1) I love how the author slips the exposition in so gracefully. She immerses us in the scene, but still manages to tell us Zara’s occupation, her relationship status, her belief system, and more.
2) Geez! We have a Chekhov’s gun situation! Now, I don’t think Ms. Bowen is going to have Zara shoot anyone, so this is a bit of a violation of the principle. I don’t mind the violation, because this is supposed to be a fun, sexy romance. On the other hand, I love that Zara is tough, but smart enough not to keep the gun loaded.
3) I love how the author makes good use of “stuff,” the actions that happen around the dialogue tags. A writer can give a bartender an awful lot of stuff to do that builds the scene in the reader’s mind. (For example, wiping down the bar.) You can also think of your characters like actors; how many times did we watch Sam Malone cut lemons or put glasses away in between quips?
Check out the author’s web site and read her book!
