Book Review: Tangled Wires
Tangled Wires by Lillian Lark
5 stars
Category: Adult
Summary: Charlotte, the daughter of a famous inventor who recently passed, has just returned to work at her father’s company after her stint in the hospital and rehab after a suicide attempt after spiraling into depression after her father’s death. Her mother was a famous concert pianist who committed suicide when she was a young teenager, and since her teen years her emotions have been a rollercoaster with spirals into depression. After her mother’s death, her father built an android, Matthew, and though she was intrigued at first and even harbored a crush on him, Charlotte realized Matthew was built to replace her. He was perfect and strong and reliable in every way that she wasn’t and her father set up Matthew to run the company after his death. Upon her return, Matthew reminds her that they have both lost her father and that they have a lot in common, and that he realizes that they’ve grown apart and he’d like to be friends again and hints at even more than friends. But with being an android, she’s convinced that he can’t feel the same way a human can, so he couldn’t be actually in love with her, and he has been raised to be her brother.
Comments: There’s just something sexy about a machine finding that he is more than just the sum of his mechanical cogs and discovering just what humanity is and full range of emotion. While Charlotte’s dwelling on her spiraling depressions were tedious and repetitive, it was fascinating her denying herself just because she figured she’d eventually follow her mother’s fate. It was also interesting her working through her feelings, and trying to reconcile her feelings for Matthew and trying to figure him out, and argue with herself that it just wasn't healthy to be in love with a robot. And I couldn't help but feel for her every time she lashed out. I loved the two of them together, especially when he was trying to cheer her up with his cooking. I also loved the bonding they did over her father’s dismissive attitude. I loved how Matthew realized just how her father treated Charlotte. I loved the two characters in general. Though she’s a powerful business woman and so famous that tabloids follow her around, her character still grew on me with all of her worries, and insecurities. And Matthew seemed to have two distinct sides to him. He was the suave business CEO who could charm the entire office building and refuse to back Charlotte’s projects, while he also deeply cared about Charlotte and worried about her and protected her, and was willing to show off things he wasn’t good at like his cooking, and wanted her to get to know him. The only thing I really had a problem with was the couple of sex scenes in the book. Matthew’s dirty talk just sounded awkward and stilted, each time he said anything, and felt really out of place. Each time they were mainly having sex in anger, with him “punishing” her or taking revenge which she insisted turned her on, but it made me wonder just how healthy a relationship like that could be if they couldn’t just plain be happy or loving when together. It really made me want to see a scene of them in love. For the most part, this really isn’t a technical scifi. Yes, Matthew may have been an android, but aside from a scene or two, he mostly operates as being human, with just Charlotte doubting his humanity because of her past knowledge. Admittedly, I figured the twist at the end from nearly the beginning, so I was waiting for that shoe to drop. But it was still a fun scene when it did happen. In all, I loved this story, their trying to re-find their friendship, and get to know each other, and discover all of Matthew’s humanity, and him trying to protect her and be there for her in case of a relapse.
5 stars
Category: Adult
Summary: Charlotte, the daughter of a famous inventor who recently passed, has just returned to work at her father’s company after her stint in the hospital and rehab after a suicide attempt after spiraling into depression after her father’s death. Her mother was a famous concert pianist who committed suicide when she was a young teenager, and since her teen years her emotions have been a rollercoaster with spirals into depression. After her mother’s death, her father built an android, Matthew, and though she was intrigued at first and even harbored a crush on him, Charlotte realized Matthew was built to replace her. He was perfect and strong and reliable in every way that she wasn’t and her father set up Matthew to run the company after his death. Upon her return, Matthew reminds her that they have both lost her father and that they have a lot in common, and that he realizes that they’ve grown apart and he’d like to be friends again and hints at even more than friends. But with being an android, she’s convinced that he can’t feel the same way a human can, so he couldn’t be actually in love with her, and he has been raised to be her brother.
Comments: There’s just something sexy about a machine finding that he is more than just the sum of his mechanical cogs and discovering just what humanity is and full range of emotion. While Charlotte’s dwelling on her spiraling depressions were tedious and repetitive, it was fascinating her denying herself just because she figured she’d eventually follow her mother’s fate. It was also interesting her working through her feelings, and trying to reconcile her feelings for Matthew and trying to figure him out, and argue with herself that it just wasn't healthy to be in love with a robot. And I couldn't help but feel for her every time she lashed out. I loved the two of them together, especially when he was trying to cheer her up with his cooking. I also loved the bonding they did over her father’s dismissive attitude. I loved how Matthew realized just how her father treated Charlotte. I loved the two characters in general. Though she’s a powerful business woman and so famous that tabloids follow her around, her character still grew on me with all of her worries, and insecurities. And Matthew seemed to have two distinct sides to him. He was the suave business CEO who could charm the entire office building and refuse to back Charlotte’s projects, while he also deeply cared about Charlotte and worried about her and protected her, and was willing to show off things he wasn’t good at like his cooking, and wanted her to get to know him. The only thing I really had a problem with was the couple of sex scenes in the book. Matthew’s dirty talk just sounded awkward and stilted, each time he said anything, and felt really out of place. Each time they were mainly having sex in anger, with him “punishing” her or taking revenge which she insisted turned her on, but it made me wonder just how healthy a relationship like that could be if they couldn’t just plain be happy or loving when together. It really made me want to see a scene of them in love. For the most part, this really isn’t a technical scifi. Yes, Matthew may have been an android, but aside from a scene or two, he mostly operates as being human, with just Charlotte doubting his humanity because of her past knowledge. Admittedly, I figured the twist at the end from nearly the beginning, so I was waiting for that shoe to drop. But it was still a fun scene when it did happen. In all, I loved this story, their trying to re-find their friendship, and get to know each other, and discover all of Matthew’s humanity, and him trying to protect her and be there for her in case of a relapse.
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