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karenmsecrest 's review for:
Natural Born Charmer
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A contemporary romance from the early 2000s with a large cast of characters and some slapstick humor. Multiple redemption arcs, family relationships, and growth. The main characters have emotional baggage, and their childhood abandonment issues influence their actions without being their only character trait. (My biggest complaint about contemporary romances is the focus on trauma and therapy. The main characters in this story survived crappy childhoods, and learned to work around it. )
Some old-fashioned 90s language about body image and gay “jokes” (see content note below), but overall the character growth and make for a fun read.
Some old-fashioned 90s language about body image and gay “jokes” (see content note below), but overall the character growth and make for a fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia
Minor: Homophobia
Released in the early 2000s, there is fat-shaming language and homophobic jokes that are representative of the time it was written. These topics are written about in a similar way in the tv show “Friends.”