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beautyinruins_ca 's review for:
The Companion
by E.E. Ottoman
The Companion was . . . well, just okay. It was an okay read, one that I neither loved nor loathed, but it's only been a day and I already struggle to remember much about it. E.E. Ottoman is a lovely writer who knows how to use language and setting to orient the reader with the story, but as far as story goes, there's not much of it.
Basically, this is the story of three people, all of them transgender, who find a safe space outside town, in the forests of Upstate New York. They all have a great deal of baggage, struggles both social and creative, but instead of using their seclusion to unpack that baggage, to deal with it, to grow from it, they . . . well, just sort of quietly acknowledge it and leave it to fester in the background. There's no growth, no conflict, and no tension to propel the story forward. Aside from their relationship, nothing changes.
This was far more sexual than I expected from the blurb, and while I have zero problems with erotic content, the suddenness of it all didn't sit well with me. Characters are barely introduced, still at the awkward stage of getting to know one another, and one second they're kissing, the next they're being intimate. On top of that, Madeline goes from quiet, timid virgin to bold, confident sexual experimenter so quickly that I had emotional whiplash. All of that might be fine in hardcore erotica, where you hardly expect plot or character development, but it felt out of place in an historical romance.
Speaking of historical, the story goes to great lengths to avoid describing genitalia or sexual mechanics, which I think is wonderful and admirable, as gender identity and expression should be about more than what's between our legs. That being said, I got the sense that at least two of the characters had surgically transitioned, which would be a year too early for anybody in the US, and knowing that took me out of the story.
There is a cozy sort of romance to be found here, and Madeline and Audrey are very sweet together. I loved the idea of a safe space, and the fairy tale allusions in the forest were delightful. Beyond that, though, I'm sad to say The Companion isn't a story that will stick with me.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/03/23/book-review-the-companion-by-e-e-ottoman-romance/
Basically, this is the story of three people, all of them transgender, who find a safe space outside town, in the forests of Upstate New York. They all have a great deal of baggage, struggles both social and creative, but instead of using their seclusion to unpack that baggage, to deal with it, to grow from it, they . . . well, just sort of quietly acknowledge it and leave it to fester in the background. There's no growth, no conflict, and no tension to propel the story forward. Aside from their relationship, nothing changes.
This was far more sexual than I expected from the blurb, and while I have zero problems with erotic content, the suddenness of it all didn't sit well with me. Characters are barely introduced, still at the awkward stage of getting to know one another, and one second they're kissing, the next they're being intimate. On top of that, Madeline goes from quiet, timid virgin to bold, confident sexual experimenter so quickly that I had emotional whiplash. All of that might be fine in hardcore erotica, where you hardly expect plot or character development, but it felt out of place in an historical romance.
Speaking of historical, the story goes to great lengths to avoid describing genitalia or sexual mechanics, which I think is wonderful and admirable, as gender identity and expression should be about more than what's between our legs. That being said, I got the sense that at least two of the characters had surgically transitioned, which would be a year too early for anybody in the US, and knowing that took me out of the story.
There is a cozy sort of romance to be found here, and Madeline and Audrey are very sweet together. I loved the idea of a safe space, and the fairy tale allusions in the forest were delightful. Beyond that, though, I'm sad to say The Companion isn't a story that will stick with me.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/03/23/book-review-the-companion-by-e-e-ottoman-romance/