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A review by jentidders
If You Tame Me by Kathie Giorgio
4.0
This was not your average romance novel - as you might expect from the cover!
Audrey is a single department store manager who begins pondering her life on her 55th birthday. Although part of her would like a relationship with a man, she's not sure she *needs* one to be happy (after all, a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle) - but she's kept all people at a distance and is lacking in emotional connections. On a whim, she stops at a pet store to buy a kitten, but instead is drawn to and gets an iguana who she names Newton or Newt for short. As she bonds with and tends to Newt, she becomes more open and decides to allow others into her life.
Frank is Audrey's neighbour, a 60-something who has dealt with the grief of his wife's death by creating a new family, a flock of parakeets. He's sweet on Audrey but hasn't known how to start a conversation. When he notices her new pet, he realises they have something in common which might allow him to strike up a friendship, and maybe more.
This book was a real positive surprise for me. There's a lot of discussion about feminism and what it means to be a feminist; either through Audrey's internal dialogue or in her conversations with her friends Annabel and Vicky. The romance aspect portrays a healthy, sweet, non-problematic relationship with boundaries, and sex with enthusiastic consent.
But really romance isn't at the heart of this novel, rather this is a relationship novel, as Audrey figures out her life and relationships with Newt (who she sees as her main significant other), new friends and an old friend, as well as with Frank.
Kathie Georgio has written delightfully quirky but real characters - even the characterisation of Newt makes him hugely loveable and much more than 'just' an iguana. If You Tame Me is a beautifully narrated and charming read about mid-life, mature relationships gender politics.... and lizards.
Audrey is a single department store manager who begins pondering her life on her 55th birthday. Although part of her would like a relationship with a man, she's not sure she *needs* one to be happy (after all, a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle) - but she's kept all people at a distance and is lacking in emotional connections. On a whim, she stops at a pet store to buy a kitten, but instead is drawn to and gets an iguana who she names Newton or Newt for short. As she bonds with and tends to Newt, she becomes more open and decides to allow others into her life.
Frank is Audrey's neighbour, a 60-something who has dealt with the grief of his wife's death by creating a new family, a flock of parakeets. He's sweet on Audrey but hasn't known how to start a conversation. When he notices her new pet, he realises they have something in common which might allow him to strike up a friendship, and maybe more.
This book was a real positive surprise for me. There's a lot of discussion about feminism and what it means to be a feminist; either through Audrey's internal dialogue or in her conversations with her friends Annabel and Vicky. The romance aspect portrays a healthy, sweet, non-problematic relationship with boundaries, and sex with enthusiastic consent.
But really romance isn't at the heart of this novel, rather this is a relationship novel, as Audrey figures out her life and relationships with Newt (who she sees as her main significant other), new friends and an old friend, as well as with Frank.
Kathie Georgio has written delightfully quirky but real characters - even the characterisation of Newt makes him hugely loveable and much more than 'just' an iguana. If You Tame Me is a beautifully narrated and charming read about mid-life, mature relationships gender politics.... and lizards.