Review: Underwhelming Romance (C Grade)
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 04 23, 2011
The Reluctant Nude by Meg Maguire was one I thought I'd really enjoy from all the buzz and raving reviews behind it. Halfway through, this story stalled for me. The major reason was the underdevelopment of the heroine, Fallon Frost. We're told she has some deep seated issues and doesn't seem comfortable with affection. I really couldn't see it at all because of not showing and using the good old fall back device of telling to get a point across. Fallon is too one-dimensional and flat. I didn't believe at any point the chemistry and passion world-renowned classical sculptor, Max Emery has for Fallon. Meg tries to make a good case why Max is attracted to Fallon and wants to break down those self-imposed walls she has placed around her, but the way it's shown doesn't have enough reasoning to back it up.Fallon is trying to save her house from an evil, rich man, who we only see in passing through phone calls Fallon has with him. Fallon will be able to keep her house if she poses nude and has a sculptor made into her likeness by Max. With no other choice, Fallon accepts and will spend the three months it will take Max to create this work of art. He thinks Fallon is doing this for her fiancé and since he's been given a great deal of money for the commission, he has no qualms about doing it. Right from the beginning he figures out Fallon is hiding something and he'll get to the bottom of it. Max has a way of taunting Fallon into opening up, which slowly evolves into an interesting friendship between them that leads into the bedroom. As Fallon puts her heart on the line, she'll eventually have to leave Max for her life she has put on hold, as well as try and tell him the truth about the why she's being sculpted into stone.I found Max to be very appealing as a playful, hermit like Frenchman who loves to eat and drink wine. Fallon is just too weakly written to keep up with him and carry along the story and the growing sexual tension between them. Max's courting of Fallon is very slow until it builds up and explodes. The love scenes were tastefully done, but again because I couldn't believe the bond Fallon and Max have created, I wasn't involved emotionally. The writing isn't bad, but I wasn't swept up in what should have been a grand and all-consuming romance.Katiebabs