Poison or Protect

Set in the same universe as the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series, this features a number of characters from those series, but in terms of its plot, is entirely standalone. It's an erotic romance, switching between the viewpoints of its two main protagonists - one a new character, and the other the school bully from the Finishing School books. Those, of course, are Young Adult, and this, set ten years or so later, is anything but, although it does a good job with getting insider her head and making her more sympathetic.

There is more to the plot than the sex and romance, with an assassination plot against a Tory peer serving as a reason to get the characters together. However, this is almost entirely forgotten by about the half-way point, and the book is too short for the other sub-plots to shine. This means that the story has less of the humour normally associated with books in Parasolverse, although there is some fun at the expense of a lobster. It's very much an adjunct to the rest of the series, rather than particularly effective in its own right - although readers who enjoy romance novels more than I do may feel differently.

This was a follow up to the excellent Finishing School series which was quite YA oriented. This story is definitely for a more mature audience with some rather explicit bedroom descriptions.

To be clear I really enjoyed this story, the depth it added to the main character was moving and extremely well written and added much needed closure for this character.

It was just jarring to read adult scenes about a character that I'd recently been reading about attending school - in the story it was years later and she was already a widow (so no impropriety) however for me it was only a couple of weeks.

So a great story - just a big jump in intended audiences.

She would not run if he offered her his body; she would if he offered his heart.

Well, wasn't this a romp! I confess I was a little disappointed in the tamer nature of Gail Carriger's last completed series, the Finishing School books – but as they were for a YA audience I understood it and thought she handled the romance aspects of that series with aplomb. This little piece brought back all the spice and sizzle of Soulless, with an intriguing flair for readers of the Finishing School series, as we're already acquainted with the main character! This is quite a different look at Preshea, as you might expect. Not a book for the middle-school readers, ou-la-la. You d0n't, however, have to have read any of the prior books to enjoy this one.

Poison or Protect is a novella, so the plot, while there, isn't terribly exciting, and after all it's a romance, straight-up. In fact, this might qualify for the “bodice-ripper” category of one of my reading challenges this year...not my usual cup of tea at all, but this is Gail we're talking about. The prose is what I've come to expect from her – by turns sharp, witty, heart-melting, and hysterical.

“He smells like Christmas – fresh pine boughs and spices. What right has a man to smell so good?”

Preshea, unflappable though she might be, was flapped.

Imprudence

DNF - PG 6

Why?

Honestly, I adore this author. Her books are fun, even if they're not as progressive as they seem to want to be. However, in these six pages, I have four highlights of things that I dislike and that are huge turnoffs for me.

Observe:

The Lady was a porcelain doll, perfect in every detail, delicate as fine china and no doubt more costly.

... I really, really hate it when women as described as porcelain dolls - and considering that this was on the second kindle page, the first time our delightful hero sees her ‘in profile.' (Don't worry, when he sees her straight on, it gets even better.)

It wasn't that a chorus of angels opened up and sang. Nor did pixies sprinkle fairy dust in his vision. For the day was all gloom and grey, and the engine of the train was as smelly and loud as may be. Gavin, however, was horrified to feel his world start to shift, right under his massive boots. Usually, he was brick-wall steady, and brick-wall solid. But now his entire body , like a magnet to iron, centered on Lady Villentia.

And that was the first time he actually saw her. I mean, I get that in romances, there's usually an immediate, physical attraction between the love interests. An ‘awareness' - if you will. But this? My eyes were rolling so hard. But, wait, there's more!

Gavin was known amongst his friends for his abhorrence of tiny females. But such a widely stated preference suddenly seemed absurd.

Yeah, because that's how types and attraction works. Look, if you dislike - abhor - tiny females, you're not suddenly, first sight, going to find yourself attracted to one. If you abhor males with big muscles, you won't suddenly find yourself attracted to one. Sure, you could fall in love with one - you could fall in love with somebody that isn't your type at all, but that would take time and getting to know the person and their personality. Not just seeing one and thinking they are ‘perfect in every detail' and that your preferences are suddenly irrelevant. (And Carriger really missed a chance with this one, where the hero isn't physically attracted to the heroine at first, but gradually begins to think she's the most beautiful woman ever. Even though she isn't his ‘type.')

Lady Villentia even walked beautifully. Gavin found himself, preferences be damned, imagining what it might be like to unbutton that dress. One jet bead at a time, from top to bottom, until he knelt at those tiny feet.

If I even have to explain why this is such a turn off to me, then you've come to the right place. Read the book. (Someone walks ‘beautifully?' Really? I think his preferences are already damned. Oh, and here, have a side of a guy fantasizing about undressing a woman that he's never even spoke to, before they even meet and that is his love interest. Ugh. Sexist drivel.)

Please not, most of these things might have been okay if saved for later - much later - in the book. But this is six pages in, and we have a case of insta-lust.

Done.

(Here's hoping Ms. C's next books are more to my liking.)