Since 1996 Jill Shalvis has written more than eighty-five romance novels. Using basic mathematics and a calculator, that suggests she writes six a year, each reaching the dizzying heights of fifty thousand words. In 2010 she has had a new book released for the months of February, March, April and July, with upcoming titles to be available in August, September and October. In between her writing, Jill also keeps a blog (Like Bewildered Heart! Wheeeee!) and a Twitter account (Booooo!). This insane volume would seem a capable feat to someone who was unaware of her novels. Would she not be better served writing three books a year and spending the remaining time editing those works and perhaps spending some time in the real world learning how life is for people who aren't Mills & Boon writers? Yes, Jill, others can use long sentences too. Damn!
Roughing It With Ryan is not your average Mills & Boon novel. It is, in fact, closer to regular chick-lit, heavy with tired attempts at humour and a conversational prose style. The 'Hey, gal-pals' stuff grates immediately, but at least it isn't your typical repetitive, glossy prose of other genre examples. Suzanne Carter is not your average Mills & Boon heroine either. She carries around a little extra baggage and thickness than your usual romantic protagonist. To clarify baggage means emotional baggage and thickness means stupidity. In a slightly different regard, baggage and thickness also means she has chunky hips. Fair enough, it is just the fat issue that is unique to Suzanne. But weight (heh), there's more to her (heh) than meets the eye. Yes, Suzanne has been engaged three times and sees herself as a serial heart-breaker who 'destroys men' even though the narrator helpfully points out her previous relationships were all ended by the men, because men are jerks! Damn them!
Nothing speaks to Suzanne like gallons of ice cream. No sooner has Suzanne decided to swear off men for their own good and lose herself in eating ice cream with new bestest friend in the whole wide world (name unimportant) than she claps eyes on Ryan, a gorgeous, perfect, brilliant, loving tree surgeon. All tree surgeons are gorgeous and rugged, aren't they, working with their hands and sturdy torsos to protect nature and humanity's supply of oxygen? Chicks dig that shit, eh, gal-pals? Women adore loving, flawless men who love their partners despite their chunky appearance, insane demands, inane chatter and crises of confidence. It's as if Jill Shalvis understands women about as well as she doesn't understand men. Damn her!
For a Mills & Boon novel Roughing It with Ryan offers numerous supporting characters, none of whom encroach on the central story-line of Suzanne's dithering. In fact, her decision to become a caterer and realise her love for Ryan has little to do with the plot and more to do with the dwindling amount of words left for Shalvis to write. This is frustrating for even the most hearty consumer of such romantic material. The problem, as always, stems from the lack of stakes to the story. Suzanne doesn't want a relationship because she can't handle the pain of a romance gone bad, until she meets the perfect man and decides to spend the rest of her life with him. Suzanne doesn't want to be a caterer until she suddenly decides she actually does and then becomes a caterer. The End. This isn't a story. Nothing in such a scenario implies drama. Damn you, Jill Shalvis!
Roughing It With Ryan is not your average Mills & Boon novel. It is, in fact, closer to regular chick-lit, heavy with tired attempts at humour and a conversational prose style. The 'Hey, gal-pals' stuff grates immediately, but at least it isn't your typical repetitive, glossy prose of other genre examples. Suzanne Carter is not your average Mills & Boon heroine either. She carries around a little extra baggage and thickness than your usual romantic protagonist. To clarify baggage means emotional baggage and thickness means stupidity. In a slightly different regard, baggage and thickness also means she has chunky hips. Fair enough, it is just the fat issue that is unique to Suzanne. But weight (heh), there's more to her (heh) than meets the eye. Yes, Suzanne has been engaged three times and sees herself as a serial heart-breaker who 'destroys men' even though the narrator helpfully points out her previous relationships were all ended by the men, because men are jerks! Damn them!
Nothing speaks to Suzanne like gallons of ice cream. No sooner has Suzanne decided to swear off men for their own good and lose herself in eating ice cream with new bestest friend in the whole wide world (name unimportant) than she claps eyes on Ryan, a gorgeous, perfect, brilliant, loving tree surgeon. All tree surgeons are gorgeous and rugged, aren't they, working with their hands and sturdy torsos to protect nature and humanity's supply of oxygen? Chicks dig that shit, eh, gal-pals? Women adore loving, flawless men who love their partners despite their chunky appearance, insane demands, inane chatter and crises of confidence. It's as if Jill Shalvis understands women about as well as she doesn't understand men. Damn her!
For a Mills & Boon novel Roughing It with Ryan offers numerous supporting characters, none of whom encroach on the central story-line of Suzanne's dithering. In fact, her decision to become a caterer and realise her love for Ryan has little to do with the plot and more to do with the dwindling amount of words left for Shalvis to write. This is frustrating for even the most hearty consumer of such romantic material. The problem, as always, stems from the lack of stakes to the story. Suzanne doesn't want a relationship because she can't handle the pain of a romance gone bad, until she meets the perfect man and decides to spend the rest of her life with him. Suzanne doesn't want to be a caterer until she suddenly decides she actually does and then becomes a caterer. The End. This isn't a story. Nothing in such a scenario implies drama. Damn you, Jill Shalvis!
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