The Wedding Secret by Jeannie Moon
(Genre: Contemporary Romance)
**Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
This book was one hot mess and I found myself taking notes that had "WTF" somewhere in them quite frequently while reading.
First off, it's a secret baby romance. I kind of get a perverse glee out of secret baby romances. I think they're hard to sell because keeping a baby's paternity a secret from it's father is such a dick move and a betrayal of trust that it's hard to build a relationship on that. But I sure do like the drama and angst that ensues when people try.
Unfortunately, I thought this was kind of a mediocre secret baby romance. The heroine, Harper, comes off like the biggest asshole on the face of the earth for at least the first third and it makes zero sense that she'd keep the father in the dark. I thought a decent job was done of eventually making Harper sympathetic but it took too way too damn long to happen and was a bit too little too late once it did.
My biggest problem with this book, however, is that I really took issue with the hero, Kevin, being made to feel like he was in fault at least partly for Harper not telling him about her pregnancy. Not only does this reek of victim-blaming, but it also undermines the shit out of the heroine and her choices.
SPOILERS AHEAD
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I mean, his family and friends immediately start in on him with shit about how he obviously didn't treat her with enough respect and that's why she didn't tell him. What the ever loving fuck?!? Since there was no indication AT ALL that this was true, I kept waiting for all of them to eat humble pie. BUT NO.
Instead, it's eventually revealed to be true that a small part of Harper's motivation was that she was insecure about their relationship and he didn't meet needs of hers that he couldn't have possibly known she had because SHE DIDN'T FUCKING TELL HIM ABOUT THEM.
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END OF SPOILERS
Sorry. I got rage face there for a moment. I was so not down with that. That rationalization pissed me off and wasn't even necessary.
But then another layer of hot-mess-ness drops in and Kevin ruins any sympathy I had for him by going off the rails for no good reason and losing his goddamn mind. What the hell is wrong with all these people, I would really like to know.
And now this review is too long and I totally don't have time to rant the way I'd like about how hillbillies from Pittsburgh would never ever describe themselves as having a "southern drawl" because PENNSYLVANIA IS NOT IN THE SOUTH. NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. SIGH.
Rating: 2 stars
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