The second Georgette Heyer novel that I read was a lot easier to get through. It helped that there was few if any references to my lord or my lady in the narrative. The diction used is as exacting and up there as Devil’s Cub. This novel was longer but I read it in less time devouring it with enthusiasm. I do have one question, when did the term Tom, Dick, and Harry first get used? Heyer used it in the novel and I thought it was a modern term not one that dated back to the Regency period.

In a single sentence Friday’s Child is a fantastic tale of a poor besotted girl and a rich spoiled Viscount. Lord Anthony Sherington, Sherry to his friends, is in a pickle. He has a few years left on his trust until he can access his money in full. Worse, both of the two uncles managing his estate are not doing so in his best interest; one is negligent and the other is pulling money aside to feather his cap. Sherry has gambling debts to pay and refuses to get another loan from loan sharks. His idea is to marry.

Of course Sherry goes after the Incomparable Beauty of the season, a girl from his past that he has known all his life who also happens to be an heiress. Sherry is just one of the men that float around the Incomparable, others vying for her affections include a Duke, a nasty man who disguises his true face underneath a mask of charm, and a volatile soul who also happens to be Sherry’s friend George. (George for his part loves Isabella, the Incomparable Beauty and tries his hardest to gain her affections throughout the book.)

When the Incomparable turns him down flat, Sherry in a fit of pique vows to marry the first girl he sees. That girl is the penniless Miss Hero Wantage. Hero has also known Sherry all her life and when she was younger she used to follow Sherry around and be his fetch and go girl. They marry in London through a special license with Sherry’s friends as witnesses. Sherry nicknames Hero and everyone starts to call her Kitten by this point.

Well Kitten gets into scrape after scrape not meaning to do so but unable to stop herself. She doesn’t know the rules of society having been bred as the poor relation in her cousin’s home with the idea she would become a governess. All of Sherry’s friends are sympathetic and watch out for her the best they can – Sherry too when he pays attention. Unfortunately for Kitten one scrape gets to be one too many and Sherry explodes causing her to run away. Will spoiled Sherry realize his mistake? Will he realize he loves having her in his life? Will he find her? Will his friends help him or Kitten, whom they adore?

In short I find Heyer’s Regency set tales quite unique – we should start a Heyer Book Club! She after all has written over fifty novels, it could be fun!

Rating: 4 Stars

Buy: Friday's Child

Find and buy more Georgette Heyer novels.

Originally posted 2008-09-08 05:07:11. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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This post is in response to Historical Romance - How Much Heat is Too Much?

The original post is by Evangeline Collins, author of Her Ladyship's Companion (releases in May 2009).

In the comments I explored what I thought made the difference between a sexy romance and an erotica romance and then I thought it deserved to be explored some more.

I agree with Evangeline that the lines are blurring but will the line ever disappear? My guess is not anytime soon.

How are sexy romance and erotica romance the same or merging?

Both types of romances can have vanilla or kinky sex. It can be explicit and it can be blush inducing… it can turn you on and rev you up. Yummy.

How are they different?

As I said it’s not so much anymore that the sex is there and is explicitly described; both types of romance write it and write it well. The main difference that I see is language. The diction between sexy romance and erotic romance are two very different types of words.

Sexy romance still uses in many cases the tame terminology romance has used since the beginning. I say tame because it’s many times wrapped in euphemisms. It's still polite.

Examples: cock, center, sheath, thrusting, pumping, bundle of nerves.

Erotica romance takes the words people use today and waves it like a banner. It’s not your mother’s romance in other words... pardon the pun. Modern/urban colloquial terms are the cornerstones of erotica.

Examples: cock (hey it’s versatile!), dick (even though old romances used it, it’s not used now in sexy romance [or if it is I haven’t seen it]), cunt, pussy, twat, fucking.

Wrapping up:

They are also different because erotica romance also has a history of ménage a trios/multiple partner sex. Same sex stories currently fall under erotica. Do I expect this to change? Yes and no. I expect the forbidden aspect will fall to the wayside and some sexy romances will start incorporating multiple partners/same sex. However, I doubt sexy romance which is firmly entrenched in romancelandia will ever buy into more than one soul mate at a time as romance’s cornerstone is the perfect match, the happily ever after.

How about you? Do you think the lines are blurring or have blurred all they’re going to blur?

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Originally posted 2009-04-05 14:15:55. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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For this article we're going to skip over the titillating parts about raging tumescence and disintegrating virginal barriers otherwise known as land of frankness and euphemisms. We won't be discussing weeping fluids, honey, dew, or the elixir of love. We're doing this American and bypassing all foreplay and going straight for the mechanics of making love/having sex.

