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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sometimes You've Just Got To Read A Romance

Some people scoff at reading romances.  I don't.  Did you know that the majority of women who buy romances have college degrees?  Yep.  And romances account for a large chunk of book purchases.  I can attest to this.  I regularly stock our Romance section at our store, and sometimes women are swarming the aisles, grabbing not just one book, but multiple books.  Sometimes I will put a new release out, and ten minutes later, standing at our cashwrap, a woman will come up and buy that book.  Romance readers pay attention to favorite authors, what they've got coming out, and when.  They are very loyal to an author, and are always open to trying another author that is new to them.  


In saying that, I do like to read romances.  I don't read nearly as many as I did in my teens and twenties.  I guess finding a lovely man and being happy in my relationship has slowed down my need to know that even fictional characters fall in love and have a happy ending!    I have my own romance, thank you.


I did read a fun little romance recently.  It appears to be a holiday romance, but it really isn't.  It's called
Dating Mr. December by Phillipa Ashley.  It's about Emma and Will.  Emma has fled London after being fired from her job, and losing her boyfriend to her boss.  She ends up working in a small town in the Lake District of England.  She organizes a "nude" calendar of the local rescue team to help them raise funds for a new building.  Enter Will.  He's not only on the rescue team, but is a local businessman who has a chain of outdoor gear stores.  He's also heart stoppingly gorgeous and is not happy he's attracted to Emma.  He's Mr. December in the calendar.  Can they find love together?  


This was a fun romance.  There are some fairly  hot sections, so if you like your romances with a chaste kiss, this isn't for you.  The naughty bits are typical romance reads, and not super explicit.  Both Emma and Will are characters that are fully developed, and likeable.  I read on the back cover that this has been filmed as a movie for Lifetime Television called Twelve Men of Christmas.  I'm looking forward to watching the movie, to see how closely it follows the book.  My beef with the cover is that Emma has dark hair, not blonde.  Oh, that really irritates me!  Get the look of the heroine right, will you?!


If you want to start off the holiday season with something light, yet entertaining, pick this book up.  The author has another book out in June 2011 entitled Wish You Were Here.  

4 comments :

  1. Hi there - it's my launch day and I want to thank you for the review of my US debut novel. Really thrilled you enjoyed it!

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  2. I'm lucky enough to have a copy of the UK version of this book called Decent Exposure and it's definitely a keeper! As is Phillipa's next release Wish You Were Here - so good I had to buy my mum a copy!

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  3. I'm another UK reader who enjoyed the book under its title here ('Decent Exposure'). It's warm, witty, fast-paced, with a sassy heroione and a to-die-for hero. What more could you wish for in a romance?
    Curiously, the UK edition also has a blonde on the cover - evidently the marketers believe that brunettes don't sell books!

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Decent-Exposure-Little-Black-Dress/dp/0755334612

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  4. Phillipa: Thank you for visiting my blog! I can't wait to read your next novel. Will is hot hot hot!

    Rachel & Rosy: Thanks for your comments. I am definitely going to staff recommend this title at work, and I'm sure our female customers will gobble it up!

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