Nicola Rendell

I read a solid half of this book, which is my threshold for leaving a review. I think the author's voice is great, and there was a lot to like, but a few things hit my buttons exactly the wrong way and I couldn't stay in it.

For example, the first time the couple has sex, he's inside her and says

"Are we going to screw around with condoms, or are you going to let me come inside you?"

Now, I went back through the first 30% of the book to check, and they had never discussed contraception or sexual health. This dude travels the world for his television show and has women throwing themselves at him all the time. She may be sexually chaste, but he's not. And they've never talked about it! Worse, the heroine doesn't tell him to F off, she just says "is it safe" and he makes a joke and there they go, having the sex. What if she had said no? There are several mentions of how he was so good that he didn't have to ask what she wanted and blah blah blah, and I know that's a fantasy, right? The guy who knows exactly what you need and gives it to you without that awkward first sex experience...

But I'm sorry, I'm not able to ignore this kind of thing in the year 2018. The parrot is also very funny but named General Lee and I have a hard time joking about the Civil War.

All in all, this was not the book for me. The hero is very alpha, pushing the heroine beyond what she's comfortable with, spying up her skirt and other icky things. I'll try another of her books, but this one? This hero? Nope.… (mais)