by Kristan Higgins
4 Stars
Genre: Contemporary
Subgenre: Chick lit (IMO)
Heat level: Sort of steamy
Amazon Link
I don't think I've read a Harlequin in a while, so this one
caught me by surprise. It's sort of crosses the line from romance into chick
lit, but in a good way. (Nothing wrong with chick lit, but romance readers
often seem to want something more traditional.)
The heroine (Chastity) was absolutely awesome. She's smart,
snarky, full of life, but with a vulnerability that makes her completely
identifiable. Like most of us, she has body issues. The entire story is told
from her POV, and she's so funny, I had to stop working out while I read
because I was laughing so hard.
I also like that she was at that vulnerable age - thirties
and unmarried. That age appeals to me because when they find their 'happily
ever after,' I figure it's going to last a little longer than the HEAs in a
teen romance.
I really liked the hero, as well, but I wish we had gotten
more from his POV. Or at the very least, I wish there had been more interaction.
There was enough to not frustrate me, but I still wanted more. The focus on the
heroine's life and perspectives is one of the primary reasons I say it dipped a
toe over the line into chick lit. Nevertheless, the author did a decent job of
giving him a fleshed-out background and motivation.
The second big element that may surprise some traditional
romance readers is the drama that surrounds Chastity. Her family is a mess. I
wasn't crazy about the way some of their drama was wrapped up. It didn't feel
like an HEA to me, although they seemed perfectly content with life giving them
less than a fairy-tale ending.
Finally, although this wasn't a clean romance, there wasn't
a lot of swearing. (I'm trying to remember if there was any.) And, although the
storyline contained sex scenes, we were forced to endure a play by play.
All in all, well worth the read, and I will definitely be
picking up more by this author. Reading through other reviews, some of her
fans that didn't like this book named other books of hers they really liked.
I'll move on to those, but I think this one is a great one to start with if you
haven't read Kristan Higgans before.
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