A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

The one to buy, 19 Sep 2004
I bought this book and Kate Walker's 12 step guide. This one is far better. I have followed a number of its suggestions and feel that my book is much stronger as a result.
It is easy to read and has a lot of advice on avoiding pitfalls.

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

The one to buy, 19 Sep 2004
I bought this book and Kate Walker's 12 step guide. This one is far better. I have followed a number of its suggestions and feel that my book is much stronger as a result.
It is easy to read and has a lot of advice on avoiding pitfalls.

A book that does what it says!, 25 Jun 2003
If you want to learn all the nuts and bolts of writing romance, and you want to know the facts instead of ruffling through pages of flowery prose, this is the book for you.

Kate Walker's book does exactly what it says - it's a straightforward guide. She starts by making you think about why you want to write the book (motivation's as important for an author as it is for a character!!); then takes you through creating your characters and their dialogue, their setting, plot and conflict, viewpoint and love scenes; shows you how to craft a good beginning, middle and end; teaches you how to target and submit your work, reminds you about the 5 Ws (and one H),and even gives you a 12-point plan to help you work our what you need to do for your own book.

Kate really knows her stuff and it shows. This book is very clear, very honest - and has a sense of humour thrown in. For new romance writers, this is one of the best investments you could make in your career.

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

The one to buy, 19 Sep 2004
I bought this book and Kate Walker's 12 step guide. This one is far better. I have followed a number of its suggestions and feel that my book is much stronger as a result.
It is easy to read and has a lot of advice on avoiding pitfalls.

A book that does what it says!, 25 Jun 2003
If you want to learn all the nuts and bolts of writing romance, and you want to know the facts instead of ruffling through pages of flowery prose, this is the book for you.

Kate Walker's book does exactly what it says - it's a straightforward guide. She starts by making you think about why you want to write the book (motivation's as important for an author as it is for a character!!); then takes you through creating your characters and their dialogue, their setting, plot and conflict, viewpoint and love scenes; shows you how to craft a good beginning, middle and end; teaches you how to target and submit your work, reminds you about the 5 Ws (and one H),and even gives you a 12-point plan to help you work our what you need to do for your own book.

Kate really knows her stuff and it shows. This book is very clear, very honest - and has a sense of humour thrown in. For new romance writers, this is one of the best investments you could make in your career.

Excellent read!, 13 Jul 2008
I can thoroughly recommend this book. It's interesting, exciting, funny, gripping and sometimes a little sad. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. It's a brilliant account of the year Marie and her German professor spent in Kinnvika. I just felt like I was there with them. Try it and I hope you enjoy it too!

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

The one to buy, 19 Sep 2004
I bought this book and Kate Walker's 12 step guide. This one is far better. I have followed a number of its suggestions and feel that my book is much stronger as a result.
It is easy to read and has a lot of advice on avoiding pitfalls.

A book that does what it says!, 25 Jun 2003
If you want to learn all the nuts and bolts of writing romance, and you want to know the facts instead of ruffling through pages of flowery prose, this is the book for you.

Kate Walker's book does exactly what it says - it's a straightforward guide. She starts by making you think about why you want to write the book (motivation's as important for an author as it is for a character!!); then takes you through creating your characters and their dialogue, their setting, plot and conflict, viewpoint and love scenes; shows you how to craft a good beginning, middle and end; teaches you how to target and submit your work, reminds you about the 5 Ws (and one H),and even gives you a 12-point plan to help you work our what you need to do for your own book.

Kate really knows her stuff and it shows. This book is very clear, very honest - and has a sense of humour thrown in. For new romance writers, this is one of the best investments you could make in your career.

Excellent read!, 13 Jul 2008
I can thoroughly recommend this book. It's interesting, exciting, funny, gripping and sometimes a little sad. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. It's a brilliant account of the year Marie and her German professor spent in Kinnvika. I just felt like I was there with them. Try it and I hope you enjoy it too!

Excellent guide, 12 Oct 2006
Alison Kent's how to book is a superb guide to writing in the erotic romance genre, but also for writing in general. Easy to read through, and to use as a reference book, the author works through every angle of writing a good book, giving excellent examples of the lessons in practise. The format includes exercises and highlighted information in each section. There are also web links to publishers info. Very easy to get into, and includes entertaining and enlightening information from established authors quoted throughout. Highly recommended, this book is written by a widely published author in the erotic romance field, who not only knows her stuff but delivers it exceptionally well!

