I’ve struggled through to page 255 of Loretta Chase’s Don’t Tempt Me and I’m not sure I want to continue. This book will likely be adored by hardcore Loretta Chase fans, particularly those who loved Lord of Scoundrels. I am apparently an atypical romance reader as I hated Lord of Scoundrels but enjoyed some of her other books, most notably Mr Impossible and Lord Perfect. As I do think many Chase fans will enjoy this book, I’m going to avoid major spoilers. Here’s a brief list of my problems with the book so far and why I’m reluctant to read the last 100 pages.
A brief synopsis of the plot: Twelve-year-old Zoe Lexham was kidnapped by white slave traders while traveling in Egypt with her aristocratic parents. A dozen years later, Zoe escapes the harem in which she was held captive and returns to England. Although her family are delighted see her alive and well, they are terrified of being ostracized from society due to Zoe’s scandalous past as a harem girl. Lucien de Grey, Duke of Marchmont, is a family friend and a former childhood playmate of Zoe. He is the epitome of fashion and the Lexhams ask him for his assistance in launching Zoe successfully in Regency society. Needless to say, he is wildly attracted to the beautiful and captivating Zoe, and decides to make her his own.
My problems with the story:
- Zoe
- Zoe
- Zoe
No, seriously:
- By page 24, I wanted to slap some sense into her. She is the sort of heroine I absolutely despise but is beloved by many romance readers. She defines “spunky” and is constantly running heedlessly into danger in an effort to be independent.
- Despite living in a harem for twelve years, SHE’S STILL A VIRGIN!!!
- Virginity not withstanding, she’s an expert in the sexual arts.
- She’s petulant and throws tantrums.
- She’s described as intelligent but certainly doesn’t act it.
- The hero is a trusted family friend and repays that trust by romping with the very girl he’s supposed to be helping launch into society and make respectable.
Anyway, my dilemma is this: I’m really not enjoying this book but I only have 100 pages left. Should I persevere, or abandon it in favour of one of the many books on my TBR shelf which I really want to read?
With regard to DNF reviews: do you think you can review a book without having finished it? I must admit I struggle with the concept of calling my thoughts on a book I did not finish a review. However, I think it’s legitimate to say I did not like a book enough to finish it and explain why I felt this way.
When was the last time you didn’t finish a book? How far into it were you when you decided to put it aside?
{ 10 comments }
owh, a DNF! That never happened to me and I hope it will pass my door. I think you can review a DNF book, especially when you tell or give reasons why it was a DNF book for you. It doesn’t help that you say: I hate this book, tossed it overboard at page…I want to know the why of it. I think it is safe to say that if you are at page 200 or something and the story/characters highly aggravate you then to just call it quits. Write a DNF review and forget you ever read it. Which makes me wonder, will you ever forget a DNF novel? Because it creates another kind of impact then the stellar stories but those I cannot forget either.
Just read the last 5 pages and be done with it. No point in torturing yourself! Like you, I love Mr Impossible. I enjoyed LoS, but the final twist at the end spoiled the book for me. I enjoyed Don’t Tempt Me despite what on paper would seem to be great big OMGWTF issues. There were a few scenes where I felt Zoe went off character (the ones where she gets all pouty and acts like a brat) and the tone was off, but on the whole I think this is the first Chase book that has caught my full attention in quite a while. I’m still thinking about what I want to write about it because you’re right, some of what’s in the book is ludicrous, but it doesn’t necessarily spoil the story for me, and I’ve been mulling over why some books are like that (my other latest example is My Lord and Spymaster—totally unrealistic, but I loved it).
Ditto
I do this relatively often. If I am not grabbed in the first chapter or two I skip straight to the end. Which is why I could never be a reviewer.
And I think DNF reviews are important, as long as why it didn’t work for you is set out.
It sounds horrendous.. well in that I would’ve tripped over the same things you have and am glad I didn’t end up picking it up.
