Elizabeth Hoyt

Kimberly · Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject: Elizabeth Hoyt

Anyone familiar with this author?

Cheryl AAR · Guest

She's a favorite here at AAR. We've reviewed all four of her books and given them all DIK status (you can search for reviews of her books in the handy-dandy search window at the bottom of this page.)

She also did very well in our latest Annual Reader Poll: http://www.likesbooks.com/2008_2007.html

Have you read any of her books? What is your opinion? ;-)

Schola · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1867

+IHS+

Kimberly, I've read her first three books, also known as the Princes trilogy.

One thing that makes Hoyt immediately stand out is the way she weaves well-known (or made up!) fairytales and legends into her main story. I found it very clever when I first read The Raven Prince. In that novel, the story wasn't a straight parallel of the hero and heroine's relationship--and I remember at least one other user of these boards complained about that--but it was the kind of "intertext exercise" I encountered a lot as an English major; so I enjoy that aspect of her writing very much.

Another plus is that she writes interesting stories aside from the love story. There is a small mystery and intrigue subplot in The Raven Prince, a bigger mystery with Thriller elements in The Leopard Prince, and a revenge/dueling subplot with a surprise twist at the end in The Serpent Prince.

I suppose now is a good time to say something about her sex scenes. They are some of the most graphic I've ever read and I'm surprised that at least two of her books have been rated Hot rather than Burning. Not that I'm complaining too much, but . . . some of the language gives me pause. Embarassed

There were also lots of times during my reading of all three books when I felt I could see Hoyt writing. I'd read a sentence and kind of "hear" her in my head thinking, "Oh, that's a great line! I should leave it in!" That was the first time I ever reacted to an author this way. Authors are usually invisible to me when I read their books, but I could imagine myself in Hoyt's mind during the writing of each chapter. That's just a strange way of putting the fact that I just don't find her prose easy to slide into.

I also generally find her Historicals to be wallpaperish. That doesn't have to be a big deal, of course. Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn often seem wallpaperish to me, too, but I still buy what they write.

I hope this helps you, Kimberly! Very Happy

_________________
"To be in a romance is to be in uncongenial surroundings. To be born into this earth is to be born into uncongenial surroundings, hence to be born into a romance." (G.K. Chesterton)

RichMissTallant · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 148 Location: Washington, DC

Kimberly · Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject:

I haven't read anything of hers yet, but I will now. Thanks for the info!

Also, I am new to forums and I don't understand the shorthand. Is there a list somewhere?

OP?
TSP?

Oh, I almost forgot. . . . is there cheating? long separations? multiple sex partners? I hate to be so old fashioned, but I'm strictly a one on one, male/female girl. HOT sex is fine, though.

RichMissTallant · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 148 Location: Washington, DC

Juliette · Joined: 26 Jan 2008 Posts: 149 Location: Philadelphia Burbs

The Serpent Prince is intense, very hot. I loved it also. And I adored that scene that you mentioned. Come to think of it, I think I woke my husband up that night. Wink

Trish B · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 1110 Location: Mid-Atlantic, USA

I would not recommend you start with her most recent release To Taste Temptation though. To me, the heroine in TTT was a bit hard to warm to and some may not like her at all. I would suggest starting with the Princes trilogy and I'd read them in order starting with the wonderful (my fave) The Raven Prince, then The Leopard Prince and then The Serpent Prince, though they don't need to be read in order.