Writer As Reader and Other Humbling Experiences

I read Dare To Love by Carly Phillips yesterday. I had received a copy in exchange for a review.  I posted my reviews but I also wanted to talk a bit about the book here. I'll sum it up in one simple word. Wow!  Whenever I read something like Dare To Love (or The Other Soldier by Kathy Altman or The Sweet Spot by Laura Drake or Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas) it humbles me since I'm not anywhere near their levels as a writer yet. But, it also makes me want this even more. I want to work harder and learn everything I can so that someday a reader will say that about my writing. I want to make readers laugh and cry and fall in love.

Maybe that's why I get stuck as I am now in the middle of my current ms. My inner critic says I can't possibly be good enough yet to be mentioned in the same breath as any of the above. But, I refuse to give up. I will keep writing until I am good enough!

Here's my review that I posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

I am a Carly Phillips fan. I love her Serendipity series. And if Dare To Love is a taste of what’s to come in her Dare series, count me in! Yes, Dare To Love may be more “graphic” than the Serendipity ones but in no way is it gratuitous sex. Both Ian and Riley are well-drawn, complex characters that you get to know and love just as they learn about each other and fall in love. The conflicts are true to life and grow out of the characters themselves, making the reader root for these two as they try to work through their differences to a happily ever after.

Ian’s past family drama has turned him into a man who has to be in control of every aspect of his life, including the people in it. After growing up with a controlling and abusive father, Riley refuses to give up control of her life to anyone.

The chemistry between the Ian and Riley is explosive from the moment they meet, but sex alone isn’t enough to sustain a lasting, loving relationship. They must resolve their trust and control issues or risk damaging their fledgling relationship beyond repair.

Once I started Dare To Love, I couldn’t put it down. I became so emotionally invested in these characters I had to see what would happen next. And now I can’t wait for the rest of the Dare siblings to get their own stories!