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

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

Hi
Since Manda is so busy getting ready for her book debut (yay!) I have agreed to take over running the Monday puzzler. If you are interested in posting one of the puzzlers, please let me know here or PM me and I'll put you on the list. I'm hoping to get a list up next Saturday, but I can always put you on later if you don't reach me before then.
Debbie (DLS)

I’ve always thought that authors who write dark romances have a particular challenge—to convince us that hero and heroine will find joy and happiness at the end. I’m not sure that was what was in this author’s mind, but this scene in the middle of the book gave me the sense that this couple would find fun together if they could ever get through the complexities of the plot.


“I would have slid down this banister, past all your gaping servants, and shimmied on out the door.”
“The balustrade?” He ran a skeptical eye down its length. “A happy thing you decided to tarry, then. You’d have broken your neck.”
She snorted. “This here is a prime prospect for sliding, hero.”
He opened his mouth but was startled by a dim recollection that caused him instead to laugh. “You’re right.” As a boy he’d had these exact thoughts: it was the perfect banister for sliding. He’d never done it, of course; it hadn’t taken long to realize that banisters in this house were not meant even for gripping: a proper gentleman should make his way downs the stairs straight and stern and untroubled by any obstacle, even a missed step.
A devil seized hold of him. “Let’s do it,” he said. Why not?
Disbelief deepened her smile. “You can’t be serious.”
“God help us, butr that’s a phrase nobody should have taught you,” he said. “Now you sound like every stuffed-up lady I’ve ever known.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Stuffed up, am I? I’ll wager you can’t keep your seat past the curve.”
He eyed the drop from the aforementioned curve. A good ten feet to the marble flagstones below. It could crack a man’s head. “For the sake of the family line, one hopes otherwise. But I supposed there’s only one way to find out.” He leapt up to sit on the rail.
She shrieked. “No! I wasn’t—“
“Serious?” He finished for her, and then let go.
Like flight. No friction: his staff was too well trained; they oiled this banister morning and night. Heroine continued to shriek above him. He laughed as he leaned into the curve, exhilarated and also aware of how absurd this was, to laugh his head off at a boy’s game. Such a simple pleasure. Such joy.
The bend flew by; he was home free now, bound at startling speeds for the bottom of the staircase. He remembered this skill at the level of muscle and sinew; he pushed himself off the rail and landed on his feet at the base of the stairs.
He turned around. She stood at the top of the stairs, hands cupped over her mouth.
“Graceful as the breeze,” he called up.
She dropped her hands to her hips. “More like a lunatic!”
“And you’re a braggart. All talk. No follow-through.”
He could see from here the sudden tilt of her chin. Another laugh welled in him as she stalked over to the banister, her movements jerky with spite. She was too easy.
But she didn’t hop up on the railing quite as easily as he had. Of course. Her skirts would impede her.
Concern overlaid his amusement. “Don’t,” he said. “I was only jesting. You’re not dressed for—“
She launched herself down.
He made an aborted movement to mount the stairs. But she was moving too quickly; he would be as likely to knock her off as catch her. His mind began to calculate the best place to position himself on the ground floor, so that when she fell backward and came tumbling down, he could break the fall—
And she whooped. “Here I come,” she cried and he realized she was going to make it.
Laughing himself—from relief as much as from delight—he stepped backward to provide her space to land.
She made nearly a perfect dismount. But the speed caught up to her, so that she came stumbling forward, right into his arms.
No, he thought—a perfect dismount all around

That is very strange. I thought one of the things that made the book particularly strong, and the relationship between them so compelling, was the way that the book starts with the flashback when they first met--long before there was any significant sexual attraction between them--and yet all the things that draw them together are there--their strength and determination to overcome the terrible things that happened to them, Adrian's willingness to let Justine lead even when he's more experienced, and then help her through the parts of the operation she doesn't know how to handle, her deep commitment to her sister and his ability to see how upset she is, to figure out how to help her not break down in front of her sister, and then comfort her afterwards...I completely agree, WTF.
There are so many amazing little bits in there, but I think one of the best is the way she shows how Adrian is comfortable with Justine seeing all the parts of him--from letting his English slip to finally telling her that he prefers gin to brandy--and even drinking gin when he's watching her, afraid to go talk to her. He's so much more romantic than I had expected, actually, that was a big surprise to me. I also really liked when he told Justine that whether they remained lovers was always up to her--thus saying that he was never going to break it off--probably not even realizing that was what he was saying. (And I was also amused and touched by two young Adrian things--when he was 19--being faithful to her but not being willing to admit it under torture, and being under what is clearly a delusion, that Doyle has no idea what his connection to the Police Secrete is. She makes Adrian so tough so young that its nice to see those adolescent bits of him.)
I also can't think of a romance which is so much about the hero and his journey, can you? Romance is so often about the woman...

