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Dual Review: Accidental Abduction by Eve Langlais
Filed in 2 Stars , Dual Review , Eve Langlais , Review , The Geeky Lover , The Smutty Lover Posted on July 29, 2011 @ 6:00 am
5 comments
Format Read: review & bought copy
Number of pages: 111 pages (pdf)
Release Date: 22 Ma 2011
Formats available: eBook
Genre: erotic scifi romanced
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Amazon
Book Blurb:
Abducted by a space pirate, she fights the temptation to let him plunder her goods.A boyfriend’s attempted murder leaves Megan floundering in the ocean. Sinking without hope, the bright light she sees in the night sky isn’t her doorway to heaven, but rather the beginning of her accidental abduction by a space pirate. While thankful of his rescue, Megan stays true to form and just can’t keep her mouth shut, even when he keeps threatening to kill her–or auction her off to the highest bidder. Even odder, despite her decision to not get involved with her wickedly hot captor, she can’t help craving his touch.Tren retired from his job as a mercenary so he could enjoy life, but he never counted on the boredom of normalcy. The acquisition of rare items has somewhat filled the void, but his accidental abduction of an outspoken earthling, who doesn’t know when to shut up, turns his life upside. Her fiery spirit draws him while at the same time drives him insane. Struggling with his urges, he must decide– throttle her barbarian neck or ravish her delectably lush body?Despite what his heart tries to tell him, he’s determined to sell her to the highest bidder even as he seduces her body. However, despite his best intentions, he discovers he can’t let her go. And when a foe from his past thinks to steal her, he’ll do anything to get her back.
Our Thoughts:
Susi: First thing I want to say is that I actually adore the science fiction romance genre and the story sounded promising so why shouldn’t I give it a try? So yes the story itself didn’t sound that unique, actually it sounded pretty familiar, but I’m always happy to jump into a space adventure when I have the chance.I love a solid world building, foreign species, learning what makes them different, seeing the differences clash together and figure out how they will get over the cultural obstacles and find their HEA. And yes I expect them to have a proper characterization and plot. Let’s say it nice Accidental Abduction didn’t deliver what I hoped for.
Has: I am also a fan of science fiction romance – and when Susi asked me to do a dual review for this book, I jumped at the chance. Although I am not a huge fan of campy romp styled romance, if it is done right it can be great fun.
However I have to agree with Susi’s feelings about the book, I also felt the characterizations and the plot was a lot to be desired and there was a subtext about the heroine’s past relationships which I did not like and find appealing.
Susi: I’m not even sure about what we should talk first. Perhaps let’s start with Megan and her many facets. For me she was too contradicting from the start. She had some really bad relationships in her life including an abuser and let’s not forget the guy who wanted to kill her. Having lived through all this I would have expected her to have a certain distance or at least a bit distrust to men. But what does she do when the purple alien kidnaps her to sell her on a meat market or a sex slave ring? She is attracted to him and can’t keep her hands off him. Yeah, suuuuuuure!
Has: I think that was my main gripe about the whole book, and I totally agree! I also found her very annoying when she was trying to be assertive but for me she portrayed herself as immature. I really felt that her characterization was inconsistent and from having this bad past with men and falling into instant lust with a purple alien who has threatened to auction her off as a sex slave? I really felt that this didn’t work and it wasn’t realistic on how their romance started off.
There is a line from the book – that stood out for me that made me realize that this wasn’t going to be a good romane and emphasizes the subtext about Megan’s past and her view of men.
‘He oozed too much testosterone and chauvinism for that. Just like a man back home.’
Susi: Yeah, it felt like Tren was meant to be an alpha male but for my taste he was a bit too much. As you quoted it felt like that through most part of the book. I just don’t understand how that should be attractive. The gender characterization felt rather flat and over-dramatized. You have the testosterone-spitting chauvinist and the giggly bubbly and cheeky heroine. This book delivers the typical stereotypes without any depth or explanation. As we already mentioned, Megan shouldn’t be the way she acts. Her actions always felt out of character and made connecting to her impossible.
Has: Exactly! There wasn’t much depth with Tren and Megan. He was this Grrish Alien warrior who was uber perfect and uber powerful. And she was the fiesty heroine who was hard done by the men of her past as well as the current boyfriend who tried to kill her. It was all cliches and tropes but there was no twist to make it fresh, in fact it fell into pitfalls of those stereotypes.
