Comments on: The Joys of City Reading

By: Marion

Marion — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:29:47 +0000

Interestingly Seven dials is now a pretty chi chi bit of London near Covent Garden full of designer shops – and certainly in the 90s (my single girl in London days) a major gay hang out (hmm does that make it more or less like the past?). Always used to make me smile to think about its past….

By: Susan/DC

Susan/DC — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:37:36 +0000

The old TV show about New York was called “Naked City”. It ended with the quote: “There are 8 million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them.”

By: Jean Wan

Jean Wan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:23:42 +0000

Elaine S – I have tried one book by Diane Gaston, and it put me off so much I haven’t dared try her again. But I understand Mysterious Miss M is a cult favourite, so she’ll be staying on my list to look out for.

Virginia DeMarce – Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve gone off the Cynsters, but maybe this will pull me back in.

And for my own personal two cent bias: Go Chicago!

By: Virginia DeMarce

Virginia DeMarce — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:47:44 +0000

“off the top of my head, I can’t think of a (good) Regency romance that gives the reader more than a passing acquaintance with the scenery outside of Mayfair.”

Stephanie Laurens, Where the Heart Leads. The secondary heroine was born in the East End; has worked her way up to owning a millinery shop, but her father still lives there.

By: LinnieGayl

LinnieGayl — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:48:26 +0000

Jean, I love romances in which you really get a feel for the setting, and in particular, big cities. And yes, “New York will never be Chicago,” and it’s the romances that convey the differences of each that really entice me.

By: Danielle D

Danielle D — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:51:26 +0000

LeeB.: “New York will never be Chicago.” Darn straight! Chicago is WAY better.

I Agree!!!!

By: Elaine S

Elaine S — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:32:33 +0000

I can’t think of a (good) Regency romance that gives the reader more than a passing acquaintance with the scenery outside of Mayfair.

Try Diane Gaston’s books. The seamier side of Regency London and demi-repery comes out well in her books.

By: LeeB.

LeeB. — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:43:54 +0000

“New York will never be Chicago.” Darn straight! Chicago is WAY better.

By: JML

JML — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:15:38 +0000

Ah Jean, YOU made me grin!

I was opening a UPS package that had the newest (at that time) In Death book and suddenly I was thinking of a quote from an old tv show where the announcer started each episode with the words “There are a thousand stories in the Naked City…”. I thought then: YES!, Eve has will have at least a thousand stories, lol!

Lisa Kleypas did some historicals too that had the seamier side of London as part of the settings and I found them fascinating. When the main protagonist is not part of the Aristocracy we often get a better view of the city than that limited to Almack’s.