February TBR Challenge

Title: Too Close to the Sun Author: Robin T. Popp Year published: 2003 / LoveSpell

Why did you get this book? It's a futuristic romance and I wanted to read a futuristic romance. I'd say the main reason for picking this out of other futuristic romances available is Too Close to the Sun is Popp's debut, even though I am not keen on the cover, the title [I've never liked the story of Icarus] and - shame on me - the author's name. Do you like the cover? No. It has almost everything I dislike seeing in a book cover. Did you enjoy the book? 'Enjoy' isn't quite a word I'd use to describe my reading experience with Too Close to the Sun. It certainly has an interesting story idea; when comparing to other futuristic romances, the world-building is decent [but not enough], and it has its moments. The pace is suitably frenetic and there is a lot of Smack! Pow! Bang! moments, which thrilled the action-adventure geek in me. I however do have issues with Too Close to the Sun: a) the hero is a chauvinist pig. It's part of his culture, apparently. Due to his eventual involvement with the heroine, he does "change" for better, but I just can't get over the fact that this "fiercely independent" heroine let him get away with a lot of crap that I wouldn't let him get away with. b) I'd plant my fist in his mouth next time he utters that dreadful "endearment". What kind of a man would consider 'Baby Girl' an endearment, for f.'s sake? I disliked him for it and could never shake that off since. Irrational, I know, but ... c) the whole thing with Harvestors ... it's not quite clear what they wanted nor why. Which is strange, considering the fact that they are, supposedly, the core of this storyline. It's as if they are there for the h/h to get, erm, married. I sometimes had this sense that those Harvestors were in the stage wing having a pint of stout and a fag, waiting for the call because I didn't feel that their presence had quite lent this sense of urgency to the h/h's mission to save the world from those Harvestors. They are just an effect, not a cause, if that makes sense, which lends this feel that it's a skim across water. I think this is one of dilemmas futuristic [or, indeed, other sub-genre] romance authors constantly have to face: romance or sub-genre? Finding the right balance in a futuristic romance is quite difficult, I'd imagine. Popp obviously chose romance and as the result, the storyline around Harvestors suffers because it's just too ambitious to be shoved into background in order for the romance to develop. Even though Harvestors were in presence almost at all times. It's quite queer, really. I'd reread it to get my head around it. :> d) comparing with other futuristic romances, it does have decent worldbuilding. Yet it's still not quite enough because there is quite a few reminders that it's a contemporary romance that happens to take place in a few hundred years' time and have flying spaceships and exotic-sounding place names as part of its everyday life. Then again, anyone who doesn't like to wade through that kind of geeky details in a futuristic or SF romance would enjoy this, which is what I think the author originally intended, anyway. Too Close to the Sun doesn't take place in pseudo-Medieval setting nor is it the retro version of American SF 1950s. Yay. e) Some traditional romance elements in the story piss me off. A few centuries later, we still have those? *headdesk* I won't list them here in case it'd spoil the story for those who want to give this book a try. I think if the author had kept those out of her story, it'd be a fantastic read. For me, that is. In fairness, the heroine is a lot more likeable than some heroines from other futuristic romances, which is a real bonus in my books. Did I enjoy it, though? *thinking* Yes and no. I think it's - if I ignore those issues as listed above - a fun, fast-paced space adventure romance. Yet I just can't help but feel that it could be better, which puts a damper on this read. My grade for this would be ... hm, C plus. Mind you, if Too Close to the Sun is treated as a pure beach read, it's B plus. If you want a piece of mind candy with a bit of a thrill next time you go on holiday, take this. Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Yes and since this is her debut, yes. Are you keeping it or passing it on? Keeping it because I'm maintaining a collection of futuristic romances and SF novels [with strong romantic streak], good and bad. I do think Too Close to the Sun makes a nice addition to the collection, though. Anything else? I'd just discovered that since Too Close to the Sun, she's written two vampire romance novels: Out of the Night and Seduced by the Night [due out this June]. Be good, be bad & be safe.