Wednesday, June 03, 2009

A totally spoliery discussion on A Hint of Wicked

If you haven't read A Hint of Wicked, star this post in your reader and come back after you've read it. I really want to know what you thought.

This post will be full of spoilers, and I expect the comments to be as well. It was torture writing my review of this book without giving away the farm, and I imagine others had the same problem. So I thought that I'd write up what I really thought about the characters, where their strengths and weaknesses were, how I thought it could have worked out differently, and why I thought I knew the outcome. And let me hear your thoughts on it, too. Please!!!

OK, here goes.

The choice:
How did I have a feeling that Tristan would be Sophie's choice? Well, throughout the book, Sophie continually thought about how much she missed Tristan. When they were in a room together, the sparks flew. They couldn't keep their hands off one another. They literally pined for one another. When Sophie was back with Garrett, the only real reference to sex after their first love scene was that she was in his bed every night. The relationship she had with Garrett was that of a child and young adult - of shared childhoods and coming of age. Her relationship with Tristan, while they shared a childhood as well, was an adult one, and I think that also made a huge difference. Who did you think/hope she'd choose and why?

Characterization:
I thought that Haymore waited too long to let us see into Garrett. He was too antagonistic for too long IMO to be the true hero for Sophie. We heard via Fisk what happened to him, but he was still so mean and angry. It wasn't until far later that there was any hint of any wrongdoing and that there might be something else going on other than Garrett's anger. Locking them in their rooms and restricting their movements also didn't endear him to me (or to Sophie, I imagine). That, I think, may have served to prejudice many readers against a Sophie/Garrett pairing. What say you?

OTOH, some may have viewed Tristan as too good to be true. I didn't, simply because of his alpha tendencies and stubbornness - he was determined to go forward with challenging the original marriage even while Sophie was trying to make up her own mind. Otherwise, he really was too good to be true.

The villain:
I thought that this was too much for the intimacy of the story. I think that it could have been done in a subtler way and still have worked very well. But as I said in my review of the book, I think that it began to feel too cliched for such an original story. How about you?

The sex:
Great. What else is there to say? OK, there is more. The opening scene? Having Garrett pull Tristan off of Sophie just as he's about to come, while she's naked and tied up? Wow. And having all the servants see it? Double wow. I love their (Sophie/Tristan) sexual relationship. It felt real to me. I think that Haymore couldn't really give us too much more of Sophie and Garrett in bed without spoiling a Sophie/Tristan ending. How about you?

The end:
Well, it was certainly different not to have Fisk all wrapped up and Rebecca ruined, but saved. And the teaser for A Touch of Scandal? Having Fisk's sister be Garrett's heroine? Wow. I never would have seen that coming.

What did you think about Sophie's choice? Happy about it? Were you sure she's make that choice? I was pretty sure about it, given the clues I mentioned above, but there was always a shadow of a doubt.


OK - your turn. Spill your thoughts. Please. I'm dying to have a real conversation about this book!

*NB: Every time I write "Sophie's choice", I picture Meryl Streep. Just wrong for this book, LOL!

7 comments:

  1. Wonderful post, and I'm loving that title, LOL. Okay, this is shallow, but when the description of Tristan included that he was a fine dresser, RIGHT THERE I was like, he won't get the girl. Like, not enough the alpha. And when he was all aggressive and dominating in bed, it always felt like the author was compensating for his unmanliness. Isn't that funny? It was all about the clothes for me.

    Yes, I was wobbled with Garrett imprisoning them, but I really expected this tortured man passion explosion between Sophie and G! Maybe I've been reading too much BDB!!

    Oh, the opening SO rocked, you are so right, and the villain, I was good with him. Oddly, I was relieved to have him on the scene. I know I'm in the minority on both counts. What's wrong with me?

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  2. LOL - I just noticed that I misspelled "spoilery" in the title. Whoops!

    Ya know, I remember vaguely that there was reference to haw well put togerher he was, how aristocratic he looked, blah blah, but it never really dawned on me to think anything of it. I think the whole dominant in bed thing just blew that right out of my mind.

    Maybe I've been reading too much BDB!! LMFAO!!!

    I thought that Fisk was ok, but that there was too much emphasis on it as the story progressed. I was just disappointed that it went as far as it did. But like I said in my original review - it likely served to break up the emotional tension and to set up the next book as well, so whatever!

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  3. Been dying to comment but too busy (at work, LOL). I picked up this book Tuesday and couldn't wait to sit down with it after G went to bed that night. More than 100 pages into it, I put it down. Nicely written, captivating in its pace but, wow. Challenging in that it didn't hit any of my "like" buttons. But drawn well enough to trigger my brain's response--"good stuff here." Which to follow? Head or heart? I haven't picked it back up, but sheesh...all this meaty talk of it...I'm going to have to read all of it, aren't I?

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  4. You did NOT read this post before you finished it, did you? BAD girl!!!

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  5. Errrr, worse. I did something I NEVER do...I looked at the book's ending. Then read the excerpt from Haymore's next book. But honestly? Knowing the outcome? And being sufficiently enticed by the promise in the next book? Those were the only things that kept the book close at hand. Those and your thoughts here. If I finish the book will that make up for my misbehavior? LOL

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  6. I admit that I was in Tristan's corner. I wasn't quite certain how the author was going to handle the entire situation, but I was pleasantly surprised.

    The relationship with Garrett was short and they were still very young when he was "lost". Her relationship with Tristan was more adult, built on a solid base of friendship and understanding.

    I did like Garrett though, in spite of him being a bully at times. As the story unfolded, you understood him better. I think that was intentional by the author. You couldn't like Garrett too much or you'd want him to win the girl. But you had to like him enough to want him to get his own book and be happy.

    I thought the plotline was original and really enjoyed what the author did with it!

    Can't wait for Garrett's story.

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  7. I was totally in Tristan's corner, too, NJ.

    You couldn't like Garrett too much or you'd want him to win the girl. But you had to like him enough to want him to get his own book and be happy.

    I think that hits the nail on the head.

    And how stoked was I to find out that she is Dawn Halliday, too? Way cool.

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Have you read it? What do you think?

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