REVIEW: Flashpoint by Jill Shalvis

Holly's review of Flashpoint (American Heroes: The Firefighters, Book1) by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary erotic romance published by Harlequin Blaze 1 Jul 08

I have to be honest and admit the only reason I wanted to read this book is because of the cover. It's hot. Seriously hot. After I read the back blurb I was a little bit leery, because it's about a firefighter and an EMT. Although limited, my past experience with firefighters and EMTs hasn't been favorable. I think too often authors aren't able to find a good balance between the technical aspects of firefighting and the personal relationships they have. In this case, however, my past experience meant nothing. Jill Shalvis did a credible job of writing wonderfully flawed characters without bogging the story down with the technical aspects. Read more

Tags: 2008, American Heroes, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance. Holly, Flashpoint, Grade A, Harlequin Blaze, Holly, Jill Shalvis, July 2008, Review, The Firefighters series

REVIEW: Master: An Erotic Novel of the Count of Monte Cristo by Colette Gale

Holly's review of Master: An Erotic Novel of the Count of Monte Cristo by Colette Gale
Erotic Romance published by NAL Trade 6 May 08

I'm a huge fan of The Count of Monte Cristo. I believe I first read the novel by Alexandre Dumas when I was a freshman in high school and it really resonated with me. Since then, I've re-read it at least once a year. So when I heard (almost a year ago) that Colette Gail was going to write an erotic accounting of the novel, well, I just had to read it, didn't I? Read more

Tags: 2008, Colette Gale, Erotic Romance, Grade A, Holly, Master: An Erotic Novel of the Count of Monte Cristo, May 2008, NAL Trade, Review

Review: It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Holly's review of It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Contemporary romance reissued by Avon 24 Jun 08

This is one of those novels that's really hard to grade. I absolutely loved it while I was reading it, but once I finished I realized there were a lot of flaws with it. The hero is an ass, the heroine plays dumb and uses her looks to get ahead in the world and the secondary characters are all football players. Oh, wait, that's actually a point in it's favor. Mmm, football players. But I digress. The point is, though it's flawed, it's still a well written book that grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Read more

Tags: 2008, Avon, Chicago Stars series, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Grade B, Holly, It Had To Be You, June 2008, Review, Romance, Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Reader Advice for Aspiring Authors

I'm just throwing this out there, feel free to toss it back...

I'm thinking if you're an author or aspiring author it's extremely important to have a professional looking website/blog, especially if you're advertising that you're an author/aspiring author. And by "professional looking" I mean free of spelling and grammatical errors.

We're human, so chances are there are going to be one or two here or there, but when your bio/about me blurb is riddled with spelling errors, improper use of punctuation or tons of grammatical errors..well, that makes me, as a reader, not take you seriously as an author. Which means if you DO get published or I see your already published novel on the shelf, I won't buy your book. Not only that, but I would imagine if you want to be taken seriously by your peers and by the important people in the industry that isn't exactly the way to go about it.

Basically, not paying attention to the little things could potentially cost you big. Just a friendly piece of advice from a local romance reviewer...

Tags: Aspiring Authors, Holly

Review: Forbidden: The Billionaire’s Virgin Princess by Lucy Monroe

Holly's review of Forbidden: The Billionaire's Virgin Princess by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin Presents 1 July 2008

It's no secret that I love Harlequin Presents, and Lucy Monroe is definitely my favorite Presents author. Her stories are usually well rounded and emotionally fulfilling. Although this is definitely a good story, I don't feel it was quite up to par with what I've come to expect from her in the past. Read more

Tags: 2008, Contemporary Romance, Grade B, Harlequin Presents, Holly, July 2008, Lucy Monroe, Review, The Billionaire's Virgin Princess

Review: Taming the Highlander by Terri Brisbin

Holly's review of Taming the Highlander by Terri Brisbin
Historical romance published by Harlequin Historical 1 Jul 06

Although I enjoy historical romance novels, lately I've been disappointed in the majority of the ones I've read. I realized the other day the reason for my disappointment stems from the fact that I have a hard time suspending disbelief over some of the situations the characters find themselves in. Basically, I don't think the novels I've read recently have been in keeping with how I think historical times really were. While that doesn't always bother me, I think I've just been craving something a little more realistic. Terri Brisbin did an excellent job, in my opinion, of staying true to the times. It was very refreshing and just what I was looking for. Read more

Tags: Grade A, Harlequin Historical, Historical Romance, Holly, July 2006, Review, Taming the Highlander, Terri Brisbin

REVIEW: In Bed With Her Italian Boss by Kate Hardy

Holly's review of In Bed With Her Italian Boss by Kate Hardy
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin Presents 8 Apr 08

I generally enjoy the Presents line, though I don't remember reading Kate Hardy before. Unfortunately, this book features one of my least favorite plot devices - the BIG MISUNDERSTANDING - which resulted in the hero and heroine acting like children for most of the novel. I'll be looking for more titles by her in the future, but I'm going to make sure they're written around a different plot device.

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Tags: April 2008, Contemporary, Grade C, Harlequin Presents, Holly, In Bed With Her Italian Boss, Kate Hardy, Review, Romance

REVIEW: Black Silk by Sharon Page

Holly's review of Black Silk by Sharon Page
Historical erotic romance released by Kensington Aphrodisia 1 Apr 08

This novel was a pleasant surprise for me. It's a historical, which I didn't know until I started reading it. I fell right into it, despite the fact that I generally avoid historical erotica novels. The plot was surprisingly deep for the way it started out (I thought it was just going to be a quick, light erotica) and the characters were well drawn and deeper than it seemed at first glance. From the first page I was hooked and couldn't walk away.

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Tags: Aphrodisia, April 2008, Black Silk, Erotic, Grade B, Historical, Holly, Review, Romance, Sharon Page

Review: To Pleasure A Lady by Nicole Jordan

Holly's review of To Pleasure A Lady (Courtship Wars, Book 1) by Nicole Jordan
Historical romance released by Ballantine Books 29 Jan 08

Sometimes you need a book just because it's mind candy. Kind of sweet and fluffy, but not deep or emotionally investing. That's what this book was for me. Mind candy.

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Tags: 2008, Ballantine, Grade B, Historical, Holly, January 2008, Nicole Jordan, Review, Romance, To Pleasure A Lady

Review: Housekeeper to the Millionaire by Lucy Monroe

Holly's review of Housekeeper To The Millionaire by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Apr 08

I started reading Lucy Monroe several years ago. If I'm not mistaken, it was towards the beginning of her career. Although I love pretty much everything she's written, I feel she really excels at writing for the Presents line. Her stories are the perfect blend of sweet and intense, if somewhat predictable.

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Tags: 2008, April 2008, Contemporary, Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Holly, Housekeeper to the Millionaire, Lucy Monroe, Review, Romance

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