Thursday, January 04, 2007

Autumn Desire by Sharon Noble


Normally I don’t spend the time and energy reviewing a book unless it’s really good. I’m making an exception in this case.

Here’s the book blurb: Paula Wincott has lost her husband, Sam, noted researcher and chemistry professor at the University of Colorado. She attributes his sudden heart attack to his bitterness and despair at being displaced by a younger researcher, Boyd Mackenzie. Paula has never met this wunderkind, but she holds him in contempt and blames him for her widowhood. Despite being eighteen years younger than Sam, Paula was devoted to her husband, who was the center of her life. Finding herself lonely and rudderless, she decides to take a couple of courses at the university and finds herself in a chemistry class taught by Boyd Mackenzie, who mistakes her for Sam's daughter. Paula is outraged, determined to ignore him in class and avoid him elsewhere. However, Sam's research lab is in need of funding to continue his work in conductive polymers, and Boyd is widely respected for his skill in acquiring funding. The chairman of the department, Ed King, unaware of Paula's feelings, coerces them into working together, citing loyalty to Sam and the furtherance of his work. How could Paula know that passion would flare between them and threaten her loyalty to her dead husband.

I’m just so disappointed. I thought it had potential to really appeal to me since Paula is 50 and so few romances have women my age. It’s supposed to be love the second time around, but apparently Boyd can fall in love at first sight and stay in love even when every time they interact, she is hateful and distant. Yeah right, that’s a deep relationship. Plus she’s coming out of a 30 year marriage that is likened to Ibsen’s A Doll House. I can’t imagine that happening to someone my age. Granted at 18 I wasn’t as sophisticated as 18 year olds today, but even I know that you don’t turn your life over to someone else. How could she have remained so ignorant? She needed time to grow into herself without a man before falling into another relationship. And to top it off, no condom when they have sex. Are they crazy?

This is Sharon Noble’s first book and I’m astounded that a publishing house would charge $25.95 for a book that took me 3 hours to read and then leave me shaking my head in disappointment. Oh and you should see the glowing review by Harriet Klausner (the git), five stars. Well, not as far as I’m concerned.

10 comments:

  1. $25.95?!?! For a newbie? Wow.

    Ya know, even though so many of us hardly read series romance anymore, I was intrigued to see that Harlequin has a new line coming out called Everlasting Love. It will feature people our age (40s and up, I believe, if the 1st batch is anything to go by). So it might be worth a look see.

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  2. What makes a publisher decide to launch a new author in hardback? I believe that was the case with Maria V. Snyder too (Poison Study). And, in her case, it was a success.

    As for older characters, not sure I want to seek them out. LOL Turning 40 this year is proving more of a mental hurdle than I anticipated. LMAO. My low hanging ass.

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  3. Funny, I had no problem with 40. But I have to admit, the idea of reading about 50 and 60 year olds getting it on isn't as appealing as it might be. Terrible of me to admit, but I think it all goes back to the night I walked in on my parents... {{{{{shudder}}}}}

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  4. Jennifer - I can understand younger readers not being interested in older characters in romance. Really I can. I still remember thinking my teachers in HS were pretty old; now when I look at the yearbook from my senior year those same teachers look soooo young. *sigh* Perspective is everything. But I don't remember 40 or even 50 being any big deal.

    Lori - Oh poor baby! It's actually a miracle more kids don't walk in on their parents during an awkward moment.

    Of course, in this story Paula was a trim, attractive 50. Thus making it more believable that a younger man would fall for her. But hey, that's "romance" for you. LOL

    Linda

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    1. Yes, a younger man might fall for her, but Boyd is not necessarily younger. His age is never noted. My mother married a man 10 years younger when she was in her forties, and they were very happy until his death (before hers, by the way). And it's a shame that young people think sex belongs to them and that anyone over 30 shouldn't attempt it. We're actually better at it than they are -- well into our twilight years.

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  5. Boyd Mackenzie. Paula has never met this wunderkind, but she holds him in contempt and blames him for her widowhood.

    Linda, I'd have stopped reading right there! I hate books where the heroine holds the herp in contempt for nearly the whole book, it drives me crazy. I really hate push-me-pull-you type books.

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    1. Too bad you would have stopped; it's a really good, well written book. And sexual tension is a hallmark of romance novels. How boring if they meet, fall in love, and get married. Ho hum.

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  6. Wow, how weird. I LOVED this book and I loved the fact that it was written about a woman over 40. I'm pushing 50 and like to nurture the idea that a younger man might still find me hot stuff. btw: my step-father is 11 years younger than my mother, so miracles do happen. They met when she was in her early 40s...

    And I also LOVE the push-me-pull-you books. To my mind, it's the classic romance, a la Pride and Prejudice - my favorite!

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  7. What a shame not to enjoy this book. It is, in fact, the quintessential classic romance. And yes, romance still blooms at age 50. In fact, sex gets better in the 50's (for those of you not there yet, you have something to look forward to). Paula is trim, attractive, and sexy; Boyd is trim, attractive, and sexy -- and nowhere in the book is his age mentioned. He's described as "middle-aged" which doesn't mean he's younger, older, or the same age as Paula. They don't use a condom when they have sex because she's well past menopause, and he doesn't sleep around. Lack of condom is common in romance novels, so get a grip. Paula was a naive teenager when she met 36 year-old Sam, and she thought he knew how the world operated; she adored him, adored her children, and found quiet satisfaction in nurturing her family. There are many women out there who function in this manner. And, most importantly, I walked in on my parents having sex when I was young. It was no big deal because my mother explained sex to me whenever I asked a question about it. In fact, when I saw them I thought how nice that they love each other. I don't understand the "eewww" factor at all. Lovemaking is beautiful at any age.

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Have you read it? What do you think?

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