Dls’s Comments (group member since Sep 14, 2010)

Dls’s comments from the Fans of Eloisa James & Julia Quinn group.

Hm. I have a guess

If you haven't read Jenny Crusie she will make you laugh out loud much the way Julia Quinn does although she writes contemporaries.
My absolute favorite contemporary ever is her Bet Me.
I think some Laura Gurhkes would work for you too. And try Connie Brockway especially My Dearest Enemy and the one about magic--I forget the name --it has enchanting in it
Tessa Dare and Alyssa Johnson and Lauren Willigs the pink carnation series might all work for you.

I know this one. It's really well done. I'm not a rock star romance lover but this rang true to me

My sympathies Janga. No power gets old fast.

Whaaa? How did I miss those two Reavis books?

I'm reading CS Harris new mystery. Beautifully written and she seems to have moved away from dropping another dead body in every time she is stuck.

And I'm re reading the original five Malloren books by Jo Beverley. Just because.

I've been reading Jenny Crusie's blog on ArghInk about the book she is writing. For a non-writer it's like a course in writing and also just fun.
I read Balogh's re-release Courting Julia. The hero was annoying--a few too many times where he gets angry at the heroine for behaving unconventionally and arousing him. Not enough scenes where they see each other for who they really are. But any Balogh is worth reading and it sets up Dancing with Clara beautifully--and that book is fascinating.
And I've been reading Kelly Bowen.

I definitely haven't read this!

So what is it Phoenix?

Irish eye I don't know which 1980s author you mean but I too hate it when the guy doesn't realize he is wrong and apologize and she just decides to put up with it.
On the other hand (and I know I'm in a minority here) I love Gurhke's The Marriage Bed partly because the hero really does get what he has done that was so awful--not just to the heroine but also to the other women--and partly because she gives a compelling reason for the hero to be a fortune hunter.
It wouldn't work as a contemporary. But as a hr it's really a compelling description of what life was like.

I remember that moment. It came awfully late for me.
I don't think Alex cheats (haven't read it in a long time) but he certainly puts her through it

Which is that?

Mayne is in all four of the Essex sisters books and gets his HEA in the last one. I don't recall whether he is in other Duchess in Love books but that is a charming series worth reading in order since Esme and Sebastian's story goes through it all.

Rhys is difficult but understandable. Alex is just awful

Yeah, he is pretty awful.
Eloisa wrote the book thinking about what her friends would go through to have a child today and wanted something equally difficult.

I definitely haven't read this.

Manda just saw your comment about how she has a number of books with high stakes. Absolutely. Your wicked ways, Taming of the Duke, An affair before Christmas...and the long arc of Jemma and Elijah--and I love all of them.

I'm pretty sure Balogh said it's a 6 book series. Alexander is 3 Her website says Viola is 4 and she hasn't chosen the subject of 5 yet.

Leigh-An oh yes she was! This author has a great sense of humor.
Why did I never realize he was a precursor?

This is a truly wonderful book. One of the things I love about it is that the plot is based on a real problem that probably a number of couples faced and not an artificial contrivance or the couples failure to communicate. (Well some of that happens as you can see from the post but it's not the driver.)

Megan Whalen Turner. I think it's young adult fiction.

The Thief is great. So is the second book in the series. Complex hard to predict characters and great world building and a fascinating well thought out plot.