The Princess Is In

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

You Give Love a Bad Name

I have a little sideline as a book reviewer for an online company. It's voluntary... no money exchanging hands... and I'm "paid" in books (as in I keep all the books I review) which is fine by me. The books are often ARC's (Advance Reading Copies) which means I get to ready the book before it is actually published. And many times I am able to discover a wonderful book or author that I otherwise might never have known about. Some books I have liked more than others, some reviews have been easier to write than others, but overall I really have not read/reviewed a book that I truly disliked. Until now.

I just finished one with a plot so wretchedly bad that I have no clue how I am going to write the review. It was a historical romance with a heroine who was a courtesan but had just left the city to start a new life. She is kidnapped by her former "benefactor" as he is obsessed with her. He spirits her away to his remote hunting lodge and begins to engage in forcible sex with her. Imagine my surprise when it dawned on me that this was the "hero" of the novel. Silly me - I was waiting for someone to come save the woman. Now imagine my utter disbelief when, in the span of three week, the "hero" begins to soften, the heroine begins to fall in love with him, and yes, at the end they wind up together. Spare me! The "hero" was nothing more than a felonious, overbearing, self-centered, kidnapping, rapist. And I, as the reader, am supposed to eventually feel empathy for this character and cheer on a happy ending? I don't think so!

Let me say, that I have nothing against historical romances - or the romance genre in general. Many of them are very well written and great reads. But it is trite, no-really-means-yes, regurgitated plots like this one that give romance novels a bad name. Now I'm off to figure out a way to review this book without completely decimating it.

2 Comments:

Blogger Cami said...

Why can't you give your honest opinion?? why does it have to be that you have to turn the other cheeck?
just my opinion and that my friend will by why I'll never get asked to review books! lol

11:38 PM  
Blogger Natty said...

You see if I was any good at writing reviews I would love to get advance copies to read and review. hehe

But I'm not - I've only ever read one advance copy and it was such a thrill.... But since my reviewing skills consist of "oh yeah... that was good..." I think they'll be passing me up for the task. LOL

I've always maintained that I will finish whatever book I start. Well it was going OK until a few books ago and I just could NOT get into it and I had no desire to keep reading it as it was going downhill fast and I never got past chapter 4 - disappointment in the extreme. But I am seriously enjoying my current read - a new author to me and it's actually the first book in a while where I want to get back to it pronto!
Ooh bit of an essay there... :oS

1:41 PM  

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