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adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This isn't my usual Nora Roberts fare, but a dear, late friend of mine really wanted me to read it, so for her I did. Taking place over the span of decades, Sweet Revenge is one part heist, one part romance, and one part tragedy. Adrianne's mother, Phoebe, is a tragic character. She is described as kind but naive and she was treated horribly by Adrianne's father. That part of the story was a heartbreaking one and stays with you throughout the remainder of the book. Adrianne is a complicated character. She's seen things a child should never have to see and had to take on a caretaker role for her mother before even reaching adulthood. As a result, she's closed-off and strong-willed. I actually liked that she stood on her own so strongly. Philip, while in many ways an interesting counterpoint to Adrianne, just comes across a bit too overbearing. His interference veers away from caring and into the realm of bossing way too easily. On top of that, the romance aspect didn't have as much depth as I've come to expect from Nora Roberts's other works. Overall it was an intriguing read (I hesitate to say "enjoyable" due to some of the subject matter), but wasn't my preference for a Nora Roberts reading experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Suicide
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I usually like Nora Roberts's books and may read more of them but this one was a mistake. I've studied a little Orientalism in school. I know that novels that depict women being kidnapped by Arabic Sheikhs perpetrate horrific stereotypes that can be used to justify harm. While this novel does not have that plot line it nevertheless revels in these stereotypes. The heroines' father is an Arabic King with no redeeming qualities and fits the stereotype of a misogynistic man who follows Islam. The Kingdom is also made up of bad cliches and Orientalist tropes. These tropes have no basis in reality and yet continue to thrive in our media. And given recent events, I believe we need to fight back against these portrayals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Islamophobia