The Earl Claims His Wife - How about Claiming an Editor?

I have been trying to post weekly, but it’s been a while since I have been able. My first job called and I had to answer! I did manage to keep reading romance during this time though; it seems to be one of the only things that can mellow me out after a long day...


Novel - The Earl Claims His Wife
Author - Cathy Maxwell
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-135099-3

This book started out horribly. Interestingly enough it wasn't the plot that was horrible, but the writing. No one should be allowed to write and have published: "the fire that had burned between them quickly caught fire." Even if the fire had burned in the past, how does a fire catch fire? That question pretty much sums up how the book went for me – I will admit that there were some moments when I really enjoyed reading it. I wanted the Earl to claim his wife, and he does “claim” her in an interesting manner…riding in on a horse and such. But there was so much describing and telling instead of showing that I was bored in most places. I kept thinking that Ms. Maxwell was being lazy with her writing. Her laziness angered me because I usually like how she writes. In truth, I was more angered by the fact that I spent $7.99 on it! I wanted better quality writing from her. I expected it and was disappointed.

The story had me thinking that Ms. Maxwell had to be pressed for time, or maybe she had writer's block. For instance, in one scene, Ms. Maxwell explains, "Alice, the shyer of sisters, nodded." That’s it. The reader hadn't met Alice before this moment, so of course we need to know that she is shy in order to envision her response. But Ms. Maxwell doesn't tell us how she nodded. She only tells us that she is shy leaving us to imagine how she would have reacted. Nothing in the statement tells us how she responded. So why not something along the lines of 'Alice nodded uncomfortably. She had always been the shyer of the two girls'? Maybe my way phrasing isn't better writing, and certainly more verbose, but at least the reader isn’t left hanging imagining how she Alice would have nodded.

Sadly, the only part that I found redeeming was the end – in part because it was the end, but mostly because it was touching. The characters, of course, reveal their love for one another. Thank God! The Earl was a real dunder-head and all his character seemed to talk about was the fact that his wife didn't trust him. When, in fact, it seemed he was just as untrusting! There was a lot of misunderstanding when they probably could have just talked it out. Annoying.

In sum, this book is not one of her better efforts. Read it if you like. And, if you like I would be willing to sell it to you and then I can recoup a portion of my costs…

Happy Reading,
FindingAlpha