Skip to main content

Ah, cheesy romance novels

So, I read one last week.  I'd seen the author's name come up on the book lists numerous times so I was curious.  After the first three pages, I almost didn't pick it up again.  This past week I had been talking to my writing students about how important it is for a book to be realistic, authentic.  Well, this book wasn't!  Not at all!  But, there was a special reason that the book's story struck me.

The book is titled On Lone Star Trail by Amanda Cabot.  The story follows TJ and Gillian as their paths intersect at the Rainbow's End Resort, owned by Gillian's best friend.  At the very beginning of the story, there is a sudden rainstorm, and TJ hydroplanes on his motorcycle.  He hits a guardrail--enough to completely bend his front wheel, flips over the handle bars, and stands up with only a few bruises to show for it.  Really?  I laughed out loud.  The man was wearing a helmet and a leather jacket (good protection), but it didn't mention that he had anything other than probably jeans on his legs and boots.  My husband has ridden motorcycles for seven or eight years and is very safety conscious.  The idea that a man could flip over a railing (likely put there because there was an incline on the other side) and be okay?

I asked my husband how likely this scene could happen.  His answer?  Yes, it is possible--But, highly unlikely.

The author could simply have had TJ get a flat tire, which would have been enough to strand him and his motorcycle so that he'd need a lift from Gillian somewhere.

Reviewing books for the past ten years has taught me to pay attention to how stories are written and weather a book sounds authentic or not.  Could this story happen?  Not really.  That scene was the tip of the iceberg.  It's an idealistic romance novel.  I likely won't read a novel by this author again.  Her writing is fine.  It flows and there were just a few jumps.  The cover reminded me of a Harlequin novel.  But, there's a question I often find that I have after reading a plot line like this one.  How long after a spouse dies, is the other ready to be in a serious relationship again?  Is a year enough time?  18 months?  2 years?  I am skeptical that the time needed to grieve is realistically as short as many authors, including Amanda Cabot, paint it in their stories.  I don't know, though.  A friend of mine was engaged to a young man who passed away and it took her several years to recover.

Would I recommend this book in the Christian romance genre?  Not really.  I think there are better ones out there if that is what you're looking for.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Revell Books.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grieved

Why is it that my generation (I belong to Gen X) and generations after us always seem to think that they know more than the generations that have come before us? Why is there such a lack of respect in our generation for our elders? Why do we think that the liturgy of the church and hymns are irrelevant? It is ironic to me that the emergent movement is saying that the seeker sensitive movement is irrelevant. It seems as if it was only a few years ago when it was the seeker sensitive movement that said to the traditional church that it (the traditional church) was irrelevant. I'm reading a book with all of these big words and I want to be honest--I didn't understand a lot of it. I'm not dumb. I understood most of it, but the author was assuming a lot of background knowledge on the part of the reader. Most of the time I learn deep theological concepts and then I have to store them in my "attic" (as Autumn would say) because there isn't enough room in the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Missing Pieces

The other day I was discussing a book with my mom and explaining to her my concern about how "blame" is cast upon the child in the story.  My mom commented about how deeply I read and consider what is written. Sometimes I wonder if I go overboard.  Am I questioning too much?  Am I overreacting? Why am I reacting this way? I come back to knowing that God wired me this way.  But, I also reflect on how God has guided my path through the maze of books I've read over the past few years and what I've learned from the books themselves and from reading them.   Recently, I read a book that troubled me.  The book I finished reading was  Guiltless Living  by Ginger Hubbard.  When I began reading it, I found myself puzzled and then disconcerted. And in the end, I cried. But, I cried for a different reason than one might suspect. I'd like to explain. I did not read Ms. Hubbard's previous book “ Don't Make Me Count to Three ”, but I knew from f...
Post a Comment
Read more

ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV. I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me ( http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ ) I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language. Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be consid...
Post a Comment
Read more