Word choice says it all; how an author is feeling about their characters, what the characters are feeling, and what the readers will get from experiencing the passion vicariously. Compelling vocabulary attracts the reader and continued use keeps them involved while the use of bizarre or crass diction yanks readers out of the zone so fast it'll make the ink fly right off the page. Not good! How do you prevent that? Application of the appropriate kind of words! Well... that and variety! This is why I urge writers to make lists.

I've compiled my own list of terms and presented them here for the express purposes of sharing and expansion. Below you'll find a series of alphabetized words used in describing the physical movements and actions of mating by both men and women in literary sex. For the purpose of this list they are all presented in present participle form or aka the verb coupled with an ing. Of course in practical application they will have to be conjugated to the right tense.

Thrusting

• Breaching
• Burying
• Driving
• Easing
• Entering
• Feeding
• Filling
• Fitting
• Flexing
• Forcing
• Fucking
• Gliding
• Impaling
• Invading
• Joining
• Lunging
• Mating
• Mounting
• Moving
• Nudging
• Parting
• Penetrating
• Piercing
• Pinning
• Plowing
• Plunging
• Pressing
• Probing
• Prodding
• Pumping
• Punctuating
• Puncturing
• Pushing
• Ramming
• Riding
• Rocking
• Rooting
• Rutting
• Seeking
• Settling
• Shoving
• Sinking
• Slamming
• Sliding
• Slipping
• Spearing
• Stretching
• Stroking
• Stuffing
• Teasing
• Twitching
• Undulating
• Working

Opening

• Absorbing
• Accepting
• Arching
• Blooming
• Blossoming
• Clamping
• Clasping
• Clenching
• Clinging
• Clutching
• Contracting
• Cradling
• Drawing
• Enclosing
• Engulfing
• Enveloping
• Flowering
• Gathering
• Grasping
• Grinding
• Gripping
• Guiding
• Holding
• Hugging
• Inviting
• Keeping
• Locking
• Melding
• Melting
• Milking
• Molding
• Parting
• Pressing
• Pulling
• Pulsing
• Quivering
• Reaching
• Receiving
• Robbing
• Seeking
• Squeezing
• Taking
• Throbbing
• Trembling
• Tugging
• Urging
• Widening
• Wrapping
• Yielding

While this list is fairly comprehensive, it is by no means complete. That said, what words would you add? What have you come across on your own reading and writing adventures?

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Originally posted 2009-03-17 05:41:38. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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What I love most about this book is the research and language used to express the time period. Lathan’s diction is vastly superb – I had to look one or two words up. (Romance novels have all the credit when it comes to my 750 verbal SAT score from way back when.) The way she writes is very mellow, you’re not putting the book down feeling more anxious than when you started. This is an excellent novel to curl up with before drifting off to sleep. Who doesn't love to dream of Mr. Darcy?

I am as much a fan of Pride and Prejudice as Lathan is, especially the 2005 movie rendition. I could not picture her version of Darcy and Elizabeth as Matthew and Keira after a few chapters, but I could see them in Jane’s original portrayal. Elizabeth is sometimes silly, seeming younger than she should, but I found it understandable if you remembered how young she actually was and the fact that Pemberley and its surroundings are all new to her. Her silliness does not reach at any point Lydia’s level of stupidity… more like Jane’s silliness when it came to Bingley during the hardships of their courtship. Little problems are solved quickly and easily if both Darcy and Lizzy open up to each other.

Darcy and Elizabeth are effusive in their declarations of love. I applaud Lathan for writing Darcy as a virgin hero. It's hard to imagine him as experienced even with his deep passions, because he held himself apart from society and saw their superficial actions as crude and undignified (both in Austen's novel I feel and expressly in Lathan's continuation.) He seems like the man who would wait for the right woman. He is by no means asexual as you'll find when you read this novel. They make love like bunnies, but the sex is never vulgar or overly detailed after their initial honeymoon weekend. In fact, the whole saga is about exploring Darcy and Elizabeth’s love for each other starting from the end of Austen’s telling.

What does marriage look like on the other side of ‘I do’ and happily ever after? Lathan unfolds their story slowly, taking her time, showing nights spent whispering secrets, days traumatizing Darcy’s valet, and Elizabeth’s struggles and successes in filing the role as Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Rating: 3 Stars

Originally posted 2009-03-10 05:23:01. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Because You're Mine is a delicious, exquisite, and absorbing read. Absolutely delightful from start to finish. The pacing, diction, plot, and characters were all to my liking. There was nothing in the novel that drew me out of the reading experience. Honestly, I just couldn't put it down. I have a love of all Kleypas novels. She is simply a fantastic author.

Madeline Matthews is in trouble, but not the trouble one would usually expect. No, most of society would say Madeline was not in trouble at all as she was on the verge of making a most excellent match. For Maddy however the upcoming nuptials was the kiss of death. Marriage to Lord Clifton (cue many a bad guy's looks and smell) was tantamount to a gilded cage. He desired her only as his blue blood broodmare, a situation she could not endure. Explaining her feelings to her parents gained her nothing so Maddy hatched a plan that would in essence remove her as a possibility to be Lord Clifton's wife.

