dlee

I read a mainstream book called Florence Gordon.  The MC, Ms Gordon was the most unlikable heroine ever.  She was gruff, said every mean spirited thing that popped into her mind,and held her family at arms length.  She was a brilliant pioneer in feminism.  She had close friends who seemed to love her despite her personality but I felt they were more intellectual friends than emotional ones. Ms. Gordon's grand daughter worked very hard to forge a bond with the woman.  And you know what she did? She literally walked away without a backward glance.  I came away with the feeling that feminists are angry people.   

Then I read a book recommended to me by a dear friend, Held for Ransom.  She loved it for its small town life.  I found that to drag but one character, Amber, really stood out in sharp contrast to Florence Gordon.  Amber was poorly educated in comparison to FG, Wiccan, also outspoken but tended to say every positive thing that popped into her mind.  Amber went out of her way to help people and to make ties with her family who were mostly difficult people.  Amber was raising a child as a single mother, working and trying to better herself.  This book was a romance, and not even about Amber.  But you know, if I had to choose between two feminist characters, I'd choose Amber hands down.  

Which may only prove that I have no idea what feminism is.

I find it difficult to watch a movie based on a book that I loved.  I'll sit there and curse at the screen over things that were changed or added or characters whose personalities were different on film.  Apparently, I have the same problem with books that were once in a rougher form on the internet and finally (deservedly) made it to published form.  Sonny and Ais created the world After Midnight is set in and what a world it is and what amazing characters populate it.  With this published version, Mr. Hassell reworked both this book and the others in order to make it all cohesive.  He took out Gordon's video performances and cut down on a scene which I personally felt was tedious.  He added Adam's perspective. All to the good.  He also changed a HFN into a HEA which I felt was unnecessary and possibly didn't really fit the characters.  But maybe it does now because the characters changed as well.  And this is where I had problems with the book.  I'm looking at all the glowing reviews, very much deserved I might add and I'm wondering why I can't glow, too.  I mean, the book was Good.  It had action, lust, tension; everything I want in a story.  But I can't get the "old" Gordon out of my mind.  I missed him.  I missed his vulnerability.   I missed him a lot.  This new Gordon has more of a hard shell and comes across a bit whiny and a bit like one of those people who is constantly the victim in their own minds.  I don't like those types of people in real life or in stories.  I wanted to wrap the old Gordon in a blanket and take care of him, I wanted to mother him, which is perhaps a strange reaction.  This new Gordon, I didn't care so much about.  It was a good book but it didn't get under my skin.  It makes it hard to rate because while they were the same story, they really weren't.  Not for me, anyway. 

I enjoy magic and the Victorian time period this was set in so I'm not sure why I didn't fall totally in love with this book. Some of the language was very much present day as were some of the mannerisms. Percy read like a typical virginal damsel from just about any 1970's era bodice ripper you might pick up. But then Percy and Griffin began to talk and I discovered I liked them. I liked them enough to overlook the monsters. Okay, the monsters were horrific, bloodthirsty fiends and certainly not silly, but monsters, come on! And the nick name. " Ival". My mind pronounce it "Evil" and suddenly I had a visual of Mike Myers with his pinkie up to his mouth. Way to rip me out of the story. But surly a personal problem on my part. Overall, this was a pleasant read and I'm sure it will be a pleasant series. I'm looking forward to a Percival without the baggage.

I read this because it was part of the Mann of My Dreams series.  A series that once I got over my initial irritation with the constant POV switches which contained the exact same information, I fell head over heels in love with.  Tinnean has matured as an author.  No longer does she need to start each conversation with the character's name.  She still indulges in the POV switches but they now involve different material, with different emotions.  I hesitated reading this because I was aware that there would be lesbian content.  There was but it wasn't over the top and it was limited to the beginning of the book.  The book began when Portia was a young woman and ended shortly after her son became seriously involved with that sociopath from the WBIS. I wasn't very interested in her story, but that is my own issue.  I did enjoy her take on Quinn and Mark's relationship.  I also enjoyed seeing another side of Gregor.  It was heartbreaking seeing him pine for Portia all those years.