Robyn I love the idea of linked books and have dipped into the St. Piran's Medical Romance series lately as well as your Hunter Pact. I love seeing old, favorite characters popping up again and again and catching up with them. But category romance being what it is, with the short shelf life of books, I think that the books should still be a complete read in themselves. I find it disappointing when certain matters are left hanging unresolved until the next book in the series. Maybe it's just me. It wouldn't put me off a serial though.
I'm very late here, but I'm going to comment anyway. I only started reading medical romances lately Louisa - but I love them! They are very exciting and have a very down to earth touch.
Kate, I think your working titles work! They're great. I picked up one of your backlist titles in a secondhand shop lately (Bedded By The Greek Millionaire) and while I enjoyed the story immensely, I had to practically hide the book around my husband and kids. I really don't like the idea of my four schoolgoing kids seeing me reading a book with a title like that and I know my husband wouldn't either. I hope your publisher lets you use your working titles in future. They're far more sophisticated. I'm due to start THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES SOON and I will read it openly with pride! Looking forward to the next one!
It's not so much the fact that your characters have suffered something horrible. It's the fact that they recovered from it. That's the challenge. It then becomes a story of healing and renewal and not destruction.