off of a disastrous experience on another soap. Aspen’s head writer did not understand daytime soaps, the directors could not come up with a consistent look for it, and the audience tuned out.
Alec, who has a personality that compels him to solve problems even when that is not his role, valiantly tried to fix these issues. For his pains, he was not only fired, but made to take the fall for the show’s low ratings. He found himself unable to get another acting job, until My Lady’s Chamber called.
Now Alec has decided not to make the same mistakes on My Lady’s Chamber. Members of the cast tell him he’ll love it there, that the show is like a happy family. Alec is determined not to fall for it, to remain detached, until he meets Jenny Cotton.
Jenny is the creative heart of the show, the one the actors come to with their problems. Alec finds her smile when she greets him “bright and gamine” and thinks “everything about her sparkled with energy.” To his eyes she appears “fresh and uncomplicated,” and Alec wonders why it’s hard to meet more women like her.
If this were the kind of story we often read, this would be Alec and Jenny’s cue to begin courting. But this isn’t that kind of story, because Jenny already loves someone – her longtime boyfriend Brian, the actor who plays Hastings, butler to Alec’s character.
Jenny met Brian when they were both fourteen. Jenny, the motherless daughter of a pool hall owner, was from a poor neighborhood and did not know how to do “girl stuff.” This made her an outsider at her Oklahoma school, and yet, she was well-liked by kids from a variety of backgrounds.
Brian, whose mother left his alcoholic father and brought her son with her to her hometown, was under pressure to be respectable, but wanted only to be free. And Jenny, who had by then accepted her outsider status, “seemed like the freest person he had ever met.”
Together, Jenny and Brian moved to New York. Together, they grew their careers. It was Brian who encouraged Jenny to create her own show, even making it possible for her to quit her job and so she could work full time putting My Lady’s Chamber together, and later helping her sell the show.
And yet, despite this, Again makes the case that Brian is the wrong man for Jenny. Our first inkling of this comes when Alec witnesses Brian confront Jenny about a script in front of the entire cast. A second clue comes when Alec has difficulty figuring out his character, Lydgate. A castmember suggests he discuss it with Jenny, but during their conversation, Jenny suffers a miscarriage.
Alec rushes Jenny to the hospital. He then realizes Brian should be called, but when Brian arrives, he is worse than useless.
“I’m glad you’re about to get out. This can’t be any fun.” Brian looked around the room. “I’d hate being in the hospital. It gives me the willies just visiting.”
For God’s sake, man, she just lost your baby. Show her that you mind.
———————————————————
Alec thought he understood. There had been a rule in his own marriage—Chloe was the only one who was entitled to get upset. Alec wasn’t supposed to have any problems. His job in the relationship had been to solve the problems, her job to have them. It had worked until they started having problems that he couldn’t solve.
But even if Alec is starting to realize that Brian’s behavior isn’t fair to Jenny, Jenny does not want to face it. In the wake of her pregnancy, her sex life, which was never satisfying, becomes nonexistent. The miscarriage leaves her sad and forlorn, though before it happened, she had not even realized that she wanted a child.
When she returns to work, Jenny learns that Alec has figured out his character. He is playing Lydgate as cold, more interested in things than in people, even cruel to his wife. While watching Alec portray Lydgate, Jenny has an uncomfortable epiphany.
Karen turned to ad-lib a silent word to Alec, her movement stirring the silken folds of her dress. Alec mouthed a response and even though the camera was not on him, he took the smallest step backward.
It was a good touch, that withdrawing. It was the sort of thing some men did, the desire to distance themselves welling up even when they were unaware of it. Jenny hated it when Brian—
When Brian did it. That was Brian’s gesture. Brian took that little step backward all the time.
I don’t want to spoil where Again goes from here, but I have to touch on a couple of things that come later to explain the book’s appeal.
One of the things I love about Again is that almost nothing is simple. The characters feel real and their relationships messy and complicated. It takes a long time for Jenny to fully see and accept who Brian is, and realize that he is not as committed to her as she is to him.
This is a partial review. The complete review can be found at Dear Author, here: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
July 7, 2022
What a charming romance between two people with a lot of emotional baggage!
4.5 stars
I was almost sure I had read this when it first came out, but the further I got into the book the more I realized that this was a new to me book. I loved the premise of a soap opera set in Regency England. I enjoyed all of the soap opera bits--the scripts, the 'how to put on the show' details, the cast interactions. Having watched a number of soaps over the years, that part of the book felt so familiar that I found myself nodding a lot in recognition.
As a reader of regency romances I also found myself nodding in pleased recognition at the plot of My Lady's Chamber. I would have watched that show!
I totally believed the romance that slowly develops between Alec Cameron (who plays the icy-hearted Duke of Lydgate) and Jenny Cotton (head writer for the show). The author did a good job of keeping the reader privy to what Alec and Jenny were thinking. I will admit, however, that I did want to knock their heads together a few times, in hopes that they would get a clue. Their road to an HEA had its bumps and twists, making the ending that much sweeter.
This one goes on the keeper shelf.
4.5 stars
I was almost sure I had read this when it first came out, but the further I got into the book the more I realized that this was a new to me book. I loved the premise of a soap opera set in Regency England. I enjoyed all of the soap opera bits--the scripts, the 'how to put on the show' details, the cast interactions. Having watched a number of soaps over the years, that part of the book felt so familiar that I found myself nodding a lot in recognition.
As a reader of regency romances I also found myself nodding in pleased recognition at the plot of My Lady's Chamber. I would have watched that show!
I totally believed the romance that slowly develops between Alec Cameron (who plays the icy-hearted Duke of Lydgate) and Jenny Cotton (head writer for the show). The author did a good job of keeping the reader privy to what Alec and Jenny were thinking. I will admit, however, that I did want to knock their heads together a few times, in hopes that they would get a clue. Their road to an HEA had its bumps and twists, making the ending that much sweeter.
This one goes on the keeper shelf.
May 15, 2011
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
I came upon this book by accident; I was going through my parents’ library and found this one hidden under a pile of dust. I googled the book and since the reviews were great and the description sounded interesting I read it. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down.
