Book Notes: December 21, 2022 - Clean Romance

 Welcome back for another round of book reviews, Readers! I hope you find a new book that will spark your interest and keep you reading. I've got a Regency romance and a fairytale retelling to share with you today. And, as usual, there's a writing prompt following. Let's get to it!

Book Review: A Foolish Wager (The Spinsters Guild #4) by Rose Pearson

A Foolish Wager by Rose Pearson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Good Romance

I enjoyed reading this Regency romance about a disabled heroine and a rogue in need of reform. It's a sweet story and I thought the way the plot unfolded was interesting. If you enjoy clean, sweet, Regency romance, then you'd probably like A Foolish Wager.

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One of the things I'd like to point out about Rose Pearson's heroes is that they are all flawed in an unexpected way, at least to my knowledge. But once you've read one of her books, you've read the basic trend in each of them. I have yet to find a truly powerful male character in any of her books. Most often, it is the heroine who carries the day. 

While that's OK, I don't want to see it in every single story. There are some strong males out there who are also not overbearing and they deserve a showing in a story. Some variety would be nice, is basically what I'm saying. 

Her books are well-written and, more often than not, stay within the bounds of the era. I've noticed only a few instances where the characters say or do something anachronistic. That's a plus for me. Add to that the clean nature of the writing, and it's a win. 

Book Review: Free (A Fairy Tale Retelling of Rapunzel) by Kristina J. Jordan

Free - A Fairy Tale Retelling of Rapunzel by Kristina J. Jordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good But...

This was a cute fairytale retelling that was clean and sweet. There were several technical issues, but nothing so bad it kept me from reading. The plot was fun and I appreciated that some of the original story elements remained in this book. If technical issues don't bother you, and you love a clean fairytale retelling, then I recommend you try it.

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I gave this book three stars. When I said there were several technical issues, there were enough to take the star level down to that level. There was also something lacking in the way the book was presented, though I can't pinpoint exactly what that was. It just felt like there could be more to this story. 

I think this novella is intended to introduce a series by this author. So here's the problem. If this book is to present a new series, and it's full of technical errors, and there's something lacking in the writing, then readers are going to assume the rest of the series is the same way. Personally, I have no desire to read the series after reading this novella. 

That's why I take so long to publish, besides the budgeting issue, when I'm working on books. Any short stories are going to be priced lower than the major novels. If a reader has never read any of my work, they'll purchase a cheaper book first. I want that book to be a showcase. I want it to create interest in the reader so they'll want to take a chance on one of the novels. It's worth the time and effort to make certain you give readers your very best work. 

Just Keep Writing: Wednesday Whimsy

If this is your first time participating in this kind of writing exercise, you're in for a treat. If you've done this with me before, just keep scrolling for the prompt.

Rules:

1. You can use any/all of the words and/or the photo in the prompt below to create a unique written work. Fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose, even lyrics are acceptable.  
2. Please keep the material you write clean (ie. nothing R-rated or worse) if you wish to share the link to your work here, as well as if you link back to my site. I strive to keep my site free of such things. My readers know and expect this. I respect your right to write whatever you feel you need to write. And you're free to use my prompts. But if your material is graphic, I'd rather not view it, and most of my readers will not wish to. 
3. Have fun! This type of exercise is perfect for growing in the writing craft, or for helping through a rough patch in your current WIP. If you're looking to push your author limits and you normally write in nonfiction prose, try a whimsical collection of lyrics. If you normally write poems about real life events, try your hand at a fanfic. Give yourself some room to explore.

Don't forget to leave a link to your creation (unless you're writing graphic material) so my readers and I can check out your work. I'd appreciate a link back to this post to help me reach more readers, but it's not required. 

Photo by Jill Wellington

The background photos this week are from Jill Wellington's amazing gallery on Pexels.com. Click here to check it out!

Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to read today's post. Did you see something you think might be interesting or useful? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. 

If you come back again tomorrow, I'll have another three word prompt for you. 

Until next time...
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