(May) 2.5* How do you break up with an author? I have read everything Janet Chapman has published, I think. I liked some more than others, and there are a couple of non-magical ones I truly loved (The Seductive Imposter is one of my all time favorite contemporary romances). Her Midnight Bay books were a step down from her Pine Creek Highlanders, and the Spellbound Falls are another step down. She creates heros I’ve enjoyed, but her heroines for the most part leave something to be desired (whiney, annoying, confused and confusing and just not people I enjoy spending time with, for the most part). Some have been great (like Winter in Only With A Highlander), but lately they seem to be just..not. Her stories are also getting harder to follow. I’m not sure if her writing style has changed, or maybe I’ve just become more aware – but she has a few, let’s call them habits, which drive me nuts! Rather than letting the reader enjoy a scene that matters to the book, she will jump ahead many hours or even days and then do an info dump to tell us what happened, what was said, etc. – usually when the scene is important to the book and we’d like to see it happen! She also describes dialogue in three ways – her characters “growl” – in the average page of dialogue, there are at least 3-4 times someone “growls” a comment, a response, etc. Even a 2 year old baby is described as growling. The only growling that makes sense in this book is when the cats (who needed much more explanation – they were an important part of the story, but there was no real backstory about them and their gifts)do it. If a character does not growl, they will snort, or drawl.
I realize this is not really a review as much as a…well, not a rant, really, but a long, drawn out complaint. I really don’t look forward to reading her books (and the next one – no reason for it to exist, no reason for this couple to star in a book)…but how do I just give up? I’ve stopped reading series before, but not consciously – I just seem to forget about them! But these books have just become less enjoyable – but I’m afraid if I give up I’ll miss something!
A few comments about this book – as per usual, the hero, Nicholas, is fine – hunky magical time traveler, all good. But the book is all over the place – there are two really disturbing scene at the beginning w/Julia’s dad that are never followed up on (until later when we find out more about dad – after the fact). Younger brother is portrayed as an abusive jerk – until he’s not. Julia is shown to be meek and mild – until w/no experience and for no reason she’s hired to be the resort event planner, even though she wants a job that is much more appropriate for her. There are hints of backstory for both Julia and Nicholas but those are never followed up on either. And when we finally get more information about Nicholas – I read it and went “huh?” because I really had no idea what the author was telling us, and what I did understand came out of left field – did Nicholas know who his father was all along? Do we know why he was abandoned? This book could have been pretty good! Finally, Julia’s issue w/sex made no sense and seemed to disappear pretty quickly (ok, so “help yourself” if you need to – big deal!!).
So…for now I think the break up will happen. If she goes back to writing non magic contemporaries – really, her Logger and Sinclair Brothers books were really, really good (!), I’ll be back (and who knows – I might cave and skim the next one!).