Lawson and I were talking last night about Shadow Music, bestselling author Julie Garwood’s new historical romance. Fans have been crying for her to return to her historical roots for a while now, which made me very interested to read it.
Lawson is a fan, even though she was disappointed in Garwoods last few historicals (and was disappointed I liked The Gift 🙂 ). I have read about four Julie Garwood historicals and none of her romantic suspense. I have a ton of them tbr because of recommendations from bloggers and LLB.
Lawson and I enjoyed The Bride and The Wedding. They even held up for me, when I reread them after countless scottish rants from Maili (miss you!). She was always a touch peeved at the history, or lack of correct history. I didn’t notice, and Garwood says she has three sources for every historical fact. I am not one to check, so I can’t say.
I found them fluffy and fun. I am very much a character reader, make me like your hero and heroine and there is a good chance you got me. I thought she was a solid writer and have a few I really want to read. I was even sad that she left historicals, of course I am said when just about anyone leaves historicals.
Here is this best selling author, who is beloved by many a fan, who left my subgenre of choice. I was all sorts of shades of happy to hear she was coming home but as I have said before I often wonder if it is true… you can’t go home again.
I have to say from what I read, it is possible Julie Garwood can’t. Maybe it was me or maybe she needs a book to find her feet again. Honestly as of right now I don’t even feel I can review the book because I was so disconnect from it.
That is the perfect word for my feelings about Shadow Music – disconnected. I never felt like I was ‘in’ the story. I never cared about the characters. Honestly I am not sure why the heroine cared about the hero.
It didn’t feel like a romance. It didn’t even seem like a book as much as a telling of events. The heroine and the hero spend large chunks of time away from each other. The reader doesn’t really learn what all is happening during these gaps and when they are back together, we basically get a ‘You not going to tell me what happened are you.’ type speech from the heroine.
And where this seems to be a typical romance-author-gone-mainstream-lets-cut-down-on-sex, it completely lacked passion. There was zero sexual tension and I never felt like I was pulled into a story but listening to someone tell me a very boring tale.
Like I said I am not ‘reviewing’ this yet, I may leave that to Lawson. I read the book less than 24 hours ago and really no details have stayed with me. Maybe that is a review in and of itself. I am going to try and read this again because honestly, I want to like it.
Lawson will be picking up her copy tomorrow and I hope gets a chance to get to read this really soon. Even if the book doesn’t end up working for me the second time, I really want it to work. I WANT authors to be able to come home again. I WANT new historicals, make it new historicals from big name hardcover authors and that is wicked cool.
What do you think? Shadow Music is will hit the shelves on Dec 26. What are you expecting from it? Or have you, like Lawson just about given up on her historical voice?
Is it a matter of time? Does the sum of our experiences change us so much as people it can’t help but It didn’t seem to work for Linda Howard when she returned to Harlequin this year and I still wonder if we will ever see Karen Robards’ Shameless (or whatever they are calling it now). I would love to see a new historical from Elizabeth Lowell, OMG make it a western and I might die and go to heaven but if it is going to be a watered down version of what once was… I personally would rather them stay in their mainstream hardcover
I was afraid of this. I’m thinking she left Historicals when she did because she was burnt out on what she was writing. Her early historicals are true gems for me and I’ll always have a spot in my heart for Garwood. Her historicals started to flatten out for me after For The Roses – the heroine and hero declare their love for each other and I was all ‘what happened *flips pages back and forth looking for more interaction* WTF!?’. But I hoped it was a fluke. I think The Wedding was the only one after that book that had her spark.
I then read her first contemporary and realized she no longer wanted to write about two people falling in love. Her books seemed to be more about family and friends.
When I heard there was a historical coming out next month I was excited and worried. I don’t know that many people in life are looking to retrace steps they have already taken. Why would Ms. Garwood want to write books like she did almost 20 years ago? (Would it make me happy? Yep. Would it make her new fans happy? Probably not)
I imagine there is a reason people say you can’t go home again. I’ve experienced that too many times in my life to not believe it’s true.
CIndyS
This is worrisome to me as I’ve always been a big fan of Garwood’s historicals (The Secret, Ransom, Saving Grace, and her series which included The Gift) and not so much of her contemporary romantic suspense. I’d planned to buy it as I consider Garwood a “must buy on the date of release” author, but if other reviews are similar to this non-review, I may hold off. I always wonder what happens when it seems like an author loses her voice. IMO, this happened with Linda Howard in almost all of her romantic suspense (except for Mr. Perfect), Judith McNaught in her last few releases, and Sandra Brown. I also wonder, too, if once an author reaches a certain “level” for lack of a better term, if her editor steps back and does less editing which results in books that often have a different feel and magic about them from an author’s first few works.
