General Thoughts on Some Current Reads

Today I don’t have a proper review ready, but I do have things to say about the books I’ve been reading, so you get four mini-reviews for the price of one.

***** 

Claiming the Duchess by Sherry Thomas

Romance has the bad habit of using prequel novellas as samples, which usually backfires because novellas aren’t easy to write and they end up working as samples of bad writing. But I like Ms. Thomas’ books, so I was more than happy to read this prequel novella.

I really liked most of it, but the short length really hurt the story, because at its core there’s an act of deception and betrayal that needed more than one paragraph for the climax and ending to be satisfying and to do justice to a heroine that deserved much better. On top of that, the novella (or short story) ends around the 50% mark and the rest is promotional material, so having the book unexpectedly end when you think there’s still half of it to go, doesn’t make for the best reading experience.

On the other hand, it’s a lovely story with a subtle, quiet romance, and I think it’s worth reading despite its subpar ending. Also, it’s free and very short, so it doesn’t demand a huge investment.

Grade: 3
Purchase: Amazon

*****

Live by Mary Ann Rivers


I really liked Ms. Rivers’ debut novellas, and having followed her on Twitter since before I knew she was a writer, I was excited to read her first full-length novel.

I want to comment on a few elements:

First, this is the start of a small town Contemporary Romance series. I’ve made my thoughts on those series clear before, so when I delved into this book I was equal parts hopeful and worried. Fortunately, it turned out to be the type of book I like: strong secondary characters that play important parts in the book; quirky background characters that aren’t entirely obnoxious, but still manage to infuse the story with what I guess is the small-town trademark (frankly, I could do without these, but at this point they are unavoidable); and a lovely romance that, much like its couple, was quiet but intense.

Second, Ms. Rivers has a very distinct, embellished voice. It is the type of voice that has cero subtlety and it seems to be constantly drawing attention to itself, as if the book wouldn’t want you to forget that this is someone telling you a story. The third person point of view tones down the intensity, and, in my opinion, it’s a better fit for Ms. Rivers’ style, but it can be distracting.

And third, there’s the caregiver element that at this point is a clear fixture of Ms. Rivers’ books. The heroine’s sister is a careless daredevil, so is no surprise that she had an accident. Our heroine struggles with the (apparently) conflicting needs of having to take care of her sister and putting herself first for once in her life. This situation causes conflict for everyone, and it’s at the expense of this secondary character. The only reason why it isn’t entirely dehumanizing is because the sister has a strong personality and presence, so it is difficult to reduce her to a plot device even though the narrative kept throwing clichés at her (caregiving as a selfless act of sacrifice, disabled or injured characters portrayed as constantly angry and frustrated, etc.).

The romance is fabulous, though, and the romantic conflict was interesting and felt real, so although my overall feelings are mixed, I had a great time reading the book.

Grade: 3.5
Purchase: Amazon

*****

Laugh by Mary Ann Rivers

I debated whether to talk about this one or not, because I DNF’d it early on, but since I’ve already mentioned the problematic and repetitive caregiver theme in Ms. Rivers’ books, I wanted to mention that whereas this aspect gave me much to think about when I read Live, encountering again in Laugh made me hit an impossible wall.

Early on in the novel the heroine’s best friends is diagnosed with cancer, and although strong and supportive female friendship seems to be an undercurrent of the story, the cancer diagnose is immediately used as an excuse for the heroine to call the hero so that he can offer comfort, thus giving them a convenient reason to be together.

As I said, I didn’t read past that part, so I don’t know how the subplot develops, but if the way the story introduces the subject is by using it as a convenient plot device that doesn’t even involve the character with cancer, then it’s difficult for me not to be wary of what’s to come. Maybe once I find some distance I’ll be able to finish the book, but right now I don’t know if I want to continue the series.

Grade: DNF
Purchase: Amazon

*****

 It Happened One Wedding by Julie James

What I love about Ms. James’ books is that they are filled with successful women that are usually more powerful and rich that their respective heroes. This book is no exception, and it has tons of great dialogue and banter, including a fabulous meet-cute. The problem is that at this point I feel like I’m reading the same book over and over. Her heroines and heroes have great qualities, yes, but they are always the same great qualities. I honestly can’t tell them apart, and that’s a problem. It’s hard to think of a book as memorable when you know that next year you will get one just like it. Unless Wilkin’s book comes next (it won’t, but a girl can dream) I’ll probably be taking a break from the series.

Grade: 3
Purchase: Amazon