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A review by cluckieduck
Change of Heart by Mary Calmes
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Oh boy, talk about disappointment!
The outline has the potential to tick all the boxes of my favourite things to read- shifters, fated mates, hurt/comfort, etc. but the execution was severely lacking. It almost seems like something half-finished, the outline written on a cocktail napkin late one night then come next morning, everything was thrown at the wall to see what could stick. Plot holes galore, too much telling & not enough showing, repetition, repetition, repetition. Pseudo-mythology that gets thrown in just for the fun of it without any expansion on the how's & why's. And, most upsettingly, quite overt misogyny & sexism.
But my biggest gripe - you know that debate about whether women authors can successfully write M/M romance? Well, if this was your first introduction the answer would be a resounding 'No.' Seriously, I feel like the author has some really odd perception on how a relationship between two men should go, because the way it's represented here is all kinds of wrong. Logan's introduction was promising - a bit of a himbo who just wants to lead a successful clan. But once he meets Jin, his brain turns off and the caveman emerges. All he can think is 'mine' and Jin basically just becomes a hole that needs to be filled at any and all times. I found their sex very much in dubcon territory. There was no romance to it, just 'you are my reah, we're going to bang now and I'll shove it in to the hilt without any prep.' Eww.
I was really looking forward to starting this series, and while my comments on book 1 won't prevent me from starting book 2, there will have to be some major improvements for me to see the whole series through.
The outline has the potential to tick all the boxes of my favourite things to read- shifters, fated mates, hurt/comfort, etc. but the execution was severely lacking. It almost seems like something half-finished, the outline written on a cocktail napkin late one night then come next morning, everything was thrown at the wall to see what could stick. Plot holes galore, too much telling & not enough showing, repetition, repetition, repetition. Pseudo-mythology that gets thrown in just for the fun of it without any expansion on the how's & why's. And, most upsettingly, quite overt misogyny & sexism.
But my biggest gripe - you know that debate about whether women authors can successfully write M/M romance? Well, if this was your first introduction the answer would be a resounding 'No.' Seriously, I feel like the author has some really odd perception on how a relationship between two men should go, because the way it's represented here is all kinds of wrong. Logan's introduction was promising - a bit of a himbo who just wants to lead a successful clan. But once he meets Jin, his brain turns off and the caveman emerges. All he can think is 'mine' and Jin basically just becomes a hole that needs to be filled at any and all times. I found their sex very much in dubcon territory. There was no romance to it, just 'you are my reah, we're going to bang now and I'll shove it in to the hilt without any prep.' Eww.
I was really looking forward to starting this series, and while my comments on book 1 won't prevent me from starting book 2, there will have to be some major improvements for me to see the whole series through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Kidnapping, and Infidelity