REVIEW: The Fifteenth Minute by Sarina Bowen
Note to readers: This review and the linked articles discuss rape and the investigation of reports of sexual assault and may be triggering.
Dear Sarina Bowen,
I’m an unabashed fan of your work and of the Ivy Years series in particular. Your writing style really works for me and I love how you write banter between the main characters and the wider circle of friends. However, I have very complicated feelings about this book. Depending on which aspect I’m thinking of, they are wildly positive or wildly negative.
Daniel “DJ” Trevi is the younger brother of Leo Trevi (aka “Trevi”) the captain of the Harkness hockey team. Daniel plays hockey himself and could have played for a third division school – but he wanted the education of a first division school so he chose Harkness. He is shorter than the average hockey player (although I can’t see where exactly how tall he is was stated – I imagined him about 5’8″ ish as Lianne is ony 5’1″) and I gather that had something to do with him not playing for Harkness. He DJ’s at the hockey games. Part of his job is to help the crowd release tension with music so as to give them a safe way to blow off steam during the game. My impression was, while he loved to play hockey, he wasn’t crushed he wasn’t playing in college.
Lianne Challice is an actress who became famous for playing a sorceress in a series of movies. (I imagined her like a blonde Emma Watson.) Readers met her in The Shameless Hour when she becomes good friends with Bella and Rafe. DJ and Lianne had a “moment” by the jukebox at Capri’s in the earlier book and Lianne is deeply smitten. DJ is too but he knows he should stay away.
Because DJ is on a kind of probation during the investigation of an alleged sexual assault. The college can decide to expel him at any time, basically without there being anything more than this allegation against him. If he is expelled, he will be persona non grata at other colleges (and it will likely effect his employment prospects too) because his record will show he was expelled for “disciplinary reasons”. His family have hired a lawyer who is trying to get DJ a hearing to tell his side of the story. (I have a lot of things to say about this part of the book later on in the review.)
There has been no criminal allegation made and the college has kept things very quiet. Only a very few people know what is going on. DJ cannot go into any of the dorms (or “houses”) and he cannot be within 50 yards of his accuser. He agreed to these terms in order to stay at school. He is now renting a room off campus with some of the Harkness hockey players.
The one bright spot in his life is Lianne. She is funny and smart and they are both music nerds. She helps him in the booth at the rink and gets totally hooked on it. (Lianne does a mean Axl Rose impression by the way). When DJ successfully denies himself and tells Lianne they can just be friends, she pushes back and he is unable to resist again. There is a bit of push/pull but I didn’t tire of it and it made sense in the context of the story. After they are intimate for the first time (this takes place relatively late in the book – certainly past the halfway point) he tells her what is really going on with him. (Prior to then he had said there was something big going on but asked her not to press him on it.)
The story didn’t go quite the way I was expecting and because I was expecting things to get really messy, I was glad to be wrong. Lianne’s arc was very small however. The book was mostly about DJ. There were some developments with Lianne’s (shitty) manager and she started to be better at advocating for herself but thinking back, there was not a lot of focus on Lianne at all really.
I liked DJ and I liked Lianne. I liked them together and I liked the way they fit. I enjoyed the banter between the hockey players and I loved Bella’s and Lianne’s friendship.
“Well?” Bella demands. “Look, I know you’re a private person, but the suspense is killing me. Did you do the deed? Wait—I know you’re shy. So you don’t even have to say it out loud. Blink once for yes or twice for no.”
That makes me giggle, because I love Bella to death. And nobody at Harkness has been more generous to me than she has.
“We did it.” My smile fades, though, and she notices.
“Omigod.” Bella claps her hands to her cheeks. “Why aren’t you happier? Was it awful? No—it couldn’t have been awful. They’re a very talented family…” She’s pacing my tiny rug, then stops, a look of horror on her face. “Oh, hell. Does he have a fun-sized dick?”
The writing style hooked me from the beginning and compelled me to keep reading. On that level, the book was a total success for me.
But. I had a real problem with the book being based on a false accusation of rape. While I think you did a great job of showing how awful it is to be accused of a crime you didn’t commit, I think it is, in a way, low-hanging fruit. I think it is easy for people to imagine themselves in a false accusation situation and understand how terrible that would be. And, there are certainly some men who have had their lives ruined by such false accusations. BUT. False accusations of rape make up approximately 8-10% of all rape claims (a reminder: trigger warning for the article) and that does not take into account the significant amount of rapes which go unreported. And, one of the reasons, perhaps the main reason, rapes go unreported, is because women fear they will not be believed. Because they will be regarded as liars, making a false accusation of rape. Essentially that is what we have here. A girl makes an accusation of rape against DJ and she is lying. We know she is lying because he’s the hero and the hero cannot be a rapist. Therefore she is lying. It worries me that this could feed the prevalent rape culture.
