(no subject)

This morning, my mom saw I was reading Tusk Love, and asked if it was a novel about elephants. I tried to explain what it was to her, but I doubt she really understood. I'm now 200 pages into it, and I will finish it, but honestly, my feelings about it are kind of mixed. I think the one conclusion I can draw in relation to it is that romance novels, and romantasy novels with them, really aren't for me. Because I should like this book. I really liked Guinevere from the first page onward, and I like Oscar, too, though he's a little more bland. If their love story was a side-plot in a novel about the turning point in her life, I'd totally ship it. But instead I keep getting annoyed at their whole plowing solidly through the cliche tropey plot they are obliged to follow, and when there are even ( much more interesting things going on... )

I don't really fault Guanzon for the book's flaws; she was hired to defictionalize what's supposed to be a romance novel, so that's what she did. And while I was initially wary when I heard of her Reylo background, I actually think this book being written by a fanfic writer is a good thing; there are definitely moments that are better for the influence from that background, both in the sex scenes and elsewhere. It also meant she's used to playing in a preconstructed world, and some of the books best moments, like the whole saga of the Bonecrusher clan, are when she makes use of the various things Exandria provided her with.