One would think that practice makes perfect and that with each book, an author improves, but so often (as in the authors identified above), I find myself preferring their earlier books and not enjoying their more recent efforts. This happened with Susan Elizabeth Philips, Suzanne Brockmann, Judith McNaught, J.R. Ward, Meryl Sawyer, Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and Lisa Kleypas.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
I think all the fans who’ve been clamoring for her to return to historicals should buy the book (and yes, I will be buying it, even if JD Robb is normally the only one I’ll buy in hardcover). Why do I say this? Because if we don’t buy it, the publisher may look at the sales numbers and decide she should just keep writing non-historicals. When we, the fans, ask for something, I think it’s nice if we follow that up by putting our money where our (loud) mouths are 😉
Since I often don’t agree with you on books, Sybil, I have real hope that I’ll love this one, lolol. But even if I agreed with every review you ever wrote, I’d still buy it, because I’ve been waiting too long NOT to.
*sob*
Hopefully I’ll love it, though, since our tastes in books don’t seem to coincide much. Hmm yeah, that’s it. I’ll stick to that and keep fingers and toes crossed that I lurve this book. I’ve been terrified that it would disappoint me and I’m not sure I could take that 🙁
Or maybe I’ll go reread Saving Grace and Honor’s Splendour…
Lol! That picture is so cute 🙂
I said I loved the Gift, that Ransom and The Wedding I didn’t enjoy. Get your fact straight Syb. 🙂 Garwood was one of the first books I read. In fact it was The Bride, and there have been a few of her many that have been sub-par to me, I am excited to read this one, just because hopefully she’ll go back to writing historicals.
Though I think perhaps Garwood suffered the same sort of thing that happened with Woodiwiss. . .her style perhaps just doesn’t fit the time anymore. But I could be wrong and like this book. 🙂
Now I’m sad. Boo.
Cute puppy! Yeah I gotta say disconnected is the way I feel in that situation too. When writers disconnect the romantic partners for large sections of the book I tend to feel like the love story is on hold. When that goes on for most of the book only to be slapped together for the HEA then the writer and I are not on the same page.
I like the interaction of the couple that is why I am reading a Romance. If you want to write about people going off and doing their own thing then it ain’t much of a Romance in my opinion.
I have to admit, I don’t think I’m going to buy this one in hard cover, and maybe I’ll wait until it shows up at a UBS. I’m just not looking forward to Garwood’s historicals the way I used to back in the day. I feel kind of guilty about it, since she was such a favorite for so long. I guess she’s just one of those authors I just don’t get anymore.
The Bride has stood the test of time for me. I still like it to this day, but I have to grit my teeth at the lack of realism to the way the characters behave. I can see why Maili (who I miss lots too!) would not like the type of stories set in Scottland that Garwood wrote.
CindyS what are your faves? I know there are some must reads of hers. And as a fan, you never know. You could love this book. I WANT people to love it.
Maybe it just didn’t work for me. And CourtneyCarroll many of your authors you name at the end of your comment I still like. So… you should buy it too!
Angie if you want I will send you my copy. You can give away the copy you were going to buy. We can do a contest. LOL prove you are the biggest garwood fan and enter to win *g*. Or you know, rec a book you love and why.
Garwood was one of my first romance authors. I think The Wedding was the first of her books that I read and loved. Then I worked through her entire historical back catalogue. I have very warm and fuzzy memories of those books. Although I will admit that ten years later sitting down with some of the same books, I don’t have quite the same reaction. Now when I read them I find the medieval heroines very similar (clutzy or zany, tripping merrily about the village and trying to win over the love of the clan), there is always a good gal pal who’s on her side, throw in a cute kid or two…but really the heros are what I loved and still love. Very solid, protective and common sense and totally clueless to the fact that they are falling in love. I think the historical (non-medievals) are weaker, although I do like the one about Nathan and Sara. Titles escape me for the moment.
I don’t do hardcover for anyone though (too expensive), so I guess this will be a pass. I expect I’ll get it from the library when it’s available.
Oh, I was a squeeing fangirl of Garwoods.
Honor’s Splendor, The Gift, The Bride, Lion’s Lady, The Secret (lurved), The Prize (lurved).
I wrote a reader’s spot for AAR’s ATBF for Garwood a few years ago. Let’s see if I can find a link: Holy cow!! It was 3 years ago!!
http://www.likesbooks.com/192.html
Darn! This is bad news. When I read the synopsis, it left me cold and I’ve been wishing for a JG historical since she went contemporary, read 2 of them and that’s it!!!
