Kat from Bookthingo and I explore thrills and chills in our Romantic Suspense vodcast for Aussie Author Month
Erotic romance vodcast reading list
Is it getting hot in here? Kat from Bookthingo and I talk Aussie Erotic Romance…
Favourite authors - not always technically the *best* authors
So, in his amazing interview with Stephen King (which everyone should go read right now), the equally amazing Neil Gaiman says, ‘After that I bought everything King wrote as it came out. Some books were great, and some weren’t. It was okay. I trusted him.’
And I tumbled even more into love with Neil Gaiman right there because he absolutelynailedthe way I feel about some of my favourite authors. Sometimes their books don’t quite hit those lofty heights. But it’s okay. I trust them.
Like Julia Quinn. I just finished her upcoming release, A Night Like This which comes out the end of this month. It’s continuing her Smith-Smythe quartet about a family in the upper echelons of regency society that produce a staggering number of musically disinclined daughters. In this book, we meet Daniel, the Smith-Smythe heir, who gets himself into a spot of bother, and has to flee the country for three years. The novel proper starts on his return to London, as he tries to step back into his family and his life, and adjust to all the changes. Including the procurement of a new governess that he can’t seem to get out of his mind.
The governess (Anne) has quite the past of her own, however, and is unlikely to risk everything she has built for herself on a fling with the family’s son. That is a first-class ticket to the work house. Even if he is so very tempting.
This novel starts out darker than any of Quinn’s others since When He Was Wicked,one of the Bridgerton novels. But it falls quickly into Quinn’s trademark light-hearted charm, with lots of banter and the ridiculous that comes with close families.
But it never really sparkles. And, more damaging, the characters never really become real - like they do in other Quinn novels. There’s a lot of inconsistencies (Daniel is supposed to be a good guy, but he continues to pursue Anne even though all the danger is on her side). There’s one big problem that’s just brushed aside (an Earl, marrying a governess? To quote 90s slang: as if!). There’s a obvious set-up for hero #3. But there’s no spark, no flame, no belief that these two characters are willing to risk it all.
In short, it’s not one of JQs best. But it’s okay.
I trust her.
Book list for category romance
Want to know what books we talked in our category romance vodcast? Kat from Bookthingo and I can tell you:
Kelly Hunter
- Sleeping Partner (recommended by Kate) (goodreads)
- Red-Hot Renegade/Her Singapore Fling (recommended by Kat) (goodreads/booktopia)
- Untameable Rogue (recommended by Kat) (goodreads/Harlequin e-book)
Fiona McArthur
Fiona Lowe
Amy Andrews
Carol Marinelli
Leah Ashton
Sarah Mayberry
- Burning Up (goodreads/Mills&Boon e-book)
part 3 of Kat from Bookthingo and my Aussie Author Month podcasts. This time, we talk category romance. Also there’s a guy who bathed in baby oil. I’m not even making that up.
