Sometimes I can read a book that has an "old fashioned" story, and I'm happy to enjoy an old story told well. But there were some scenarios from older romances that I didn't particularly like the first time around - and they haven't gotten better with age...
The Seduction of His Wife by Janet Chapman
(2006, Contemporary) 8/6/06
Grade: 2.5
After Alex is declared dead, his family marries him by proxy to their housekeeper, to protect his two children. It’s a shock to everyone when he comes home safely - but especially to Sarah, who never expected a real husband. Despite their first, passionate night together, Sarah is unsure if she can trust Alex’s charm, and allow him to rescue her from her past.
Despite mostly likeable characters and a readable writing style, this book annoyed me most of the time. Start with the “she’s a slut - oh no, she’s a virgin” scenario (which of course ends in the typical romance way). Add the fiesty-but-helpless heroine, who is too feminine and cute to be able to take care of herself (although she tries, sweet thing that she is) and who naively beguiles every man within 100 miles. Then add a hero who is nice enough, but always thinks he knows best and treats the heroine accordingly (and everyone around agrees, naturally). I can’t say that this was a bad book, but it just pushed my buttons - I kept wanting to gag.
This was my book club book, so I felt like I had to finish it. Otherwise I would have dropped it in the trade pile after the first chapter or two.
It's hard for me to assess this book, because there's nothing really awful here. I know some people like this type of story - why else would Diana Palmer still be popular? But the stereotypical "helpless but in a cute way" heroine just irritated me, and I was never able to get past it. (Not to mention the "oops, she's a virgin, she must be good" setup which I thought was gone and forgotten.)
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