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A review by hobbithopeful
In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I didn't like this book at all, I found it shallow, there is a weird sexulization to the mm romance, and honestly this is a disappointment after Courtney Kae's excellent first book in the series, In the Event of Love. I saw so many people recommending this one, and I was so surprised because the writing quality and characters are such a let down, and there is very little redeemable about it.
Let's start with the good: I liked the depiction of a narcissistic parent (umm that's it)
Now for everything else.
First of all, it is odd this is part of the Fern Falls series, considering the vast majority of the book doesn't even take place in Fern Falls! Part of the charm of the first book was getting to know the small town and its inhabitants, and getting to see how much they all care about one another. Typically in a "small town" series, we get to see bounce around inhabitants as they all find their romance. A bonus is the setting remains the same which allows for excellent character growth, world-building, and sometimes even a overarching plot. (Plus cameos from past books so we get to see how other relationships have progressed!) Instead we are introduced to a new setting, and so many new characters are thrown at the reader, while very little is done to establish a care and love for the new setting.
When I tell you the romance is fast-paced and shallow, I truly mean this is one of the most one dimensional romances I've ever come across. Ben and Adam truly have that instant love relationship, and there is a ton of miscommunication early on that made it difficult to enjoy. That ends fairly quickly and then they are dating and suddenly everything is hunky dory and perfect? Ben spends most of the book swooning over Adam and being hot and bothered every time they are near each other. It was...very fluffy but not in a cozy way. More of a Hallmark makes your teeth ache and lacks depth way.
There is SO much sexualion of their relationship. Compared to the first book this relationship seems really built on how they view each other, and levels of attraction. Ben spends a lot of time thinking about how many people are attracted to Adam, or feeling smug that he is actually the one with him. There is a scene involving an elderly "book club" that Ben's G-Ma is apart of, and their whole interaction with them didn't feel funny but instead straight up inappropriate. While sex never happens on page, it feels like the whole plot and so many jokes are built on sex.
Let's address the elephant in the room. While there is nothing inherently wrong about someone who has spent the majority of their live experiencing the privilege that comes with being a white woman, it is something to be taken into consideration especially when it comes to mm romance. If you weren't already aware, there has always been attention given to white woman writing mm romance, and it being made into media and movies while gay men are just overlooked. Is it representation if the representation shown is being decided by someone who is privileged enough to never have experienced the harassment and fear that comes with being apart of that community? (The answer, dear reader, is no) It is very clear that this book is written by Kae, in the sense that relationship is sexualized and lacks depth, and very in line with other books written by similar authors who quite frankly, can't write gay men.
I personally would NOT recommend this book, and I am currently on the fence now about reading any of Kae's future books.
Let's start with the good: I liked the depiction of a narcissistic parent (umm that's it)
Now for everything else.
First of all, it is odd this is part of the Fern Falls series, considering the vast majority of the book doesn't even take place in Fern Falls! Part of the charm of the first book was getting to know the small town and its inhabitants, and getting to see how much they all care about one another. Typically in a "small town" series, we get to see bounce around inhabitants as they all find their romance. A bonus is the setting remains the same which allows for excellent character growth, world-building, and sometimes even a overarching plot. (Plus cameos from past books so we get to see how other relationships have progressed!) Instead we are introduced to a new setting, and so many new characters are thrown at the reader, while very little is done to establish a care and love for the new setting.
When I tell you the romance is fast-paced and shallow, I truly mean this is one of the most one dimensional romances I've ever come across. Ben and Adam truly have that instant love relationship, and there is a ton of miscommunication early on that made it difficult to enjoy. That ends fairly quickly and then they are dating and suddenly everything is hunky dory and perfect? Ben spends most of the book swooning over Adam and being hot and bothered every time they are near each other. It was...very fluffy but not in a cozy way. More of a Hallmark makes your teeth ache and lacks depth way.
There is SO much sexualion of their relationship. Compared to the first book this relationship seems really built on how they view each other, and levels of attraction. Ben spends a lot of time thinking about how many people are attracted to Adam, or feeling smug that he is actually the one with him. There is a scene involving an elderly "book club" that Ben's G-Ma is apart of, and their whole interaction with them didn't feel funny but instead straight up inappropriate. While sex never happens on page, it feels like the whole plot and so many jokes are built on sex.
Let's address the elephant in the room. While there is nothing inherently wrong about someone who has spent the majority of their live experiencing the privilege that comes with being a white woman, it is something to be taken into consideration especially when it comes to mm romance. If you weren't already aware, there has always been attention given to white woman writing mm romance, and it being made into media and movies while gay men are just overlooked. Is it representation if the representation shown is being decided by someone who is privileged enough to never have experienced the harassment and fear that comes with being apart of that community? (The answer, dear reader, is no) It is very clear that this book is written by Kae, in the sense that relationship is sexualized and lacks depth, and very in line with other books written by similar authors who quite frankly, can't write gay men.
I personally would NOT recommend this book, and I am currently on the fence now about reading any of Kae's future books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Minor: Abandonment