Susan M. (susyclemens) reviewed on 2/4/2010 + 158 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

I wasn't a reader of Cheryl Holt novels before, and I kind of doubt I will be again. But I'm going to try to be fair here. I thought I would read something by Ms. Holt since I had never read anything by her before, and I was looking for a new romance author. The two stars I grant Complete Abandon might actually be a 2.5. This is not a such a badly written book -- its story moves along, and it's not boring (though I found myself skimming toward the end, I must admit).

I've discovered that this type of writing - the character development and plot devices chosen by this author - are not my preference in romance fiction. Ms. Holt reminded me a little of Bertice Small's older novels, which is good as far as that goes, (she's certainly very, um, direct, like Bertice, with a touch of perversity) but nowadays I generally prefer a little subtlety in my romance reading. So the hero's oversexed "cockstands" (yes, that's what she calls 'em), and the immediately horny heroine, put me off. It all seems so smutty. If you prefer your romance reading very "up front", with a touch of perversity (in this book, the Vicar with the taste for little girls comes to mind --uggh.) then Cheryl Holt is the author for you. Ms. Holt just isn't one that I prefer.

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