Jilly's Reviews > Rock Chick Redemption

Based on just the romance between Roxie and Hank, this would have been a one-star story for me. What saved it is all of the side characters, as usual, and the awesomeness that is Roxie's parents.

Plus Luke. Gimme, gimme, gimme


Okay, so what's my problem? It was too much. Too fast. Too pushy. Too creepily alpha-y.
See, there is a formula for these books: Boy alpha decides he wants girl, drags her back to his place, holds her captive while she tries to escape him, forces her to accept a relationship with him.


That worked out fine in the first book because Indy and Lee had known each other all of their lives and she had been in love with him forever. It was cute that he was being all forceful about the fact that it was time for them to get together. They knew each other better than anyone else, moving fast was fine.
Eddie and Jet were a little too fast, but they had a mutual attraction for about a month before things got intense.
But, this Hank and Roxie romance? It was just too much. Too much!!
He meets her, asks her out on a date for the next night and she says no. He grabs her and kisses her, without her consent. He then tells her that they ARE going on a date and that, as a cop, he will track her down if she tries to escape said date. Then!! Then, he takes her out on a date and refuses to take her home afterwards but informs her that she will be sleeping with him at his house. She says "no" several times, but he forces himself on her. But, all this is okay because she enjoyed the sex and he's hot. Hmmm...... I'm not so sure I like this message. She explicitly told this guy "no" over and over again, but he continued pursuing her, to the point of having non-consensual sex and not allowing her to leave his house after this sex either, all while threatening her if she tried to get away.
Let's say for a minute, that she was serious, and meant the words that came out of her mouth. She said "no" to the date, asked to be taken home after being bullied into the date, said "no" to the sex, tried to leave by calling a cab after the sex, and tried to not see him again or have any kind of relationship with him. These are the facts and the words that she used. His choosing to ignore them was the equivalent of date-rape. But, that's okay, because she was attracted to him and enjoyed herself. What if she wasn't? Put these actions on a man whom she wasn't interested in, and you have clear date-rape? But, why? If a woman says "no", is it really up to the man to decide whether he thinks she means it or not? I don't think they should be the ones deciding this. I think "no" means "no" - no matter what. If he doesn't like her answer, too bad. It's not his choice to take away her choices.

Okay, off my soapbox. I will take the book as a work of fiction and understand that these alpha-guys are just this book series' formula. If I can put that aside, I appreciate the cast of characters and the funny situations they find themselves in.

But, I'm taking a break to read Dark Lover with Karly and Jess anyway. There's no over-bearing alpha male in that book at all.