I picked this one up because of the subject - I love books set in the theatre. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work.
Acts of Love by Judith Michael
(1994, Contemporary) 7/28/05
Grade: 2.5
After the death of his beloved grandmother, Broadway director Lucas Cameron finds letters from her protege - the brilliant actress Jessica Fontaine, who disappeared after an accident. He falls in love with her through her letters and is determined to find her - even if she doesn’t want to be found.
This was a frustrating book - parts of it were fascinating, but they were mixed with a lot of dull and unbelievable sections. The hero and heroine spend most of the book apart, but it worked in the beginning, when Luke was getting to know Jessica through her letters. Luke was annoyingly self-centered, and the section went on for too long, but still I kept reading, because I was eager to finally meet Jessica. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the buildup. Despite some really interesting sections about the theatre, I kept putting the book down in boredom, or skipping ahead. (And even for someone who loves a HEA, the ending seemed a bit saccharine.) The whole thing felt superficial and a bit shallow.
I'm really hoping my next read will be something special...
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Sunday, July 24, 2005
A Disappointing Tortured Hero
Still working my way through some of the older books in my TBR.
The Heart's Desire by Gayle Wilson
(1994, Regency Historical) 7/24/05
Grade: 2.5
After following the drum in Spain, Emily Fairfax thought she’d seen it all - but she’s confused and attracted by Dominic, the Duke of Avon. He seems hard and uncaring, ignoring taunts about his crippled leg, his only passion his secret work for the war effort - but underneath he knows he can never have the happiness that others have. Can Emily show him otherwise?
Even though I love a good tortured hero, this book was a chore to get through. Even though Dominic had every reason to be “tortured”, I got tired of his whining - and Emily’s attraction to him didn’t seem to be rooted in anything other than plot necessity. It seemed like a throwback to books from the early 80’s - he treats her badly, she loves him for no apparent reason, and every development is predictable. Why did I keep reading? I did grow to like the characters, and the spy plot in the first half was fairly interesting. (And I kept hoping that the book would get better!) But overall this was a disappointment, even for a die-hard tortured hero lover.
It's hard to believe that there's a tortured hero that I didn't like! (As a friend put it, the more they suffer, the more I like it.) But there was just something missing in this one.
The Heart's Desire by Gayle Wilson
(1994, Regency Historical) 7/24/05
Grade: 2.5
After following the drum in Spain, Emily Fairfax thought she’d seen it all - but she’s confused and attracted by Dominic, the Duke of Avon. He seems hard and uncaring, ignoring taunts about his crippled leg, his only passion his secret work for the war effort - but underneath he knows he can never have the happiness that others have. Can Emily show him otherwise?
Even though I love a good tortured hero, this book was a chore to get through. Even though Dominic had every reason to be “tortured”, I got tired of his whining - and Emily’s attraction to him didn’t seem to be rooted in anything other than plot necessity. It seemed like a throwback to books from the early 80’s - he treats her badly, she loves him for no apparent reason, and every development is predictable. Why did I keep reading? I did grow to like the characters, and the spy plot in the first half was fairly interesting. (And I kept hoping that the book would get better!) But overall this was a disappointment, even for a die-hard tortured hero lover.
It's hard to believe that there's a tortured hero that I didn't like! (As a friend put it, the more they suffer, the more I like it.) But there was just something missing in this one.
Friday, July 08, 2005
An E-Book (Mostly) Worth Reading
Another book that's been highly touted online - I finally got around to this one when I was traveling (one of the few times I read ebooks).
Yorkshire by Lynne Connolly
(2002, Georgian) 7/7/05
Grade: 4
Rose and her family have just arrived at Hareton Abbey, to find the house in ruins and the Earl under the spell of a fundamentalist minister. She also meets Richard, Lord Strang, who is immediately drawn to her. Within days, the Earl is dead and Rose is deeply involved with Richard - but who was behind the Earl’s death, and can she trust this new love in her life?
At first, I found Yorkshire frustrating - there were so many characters, it was hard to tell who was who (especially difficult in an ebook where you can't easily flip back to check a name or reread a paragraph). I was also skeptical of the “instant” love and commitment between Richard and Rose - it didn’t seem based in anything except the requirements of the plot. But once I’d gotten past this, the book improved, and I found myself caught up in the detailed descriptions of the Georgian time period and the well-written characters. It’s hard to grade this - I was close to giving up on it after the first third (and I might have if I hadn't been on a bus with nothing else to read), but it did improve quite a bit in the second half, with many memorable scenes.
Although this didn't quite live up to the online hype, it was an enjoyable and unique book. The next books in the series seem to lean more toward mystery / suspense, unfortunately - not a type of book I usually enjoy. I'm not sure the next book is worth paying full price (too bad I can't skim through it at the library), but I'm glad I read this one.
Yorkshire by Lynne Connolly
(2002, Georgian) 7/7/05
Grade: 4
Rose and her family have just arrived at Hareton Abbey, to find the house in ruins and the Earl under the spell of a fundamentalist minister. She also meets Richard, Lord Strang, who is immediately drawn to her. Within days, the Earl is dead and Rose is deeply involved with Richard - but who was behind the Earl’s death, and can she trust this new love in her life?
At first, I found Yorkshire frustrating - there were so many characters, it was hard to tell who was who (especially difficult in an ebook where you can't easily flip back to check a name or reread a paragraph). I was also skeptical of the “instant” love and commitment between Richard and Rose - it didn’t seem based in anything except the requirements of the plot. But once I’d gotten past this, the book improved, and I found myself caught up in the detailed descriptions of the Georgian time period and the well-written characters. It’s hard to grade this - I was close to giving up on it after the first third (and I might have if I hadn't been on a bus with nothing else to read), but it did improve quite a bit in the second half, with many memorable scenes.
Although this didn't quite live up to the online hype, it was an enjoyable and unique book. The next books in the series seem to lean more toward mystery / suspense, unfortunately - not a type of book I usually enjoy. I'm not sure the next book is worth paying full price (too bad I can't skim through it at the library), but I'm glad I read this one.
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