Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Book Review: Sarah's Child

How in fresh hell did this book get published in 2001? Honestly? I would like to think in 2001 romance readers were more sophisticated than this but I have no idea, I was busting my ass in college and too busy to read.

Sarah's Child - Linda Howard
A beloved classic by Linda Howard to captivate old fans and new, a compelling novel that tests the fragile bonds of love in a deeply moving story of the healing gift of selfless devotion.... A tragic accident took everything that mattered to Rome Matthews -- his wife, Diana, and their two little boys. And it robbed Sarah Harper of her best friend. In the two years since the tragedy, Sarah has wanted to reach out to Rome, but she knew she needed to stay away, guarding the secret she had kept from him and Diana all those years -- that she was in love with her best friend's husband. But now Rome needs her. And though another woman will hold his heart forever, Sarah agrees to be his wife, knowing that everything has a price, including love. Then something totally unexpected rekindles her hidden hope that a marriage of convenience will become a union of love. Now it all comes down to her husband. Will Rome keep fighting his own growing need for a woman who dares him to believe there are second chances in life...or will he give in to the power of love and miracles?
I've said it countless times, Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors but I swear to god, some of her earlier books are so awful that I can't even. I just can't.

In this gem, we have Sarah, who works at Spencer-Nyle as an executive secretary. She was best friends with Diana, who died in a car accident a few years earlier. Diana was the wife to Rome Matthews, who is an executive at Spencer-Nyle. The twist is that Sarah has always had a think for Rome but obviously couldn't do squat about it because who goes after their best friend's husband? Nobody decent, that's who. Surprise- Rome has had a thing for Sarah but again, couldn't act on it because OBVIOUSLY. Well, Diana is dead, and it's high time we get rid of her stuff. Rome calls Sarah to come and get friendship mementos and in the process almost freaking rapes her on the bedroom floor, then gets angry at her, and sends her off.

Indignantly Sarah leaves and decides she just can't go back to work. Not after this.

Plot twist- they have sex and Rome is so aghast that he asks her to marry him. (No, I'm not kidding, that is legitimately the story line of this book.) Sarah agrees because he might not love her but she doesn't have any other prospects and she's getting older, after all. (Nope, still not joking.)

Sarah gets unexpectedly pregnant and Rome is maaaaaad because he definitely did NOT want more kids after his sons died (in the car crash with Diana) and he thinks Sarah did this on purpose! But she didn't, she's just a moron who doesn't know that you have to take your birth control even if you're sick. It doesn't magically work, you guys. Anyways. So the story is basically driven by wondering if Rome can ever love Sarah, will she be OK without being loved, and what will Rome do about the baby?

The ending is preposterous and I actually threw the book when I was done. It was that bad. Rome is the worst and Sarah is just as bad, maybe more because she has zero self esteem or self worth and totally OK letting a guy marry her so he doesn't feel bad about using her for sex. That's the actual gist of it. *eye roll*

   

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