here are very few authors that I’m truly rabid about. These are the authors where I go through the bookstore and face out copies of their work. I make sure there are plenty of copies on the new release table on the day it’s released. If I see someone browsing the section, I might just slip them a copy and say, “try this one!” High on that list of authors is Julie Anne Long, who writes with a vivacious good humor that is coupled with one of the most dazzling descriptive talents in the historical market.I was lucky enough to get an ARC of the Perils of Pleasure, and I have to say this: those of you who have not yet read it, are in for a pleasurable (but perilous!) ride. First things first. Madeleine is probably the strongest Julie Anne Long heroine yet, and for those of you who are familiar with JAL’s heroines, that is saying a lot. JAL doesn’t write wimpy women. Madeleine isn’t one of those “I’m so strong I’m brittle” girls, either–she has her moments of brittleness (don’t we all?) but she’s clever, capable, and she doesn’t ever fold, no matter how tough the going is.

And the going is really tough in this one. This isn’t your typical Regency, where the strong (headstrong) girl captures the heart of a rake with her heartwarming antics. It’s not a book where the woman wields the power of love to save the dour Lord. Nope; Madeleine makes her appearance on the stage with a literal bang, when she whisks Colin away from a crowd of thousands of people, swarming around the gallows where he is intended to hang. You’d think he’d be grateful, right? Perhaps–if she wasn’t planning on tying him up and handing him to a stranger in exchange for a tremendous sum of money.

And that’s only the beginning. Matters get worse and worse as the story progresses, covering terrain ranging from dark to darker yet, and touching on family secrets that might inspire a murder. Madeleine never takes a back seat to Colin, and yet she never has to be anything other than the competent woman she is. That’s typical for JAL, but this book is a real departure from her other works in one prominent way–there’s a lot more suspense. And even though her last trilogy touched on spies and treason, it did so with a much lighter touch than this book. Throughout it all, I found JAL’s characterization to be very strong. One of the overarching themes of this book is that despite the dark deeds being done, there are no real villains. Most of the people responsible for the darkness are those motivated to achieve goals that are essentially good. But they act without regards to the consequences, which are often horrific.

In that sense, this is also a louder book than any of the ones JAL has ever written. The message of caring about the path that you take, rather then the goal in mind, is one that her hero and heroine both need to learn for themselves if they ever expect to find love with each other.

This is a very different book than JAL has ever produced before. It’s wonderful to see authors–especially the ones I most adore–branching out and trying something new. It’s even better when I see them producing something I’ve never seen in a Regency-set historical–something that’s cold without being angsty, and suspenseful without invoking the Napoleonic war. And it’s best of all when it’s coupled with JAL’s delicious description.

So the real question is this: Do I like it as much as I liked my favorites of her other books? I wish I could say. This book has the most powerful setting, the most powerful plot, and the most powerful message out of any book she’s delivered. But I don’t think it’s as emotionally powerful as some of her other masterpieces–like Ways to be Wicked, for instance. I’m not sure if that’s a function of the darkness of the plot, or whether it’s something that will get woven back in as she experiments with this new setting.

In any event, this book is a must-read. Over the last few months, I’ve heard–over and over–that the historical is back. I’m pretty sure that’s right–but I don’t think it’ll ever be “back” in precisely the same way that it was in the good old days. It’s authors like Julie Anne Long who will be shaping the face of the new historical market, and books like this that will help do so.

  read historical romance debuts, of course. In part it’s research–what’s selling, and why? But in part it’s just good plain fun. There are very few debut novels that are absolutely perfect (off the top of my head, I can think of only twothree “first novels” that I would describe as absolute perfection–Watership Down, by Richard Adams, Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart, and The Chosen, by Chaim Potok). But this month I’ve been delighted to read two that are pretty darned close–and yet nothing at all alike!

The first book I read was an ARC of Private Arrangements, by Sherry Thomas. These were floating around Nationals. I started reading it in the hall after Chris Journal kindly gave me a copy; I then walked to my room (still reading) and sat on my bed. And then I read, and read, and read. Sherry Thomas is a gorgeous writer. Every moment when I was reading, I felt as if I were in a gorgeously-decorated classical house. Everywhere I looked there was something beautiful and unexpected. And there were parts that were absolutely heart-wrenching. It was definitely a powerful, emotional read.
The second book I picked up was To Tempt a Scotsman by Victoria Dahl. It was out in my Borders early. This book was cleverly witty without being self-conscious. The characters seemed like people I could have met just off the street, and I liked them both almost instantly. I found myself turning the pages faster and faster, with a smile on my face.

Neither of these books were perfect, but they both had something perfect about them: The author’s voice. In each case, the voice was atmospheric. In Sherry Thomas’s case, the voice was clever and classically beautiful, cool as a mountain stream. In Victoria Dahl’s case, it was warm and witty, soft, like a favorite blanket. In both cases, I ended the book with a sigh and a smile. What more could you ask?
What debuts have you read recently? What’s struck you about them?

ike Tessa, I got my signed ARC of Pleasure for Pleasure and A Little Bit Wicked last night.

I was up until four this morning finishing Pleasure for Pleasure.

No spoilers. But I will say this — when I do say something about the book, it will be absolute heresy, and you shall all hate me.

his is a first novel, and so I read it with interest to see what sells for the first time.

It was mostly excellent. Both the hero and the heroine were intelligent characters with considerable depth, although I kind of felt like the depth in some ways was like cardboard cutouts–see, hero has depth because such-and-such has happened to him, and he’s tortured! I could never quite figure out whether the hero or the heroine was supposed to be the Raven Prince. So–his home is Ravenhill, and he’s a boy, and that makes you think he’s the Raven Prince. But she’s the one who–well, that would be a spoiler, so I won’t say it.

In short, it felt just a little–not a lot, just a little–unpractised. Which is to say that it was marvelous and I eagerly await her next books, because I suspect they’re only going to get better.

Read More Here.

ecause I have posted two positive reviews of books, I do not think that all romance novels are good.  And I’m afraid to say which books I don’t like, because it’s not very nice, and I do think that it’s important to be nice.  Also, I don’t want to be a reviewer of books–when it’s important to label books as nice.  I’m reviewing books here more because I want to see what works, and so writing about a good book helps me learn to write better myself.

And so I will just say this:  Outraged jealousy makes me yawn.

  picked up a copy of Swept Away today and read it over dinner. Let me preface this by saying that as a general rule, I don’t like contemporaries. I guess I’ve just read too many of them where the women give up satisfying careers to be wives. I don’t have a problem with women taking time off–in fact, I see no way to get around in this world if one spouse doesn’t make him or herself more available (but–you know, it can be the guy).

I picked up a copy of Toni Blake’s “Swept Away” today because I read the excerpt she posted. It was smoking hot, but more importantly, the emotion really connected with me, and I just had to know what happened next. I read it over dinner, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s the ultimate fantasy–making That One painful rejection every girl remembers deep down in her pride, if not her heart, come right; the bad boy and the lawmaker (all in the same person); and the woman coming into her own.

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