Talk of the Ton: Eloisa James, Julia London, Rebecca Hagan Lee, Jacqueline Navin

I am normally quite careful when book shopping to check the 'new release' shelves for reissues. Publishers have a sneaky habit of reissuing older books in new packaging--and they often catch the unwary.

Today, that would be me.

Talk of the Ton is a reissue of a 2005 anthology. To be fair, I KNEW I had read an anthology by that name before with a very different cover. But I was in a hurry and merely glanced at the copyright page, missed the fact that there were 2 copyright dates. I only saw 2009.

The good news is that this is an excellent anthology by Regency romance authors who were just coming into their own back in 2005. And these novellas and short stories are a great deal lighter than some of the more involved historical romances. Eloisa James normally writes historicals that are extremely moving--but are often ones that must be read with tissues close at hand . Her contribution is one of the lightest pieces of writing by her that I've ever read--and just as wonderful as the rest of her stories. In fact, it sets the tone for the general lightheartedness of this collection.

For those who haven't read it and may still be unfamiliar with a few of the authors, it is an excellent choice. For those who have read it, but not recently, it is worth a revist. Even if that revist is unintentional.

Lady Betrayed by Nicole Byrd

Is it light hearted or merely shallow? Not all romances have tortured heroes or heroines in the style of the Bronte sisters, but should they have no real concerns at all? It seems like many authors make the mistake of making their characters a little too shallow and unconcerned. Without angst, they throw plot hurdles at their beleaguered characters and end up with a book not worth reading.

That's what happened to Ms. Byrd in Lady Betrayed. The writing isn't bad, but there is absolutely no depth to either main character. They are not fully realized, are not emotional, are not--well--interesting. The plot, itself, strains credulity as well. Sure, it's a frivilous piece of writing, but it lacks the charm and wit of other light-hearted romance writers.

It's nice to read a story where the characters aren't broken people in need of some serious therapy, but we as readers still have to believe in the reality of those characters. They have to be compelling. Or it won't matter what happens in the plot because we won't care what happens to the characters.