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

The one to buy, 19 Sep 2004
I bought this book and Kate Walker's 12 step guide. This one is far better. I have followed a number of its suggestions and feel that my book is much stronger as a result.
It is easy to read and has a lot of advice on avoiding pitfalls.

A book that does what it says!, 25 Jun 2003
If you want to learn all the nuts and bolts of writing romance, and you want to know the facts instead of ruffling through pages of flowery prose, this is the book for you.

Kate Walker's book does exactly what it says - it's a straightforward guide. She starts by making you think about why you want to write the book (motivation's as important for an author as it is for a character!!); then takes you through creating your characters and their dialogue, their setting, plot and conflict, viewpoint and love scenes; shows you how to craft a good beginning, middle and end; teaches you how to target and submit your work, reminds you about the 5 Ws (and one H),and even gives you a 12-point plan to help you work our what you need to do for your own book.

Kate really knows her stuff and it shows. This book is very clear, very honest - and has a sense of humour thrown in. For new romance writers, this is one of the best investments you could make in your career.

Excellent read!, 13 Jul 2008
I can thoroughly recommend this book. It's interesting, exciting, funny, gripping and sometimes a little sad. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. It's a brilliant account of the year Marie and her German professor spent in Kinnvika. I just felt like I was there with them. Try it and I hope you enjoy it too!

Excellent guide, 12 Oct 2006
Alison Kent's how to book is a superb guide to writing in the erotic romance genre, but also for writing in general. Easy to read through, and to use as a reference book, the author works through every angle of writing a good book, giving excellent examples of the lessons in practise. The format includes exercises and highlighted information in each section. There are also web links to publishers info. Very easy to get into, and includes entertaining and enlightening information from established authors quoted throughout. Highly recommended, this book is written by a widely published author in the erotic romance field, who not only knows her stuff but delivers it exceptionally well!

Festive fun and romance, 16 Jun 2007
As far as I'm aware - this is the first time that Mills and Boon have ever done an annual and I hope they make it a yearly occurrence, as this really is a fun book for the Christmas period.

Being Mills and Boon - there are plenty of festive romance stories to get you in the Christmas spirit. There are contemporary stories from Carol Marinelli, Betty Neels and Barbara Hannay; a historical story by Deborah Hale and a red-hot read from Sharon Kendrick. Some are very quick reads and others are longer so there's something for everyone. Although not all Christmas stories - they are all still enjoyable, fun reads.

As well as the stories there are a few recipes, numerous puzzles and games, horoscopes, Christmas craft ideas and plenty of festive features and tips throughout.

And don't be put off if you're imagining an annual to be a large, cumbersome book - this is small and lightweight and although hardback, still compact enough to fit in your bag.

If you enjoy Mills and Boon romances of any sort and love Christmas then this is an ideal purchase for you. It will leave you with a lovely, fuzzy festive feeling. Recommended.

A delicious foodie romance..., 16 Jul 2008
I purchased this book as I adore Italy, I have never been to Venice but it is on my lengthy list! I saw this book and I admit it, I fell in love with the romantic cover! The inside did not disappoint either, Marlena de Blasi creates rich vivid descriptions, conjuring up the smells, tastes and feel of Venice as she writes. Dotted amongst the descriptive text are delicious recipes of Venetian dishes, which I have not tried yet, but plan to.

The earthy sensuality of this novel unravels as you learn the story of an American lady moving to Venice and falling in love with Fernando, a Venetian man she meets. The beautiful thing about this book is the character's ability to take risks....of course some may say this unrealistic, and on one hand I agree, but on the other hand, is that not how we would all love to live our lives? I really fell in love with her in the book and wanted her to fulfil every desire she had, I wanted her to have the wedding dress of her dreams and I wanted her to have exactly want she wanted to eat, relishing in all of the delicious flavours. This book lets you experience her highs and lows and her enthusiasm for life (and love and food!) is quite contagious! I even found myself buying some treats and a good quality Italian vino for dinner 'a deux' after reading this book! If you love this then try Carol Drinkwater's books for a slice of life in the South of France, an equally feel good novel!

