RITA Reader Challenge Review

RITA Reader Challenge: Donovan’s Child by Christine Rimmer

DNF

Title: Donovan's Child
Author: Christine Rimmer
Publication Info: Harlequin 2011
ISBN: 978-0373655779
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Donovan's Child This review was written by Carrie S. This story was nominated in the Best Contemporary Series Romance category.

The summary:     

The first time, it was a tumble down a mountain that threatened Donovan McRae's very survival. And though he had once been the Man Who Had Everything, at that point he thought he had nothing left to lose.

Until Abilene Bravo walked into his life—and he realized he was wrong. Because though he thought he'd lost his heart years ago, he found himself losing it again as he fell fast…for the feisty woman who wouldn't take no for an answer.

And here is Carrie S's review:

One of the first books I reviewed for Smart Bitches involved a couple who realized that they were experiencing a zombie apocalypse when they found their marriage counselor eating another client.  That story was more plausible than anything that happens in Donovan's Child.

Donovan is a mysterious brooding architect with a dark secret who lives in a remote desert mansion.  A mountain-climbing accident has left him in a wheelchair.  He hires Abilene, an architect ingénue, to design a children's center that he had promised to build.  She has to come work in his desert lair, and of course she and Donovan hate each other on sight, and of course the next thing you know she is determined to save him from himself and he is spying on her while she swims in the lovely, heated, indoor pool, because, of course, every romance stalker must have a desert lair that includes an indoor pool.  There are very few supporting characters and those that are around are clearly Plot Devices instead of people (exp:  Ben, this guy who works for Donovan, whose character makes no sense at any time).

Here two examples of the many things I don't understand:  why is Abilene working in the house with Donovan instead of from an office or by web-conferencing, or whatever normal people do?  And why is Ben, an engineer, working as a butler?  I get that this is pure fantasy romance, what with the scenery and the damaged alpha who needs saving and the live-in chef who makes incredible desserts, but there's nothing believable on which to ground the fantasy so it's less of a lovely daydream and more of a giant WTF.

I put my grade as DNF even though I actually did read the end.  I felt I couldn't honestly give it a fair grade because I skimmed the middle.  The end represents the least believable happy ending I have ever read.  I try so hard to find positive things to say so I don't make authors sad, but this was just…weird.  There's some nice humor and the moment in which Abilene first sees Donovan's injured legs is handled very well.  The grammar and spelling are fine and the descriptions are good.  I guess that's why it's nominated for a RITA?  Good spelling?  I dunno, help me guys!  I'm baffled!


This book is available from Goodreads | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | All Romance eBooks.

Comments are Closed

  1. Lori says:

    I try not to get hung up on character names, but unless there’s a very good explanation for it “Abilene Bravo” would drop a book a full letter grade all on its own. Is that horrible shallow or judgey of me?

  2. Theresa says:

    Nope, it’s not. It may as well be Alpha Bravo. I would likely throw a book with such an awful name for the heroine.

  3. library addict says:

    There are many books which get nominated for RITAs and I wonder why. Chalk it up to different reader tastes I guess. No idea.

  4. Lori says:

    Yeah,that’s not a name for a human it’s code for a SEAL mission of something. I’d give that book a try, but it sounds like this one is not for me.

  5. FairyKat says:

    Had to read the Zombie review and EWWWWW; but also BWAHAHAHA! Thank you!

Comments are closed.

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