Christina Dodd 'Touch of Darkness'
After enduring the last paranormal from Christina Dodd ,whose heroine was really terrible, I was Not going to read this one, I swear. But then Erin bought it and gave it to me. Well, it was free, what can I say.
And surprisingly I liked this one. I liked the hero a bit more and definitely liked the heroine a lot more. The story starts in Scotland, who doesn't like that...the plot was moving right along. Then bam (so to speak), it happened again. What is Christina Dodd doing with the forced sex scenes? "Don't." "No" she whispered and "Damn you. Get off!" I just don't know what to think about this. Can I condone this because the heroine is emotionally closed and trying to get away from the 'threat' of Rurik's love. Or do I think a guy who forces you to have sex with him to break down emotional barriers is just an idiot, and a sicko.
It was easier to ding the last book cause I didn't really like the H/H. What to do....what to do. Help me out here people!
Paranormal Romance 2007: 3 of 5 stars.
8 comments:
OMFG Lis, I just found out that our local bookstore has a Romance Book Reading group called Desert Hearts! They are currently reading Pleasure Trap by Elizabeth Thornton, so that is my next request for you to review.
Are you going to crash the book club with my cliff notes in hand? When is the meeting so I know how quickly I have to get this done. Can we get Anne to hide in the stacks and take your picture!?
I so can not see you ever saying OMFG. Are you sure some one isn't borrowing your avatar? Or is your online personality different than you in person?
Okay, I ordered it from PaperbackSwap. But it does take a week or two to get it normally. Do I need to just buy this one and cancel the order?
As far as my online personna, I was trying to get into "Bodice Ripper" mode. I don't think you need to rush this next review, since quite honestly there is no way in hell I'm going to attend the book meeting.
Yep, and don't expect me to join Desert Hearts. I don't even have an avatar so I'm certainly not going to have any face-to-face interaction. (Shudder.)
Re: your dilemma about forced sex scenes--I can understand your discomfort especially since we live in a culture that still objectifies women and where there's still a frightening amount of silencing of and violence against women. Yes, I live in Vegas where a whole economic base is built on female bodies so one might argue that my perspective is a bit skewed, but any basic internet search will bring up images that show we still have a long way to go, baby....
On the flip side, most of those objectified representations are for male pleasure and consumption. But romance novels are directed at a female audience and certainly rape fantasies are a part of many women's imaginative repertoire. Does having an author (especially a female author) who caters to women's sexual fantasies actually challenging notions of what constitutes female desire? (In other words, women don't just want the stereotypical soft music, roses and tender kisses, they want the rough stuff too.) Is it empowering and perhaps even subversive? Or are such narratives just buying into misogynistic ideas about female sexuality? In other words, are women acquiesing to a subordinate position by accepting a masculine fantasy of dominance and control over women as their own?
See how I cleverly took your dilemma and your questions and turned them around to pose them as question to you? Nice, eh? My students used to hate it when I did that.
Okay my head hurts. I keep thinking, yes, this author is acquiescing and doesn't need to pedal to women's dislike of taking control of their own sexuality. Then I think, my goodness if a girl wants to enjoy a little non-PC FICTIONAL sex, who am I to complain. Then I think, the male character rubbed her down with oil while she was asleep and used a vibrator on her after he penetrated and she woke up! That is just wrong. Wrong, I tell you!
Okay. Ew. Ew. EWWWWW! That's pretty darn disturbing. Unless, of course, there was a little bit of tit-for-tat (so to speak) and she got to violate him later on while he slept.
I now have to figure out a way to cleanse my brain after reading your comment.
Sorry dear, I just thought a little detail would help you form your own opinion.
BTW, I did buy Thornton's Pleasure Trap. I'll let you know how it is. I'm still enjoying my break from sex, Gilead.
Post a Comment