Title: Sweet Water
Author: Anna Jeffrey
Year published: 2005
Why did you get this book? I saw that it got very good reviews in a couple of places and since I like trying new authors – I thought I’d give it a shot
Do you like the cover? Yes – It’s a wonderful cover
Did you enjoy the book? – Um – since it’s a DNF – that would be no
Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Yes – new author and no not interested in trying anything else by her.
Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing it on
Anything else? I don’t want anyone thinking this is a bad book. It isn’t. It just didn’t work for me. The heroine was a wonderfully compassionate person and the secondary characters were very interesting. The story premise was an intriguing one but I think it was the hero that did the book in. He just didn’t do a thing for me. Uber rich, gorgeous guy – what’s not to love? But I didn’t. First off the author did a big no-no for me and described him as looking like Mel Gibson. I really don’t like when an author uses a celebrity – any celebrity, even if it’s one I’m hot for - to describe the looks of a hero. I think that’s a cop out. Plus I don’t think poor Mel has aged well and he’s turned a wee bit loony and I don’t want to picture him as the hero. Now if it had been the Meg Gibson from the movie The Bounty
– well – it might not have been quite so bad. I still would have considered it cheating – but cheating I could handle *grin*.
In addition, in one of the more shallow judgements of a hero, I couldn’t get past his name – Terry. Name association played too much a role here. I worked with a couple of Terry’s and they were both well past retirement age and had white hair and glasses. One was way too tall and the other was very short. Whenever I read the heroes’ name, it brought unwelcome mental images. Not that there was anything wrong with the Terry’s I worked with – I just didn’t want their faces associated with a romance book.
I did get quite a ways into this one once again before throwing in the reading towel. But I just got to the point where I realized I just wasn’t enjoying it and since my TBR pile is huge, really I was wasting my time in trying to finish it for the challenge. So anyone thinking of getting or reading this book – don’t go by me.
'til later
6 comments:
I don't like it when authors use famous people to describe their main characters either. Sometimes it can be done in a way that's okay, but rarely.
And name association I have a lot of trouble getting over too. I have a book sitting in my TBR pile that I've been ignoring because the heroine's name is the same as someone I know, it's June who's my grandma.
I'm actually all right with the name recognition because half the time you could stop me in the middle of reading and ask me the hero and heroine's names and I couldn't tell you. The worst are the ones that I have no clue how to pronounce. It causes a stumbling block that can ruin the flow of reading. Amanda Quick was horrible for this.
As for celebrities - it's a cop out. I don't want to read a romance with Mel Gibson as the main character. Worse, someone elses idea of beauty can be my idea of yetch. I think one author compared her heroine to Meg Ryan. Yeah, I get it. Cute and Perky. I think it also ages a book to use examples of celebrities. If an author can't describe her characters without resorting to celebrities then she isn't trying.
CindyS
Name recognition is fine most of the time - let's face it, over the years we are going to meet at least one person in real life named in a book, but when it's someone (like the Terry's) you don't want to picture as heroes it can be a wee bit distracting, especially if the book isn't really grabbing you to begin with *grin*
I don't like name dropping, whether it's describing characters or what stores they visit or the type of car they drive.
I'm only slightly better than Cindy when it comes to remembering characters, I remember names, but really couldn't care less what they actually look like.
The "Terry" thing wouldn't have worked for me either.
Hmmmm
Well I already have it and plan to read it... some day.
hee, really a month without buying books would be good for me. Ten to one I own a new book by the end of the week ;)
AJ is really hit or miss with me. I read her first three and only kept one. When you think about the fact they all sort of tie together and I GAVE up two without shaking ;). That says something.
Where did you find it? Interesting read Midway kia in shermantexas Government grants and scholarship Awnings prices patio Just in time accounting
Post a Comment