Darn again, I may just wait for the paperback ed. or get it from the library. Too bad there’s no tension, I’ve been reading way too many romances that have been lacking in that.
I don’t plan on buying this one in either h/c or ppb. She hasn’t stood the test of time for me. I loved her her heyday and I still have her books but I tried reading my favourite not long ago and wanted to chuck the book and the heroine against the wall.
LOLOL I was wondering if that was you… if you click the L in llb it goes to your post ;).
I really can’t wait to talk you guys after you read this. I do soooooo hope some of you love it.
Sybil-Don’t get me wrong-I still buy SEP and Brockmann, Howard, and Brown, but I’ve become increasingly disenchanted with them, although I ADORED Suz’s “All Through The Night” and “Force of Nature.” I’m sure I’ll still buy Shadow Music, but I’m not looking forward to it the way I was.
I was so depressed when Garwood stopped writing historicals. But I was willing to read her contemps, which I tried with Mercy. I was appalled because her contemps are so different from her trademark writing that I adore.I found them dull and no imagination, IMO.
Garwood was one of the reasons I love historical romance and I have 6 of her books as keepers. I re-read them from time to time.
I hope with Shadow Music her muse is back.
Does anyone know why she has gone back to writing a historical again after 10 years or so?
Contest posted!
http://nicemommy-evileditor.com/blog/?p=1183
Contest posted!
http://nicemommy-evileditor.com/blog/?p=1183
I was so hoping she wouldn’t write this historical with her contemp voice. *sob* I’ll buy it, natch, but it sounds like while she went back to the time period she didn’t go back to the character driven style that made her historicals so memorable.
Deep sadness here at the loss of anticipation, but hope still lingers.
I was so hoping she wouldn’t write this historical with her contemp voice. *sob* I’ll buy it, natch, but it sounds like while she went back to the time period she didn’t go back to the character driven style that made her historicals so memorable.
Deep sadness here at the loss of anticipation, but hope still lingers.
ahhh got cha CourtneyCarroll… I do the same thing. There is always hope *g*.
wow katiebabs I didn’t know it had been that long.
Sarah that is the perfect comment. To *me* her historicals always had a contemporary voice. Heck she says she tried to do that (click the B in “llb” they all link to garwood stuff I read once upon a time and made me want to read her *G*) So maybe this book WILL work for you.
ahhh got cha CourtneyCarroll… I do the same thing. There is always hope *g*.
wow katiebabs I didn’t know it had been that long.
Sarah that is the perfect comment. To *me* her historicals always had a contemporary voice. Heck she says she tried to do that (click the B in “llb” they all link to garwood stuff I read once upon a time and made me want to read her *G*) So maybe this book WILL work for you.
I am so bummed to hear this.
I’ve always loved the how the relationship has developed between the h/h. Though I loved The Wedding, I thought Connor and Brenna were apart too much. Anything more than that just seems like too much.
I hope you’ll eventually be able to review it.
I am so bummed to hear this.
I’ve always loved the how the relationship has developed between the h/h. Though I loved The Wedding, I thought Connor and Brenna were apart too much. Anything more than that just seems like too much.
I hope you’ll eventually be able to review it.
I didn’t care for the western historicals either, and have been leery about this new historical since it ties in to the Clayborne’s and not hearing great things about Shadow Dance. Going to wait and see, and won’t spend money on this HC.
I didn’t care for the western historicals either, and have been leery about this new historical since it ties in to the Clayborne’s and not hearing great things about Shadow Dance. Going to wait and see, and won’t spend money on this HC.
Every historical reference in this steaming pile of revolting dreck (except the actual existence of King John) is out-and-out wrong, and stupidly wrong at that. Every geographical reference in this is wrong. The heroine is so much of a Mary Sue that fanfiction.net should be considering a lawsuit against Garwood for theft of trade secrets.
This is an unmitigated disaster, but I suppose the Cheeto-eating, Oprah-loving ignoramuses of the world who couldn’t find the US on a labelled map will eat it up.
Every historical reference in this steaming pile of revolting dreck (except the actual existence of King John) is out-and-out wrong, and stupidly wrong at that. Every geographical reference in this is wrong. The heroine is so much of a Mary Sue that fanfiction.net should be considering a lawsuit against Garwood for theft of trade secrets.
This is an unmitigated disaster, but I suppose the Cheeto-eating, Oprah-loving ignoramuses of the world who couldn’t find the US on a labelled map will eat it up.