Sign in with Facebook
Julie's Reviews > The Prize
The Prize
by
by
I wasn't going to review this one because I don't usually write reviews when I read a well-known and traditionally published author. However, I felt it deserved a review to explain the low rating.
I hated the heroine, Nicholaa. There was no happy medium for this character. She was either acting like an insecure adolescent, seeking approval and attention, or she was raising hell. The only time I found the strong woman characterized at the beginning of the book believable was - yes, at the beginning of the book. Once Baron Royce has her in his presence, it was difficult to even imagine her as a strong woman. She pouts. She whines. She snivels. She looks for approval. She seeks attention. What the author seems to think is the behavior of a strong woman, I saw as temper tantrums.
And can I say I'm sick of heroines who are so stunningly beautiful that all men stop in their tracks and gape, unable to speak past the tongue hanging out of their mouth? Read enough historical romance novels and you'll begin to wonder if there were any ugly or even just passably good-looking noblewomen in all of medieval England. This was my fourth historical romance in as many days and without fail, the heroine in each of them could have been sisters, or even identical quadruplets. Oh sure - the hair color or the eye color changes, but the description otherwise isn't original or different.
In short, the characters and the plot were shallow and formulaic. If you plow your way through romance novels and love them all, you'll probably like this one. If you demand a little more depth for your reading experience, this isn't the book that's going to deliver it for you.
I hated the heroine, Nicholaa. There was no happy medium for this character. She was either acting like an insecure adolescent, seeking approval and attention, or she was raising hell. The only time I found the strong woman characterized at the beginning of the book believable was - yes, at the beginning of the book. Once Baron Royce has her in his presence, it was difficult to even imagine her as a strong woman. She pouts. She whines. She snivels. She looks for approval. She seeks attention. What the author seems to think is the behavior of a strong woman, I saw as temper tantrums.
And can I say I'm sick of heroines who are so stunningly beautiful that all men stop in their tracks and gape, unable to speak past the tongue hanging out of their mouth? Read enough historical romance novels and you'll begin to wonder if there were any ugly or even just passably good-looking noblewomen in all of medieval England. This was my fourth historical romance in as many days and without fail, the heroine in each of them could have been sisters, or even identical quadruplets. Oh sure - the hair color or the eye color changes, but the description otherwise isn't original or different.
In short, the characters and the plot were shallow and formulaic. If you plow your way through romance novels and love them all, you'll probably like this one. If you demand a little more depth for your reading experience, this isn't the book that's going to deliver it for you.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
The Prize.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
December 30, 2011
– Shelved
January 2, 2012
–
Started Reading
January 3, 2012
–
75.0%
"I'm struggling to finish this. It makes me remember why I stopped reading "romance" category books. It's formulaic and predictable."
January 3, 2012
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-4 of 4 (4 new)
date
newest »
newest »
I totally agree with the reviewer. The heroine is only strong in the first few pages. Then she turns into a whining, tantrum pitching air head. Don't even get me started on the brutish troglodyte of a hero... I loathed him for his egotism and was thoroughly disappointed in the heroine for letting him live past the first 10 pages. The paternalism oozed from his every pompously delivered word. I can't finish this book. I think I'll have to reread the history of the suffrage movement to cleanse my mental palate.
I just discovered Garwood and have read several books over the past month. I obviously like something about them b/c I keep going. Garwood seems to define a strong woman based on how long it takes the heroine to stop be pants-pissing terrified of her husband and, subsequently, how often she can piss him off without getting beaten. It's a formula. I hated it in The Bride but really enjoyed the true strengthGarwood wrote into the heroine of Ransom. I guess it's hit or miss. I thank you for your review. I take it as a warning. I think I'll still try this book since I'm on a roll with Garwood historical romance.
It's good to see some folks share my opinion. Couldn't stand this heroine, she is supposed to be brave and smart and no sign to indicate this beside the beginning. I was so thrilled after those first pages, then it happened, the irrational heroine appeared. I also didn't like Royce. Their relationship was exactly how one would imagine a relationship between a 36 year old man and a 18 yo bride.
If you disliked Nicolaa don't try to read "The Gift", because you'll positively hate Sara!
At least in this book the guy was a kind and fair person, the ones I've read, the male characters essentially groan...