Love in a Pawn Shop is a romance. Pretty straightforward for me. She owns a pawn shop, he's a cop who thinks she's shady. I've never said it was a mystery. I've never said it was "clean" or "sweet" or had no sex in it.
But, one reader's review mentioned some mystery elements, which sent Amazon's algorithms into a stupor and I think the book suddenly got shown to mystery readers. And out of the blue, comments got a bit strange for me.
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| A KINDLE EXCLUSIVE |
Here's a taste of the wide range of comments this book has received:
"This storyline was immediately gripping and funny at the same time. Well fleshed out characters and stories were greatly appreciated! I've been reading a lot of fluff lately so the depth of this book was a welcome surprise. It was a little too erotic for me, but I was hooked on the whole story by then so I just skipped over the sexy stuff! The ending was worth it!"
"Loved this story! Full of friendships, family and love and it shows people overcoming hardships. Leaves you feeling hopeful and couldn’t we all use a little more of that?" (I seriously loved this last bit-- hopeful--yes, please.) Here's where the mystery elements came into play:
"A Terrific Romance and self-revealing mystery..."(followed by a full synopsis of the plot)
The next two reviews were from readers of mystery books I think:
"and had a good mystery element Cute little read. Moved really fast, and had a good mystery element."
"Typical cozy mystery/romance This was an interesting book with lots of weird action. I could have done without the graphic oral sex pages. The book didn't need it. There were a lot of unpleasant suspicions that I had a difficult time understanding why they were written in. A mindless read if that is what you are looking for." (AKA escapism - works for me!)
Not to confuse even more, but I applied to advertise this book on BookBub which is a fabulous site for readers that sends out ads curated to tastes. I wanted it to go into Romance...but they decided it would fit into Chick Lit. I assume that's because of the cover. It's not a kissing couple, but a woman on the way out the door. (Did I mention that's my dog on the cover?)
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So...you know...I've given up trying to define this book. Most of the 36 reviews on Love in a Pawn Shop are complimentary (really, they are) and even the ones where the reader didn't like the sexy stuff! Because...they finished the book and felt strongly enough that they made their comments.
And now for the good stuff: it's FREE today and tomorrow (Apr 4/5)! I'd love for you to give this one a read and share your thoughts. Because I don't have a clue what you'll think of it.
If you haven't seen the details on this month's Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt you can check out all the information, including how to enter, on the "Giveaway" Tab at the top of the blog page.
Because I'm a rebel (according to our own Nancy Fraser) I have an egg on display...but, naturally, it's a bit different. For mine, just tell us what KIND of egg it is...no worries about the colour. (Yes, I'm also kind of bratty.)
You can check for the egg here:
Your dog is such a good boy, posing for a book cover!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, judging by the cover and book name, it looks like a clean romance-cozy mystery. I'll read it and leave a review for you to decipher! Thank you!
Beau was a real sweetheart. He’s ready to play here, the way he always was. He lived a long and happy life...not always possible for pit bulls. I still miss him. Thanks for noticing, Iris.
DeleteI'm so sorry! I'm sure Beau is happy wherever he is. Dogs are angels on Earth!!
DeleteOoh I was just noting how cute that dog is and then I hear that's YOUR dog? :D Yayyy!! What's his name? ^-^
ReplyDeleteLOL@the mystery reviews. xDThe Pawn Shop + picture of dog on cover does look like a cozy mystery indeed. Nevertheless, it has the word LOVE in the title. HELLO... this is definitely going to be a Romance. :P
Lavender, thanks so much. His name was Beau (meaning handsome one) and he lived a long, happy life. There's a bit more about him in the back of the book.
DeleteWell, it appears your book has everything. And it looks like a book I'll love especially since your dog is on the cover model. I think you have a celebrity in the family. Another one for the kindle, for sure. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteUsing some of Beau's behaviours was lots of fun. Since writing this, I've included lots of dogs in my books. And more than Pit Bull is based on Beau. :)
DeleteIt's funny about reviews. I have a story about people trapped in an earthquake. One reviewer commented that it was too dramatic. Um, trapped in the rubble of an earthquake... did you expect a rom-com??
ReplyDeleteI think reader's expectations have changed regarding cover art...if there's sex in the book, the cover must be blatant. But I love this cover and it's staying. Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Kari.
DeleteJust goes to show how reviews are just one reader's opinion. Of course they are positive. You're a great writer. A lot of the time it's about reader expectation.
ReplyDeleteJust downloaded Love In Pawn Shop. Can't wait to start reading it!
ReplyDeletecrossnstitch2 at aol dot com
Thank you Karen! Much appreciated. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI read this book last fall, reviewed it, and gave it the 5 stars it deserved. Get it and read it. You'll like it.
ReplyDeleteAww...shucks
DeleteI've been pretty lucky with my reviews. Although, I did get my first 1-star review for being too sexy. You know what I did? I made a graphic with the review, a link to my book, put it up as a Facebook post and boosted it! It got a ton of hits and drove interest for weeks. Sometimes, it's just about finding the right audience for your story.
ReplyDeleteI love this suggestion, Satin. I’ll use it!
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ReplyDelete