I'm reading a story that is driving me crazy because I believe the author is trying to avoid dialogue tags (e.g., he said) and, by doing so, is making the story difficult to read. For example, the opening sentence/paragraph in a chapter is:
"So, you two are spending the night?" Sue looked over the dining table at Ralph and Debbie.
The "Sue looked over the dining table at Ralph and Debbie" should come before the dialogue. First, you would know who is talking. But also because Sue probably looked at Ralph and Debbie before asking the question.
This isn't a one-off in the story. It is done almost 100% of the time when using action to replace the dialogue tag. For example, a few paragraphs later has:
"I'm afraid Bonnie's right." Gary wanted to intervene before the siblings went at each other's throats. "You should apologize to everyone at this table."
The reader is jolted. Dialogue from a character (Gary) who hadn't been part of the coversation. It should be:
Gary wanted to intervene before the siblings went at each other's throats. "I'm afraid Bonnie's right. You should apologize to everyone at this table."
I hope this post helps at least one author.