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Ashworth, Adele - Someone Irresistable
Sat, Jun. 19th, 2004 12:07 amFirst of all, I was quite happy because this romance features the Victorian Era (because I am strange and somehow never took to Regency) and the clash of pre-modern and modern in the form of dinosaurs and dinosauria. Victorian-era science for some reason makes me incredibly happy. Actually, most pre-fifties era science makes me happy.
I really enjoyed this. It was fluffy and sexy and fun, and did I mention dinosaurs? I was obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid.
I also particularly liked it because the heroine (Mimi) deliberately sets out to seduce the hero and has absolutely no qualms about doing so. Now, I'm not quite sure how entirely accurate that is with the era, but I am pretty ignorant about all this, so it didn't particularly bother me. I like how she's not at all ashamed about using her own sexuality, about having fun with it and about the entire pleasure aspect. I feel too often the scenarios in romance books in which the heroine must seduce the hero for the sake of the country/for the sake of her family/for financial reasons/etc. and portrays a rather reluctant heroine sort of going into it like battle reinforces the entire "women are innocent and lovely and not to be sullied with sex or desire or lust" thing. So I liked this change. And I like how the author never looks down on the heroine because she does this and I like how there is no social repurcussion or punishment. Again, I don't know how realistic this is, given that it's the Victorian era, but it's rather nice to see a heroine have sex for fun and not become pregnant, become ostracized, be called a whore, or any other such nonsense.
The entire plot revolving around the hero (Nathan) and his attempt to unsully his reputation involves two too many plot twists, imho, but the plot I felt was mostly played for silliness and not heart-wrenching angst. And I like the fact that the Big Misunderstanding wasn't too big or too stupid.
Oh, also, I like how Mimi is a widow who liked her husband and rather enjoyed the physical act of sex with him, even though she didn't love him per se. I think too often the widowed heroine is shown actively despising her husband to make the path clear for the hero to sweep her off her feet and truly satisfy her (as can be seen reflected in so many shippy fics -- Buffy never really loved Angel/Riley/Spike and sex with Angel/Riley/Spike never really satisfied her!).
I think I will pick up more of this author's books.
I really enjoyed this. It was fluffy and sexy and fun, and did I mention dinosaurs? I was obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid.
I also particularly liked it because the heroine (Mimi) deliberately sets out to seduce the hero and has absolutely no qualms about doing so. Now, I'm not quite sure how entirely accurate that is with the era, but I am pretty ignorant about all this, so it didn't particularly bother me. I like how she's not at all ashamed about using her own sexuality, about having fun with it and about the entire pleasure aspect. I feel too often the scenarios in romance books in which the heroine must seduce the hero for the sake of the country/for the sake of her family/for financial reasons/etc. and portrays a rather reluctant heroine sort of going into it like battle reinforces the entire "women are innocent and lovely and not to be sullied with sex or desire or lust" thing. So I liked this change. And I like how the author never looks down on the heroine because she does this and I like how there is no social repurcussion or punishment. Again, I don't know how realistic this is, given that it's the Victorian era, but it's rather nice to see a heroine have sex for fun and not become pregnant, become ostracized, be called a whore, or any other such nonsense.
The entire plot revolving around the hero (Nathan) and his attempt to unsully his reputation involves two too many plot twists, imho, but the plot I felt was mostly played for silliness and not heart-wrenching angst. And I like the fact that the Big Misunderstanding wasn't too big or too stupid.
Oh, also, I like how Mimi is a widow who liked her husband and rather enjoyed the physical act of sex with him, even though she didn't love him per se. I think too often the widowed heroine is shown actively despising her husband to make the path clear for the hero to sweep her off her feet and truly satisfy her (as can be seen reflected in so many shippy fics -- Buffy never really loved Angel/Riley/Spike and sex with Angel/Riley/Spike never really satisfied her!).
I think I will pick up more of this author's books.
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