The book is set in the world of soap operas. The hero, Alec, is a very famous soap opera star who after having a lot of troubles with his current show gets fired and starts working in another one. The heroine, Jenny, is the head writer of that show. They have an instant connection, he is attracted to her refreshing attitude and she is just plain nice and friendly, so they become fast friends. He is the first one to realize that his feelings have developed into something more, but the problem is that Jenny is in a very serious relationship with one of the show’s actors.
The first thing that caught my attention was the writing, I can’t pinpoint what it was about it that I found to be so wonderful but it just flows. There is a lot of introspection in this book, the characters talk to themselves as much as they talk to each other, and even if is written in third person and you get both lead’s POV, it almost seemed that I was reading a first person narrative because you really get to know the characters.
Alec was sweet, hardworking, devoted and responsible, this wasn’t a conventional alpha male, he was very down to earth and realistic. He wasn’t afraid to show his feelings and to appear vulnerable. The best part about him was that he was a partner, he was in equal ground with Jenny, they were both successful and supportive of each other, he not only loved Jenny, he respected and admired her. The reason he got fired from the soap wasn’t that he was a troublemaker, this is no bad boy hero; on the contrary, he gets blamed for the failure of the show, the low ratings and everything that went wrong, and he feels very disappointed because he worked very hard for that not to happen.
Jenny was one of the sweetest, most likeable heroines I have read in a long time. She was a bit of a tom boy, she was an outsider her whole life and just wanted to feel like she was part of something, she had a great imagination and she was on first name basis with Georgette Heyer. Once you hear her backstory her character really comes into perspective, you get to see her flaws and insecurities and how she deals with them, she was far from perfect and that made her a lot more relatable.
The soap opera is set during the Regency era (hence the first named basis with Georgette) and if you are a fan of romances set in that period you are going to love this one. There is a bit of a story within a story in this book, and when you start reading about the soap opera you will laugh at all of the inside jokes, the show uses all the plot devices that you can expect from a regency romance and a soap opera.
There is a lot of humor, the book is not a comedy though, in fact there are some serious topics in it, Alec and Jenny have some drama going in their life, but they deal with it with humor and optimism. As I said there is a lot of introspection in the book, but the inner dialogue was fantastic, I laugh so hard reading Alec’s thoughts that is no wonder I fell in love with him, and I think that so will you. The cast of secondary characters is another part of why this book was so good, they were a blast and a joy to read.
The book is full of details about daytime television and soap operas; you can tell that Kathleen did a lot of research. I didn’t find it boring though, I believe it added to the story, but you might find the book a bit slow, I was very invested in the characters so maybe that’s why I enjoyed those technical parts, but it might not be your case.
The only thing that bothered me was that the “villain” of the story was a bit one-dimensional. He was Jenny’s boyfriend and friend since childhood and she loved him, but his behavior made him seem like a jerk. I understand that he needed to be unlikeable for us to root for Alec and Jenny, but he could have been more complex. Sometimes good people fall out of love without someone having to be a jerk you know? That is how life works, and I would have loved for them to fall apart because they weren’t in love anymore and because they were different people, not just because someone was an asshole. I couldn’t understand why she was with him in the first place, or why she stayed with him, and in the end he was the one who forced her hand into choosing Alec instead of being her who made the decision.
Overall this was a feel-good story. It was filled with incredible charming characters. It was funny, it was sweet and I have a new favorite author. This is an out of print book so it might be hard to get (I should know because I’m trying to get my hands on her other books) but if you can find them, they are worth it. Look beyond the publishing date, and the cheesy covers, this book wasn’t dated at all, and I’ve got a feeling that the same can be said about the rest of them. Sadly Kathleen is no longer writing romance, I think her latest books are more women's fiction than anything else, but this is an author worth reading no matter the genre.
Don't forget to visit my blog http://romance-around-the-corner.blogspot.com/
I came upon this book by accident; I was going through my parents’ library and found this one hidden under a pile of dust. I googled the book and since the reviews were great and the description sounded interesting I read it. Once I started it I couldn’t put it down.
The book is set in the world of soap operas. The hero, Alec, is a very famous soap opera star who after having a lot of troubles with his current show gets fired and starts working in another one. The heroine, Jenny, is the head writer of that show. They have an instant connection, he is attracted to her refreshing attitude and she is just plain nice and friendly, so they become fast friends. He is the first one to realize that his feelings have developed into something more, but the problem is that Jenny is in a very serious relationship with one of the show’s actors.
The first thing that caught my attention was the writing, I can’t pinpoint what it was about it that I found to be so wonderful but it just flows. There is a lot of introspection in this book, the characters talk to themselves as much as they talk to each other, and even if is written in third person and you get both lead’s POV, it almost seemed that I was reading a first person narrative because you really get to know the characters.
Alec was sweet, hardworking, devoted and responsible, this wasn’t a conventional alpha male, he was very down to earth and realistic. He wasn’t afraid to show his feelings and to appear vulnerable. The best part about him was that he was a partner, he was in equal ground with Jenny, they were both successful and supportive of each other, he not only loved Jenny, he respected and admired her. The reason he got fired from the soap wasn’t that he was a troublemaker, this is no bad boy hero; on the contrary, he gets blamed for the failure of the show, the low ratings and everything that went wrong, and he feels very disappointed because he worked very hard for that not to happen.
Jenny was one of the sweetest, most likeable heroines I have read in a long time. She was a bit of a tom boy, she was an outsider her whole life and just wanted to feel like she was part of something, she had a great imagination and she was on first name basis with Georgette Heyer. Once you hear her backstory her character really comes into perspective, you get to see her flaws and insecurities and how she deals with them, she was far from perfect and that made her a lot more relatable.
The soap opera is set during the Regency era (hence the first named basis with Georgette) and if you are a fan of romances set in that period you are going to love this one. There is a bit of a story within a story in this book, and when you start reading about the soap opera you will laugh at all of the inside jokes, the show uses all the plot devices that you can expect from a regency romance and a soap opera.
