Tuesday 15 April 2008

The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann.

Oops! I'd better be polite.

Obviously this book is written by a hugely talented and mega-successful author. But it is not for me. And I wondered why. Probably the reason is this. I think it’s weird if you still have the hots for someone you last met 16 years ago. And it’s disrespectful of what they may have made of their life. I absolutely know that serial monogamy is the norm nowadays…you marry and divorce (or change partners) every 5 years or so...but unless the writing is excellent I’m not that keen on reading about it. Romance, commitment, loyalty, respect, fidelity are all part of the same package. This novel is not for people who subscribe to that kind of thinking.

But most importantly. It’s not really a romance. More a small-town adventure caper. Like a grown-up version of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys featuring the two old coots from the Muppet Show. And boring boring boring. Vanilla. Mainstream. Boring. Well written though I’ll admit. It’s just personal taste that I don’t like stories where characters bicker for pages and pages. Also it would take a lot of special special writing to make me accept a hero with male pattern hair loss.

Plus. Did I get this wrong. But there were a minimum of 3 courtships in this story. That's far too many. And each couple is a stereotype. Dork, SEAL, rich girl, coot; all cyphers. Everyone knows that like gets attracted to like. Especially in a small town. So all these couples manufactured purely to appeal to a diverse readership I found to be a construction too far.

I did finish the book. But no more. Give me interesting, stimulating, emotionally involving over successful any any day.

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