Susi: That brings us to respect. Perhaps I’m oldfashioned or prude but I don’t want to read about hero who thinks things like this:
“And all males know the only time a woman should speak is during sex when she screams our name.”
There is more than one scene that seemed for me rather degrading for women- and I’m usually all for the dirty fun. But the sex usually works for me through the connection I feel for the characters and for what they feel for each other.
Has: That’s the key for a good romance is equality/respect with the hero and heroine. Even if one of them has more power either physically/magically etc.. there has to be some element of respect or equality. I didn’t feel that was in the case with this book. I think the focus on the sex instead of the characterization and romance and relying on cliches is the reason why this book failed. I can understand it was suppose to be a lighthearted space romp but the humour was forced.
Susi: Exactly! I usually love my books funny and witty but I really didn’t connect to Langlais’ humor. It was as you said forced as in it didn’t fit the situation. Accidental Abduction definitely could have been a bit more real at times. I don’t mean the setting or anything it’s more about the characters reactions. Okay perhaps one setting thing was really weird: the purple ball-free peen. *waits for everyone to digest that*
Has: Actually the no balls/they are inside him kind of symbolises on how I feel about the book. Promise but no oomph factor. Even the fun aspect about the sex became annoying.I loved how Tren was critical about Earth being a barbaric planet but it seems this enlightened intergalactic community loves to get jiggy with sex slaves.It is rather silly but it was the subtext that I didn’t like and maybe I might be taking this all seriously but good characters is a huge factor for enjoying a book. I don’t mind and enjoy silly plots but when you have a heroine stating.
“Allow herself to become someone who gave and received sexual pleasure. I’m good at that. I could become a first class courtesan and have my owner shower me with presents, an interesting fantasy for someone else.”
Has: I just felt at this point, Megan’s characterization was too erratic – one minute she was scared and the next she was lusting after an alien who was going to sell her to be a sex slave. Is a sex slave something to be desired and glorified and glamorous? O_O
Susi: This is what Megan thinks being sold as a sex slave could be like? I’m sure this is nothing I would think of. It’s one of those scenes that made me lose my respect for the story. Fun is okay and I really love it but why would she think that?
Has: Also the romance? It was mostly based on sex and there was hardly any development about the emotional side of the story and I wished that was expanded upon. Instead we got this tired, forced fights which was suppose to ramp sexual tension but didn’t and can I say that Megan was the definition of a Dickmatized heroine. Because this is what the book was about. Sex with an alien purple peen with no balls.
Susi: I agree- it felt exactly like that. The build up was missing and farther into the story it was just too late. And dickmatized describes it well.
Has: When I saw the premise/blurb – I thought this would be a fun and rompy sci fi romance but the characterization and lack of worldbuilding failed to ignite my interest. In fact it fell into cliched traps and I do like my smex but that didn’t save the book for me because the romance was lackluster with annoying one dimensional characters. I especially didn’t like the subtext about Megan and her history of men. For me Accidental Abduction is pretty much a meh book full of cliches that annoyed me.
I give Accidental Abduction 2 out of 5 bookies.
Susi: Accidental Abduction was a bumpy ride to say it nice. It reminded me about a book I really enjoyed but it just couldn’t keep up to my expectations. The characterization was nearly completely missing and the world-building sloppy. Too many important things were left out and the focus was, at least for my taste, misplaced. I enjoy my books on the erotic side but for something to be erotic you need to see the connection between characters. without that it is just sex. Sadly not what I wished for.
I give Accidental Abduction 2 out of 5 bookies.
***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.
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Ugh, this sounds like the semi-cheesy sci-fi romances that I got from Ellora in the early days of my e-reading. Sex slave auctions, strange and magical penises and a bunch of TSTL humans and aliens.
No balls? Sounds like my ex. 😉
@Barbara LMAO you just made snort my coffee over my netbook.
That quote about women and talking, sheesh! I would go and kick them in the nuts
@Barbara
I dont mind fun and campy sci fi romances – sometimes its nice to just to switch off and read a good romp. But the subtext in the story and the characterization really rubbed me the wrong way.
@Bluodeuedd
Yep that is what I feel too and I am not a huge fan of alphaholes heroes.
@Blodeuedd My thoughts exactly. 😉