Reviews are strange things . Don’t get me wrong, I love a good review as much as any author, but all the same I remind myself, even as I’m smiling in delight, that this is one person’s opinion and one person’s opinion only. And it’s the same with a bad review.
Oh yes, I get bad reviews – I get reviewers who say my heroine is too stupid to live or my hero and heroine are just not on the same page (mentally – physically they’re almost always on the same page!). And yes, I’m guilty of posting the good ones here or on my web site and ignoring the less than good ones. But I’ll be honest – I haven’t had any bad reviews lately to talk about. Well, that changed this weekend.
A little background – I spent the weekend feeling rotten. Some virus dealt me a vicious sore throat and swollen glands and the feverishness that went with it made me feel dizzy and low. Just the weekend to curl up with some more of my TBR pile (which I did and I’ll blog about later) and preferably not the weekend to get critical emails about my books.
So what did I get? The most unappreciative review I’ve had in - well, in years – and another of those letters. Remember X the reader who told me to write better books? Well I got another of those. Or, I think it was another of those. Quite honestly, I couldn’t make sense of it.
Anyway – reviews - In the interests of honesty and openness because I’ve posted good reviews before now – here’s one from
Romance Reviews Today:
SICILIAN HUSBAND, BLACKMAILED BRIDE showcases two characters who often let their emotions rule their actions without thought. The passion between Amber and Guido is sizzling and, though each is angry with the 
other, they cannot deny their desire. The story starts off with plenty of conflict and drama and an interesting premise; unfortunately conflict and drama drown the reader throughout the book. The pace is slow, the first ninety-five pages span less than one full day and are filled with miscommunication, misunderstanding, and angry sexual tension. I found I didn't care for either character because their internal monologues were so out of sync with their actions. I also found it very difficult to believe that a woman so much in love would leave her husband, first without a fight, and second without confirming if their marriage is real or not. I also had a very hard time reconciling Guido's undying love and passion for Amber with his leaving her on her own for a year and not coming after her until she's at the alter to marry another man -- what if he'd had a flat tire -- or his plane had been delayed? It just doesn't make sense to me.
The "big misunderstanding" is often used for conflict in novels, and if not drawn out too long works well; however, in this case a simple conversation and a dollop of common sense would have alleviated most of the problems facing the couple.
SICILIAN HUSBAND, BLACKMAILED BRIDE will appeal to readers who enjoy the Presents line, but for me there was simply not enough plot to keep my interest.
Well, my first response to this was simply: here is a reader who doesn’t like Presents/Modern Romance. It happens. There are a lot of them out there. And I don’t mind that at all. Everyone is entitled to their preferences in reading. I don’t care for a lot of books and this reviewer doesn’t have to enjoy my work. I’d prefer it if she did – but she doesn’t. And I’m fine with that. And not liking Presents would mean that she wouldn’t like the “
miscommunication, misunderstanding, and angry sexual tension.” Because that tends to be what many Presents novels are about – that and the way that “
internal monologues were so out of sync with their actions.” For me, a Presents novel is one where the two characters are so emotionally intensely involved that they don’t think and act at their most rational and sensible. They are people whose other emotions are so involved and complicated that
a simple conversation and a dollop of common sense aren’t actually possible until they’ve got a lot of the hurt, anger and distress out of the way. Hasn’t the reviewer ever been so angry or so distressed that they just can’t think straight? Perhaps not. Again, not everyone is the same and not everyone reacts the same to emotions.
So I don’t mind that she didn’t like that. To me, much of the book was that the hero and heroine had to find ways through their pain and anger and to learn how to talk to each other. But this reader wanted more plot – so she wouldn’t enjoy what my editor loved about the book – that it was all in ‘little boxes, confined spaces where they couldn’t get away from each other – that made it so intense’.
What I do have a problem with is the second half of that first paragraph - because, like it or not, as a writer I know I laid down reasons why each of those things happened. (Come on – I bore on about the question WHY being so important often enough, you’d expect me to focus on it in my own work!)
I gave Amber strong reasons for already feeling so insecure in anyone loving her that she wouldn’t have stayed to fight when she found that (as she believed) he’d lied to her simply to get her into bed. Instead she pretends that she’s met someone else. And Guido is a proud male – a proud Sicilian male – sure he’s going to come after her and declare his love when she’d flung that other man in his face (in a letter at least). I have to admit that I can’t quite work out what the comment about
the flat tire or the plane being delayed is about. To me, the point was that Guido had planned his reappearance to the last detail – he’d been there, just waiting for the right moment. He was going to get his runaway wife back and nothing was going to stand in the way.
