With all due respect to the reviewer, I don't understand how you can say that Roby is exceptionally gifted. She is one of the worst writers I've ever encountered. Her plots and characters are contrived and completely predictable; she crams her book with useless filler (do we really need to know what a character listens to on her MP3 player, or what the best hair care processes are, when they have NOTHING to do with the plot or anything else?); and her prose is both ungrammatical and clumsy.

It's one thing to write trashy, melodramatic novels. It's another thing altogether to write them and not be able to write effectively or create any tension.

To the previous reviewer.
It's amazing that you know so many details about Ms. Roby's books, you must have read them all. It seems that one with such disdain for her books wouldn't know a thing about "filler" details because you couldn't have read beyond her first book, or did you;)
You must realize that you make yourself look a bit "tarnished & envious" when you take the time and effort to write bitter and unkind words about someone and their works. Your review actually shows that you take time out of YOUR life and you devote it to this writer.

Now, that's pathetic. You have nothing to say to defend Roby's writing, so you attack me as a person, or whatever you believe me to be. As a reader, I'm doing precisely what this comment space is meant to do: comment on the reviews, and what they discuss. I disagree with the reviewer, and have a right to say so. If you have a defense of Roby's writing to offer, then let's see it.

Incidentally, I'm responding to a review of Sin No More, which is Roby's *latest* book. After this many books, why hasn't she learned how to write better than this? In fact, I've read some of her earlier stuff, and it *is* better than this, though not by much.

DC

I thought you could tell from my tone that I am one of the thousands that love Ms. Roby and her writings. I love that she's realistic and compassionate with her characters and the story lines. The details that you deem insignificant only lends to the realism of the story. Why leave them out? Evidently. what she's doing is working just fine...
You should check with the New York Times Bestsellers list, is that Kim's name I see?? By golly it is! Now how did that happen you ask??

It's called talent, blessings and hard work.

Now when you go to get her next book, and you know you will, take the time and enjoy it.
If you don't enjoy it, put it down. See how easy that is??
I wonder, are you a "wanna be writer" or just a hater? Ones like you love to put others down, makes you feel better about your own failings huh?

Try reading a self help book and get some happiness about yourself. Pain and staleness seeps from your words.
Yes, you do have a right to voice your opinion and read what you like. I just saw thru your words that all;)
Try to have a bright day, okay.......

Having a bestseller doesn't mean a book is any good. Bad books sell all the time, often because an author has generated a following among people who like what she writes. That does not make the work any good; it just means people like it.

My remarks aren't about how much Roby sells; it's about the absence of anything resembling tension, poor grammar, and useless details. Why are they useless? Skilled authors include *meaningful* details that create a setting so we know who characters are, at the very least; often, they're trying to set up the reader for an event that's approaching. Roby often does neither. It's just background filler that just lets us know that a piece of music is playing, there's wallpaper on the wall, and people do stuff that people do. That's not realism; that's clutter.

No, I'm not an aspiring writer. I'm a reader who reads a great deal of literature and popular fiction, and hates wasting money or time on bad novels. Is that so hard to imagine?