The plan is nothing short of daring as Maddy escapes boarding school and travels to London with a crazy plan to throw herself at Logan Scott's feet. Why him? She saw a print of his image and decided that he would be the one she would lose her virginity to... and her approach would be forward, because how else could a girl like herself gain the handsome actor's attention?

Logan Scott is attracted and irritated with the young girl. He knows she is a well bred lady, and a young untouched one at that. He refuses to give into her bewitching charm and plea to take her to his bed. In fact he tries to immediately send her packing. Unfortunately for him he just won't be able to help himself. A constant temptation, Maddy is underfoot all the time because the comanager of the Capital, the Duchess of Leeds, hires her to be an all around assistant for the theater.

Who will surrender first to the emotions brewing behind the curtains?

Rating: 5 Stars

Originally posted 2009-02-18 05:08:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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By Zarabeth, guest blogger

I know a lot of people like Georgette Heyer and this post isn’t meant to step on your toes in any way if you do, but I really can’t read her! I am a huge fan of historical romance novels and was excited to try the genuine article. I tried, I really did, but she’s not for me and here’s why:

1. The Language. I can’t read Regency speak, it’s not only another time period it reads like another language!
2. The Diction. Not only do I need a Regency dictionary, I need an Oxford-English dictionary to get through the book! Talk about over my head. I would read and re-read, get frustrated with myself, the book, and the story. I put it down and vow never to force myself through another novel.
3. The Turns of Phrase. Thief Cant, Dandy Cant… I cant, cant, can’t! Can you say yikes?!
4. The Dialogue. What on earth are the characters saying? Really?
5. The Format. Why is all the dialogue ending in exclamation points!!!!!
6. The Descriptions. Down to the tie of the cravat and elegantly style coiffure… honestly who knows what they look like?
7. The Historical Accuracy. The difference between Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer is that Austen transcends Regency and becomes universal. Heyer is so wrapped up in Regency she can never leave it.
8. The Writing Style. Is it me or does Heyer read like narrator omniscient? A plot twist (and I use that word very lightly) occurs and I know all to well where it's going.
9. The Manners. I thought I liked Regency manners, but honestly in a Heyer all I want is for them to shake it up a little. So regimented.
10. Wasted space. Side characters get way too much time to talk and dither about. I want more focus on the main characters and their love story!

I think it is simply time to walk away, without the disappointment and state that I am just not smart enough to read her! I will stick with my guilty pleasures, Thank You!

P.S. Stay tuned, in a few days Keira will be posting her differing opinion in 10 Reasons to Love Georgette Heyer.

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There are some things that just make it impossible to continue reading a book. So let's be blunt about the stuff that really ticks us off...like a lot.

How many of these romance novel suicides have you run across?

• Have your heroine or hero willingly/actually cheat on the other.

Sometimes the hero or heroine find out about the plans to cheat and make their contingency plans to turn the tables. The end result is the wandering partner never winds up actually cheating. The only concern I have is why the non-cheating lead wants to stay with the wandering-lead after finding out.

• Make one of your romantic leads completely peripheral to the story, until its final chapters.

Can we say Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley? Dude, that was so left-field, I don't care what you say to the contrary.

• You ignored the “declaration” scene or scenes.

As Pamela Regis says the declaration makes for many a varied plot line. And of course we want the “I love yous!” *cough*Mr. Darcy*cough.*

• Your characters aren’t likeable or boring or both.

Stupid characters are also among the first to induce wallbanging. You know the ones I'm talking about. They are the characters whose actions and motivations are so beyond the realm of normal thinking as to be on another planet. There's even a name for the heroine of this breed: too stupid to live. Her actions are shockingly similar to the heroines who will do moronic things that get them killed or nearly killed in horror movies.

• You created a ridiculous amount of angst for nothing more than your own amusement.

For instance: the hero’s estranged wife is a narcissist-nympho with the hots for servants and whips. She also kept all knowledge of his child from him and disappeared. The heroine was abused sexually by her father and his cronies, nearly raped several time thereafter, feels guilty for “killing a man” while defending herself from his attack… and on and on and on… The Price of Desire by Jo Goodman.

C'mon did you really need THAT much drama to create a decent story?

• Your writing is passive or the style strange.

The novel completely and irredeemably lacks any connection to the reader as to be rendered emotionless.  I don't want you to tell me how awesome said hero is --  SHOW me with your words how awesome he is.

• The diction you picked for the sex scenes is a turn off.

Readers even share the sex words that make you go EWWWWWW. Granted this is pretty subjective, but it’s best to be aware of these reactions. Some common sense is really all that's needed here.