There is a lot of humor, the book is not a comedy though, in fact there are some serious topics in it, Alec and Jenny have some drama going in their life, but they deal with it with humor and optimism. As I said there is a lot of introspection in the book, but the inner dialogue was fantastic, I laugh so hard reading Alec’s thoughts that is no wonder I fell in love with him, and I think that so will you. The cast of secondary characters is another part of why this book was so good, they were a blast and a joy to read.
The book is full of details about daytime television and soap operas; you can tell that Kathleen did a lot of research. I didn’t find it boring though, I believe it added to the story, but you might find the book a bit slow, I was very invested in the characters so maybe that’s why I enjoyed those technical parts, but it might not be your case.
The only thing that bothered me was that the “villain” of the story was a bit one-dimensional. He was Jenny’s boyfriend and friend since childhood and she loved him, but his behavior made him seem like a jerk. I understand that he needed to be unlikeable for us to root for Alec and Jenny, but he could have been more complex. Sometimes good people fall out of love without someone having to be a jerk you know? That is how life works, and I would have loved for them to fall apart because they weren’t in love anymore and because they were different people, not just because someone was an asshole. I couldn’t understand why she was with him in the first place, or why she stayed with him, and in the end he was the one who forced her hand into choosing Alec instead of being her who made the decision.
Overall this was a feel-good story. It was filled with incredible charming characters. It was funny, it was sweet and I have a new favorite author. This is an out of print book so it might be hard to get (I should know because I’m trying to get my hands on her other books) but if you can find them, they are worth it. Look beyond the publishing date, and the cheesy covers, this book wasn’t dated at all, and I’ve got a feeling that the same can be said about the rest of them. Sadly Kathleen is no longer writing romance, I think her latest books are more women's fiction than anything else, but this is an author worth reading no matter the genre.
Don't forget to visit my blog http://romance-around-the-corner.blogspot.com/
July 31, 2023
KGS’s ambition makes for remarkable worldbuilding and characterization. I’ve self-identified as a meta-hater in the past, but truly I only have scorn for basic, surface-level, and uncurious meta. This book is none of the above.
September 2, 2024
Como cuento en mi blog, en 2024 se cumplen 30 años de esta novela, la más apreciada de la autora.
Es contemporánea pero se nota que estamos en los noventa en algunos detalles. El actor Alec (32), escocés de Canadá, recala en un culebrón peculiar, la niña de los ojos de Jenny (28), Guionista Máxima.
Es una delicia ver cómo se relata, desde dentro, esta vida televisiva, y cómo mezclan sus vidas con los personajes. Alec es un poco el Gilbert de esta Ana del Medio Oeste porque sí, hay más de una referencia a Ana de las Tejas Verdes. No en vano, Alec es de la isla del Príncipe Eduardo.
Una gozada. De esas románticas que ha envejecido muy bien.
Es contemporánea pero se nota que estamos en los noventa en algunos detalles. El actor Alec (32), escocés de Canadá, recala en un culebrón peculiar, la niña de los ojos de Jenny (28), Guionista Máxima.
Es una delicia ver cómo se relata, desde dentro, esta vida televisiva, y cómo mezclan sus vidas con los personajes. Alec es un poco el Gilbert de esta Ana del Medio Oeste porque sí, hay más de una referencia a Ana de las Tejas Verdes. No en vano, Alec es de la isla del Príncipe Eduardo.
Una gozada. De esas románticas que ha envejecido muy bien.
May 8, 2017
I haven't read a romance like this in a while, where there's very little sex. (There is some.) It was different too, in that it's very clearly set in a different period, not the least because someone is commisioning new daytime soaps and then wanting to push them to an hour. (Long time recovering soap fan who had a harder time suspending that particular piece of disbelief than anything about the phones.)
But I loved, LOVED the world building in this. I quite desperately want a regency set soap now, because that would be just about the greatest thing in the world. Making it a billion times more difficult to dissolve marriages would be a really fun constraint to put on script writers, frankly, who are very often too dependent on quickie divorces for storytelling. But I digress.
Jenny is a wonderful heroine. She's good at her job, and a good person, but she's not a perfect person which is what makes for a really good character. I was also into Alec as a reluctant hero and leader, because I think too often we get heroes who are rah rah let me lead, and this was a good counterpoint to that.
Watching them fall painfully in love was good and achy, and it was just something I really liked immersing myself in.
Definitely going to check out more of Gilles Seidel's work. She wasn't someone I'd ever heard of before, and I'm sad that I'd missed her.
But I loved, LOVED the world building in this. I quite desperately want a regency set soap now, because that would be just about the greatest thing in the world. Making it a billion times more difficult to dissolve marriages would be a really fun constraint to put on script writers, frankly, who are very often too dependent on quickie divorces for storytelling. But I digress.
Jenny is a wonderful heroine. She's good at her job, and a good person, but she's not a perfect person which is what makes for a really good character. I was also into Alec as a reluctant hero and leader, because I think too often we get heroes who are rah rah let me lead, and this was a good counterpoint to that.
Watching them fall painfully in love was good and achy, and it was just something I really liked immersing myself in.
Definitely going to check out more of Gilles Seidel's work. She wasn't someone I'd ever heard of before, and I'm sad that I'd missed her.
August 11, 2019
Clunky clunky opening, but a surprisingly entertaining story about a HR soap opera. All the best bits are about the making of the shows--the relationship and characters didn't really work for me. Some intolerant opinions about motherhood, and a 2-D OW further left a slightly sour taste. But all in, it's worth it for the fascinating setting.
July 31, 2023
One of the most memorable TV viewing experiences of my childhood was when Marlena was possessed by the devil on Days of Our Lives in 1994. It was an even more illicit experience because I was not technically allowed to watch soaps. But having been turned onto Days by my aunt’s mom one summer, I loved nothing more than calculating which days I’d be able to watch when I wasn’t in school and my parents were both at work. Once the possession storyline began, I was even more riveted. A character possessed by the devil! Who could top that?? While I haven’t watched soaps regularly since college—All My Children and General Hospital by then—I still love them. The drama, the romance, the character arcs. The way I could probably turn on General Hospital and be caught up by the end of the episode, despite not watching in decades.
