This book is so beautiful that I'm a little bit speechless.
The language soars. It is rich and melodic and evocative. There are very strong characters...moreThis book is so beautiful that I'm a little bit speechless.
The language soars. It is rich and melodic and evocative. There are very strong characters and I really related to Clair and her romantic wanderlust. I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes because everything glowed with magic.
The title and the cover threw me off a bit. I was expecting it to take place in the 1700s and be far removed from reality. Actually it takes place in the 1960s and calls forth startling detail of the area as well as the emotions of the characters. I found it to be realistic, believable, but with a dash of romanticism sharpening the whole beautiful world.
This is the best book I've read in recent memory. I highly recommend it.(less)
This is, to date, the best romance genre novel that I have read.
The action was believable, but exciting. It was paced well and the entire book took pl...moreThis is, to date, the best romance genre novel that I have read.
The action was believable, but exciting. It was paced well and the entire book took place over just a few days. I loved the way the author described each moment and movement of the characters. It drew me right into the story. There was a subtle suspense plot running under the surface and it provided just enough extra tension to really enhance the love story.
It is the story of former partners and lovers who have not seen each other for five years, not since Matt was paralyzed in a freak climbing accident. Alex (the girl, most of the girls in this book have boy names) tried to stick by him at the time, but he wasn't able to deal. His brother convinces him to go back and try to make up for it, but someone else has another agenda.
Impressively, this is the most believable portrayal of paraplegia I have ever seen in a romance novel. I found Matt very real and thought the descriptions of how he moved were accurate and well written. I also completely bought it when he performed some amazing, daring rescues!
My complaints are minor. This, as seems to be a tradition with romance novels, is part of a series of related stories. It's clear there was a previous book about Matt's brother Cory and his wife. I haven't read that one and it was not necessary to enjoy this book, but there were a lot of references to things that must have happened in the other.
Two minor points about the SCI. It was strange to me that Matt was driving a van with a wheelchair lift. I've never known a t-10 para to waste time with a slow lift, not to mention the expense, all the guys I know drive a regular car. Second, there's a line: "flexed his hands in the leather gloves all people in wheelchairs wore to protect..." I don't know of a single thing that ALL people in wheelchairs do. Certainly not gloves. Some do and some don't wear them.
I liked that Matt was appealing man and not a jerk, the romantic tension came from other places. I appreciated that discussions of paraplegia and love-making were not glossed over with an "he's low level, so everything is fine."
A good solid romance with all the regular elements. The writing was good with pacing, atmosphere, and engaging all the senses. The hero is a paraplegi...moreA good solid romance with all the regular elements. The writing was good with pacing, atmosphere, and engaging all the senses. The hero is a paraplegic and (typically of these types of books) has a low-level and incomplete injury so that sex is not at all hindered. The sex scenes themselves are not shown, but the sexual tension and kissing, etc. are well drawn.
It had just a couple moments of weirdness. There was a "the endless meal came to an end," but most of the writing was very engaging and the story fun and interesting. The character of the little girl was particularly believable and enjoyable.
One thing that was odd was a throw-away line about a woman who thinks wheelchairs are hot. The man dismisses her as a "curiosity seeker." This seemed like a really strange description to me. As a woman who thinks wheelchair are hot, I've dated many men with SCI and know a lot more about it than your average person. Curious is not the word that would describe me and if the woman's friend knew about her interest, then I can't imagine she was an in-the-closet dev. However, she was never a character, so no need to dwell on that!
The love story itself is sweet and enjoyable and if you like straightforward romances, this is the book for you.(less)
A great mystery, with unexpected turns, much more complex than what the movie ended up doing (a shame, the movie changed the plot, the bad guy, the mo...moreA great mystery, with unexpected turns, much more complex than what the movie ended up doing (a shame, the movie changed the plot, the bad guy, the motivation, and genders, names, and races of most of the characters. Weird.)
The main character is quadriplegic, which only factors in occasionally. It isn't until the end that he actually gets out of bed and starts engaging with life again.
