I picked up a book from an author new to me- the first in a series. What I
thought was going to be an exciting new paranormal romance, was so disturbing
that by the time the black moment was about to occur I just couldnβt read it. In
my mind, I couldnβt put these two people through what was supposed to rip them
apart and break them down. Even knowing that they would then, somehow, discover
that only their love could put the pieces back together for them.
It was tense. It was action packed. It was filled with bad people doing bad
things and yes, there was a romance. The hero and heroine had met, were
attracted to each other despite being at odds and the characters packed an
emotional punch.
Too much of one.
The characters were totally kick-butt kind of people, tough and dangerous to
know. As a reader along for the ride I knew the only thing that was left to
really bring them low was to start killing people they had finally let in and
started to care for. There was no release from the tragic for me. The love
growing between the hero and heroine was not enough to lighten the darkness of
the plot. At the point that I skipped to the end, the book had become an
emotional drain. I was too aware of the βthe bookβ instead of a great story or
these two people I want to get to know. It was exhausting to read.
There is the rub.
The characters were obviously deep and well crafted enough for me to instantly
get into them and feel the emotion of the scenes as they unfolded. It takes a
talented and powerful writer to pull me directly into the head of the characters
so completely. As a writer, I want that power! But, even knowing that it was
well written, I had to skip to the end. Just to be sure that indeed there would
be something of a happy ending before I put myself through any more emotional
turmoil.
This was the first time that had happened to me. Iβve been bored into skimming a
book. Iβve even been scared into skimming a book- only in horror though. I know
when I am reading a romance that whatever happens, whatever the hero and heroine
go through, love will find a way in the end. Iβve never been pulled out of a
romance because the love story, as epic as it was, just couldnβt triumph over
the charactersβ misfortune. Even with them overcoming their emotional walls,
admitting their love, defeating the bad guys and getting to be together in the
end, I wasnβt satisfied. I couldnβt envision a future for these two. Iβm hoping
that in the next book of the series, which I will read to give the author
another chance, will give me some hope for these characters.
What about you? Have you ever been too emotionally involved in a story that you
had to let it go?
No comments posted.
© 2003-2026