All that to say, I was excited to read a romance set in the world of soaps. Kathleen Gilles Seidel excels at writing settings. The bulk of this takes place on the set of My Lady’s Chamber, a Regency soap. We also get an epistolary element with scripts, memos, and magazine articles. Jenny is the head writer and her long-time boyfriend Brian is one of the actors. And then Alec joins the cast and accidentally sets things in motion. Jenny may want to believe the cast is “one big happy family” but the truth is more complicated than that.
Jenny buries herself in work to avoid the truth of her relationship. She resists going from half an hour show to an hour (in what world?!) or having any help. If she lets herself realize how lonely and unfulfilled her personal life is, she’ll have to actually do something about Brian and she can’t have that. Instead, she works things out through her characters (e.g. Alec is Hastings [Brian's character], Brian is Lydgate [Alec's character]). In fact, Alec quickly realizes that his character is based on Brian. Lydgate’s odiousness forces Jenny to realize what her subconscious has been doing. This wasn’t developed quite as well as I needed it to be. Brian could not be more mediocre and I could not understand why it took Jenny forever to see this about him. What was driving her misplaced loyalty? It didn’t seem in keeping with the rest of her character. She would have stayed with him forever and that would have been an incredible waste.
Well. Jenny might have stayed with Brian but
This was published 1994 and won the RITA Award for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance in 1995. I can see what RWA was responding to back then, even though I found the romance itself to be the least developed part of this story. There isn’t really a love triangle and neither MC cheats. But the pacing and development of the romance was all over the place.
Alec is a steady, helpful presence on set. He clearly sees how “one big happy family” masks the toxicity of the workplace. Not that it’s an awful place to work but things could run a lot smoother were everyone doing their actual jobs. He does his best to lead from the side, even though that’s not his job as an actor. And this is where his friendship with Jenny begins, talking about various issues with the script and with cast dynamics. Then one day, truly out of the blue, he realizes he’s in love with Jenny. Now I would have bought a crush. But love? Hardly. She’s with Brian, for one. For another, they are in the bubble of the show. They only interact at work and the majority of their conversations are about the soap. That’s not enough for me to buy a real version of love but it wasn’t presented as he’s in love with an idealized version of her either.
Then I really liked both of these characters but the HEA was just wallpaper to me, not proof that they’re meant to be more than co-workers. I wish
As this was published almost 30 years ago, there were a few other missteps. It was gender essentialist leaning toward transphobia with the through line of how Jenny never “learned to be a woman” since her mom died young and her dad was hopeless about such things. Alec pathologizes and thinks less of his ex-wife for not wanting kids. There’s a lot of emphasis about true womanhood equaling child-bearers. Yikes. While there are a couple of queer secondary characters (blink and you’ll miss those references though), this is a cis white world. There’s a bit of weirdness and stereotypes around the diverse Oklahoma neighborhood she grew up in as the sole white girl. I didn’t know what to make of those details, especially in comparison to the whiteness of NYC we’re presented.
By pure random chance, I happened upon an interesting blog post about this book while searching for something else so I’m including it here: The Hooded Utilitarian: Romance as Criticism, Criticism as Romance by Noah Berlatsky (April 25, 2014)
Characters: Jenny is a white 28 year old soap opera head writer. Alec is a white 32 year old soap opera actor. This is set in NYC.
Content notes: pregnancy (unplanned) and miscarriage (FMC was 8 weeks along), discussions/mentions of rape and marital rape (soap opera plots), past statutory rape (MMC had sex at 16 with divorced older woman), infidelity (), Evil Other Woman trope, codependency, past death of MMC’s sister (leukemia), past death of FMC’s mother (car accident), closeted gay character and homophobia (soap opera plot), past divorce, sexism, misogyny (secondary character), diet culture, family planning discussion, past racism, secondary character’s father was alcoholic, recent international adoption (MMC’s ex-wife), on page sex, alcohol, Romani slur, anti-fat bias, casual ableism, casual slut-shaming, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
All that to say, I was excited to read a romance set in the world of soaps. Kathleen Gilles Seidel excels at writing settings. The bulk of this takes place on the set of My Lady’s Chamber, a Regency soap. We also get an epistolary element with scripts, memos, and magazine articles. Jenny is the head writer and her long-time boyfriend Brian is one of the actors. And then Alec joins the cast and accidentally sets things in motion. Jenny may want to believe the cast is “one big happy family” but the truth is more complicated than that.
Jenny buries herself in work to avoid the truth of her relationship. She resists going from half an hour show to an hour (in what world?!) or having any help. If she lets herself realize how lonely and unfulfilled her personal life is, she’ll have to actually do something about Brian and she can’t have that. Instead, she works things out through her characters (e.g. Alec is Hastings [Brian's character], Brian is Lydgate [Alec's character]). In fact, Alec quickly realizes that his character is based on Brian. Lydgate’s odiousness forces Jenny to realize what her subconscious has been doing. This wasn’t developed quite as well as I needed it to be. Brian could not be more mediocre and I could not understand why it took Jenny forever to see this about him. What was driving her misplaced loyalty? It didn’t seem in keeping with the rest of her character. She would have stayed with him forever and that would have been an incredible waste.
Well. Jenny might have stayed with Brian but
This was published 1994 and won the RITA Award for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance in 1995. I can see what RWA was responding to back then, even though I found the romance itself to be the least developed part of this story. There isn’t really a love triangle and neither MC cheats. But the pacing and development of the romance was all over the place.
Alec is a steady, helpful presence on set. He clearly sees how “one big happy family” masks the toxicity of the workplace. Not that it’s an awful place to work but things could run a lot smoother were everyone doing their actual jobs. He does his best to lead from the side, even though that’s not his job as an actor. And this is where his friendship with Jenny begins, talking about various issues with the script and with cast dynamics. Then one day, truly out of the blue, he realizes he’s in love with Jenny. Now I would have bought a crush. But love? Hardly. She’s with Brian, for one. For another, they are in the bubble of the show. They only interact at work and the majority of their conversations are about the soap. That’s not enough for me to buy a real version of love but it wasn’t presented as he’s in love with an idealized version of her either.