There are many books in the series, but this one is the best. (less)
The sweetest YA love story I have ever read. A geeky girl and a recently paralyzed boy don't see eye to eye at first, but come to understand one anoth...moreThe sweetest YA love story I have ever read. A geeky girl and a recently paralyzed boy don't see eye to eye at first, but come to understand one another eventually.(less)
This book is a fun, sweet, enjoyable read. It's not life changing. The main character is an adult woman taking a creative writing class. She's fascina...moreThis book is a fun, sweet, enjoyable read. It's not life changing. The main character is an adult woman taking a creative writing class. She's fascinated by her mysterious professor and hunts him down, discovering that he is paraplegic.
He is more enjoyable than many of the very dramatic romance novels with disabled heroes. He lives an independent life, is mostly well-adjusted, and fights the creepy bad guy.
However, in a lot of ways it doesn't feel like he is connected. In other words, the writing lightly flies past how he moves, how he is living on a houseboat, how he deals with stairs, and the effect is he seems to be floating, not grounded in the world.
Everyone in the town is trying to do their patriotic duty by looking after the young man who has come bac...moreThis is a short story with vivid characters.
Everyone in the town is trying to do their patriotic duty by looking after the young man who has come back from war a quad amputee. However, their well-meaning ideas and philosophizing are not helpful to him. Everyone is scared off except the one woman who doesn't want to help. Koty has her own life to deal with, but her angry and abusive husband insists that she go and "babysit" Jamie.
An unexpected connection develops between them and just as it gets interesting, the story ends. I know the author is working on expanding it, and I am really looking forward to the novel version. (less)
Very sexy read! The writing is sensual and sexy and I loved it even though I wouldn't want to do most of the things the characters do! It has an upbea...moreVery sexy read! The writing is sensual and sexy and I loved it even though I wouldn't want to do most of the things the characters do! It has an upbeat tone and great chemistry with the characters. I'm sure I'll be reading this one more than once!
Mary is a devotee and Madden's descriptions of her desires and feelings are astoundingly accurate.
Here is a brief excerpt: "I have a thing. A bad thing. A perverted thing. A heart-stopping, lust-inducing, bad, secret, kinky thing. A thing for boys who can't walk. And, no, I have no idea why. Of course, I've tried to work it out. Of course, I've got nowhere...But I guess it's always this way with things like this, isn't it? I mean, your body doesn't do 'why?' does it? Your blood doesn't explain why it pumps the way it does. Your heart doesn't tell you why it beats faster. Your tissue, your bones, they're not going to scribble you a quick enlightening Post-It about why certain strange things equal certain strange feelings...I guess what I really think is that-- for me-- if you can explain exactly why something turns you on, pinpoint some life- and lust-changing event that skewed your sexuality one way or another...then it really can't turn you on all that much, not if you can analyze it in a clear-headed way like that. It can't be getting to you in a proper, deep, right-there-in-the-bone-marrow kind of way. Well, that's my theory. So don't expect too much in the way of cold hard reductionism about exactly why I like boys in wheelchairs. I just do. Like some people like firefighters and some (rather more dubious people) like choirboys."
Good, strong, solid writing and characters that absolutely shine. I highly recommend this book.(less)
Incredibly beautiful. The writing is top notch. Even though we live our lives in a linear way, this method of showing the relationship between two peo...moreIncredibly beautiful. The writing is top notch. Even though we live our lives in a linear way, this method of showing the relationship between two people feels much more like real life: the ins and outs, the growth and struggles, the love that solidly grounds it all.(less)
The characters were interesting and their struggles to come together felt plausible. I loved that Dar is not a two-dimension...moreI really enjoyed this one.
The characters were interesting and their struggles to come together felt plausible. I loved that Dar is not a two-dimensional stereotype. He's running his business, designing wheelchairs for hiking and other sports.
Cassie, as a well-known model, understands him in a way he doesn't expect. They both know about being judged on appearances. (less)
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