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A review by authorrubyduvall
The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert
4.0
I'm writing this review after having binge-read the next four in the series, so obviously I liked this book and its sequels well enough to keep buying them, but some of my thoughts on this first book are based on things I've seen throughout the series so far. I'll be as vague as possible to avoid spoilers.
I've never been super drawn to stories about organized crime, but as a backdrop to a romance series, it has worked out well for this novel. You get a decent taste of the political maneuverings, violence, and criminal masterminding to understand the plot and how it drives the romance, but not so much that your eyes start to cross.
I also really appreciate the fine line the author has walked with her heroes not being mega-alphas but domineering enough in the sack to sate the reader. Her heroines are varied, and yet all of them stick up for themselves and often fend for themselves quite well.
My only disappointment with the books is mainly down to editing. I've seen more than one continuity error (e.g. a character wearing a pantsuit is later described in the same scene as touching her "dress"), and basic blocking is missing in many scenes (usually sex scenes). When I say "blocking", I mean making sure the narration doesn't forget whether a character is still half-dressed or carrying something. More than once, I've wondered with alarm whether a hero has disposed of his condom and tucked himself away before walking out into public. The narration doesn't say! Another time, a character is described as walking home carrying a bag of takeout for dinner, but it's completely forgotten in the rest of the scene. Did she drop it or put it down when interacting with another character? We don't know!
The blocking issue has gotten sliiightly better as the series has gone on, but the one thing that has never been addressed is, ahem...um, "fluids". The author is a fan of heroes fingering their heroines (I'm a fan!), but she *never* describes the hero wiping his hands, washing them, or licking them clean. Many, many times, a hero sneaks off with his heroine, gets her off, and they walk back out without having done any sort of clean-up. Is the hero walking around this fancy party with his lady's climax still shimmering on his fingers? Apparently!
Anyway, if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, you'd love this series! I'm excited for book #6 coming soon, and will be sure to read it ASAP!
I've never been super drawn to stories about organized crime, but as a backdrop to a romance series, it has worked out well for this novel. You get a decent taste of the political maneuverings, violence, and criminal masterminding to understand the plot and how it drives the romance, but not so much that your eyes start to cross.
I also really appreciate the fine line the author has walked with her heroes not being mega-alphas but domineering enough in the sack to sate the reader. Her heroines are varied, and yet all of them stick up for themselves and often fend for themselves quite well.
My only disappointment with the books is mainly down to editing. I've seen more than one continuity error (e.g. a character wearing a pantsuit is later described in the same scene as touching her "dress"), and basic blocking is missing in many scenes (usually sex scenes). When I say "blocking", I mean making sure the narration doesn't forget whether a character is still half-dressed or carrying something. More than once, I've wondered with alarm whether a hero has disposed of his condom and tucked himself away before walking out into public. The narration doesn't say! Another time, a character is described as walking home carrying a bag of takeout for dinner, but it's completely forgotten in the rest of the scene. Did she drop it or put it down when interacting with another character? We don't know!
The blocking issue has gotten sliiightly better as the series has gone on, but the one thing that has never been addressed is, ahem...um, "fluids". The author is a fan of heroes fingering their heroines (I'm a fan!), but she *never* describes the hero wiping his hands, washing them, or licking them clean. Many, many times, a hero sneaks off with his heroine, gets her off, and they walk back out without having done any sort of clean-up. Is the hero walking around this fancy party with his lady's climax still shimmering on his fingers? Apparently!
Anyway, if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, you'd love this series! I'm excited for book #6 coming soon, and will be sure to read it ASAP!