Protection was non-negotiable.
And no matter what, we had to be home by midnight.
Jack was the one who wanted an open marriage, but we were supposed to keep things simple. No strings. No commitments. It seemed so easy… until it wasn’t.
Devilishly handsome Cole Blackwater was only supposed to be a fling, but everything about him made me feel alive. Wanted. Seen. When I realized he was my husband’s boss, I should have broken things off right then… but I didn’t.
One day a week, I could pretend that I was his and he was mine… until Cole wanted more.
But how could I decide between the man I’d promised to love, honor, and cherish, and the man who tempted me to break every single vow I’d made?
DNF at ... I don't really know. I stopped reading right around 20%, or slightly beyond when I made my GR update, and then skimmed the entire rest of the book. My views and thoughts on this book never once wavered or changed. It just didn't work for me. I think this is yet another case of a very intriguing synopsis luring me in with the possibility of something so forbidden, leading to a very emotional realization.....but the actual story and writing not working for me. I HATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS.
The TWO main reasons I couldn't handle this book were the characters and their personalities as well as the actual writing style/storytelling style. I'll break it down.
--> The characters:
CORINNE was a meek (some might say weak) woman. She was run by her husband's decisions, never her own. I personally didn't like that, but I understand not all women are strong and can stand up for themselves against someone they love. I totally get it. That's not what bothered me. It was that literally from ONE page to the NEXT she grew a backbone. While, yay! she got some nerves and strength, it made me shake my head. I mean, here her husband is telling her what's happening next in their world and she shrivels up and basically talks back/argues with her husband IN FRONT OF HIS BOSS like a petulant child. Ok? It wasn't like she was standing up for herself; she was whining. And THAT turns me off from a female character quicker than anything else. I don't do whining. But then....we lost that backbone 100 other times....waffling around and excusing pathetic stunts by her immature husband. It was so aggravating.
JACK was a self-centered, controlling, narcissistic jerk. The world revolved around him and he made all the decisions to suit HIM - not as a couple or part of a team. He also decided what was happening in their love life, so this was NOT a joint decision......again, all about HIM. I did NOT like him and every single thing he did was to benefit his own selfish agenda. Nope. No. Nuh uh. Not one thing was in his wife's best interests and he purposely sabotaged what was going on with her and Cole because his jealousy reared it's ugly head from a decision he mentally unanimously made!! I realize we were supposed to not like him, and Knoebel accomplished that ten-fold. I didn't like him even for one minute. Not one. But he was so over the top rude and mean to her that there should have been zero questions in Corinne's mind as to staying with him or working it out.
COLE was, for all intents and purposes, the token rich CEO of a company there to sweep Corinne off her feet. He was never going to fall in love and loved his one night stands....typical, right? Apparently, he was a romantic at heart. Who knew? Well, I felt sorry for him on more than one occasion because Corinne was literally so undecided she was practically leading him on the entire freaking story. It was completely and utterly frustrating to watch this amazing man falling in love with a married woman (knowingly), yet he would listen to her hemming and hawing about her asshole husband and be so supportive of her pain and anguish. It was increasingly frustrating to watch her teeter-totter in her decisions and watch Cole falter in his strength. I know Corinne was caught between a rock and a hard spot, but this was a no brainer, no questions asked dilemma!!! #TeamCole100%
--> The writing:
This book screamed forbidden and that always has me super excited. I love the fact that there was going to be an emotional tug of war because I love those. I really do, so this should have been a slam dunk for me. And what a different storyline to tease me with too! Well, when you dangle a sexy suggestion at the end of one chapter, you might want to pick it up in the next....instead of dropping it and not working it out because there were some serious missed opportunities to provide added temptation and true feelings in this one. It was more tell than show with not a single ounce of angst, which is always rough reading for me with this type of trope.
Another thing bothered me and made me question things. Why put SO MUCH emphasis on your vows (in the synopsis, all throughout the book), when you are going along with an open marriage? The fear of explaining 'everything' to her parents?? WHAT?? Why? It just made no sense and added to the wishy-washyness of this book. You are a grown adult. You should be making decisions based on what YOU want and not what you fear others may think. Ugh. And now I ask, what in the world is Five Reasons to Stay going to be about? Because if I had to hazard a guess, I would blame .... nevermind. Maybe not. This is a complete standalone, but there is another book coming. I will not be reading that one.
~BEE
~MEET CANDACE KNOEBEL~
Candace Knoebel is a hopeless romantic with an affinity for whiskey and good music. Her love of words began when she met the boy who lived in the cupboard under the stairs. She's a self-proclaimed Lost Girl. Words are her mirror.
With two completed series, her work ranges from paranormal to contemporary, all centered heavily around romance. Currently she lives in Florida with her husband and two children, and has just completed her thirteenth novel, The Taste of Her Words.
~CONNECT WITH CANDACE~
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