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Ash
Joined: 11 Jul 2011
Posts: 160
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 Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:01 pm Post subject: A Night Like This- Julia Quinn (spoilers) |
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Julia Quinn is one of my favourite authors but this book fell a little flat for me.
The romance was somewhat lackluster. The time the H/h spent together may have constituted a basis for friendship but not in my opinion for love. There conversations are fluffy and without substance and when they finally do have meaningful conversations it is after they have already fallen in love.
The book also seemed a touch unrealistic. the hero is an Earl, and while aristocrats and governesses frequently end up together in romance land there is at least some sort internal monologue or struggle over the wisdom of such a decision or the possible ramifications. In this book the H didn't ponder over this for half a second neither did his mother or sister. What I found equally astounding is how accepting everyone was of the heroines somewhat scandalous past which the hero pretty much broadcasted to all and sundry while attempting to organize a rescue attempt towards the end of the story.
The book did have a few cute scenes and charming dialogues, just not enough to save the book. My personal grade:C+
What did you guys thing of it?? |
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Kayne
Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 783
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| Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: A Night Like This- Julia Quinn (spoilers) |
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| Ash wrote: | Julia Quinn is one of my favourite authors but this book fell a little flat for me.
The book did have a few cute scenes and charming dialogues, just not enough to save the book. My personal grade:C+
What did you guys thing of it?? |
I agree with you. It felt like it was simply background for the next book. The h and H were nice enough but the story felt bland. Also, there were events that happened in the prologue as well as a footpad attack (or was it?) that I didn't think were resolved (but maybe I missed something?) and I wonder if we will hear more about these in Hugh's story. |
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Ash
Joined: 11 Jul 2011
Posts: 160
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:55 am Post subject: Re: A Night Like This- Julia Quinn (spoilers) |
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| Kayne wrote: | | Also, there were events that happened in the prologue as well as a footpad attack (or was it?) that I didn't think were resolved (but maybe I missed something?) and I wonder if we will hear more about these in Hugh's story. |
I completely forgot about that but you'r right there were some loose ends left towards the end of the book. Despite my disappointment with this book I'm looking forward to reading Hugh's story. |
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JudyZ6666
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2012 7:20 am Post subject: Re: A Night Like This- Julia Quinn (spoilers) |
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| Kayne wrote: | | Ash wrote: | Julia Quinn is one of my favourite authors but this book fell a little flat for me.
The book did have a few cute scenes and charming dialogues, just not enough to save the book. My personal grade:C+
What did you guys thing of it?? |
I agree with you. It felt like it was simply background for the next book. The h and H were nice enough but the story felt bland. Also, there were events that happened in the prologue as well as a footpad attack (or was it?) that I didn't think were resolved (but maybe I missed something?) and I wonder if we will hear more about these in Hugh's story. |
I think the footpad attack was as Dumbledore says: Sometimes a mouth organ is simply a mouth organ. As is a mustache.  It created suspicion, but it was just a footpad attack. A distraction.
What in the prologue did you feel was not resolved?
The book was OK. I liked the H & h, but everyone else's comments are pretty much right on. I look forward to the next book, but this seemed more like a Back to the Future 2 to me--a bridge to the next book.
OK, enough of the references. Need more coffee. My brain is apparently darting all over the place this morning.
Judy |
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Lizzie
Joined: 12 May 2010
Posts: 53
Location: Northeast Georgia
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| Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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I just finished reading this book. What a chore! I have always loved Ms. Quinn's books, but somewhere along the way she has lost me.
I don't enjoy reading page after page of cutesy dialogue among children. The couple were insipid and not very interesting at all.
Just a big bore from beginning to end. Sorry,Ms. Quinn you have lost this reader.
The reviewer gave it a B. I give it a D.
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Eliza
Joined: 21 Aug 2011
Posts: 713
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| Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | ...I have always loved Ms. Quinn's books, but somewhere along the way she has lost me.... Sorry,Ms. Quinn you have lost this reader. |
Me too. |
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Ashlene
Joined: 15 Jan 2012
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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| I have also given up on Julia, I was disappointed in 'Just like heaven' and now again with 'A night like this'. They aren't terrible books but something is definitely missing that used to be in Julia's stories. |
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Judyblueeyes
Joined: 06 Aug 2012
Posts: 163
Location: Great Lakes
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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I am still waiting for this eBook from the library, now I think when it comes I will be hard pressed to download it  but I think sometimes authors hit them out of the park and sometimes they foul out so she is intitled to a few misses. or maybe not everything is for everyone.
Has anyone watched any of her interview on Youtube? I did a while back and she will always be one of my favorite authors because I think she might a very nice person and that is a huge in my book. |
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JudyZ6666
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Judyblueeyes wrote: | | I am still waiting for this eBook from the library, now I think when it comes I will be hard pressed to download it but I think sometimes authors hit them out of the park and sometimes they foul out so she is intitled to a few misses. or maybe not everything is for everyone. |
Oh, please read it! It was a nice book, and much better than average. I just wish I'd gotten it from the library instead of buying it. That's my dividing line. Stephanie Plum and Sookie Stackhouse come from the library, too, in my world. I read quickly, so there aren't DNF's, for the most part. There are just "I wish I hadn't paid $7.99."