• You gave your heroine a demonic pregnancy that winds up killing her.

Literally! So yea, the baby is a little demon, it eats its mother from the inside out and makes her want to drink blood as if it's as normal as Coca-Cola. (Breaking Dawn, what a way to burn a lot of readers while being distinctly unromantic at the same time.)

Someone needs to contact the creators of Angel and learn a bit or two about demonic pregnancies. *cough*Darla birthing Connor*Cordelia birthing Jasmine*cough.*

• You failed to follow through.

Ever read a novel that had such intensity and heat between the hero and heroine with the author building it up and up and up then failing to follow through with an equally delicious bedroom (wherever) scene? Nothing like a fade to black to ruin the mood. Even more so in a modern-day, non-inspirational, written romance.

Anti-Climatic scenes, of any kind, are not attractive. Be brave, suck it up and write a decent ending! Maybe then, I'll purchase your next book.

• You flirted with romance taboos and missed the mark.

For example, some of the strongest taboos I know of are about sex and pregnancy. Abortions and morning after pills are still unheard of in novels, though times might be changing. We will have to wait and see.

I'm not saying reach for the moon here, just step outside of the box a little and do it well. If you are going to take a risk, make it a well-thought out one. Perhaps then, I won't give you a review of "1 star" and pelt your novel across the room.

~*~

Clearly this isn't a complete list. What are some other examples you can think up of what not to write? Do share!

(*Thanks to Sasha Muradali of the The L ittle Pink Book for inspiring me with "What NOT to Tweet: 10 Ways to Commit Social Media Suicide." You can read her trilogy on business, public relations and social media "don'ts" here.)

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There are few books that I can’t finish reading. The Anonymous Miss Addams is one that list. Some books make you question how publishing companies work and this is one of them. In two words I can sum up the whole of the book: utter drivel. I have no idea how it got published or why somebody didn’t put a halt to production once the cover was done. The cover to this novel is by far the best thing about the book.

Pierre Standish is a male lead that you’d sooner laugh at then swoon at. Pierre is a fop, pure and simple. He carries a hanky and it’s scented. His diction is by far the worst aspect of his character. He talks like a pansy and acts like one in my opinion. Pierre is definitely a turn off.

Miss Addams is annoying for no other purpose than to be annoying. She lost her memory after taking a spill in the road. Lucky for her she managed to escape into the road when she did or she’d have been killed by her pursuer. Money is involved of course, but the exact reasons why killing her will make the two plotters rich is beyond me. I could not be bothered to find out.

Their first kiss was short and dispassionate with slightly witty dialog bracketing it. She can’t eat unless he’s not perfect and looks human and he can’t eat until he feels human. The plot should have picked up since this is about halfway through the book, but it didn’t. It tried and failed with the mother of her attacker (one of the two plotters) protects her in a shoe store from a man hell bent on kissing her (who is the same man who tried to kill her earlier.)

That ‘kind’ act is rewarded with an offer for the position of companion as Miss Addams thinks to use this woman to protect her from Pierre. But since Pierre is so unmanly in my opinion it’s hardly worth the effort to write it out let alone read.

Rating: 1 Star

Originally posted 2008-11-28 23:15:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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I picked up Graceling because somebody said it was the next Twilight to get behind as Po and Katsa were a very hot couple. As far as I can tell Graceling is a stand alone and not the first in a series. It's also rated for YA ages 14 and up, but I highly doubt some parents allowing their 14 or even 15 year old children to read this novel if they knew that the evil bad guy is a sexual pervert who mutilates young children (mostly girls) and animals. There is also sex in the novel, not something you usually see in a book that claims to be for young teens.

Mislabeling aside, I found the editing to be pretty off. There were lots of sentences that began with and, run-on sentences connected by well ands, and in general ignore rules of proper grammar. The diction fits into the young adult category. I wasn't particularly challenged or inspired by it. The world building was excellent though and quite interesting.

Gracelings are identified by having two different colored eyes, like a cat. All those who are Graced with something useful (cooking over swimming for instance) stay with their king. The king then uses them as he sees fit. The heroine, Katsa, is Graced with Killing. Her eyes are blue and green and her Grace was revealed when a scummy sexual deviant tried to touch her intimately as a young girl. Nobody knew this except her and when he got too close - Katsa killed him.

Randa uses Katsa, his lady killer, to bully and inspire fear in all the land. Don't you dare double cross him! Katsa is sick with being used like a rabid dog on a leash. In response to Randa and the rest of the six kings' callus behavior, Katsa started the Council. It is comprised of people from all seven kingdoms, working together to act against the injustice they see. Rescuing Grandfather Tealiff is the catalyst for this story... one pebble becomes an avalanche as a mystery nobody knew existed reveals an king far more evil than the rest of the cruel kings combined.

Rating: 2 Stars.

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