Comments on: REVIEW: Ruthless Tycoon, Innocent Wife by Helen Brooks

By: Taja

Taja — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:10:28 +0000

I read the last few novels by Helen Brooks and, in general, I liked them, enough at least to order this one in advance. I know about the virgin thing in her stories, so it’s (usually) not something that bothers me a lot. I’ll see how it goes with this one. Thanks for the review and the “warning.” *g*

Edit: Ups, I screwed up. My name is missing. Sorry, Taja

By: willaful

willaful — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:03:24 +0000

I’m so surprised to see these pro-Brooks comments. I don’t think I’ve ever read one by her that I liked. But I suppose if everyone felt that way, she wouldn’t keep getting published.

I actually snagged an older one by her at a library sale today and it looks intriguing. (A Very Private Revenge.) So I’ll give her another shot.

By: Meljean

Meljean — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:09:49 +0000

I can’t speak for other authors, but I definitely don’t expect even fans of my work to love every book I write, and I’d hope they wouldn’t feel obligated to say they loved it if they didn’t.

I’m still a huge fan of Helen Brooks, for example, even though this one didn’t hit it out of the park (and that said, it is still MUCH better, just in terms of technical skill and pacing and character, than quite a few other HPs I’ve picked up in the last couple of months). So I’ll be reading her again.

By: Sybil

Sybil — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:22:06 +0000

I think, at least I hope, authors understand and appreciate reviews with an honest crit from ‘fans’ vs this shit sucks. To use Meljean, cuz I can , I ADORE her books. She is by far one of my faves and prolly one of the few that could pull off her world and make it work for me.

I know I will hit a wall with her at some point. I don’t like every book by every author. And that will PAIN me because I adore meljean but I think it wrong of me – for any author I “like” to lie and say oh yeah loved it when I didn’t. I just don’t period, to anyone.

Of course I am coming from a reader stand point vs author so I could be all sorts of shades of wrong regarding what you guys would think. hmmm I shall put up a pondering…. I am so sure you have missed my rambling aimlessly *g*

By: Lynne Connolly

Lynne Connolly — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:07:03 +0000

It really pained me to write the review, because I usually like Helen Brooks, so I couldn’t work out what she was doing in this one. I think it’s likely that this is some kind of unannounced reprint, or maybe something she sent in a long time ago, because the attitudes were so off the mark for today’s market.
However, I’m still reading, and hopefully I’ll come across a goodie in the Christmas releases!

By: Katharina

Katharina — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:17:47 +0000

Oiii, thanks for the review Lynne. From time to time I like a good HP, but it’s quite difficult to find them. I either try Miranda Lee, Emma Darcy, Susan Napier or Helen Brooks, but it seems I will miss out on this one. You know, I don’t even mind virgin heroines in HPs, I think they are still quite frequent in this line, it’s more a matter of how the author dealt with the circumstances. And although I haven’t read too many romances from the 60s and 70s, I will heed your warning *g*.

By: Meljean

Meljean — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:07:49 +0000

Usually I enjoy Brooks much more than I did this one. I expect her books to have little-to-no sex in them, with heroines who wait and never hop into bed with their heroes … but you are right in that the attitude just felt off in this one (also, the heroine’s near-lecture about how the hero sees women and relationships felt almost identical to a conversation between the hero/heroine in THE BILLIONAIRE BOSS’S SECRETARY BRIDE.) With Brooks’s other books, it worked for me; this one felt like a throwback.