Romance / Erotica
Plot: Shriver's romantic novel By the Way... has a compelling plot that mixes the discomforts of coping with a traumatic event with the excitement of falling in love. The first-person narration is powerful as the protagonist whirls through varying intense emotions, taking the reader on a swift journey of lust, horses, cowboys, and good ol' Texan fun.
Character/Execution: Andi is a distinctive character with broad-ranging emotions. The side characters are pleasant and well-written, including those that are seen only briefly, such as Andi's farm help. P. G. Shriver also knows how to write a charming horse, and does a great job of having the author connect with the animals portrayed in the story.
Plot: Love in Another Time is a touching decades-spanning, multigenerational romance with an alluring family mystery element.
Prose: Dudley's prose is often lovely, particularly in her descriptions of place. Poetic moments frequently appear throughout. Dialogue is sometimes used for expository purposes, which can interfere with the spell otherwise cast.
Originality: Dudley creates a unique structure, particularly for a romance novel. She capably connects the distant past to more recent events, and readers will be deeply moved by these connections.
Character/Execution: Ellie and Sara are equally strong and sympathetic characters, while their respective loves are somewhat less vivid. Dudley's portrayal of Sardinia is a love letter in and of itself.
Plot/Idea: Though less an intimate romance and more of an intriguing look at a journalist's career as he travels to locales like New Delhi, Nairobi, and Paris, this novel is most engaging when it focuses on the reporting aspect of the story.
Prose: Eisenbraun brings each locale to life with superb detail, making tense scenes just as vivid as strolls along the Champs Élysées. However, the switches between first and third person can feel jarring and unnecessary.
Originality: Danger and Romance in Foreign Lands reads almost like a journalist's autobiographical account. From an encounter with deadly water buffalo to a champagne-filled evening in Paris, this is in some ways a unique take on the road novel.
Character Development/Execution: As a romance, the novel hinges on the central love story between Scott and Rakhi. Unfortunately, their relationship isn't given enough space in the novel to develop, and Eisenbraun's decision to leave their painful interactions unresolved may disappoint readers. Scott himself feels oddly passive at times, staying neutral in his personal thoughts, even when it comes to the tense political events he is covering.
Plot: The Power of Passion is a romantic drama that explores the obstacles faced by couples when they meet with familial disapproval and dysfunction.
Prose: Despite the moving circumstances explored throughout The Power of Passion, the tone of the writing comes across as somewhat of a mismatch. The dialogue and prose strike an oddly formal note that results in a degree of stiffness throughout.
Originality: Overall, this is an original story that approaches the topic of mixed-race relationships.
Character/Execution: The characters are active participants in the narrative, but they are somewhat underdeveloped and deserving of greater internal exploration.
