A review by readnoot
Blindsided by Amy Daws

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

I was enjoying the book until about the last third, when a few of the statements characters began making seemed to reflect archaic views of gender. At one point, a few of the women in the novel agree that a wife should take the last name of her husband because it is a good confidence booster for him. This felt like a condescending and oversimplified view of a woman marrying a man. I cannot see a person changing their name, a feature of their identity they have had their whole life, to make their partner feel good, as an easy decision you make just for the benefit of your spouse; this thought demonstrated a lack of sympathy and comprehension for the feelings of pride, attachment, and personhood some women have for their name. The way men in the novel are excused for their possessive behavior by way of their intrinsic caveman mentality was also off-putting. Wanting to prevent a woman from going out in a revealing outfit, sleeping with multiple people, or even dating casually is possessive behavior that should not be excused. Especially not when said woman is not even your exclusive partner and the reasoning behind the possessiveness is basically “boys will be boys” but repackaged for grown men. Men can help it, and they should be written in ways that hold them accountable as such. Also, Mac never actually expands on
realizing he is in love with Freya,
which made me feel like he really was not. His grandfather basically tells him he is, and Roan heavily implies that he is, but the reader never sees Mac himself have much independent thought about it, which does not inspire confidence for the audience that he
truly understands his feelings for
her. Overall, the book was an easy read, but the portrayal of gender roles disagreed with my own opinions, and the trope of the main male character being possessive was tired and disappointing. 
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