Then I really liked both of these characters but the HEA was just wallpaper to me, not proof that they’re meant to be more than co-workers. I wish
As this was published almost 30 years ago, there were a few other missteps. It was gender essentialist leaning toward transphobia with the through line of how Jenny never “learned to be a woman” since her mom died young and her dad was hopeless about such things. Alec pathologizes and thinks less of his ex-wife for not wanting kids. There’s a lot of emphasis about true womanhood equaling child-bearers. Yikes. While there are a couple of queer secondary characters (blink and you’ll miss those references though), this is a cis white world. There’s a bit of weirdness and stereotypes around the diverse Oklahoma neighborhood she grew up in as the sole white girl. I didn’t know what to make of those details, especially in comparison to the whiteness of NYC we’re presented.
By pure random chance, I happened upon an interesting blog post about this book while searching for something else so I’m including it here: The Hooded Utilitarian: Romance as Criticism, Criticism as Romance by Noah Berlatsky (April 25, 2014)
Characters: Jenny is a white 28 year old soap opera head writer. Alec is a white 32 year old soap opera actor. This is set in NYC.
Content notes: pregnancy (unplanned) and miscarriage (FMC was 8 weeks along), discussions/mentions of rape and marital rape (soap opera plots), past statutory rape (MMC had sex at 16 with divorced older woman), infidelity (), Evil Other Woman trope, codependency, past death of MMC’s sister (leukemia), past death of FMC’s mother (car accident), closeted gay character and homophobia (soap opera plot), past divorce, sexism, misogyny (secondary character), diet culture, family planning discussion, past racism, secondary character’s father was alcoholic, recent international adoption (MMC’s ex-wife), on page sex, alcohol, Romani slur, anti-fat bias, casual ableism, casual slut-shaming, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
August 29, 2013
I want to give it a higher rating, but 3.5 fits it right. I have to say the #1 reason I picked it up was the "working on a soap opera" angle, and on that count the book exceeded my expectations - that side of it was a lot of fun. The machinations of that business - not just TV business but soap operas specifically - and the kind of delight for it that was evident throughout the novel was rad, and if Seidel had left the story just at the soap opera behind-the-scenes and the way the characters interacted with each other, this would've been 4 stars, easy. The romance fell short, though, and a little hurried considering how little time they'd spent with each other - could've spent more time figuring out what they were to each other.
If I have any major complaints it's probably the "bad guys" for being one-dimensional and completely unsympathetic, but I suppose - considering this book is nearly 20 years old - that's something I should look for more in more recent novels.
This was ridiculously readable, and though it was a little longer than I've been reading lately, it managed to fill out the story without seeming like it was being stretched beyond believability? Good enough for something to pass the time.
If I have any major complaints it's probably the "bad guys" for being one-dimensional and completely unsympathetic, but I suppose - considering this book is nearly 20 years old - that's something I should look for more in more recent novels.
This was ridiculously readable, and though it was a little longer than I've been reading lately, it managed to fill out the story without seeming like it was being stretched beyond believability? Good enough for something to pass the time.
September 2, 2018
This book was odd. I loved the setup (takes place on the set of Regency soap opera). I loved the hero and heroine when I met them. Everything seemed like it would be lovely and sprightly and interesting. And then... the entire emotional arc of the hero and heroine's journey together is told rather than shown. Seriously. They have their "overcoming the Big Misunderstanding" moment via a script-- as in, literally, the heroine writes a script for the scene, shows it to the hero, and then literally walks him through the emotional revelation he's supposed to have. So odd.
4 stars for the first half, 2 stars for the rest.
4 stars for the first half, 2 stars for the rest.
August 24, 2013
Lots of interesting world-building around the soap opera world, but not nearly enough relationship building between Jenny and Alec. I never got a sense of who they were in relation to eachother or why they fell in love with eachother. A big miss for me in that regard.
March 17, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. The unique storytelling device served the plot advancement so well.
The book takes place on the set of a daytime soap opera set in the Regency period. Through the stories on the show the show's head writer and the male main character figure out who they are, why they are and ultimately what and who they want to be. At times it is emotionally heart wrenching. One particular passage had me sobbing (no spoilers!). At other points in time I wanted to reach into the pages and slap people.
The detailed way in which the world of soap opera writing and production were portrayed demonstrates a lot of research and the ability to really paint a setting. I felt like I was there and felt the urgency.
Overall just a really rewarding and exhilarating read. Something different and welcome.
The book takes place on the set of a daytime soap opera set in the Regency period. Through the stories on the show the show's head writer and the male main character figure out who they are, why they are and ultimately what and who they want to be. At times it is emotionally heart wrenching. One particular passage had me sobbing (no spoilers!). At other points in time I wanted to reach into the pages and slap people.
The detailed way in which the world of soap opera writing and production were portrayed demonstrates a lot of research and the ability to really paint a setting. I felt like I was there and felt the urgency.
Overall just a really rewarding and exhilarating read. Something different and welcome.
November 19, 2023
What a fabulous story. Steeped in insider knowledge of the daytime soap world, intertwining soap characters with actors lives, each deliciously informing the other. It's clever and satisfying and so well executed, hats off to Miss Seidel! A new favorite
November 25, 2009
This is the second book in my Seidel glom.
Jenny Cotton is the writer/producer of a daytime soap called My Lady's Chamber. Alec Cameron is a soap star who left a more prominent soap (but less well written and less well received) to over the part in Jenny's soap opera.
A bit lighter in tone than Don't Forget to Smile but just as in that book where Seidel give insider details about life in Beauty Pageants, this one gets the same treatment with daytime soaps.
I enjoyed this book but only gave it three stars for two reasons: First,because I found Jenny a bit elusive and, well, a bit of a wimp in some ways. At first I wondered if this was because the story is told mainly through Alec's POV (which is GREAT, btw)but then I figured a lot of authors tell stories through one character and still manage to make other characters very real.