Ripe and runny, 16 Dec 2007
"There will be an iced soup of roasted yellow tomatoes adorned with a pair of anise-grilled prawns ... a wedge of Taleggio - ripe, runny - white figs, and meringues from Maggion at the finish. We dine slowly."
If you liked reading that you will like - or even love - this book. It is dreamy and lush, not quite the real world. Hints of reality do occassionally break through,as in her intermittant longings for the grown-up children she left behind in another country to be with "the stranger".
I would compare it to "Bridges of Madison Country", and I must say I loved reading it and was utterly absorbed by it.


Worst Book I've Ever Read, 17 Oct 2007
It is frightening reading this book. The language, the style of writing, her word patterns and her grammar are all utterly appalling. It is drivel. And worse than that, it is monotonous drivel. At one I point I actually thought that if she used one more metaphor I may have to travel to whichever unfortunate town Ms de Blasi lives in and make her eat her book.

This is not a love story, this is an instrument of torture.

You can start to tell a book is really badly written, when all you can hope for the supposed heroine is that she is left crushed and heartbroken by her love affair. Either that or she dies horribly and painfully at the end. Apparently the author is a TV chef and has written food columns and recipe books. Being able to write a cookbook does not give you license to become a novelist. I've written 80,000 words of PhD but I wouldn't dare assume I could automatically churn out fiction. Well, decent fiction at any rate. With that in mind, one hopes that her food is better than her writing or one feels desperately sorry for anyone who's eaten it.

I couldn't finish it. It was talking about my favourite city in the world and I was scared I would end up hating my favourite city because it was describing it so badly. This truly is the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to read and I want that time back.

Taken away, 10 Oct 2007
Each time i picked this book up to continue my read i was transported right back to a wonderful place. I think a book like this is best for those who have been or are going to Venice, because they will have the need to discover the special places of Venice with De Blasi and stumble across them in their future travels. Being a foodie really helps you along the way. Just loved it!! Half through Tuscan Sectrets....just as good if not better

A Brilliant Read!, 12 Jan 2007
This is the most brilliant book, it made me laugh out loud at times, and also brought tears to my eyes. When I read the reviews before I bought it, I was expecting a nice story, something a bit syrupy, but I was very surprised, her writing is really evocative, and if you love Italy, it will make your heart ache to be there. Looking forward to reading her follow-up about Tuscany, which is waiting here on my desk. You will enjoy it!

An essential guide for series romance authors, 01 May 2008
Kate Walker's 2nd Edition of her highly regarded (and now completely sold out) 12 Point Guide has now been published. It is not a reprint but a vastly expanded and updated guide. Time has not stood still in the field of series romance writing and neither has this book. New features include an approximately 50 page section on author's tips. A wide variety of authors currently writing for different series within the Harlequin Mills & Boon family give thier take on the writing process. Many of these authors credit Kate and the first edition of this book with giving them inspiration and help with their own writing process. I know that she certainly helped me.
Anyone seeking to learn more about writing series romance, or indeed commercial fiction would do well to read this book. Kate Walker offers practical and easily understood advice for any writer seeking to improve their knowledge of craft and to work more effectively with their own unique talent.

Excellent Guide to Writing Romance, 04 Dec 2005
Kate Walker's guide is concise, detailed and practical. Each chapter has exercises to help the would-be author develop their own Romance story.
If you want to write category Romance, then this book is an excellent tool to be used before you write and during the actual writing process.

The only ýHow to Write a Romanceý guide youýll ever need, 17 Jul 2004
If you're serious about writing a romance novel, let me recommend Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. This book has it all: thought provoking lessons, engaging questions, and helpful writing assignments. I've read at least a dozen other "how to write a romance" guides and none of them are as complete or easy to understand as Ms. Walker's. This guide has something for everyone whether you're a beginner or a best selling author. It does a fantastic job of teaching you new concepts and making you rethink old ones. It's truly the last and only "How to Write a Romance Novel" guide you'll ever need. And I'm sure it will be the standard in "how to guides" for romance writers for many years to come. Thanks, Ms. Walker, for giving the romance community such a wonderful and helpful book.

Buy It!, 21 Jun 2004
As an aspiring romance writer, Kate Walker sent me this book. It's a very useful tool for unpacking mistakes in your own writing - given by a woman who's phenomenally successful in her chosen genre. I am now a multi 'accepted' author, Natasha Oakley, with Mills and Boon myself. What more can I say?

