An Apology To Silhouette Bombshell
I admit I was skeptical. A few years back at an RWA conference the editors of Silhouette starting talking about a line devoted to kick-ass heroines that did not promise a HEA and did not revolve around a romance. My basic reaction was: are they kidding? It sounded as if the line would amount to book after book of the save-the-world variety. The idea didn’t do much for me. So, I avoided the line (childish, I know). Then about a year ago, I read one. Then another. Over the last year I’ve read quite a few.
Here is the admission: I was wrong. The editors at Silhouette were right. The line has gotten better and better. The heroines are fresh. The plot lines are new and varied. The covers are eye-catching and the writing is strong.
My most recent Bombshell read was The Spy with The Silver Lining by Wendy Rosnau. Loved it. I reviewed it for PBR. The heroine is, as you may have guessed, a spy. Her skill is seduction. She’s been around. She’s complex. She’s conflicted. Again, I loved it.
For those who shy away from category romance but who love romantic adventure, pick one or two of these books up and try them. They may not have whatever “category feel” has kept you away. They are worth a try. Here are some other good ones:
-an accounting heroine in Stephanie Feagan’s Pink Series (the most recent is Run For The Money)
-the Medusa series by Cindy Dees (most recent is The Medusa Game)
-a medical thriller in Olivia Gates’ Radical Cure
Wonder if I’ll have to apologize for scoffing at the new Epic/Everlasting line at some point in the future. Hard to imagine, but I guess it’s possible.
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May 30th, 2006 at 8:23 am
I thought Bombshell was a great thing too, until I had to wade dozens and dozens of titles to find half a dozen good ones.
May 30th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
Evelyn Vaughn has some great titles too:
A.K.A. Goddess
Contact (one of my favorite books of last year)
Something Wicked
There’s another one but I can’t remember the name just now.
May 30th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
Ditto what May said. I’ve read a good number of Bombshells. I once had them sent to me every month. I’d only recommend a half dozen or so. Stef Feagan’s and Evelyn Vaughn’s are included in those.
May 30th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
The Orchid Hunter by Sandra K. Moore is my favorite Bombshell, although Urban Legend by Erica Orloff is a very, very, very close second. Overall, I’ve found the line to be a bit of a disappointment as a whole, though. Admittedly, my HEA Junkie-ness and my hero-centricity may be a factor there.
May 30th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
I gotta say that the ones I’ve read lately have been really good. Sure, there are always going to be those you don’t like as much or whatever, but on the whole I think the line is starting to hit its stride with some really solid writing and interesting plot lines. I agree on The Orchid Hunter and forgot about about Evelyn Vaughn’s books - those are all very good. There are others, but these are a great start.
Shannon - the absence of a promised HEA is a problem for me, too. That’s one of the reasons I thought Silhouette was making a mistake with the line. If you want to try one that’s different, has a strong hero and includes a romance, try The Spy With The Silver Lining.
May 30th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
I enjoyed the Rachel Caine duo: Devils Bargain and Devil’s Due. DD was slightly better for me in that things were spelled out better and there was more romance, but I enjoyed both of them.
May 31st, 2006 at 4:28 pm
I just finished Cindy Dee’s The Medusa Project and have the other two Medusa titles waiting in the wings. I enjoyed it for what it was, although I missed the romance element and thought the book as a whole read more like a play-by-play account of a military mission without any of the internal character development you normally find in romance or even female-written and female-audience-intended books. Not that I didn’t like the heroine, just that what I found out about her seemed limited to fairly surface-level details rather. Same thing with the romance. Almost like it was thrown in there as an afterthought, not because of any true romance between the two characters. No biggie. The book still read quickly for me.
And on HK’s recommendation, I’m waiting for The Spy With the Silver Lining to arrive from Barnes and Noble. I love kick-ass heroines in general, so I’m always game for a good version. Even so, there have been a couple I’ve picked up only to be disappointed. Like HK said, it’s bound to be hit or miss with any series line. Nature of the beast.
December 7th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
I’m Kortny,
from UAE,
and I’m 16 y.o
Hi, Girl and Boy
I’ve studied English sinse this Summer .
It’s very difficult for Me! Really hard!
I want like to meet peple and practisice My English with them.
Thanks!!!