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IMO, THIS is one of the better written reviews of Virtually His. The reviewer did an excellent job summing up Book One in the first few paragraphs, something that I* had trouble doing for my proposal, LOL. I should hire her to sum up my other Virtual books!
This is the review that says that Virtually His isn't a romance because there is no romance found inside the pages. I can see where the reviewer is coming from, of course, because there is no direct interaction between Hell and her trainer, and even though Jed DOES appear physically several times, it was more as a tease for Hell while she tries to figure her trainer's identity. In that sense, there's no romance within the book.
But, if one loosely generalizes the parts of a romance as:
1) set up
2) heroine meets hero
3) sexual tension
4) conflict (external and internal)
5) bonding
6) revelation,
I can defend that these elements are present in Virtually His. Granted, they don't exactly "meet" in a physical manner, but hey, there was a romance recently that was written mostly in email form between the protagonist, yes? Sexual tension is always present in a romance but can it be sustained throughout a series? For me, in many books, once the hero and heroine start going at it like horny rabbits, much of the tension afterwards is lost.
As for the romantic conflict, well, for me, and obviously for Hell, is what she is feeling real? That is the main conflict and will still be the real conflict in Book Two. Even after she meets Jed in person, there is this itsy bitsy problem of the sexual trigger. And her accidental bumping into another remote viewer and absorbing his perverted sexual "cache." And the knowledge that she is one independent GEM operative. It's a BIG itsy bitsy problem in a budding romance.
The bonding and revelation. There was a physical get-together. Did you think Jed was just going to be normal about their sexual encounter? Not the first time, surely. Nor the second or the third. He's going to be his manipulative self, always looking for a way out of saying that it is anything but sex. Is the reader going to dislike him? Well, that's the gamble when I chose Jed as the hero to this series. He's not a LIKEABLE fellow. Lickable, yes ;-).
The final revelation isn't "I love you" or "Will you marry me" or any other committed phrase. It's Hell finally finding out, through her remote viewing skill, who her trainer is. Yeah, I could have been more succinct, written in a confrontation. There were different ways to end it but no matter what, it was going to be a cliffhanger anyway. Even if Jed walks enters her apartment in the flesh and says, "I'm Jed and yes, I'm your trainer," and I end there, some readers would still want more.
As it stands, the way I ended it was a writer's decision to make it look like a TV season finale. Sort of Jack Bauer-ish ;-). Because, as you know, I love that TV series (except for Day 6, when I just love parts of it).
Although I really enjoyed this review, I've to disagree with this sentence from the last paragraph: After investing a great deal of time reading this almost 400 page book that sets the stage for the climactic revelation of identity of Hades, the story just stops, and we are left hanging in midair wondering who Hades really is. IMHO, I think that it was quite clearly Jed McNeil who is the monitor. Throughout the book, I took pains in describing the eye color or clothing of every of the commando that was introduced. Flyboy with the blond hair and blue eyes. Armando with his Asian features and cloak. Jed and his silver eyes and those jeans. Heath and his chocolate melty eyes. Diamond and his nakedness ;-). Where the story ended, with Hell seeing silver eyes and blue jeans, well, take a wild guess as to who the hero of the next book is...go on...;-P.
Question: Did you have trouble guessing the monitor's identity? Did you get the clues (or were you too busy drooling over them like Hell, heh heh)? And if you know Jed from the other books, do you agree that he acted consistently?
I want to thank you Romance Reviews Today for reviewing the book and giving me a great blogging entry! In Virtually Hers, less techy, more Jedness!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
I So Wrote A Romance Too!
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9 comments:
As a reader of *all* your books, I think Jed stayed true to his character in Virtually His. Having him act any other way would have been a cop-out, IMO.
I knew it was Jed almost from the beginning. I don't know how. Just a feeling, I guess. So I went through the whole book thinking it was him and he acted just like I would expect him to act.
I think when Hell meets Jed in person for the first time after realizing who he is, it's going to be powerful. I can't wait. Still can't believe we have to wait until December, though. ;)
I agree with Casee. I knew it was Jed nearly from the start, but again, I've read all of your books.
The hints were not too subtle and anyone who actually read the book mostly word for word couldn't have missed them.
Jed was perfecto. Can't wait for the next one!
~Sarah
I didn't read the first two, but I thought you were fairly clear when you had Jed thinking about her on the plane, then he gave out the orders which left him as number nine. When hell saw him go down in the elevator and was told he was number nine, well that was pretty clear to me, I didn't realize I was supposed to wait for Hell to catch up. SO perhaps you can discount the review stating it isn't a romance if the reviewer couldn't even figure out it was Jed either by being number 9 or when she finally explained oh ice blue eyes...
sorry meant first two books :) though they are on my list!
The V series sounds more like an erotic suspense than a romantic one to me. But being Jed, it's erotic in that he's f**king with our minds. You said in your reply to my group post that the publisher has pushed V-Hers back to December! Can we send threarening emails to them? (I guess 6 months is long enough for me to memorize V-His)
I can't wait to read V-Hers but I really, truly want to read both books back to back...maybe I could read V-His V...E...R...Y ____S...L...O...W...L...Y ?
Didn't you also say somewhere that in Book 3, Jed does his Jedi thing and appears to Hell as Stefan? I'm sure you said something like that somewhere.
I love the trilogy already without having read a single word. Way before the book got released, I already told Susan via chat that the Trainer was Jed and gave her the reason why but didn't want to post it. It was more fun to just wait and watch.
I like also that Hell and I share the same name - Elena. I'm going to pretend that you did all this for me...:P
Now, just gotta watch that Butler vid one more time.
Nah, it was pretty clear. The advertisement for the 2nd book in the back helped to, just to clear up and misconceptions!
Like Kim, I realized it was Jed when he was organizing the Germany trip detailing who'd be going, what they'd be doing but he'd let them know later what he'd be doing (Number Nine). I also liked the scene in the elevator between the two of them--he picked her up and moved her out of the way and went on to do what he does best. Finish things. Okay, well not everything he does best!! ;)
Shhh! No spoilers. I can't read V. His until I'm done w/grad school applications. So many schools so bad are my application essays.
Great. Now I wanna read it. I'll have to distract myself somehow. What shall I do? I KNOW! Go out and play with the sailors since it's FLEET WEEK NYC! Woohoo! Hello sailors!
Wonder if I can find some Navy SEALs like Steve or Hawk. Mmm...nice distractions.
Thank you, Casee and Sarah!
I needed confirmation that Jed stayed true to himself throughout the series. As for that certain meeting...Jed has bruises to show for it. ;-)
Hi Kim,
Cool, someone who hadn't read the first few books that featured Jed! And you got the clues! Yay. I feel better now ;-).
Elaine,
I hope you enjoy Jed as much as I enjoy writing him, LOL. And I watched that video again this morning too. Sigh.
Sarah and Leilani,
Okay, that must have been the crucial scene, then, since four of you brought it up. Thanks, I'll have to go reread it.
I wonder what you thought of that scene when Jed "interrupted" Armando and Helen? And did you suspect that Armando knows why Jed was there? ;-)
Hey SQ,
Send me some pictures of Fleet Babes!
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