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A review by mspilesofpaper
Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Choosing Theo is the first instalment in an alien romance series. If you like romance novels that are mostly based on tropes, have a couple of sex scenes, and don't really require you to pay attention to the world-building: go for it. If you don't like those things: just skip it.
As mentioned, the story is mostly based on tropes (and not just 1 - 2 tropes but A LOT). Here's a list:
✅ Fated Mates
✅ Abduction of FMC
✅ Grumpy/Sunshine
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Marriage of convenience
✅ Male characters have animal-like characters
✅ Matriarchal society
✅ Primal Play
I'm sure that I forgot some.
I think I could have been fine with an alien romance that's mostly based on tropes if there weren't other points that irked me so much.
1. The description of the aliens. They are basically humans; just taller and prettier. The author explains it with "a common ancestor between humankind and Clecanians" but it's lame. The only difference between humans and them is their size as they are taller and more muscular. Well, and the men's dicks are longer and thicker while the women don't have a clit and require a 24-hour resting period where they can't have sex (which is such bullshit, tbh). In addition, they have white/gold tattoos that are their birthmarks. That's it. I would prefer unusual, weird aliens.
2. The world-building makes rarely any sense. It's a matriarchal society where men outnumber women (like 20 - to - 1 or so), so they developed a system of marriage where women pick (and test) a man before marrying them for three months. He has to prove that he can take care of her and potential children by cooking, childcare, cleaning, and sexual satisfaction, ... - the women can decide after three months if they want to continue the marriage for another month (or three) or if they just leave and go through the selection again. The system is designed to maximise the number of children per woman with a large gene pool to prevent inbreeding. While I don't mind the system per se, I don't understand why the author decided to include "women cannot get too attached to their husbands, children, potential pets, so they just accept material wealth and then leave" when she never mentioned it as a rule prior the reveal from a side character. Fuck, even Theo's mother stayed with her husband forever. It was considered unusual but it wasn't forbidden; they even got five children out of it! I believe that the author just involved it to have the fated mates concept as well because "only mates will stay together forever" but it's so annoying.
3. Theo. He is an awful character. He's a tough and successful mercenary who is ruthless. He is also disliked by most characters because of his black birthmarks/tattoos, which is so stupid. It's basically "we value pretty things and you aren't pretty enough anymore for a marriage but enough for rough sex". His mental health is completely in shambles as he's extremely insecure about his looks. Instead of working on it (either with family and friends or maybe even therapy since the race acts as if they are so well developed), he makes it everyone else's problem that he isn't conventionally attractive. The FMC is unlikeable per se but I want to slap her across the face since she puts up with all his bullshit instead of just leaving as it would be her right. Especially when he starts to become aggressively physical with her (squeezing her neck, chasing her through the forest (when she isn't even aware of the effect on him), manhandling her, ...) and ignores all her fighting back because "she smells of arousal". It isn't even "bad boy" behaviour, which she digs, it's extremely aggressive and borderline abusive, which is something he isn't allowed to do with a woman. Of course, Theo is extremely manly and roars whenever he has an orgasm and behaves very animal-like in general. In addition, he just jumps to wild conclusions for no reason (due to his bad mental health). "A woman is interested in me? LIE! A woman wants to marry me? SHE MUST BE A SPY!". GO TO THERAPY, YOU CAVEMAN.
4. Jade is a fucking joke of a female character. No spine, no set morals and values. She's ruled by her pussy. Of course, she has flaming red hair and green eyes while also being considered as "too fat" on Earth but of course, the alien digs it. She is just fucking curvy. Maybe an EU size 42 and not an EU 38. That's it. She's not fat. She has a normal body. If you want to write a plus-size character, do it well and make her an actual plus-size.
5. The plot is dragged out for nothing and the third act conflict is so paper thin. The author could have done a lot with the "cult who wants to save their race while ignoring all the intergalactic laws" plot arc but it was done so cartoonish. In general, the plot has more holes than anything else. It's like Swiss cheese.
TL;DR: Erotic wish fulfilment from the author who desires a matriarchal society where men have to serve women in pretty much every way. Could have been a lot of fun if she had established an actual plot, good world-building and a well-developed romance instead of a romance that's based on multiple tropes, instant lust and love. Two stars because it has a cute alien dog.