One problem may be that Jenny is in a truly bad relationship when Alec comes along. Alec very quickly sees how terrible her boyfriend Brian is for her and even on some level Jenny does as well, but she is in deep denial. Brian isn't abusive or anything, but the dynamic of the relationship isn't healthy. Brian is an actor on the show and Seidel is subtle (at first) in painting the dysfunction of the relationship. Alec very falls in love with Jenny and is frustrated by her relationship with Brian. The flashback scenes of Jenny and Brian as a young kids, each the only child in a single parent home, who gravitate toward each other explains their deep connection and why these two different people are together in the first place. So it is a good and reasonable foundation, but like Alec, I was a tick frustrated as well.
Second, Jenny used her writing on the soap to work out her issues with Alec and Brian. Different fictional characters on the show act out their triangle. Alec immediately realizes what is going on and Jenny (again) is in denial ... but only up to a point. I actually find the convention of using a medium like a film or tv to mirror your life a but cheesy, actually. So i rolled my eyes a couple of times.
But these were two fairly smallish points in an overall, very well written and quite enjoyable read. Alec is an especially strong point in the book. He's quite a good character to use for the POV. I also especially loved the very soapy elements of the book itself. It seemed almost as if Seidel was paying homage to the subject she was writing about because there were some deliciously soapy moments in this book that I haven't seen in her other books. I also enjoyed the bitchy backstage gossip and fragile egos of the actors.
Jenny Cotton is the writer/producer of a daytime soap called My Lady's Chamber. Alec Cameron is a soap star who left a more prominent soap (but less well written and less well received) to over the part in Jenny's soap opera.
A bit lighter in tone than Don't Forget to Smile but just as in that book where Seidel give insider details about life in Beauty Pageants, this one gets the same treatment with daytime soaps.
I enjoyed this book but only gave it three stars for two reasons: First,because I found Jenny a bit elusive and, well, a bit of a wimp in some ways. At first I wondered if this was because the story is told mainly through Alec's POV (which is GREAT, btw)but then I figured a lot of authors tell stories through one character and still manage to make other characters very real.
One problem may be that Jenny is in a truly bad relationship when Alec comes along. Alec very quickly sees how terrible her boyfriend Brian is for her and even on some level Jenny does as well, but she is in deep denial. Brian isn't abusive or anything, but the dynamic of the relationship isn't healthy. Brian is an actor on the show and Seidel is subtle (at first) in painting the dysfunction of the relationship. Alec very falls in love with Jenny and is frustrated by her relationship with Brian. The flashback scenes of Jenny and Brian as a young kids, each the only child in a single parent home, who gravitate toward each other explains their deep connection and why these two different people are together in the first place. So it is a good and reasonable foundation, but like Alec, I was a tick frustrated as well.
Second, Jenny used her writing on the soap to work out her issues with Alec and Brian. Different fictional characters on the show act out their triangle. Alec immediately realizes what is going on and Jenny (again) is in denial ... but only up to a point. I actually find the convention of using a medium like a film or tv to mirror your life a but cheesy, actually. So i rolled my eyes a couple of times.
But these were two fairly smallish points in an overall, very well written and quite enjoyable read. Alec is an especially strong point in the book. He's quite a good character to use for the POV. I also especially loved the very soapy elements of the book itself. It seemed almost as if Seidel was paying homage to the subject she was writing about because there were some deliciously soapy moments in this book that I haven't seen in her other books. I also enjoyed the bitchy backstage gossip and fragile egos of the actors.
September 12, 2015
AGAIN is an unusual piece of fiction in regards to the plot itself and the way it was told. It had both strengths and weaknesses. First, the storyline was unusual; two male actors are both interested in the same woman who is the lead writer for the show they work on. It is a soap opera that takes place during Regency times. Now, I have never watched a soap opera in my entire life, but if I did a soap of this kind would intrigue me.
The head writer, Jenny Cotton, had an unusual upbringing. Her mother died when she was very young and her father, just barely out of his teens, responsibly takes action and raised her up on his own. Though Jenny does not have the most ideal childhood, her dad tried his best. Unfortunately, she still fought against loneliness until she met Brian O'Neill. He also lived in a single parent household with his mother and fights some demons of his own. The two young people gravitate toward each other when Brian moves into the area and starts to attend the same high school as Jenny. Friends first, they eventually become lovers and decide to move to New York after they graduate.
The chapters in this mild romance move back and forth between Jenny's past and the present time. She is now 28 years old and her life with Brian is, for the most part, stagnant. He always seems to put himself first: nothing has changed in their personal life for a long time. Then Alec is hired to join the show and Jenny's life takes a turn. When he is 'talking' the story is told from his POV and that was very refreshing.
My problem was with Jenny because she comes across as weak. She knows her life is far from ideal but she still clings to Brian, who is a very shallow man. Alec helps her out on more than one occasion -when Brian should have been there- and they become attracted to each other. Things build very slowly between these two but Brian is still very much a part of Jenny's life. And everything is fairly innocent until....well, you just need to read the story.
I really, really wanted to give the story more stars. Like other reviewers, I had a hard time with the heroine. I wanted to tell Jenny to move on(!); she could do so much better. She had someone who truly appreciated and cared about her; Alec was a sweetheart who tried to let Jenny go at her own pace. If you have an opportunity to find this older contemporary romance and are a sucker for the underdog, give it a try.
The head writer, Jenny Cotton, had an unusual upbringing. Her mother died when she was very young and her father, just barely out of his teens, responsibly takes action and raised her up on his own. Though Jenny does not have the most ideal childhood, her dad tried his best. Unfortunately, she still fought against loneliness until she met Brian O'Neill. He also lived in a single parent household with his mother and fights some demons of his own. The two young people gravitate toward each other when Brian moves into the area and starts to attend the same high school as Jenny. Friends first, they eventually become lovers and decide to move to New York after they graduate.
