Yanno ...

... if you're looking at our blog name in a link, it reads as "Two Old Farts Stalking Romance". Somehow, in a mysterious biological twist, my brain adds another 's'.

Weird, huh? And probably true.

I'm off to find a book I can review. I find I've already reviewed Play and just because you've read a book three times doesn't mean you should review it three times.

Have I reviewed Lord of Scoundrels? I'm rereading it now. Because it was time. And then, even though I've bought beaucoups of sale books, I'm gonna reread Anne Bishop. Specifically the duology The Shadow Queen and Shalador's Lady, because they are a great "underdog comes of age and wins the day" stories. Have I written about them? I love them. Lori will know, I'll ask Lori.

I must start using labels so I'll know what I've done. It might be a case of too little too late, though, lol.

Oh. Bookcovers. One must always provide bookcovers and maybe a link. (Forget the link. Damn Blogger won't let me arrange the bookcovers the way I want to, so I'm pissed. You have all the info though, title and author and they're all over the internet. Happy Hunting!  ;-)

Ranty McRant Rant

So I saw this wonderful pic on FB this morning and it made me smile. But then I saw someone comment, saying "Exactly! They're both sales." and I bled inside.

Books aren't about sales. It's about telling a story and engaging a reader's mind. It's about disappearing from your life and into the world the author created.

Books are about bliss. Not about bucks.

So speaking of this, I just finished Scandal Wears Satin by Loretta Chase. There might have been some not quite stellar reviews of it. Might I suggest one reads the book and not the reviews.

Oh I loved it. I adored the hero, Harry and want one of my own. He was delightful. De-fucking-lightful. Oh my lord, I must must must squee.

Dear Loretta Chase,

I might not be your biggest fan despite my waist size but I want to have your love child, take out your garbage and marry most of your heroes. I want to be your best friend, your barista or bake you cookies.

I love you more than I love chocolate and that's a scary amount. I adored Sophy and her amazing scams, I loved Harry and his not-so-dim but not-very-smart self. I want a man to love me the way Harry loved Sophy and I want a declaration of love in such a wonderful way.

I want Clara's story more than I want to see George Clooney naked.

If you like, I will practice with a rapier until I can cut the heart out of a marauding turkey and then I shall cut the barely beating hearts of your detractors from their wizened chests.

Yours forever,

Lori the Lunatic

Hmm. Hope that didn't sound too fan girlish.

Personal note: I'm working on Book 2 of my Hollywood Heroes series and I realized that I didn't like my heroine. If I don't like her then the reader would hate her.

Delete. Delete. Delete.

Starting over. Gave her a dog too. Heh. Who said truth isn't fiction? Or vice versa?

The Series vs The Single

I'm reading the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn for the first time and they're brilliant. Well, wait... let me restate this. I have read the first three and the second was 100% my favorite, the first was excellent and the third was okay. Today I'm going to start Romancing Mr. Bridgerton which is rumored to be the best.

The thing about series romances is that they can't all have the same story line. The Duke and I was the first and a good read. Good enough that I wanted to read them all. Then came The Viscount Who Loved Me and I was in heaven. It had my favorite trope of all time: two brilliant characters who hate each other, snipe constantly and fall in love.

The third book, An Offer From a Gentleman was a complete and total Cinderella story which was fine but not a trope I adore. The heroine was in such dire straights because of her illegitmate birth that no matter how smart or strong she was, she was always weak because her choices sucked.

So the books are a real see-saw of enjoyment for me. The writing is excellent but the things that make me love a story are definately back and forth. The strong heroine I adore was in books one and two but not three. I have a feeling that book 4 will have another heroine I love.

The heroes are all excellent and the Bridgerton family is one I like. I think that in this case the family adds to the pleasure as does the chapters beginning with comments from a scandal sheet but a part of me wishes for single title romances so I can pick and choose my heroines more carefully.

(Yes, I read and I'm heroine-centric. A great hero means shit to me if the woman isn't one I root for.)

I'm going to start the fourth book next. And after that... well, I don't know. There's a new Loretta Chase series starting. Do I dare?