It’s always, well, let’s call it “interesting” to have a much different take on a book than nearly everyone else. Readers are continuing to rave about Amanda Bouchet’s A Promise of Fire. My fellow Book Pushers absolutely adored it. And it is a book I expected to love. But it hit one of my buttons, and not in a good way. Back in my bodice-ripper reading days, when I was in college a long time ago and definitely in a galaxy far, far away, the “falling in love with her kidnapper” trope didn’t bother me. But now, even more than my questions about questionable consent, what I found teeth-grittingly off-putting was the way that every other character in the story dismisses the heroine’s righteous negative feelings about being kidnapped. Her right to be angry about being threatened, kidnapped and used is considered to be the equivalent of a little temper tantrum that she will just get over when she realizes how much better off she is. And that’s an open question. While on the surface her kidnapper has better motives than her previous abusers, the fact that he was more than willing to let his ends justify his means does not, in the end, actually make him a better “person” than her previous abusers. I’m very curious to see whether the author takes this series.
Current Giveaways:
10 copies of Target Engaged by M.L. Buchman
10 copies of A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
Ultimate Ranch Giveaway: paid 3-night luxurious getaway for 4 from Harlequin
Winner Announcements:
The winner of The Ninja’s Daughter by Susan Spann is Susan (obviously a different Susan!)
The winner of Four Roads Cross by Max Gladstone is Anne.
Blog Recap:
B Review: Heart Strike by M.L. Buchman + Giveaway
B Review: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet + Giveaway
A- Review: Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery
A Guest Review: Mindkiller by Spider Robinson
The Ultimate Western Blog Tour: Guest Post by Lindsay McKenna + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (196)
Coming Next Week:
The Bluebonnet Betrayal by Marty Wingate (blog tour review)
Hell Squad: Finn by Anna Hackett (review)
Family Tree by Susan Wiggs (blog tour review)
The Third Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay (review)
Lord of the Darkwood by Lian Hearn (review)