Well, none of that worked for this reader – so she’s perfectly justified in reviewing
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride in that way. It amused me that the review came in a letter that told me to
Please feel free to use either a portion of, or the complete review, for promotional purposes. . .Hmm.
But, I will acknowledge that this review from Romance Reviews Today does explain why the book doesn’t work for her. And if it doesn’t work for her then it doesn’t and I accept that. It’s a reasoned and explained argument, unlike the second email I got over the weekend. Reasoned and explained does not describe this one – I’m still trying to make sense of it. And I have no idea what book it refers to at all.
This is what it said - and believe me, this is all it said - no preamble, no greeting - just straight in with :
Your story book is too redundant and too over acting. I get tired of reading your book. Can you make it a little simpler and not too over dramatic.Simple answer – no. I can’t. Whichever book this lady didn’t like is published and out there – I can’t change it now. And if it’s ‘too over dramatic’ for her then she probably won’t like any more of my books and I suggest she just avoids them from now on. I write the way I write – there are plenty of authors out there for her to read instead. And I’m sure she’ll be happier reading them.
If a reader writes to me raising particular issues with a particular book – like the RRT review – then I’ll happily discuss it and reply to them. It’s because I believe that every reader is entitled to their opinion that I’m talking about that review today. But a blanket condemnation like the second email is simply saying ‘I didn’t like it’. Fine. I just don’t see the point in sending off a snappy letter to the author. I’m sorry she didn’t like it but I’m writing for the thousands who do enjoy my books. And I’ll be perfectly happy if she never touches one of mine ever again.
But I’ll also admit that I’m human and this weekend it took that extra beat longer to remind myself that these emails were one- two – people’s opinions only.
So to cheer myself up, I’m also posting one other review I received yesterday. This time f
rom
The Romance Reader’s Connection.
It's Amber Wellesley's wedding day and she's about to marry dear,
sweet--safe-- Rafe St. Clair in a church wedding witnessed by family and
friends. Just when the minister asks if anyone objects to the marriage,
someone does.
Guido Corsentino.
Her husband.
A year previously, Amber and Guido had met in Las Vegas and married after
just a few days. Amber was gloriously in love with her handsome Sicilian.
But something went dreadfully wrong. Guido only married her to get her
into his bed, it wasn't a real marriage he said...devastated, Amber ran
back home to England and married the man her social climbing mother had
picked out for her. It hadn't been a real marriage, she thought...but it
had been...and her husband had come to stop a bigamous marriage. And he
wanted Amber back...as his wife...in his bed. Presents fans, you're in for a treat with Kate Walker's April SICILIAN
HUSBAND, BLACKMAILED WIFE. This is one hot and intense read that grabs
your heart on the first page and doesn't let go until The End. Guido
Corsentino is a hero to die for: what can be more delicious and exciting
than a Kate Walker alpha Sicilian hero?! If you're looking for an
emotionally and sensually well-written series romance by a veteran
Presents writer, then SICILIAN HUSBAND, BLACKMAILED WIFE is all that and
more!
4 1/2
Reviewed by Debora Hosey
Lovely – thank you Debora – but again it’s just one person’s opinion. But then Debora is one of the readers I’m writing for. The ones who ‘get’ my work and enjoy it. The way she sees the story shows that. For her the pace wasn't slow but
hot and intense - So what does this prove? Nothing really except for the premise I started out on - a review – good or bad - is just one person’s opinion. But it did make me wonder – there are so many review web sites on the internet now. There’s Romantic Times magazine – Amazon and Barnes & Noble ask readers to review books on their sites. Do you read those reviews? And if you do – do you take notice of them? Would a good review make you want to buy or a bad one make you decide not to? Do you have special reviewers you'd trust - or ones whose opinion you know you'll never, ever agree with?
Because in the end the only person who can really tell you if you’ll like a book or not – is you!
And I'm still wondering just what 'too redundant' means.
Kate Walker's KEPT FOR HER BABY is a story about love, commitment, and the scars deceptions can leave. It is more than a quick read; this tale has depth and emotional connections that are admirable given the brevity of thebook.