Enjoy.
Judy |
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Judyblueeyes
Joined: 06 Aug 2012
Posts: 163
Location: Great Lakes
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:42 am Post subject: |
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| JudyZ6666 wrote: |
Oh, please read it! It was a nice book, and much better than average. I just wish I'd gotten it from the library instead of buying it. That's my dividing line. Stephanie Plum and Sookie Stackhouse come from the library, too, in my world. I read quickly, so there aren't DNF's, for the most part. There are just "I wish I hadn't paid $7.99."
Enjoy.
Judy |
Thats good to know, I will read it when my number comes up. I am like you I use the library a lot! It makes me be patient, the only down side is when my number comes up for multiple books, I go from having nothing to read one day to 4 the next and who gets to be first. 
I am so glad to know that even a less than perfect Julia Quinn is worth the read, I think her and Julie Garwood can write humor that makes me smile and sometimes almost laugh out loud. But all I have seen is poo poo for both their new books. |
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JudyZ6666
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Judyblueeyes wrote: |
Thats good to know, I will read it when my number comes up. I am like you I use the library a lot! It makes me be patient, the only down side is when my number comes up for multiple books, I go from having nothing to read one day to 4 the next and who gets to be first.
I am so glad to know that even a less than perfect Julia Quinn is worth the read, I think her and Julie Garwood can write humor that makes me smile and sometimes almost laugh out loud. But all I have seen is poo poo for both their new books. |
Sometimes, I think that expectations cause us to judge authors harshly. That's not to say that good authors don't go into a slump--I am fully on the "Tom Clancy's and Diana Gabaldon's editors needed to beat them in about 1997" bandwagon. But, overall, I find that, for the most part, my favorite authors' books are still better than the average publication.
I remember watching "Forrest Gump" with my husband. We are both educated people who love movies. His parents RAVED about it and told us we "had" to watch it. I swear, we both sat there when it was done and said, "Was that all?" A case of far too much build-up. I've had a couple of books that that happened to over the years (I still have bad feelings about "Secret Life of Bees" <g>), and I now think that, the more a book is billed as "You've GOT to read this," the further it has to go to be merely average in my brain. I think the same holds true for beloved authors. You want their next book to be...beloved.
I had to watch "Forrest Gump" again for a literary criticism class in grad school. In a theater room, full screen. I told my husband, "Oh no! I have to watch that stupid movie again."
I loved it the second time when I had absolutely no expectations and just sat there and watched it in the full-theater experience.
Judy |
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erhea13
Joined: 01 Nov 2008
Posts: 114
Location: So Cal
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:56 am Post subject: |
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My biggest problem with this book is that I read and enjoyed Just Like Heaven. I felt that the first book set up so many avenues and family dynamics that could have and should have been explored.
One being the relationship between Daniel and his family and his return. I don't know about others but if I had been away for three years it would have taken a bit more adjustment than Daniel's "Hi I just popped in at the party and found my sister and best friend getting married and by the way I will just pop over to aunties to pursue and marry the random pretty girl without spending too much time with the ones whose lives I caused to almost come to a standstill three years ago."
Also, because I really liked Honoria and Marcus I felt they got short shrift in both their book and this one. I wanted to see how they are faring in their new adjustment period and I felt they deserved something more from Daniel than a hallway brawl and half-assed approval.
Quinn seemed to only be able to adress one character's baggage adequately and she chose Anne's. While I enjoyed the book, I probably would have enjoyed it more had I not already read and loved the characters from it's predecessor.
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"I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal." - Jane Austen
"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." - Jane Austen |
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JudyZ6666
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 192
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| erhea13 wrote: |
Also, because I really liked Honoria and Marcus I felt they got short shrift in both their book and this one. I wanted to see how they are faring in their new adjustment period and I felt they deserved something more from Daniel than a hallway brawl and half-assed approval.
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Yes, the big thing that I was disappointed in was that, while we know that Daniel went to see Marcus, it's just mentioned in passing. I kind of thought that we'd be a bug on the wall for that conversation.
Judy |
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MEK
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 223
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| Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| JudyZ6666 wrote: |
and I now think that, the more a book is billed as "You've GOT to read this," the further it has to go to be merely average in my brain. I think the same holds true for beloved authors. You want their next book to be...beloved.
Judy |
I just had to give a nod to JudyZ's comment here. I often expect too much from a book the first time around, and get a much better feel for it the second reading, or perhaps the third! Once I'm able to calm down a bit about expectations and not have to wonder where the book is going, I can appreciate it for what it is. |
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