Saturday, February 18, 2017

Romance Annotation: Undone


Banks, M., & 3M Company. (2014). Undone. New York: Harlequin.


Synopsis: Pippa Laingley is a driven career woman, a caring friend, and has an unfortunate crush on Cameron Hollingsworth. Cam drives her crazy with his pompous attitude and know-it-all demeanor, but she can’t stop staring at his handsome face. When he offers to help her at a busy catering event, Pippa can’t believe her ears. Cam Hollingsworth? Sullying his hands with physical labor? As the evening progresses, the tension between the two finally reaches its breaking point in the most unexpected way: Cam proposes a night of no-strings-attached passion. Pippa agrees--she can’t imagine ever wanting to spend more than one night with Cam. But when Pippa discovers their evening together has left her pregnant, Cam’s tragic past comes back to haunt him. Can he learn to love again? Or will he push Pippa away as she offers him the one thing he wants and is terrified of in equal measure: the love of a family.

Romance characteristics: Love-driven plot: the characters are constantly battling their underlying feelings of love and commitment in this novel.
Fast-paced: Things heat up quickly within the story, and the relationship escalates at a rapid pace. Reader emotions: The story allows readers to experience a wide range of emotions through the protagonists. Character growth: Both characters change and grow as a result of their relationship throughout the novel. Archetype characters: Cam’s a roguish businessman hell-bent on the single life, Pippa is a tough as nails business woman with a heart of gold. True romances end in love: No trouble finding a love filled ending here. Read-alikes: The Manning Brides by Debbie Macomber
Married for the Italian’s Heir by Rachael Thomas
Bachelor Unforgiving by Brenda Jackson
Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir by Heidi Betts
Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Personal Reaction: I had no idea this novel was actually the 4th in a series by Maya Banks called Pregnancy & Passion until I had already started reading. While I did not feel that it hindered my enjoyment of the novel to have missed the first three, I do think I would have better appreciated the portrayal of Pippa's friends had I known their back stories as well.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Rachael,

    I’ll be honest, I’ve never read a full-fledged romance novel before. I’ve read novels of other genres with elements of romance added in, however, not one whose first classification would be romance. Is this a preferred or favorite genre of yours or were you branching out from your comfort zone? I feel I should venture a bit more out of my genre comfort zone once in a while. I feel you did a great job with your annotation and provided all the necessary information without divulging too much of the plot; even if romance novels do stick to a familiar ending, according to your appeals. As I’m not as familiar with romance plotlines I was a bit surprised that Undone did involve a semi-involved plot, in which some wrenches might be thrown into it. I guess that’s why they always say you shouldn’t assume anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jonathan!

      No. I am in no way an avid romance reader. In fact, I always assumed I loathed the genre. I wouldn't go so far as to say I am a convert, but I was surprised that the storyline at least captured my attention enough to want to see it to the end. All that said, I doubt I'll dive into this genre again any time soon. I can see how they'd be appealing though. It's like comfort food. There are ups and downs, but in the end you know it's going to be alright. Glad you enjoyed the annotation!

      Delete
    2. Do you think you would try another romance novel for fun? I love Maya Banks and her KGI series. I think the key to enjoying any genre is finding the right author.

      Delete
    3. Do you think you would try another romance novel for fun? I love Maya Banks and her KGI series. I think the key to enjoying any genre is finding the right author.

      Delete
  2. Pregnancy and Passion series, somethings never cease to amaze. Great job on your annotation and I love your personal reaction at the end. Full points!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love, love, love Maya Banks!! She is racier than some other romance writers, but I love how she knits a story together. If you have not read her Breathless trilogy books, you need to. I also really like her KGI series.

    I haven't read Undone, so I'll be downloading it today :)

    ReplyDelete