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theninthbow_reads 's review for:
Midnight Warrior
by Iris Johansen
I haven't read an Iris Johansen romance in... many years. I was probably too young to be reading them at the time as well, but I remember thinking some were great (mainly because the writing stood out as good in a sea of unremarkable other romance novels) and some were not so great. This one is at the bottom of that list.
The frustrating part of reading Midnight Warrior is that Johansen's writing is actually good. And the plot (like the her other romance novels I remember) is interesting and revolves around more than just the main romance. Furthermore, there are a few good things said about the strength of women, female power, and where women stand in the world (or the world of the past) vs where they should stand. And honestly, the female main character is strong and capable and kind of badass.
But then the dynamic between our main couple, Brynn and Gage, threw all the decent stuff out the window. There is no romance, in my opinion, and no real love besides stereotypical "claiming" or "linking." In a lot of instances, their coming together felt more abusive than romantic. And I wasn't okay with that. Their relationship is also more of an insta-sex relationship than a deep, romantic one. There's a caveman-like dynamic of "mine" and "I'm gonna beat up everyone that thinks about looking at you" and "I shouldn't have sex with you or feel good during it, but I can't help myself anyway." That's not romance, quite the opposite. But if all that's the kink you're going for or feel like reading, this is a novel to delve into.
Plus, omg. There's no foreplay at all in this novel. AT. ALL. Which... um. No? Maybe I'm just not a connoisseur of romance novels, but that just struck me as ridiculous. The sex scenes revolve around more of a "you are mine" and "give in, you know you want this" dynamic than a romance dynamic. Even the few foreplay-ish scenes that had the potential to be hot or show the development between Brynn and Gage were just cut short. I get that this is an older romance novel, but the sex scenes were oddly devoid of romance and foreplay and focused on the rush to actual penetration and then... done. And that never changed throughout the entirety of the novel and Brynn and Gage's relationship. So, again, if you're looking for a romance or hot sex, I'd recommend staying away from this one. If you want a more domineering romance where the woman falls for the super strong, domineering, uber-masculine (that's full of potential violence) knight-type, then this is one you might want to try.
So yeah. I read the whole thing (despite skimming a bit after about 60%) because the writing is good, Brynn is intriguing, and the plot is interesting (despite being predictable), and I was honestly in the mood for a not-so-deep romance novel. I just wish the couple in this novel had a better dynamic, and I'm so disappointed that they didn't. Johansen's romance novels (or what I can remember of them) do have a certain draw, and I'm just sad and a little frustrated the relationship/romance was lacking here.
I haven't read Johansen in a while, and have never read her crime novels, but I would love to see what she could do writing a romance novel nowadays.
The frustrating part of reading Midnight Warrior is that Johansen's writing is actually good. And the plot (like the her other romance novels I remember) is interesting and revolves around more than just the main romance. Furthermore, there are a few good things said about the strength of women, female power, and where women stand in the world (or the world of the past) vs where they should stand. And honestly, the female main character is strong and capable and kind of badass.
But then the dynamic between our main couple, Brynn and Gage, threw all the decent stuff out the window. There is no romance, in my opinion, and no real love besides stereotypical "claiming" or "linking." In a lot of instances, their coming together felt more abusive than romantic. And I wasn't okay with that. Their relationship is also more of an insta-sex relationship than a deep, romantic one. There's a caveman-like dynamic of "mine" and "I'm gonna beat up everyone that thinks about looking at you" and "I shouldn't have sex with you or feel good during it, but I can't help myself anyway." That's not romance, quite the opposite. But if all that's the kink you're going for or feel like reading, this is a novel to delve into.
Plus, omg. There's no foreplay at all in this novel. AT. ALL. Which... um. No? Maybe I'm just not a connoisseur of romance novels, but that just struck me as ridiculous. The sex scenes revolve around more of a "you are mine" and "give in, you know you want this" dynamic than a romance dynamic. Even the few foreplay-ish scenes that had the potential to be hot or show the development between Brynn and Gage were just cut short. I get that this is an older romance novel, but the sex scenes were oddly devoid of romance and foreplay and focused on the rush to actual penetration and then... done. And that never changed throughout the entirety of the novel and Brynn and Gage's relationship. So, again, if you're looking for a romance or hot sex, I'd recommend staying away from this one. If you want a more domineering romance where the woman falls for the super strong, domineering, uber-masculine (that's full of potential violence) knight-type, then this is one you might want to try.
So yeah. I read the whole thing (despite skimming a bit after about 60%) because the writing is good, Brynn is intriguing, and the plot is interesting (despite being predictable), and I was honestly in the mood for a not-so-deep romance novel. I just wish the couple in this novel had a better dynamic, and I'm so disappointed that they didn't. Johansen's romance novels (or what I can remember of them) do have a certain draw, and I'm just sad and a little frustrated the relationship/romance was lacking here.
I haven't read Johansen in a while, and have never read her crime novels, but I would love to see what she could do writing a romance novel nowadays.