Early reports

[jmc_bks]

I've seen a couple of early reviews of Don't Look Down, the new release from Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer, that are not very enthusiastic. Check out Candy's review for SBTB, which is the best review I've seen. I've also read a few threads on romance message boards complaining about the book. I have to wonder: are the elements that readers have disliked a result of the fact that the book is a collaboration and necessarily must accomodate two writer-voices? Are readers approaching the book expecting a normal Crusie book (which this appears to not be)? I'm not a Crusie fangirl and can admit that there are books that she has written that don't work for me (Fast Women, Charlie All Night, Faking It), so maybe this one will be added to that list. If the books turns out to be not-so-good in my opinion, the world won't end -- and I'll post a review saying what didn't work for me. I'm just speculating and wondering, and wishing my copy would arrive so I can decide for myself if the Crusie-Mayer collaboration was successful.

Comments

[sarahf.livejournal.com]

Well, I think it goes with the "Romantic Adventure" side of the house. One problem I have with a lot of romantic suspense (and I really only read Brockmann) is that in order for the suspense to work, the book happens in four days, but in order for the romance to work, it has to take longer, unless they have a back history. So I'm sure this is going to be the problem for the Crusie/Mayer book, too.

I actually own it (and the double cover is really cool!) but I gave it to my mother to read first, because I have to much work to do right now to even think about starting it.

Adventure/suspense

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I wondered if the adventure/suspense might be part of the problem. I have mixed feelings about romantic suspense for the same reason you wrote above, although I keep reading different authors hoping to find RS that works for me. The Brockmann books that I like best are the two with heroes and heroines who have some sort of history together, even if that history is not romantic, because at least they have some sort of knowledge of each other and aren't total strangers at the outset of the book. (My two SB favorites are Forever Blue and Over the Edge.)

LOL

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not a Crusie fangirl and can admit that there are books that she has written that don't work for me (Fast Women, Charlie All Night, Faking It) LOL, I'd agree with that list, too. I just left a message at SB and mentioned that I hadn't enjoyed Crusie since WTT. Didn't care for Bet Me, either :-(