The Dry, Jane Harper

Intriguing mystery set in contemporary rural Australia--Harper doesn't need me to praise her because she's already garnered awards, movie rights, and a sequel, for which I congratulate her. The book is oddly gripping, with a nice, surprise twist, although I personally wanted the mystery to be more complex. Still works.

A great deal of the book is unearthing the events and relationships of the past, told in a series of italicized flashbacks. I prefer to watch characters relieve their past memories in real time as opposed to these self-contained flashbacks, but it works, right up until the end, where the whole thing falls apart: Unable to narrate the last, unsolved murder, Harper resorts to the main character finding a diary and then switches to a third-person omniscient italicized flashback--information, in other words, that neither the writer nor the reader of the diary would have access to. This was a deal-breaker for me. I think as an author you either come up with a different way to convey that, or you scrap the entire strategy of telling the past through flashbacks.

The Man of the House, Evelyn Ellis

I found Ellis because she publishes in a consortium with Catherine Lloyd. I thought the premise of this book--a forbidden romance between a governess and the "Mr. Hyde" side of her employer Dr. Jekyll's character--was intriguing. I would love to write a Jekyll/Hyde book someday, but in the style of Wilkie Collins' Woman in White (which I love): a series of Victorian-era court documents.

Love Rising, Catherine Lloyd

This the last book in Lloyd's 4-part "Mandrake Falls" series, and you do need to read them in order because the books build on each other in a really fun way. The couple in Book 1 ("The Jilting") probably moved me the most, but I think Book 4 is the best constructed and most satisfying. I enjoy Lloyd's Gothic romances, but it's the decent men, the considerate, kind men struggling to do what's right who make my knees weak. I love these books!

Windemere Hall, Catherine Lloyd

I really, really enjoyed this (You can buy the complete novel or the serialized three parts). It reminded me of everything I love about Jane Eyre, but with an extra frisson of eroticism.

I LOVE this heroine, who is both vulnerable and has reserves of inner strength, like Jane Eyre, and I loved this hero (reminiscent of both Heathcliff and Rochester) because Lloyd so compelling presents his yearning to love and be loved that all human beings share. Too often a Romance author will convince me that the hero desires the heroine physically--and may even throw in a good deal of language about love--but Lloyd convinces me her men love, that their hearts will break, are breaking, and I can't help but root for these people to find each other.

Mud Season, Bethany Marcello

A small town romance in the honorable mention category. I wanted a little more from the end, but, my god, it had me by the heartstrings all the way there. Would have read it in one sitting if I could have. Interested to read more by this author.

Lie For Me, Catherine Lloyd

While polishing my new manuscript, I've been on a small town romance novella kick. This is hands-down my favorite right now, although there are a couple other honorable mentions.

Lie For Me is one of those hate-love romances, which is not normally my thing, but I liked the main characters so much (sucker for small town sheriffs!), and I just had a blast reading it, rooting for these two. Totally fun and made me go 'Aww' at the end - what more can one ask?

Been writing

On a writing jag.