What do you
think? Should I give him a try?
CONSOLATION PRIZE
Forbidden Men #9
Linda Kage
Released Nov 17th, 2016
Don't you just hate it when someone destroys all your carefully made plans?
I mean, I had goals: college to graduate in one semester, a future I was working hard to reach, and an image of myself I wanted the world to see. My life was stacked into these precisely placed blocks. But then Colton Gamble came along and knocked them all askew.
I hated how he messed everything up, how he could hog all my attention whenever he was around, how he made my pulse quicken--but only because he ticked me off...not because I was attracted to him. Oh! And I hated how he knew how attractive he was too, the shallow, full of himself, doesn't take no for an answer, too-flirty, too cocky, extremely irritating jerk.
The boy had all the qualities that turned me off. Or so I thought.
One night he wasn't quite the brainless, over-confident jerk I usually took him for.
One night, he took care of me when I was at my lowest. He opened up to me and made me open up to him.
Now I'm learning maybe he's not what I first thought he was. And maybe I'M not what I first thought I was. Maybe it’s okay to rearrange a couple of my perfectly set blocks. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll stop worrying about what I’m afraid everyone else will think and finally reach for something I really want. It’s possible some of my plans need to be destroyed, and Colton Gamble is exactly the kind of mess I need in my life.
What do you think? Should I give him a try?
Desperately seeking your advice,
Julianna Radcliffe
So this was my first Linda Kage read, and while I liked it, I unfortunately wasn't wowed by it. I loved the note Ms. Kage includes at the start of the book that another reader asked for an interracial story be written and I was all in agreement with said reader because I feel the same way about books that feature African American women as the main character.
I absolutely adored Colton, he's managed to come through his craptastic childhood without being a total tool, so kudos to that.
My main issue is with Julianna. I have zero issues with an interracial relationship, and in fact I was happy to learn that this book is centered on that fact. What I didn't care for was Julianna's attitude. About. Everything. She was so judgmental and just plain not nice. So while Julianna wasn't particularly "ghetto", she does seem to have the whole "Diary of Mad Black Woman" thing happening for her (hope no one is offended, I'm pretty familiar with the African American culture since I am of that same culture).
I don't have an issue with the older woman/younger man theme (I'm 4 years older than my husband), but I do wish that Colton and Julianna were older. Imagine trying to go out with your BAE and they can't get in to have a good time because they're only 18.
So in closing, while I adored Colton in this book, I do wish his love interest had been presented differently.
Linda
Kage grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the
youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, daughter,
and nine cuckoo clocks. Her life's been blessed with lots of people to learn
from and love. Writing's always been a major part of her world, and she is so happy
to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.
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