Except the book doesn't really focus on the Mixed Race bit that much. Or I didn't notice it. This may be because I don't care about mixed race and really can't tell one way or another, I don't know. I've realized that people tend to focus on the things in books that they can relate to or scream out at them. It's actually true about everything - for example, I wrote an extremely long post - but you jumped on the small paragraph about The Bride Test. I do the same thing. We all do. We fixate on the bit that relates to us.
So, I barely noticed the Mixed Race thing and to the extent that I did, it's not what bothered me about the book. Actually, I'd have liked it better if there was more focus on it. The only mention is that she has beautiful green eyes. (I also have green eyes. Only one in my immediate family who has green eyes by the way. It's my best feature.)
What bugged me - and I noticed, was she thought her hands were small and ugly (not a mixed race trait and common in a lot of contemporary romances, there's clearly a lot of women out there who have stigmatized their bodies). She also was ashamed of being a single mother. And felt he didn't want her because she was poor, had no money, no class, no education, and a kid. (Which are common tropes in contemporary romance novels - and have zip to do with race, and everything to do with economics. I honestly think this particular topic - differences in economic standing and "Class" is handled better in "historical romance" novels. Mainly because contempoary novels fall into the trap of the billionaire or millionaire boyfriend taking care of the poor broke girlfriend or bailing her out of trouble.)
I was not bothered by the "green card" bit - that's somewhat realistic. Although no-where near as easy as it looks. I have a co-worker who went through hell getting his wife a green card and visa. Absolute hell. Took him four years.
And, you can do a romance novel with more on the search for the father, and more character development without falling into contemporary women's fiction - as long as your central focus is on the romance. It's doable. I think the difficulty here - was too much emphasis is put on Esme lying about her child - I didn't really understand that. Particularly considering her Daddy issues. And too much emphasis is put on her shame about a lack of education - which granted is a universal theme - which may be why the writer had to push it. More people will admittedly identify with the struggle for an education and the struggle of raising a kid on one's own and dating at the same time, then they might regarding being an immigrant, searching for a bio dad, or mixed racial heritage.
I also think the writer being Autistic - pushed more on the Autistic bit, and less on the other. I don't know. I'm 60% of the way through and kind of stuck at the moment. She keeps worrying about not being good enough for him or pretty enough or that he'll hate her for having a kid, and he keeps worrying about not being able to love her, when he clearly does. And I just want to smack both of them upside the head.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2022-07-17 06:54 pm (UTC)So, I barely noticed the Mixed Race thing and to the extent that I did, it's not what bothered me about the book. Actually, I'd have liked it better if there was more focus on it. The only mention is that she has beautiful green eyes. (I also have green eyes. Only one in my immediate family who has green eyes by the way. It's my best feature.)
What bugged me - and I noticed, was she thought her hands were small and ugly (not a mixed race trait and common in a lot of contemporary romances, there's clearly a lot of women out there who have stigmatized their bodies). She also was ashamed of being a single mother. And felt he didn't want her because she was poor, had no money, no class, no education, and a kid. (Which are common tropes in contemporary romance novels - and have zip to do with race, and everything to do with economics. I honestly think this particular topic - differences in economic standing and "Class" is handled better in "historical romance" novels. Mainly because contempoary novels fall into the trap of the billionaire or millionaire boyfriend taking care of the poor broke girlfriend or bailing her out of trouble.)
I was not bothered by the "green card" bit - that's somewhat realistic. Although no-where near as easy as it looks. I have a co-worker who went through hell getting his wife a green card and visa. Absolute hell. Took him four years.
And, you can do a romance novel with more on the search for the father, and more character development without falling into contemporary women's fiction - as long as your central focus is on the romance. It's doable. I think the difficulty here - was too much emphasis is put on Esme lying about her child - I didn't really understand that. Particularly considering her Daddy issues.
And too much emphasis is put on her shame about a lack of education - which granted is a universal theme - which may be why the writer had to push it. More people will admittedly identify with the struggle for an education and the struggle of raising a kid on one's own and dating at the same time, then they might regarding being an immigrant, searching for a bio dad, or mixed racial heritage.
I also think the writer being Autistic - pushed more on the Autistic bit, and less on the other. I don't know. I'm 60% of the way through and kind of stuck at the moment. She keeps worrying about not being good enough for him or pretty enough or that he'll hate her for having a kid, and he keeps worrying about not being able to love her, when he clearly does. And I just want to smack both of them upside the head.