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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
medium-paced
You know what? I loved this. I ATE it up. When people describe romance novels as “bodice rippers,” this is what I picture. Interesting plot? Check, damsel in distress? Check, steamy sex scenes? Yes, absolutely.
Obviously what the protagonist endured was horrible, but it tied well into the existing storyline for the series and made sense given who her captor was. It’s a fantasy. Her trauma was healed by true love, It’s not that serious.
Obviously what the protagonist endured was horrible, but it tied well into the existing storyline for the series and made sense given who her captor was. It’s a fantasy. Her trauma was healed by true love, It’s not that serious.
medium-paced
Again, not a bad book. It felt very similar to the first, so if you liked that you would probably like this. But for me, the things I wasn’t particularly fond of but let slide in the first, dragged on me even more here.
First was the whole everyone in the clan, especially the women, are irrevocably angry toward our female protagonist for basically no good reason. These clans are portrayed as terrible places- an unflinching angry mob with no sympathy- and yet the men in charge who let these things happen are the heros? And then these sympathetic women basically just have to live in some capacity with those people? Nah thanks. The books would have been much more satisfying for me if these clansmen had true arcs. It halfheartedly tried to make the Montgomery clan better at the end of the first, but I didn’t buy it. These books want to give you that happily ever after, but I just can’t believe that given where they have to live. It’s definitely glossed over. The themes also lean slightly in the direction of ‘finding the place where you belong’ which makes it even more weird.
Second, even though I read them both over the course of single days, the books felt pretty long. I don’t really have a firm grasp as to why, but if I had to guess maybe all the little plot points that felt a lil insignificant and didn’t add anything super meaningful or move the overall story forward enough. I had kind of similar feelings about [b:Beyond the Highland Mist|743599|Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1)|Karen Marie Moning|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348924088l/743599._SY75_.jpg|21900569], but to lesser extent here. I’m pretty sure it’s a structure problem for me.
Third, and this is specific to this book, was how our rape victim was characterized. I don’t think it was necessarily bad but I also don’t think it was handled especially well or accurately. Our protagonist was raped, abused, and held captive FOR A WHOLE YEAR. And then within the next weeks? months? after she is ‘freed’ (but actually not really) she is able to just fully trust and fall in bed with basically a stranger who wields the same amount of power as her abuser. That just didn’t sit super well. It was hard to believe. Making her storyline so severe was maybe not the smartest choice, because it has to handled with even more care.
So... yeah. I don’t think these were particularly bad, but... I’ve read better and expected more from these storylines that deal with important issues. I wanted more care for the topics of deafness and trauma. I gave this a shot hoping it would improve upon the first, and it didn’t, so I can’t see myself picking up the next when it comes out.
First was the whole everyone in the clan, especially the women, are irrevocably angry toward our female protagonist for basically no good reason. These clans are portrayed as terrible places- an unflinching angry mob with no sympathy- and yet the men in charge who let these things happen are the heros? And then these sympathetic women basically just have to live in some capacity with those people? Nah thanks. The books would have been much more satisfying for me if these clansmen had true arcs. It halfheartedly tried to make the Montgomery clan better at the end of the first, but I didn’t buy it. These books want to give you that happily ever after, but I just can’t believe that given where they have to live. It’s definitely glossed over. The themes also lean slightly in the direction of ‘finding the place where you belong’ which makes it even more weird.
Second, even though I read them both over the course of single days, the books felt pretty long. I don’t really have a firm grasp as to why, but if I had to guess maybe all the little plot points that felt a lil insignificant and didn’t add anything super meaningful or move the overall story forward enough. I had kind of similar feelings about [b:Beyond the Highland Mist|743599|Beyond the Highland Mist (Highlander, #1)|Karen Marie Moning|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348924088l/743599._SY75_.jpg|21900569], but to lesser extent here. I’m pretty sure it’s a structure problem for me.
Third, and this is specific to this book, was how our rape victim was characterized. I don’t think it was necessarily bad but I also don’t think it was handled especially well or accurately. Our protagonist was raped, abused, and held captive FOR A WHOLE YEAR. And then within the next weeks? months? after she is ‘freed’ (but actually not really) she is able to just fully trust and fall in bed with basically a stranger who wields the same amount of power as her abuser. That just didn’t sit super well. It was hard to believe. Making her storyline so severe was maybe not the smartest choice, because it has to handled with even more care.
