AAR

[Islandgirl2]

I have to say sometimes certain books no matter how well spoken about just don't do anything for me. Nothing new I know this happens to many.

Recently read The Portrait and I have to say I just was not spellbound by this one. I get tired of the cliche "Mad" artist. Normal people are fantastic artists too....

Also didn't enjoy the philosopher/intellectual moments of hero in his "state". For me took too much time and I didn't find it charming or endearing but aggravating and just many arguments to be made that go no where. Just my feelings on this one sadly I thought the start was really unique and was looking forward to a favorite but then it lost me and it was just ok.

Same with Nine Rules To Break with Romancing a Rake. Liked it but it just was familiar so to speak. It felt like I've read it 20 other times under different character names. Maybe that's just my own fault because it's hard after years of romance reading I find that I tend to search out stories that are really rare. Virgin Maidens with the sophisticated/jaded hero just isn't doing it for me anymore.

Anyway just wanted to share my recent readings that left me so so. But as always for every book you don't fall for I manage to find one I do.
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Romance my favorite reading pastime.

[Salaisuus]

I know just what you mean.

I really like humor in my romance but prefer to have an example of the humor quoted for me so I can decide if it is funny to me. I do NOT like Jennifer Crusie (apologies to her, she is a favorite of everyone, it seems) and I feel like I should. LOL. Everyone raves about how hilarious her books are, and I've read like 5, and I did not like any of them. I did not find them funny. I was just bored and many of the characters annoyed me in each book.

I have been wondering lately if there are books that introverts prefer and books that extraverts prefer, and if perhaps that is one of the no doubt very many differences that people bring to the table when they are deciding what they like and why.

[Eliza]

I'm in a similar place, I think, but even more with language than only particular story motifs. Angsty, drawn-out emotional quagmires just aren't for me right now either. Which means some books others are loving aren't working for me. Sigh...

I'm in a romance slump right now (could you tell?), especially for books that some may enjoy as lush, lavish or elaborate but that hit me currently as excessive, over-written, or just too much. I love language but it seems what I need right now is straight-forward, crisp, clear, clean writing with characters I can really like.

So I've moved away, for now anyway, from the historicals I usually prefer, to light contemporary romances. But change can be good too, right? I'm grateful I could find any romances I can enjoy.

[xina]

I started feeling this way about a year ago. I've been rereading favorites, and it's been fun. I'm currently on a Michelle Jerott glom...Absolute Trouble was fun a second time around. Now reading..A Great Catch. fun book, unusual setting. I wasn't much of a rereader before, now that's pretty much all I do. Although, I'm thinking of reading that Karen Rose book that was just reviewed. Something new! It's been a long time.
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"As you wish"
~The Princess Bride

[Beth W]

For a while, I kept reading Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books because everyone loved them and I kept thinking I'd have to find one I found more than just OK. After a half dozen or so I finally gave up.

I also don't care for Jennifer Crusie. I couldn't even finish Welcome to Temptation which is on a lot of "best" lists.

[MissRubyJones]

Wonderful thread

I had the same reaction, Island Girl, to one of Judith Ivory's books, "The Indiscretion." The book gets so much hype, and when I finally got to read it, it was such a let-down. I think it could be because so much of the book is sex; while I'm a big fan of the well-written, story-appropriate love scene, sex for the sake of sex just gets on my nerves, and that's what 90% of the scenes in that book felt like for me.

Another book that gets a lot of love that fell flat for me was Loretta Chase's "Lord of Scandal." It wasn't an unpleasant read for me, but it was nowhere near what I expected, considering all the raves I'd read about it. I didn't like it nearly as well as I thought I would.

And almost every Linda Howard book I've ever read was less than what I expected.

[Natalie]

I'm pretty much avoiding any Regency set book unless it's from a reliable author (i.e. Mary Balogh) or the reviews make it look interesting. Way too many cliches in that setting (and many of them are not even historically true). I'm about to do the same with Victorians and late Georgians (that was actually a fascinating period but the authors often make it sound like another Regency).

Speaking of Balogh, her latest (The Proposal) is exactly the book that didn't do much for me. Another one is A Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas.

[graceC]

[Monika]

I didnt like any of Mary balogh's stuff and I usually am a great fan of Kreslet cole but her Wicked deeds on a winter night book fell flat for me...

[MissRubyJones]

[stl_reader]

This is how I feel about the "Immortals After Dark" series. A lot of people swear by it, but I've tried three and just don't care for the characters or the voice. (However, I did like the one other non-IAD Kressley Cole book I read, If You Deceive.)

[MissRubyJones]

[Pan's Wife]

I was trapped on a long plane flight with Sherry Thomas' Almost A Husband. I know it got mostly very good reviews, but I could not stand the heroine. This is the book that made me buy a Kindle so I would never again be stranded with one book to read.

[PatW]

[Natalie]

I was never a big fan of the old school romance so I guess my tastes haven't changed that much. I still like Patricia Gaffney or vintage Mary Jo Putney, for example. In fact, I find many of my favorites from the '90s to be superior to what I'm reading these days