Lara Hays

So much potential! I have been looking for a clean adventure romance and this was all those things, it just fell very short of it's potential. I really like the idea and the plot. Having just read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, I found it reminiscent of that style. It started off really well but I found the characters one dimensional as the story went on and wished that they were flushed out a bit more to be believable. The 'romance' is shallow and I literally rolled my eyes when I read "He was a pirate and I was his plunder." I got tired of her fickle swooning. The conversations were written as if I were reading a modern relationship conversation not a one from the 1800s. I would have loved to see the author make conversations fit the period, and show me the relationship unfolding instead of telling me the heroine's immature thoughts. I've read reviews that the second book is better and I might be tempted to see if she has grown in her writing practice. I do adore the cover art and style. It's part of what sold me on the book.… (mehr)

I feel like I watched the author growing in her skill with every word. While I loved the premise of Book 1, Oceanswept, I found it to be lacking the quality and hook to get me to follow up with Undertow on my own. I checked out the reviews for Undertow and saw nearly 5 stars from every reviewer. This is where my interest piqued.

This was quite different from the reviews I was reading on Oceanswept, which was slow but good and felt like a first work. I decided to give Lara a second chance and I was not disappointed. What growth in her writing style!

The pace, character depth, plot and wide variety of scenes in Undertow showed her significant improvement in writing from that which was in the first book.

I was actually so hooked this time that I was left bereft by the last scene. I was desperate to know what would be happening next. I checked out her author website and signed up for the first 3 chapters of Rebel Tide, the third book in the series.

Also, can we just talk about how dreamy that cover art is?
Her opening scene in Rebel Tide was like a sucker punch to the gut. When I finished those chapters, I inquired about book promotions and early releases. Undertow was that good and the opening to Rebel Tide was that good.

Hays proves you can have great, gut-wrenching romance without superficial/cheesy smut.

I give Undertow 4 stars because I believe Hays still has much potential as an author and will grow as writer. I'm waiting to give 5 stars to her best work. I will be first in line for Rebel Tide and look forward to more works from Lara Hays.… (mehr)