So... yeah. I don’t think these were particularly bad, but... I’ve read better and expected more from these storylines that deal with important issues. I wanted more care for the topics of deafness and trauma. I gave this a shot hoping it would improve upon the first, and it didn’t, so I can’t see myself picking up the next when it comes out.
Bowen is such a dreamboat. This book was really good. It had more depth than the average historical romance, I mean, Genevieve's story was HEART WRENCHING. I loved how Genevieve finally got to have control in her life - and I love the Bowen made sure that she had it above all else. Such a sweet book.
This was another VERY interesting take on what kind of risks women take historically. I think the character writing and development is so strong in these books. The premise of being one man's slave and then finding your freedom to choose love for yourself was really moving.
2.5 stars rounded up
I was rather disappointed with this one.
I loved the first book in the series, but here, while I did love both Genevieve and Bowen, my overall feeling was that not much happened in the book, it kept dragging on with much repetitions of the same feelings and for me the second half was overly dramatic and sappy with no reason whatsoever.
I was rather disappointed with this one.
I loved the first book in the series, but here, while I did love both Genevieve and Bowen, my overall feeling was that not much happened in the book, it kept dragging on with much repetitions of the same feelings and for me the second half was overly dramatic and sappy with no reason whatsoever.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Personally, I felt this book was a little to light considering the characters. The heroine has gone through major trauma for a year straight, and I just personally couldn’t find it believable how easily she fell into a comfortable relationship with the hero. The first sex scene didn’t have me happy with them like I should have been, more annoyed at how it quickly turned fluffy with no mention of fear because it wouldn’t be seen romantic. Even the kiss, I felt, should have left her more confused and feeling shamed or something not just in awe of it.
I got really annoyed at the use of ‘Tis in this book. Half the time the sentences didn’t even really make sense. It was massively overused to make it seem like a brogue was going on, but the other words were ‘normal’ and so it just ended up looking wrong. (I just searched how much JIST ‘Tis was used and it came back with over 400 entries lol, not even kidding.)
I got really annoyed at the use of ‘Tis in this book. Half the time the sentences didn’t even really make sense. It was massively overused to make it seem like a brogue was going on, but the other words were ‘normal’ and so it just ended up looking wrong. (I just searched how much JIST ‘Tis was used and it came back with over 400 entries lol, not even kidding.)
I read this book because I was giving the author another chance. I rated the first book in the series and gave it two stars, but her work consistently gets high ratings. I thought that perhaps it was just a bad reaction to a single novel. Now I know that I simply do not enjoy her writing style.
Her writing is flat. I rarely felt engaged in the story. There is a lot of telling, and little showing. Additionally, I felt the heroine's attachment to the hero to be incredibly unrealistic. This woman has spent a year being repeatedly raped and tortured by multiple men and abused by everyone in the keep, but she has no problem forming healthy new relationships, including a sexual and romantic relationship, in a matter of days. She should have severe PTSD, but that was nowhere in evidence.
Also, the hero went against her express wishes in contacting her family, because he knew what was better for her than she did. And of course he is right. :p
Just once I would like a hero to pull a stunt like that and have it blow up horribly in his face.
So, at least I know that I simply don't care for Maya Banks's writing. That's one less author I need to worry about.
Her writing is flat. I rarely felt engaged in the story. There is a lot of telling, and little showing. Additionally, I felt the heroine's attachment to the hero to be incredibly unrealistic. This woman has spent a year being repeatedly raped and tortured by multiple men and abused by everyone in the keep, but she has no problem forming healthy new relationships, including a sexual and romantic relationship, in a matter of days. She should have severe PTSD, but that was nowhere in evidence.
Also, the hero went against her express wishes in contacting her family, because he knew what was better for her than she did. And of course he is right. :p
Just once I would like a hero to pull a stunt like that and have it blow up horribly in his face.
So, at least I know that I simply don't care for Maya Banks's writing. That's one less author I need to worry about.