Review: Bi-Racial Stepford Wife Meets Obnoxious Cowboy
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 01 10, 2012
I really wanted to like this book because it's got so many of my favorite things. An alpha male. A heroine with a troubled past. Cowboys and ranches. Reluctant love.Yet, I just couldn't get past the following enough to enjoy the story -1) The heroine is PERFECT. Some of this is to be expected since romance novels are escapist pieces, but the way Selena was presented began to annoy me. She had no flaws. Her body is the most perfect body ever. Even though she is 23 when she puts on shorts she looks even younger (Um...ew Travis...you're in your 30s...it excites you that she looks like a teenager when she shows her legs?) She is exotic looking with an unusual color of eyes(I can't remember, but I think they were violet eyes.)Even when she's completely dirty and has been walking the desert for days, her waist length, black hair is still shiny and beautiful. Every man that sees her wants to either marry or protect her (including a teenager). The teenager in the story tells Travis if he doesn't marry her, he will. All animals love her, including a feral skunk that returns after FIVE YEARS to show her his family.*******SPOLER ALERT********Even after having three children, she loses all her baby weight and is even more beautiful than five years before. Her grandmother is also just as beautiful, except she is SLIGHTLY older looking with blonde hair. PLEASE, can I have a drink from this amazing fountain of beauty and youth?********End Spoiler******She is an amazing chef that can cook American and Mexican food from scratch. She doesn't get angry when the hero grabs her wrist numerous times and yanks her places. When he yells at her, tells her not to EVER leave his house, threatens her, stands over her mencingly, etc, all she ever does is "tear up". Even though Travis literally holds her hostage (not in a sensual way, more like a "stay in the kitchen and cook" sort of way) it's all good.2) There is no conflict. Girl meets boy. Boy refuses to let girl leave house. Boy lusts for girl. Girl is uncertain for 3 pages. Boy and girl get together. The end.3) Travis is borderline psycho. Again, I love possessive, domineering (and dominating) Alpha heroes. But he took it too far and I could easily see him someday killing Selena, setting the ranch on fire, then shooting himself in the head. He is just too dependant which is pathedic, not sexy when presented in such a manner.How did he ever live without Selena? He falls in love with her beauty...what about all the other beautiful women he talks about that he knew during his stint as a rodeo star?His obsession just isn't sexy...it becomes creepier and creepier as the book goes on. Again, I can do some creepy...I love that the Phantom of the Opera spirited away Christine Daae and tried to force her to marry him by threatening her fiance. Travis though just didn't do it for me.4) Selena's pain. Over the top and unrealistic. It only lasts for one day and is so bad she can barely stand to cook Travis food, then she is perfectly fine without taking so much as a Midol?I feel really bad tearing this book a new one, but it just really made me sad and annoyed because it really could have been a wonderful story if the characters had been developed better and the author had introduced more conflict (the hero biting off the head of any man that talks to or looks at Selena [including Juan who is old enough to be Selena's grandfather] does NOT count)