Comments on: Review: Jacob, by Jacquelyn Frank

By: Margie

Margie — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:21:18 +0000

You made an interesting point about people not getting upset when paranormal worldbuilding completely destroys/distorts traditional religious morals or myths. I would guess that most people who read paranormal do so in part to experience the creativity and imagination of a new world without letting it threaten their views about reality.

Also, there’s a good chance that the kinds of people who objected to Harry Potter probably have other bigger problems with Romances in general (at least the ones with explicit sex scenes).

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:12:24 +0000

Janine wrote:

That is very interesting that you had a hard time getting into the “Alpha and Omega” novella. I think I read it six times!

Ok, now I've got to try it again. Jill Sorenson wrote:

I couldn’t get into Alpha and Omega either. Borrowed it from the library, too!

If you are interested in giving it another try, we could do it at the same time. I might need support! Nicola O. wrote:

I think Cade is still my favorite KC hero.

That was my favorite boo in the series, too.

By: Nicola O.

Nicola O. — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:14:04 +0000

Jacob was a DNF for me — not that it was so incredibly awful, I just kind of… put it down, and never got around to picking it up again.

I did like Demon King, particularly the heroine, but I think Cade is still my favorite KC hero.

By: Jill Sorenson

Jill Sorenson — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:15:09 +0000

I couldn’t get into Alpha and Omega either. Borrowed it from the library, too! I’ve been thinking about trying the Mercy T series but I’m not that interested in UF. I feel very uncool, like I’m too set in my ways for this young whippersnapper genre.

By: Angela Cameron

Angela Cameron — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 02:47:54 +0000

“I am so glad I am not a romance author, because I am sure that writing the sex scenes in a non-cliched, yet non-jarring way is one of the hardest things in the world to do.”

I’m finding that the best thing is to just keep things simple. Let the characters do what they do. I think that too many people push it to happen in the stories.

By: jillyfae

jillyfae — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:39:46 +0000

As a fellow Briggs fan girl of silly proportions, I feel the need to convert everyone into reading her stuff. (Sorry in advance.)

Maybe you’d like her paranormal/urban fantasies better if you started with Moon Called and the rest of the Mercy Thompson series rather than Anna and Charles? Though, they’re not really romance… hmmm. Hob’s Bargain is a good fantasy with romance in it, and no series, so it’s a quick read.

And a random thank you to your commentators that I’ve been meaning to read Shana Abe for ages, and keep not managing it…

By: Heloise

Heloise — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:58:16 +0000

Thank you, Jessica, for relieving my lingering feelings of guilt over not having read Jacob. I started this series with Gideon and never really liked the characters of Isabella and Jacob (although you aptly point out this is most likely due to the ‘Boring-old-couple-popping-in’ syndrome.) I enjoyed the rest of the series but didn’t love it like I love chocolate Lindt balls.

I third/fourth or whatever the Shana Abe recommendation. And while I’m a Briggs fan girl of silly proportions, I did not love Cry Wolf. Too high of expectations?

By: Janine

Janine — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:22:24 +0000

@Jessica. That is very interesting that you had a hard time getting into the “Alpha and Omega” novella. I think I read it six times! That hardly ever happens to me. You might like Cry Wolf better of the two; the hero faces some big moral dilemmas there.

I hope you enjoy the Shana Abe. I love that she uses Georgian England as her setting, and the her writing is gorgeous. The characters (heroines as well as heroes) have an interesting ruthlessness to them.

By: carolyn jean

carolyn jean — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:23:05 +0000

I am so into the idea of that post! I’ll look forward to it.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:46:48 +0000

carolyn jean wrote:

Oooh,you’re starting with Demon King! That should be interesting!

No, no, I have read and enjoyed all the other Coles except for the ghost one.

You say,
“It’s nice that Jacob occasionally wonders whether their attraction is genuine, but nothing much comes of this.”
I am constantly finding these things in paranormals and other romances, really meaty, or make it slightly meaty ethical/philosophical musings, and then they sort of fade away. I always get kind of excited about them though.

Actually, I have been so vexed by this issue in my reading that I have already begun a draft post “The paranormal romance author’s guide to free will and related metaphysical muddles.” The free will part is easy, but I need time to go through the various books and find good examples.