Amita4ever's manga / #BBV :((75)

3 chaps

Ummm... I liked the art and... umm... well, the heroine was strong. She had her moments, but she dealt with the situation she was forced in better than I would have. Sadly, the basis for the plot is a one night stand child. The story could have actually worked without it, but that's where the author went, so that's what you get.

I'll give it 2.5 stars. I wasn't a fan. The ML is a total ass in the beginning, but he has the decency to realize that midway through the book and is properly repentant and wanting to fix his mistake. Then the plot moves to the 'ignorant assumption and run away without talking' phase. Honesty, the emotions that prompted the reaction were not necessarily unjustified, but isn't it better to confirm life changing assumptions before acting on them? Maybe it was the hormones *rolls eyes*. I liked that the ML was, by her description, looking haggard when he found her. That implies a serious emotional investment which is something I wish we saw more often on the guy side. So all in all, I liked the character growth, but the story revolved so heavily around coerced BBV [Bed Before Vows], that I just couldn't really enjoy it. Great art, though.

I loved the art, but the story wasn't to my taste. I just cant respect guys and gals who go to bed before vows are exchanged. Even more so when they are doing it the first day they meet and it doesn't bode well for a lasting marriage either.

ONE SHOT

It was a hard sell to give this 3 stars, but the final page tipped it. You won’t find a more tyrannical, callus ML, but his transformation also felt more realistic as his time with the FL and her child awakened suppressed memories that helped him reconnect with his mom’s love and heal his heart. I also liked that this kid wasn’t instantly, “DADDY!” Made the ML work for it :D And LOVED that we had a way, way-post wedding ending to show a true happy ending.

This story grates on me. It’s not that it’s a bad story as Harlequins go, in fact it is the epitome of unrealistic Harlequin characters and plot leading to a perfect happy ending, and maybe that’s the issue. It’s SO perfect and SO unrealistic... it feels so sweet and desirable that I hate the way it clashes with reality. There are other stories with similar Cinderella plots, but somehow this one, with its minimal angst and perfect transformations, just feels like an even bigger lie. I know. We don’t read Harlequins for reality, but the one lie they peddle that I think can be the most harmful in reality is bed before vows is the best way to find a true and lasting love when statistically the exact opposite is true, and this story somehow makes that lie seem sweeter than most.

The ML was so messed up with self installed blinders that he just came across as a jerk. That said, it wasn't an exceptional story, but it was a decent (as Harlequins go) story until you got the the end and then the whole ball was dropped. To be honest, they lead you on well enough that its easy to IMAGINE exactly how it ended, but thats the problem. You'll have to imagine, because you don't get shown. You have to imagine him apologizing for being such a jerk. ...imagine him saying he loves her. ...imagine her in the beautiful heirloom dress passed down to the brides of the family. You'll have to imagine, because the story ends just short of showing you. That was a let down.