As mentioned, the story is mostly based on tropes (and not just 1 - 2 tropes but A LOT). Here's a list:
✅ Fated Mates
✅ Abduction of FMC
✅ Grumpy/Sunshine
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Marriage of convenience
✅ Male characters have animal-like characters
✅ Matriarchal society
✅ Primal Play
I'm sure that I forgot some.
I think I could have been fine with an alien romance that's mostly based on tropes if there weren't other points that irked me so much.
1. The description of the aliens. They are basically humans; just taller and prettier. The author explains it with "a common ancestor between humankind and Clecanians" but it's lame. The only difference between humans and them is their size as they are taller and more muscular. Well, and the men's dicks are longer and thicker while the women don't have a clit and require a 24-hour resting period where they can't have sex (which is such bullshit, tbh). In addition, they have white/gold tattoos that are their birthmarks. That's it. I would prefer unusual, weird aliens.
2. The world-building makes rarely any sense. It's a matriarchal society where men outnumber women (like 20 - to - 1 or so), so they developed a system of marriage where women pick (and test) a man before marrying them for three months. He has to prove that he can take care of her and potential children by cooking, childcare, cleaning, and sexual satisfaction, ... - the women can decide after three months if they want to continue the marriage for another month (or three) or if they just leave and go through the selection again. The system is designed to maximise the number of children per woman with a large gene pool to prevent inbreeding. While I don't mind the system per se, I don't understand why the author decided to include "women cannot get too attached to their husbands, children, potential pets, so they just accept material wealth and then leave" when she never mentioned it as a rule prior the reveal from a side character. Fuck, even Theo's mother stayed with her husband forever. It was considered unusual but it wasn't forbidden; they even got five children out of it! I believe that the author just involved it to have the fated mates concept as well because "only mates will stay together forever" but it's so annoying.
3. Theo. He is an awful character. He's a tough and successful mercenary who is ruthless. He is also disliked by most characters because of his black birthmarks/tattoos, which is so stupid. It's basically "we value pretty things and you aren't pretty enough anymore for a marriage but enough for rough sex". His mental health is completely in shambles as he's extremely insecure about his looks. Instead of working on it (either with family and friends or maybe even therapy since the race acts as if they are so well developed), he makes it everyone else's problem that he isn't conventionally attractive. The FMC is unlikeable per se but I want to slap her across the face since she puts up with all his bullshit instead of just leaving as it would be her right. Especially when he starts to become aggressively physical with her (squeezing her neck, chasing her through the forest (when she isn't even aware of the effect on him), manhandling her, ...) and ignores all her fighting back because "she smells of arousal". It isn't even "bad boy" behaviour, which she digs, it's extremely aggressive and borderline abusive, which is something he isn't allowed to do with a woman. Of course, Theo is extremely manly and roars whenever he has an orgasm and behaves very animal-like in general. In addition, he just jumps to wild conclusions for no reason (due to his bad mental health). "A woman is interested in me? LIE! A woman wants to marry me? SHE MUST BE A SPY!". GO TO THERAPY, YOU CAVEMAN.
4. Jade is a fucking joke of a female character. No spine, no set morals and values. She's ruled by her pussy. Of course, she has flaming red hair and green eyes while also being considered as "too fat" on Earth but of course, the alien digs it. She is just fucking curvy. Maybe an EU size 42 and not an EU 38. That's it. She's not fat. She has a normal body. If you want to write a plus-size character, do it well and make her an actual plus-size.
5. The plot is dragged out for nothing and the third act conflict is so paper thin. The author could have done a lot with the "cult who wants to save their race while ignoring all the intergalactic laws" plot arc but it was done so cartoonish. In general, the plot has more holes than anything else. It's like Swiss cheese.
TL;DR: Erotic wish fulfilment from the author who desires a matriarchal society where men have to serve women in pretty much every way. Could have been a lot of fun if she had established an actual plot, good world-building and a well-developed romance instead of a romance that's based on multiple tropes, instant lust and love. Two stars because it has a cute alien dog.