The Erotic Book Club: March 2021
Scroll down for the discussion questions and my end-of-the-month thoughts on the book.
Well, after last month’s disappointment, I went for something light and romantic for March. This month, it’s a trilogy of short novellas by two different writers.
The first of the series, The Irishman, is by Elisa Leigh. The second two are by M.K. Moore (I couldn’t find her author page, but here she is on Goodreads).
These novellas are of the romance sub-genre #instalove – and while likely a bit cheesy and predictable, I often find these types of stories to be positive and uplifting, which is perfect for the earliest of spring. These novellas are inexpensive, quick/easy reads, paired perfectly with the holiday of the month.
Get them here:
Enjoy! And head on back here periodically through the month and at the end of the month to share your 2 cents.
I’ll posts some questions here and on the Facebook Group Page to get the dialogue going.
Discussion Questions:
How did you feel about the quality of the writing?
Did you find the situation and characters likeable…believable?
How about the dialogue/dialect?
My own thoughts: I can surely say that I could hear the Irishman in my head…so the dialogue/dialect worked for me in that regard. And if I’m just considering the sentence structure and word choice, this is acceptable writing. But, good god, the story itself is cringe-worthy.
By page 6, my notes were “this seems out of character…and she’s losing me. It’s over the top and unbelievable.” For grumpy Gareth to go from “leave me the fuck alone” with the blond bombshell waitress to “I’m going to marry that brunette….she’s mine…no one else touch her….ever…she’s my soul mate…I’m in love” within seconds/minutes was comical. His possessiveness, which I’m sure the author means to come across as romantic, really just feels creepy and stalkerish. And then the dialogue starts to really go down hill – swoony and bodice-ripper-ish. I felt the characters needed fainting couches: “How dare he talk to me that way, I’m a lady…” “Fuck, Caitlin, you smell so good….” “‘Gareth.’ I moan wantonly, needing him to touch me. The amount of desire coursing through me is far greater than I’ve ever felt. What is this man doing to me?”
By page 16, my notes were, “This is terrible.”
Chapter three brought this gem: “She scampered away like a scared little bunny running from the hungry wolf the second I gave her some space. She’s right to be scared of me. There’s nothing I won’t do to make her mine and keep her with me always.” Mind you…he’s just met her.
I gave up by chapter 3, after Gareth conveniently “saves” Caitlin from the back alley rape: “Shh, I got you, sweetheart. I won’t let anything hurt you.” Yes, not she’s sweetheart. By page 19, I was ill: “Doesn’t she know I’d do everything for her?” By page 20 I was done: “Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll walk away right now. Then I’ll be back tomorrow to make you fall so deeply in love with me that by the time the sun is setting you won’t even realize I’ve stolen your heart and made you mine for eternity.”
Blech…gag.
I’m out.
Now that I really have a good picture of what #instalove is, I will kindly avoid these for the rest of my life.
One Comment
Lisa Stone
Spring. Time to read something light.