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A review by iffer
Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton
3.0
Warning: This volume ends on a cliffhanger!
These books are surprisingly well-written. I enjoyed how this book was fluffy and fun, yet at the same dealt with some serious issues. Many romance stories end after the chase and the couple getting together. This book gives us a glimpse into what happens that isn't magically happily-ever-after. Barbara Bretton does a good job dealing with the dynamics of Chloe meeting Luke's ex. They don't love each other at first sight, even if they're both knitters, but they get along. The initial animosity and the dash of jealousy that both women feel makes the interactions ring true.
One thing that annoyed me about this book, which appeared a little bit in the first book in the series but was more pronounced in this second volume, were the several statements of the sentiment, "Men...!" Fill in the ellipses with saying like, "The more words you throw at the them, the less they hear," and " They just feel the need to protect women." ::eye roll:: It bugs me when women are written this poorly in sci-fi books oriented towards women, and it equally bugs me when men are written this cardboard-ey, even in women's romance novels. It just made me think, "Wow, this really is oriented towards stereotypical knitters, i.e. middle-aged white women."
The other thing that niggled, just a little bit, was the how it seemed obvious that Bretton was drawing a line between supernatural races and human. It became irritating. I mean, I know that the X-Men and Inhumans evoke similar issues concerning fear of persecution, but, for whatever reason, in this book, it read more like an excuse for cozy New England romance women to feel persecuted.
These books are surprisingly well-written. I enjoyed how this book was fluffy and fun, yet at the same dealt with some serious issues. Many romance stories end after the chase and the couple getting together. This book gives us a glimpse into what happens that isn't magically happily-ever-after. Barbara Bretton does a good job dealing with the dynamics of Chloe meeting Luke's ex. They don't love each other at first sight, even if they're both knitters, but they get along. The initial animosity and the dash of jealousy that both women feel makes the interactions ring true.
One thing that annoyed me about this book, which appeared a little bit in the first book in the series but was more pronounced in this second volume, were the several statements of the sentiment, "Men...!" Fill in the ellipses with saying like, "The more words you throw at the them, the less they hear," and " They just feel the need to protect women." ::eye roll:: It bugs me when women are written this poorly in sci-fi books oriented towards women, and it equally bugs me when men are written this cardboard-ey, even in women's romance novels. It just made me think, "Wow, this really is oriented towards stereotypical knitters, i.e. middle-aged white women."
The other thing that niggled, just a little bit, was the how it seemed obvious that Bretton was drawing a line between supernatural races and human. It became irritating. I mean, I know that the X-Men and Inhumans evoke similar issues concerning fear of persecution, but, for whatever reason, in this book, it read more like an excuse for cozy New England romance women to feel persecuted.