A double dare that turned into a double, double dare #challengeissued - saw a cute little package arriving on my doorstep. A small romance book to be read. Complete with chocolates. Anything that arrives with chocolate HAS to be good right?
Not really.
Friday night, I went to bed and started reading the small 241 page book.
Now can I just state for the record, I may have held a few pre-conceived notions about Mills and Boon. I've never ever been compelled to read a M&B book before & its not as though I don't love a good romance - hello Danielle Steele - I may or may not own the entire collection. Looking at the M&B web page I am seeing a lot of "sexy" on the front covers - so really is it ANY wonder that I entered this challenge with high expectations of a good looking couple having a good old romp down by the creek?
YEAH!
My chosen book was anything but that vision in my mind. Sure the romping was insinuated and the first few pages held great promise…
"With the urgency of a wild bee discovering the world's most tempting honey, Will pulled her closer and took the kiss deeper."
Ok. So. Now I know where the Bee in the Birds and the Bees originated from.
Leaving aside the lack of shall we call it 'sexy romance - insinuated not applied' is the point I get all scornful about the storyline. For all intents and purposes the subject matter of the book was probably NOT the best suited for me (if you know me and have been reading my personal blog for awhile, it should make sense - so excuse me while I go off on this little rant…)
"Getting noticed by the gorgeous best man is every bridesmaids dream. Discovering she's pregnant thrills her - but is Will going to stay to meet his baby?"
I know blurbs are supposed to pull you in - make you want to read the book, and I know choosing a book that mentions pregnancy and baby is surely a sign that there will be a 'surprise' pregnancy involved. BUT.
The Bridesmaid & Best Man are actually old friends from high school, with a simmering mutual attraction that neither will admit. I felt like screaming JUST TALK ALREADY!!! Contrary to what you would like to believe will happen in the book, they do NOT go home after the wedding and well you know. No. No. No.
Now that storyline I could have accepted.
No. This story has the audacity to include a miscarriage PLUS a failed IVF attempt on page 15. I should have stopped there. IVF is NOT a subject to be treated lightly and while I can see why the author felt the need to add it, it just didn't sit right with me. A few minutes later, surprise surprise a surrogacy pregnancy appears on page 21. Twins even. Oh Yay.
Putting aside my own personal feelings on the subject; I have read books before that have unplanned pregnancies & babies. I have read a book written entirely about IVF from a male perspective. So I can deal. This one I just couldn't accept. Romanticising IVF is just plain wrong in my opinion. Having ONE failed (a la natural cycle) and being absolutely crushed because it didn't happen. OH COME ON.
Then there was the subject of age. Maybe I could have accepted the storyline a little better, had the character been in her late 30's - biological clock ticking yada, yada. Funnily enough her age wasn't really mentioned, the prologue however started after they finished University so I'm thinking they would have been 22 perhaps? The main story started with the Male lead returning to his hometown after 10 years and a brief mention "A woman in her thirties with a loudly ticking biological clock" which in my estimation puts the characters in their VERY early 30's? I understand the desire women get for wanting babies, I understand all too well the feelings of failed cycles - but in my opinion a 200 page book that we all know is going to end happily is likely NOT the best setting to bring in such sensitive topics.
All in all I was extremely disappointed. I had wanted to read a good wholesome romance book to prove Kylie wrong, but sadly it has not shown me the goods.