So you've probably noticed I haven't been talking about reading much lately. Besides the fact that moving just about sucked me dry, I'm in the middle of a horrible slump. Here's why:Entangled by Kathleen Dante
What's in a woman's heart...
Let's get this out of the way first - does this sound remotely like a paranormal? Nope - but sure enough, that's what it is. If I was this author I would be so pissed at Berkley's PR department, but that's just me. And as a reader, well if I had bought this book in the store I would be unhappy. Why? Because I'm personally a little tired of the whole mixing paranormal with erotica trend - so I tend to avoid these books. I know this isn't terribly fair to a lot of good authors, but hey - when a girl is burnt out, she's burnt out OK?Brilliant executive Kiera Stevens finds herself in a vulnerable position when she suspects insider espionage. Someone she trusts is stealing company secrets and threatening her professional future. What she needs is an undercover man...
What's on a man's mind...
Security expert John Atlantis never expected his client to be such a hot distraction. That's what makes his covert plan to pose as her lover so irresistible. What unfolds between them is no ruse-and what it sparks is beyond their control.Now, while their defenses are down, a devious high-tech spy is moving closer, and watching Kiera's every move. What he sees, he likes. And what he likes, he takes.
But let's chuck all that aside. Really, the PR thing isn't the author's fault. Unfortunately the boring story is. What we have here is a wallpaper paranormal. Now, I know I'm not the brightest crayon in the box - but the first several chapters had me really confused. Apparantly the hero can preform magic and the heroine is some sort of healer. That's about it for world building so far and I'm on page 100. Not a good sign. I really have no clue how this universe operates. The only way I can describe it is that instead of reading like book 1 in a series (which it is) it reads like book 4 or 5. That is, I feel like the author is assuming I know what the hell is going on. Also, instead of giving me some world building and in depth character development, I've gotten sex - a lot of sex - some of it bordering on the purple side.
So far this has been a classic case of "all sex and no plot." Couple that with the fact that the book packaging smells and looks like a contemporary suspense novel - well it's a recipe for disaster. The worst part is I have to keep reading it. Yep, it's for review - and I'm grossly behind on all my review books thanks to the move. I just need to sit my ass in a chair and get to work. The sooner I get this one done, the sooner I can move on to the mountain of other review books waiting for me.....
5 comments:
I had the same problem with Entangled. Picked it up expecting to read erotic romantic suspense and got magic and spells? Back to bookshelf.
ohhh I had no clue this was a paranormal... I would have been pissed.
talk about mislabeling...yea, I'm a paranormal erotica writer and I kind of feel the same way about vamps and werewolves. That's why i wrote about a ninja :)
Nice cover. You're right, it doesn't look a bit like a paranormal.
As for my paranormal...well, it's sexy, but not erotic. So if you ever pick it up, you're safe. ;-)
Gah! There isn't a hint of paranormal on the blurb or cover. How frustrating for you.
Last month (two months ago? I can't remember) I picked up "The Phantom of the Bathtub" and -- well, I reviewed it on B&N.com. Basically, I was misled from the get-go by the cover art, blurb, and heck, even by the writing.
I hate when I use my measly book budget on books that aren't what they appear. At least they benefit someone ... once I send them off to Goodwill.
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