Fantastic review for Lover’s Knot

[erastes]

ETA: I should have pointed out that this review is EDITOR'S CHOICE, which is pretty damned huge for this magazine.

This is a screenshot from The Historical Novel Society’s review magazine. “Very highly recommended” they say.

What’s great about the review (click on the image to see a larger, readable version) is that it doesn’t bellow “OMG it’s a gay historical” as if that was the most important part about it.  In fact it hardly mentions that it’s gay at all, or at least not as being anything to scare the horses, it just simply emphasises that it’s beautifully written.

I’m so HAPPY for Don for this review, not only for himself because the book deserves the attention (and praise) but because of the good it does the genre as a whole.

THANK YOU, Historical Novel Society, for opening your arms to gay historicals and simply absorbing them into the historical genre with not even a ripple on the water.  I wish more writers groups were so sensible.  I'll add that the Romantic Novelists Association ALSO do this—they aren’t all fainting in coils at the gay either.

Perhaps it’s because both the HNS and the RNA are British?  Something to think on, perhaps.

Comments

[mylodon.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Well done to Don. Spiffing!

[joannesopercook.livejournal.com]

Totally wonderful review, very well deserved and kudos to the Historical Novel Society.

[londonronnie.livejournal.com]

Great review (congrats to Donald!), and a very encouraging attitude on the part of the HNS.

'Lover's Knot' just happens to be on the top of my TBR pile. I'm itching to get to it now!

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I think it's great the way the HNS treat the novels as any other historical novel - as they should, of course! And Don's review is excellent. Editor's choice is really something :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes - I should have emphasized that - that they only choose ONE book per era (i think) to sum up the best in the releases per quarter - so that's a bloody great achievement.

Hopefully it will encourage ALL gay historical authors to send their books to the HNS - they do ebooks now on their website which is excellent.

random commenter

[rowanda380.livejournal.com]

congrats!

[tiggothy.livejournal.com]

Don't start it late at night. I couldn't put it down (and not just for the obvious reason of it being really good)

[readingthepast.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Pleased to see the discussion here - from my viewpoint as editor for the HNS magazine, I'd certainly be happy to see more gay historicals submitted. This goes for the online magazine as well (which is handled by one of my colleagues). I was pleased that Running Press decided to submit this one as well as others covered in the past. The Editors' Choice books are the most highly recommended titles from each issue, regardless of the era, though it usually works out that they're spread throughout the time periods. (Incidentally, the reviewer and I are both American! :)

Re: random commenter

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you for commenting! I was also thrilled with my own review received last year. I shall post this comment today, because I'd like the other authors in the genre to see it - not enough of them submit to either the magazine or the online source and they NEED TO!

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Was the other reason your bath in superglue?