Review: The Hostage Bargain
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 06 23, 2012
I saw a tweet on Twitter on night about this book and decided it was something I needed to check out. On the first page I groaned when I saw it was a first person voice story. If you know me you know I don't like first person voice at all. I like to see what is going on in multiple characters minds and with first person, you have to rely on the one person to interpret everything for you. I moved on past that problem because I really thought the premise of the book was interesting.The story opens with Melinda working in a local bank that she hates when it is held up by three men. It seems no one that works there really likes the owners of the bank. In retaliation, Melinda helps them raid the bank. When there is some police action in the area they take Melinda with them as a hostage. The entire way she is helping them with little fear it felt for her own well being.As they are trying to get out of town, you learn that Melinda's parents have passed away and her sisters and her have inherited the sheep farm. This just felt so far fetched for me. I had a hard time keeping a straight face. And when she started throwing out Paris Hilton's name I wanted to die laughing.As she is helping the men evade the police, she realizes the bank won't foreclose on their sheep farm over bad press of the owner having been kidnapped inside their bank. So she makes a deal with the men to stay with them until the next job. But they have rules. Rules that basically say she is their sex slave. But one of the men in the group is more dimensional than the other two and doesn't go for it.In reality, Melinda is looking for a way out of her small town life and this seems to be the ticket. She's willing to have amazing sex with the men and do everything they tell her if it means she will remain free from the farm, which comes across selfish.There are three guys in this gang and they are extremely loyal to each other. You find out why later in the book. All three go by mythical God names, Zeus, Thor and Odin. Zeus is standoffish. He wants nothing to do with Melinda, who changes her name toIsis. Thor is the doctor and caregiver of the group, but does like his sex. Odin is the most sadistic of the group and harder to nail down.Overall, I didn't know what to make of this book because it was just unbelievable and when I was laughing it wasn't because it was funny it was because it was silly. I never grew to like any of the characters. Even the other bad men were unbelievable. It just wasn't my cup of tea.