Georgette sort of made it work, however, with the hero from These Old Shades. He is very obviously patterned on the villain in her earlier book, The Black Moth. She changed names, but kept the backstory almost intact for the Duke of Avon and several other characters. For me, that worked.

Susan/DC: When, in one of the early Essex sisters books, Eloisa James had Josie, the youngest sister, say that she wasn’t interested in the Earl of Mayne because he was “too old for her”, I knew this meant that James would pair them off and said so in one of my posts here.Then, of course, she did pair them in a later book.That was a definite foreshadowing of a later event, even if it was supposedly an off-hand remark in the middle of a more wide-ranging conversation.

You know, I sort of thought the same thing, but then I thought yeah he is too old so I was a little surprised and a little not.

Ducky: I like the kind of foreshadowing where I will know only in retrospect that it was foreshadowing of something important about a character. For example: In Joanna Bourne’s Spymaster’s Lady an important spoiler about the heroine is foreshadowed in subtle clues long before the reveal. On re-reading the book it was fun for me to see all the little foreshadowing easter eggs that I missed the first time around.Unfortunately in general a lot of foreshadowing inromances is clumsy and about as subtle as a sledge hammer.

You know that is fun too. Because once you know to look for them after the fact, you are so impressed by the author’s plotting.

Still I don’t mind when it is obvious

Unfortunately in general a lot of foreshadowing in romances is clumsy and about as subtle as a sledge hammer.

willaful: Lora Leigh’s foreshadowing always falls flat for me. She sets up interesting situations that lead to me to expect interesting stuff that never happens. Plus, she retcons a lot.Linda Howard is another one that comes to mind, though perhaps foreshadowing isn’t the right word. But her heroes, introduced in other books, generally undergo personality changes when they get their own books.Brockmann has always worked for me. It’s agony, but enjoyable agony.

While I don’t read Lora Leigh – I know what you are talking about. There are several authors that create a great hook but just don’t deliver. And I haven’t been able to figure out why. Is it my expectations? Do I read too much into a simple scenario?

Linda Howard is another one that comes to mind, though perhaps foreshadowing isn’t the right word. But her heroes, introduced in other books, generally undergo personality changes when they get their own books.

Brockmann has always worked for me. It’s agony, but enjoyable agony.

ell: Your post brings to mind a couple of things.
First is Suzanne Brockman’s spending literally years teasing her readers about Max and Gina. For me, that went on way, way too long, before she finally got to their story. Of course, I might have felt more forgiving about the whole thing if their story had been ( a lot ) better. I think authors can only carry the tease along so far before it stops being suspenseful and just becomes obnoxious.The second thing is this….if the author is going to use a character as a villain in one book, she can’t turn around and use the same character as the hero of another book without some serious foreshadowning of change, or growth, or something. Anthing else feels like cheating….

What an excellent point. I love it when authors can make that switch because it is such a great example of character growth. However so many authors think that all they need to do is have the hero/heroine have an epiphany and we as reader will accept the completely new characterization without a qualm.

Like Maggie, I don’t want to belabor Dark of Night but Dave’s change from a nerd to having SEAL like capabilities was very jarring.

One example that worked for me was the transformation of Leopold Dautry, the Duke of Villiers (Eloisa James). The long illness and the fact that he faced death several times made it believable.

And completely agree about the tease. Unless the writer is facing serious writer’s block then it shouldn’t go on for years. And if she is facing writer’s block, then don’t bring up the character over and over whetting the reader’s appetite. I quit Nalini Singh and that was one of the reason’s why.

I get tired of author’s introducing a teenager as a love interest and they saying oh, they have to grow up. But then I am not a patient person (grin)