Yup, read another book! Touched by an Alien, by Gini Koch. It’s Men In Black with romance, and it’s tons of fun. Koch is inventive and smart, and so is her main character. From the moment an angry husband turns into a monster before her eyes, the surprises just keep coming at Kitty, and she handles them with a resilience and attitude that’s a joy to watch.
Very little of this book is what you’d expect from a romance novel. Her mother is a blast, her father adorable, the love interest falls harder for her every time she’s smart. (We know this because, rather than being distant and cold–not a turn-on for me, don’t know about you–he proposes. Repeatedly. As in, “you’re brilliant. Marry me.” Repeatedly.) He’s gorgeous, yes, but also vulnerable, and the partnership they work out is marvelous. Having faith someone will catch you when you fall off the rope you’ve been shooting bad guys from is different from letting him take care of all the nasty icky violence omg.
I will say, though, that I think first person was a mistake. Even when she’s supposedly mindless from some really great sex (competently written but nothing stellar), Kitty is still narrating coherently. For me at least, that’s a bit hard on my suspension of disbelief.
What else can I say? Had I not read it right after Agnes and the Hitman, I would gush more. Definitely a fun read. Laugh out loud funny–I mean, often. And one thing that bothered me a lot–early in the book Kitty fainted and I was pissed (I don’t do wimpy females) –was not what I thought. I almost put the book down when she did it. I’m glad I didn’t.
There’s a sequel due out in December. I’ll be watching for it.
Hey, Marie fainted in like, chapter 2 or 3 of Blade of the Mother. She’s ~emotionally~ strong. Or something. Also, ya know, CURSED.
I’m not against All Fainting Ever. I think Eve does it once or twice from blood loss. What bothered me was that Kitty was fine, not shaking or crying (which I would have been moderately okay with, that early in the book and with what just happened) and then she fainted into the hottie’s arms. It seemed completely ridiculous, maybe an attempt to meet some of the romantic conventions–but it wasn’t. Koch doesn’t explain that faint till nearly the end, but she does explain and it makes sense, so I forgive her.
OIC. Yeah, there’s something obviously wrong with Marie. And then I kinda hit people over the head with it just to be sure …. I will not edit, I will not edit…
hee…it’s so hard not to go back and fix just this one thing you’re thinking of…
I haven’t read the book so I can’t comment specifically, but sudden fainting doesn’t sound totally unreasonable to me given a strong character. The times I’ve nearly fainted have been pretty much without warning; I try to stifle any external reaction because being coddled pisses me off, and sometimes that makes it worse and I keel over entirely. Mind you, I’d rather fall into some guy’s arms than be weeping and flailing any day.
I’m weirdly intrigued now you’ve said there was an explanation, though. Damn it, I don’t need any more things to read, like, ever! 😛
*snerks at Midge* I let a friend read a bit of Eve. It was–good lork, I think they were arguing over whether they’d rescue Hanna (Ben’s choice) or space her (Eve’s) and friend read it aloud like it was the most torrid, vapid romance novel ever written–and then wondered why he never saw my work again. 🙄
Kami, it was written in first person. She wasn’t suppressing anything. She was fine, she was fine, then oh oops her knees went weak and she fainted into hottie’s arms. However, that ends the chapter, and in the first paragraph of the new chapter she decides to turn herself in to Gloria Steinem as a feminist failure, so I kept going. 😀
(The first “book” I ever wrote, in seventh grade, my heroine fainted a lot. Like, a whole lot. My dad read the book and asked if she had a glandular problem.
I have not let him read anything of mine since. :look: )
Glad you enjoyed the book! I’ll have to check it out sometime.