A Master class in romance writing, 28 May 2004
Kate Walker has done it again! She has produced a guide to romance writing that has surpassed her previous excellent effort. The book is an outgrowth of her expertise at leading workshops and guiding aspiriing Romance writers of all ages towards the goal of publication. As well, Kate draws on her expeince of writing over 43 books for Mills and Boon. Anyone who seeks to achieve that goal or who simply wants to improve their craft of romance writing would do well to buy this book.
Not only does Kate explain each of her 12 topics from emotion to the believeable happy ever after ending with a great deal of depth and clarity, she also provides lists of discussion questions to get you thinking about your novel and exercises to help improve your writing.
She explains the hows and whys of conflict, the importance of sensuality and passion as well the need to keep asking why. She even has a section that deals with coping with editor or agent generated revisions. If you are serious about romance writing, this book should be on your shelves.

The one to buy, 19 Sep 2004
I bought this book and Kate Walker's 12 step guide. This one is far better. I have followed a number of its suggestions and feel that my book is much stronger as a result.
It is easy to read and has a lot of advice on avoiding pitfalls.

A book that does what it says!, 25 Jun 2003
If you want to learn all the nuts and bolts of writing romance, and you want to know the facts instead of ruffling through pages of flowery prose, this is the book for you.

Kate Walker's book does exactly what it says - it's a straightforward guide. She starts by making you think about why you want to write the book (motivation's as important for an author as it is for a character!!); then takes you through creating your characters and their dialogue, their setting, plot and conflict, viewpoint and love scenes; shows you how to craft a good beginning, middle and end; teaches you how to target and submit your work, reminds you about the 5 Ws (and one H),and even gives you a 12-point plan to help you work our what you need to do for your own book.

Kate really knows her stuff and it shows. This book is very clear, very honest - and has a sense of humour thrown in. For new romance writers, this is one of the best investments you could make in your career.

Excellent read!, 13 Jul 2008
I can thoroughly recommend this book. It's interesting, exciting, funny, gripping and sometimes a little sad. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end. It's a brilliant account of the year Marie and her German professor spent in Kinnvika. I just felt like I was there with them. Try it and I hope you enjoy it too!

Excellent guide, 12 Oct 2006
Alison Kent's how to book is a superb guide to writing in the erotic romance genre, but also for writing in general. Easy to read through, and to use as a reference book, the author works through every angle of writing a good book, giving excellent examples of the lessons in practise. The format includes exercises and highlighted information in each section. There are also web links to publishers info. Very easy to get into, and includes entertaining and enlightening information from established authors quoted throughout. Highly recommended, this book is written by a widely published author in the erotic romance field, who not only knows her stuff but delivers it exceptionally well!

Festive fun and romance, 16 Jun 2007
As far as I'm aware - this is the first time that Mills and Boon have ever done an annual and I hope they make it a yearly occurrence, as this really is a fun book for the Christmas period.

Being Mills and Boon - there are plenty of festive romance stories to get you in the Christmas spirit. There are contemporary stories from Carol Marinelli, Betty Neels and Barbara Hannay; a historical story by Deborah Hale and a red-hot read from Sharon Kendrick. Some are very quick reads and others are longer so there's something for everyone. Although not all Christmas stories - they are all still enjoyable, fun reads.

As well as the stories there are a few recipes, numerous puzzles and games, horoscopes, Christmas craft ideas and plenty of festive features and tips throughout.

And don't be put off if you're imagining an annual to be a large, cumbersome book - this is small and lightweight and although hardback, still compact enough to fit in your bag.

If you enjoy Mills and Boon romances of any sort and love Christmas then this is an ideal purchase for you. It will leave you with a lovely, fuzzy festive feeling. Recommended.

Inspirational, 06 Jun 2006
This is a wonderful resource for anyone who would like to write a letter to someone they love. Lovric draws on many sources to create a book that is both interesting and useful - there are different categories of love letter as well as the history of love letter writing. It's a great book to just read - there are so many great poems and quotes.

Great Book!, 30 Mar 2005
It's definitely not a boring book. It's full of interesting facts and wonderful artwork. There are so many things to think about and so many ideas for writing your love letters, even the first timer will have no problems writing an amazing love letter.

L.A. Hunter - Romance Expert, author of Romeo's Playbook and founder of RomeosPlaybook.com