The chapters in this mild romance move back and forth between Jenny's past and the present time. She is now 28 years old and her life with Brian is, for the most part, stagnant. He always seems to put himself first: nothing has changed in their personal life for a long time. Then Alec is hired to join the show and Jenny's life takes a turn. When he is 'talking' the story is told from his POV and that was very refreshing.
My problem was with Jenny because she comes across as weak. She knows her life is far from ideal but she still clings to Brian, who is a very shallow man. Alec helps her out on more than one occasion -when Brian should have been there- and they become attracted to each other. Things build very slowly between these two but Brian is still very much a part of Jenny's life. And everything is fairly innocent until....well, you just need to read the story.
I really, really wanted to give the story more stars. Like other reviewers, I had a hard time with the heroine. I wanted to tell Jenny to move on(!); she could do so much better. She had someone who truly appreciated and cared about her; Alec was a sweetheart who tried to let Jenny go at her own pace. If you have an opportunity to find this older contemporary romance and are a sucker for the underdog, give it a try.
February 12, 2017
The more I thought about this book after I finished it, the more it annoyed me. The setting is the best part by far. The Downton Abbey-esque plot of the tv show where our characters spend their time was so engaging, it was disappointing when those interludes ended and we returned to the main love triangle. The insights into the making of a soap opera and the actor's relationship to their characters were intriguing. The story has some promise--hardworking heroine has been dating the same man since she was a child, and slowly realizes his flaws and her own power as a woman. But:
The hero refuses to do his job until the heroine (his boss) falls in love with him. He's pretty much the worst employee ever.
The sole sex scene is abbreviated and awkward. The hero withholds sex until the heroine falls in love with him. See a pattern?
The hero is both controlling and passive. I didn't find him particularly appealing although he is from Prince Edward Island and there are several enjoyable Anne of Green Gables references.
I also found the ending very unsatisfying and abrupt. It's told from the point of view of a minor character so you don't really get to see the HEA.
Despite the excellent setting, I would pass on this one.
The hero refuses to do his job until the heroine (his boss) falls in love with him. He's pretty much the worst employee ever.
The sole sex scene is abbreviated and awkward. The hero withholds sex until the heroine falls in love with him. See a pattern?
The hero is both controlling and passive. I didn't find him particularly appealing although he is from Prince Edward Island and there are several enjoyable Anne of Green Gables references.
I also found the ending very unsatisfying and abrupt. It's told from the point of view of a minor character so you don't really get to see the HEA.
Despite the excellent setting, I would pass on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2015
I enjoyed this book a lot. The hero is a daytime drama (soap opera) actor, heroine is the head writer for a historical Regency Era soap. The hero was working on a soap with a head writer who didn't understand the genre and didn't respect the audience, but because the hero's name was on the soap, he got blamed for the failure and got fired. The heroine wants him for her show, and he does a fabulous job coming in. This is an older book and it's not very long. I thought a little too much time was spent on back story and the relationship the heroine is in at the beginning of the story. I also wanted more actual scenes with the hero and heroine together. We were told about how they fell in love rather than shown. I wanted to be shown. The story dates from back when soap operas were bigger than today, and before reality shows took some of the space and audience of the soaps, so it also feels a little quaint. (no cell phones) But overall it's an excellent story and a good read.
January 21, 2009
My third Seidel. The story is centered around the head writer and star actor of a Regency soap opera. The romance isn't as well developed as the other two I read, but the cast of characters is a lot of fun.
September 16, 2024
This was a reread, but my first read was long ago enough that I remembered nothing more than the basics (set in a soap) and that at the time, I loved it.
I loved it again (hah!) this time. So much good stuff here. I loved all the plotting about how daytime TV and soaps work, and the super interesting cast of secondary characters. I never watched soaps, so a lot of this was new to me. I did watch lots of telenovelas in my youth, and there are some similarities, but mostly they seemed quite different from American soaps, and this was fascinating. As someone who used to read a lot of Trad Regencies, I loved this weird meld of two worlds.
I also really liked how Jenny would explore her relationships through her writing, without knowing it at first, but almost consciously once she realised she was doing it. And it was great how Alec immediately saw it. He is such a clear-eyed character, not just about this, but about how dysfunctional the show has become, and such a thoroughly decent guy that he doesn't use this to manipulate (much; I loved how he does use it a bit to handle one of the actresses at one point!).
The one aspect that didn't quite work for me is what I always find a bit unsatisfying in this author's books, and that's that she's really not good at sexual chemistry. Her main characters tend to feel to me either sort of asexual, or much older than they are supposed to be, or both. Here the problem was mostly the former. I had no doubt that these two characters suited each other, but still. Also, the way Jenny's issues with sex were discussed felt a bit dated. Either that, or the author isn't that comfortable with her characters' sexuality (which you can really see in the way a supposedly very sexual character like Rita is depicted, which was kind of laughable).
Even with this issue, this was hugely enjoyable to me. A solid 4* / B+.
I loved it again (hah!) this time. So much good stuff here. I loved all the plotting about how daytime TV and soaps work, and the super interesting cast of secondary characters. I never watched soaps, so a lot of this was new to me. I did watch lots of telenovelas in my youth, and there are some similarities, but mostly they seemed quite different from American soaps, and this was fascinating. As someone who used to read a lot of Trad Regencies, I loved this weird meld of two worlds.
I also really liked how Jenny would explore her relationships through her writing, without knowing it at first, but almost consciously once she realised she was doing it. And it was great how Alec immediately saw it. He is such a clear-eyed character, not just about this, but about how dysfunctional the show has become, and such a thoroughly decent guy that he doesn't use this to manipulate (much; I loved how he does use it a bit to handle one of the actresses at one point!).
The one aspect that didn't quite work for me is what I always find a bit unsatisfying in this author's books, and that's that she's really not good at sexual chemistry. Her main characters tend to feel to me either sort of asexual, or much older than they are supposed to be, or both. Here the problem was mostly the former. I had no doubt that these two characters suited each other, but still. Also, the way Jenny's issues with sex were discussed felt a bit dated. Either that, or the author isn't that comfortable with her characters' sexuality (which you can really see in the way a supposedly very sexual character like Rita is depicted, which was kind of laughable).