I think its supposed to be an E-publication--maybe that she is doing herself--the same way she did the novella Unlocked. I'm guessing here, but basing tht on some of the stuff on her blog...

I just finished reading Black Hawk and I'm about to reread it. It was such a compelling story that I feel like I missed lots of her amazing nuances and I need to go back and enjoy them (even though three other books I've been longing to read came out this week.)
Has anyone else read it? What did you think?
What worked for you and what didn't?

Ok, I have to say that I loved this book in so many ways, but one of the things I loved most about it was his reason for being a virgin was about caring for women, not seeing them as evil temptation. That was a great moment. I wasn't 100 percent convinced that his reason for giving up his virginity before marriage really worked (it didn't make their experience equal) but I loved that he was still consistent--he made sure she'd be ok by setting her up financially before he did it.
Mostly though I loved it because, as usual, her characters manage to be at the same time both totally unpredictable and totally consistent with themselves! Not a dull sentence in the book.

I just read it. What a great review. As usual, I can't post on your blog (I wish I knew why). I'll post a review here when I'm done--but her writing and emotional complexity just amazes me. And I'm thrilled to see that she's got several characters that can show up in future books--I hope someday we get Severignes story!

Zumba Girl, someone will undoubtedly start a thread for it very soon.
I'm reading Black Hawk. I have a feeling it will be like Forbidden Rose--the first time through, I'm so caught up in the story that I miss things, and then every time I read it its richer. I just love how she writes.

It started my reading of her too. I did look at some of her back list but it wasn't as appealing--I feel like this started a whole new and much more interesting approach by her....

Congratulations! I'm looking forward to it. I enjoyed youri book (although it did make me hungry.:-( ) and will look forward to Louisa's HEA (is that the next one?)

I have put everything else aside and am rereading Jo Bourne's books, in order of Adrian's growing up, in preparation for Tuesday. I am amazed all over again at the quality of her writing...

Oh I know this one! Can't remember thE name but I think of it as the authors first book to go outside of traditional stories ....

And then this long gap in between with relatively few books . sigh.

I just looked at the books that are being released Tuesday. WOW. Black Hawk, the new Meljean Brooks, Coming HOme by Jodi Thomas, the new Sarah Mayberry...and three others. I am going to be lucky to get anything done!

BTW, I just pre-ordered Manda's book on Barnes and Noble....

Hi Monica;
Hm. Often when I don't like a book I can say exactly why, but this time its more that there wasn't anything that worked for me. Usually Toni Blake's characters click--for me, and with eachother. These two just didn't. They were not particularly appealing to me as people and I couldn't really see their appeal for eachother. I don't know that I can put it any better than that.

I read Tall Tales and liked it, although not nearly as much as I liked Black Ties and Lullabies.
I also read the two Balogh re-releases that just came out; The Famous Heroine and the Plumed Bonnet.
Boy, there is no one like Balogh. I was fascinated by both of them. I wasn't quite sold on the HEA of the Famous Heroine--I mean, I believe the hero liked his wife and was very attracted to her, but not that he was head over heels for her. (And maybe we weren't supposed to believe that he was head over heels?) But I was fascinated by how the story played out. I also really liked the Plumed Bonnet--I did feel like she ended it a little abruptly, but it was classic Balough and well worth reading.

Wow Janga that pretty much covers the ballpark!I am a huge fan of Marian's ChristmAs wish ; the new Kelly also interests me and I like Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish. The Baloghs and the Beverly would also be fun...

Oh, and I thought I had mentioned that I read Lord and Lady Spy, but I don't see it anywhere. I was really disappointed. But I would love to see someone write a book about how a couple dealt with repeated miscarriages...

Well, I just downloaded Tall Tales, so we'll see. Irisheyes, you can always buy an electronic version of BTAL, and read it on your computer with the B and N free reader.

I just went through all my pre-orders and while there are some books I'm really eager to read coming out, none of them are specifically Christmas books. One option might be for someone (Janga?) to offer some great old Christmassy books that we can pick between. Or I'm perfectly willing to wait for Hoyt until December--I will happily reread it so its fresh in my mind...