The characters don’t start out empathetic. I think we’re meant to see them at their worst first and only slowly realize that they are worth caring about and that their marriage is worth saving.

To me, that was part of what was brilliant about The Slightest Provocation – the way Rosenthal took Kit and Mary’s relationship from what seemed like the point of no return and showed that those early impressions were misleading, and that there was more to them than each (and we the readers) thought there was.

I hope your second attempt works out. It’s worth sticking with, in my opinion.

I think I’ll leave this for a while, and see if it improves with age.

this book is more character driven than plot driven

Uh, does this mean more character than action driven or no plot at all? I ask because so many seem to think two people working out their relationship isn’t plot, period, so I never know which is actually meant. .[/quote]

No, there is a plot. It’s just not a fast-paced plot. It takes some time to unfold, but it’s there.

Who published this? Because after all the recent discussions about genre limits, I’m curious as to who took the risk.;p

NAL / Signet.

Small risk, I’d think, since there’ve been others with similar set-ups, but it’s still an uncommon one.

When I mentioned the risk-taking, I was partly referring to the set up but also to other things, like the nonlinear flashback structure and some small character and style details that I haven’t mentioned in the review.

What’s the name of the book by Jo Beverley where the heroine had an affair while her husband was off at war/crusade?

I think it’s The Shattered Rose. That book was more conventional in its style than The Slightest Provocation, if perhaps not in its content.

This one doesn’t sound like my cuppa but surprisingly that’s because of the flashbacks rather than the other. I’ve completely blanked on the title of the book that absolutely ruined me on flashbacks but now I twitch every time I hear them mentioned. Oye.

If you don’t care for flashbacks, this probably isn’t the book for you. A shame that a book ruined you on them; it must be frustrating.

this book is more character driven than plot driven

Uh, does this mean more character than action driven or no plot at all? I ask because so many seem to think two people working out their relationship isn’t plot, period, so I never know which is actually meant.

Who published this? Because after all the recent discussions about genre limits, I’m curious as to who took the risk. ;p Small risk, I’d think, since there’ve been others with similar set-ups, but it’s still an uncommon one. What’s the name of the book by Jo Beverley where the heroine had an affair while her husband was off at war/crusade?

This one doesn’t sound like my cuppa but surprisingly that’s because of the flashbacks rather than the other. I’ve completely blanked on the title of the book that absolutely ruined me on flashbacks but now I twitch every time I hear them mentioned. Oye.

Thank you, Devonna. I hope you enjoy the book. It was exhilarating for me to read it, because I felt that Rosenthal was writing without a safety net. It’s something I have to admire.

I felt that Ms. Rosenthal spent time in the weeds, so to speak, which weighed an already heavy story further. Having gotten half way through the book, it was obvious that Kit and Mary were on the mend, but the story dragged due to a lack of plot movement. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with gravitas in romance, but as a reader I felt that the light at the end of the tunnel was going to occur on the second to last page, and I couldn’t face any more.

Shuzluva, it’s true that this book is more character driven than plot driven, and perhaps I should have mentioned that in my review. I often prefer character driven books, and when the characters are complex and interesting I don’t require a lot of plot. But not every reader is like me.

For what it’s worth, the second half was my favorite part of the book. There were some moments of lightness in there among the touching attempts on Kit and Mary’s part to reconnect, and when I read it, that part of the book flew by because I was so absorbed in Kit and Mary’s reflections and interactions, and moved to see them gradually overcome their difficult past.

Your review was a refreshing counter to my opinion. Perhaps I’ll give it another try.

I hope you enjoy it if you do.

What bothered me most about the book isn’t the lack of linear movement, but the slow movement of ascent. I felt that Ms. Rosenthal spent time in the weeds, so to speak, which weighed an already heavy story further. Having gotten half way through the book, it was obvious that Kit and Mary were on the mend, but the story dragged due to a lack of plot movement. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with gravitas in romance, but as a reader I felt that the light at the end of the tunnel was going to occur on the second to last page, and I couldn’t face any more.

Your review was a refreshing counter to my opinion. Perhaps I’ll give it another try.