Even with this issue, this was hugely enjoyable to me. A solid 4* / B+.
December 27, 2024
While there are definitely parts that I find problematic, this was a really fun read with an interesting setting and I appreciate that the characters are not as oblivious as romance protagonists often are and are actually able to communicate.
I picked up this novel because I read about it in a university seminar on romance fiction. I've read it several times now and still find it entertaining. The setting is the film set of a historical soap, the female protagonist the writer of the show, the male protagonist an actor starring on the show.
*Spoiler*
Now what I actually find problematic is how the male protagonist talks about pregnancy. His ex, a successful actress, didn't want to be pregnant or give birth but would have been ok adopting a child (which she later does with her new husband). The protagonist finds this so terrible and weird that he'd rather break up. He would've stayed in the relationship if his ex had admitted that she was being weird. But because she doesn't, they get a divorce. I'm sorry but to me that reads as him being a judgemental prick who wants to be right at any cost. In this instance a female character is not taken seriously because she feels uncomfortable about/afraid of pregnancy and childbirth and honestly, why does the author feel the need to judge or belittle women for that? That's a legit fear, people can die in childbirth?? Also not every woman dreams about being a mother. That took me out of the story and made me dislike the character instantly. Is it because the book was written a few decades ago?
There was more than one instance where I thought that something sounded antiquated in the novel and I don't mean technology-wise. Like, people were wondering if two actors were actually having sex on screen - wtf?! They weren't filming porn and nowadays you know how unerotic filming sex scenes actually is.
But still, despite all my complaints, this book was a fun read, you just have to accept that it was written at a different time.
I picked up this novel because I read about it in a university seminar on romance fiction. I've read it several times now and still find it entertaining. The setting is the film set of a historical soap, the female protagonist the writer of the show, the male protagonist an actor starring on the show.
*Spoiler*
Now what I actually find problematic is how the male protagonist talks about pregnancy. His ex, a successful actress, didn't want to be pregnant or give birth but would have been ok adopting a child (which she later does with her new husband). The protagonist finds this so terrible and weird that he'd rather break up. He would've stayed in the relationship if his ex had admitted that she was being weird. But because she doesn't, they get a divorce. I'm sorry but to me that reads as him being a judgemental prick who wants to be right at any cost. In this instance a female character is not taken seriously because she feels uncomfortable about/afraid of pregnancy and childbirth and honestly, why does the author feel the need to judge or belittle women for that? That's a legit fear, people can die in childbirth?? Also not every woman dreams about being a mother. That took me out of the story and made me dislike the character instantly. Is it because the book was written a few decades ago?
There was more than one instance where I thought that something sounded antiquated in the novel and I don't mean technology-wise. Like, people were wondering if two actors were actually having sex on screen - wtf?! They weren't filming porn and nowadays you know how unerotic filming sex scenes actually is.
But still, despite all my complaints, this book was a fun read, you just have to accept that it was written at a different time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 11, 2021Dear Ms. Seidel,
I read the sample for this book available on BookBub -- how clever of you to set a romance in a production of a Regency-era soap opera! I like the hero already; I'm quite willing to fall in love with him when I get the full book.
I'm writing this mostly because of a misspelled word. (Note: my expertise comes from reading all the Georgette Heyer books, Mary jo Putney, Mary Balogh, and a number of other Regency romance authors, most of the Sharpe books, and a few histories of the period.)
The disease that afflicted the Prince Regent and his father was porphyria, not prophyria.
Looking forward to getting the full book!
I read the sample for this book available on BookBub -- how clever of you to set a romance in a production of a Regency-era soap opera! I like the hero already; I'm quite willing to fall in love with him when I get the full book.
I'm writing this mostly because of a misspelled word. (Note: my expertise comes from reading all the Georgette Heyer books, Mary jo Putney, Mary Balogh, and a number of other Regency romance authors, most of the Sharpe books, and a few histories of the period.)
The disease that afflicted the Prince Regent and his father was porphyria, not prophyria.
Looking forward to getting the full book!
March 20, 2018
This was my second novel by Seidel, though I didn't even realize it until I went to add the book on Goodreads.
This was a cute, romantic read, but what interested me best was the side story within the Soap Opera--I sure am a sucker for English history!
This was a cute, romantic read, but what interested me best was the side story within the Soap Opera--I sure am a sucker for English history!
July 29, 2019
One of my all time favorites. To me, this book is like fine wine & cheese, only getting better with age. A very introspective flowing book. This book is as much about Jenny’s personal growth as it is the romance.
April 29, 2020
Good five star!
Kathleen Gilles Seidel finished this four book series with this Gem. Having just finished reading this excellent series it would be hard for me to judge which one I enjoyed reading the most. I would have to recommend just start at the beginning and read them all.
Kathleen Gilles Seidel finished this four book series with this Gem. Having just finished reading this excellent series it would be hard for me to judge which one I enjoyed reading the most. I would have to recommend just start at the beginning and read them all.
October 27, 2020
This book has well drawn characters with realistic hangups and motivations. I love all the detail in the making of a soap opera. If this world interests you, you might like Susan Lucci's memoir, All My Life: A Memoir.
November 25, 2021
Hard to put down
I have not been a fan of Recency romances but, after reading AGAIN, I may be inclined to do so. So much fun to try to keep all the players in both of their roles. I will be reading more Kathleen Gilles Seidel.
I have not been a fan of Recency romances but, after reading AGAIN, I may be inclined to do so. So much fun to try to keep all the players in both of their roles. I will be reading more Kathleen Gilles Seidel.
February 10, 2017
Excellent character development and growth. Quiet but deep romance. Great worldbuilding, competent h/h. Could not put it down. Love!
July 18, 2021
Definitely worth reading
Interesting and unusual book, not usual run of mill romance. The characters were well depicted. Want to read more books by this author.
Interesting and unusual book, not usual run of mill romance. The characters were well depicted. Want to read more books by this author.
June 25, 2022
Reread. This time around I was more interested in the soap than the romance. Who knew?
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