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A review by hickeykenikki
Philip's Rules by Golden Angel
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I learned a lot about myself reading this book.
- I severely need to stay away from Regency books. I hate everything with it so much. This book contained just enough to have me skipping quite a bit of the book. It would have been different if there were defined scenes, but it was mostly summing up the general things that were going on. I found myself skimming through a lot of summaries in the book just to get to the scenes that actually have things happen. There's a time and place for "telling" in a book and this was far too much of it.
- Domestic discipline is not usually for me, but I thought maybe in a historical context I could enjoy it more. Nope. It would be one thing if the MMC *just* spanked the FMC, but spanking her nineteen-year-old stepdaughter is too far for me. The girl is NINETEEN. And is his wife's STEPDAUGHTER. I get that she was being set up to be the FMC of the next book, but everything about that was awful for me. Spanking as punishment in a sexual context is okay with me; whatever this was is absolutely not.
- If a book as the phrase "alpha male" in the summary, I need to stay away. I absolutely hate the trope that the man is always right and knows what's best. Even in this book where the MMC adapted to some of the FMC's demands, there wasn't enough of it. It just. By the end of the book, I absolutely hated him, even in his soft moments. Because in this scenario, where he spanks her to her transgressions, who spanks him for his transgressions?? His character growth is perfect because we want her growth to be imperfect? The casual sexism that goes with the 'alpha male' mentality is Not For Me.
- I love anal scenes, especially in the progression of this book where it's a slow introduction throughout the book and the FMC finds that she loves it. I don't like them when anal is only included in "punishments" so the association is only with being punished. Really not my scene.
I did enjoy the side-characters. Felix and Gabrielle are well written and fleshed out, but I unfortunately have no interest in going further and reading their book.
- I severely need to stay away from Regency books. I hate everything with it so much. This book contained just enough to have me skipping quite a bit of the book. It would have been different if there were defined scenes, but it was mostly summing up the general things that were going on. I found myself skimming through a lot of summaries in the book just to get to the scenes that actually have things happen. There's a time and place for "telling" in a book and this was far too much of it.
- Domestic discipline is not usually for me, but I thought maybe in a historical context I could enjoy it more. Nope. It would be one thing if the MMC *just* spanked the FMC, but spanking her nineteen-year-old stepdaughter is too far for me. The girl is NINETEEN. And is his wife's STEPDAUGHTER. I get that she was being set up to be the FMC of the next book, but everything about that was awful for me. Spanking as punishment in a sexual context is okay with me; whatever this was is absolutely not.
- If a book as the phrase "alpha male" in the summary, I need to stay away. I absolutely hate the trope that the man is always right and knows what's best. Even in this book where the MMC adapted to some of the FMC's demands, there wasn't enough of it. It just. By the end of the book, I absolutely hated him, even in his soft moments. Because in this scenario, where he spanks her to her transgressions, who spanks him for his transgressions?? His character growth is perfect because we want her growth to be imperfect? The casual sexism that goes with the 'alpha male' mentality is Not For Me.
- I love anal scenes, especially in the progression of this book where it's a slow introduction throughout the book and the FMC finds that she loves it. I don't like them when anal is only included in "punishments" so the association is only with being punished. Really not my scene.
I did enjoy the side-characters. Felix and Gabrielle are well written and fleshed out, but I unfortunately have no interest in going further and reading their book.