4½ Stars!

First Read:2010

Well, isn't this a depressing topic? I don't know why it is more disheartening than Alcoholism in Romance Novels which was my last post but it is.

 

Both are awful but both issues when explored in romance novels allow fiction to do what it does best inquire, confront, heal. 

 

I found out some interesting things about Romanceland during my oh so sad research into drug addiction and the Romance Novel with a side trip into drug based films. We don't really like recovering drug addicts (or active drug addicts) as heroes and heroines in our Contemporary Romances much. They are thin on the ground. Alcoholics are much more abundant. 

 

In my wandering, I found this amazing web publication, The Fix: addiction and recovery, straight up. In a wonderful article, they explode the distance between drug and alcohol addiction and think about how this construct works in the general culture and in recovery culture as well.  Alcoholism vs Addiction. Check it out. 

 

I also discovered, we love it when our heroes or heroines get forcibly addicted. 

 

In addition, we are much more welcoming of the recovering historical hero or heroine. Opium, poppy seed, laudanum, ether... Seems romantic? Sweaty and bugged eyed to me. 

 

However, addiction as tool to cope with trauma, numb, feel good, and/or as a physical disability in a cultural that encourages casual consumption or risk taking creates great (real) characters for me and it is why some times I leave the frothier side of Romance for these darker depths. 

 

Here is my list of good Romance Novels that deal with drug addiction in its varying states-actively using, dry, withdrawing, drying out, sober, and recovery. 

 

We have the Rock Stars and the Famous:

 

What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss  

Hard Rock Remix  by Ava Lore 

After Midnight by Sarah Grimm

Heartthrob by Suzanne Brockmann 

 

The Young

 

Yellowstone Redemption by Peggy L Henderson

Takedown by Julie Miller 

 

Dens of Opium

 

Reclaiming Lord Rockleigh by Nancy Butler

The Sins of Lord Easterbrook by Madeline Hunter

Scoundrel's Kiss by Carrie Lofty 

 

Even in Paranormal Worlds (maybe especially), you need to numb..

 

Lover Enshrined  by J.R. Ward 

Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane 

Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner 

 

 

Regular Folk

 

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes 

 

Eternal Hearts (Eternal #2) - Jennifer T...
Well....

The MC heroine is nothing like Logan from the first book. She is emotionally all over the place. Let's put it this way. If I decided to make up a drinking game where I took a shot every time Toni started crying over something, I would be completely shit-faced before I made it halfway through the book. Yes, she cries that much.

She's over emotional and touchy feely and everyone just loves her so so much.

Are you gagging yet?

I liked Drake better but I found the whole romance between them pretty lacking. I don't know how to say it. It's like the obstacles were under exaggerated and they moved through them too easily and quickly.

I'd give an example but I don't want to spoil anything. I am just chalking this book up to second-book-itis and I'm still looking forward to the next in the series because of how much I loved the first book and the world building.

I really want to see what the author does with Oktober, and I really hope the heroine isn't on an emotional teeter totter like Toni.

Eternal Seduction (Eternal #1) - Jennife...
This book... THIS BOOK. It is too damn good. I came across it in my kindle today and remembered it all in my head,

and suddenly

BOOK-BONER.

(Yes, ladies can get book-boners)

You know what that means. I'm totally going to read this again.

Well, I love anti-heroes so when I come across a good anti-heroine, I am ecstatic. I can't help it.


Everyone, read this book.

Rating: 2 out of 5.I don't know what happened here. But I was confused throughout the book. I didn't know what was going on half the time...Even though I had read the first book AND really liked it...Some parts were a bit weird. Characters would say something or do something, and expect me to understand their ulterior motives...