Today I woke up early, and it was raining. So I went out and got some pics which was fun. Then I made myself poached eggs on toast and finished reading John LeScoart's The Hunt Club which I totally loved. Then I read Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady which I liked a lot. I did not perhaps love it, but that has more to do with the kind of Romances I love and the kind of Romance this is. As everyone has said, beautiful writing. I can't wait to read more from her. She's a major talent.

I've read some reviews of this book and I have to say that I'm now utterly convinced that some of the big on-line reviewers (I do NOT mean Amazon) are reading so fast they really have no business reviewing. One review of this book took issue with the hero for calling the heroine by demeaning diminutives. Only it wasn't the hero. He never once did that. Not once. In fact, this particular reviewer got so many things wrong there's no way she read this book carefully enough to give a review that should guide anyone.

Since I'm on the subject, I have to rant a bit about the awful cover for The Spymaster's Lady.
First off, the guy is just baring his chest there for no discernible reason. Very dumb. Look closely and let's count off all the things wrong with this cover.

1. Shirt that appears to have buttons (OK, this is a detail the author also got wrong Edited to add: Acutally, Jo Bourne was cool enough to email and let me know she'd written he pulled the shirt over his head, and that she was writing about the kind of shirt that had buttons to about mid-sternum, which totally did exist.). Men's shirts in the Regency did not have buttons down the front.


2. No waistcoat


3. A short jacket. Excuse me? In what time period have men ever worn sissy short jackets like that?


4. A belt. With a buckle. Suspenders, dear Art Department. No belts.


5. His shirt has a collar. Was someone thinking that it would be okay if we thought the shirt had a French collar? Mais non! No collared shirts in the Regency. Not even on the French themselves.


6. No cravat. Instead, there are ruffles on the sides of his inaccurate button front shirt.


7. A mutant belly button.

All of this would be tolerable if the guy didn't look like he should have on blue tights and a big red S on his chest. Sorry. I love Bourne's writing, but boy, she got gypped with the cover art. There's a step back which is actually more accurate in that he's wearing a waistcoat and doesn't look like he's using his x-Ray vision to see under Lois Lane's panties. But if you own this book, look carefully at the hand on the heroine's thighs. He's got six fingers. Eww!!!

If I have time tomorrow, I'll see if I can add a pic of that.

In writing news, I had a great idea about how to add some complexity to The List. Tomorrow I may start writing. I can't put it off much longer anyway.

Labels: Book Covers, reading, The List