I’m a sucker for the tortured hero, so I was looking forward to this book. I was happy to find it at my local Barnes & Noble. Normally I don’t mind ordering books online, but I have been trying to cut back. I’m pleased that B&N has finally learned that romance readers buy books – the salesperson who helped me find Broken Wing was an avid romance reader and very enthusiastic about expanding the romance section at her store.
Broken Wing by Judith James
(2008, Regency Historical) 2/3/09
Grade: 3.5
Raised in a French brothel, Gabriel St. Croix has known nothing but pain and abuse. His only tenderness was for a young boy that he protected, Jamie. When Jamie’s family rescues him, they also rescue Gabriel, who is immediately drawn to the unconventional Lady Sarah Munroe. But can he overcome the nightmares of his past, and build a new future?
This book was a frustrating combination of fascinating characters and a compelling plot, along with flawed writing and a meandering structure. Gabriel is a wonderful hero, and the author doesn’t sugarcoat his past, or his struggles to recover from it. He drinks, he cuts himself, he finds it nearly impossible to reach out. And Sarah is a fitting match – she’s strong, able to offer Gabriel the friendship he’s never known, and doesn’t shy away from his flaws and weaknesses. But the author drove me nuts with her writing style (something I normally don’t notice). She often tells the reader what the characters are feeling, rather than showing us. There are abrupt switches in POV, and odd jumps in time. And then, in the last third of the book, Gabriel ends up as a pirate and mercenary, and it’s like we’re in a completely different story, while the romance disappears. And yet, despite the problems, the book was compelling, even if it was flawed. I just wish the author had fixed some of these things, since it could have been even better.
As a reader, I don’t care that much about beautiful writing. In fact, some authors who are known for their lovely prose don’t work for me – the focus on style seems to put a barrier between me and the characters. But sometimes, I just can’t ignore the flaws in the prose. It was frustrating, because there were so many good things in this book! I hope that the author can fix some of the problems here, because she definitely has talent, and I look forward to her next book.
Karen Wheless
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