Book Review: Romantic Suspense
Amanda
Quick’s Otherwise Engaged is a
Romantic Suspense novel. The author’s real name is Jayne Ann Krentz, but she
frequently writes under both names. Infused with mystery, readers are kept in
suspense of the resolution of the novel until the very last page. It meets all
of the requirements of this genre according to Joyce Saricks’ book The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Genre
Fiction, Second Edition:
- “Pacing is fast
- The story is told from the threatened heroine’s point of view
- Edgy tales of Suspense combine with sensuously explicit Romance in these blended stories
- A sense of uneasiness prevails even in quieter moments and affects the tone of these novels
- The language shares similarities with Romances, as smart dialogue and witty repartee, along with sensual descriptions, characterize the style. Strong language and explicit sexual descriptions are also common
- Intriguing, detailed backgrounds, and exotic settings often frame these stories” (37)
I chose Romantic Suspense, not knowing exactly what it
was. I have never read this genre before and my goal was to branch out. My
coworker warned me that I would receive “an edumacation” and suggested some
Romantic Suspense “lite” authors, which was very considerate. The plot caught
my interest, thinking it was going to be more of a Jane Austen-type novel. Boy,
was I wrong!
Having
not read this genre, I was completely shocked to find out that some of the
scenes could have been rated R, so I skimmed over these. If the reader could
learn to filter, then the story itself wasn’t too bad. The description inside
the book’s dust jacket (2014) stated, “Miss Amity Doncaster, world traveler, is
accustomed to adventure and risk. Benedict Stanbridge, a man of science and a
spy for the Crown, has faced danger in the darker corners of foreign lands.
Now
they are about to face a threat that is shockingly close to home…
One
does not expect to be kidnapped on a London street in broad daylight. Yet Amity
Doncaster barely escapes with her life after she is trapped in a carriage with
a blade-wielding man in a black silk mask who whispers the most-vile taunts and
threats into her ear. Her quick thinking, and her secret weapon, save her- for
now.
But
the monster known in the press as the Bridegroom, who has left a trail of
female victims in his wake, has survived the wounds she inflicts and will soon
be on his feet again. He is unwholesomely obsessed by her scandalous connection
to Benedict Stanbridge- gossip about their hours alone in a ship’s stateroom
seems to have crossed the Atlantic faster than nay sailing vessel could.
Benedict refuses to let this resourceful, daring woman suffer for her romantic
link to him- as tenuous as it may be.
For
a man and woman so skilled at disappearing, so at home in the exotic reaches of
the globe, escape is always an option. But each intends to end the Bridegroom’s
reign of terror in London, and they will join forces to do so. And as they
prepare to confront an unbalanced criminal in the heart of the city they love,
they must also face feelings neither of them can run away from’”
(1).
Recently,
in an article on NBC news, there was mention of a new award that authors could
win if they refrained from violence against women in novels. The article Prize
for Thrillers with Zero Violence Against
Women Divides Novelists by Elizabeth Chuck (2018) states, “The award,
called the Staunch Book Prize, was created by British writer and educator
Bridget Lawless, who argues that sexual assaults on female characters are an
"old cliché" that thrillers rely too heavily on. The prize comes in
the wake of the #MeToo movement, which has shined a spotlight on how pervasive
sexual misconduct is against women everywhere. Lawless said "the whole
climate around what's happening to women" was part of what prompted her to
create it” (1). Even though this article and award was originally meant for the
Thriller genre, I believe it could be extended to even Romantic Suspense and
other genres that have this type of content.
For
readers not shocked by the sex scenes, it would be an entertaining read. I’m
sure those who read this will be thinking, “For someone who doesn’t like those
scenes, she sure talks about them a lot.” I eventually managed to filter those
scenes out and focused on the mystery part of the book. In the end, I made a
list of pros and cons if anyone would ask me about this particular book in the
future:
- Decent mystery plot and wide variety of characters
- Portrays an independent woman as one of the main characters; she is not the helpless, damsel-in-distress type
Cons:
- Graphic sex scenes
- Never actually dates the time the story is supposed to take place
- Predictable
"The Curious Case of Lady Latimer's Shoes by Stephanie Laurens
Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz
The Reluctant Duchess by Sharon Cullen" (1).
Reviews:
Works
Cited
Amazon.
(2018). Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick.
Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Otherwise-Engaged-Amanda-Quick/dp/0399165142
Black,
J. (2018). Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick, Jane Anne Krentz. Historical
Novel Society. HNR Issue 73.
Retrieved from https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/otherwise-engaged/
Chuck,
E. (2018). Prize for Thrillers with Zero
Violence Against Women Divides Novelists. NBC News Pop Culture. Retrieved
from https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/books/prize-thrillers-zero-violence-against-women-divides-novelists-n842646
Goodreads. (2018). Books Like Otherwise Engaged. Retrieved from
https://www.goodreads.com/book/similar/26492357-otherwise-engaged
Google. (2018). Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick. Image retrieved from https://www.google.com/.
Kirkus
Reviews. (2014). Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amanda-quick/otherwise-engaged-quick/
Quick,
A. (2014). Otherwise Engaged. New
York: Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
Saricks, J. (2009). The Readers’ Advisory Guide to
Genre Fiction (2nd Edition). Chicago: ALA.
I didn't really know what romantic suspense was either! But now I know it's the kind of romance novels I'm not a fan of! However, I can see why the genre appeals, especially because so many women are likely fans of those adrenaline books, but don't want the male fantasy of the adventure novels.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel! I totally know how you feel! I wasn't a fan of it either, but I tried to remain as neutral as I could in my review. You summed up everything I was thinking, too!
ReplyDeleteI use to read Amanda Quick books. I agree with your coworkers that she is a 'lite' Romantic Suspense writer. For a book with no sex scenes I'd suggest an inspirational writer like Dee Henderson or a Gentle Read like Debbie Macomber. I hope that this book hasn't turned you off of Romantic Suspense completely.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Mary! I will take your book suggestions into consideration, for sure! I was happy when I read your post- there may still be hope for me to like this genre after all! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Dana,
ReplyDeleteMy Romantic Suspense book (The Mountain Between Us) had zero steamy scenes, so I guess between the two of us we got the extreme ends of this genre! I'm curious, since you seem pretty bothered by those scenes (and listed them as a "con"), if you would feel comfortable recommending them to a patron. I once had an elderly patron tell me "I don't want fluff, I want sex!" (which I found hilarious), but I imagine a lot of patrons wouldn't necessarily feel comfortable coming out and asking for that type of material, even if it's what they're looking for.
~Anna
Hi Anna! Wow, at least that patron knew what they wanted, and they weren't afraid to tell you! That was hilarious! The last library I worked at was in an uber-religious community, so I had to be incredibly careful with what I suggested to patrons. To answer your question, it depends on what the patron wanted. I would ask very thorough RA interview questions before just handing the patron a random Romantic Suspense book. I think you are right about people not being comfortable with being blunt about what they want, normally. On a scale of 1 to 50 Shades...I'd stick to the lower end!
DeleteGood annotation although in the future, I want the summary to be in you own words, not the dust jackets or goodreads. Other than that I really enjoyed your view on this genre, the sources, used, the appeals, and the pros and cons. Great work!
ReplyDelete