She Reads Too Much

I love wine. I love M/M romance. This should be a win-win proposition. Right?

Well you'd be wrong.

I'm so annoyed here. So, so much promise but MC Simon is such a narrow sighted, close minded, seek-absorbed bigot I want to puke. It's actually quite amazing I feel this strongly after 77 pages. Either that is a testament to the author's ability to draw a character (did she want him to be such an asshole?) or a testament to the author's inability to craft a sympathetic character.

After 77 pages I really like Austin. I want him happy. He has a huge weight on his shoulders and I suspect unresolved family drama in the future of the book.

Simon, on the other hand....I can't stand him. I don't care if he is happy. I don't want his bigoted ass anywhere near Austin. I want him to GO AWAY and I want another character as Austin's romantic interest.

He fact that Simon works for a company that acquires wineries and that Austin's winery is in trouble should be enough conflict. But no, we needed to have what is coming across as a deeply engrained, hard core dislike and disrespect for people who come from money. Frankly I don't think he can overcome this asshattery within the confines of this book enough to redeem himself in my eyes.

Perhaps things change in a major way deeper into the story but I'm angry enough to not go there. I'm pretty sure that was not the author's intention but I saw this theme of deeply held preconceived judgements in the lady book I read by her and I was not impressed. This took me over the top and as a result I'm not reading the next book in this series, that I already purchased by the way.

I dunno, maybe it's just me. If any of my GR friends read and have a different opinion I might try it again. But barring that, I'm totally over this shit.

Now I gotta go read some Cameron Dane to make it all better!