Review: Good story - but could be written better.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 7, 2013
I like the story.  Logan is funny.  Initially I felt the writing was stilted, with some formal ways of speaking.  Nice that the Mannette family are so open (really open) about sexuality and domestic discipline.  I do not like the domestic discipline practice of spanking spoken in the same sentence as spanking children - just ewww.  Now Logan is an artisan in the art of smacking with implements and is loved at the parties...hmmm not sure how tasteful that is.  Anyway, Christian has returned from the war - where because he defended a gay soldier he was targeted with a grenade and nearly killed.  I would have thought the family would have seen him during his recovery but no, he surprises them at home on discharge.  He had been receiving therapy to knock the gay out of him after the friendly fire incident - but the story was he was defending a gay man.  There is no story line of an investigation into friendly fire and there would be.  The therapy while he was recovering in the army was supposed to make him have an aversion to gay but didn't - now he is gay, for Logan.  I do think you can fall in love with someone and you are totally for them so I don't have a problem per se, but some of the story line is jumpy and doesn't flow.  I also think there is a lot of boring details that fill the book - but not written well enough to paint the picture the author is going for.  I have issues with the 'was likely to be' fiance being so accepting of Christian being with Logan instead of her. But they were friends first so ok.  But then Christian's brother Brian comes on the scene like a religious zealot after his parents have accepted Christian's coming out - their threat to Brian was all bluster.  If that lack of acceptance of others by Brian who is a pastor were to have been used better in the story and there was to have been a resolution it would have added to the story.  I can't seem to explain the incongruities enough.  BUT I will say that despite the awkward writing and the use of 'lesson' instead of 'lessen' a few times, and the other things I mentioned, I did enjoy the book.  The bones of the story idea is fine.  And it is an enjoyable read if you try not to be too critical. Get a free sample to see what you think.