There’s a context to this, as with all things. You’re a conscientious reviewer, so for you not to finish a book you’re reviewing says a lot about the book. I’d have been in that position if I’d tried to review any of the Judith Ivory/Judy Cuevas books I couldn’t stand. I don’t believe reading (as a reviewer or just for pleasure) should ever involve elevated blood pressure — and there are characters whose antics/thought processes (or absence thereof)/life choices are just too painful to endure.
As for reading the last five pages — well, that gets to whether a reader needs to know how it ends more than she needs to put the book down! I’ll read the end simply because it is the end, but it doesn’t redeem the book for me.
On the other hand, some books don’t get finished because they weren’t interesting enough (the “low blood pressure” problem, let’s call it) to be bothered reading to the end. I’m that way with Eloisa James’s first Desperate Duchesses book. I’ll finish it someday if only because people have assured me the subsequent books in that series are better. But I’m in no hurry, that’s for sure!
And then there are the books that have been well-reviewed, but when I get through them I realize it’s a bit like olives. I don’t like olives, so if a dish has olives, I’ll like it just that little bit less than will my husband, who loves olives. Same dish, but both opinions are valid. I felt that way about the Patricia Briggs’ Alpha & Omega books — I loved the premise, but not what she did with it. However, I totally get why other people loved them. No arguing with people’s tastes, I say.
@Leontine I used to always finish books, no matter how much I disliked them. With so little time to devote to reading nowadays, I do end up with a few DNFs per year.
@Kat Loretta Chase is a bit hit-or-miss for me. I’ve loved some and hated others. I don’t always respond well to her heroines.
@Edie I also see DNF reviews as being valid, as long as the reviewer explains why the book didn’t work for her. That said, in a situation where the reviewer is being paid to write a review, I would expect them to soldier on until the end.
@Magdalen
So true. Most reviews of ‘Don’t Tempt Me’ have been very positive. Readers who liked Jessica Trent in ‘Lord of Scoundrels’ will probably love Zoe. I couldn’t stand either of them.
Oh noes! I loved Zoe. I did find the whole, I am a virgin still a bit unbelievable but I did like how Zoe spoke her mind and didn’t mind smooching Lucien for all to see. But hey, if you don’t like a book that other may enjoy, that is perfectly fine because life is too short to read something that you will not enjoy.
I used to give a book the first 100 pages. Now I give it the first 30 and move on.
@katiebabs I usually give a book around 50 pages, although I usually know within the first few pages if a book is not going to work for me.
I hope this book works for me. I haven’t started it yet. My favorite Chase novel is Captives of the Night. LoS was okay.
I say stop. Books should only be read for fun (unless your job is to read books). Or skim to the end; that’s what I do sometimes when I’m tired of reading a book.
BTW, the whole virgin in a harem thing isn’t as unrealistic as it sounds. The sultan or prince didn’t sleep with most of the women in his harem–they were basically glorified servants who washed his laundry. To get to sleep w/the prince, the girls had to get an in with his mother, because she was actually the one who picked out who he was going to be introduced to to sleep with. But they still couldn’t sleep with anyone else because they were reserved for the sultan.
@heidenkind Seriously? I didn’t know that! Mind you, the reason why Zoe is still a virgin is a tad convenient…but I’ll wait until you’ve read the book to say more about it.
Yeah, the reason why she was a virgin was *tad* convenient. I would have found it more believable if she’d been doing the laundry instead of whatever-his-name-is’s favorite.
Did you continue reading it at all? I had to stop around page 200 when Zoe loses her virginity to Marchmont and he proposes somewhat nicely, and she’s all like, “Well, I’ll marry him because he’s a duke and I want to fit in to the aristocracy.” WTF? 1-She’s just spent the last 100 pages trying to make him pay attention to her, but she’s only marrying him because he’s a duke? PLEASE. And 2-She wants to fit in to the aristocracy? LMAO Since when, pray tell?
Have you read Jessica’s post at Racy Romance Reviews about this book? She says the presentation of women is really misogynistic. Here’s the url: http://www.racyromancereviews.com/2009/07/31/attitudes-towards-women-in-loretta-chases-dont-tempt-me/trackback/