I think the social issue you were trying to highlight was the poor way (many?) colleges deal with reports of sexual assault but I query the method. (This Slate article deals with these issues for readers who would like to have more information on the context – note it is firmly from the male POV and may well be triggering to some readers.) While you, as author, have a perfect right to write any book you want and you are under no obligation to write what I want you to write, I have to wonder if this was the best way to highlight the issue. I would have done much better with a story where (for example) the accusation was not false but investigation by the college led to the accusation of the wrong guy. (It’s true I’m having trouble coming up with what that might look like but I will play the “I’m not an author” card here.) I believe everyone is entitled to procedural fairness and natural justice (- at base, that is a right to know the allegations against them, to have their side of the story fairly heard and any mitigating circumstances or new information taken into account in the decision). The Slate article states that in their efforts to protect victims of sexual assault, many colleges are abrogating the rights of men. While I don’t support that at all, I’m wary of media which shifts the focus from the genuine problem of sexual violence against women which exists and which, it seems to me, can so easily be derailed by the idea that a small percentage of men are falsely accused. In pure numbers, it is women who are the major losers in claims of sexual violence. Perhaps it is just that I see m/f romance as a more female-advocative space. Even as a hero-centric reader I found it jarring to be on this side (ie the book’s side) of the debate.
I stress, in the book, I felt very sorry for DJ. Perhaps because he is a hero, he doesn’t demonise his accuser. The narrative ends up in sympathy with her (although the reasons for that could be a whole other post). DJ feels that it would be so unlikely a girl would falsely report a rape, he even doubts himself. I think you made some attempts to show that DJ’s experience isn’t common.
He shakes his head. “Real rapes are underreported all the time. Because girls are scared or embarrassed.” He has to stop and take a breath. DJ looks almost as stressed as I feel.
—
I don’t know what to think about the bomb DJ just dropped on me. I asked him to, of course. And before that, he’d tried to warn me away. Now I understood why he’d been holding that story in. To hear it required you to choose a side, and I kind of hated myself for thinking about it like that.
—
My brother shakes his head. “Not everyone.”
“Don’t say that,” I hiss. “You seriously want to sit here and tell me that you never wondered whether I was guilty?”
“Danny, I never have.”
“Liar.”
His head snaps back as if I’ve punched him. “Look, jackass. I get why you’re angry. But save it for the people who are screwing you over. I never doubted you. Not for a second.”
Bullshit. How could anyone never doubt? I know better than anyone what happened that night. And all I do is sit around wondering what the hell happened. And what I missed.
—
“…It took me a while to get over the fact that sometimes shitty things just happen.”
“But…” It’s hard to put into words how much this bothers me. “This shitty thing must have an explanation. Doesn’t it kill you to not know why?”
“It did,” he admits. “But then I realized that it was killing me to be so angry about it. If I never get to know why, I still have to keep going, you know?”
(That last applies in many situations and DJ is right. At some point you have to move on from searching for reasons for things which cannot always be explained. This section spoke to me quite apart from the rest of the story actually.)
Even with all that, with all that good, it wasn’t enough for me. Just having the story being about a guy falsely accused of rape was a problem and no matter what happened after, it was too much for me to get past.
There was another issue I had with the story and it feeds in to my bigger complaint. (spoiler alert) In The Shameless Hour, Bella is assaulted by a group of frat boys who drug her and write sexual insults (eg slut, whore, etc) on her body in permanent marker. She eventually reports the assault to the Dean of the college and the college begins an investigation. Some action is commenced and Bella (with Lianne’s help) plans and executes a prank to gain some ‘justice’ for herself and other women badly treated by the frat. I said in my review:
The other thing which bothered me was that Whittaker’s comeuppance was incomplete. I gather this will be addressed in the next book (where Lianne will be the heroine) but I’d have preferred to know in this book. We talk a bit here about how the HEA often includes an element of emotional justice. I’m not sure Bella got her full measure here and she deserved to do so.
There was nothing in The Fifteenth Minute about Whittaker or the assault on Bella at all. Nothing. So was the message then that it was important to get full emotional justice for DJ but it was not for Bella? It feels kind of insulting. Didn’t Bella deserve her report to be treated seriously and fully investigated too? If it happened, why was it not important enough to say – in either her book or this one. In context, the girl is getting screwed over again and the guy wins. And in a female-centric genre, I struggled with that. In fact, the more I think about it, the more this contrast bothers me.
If I read books completely on their own, without any social context or political context, I could have happily enjoyed The Fifteenth Minute and recommended it to everyone as I usually do with your books. But I don’t read that way. And, frankly, I think your books deliberately highlight social issues so I think I’m not actually intended to read that way. I can see that the issue you highlighted is real (although I query the prevalence relative to genuine claims) and who am I to say that it “should not” be in a romance book? (Answer: no-one.) But I was really uncomfortable for the focus here to be shifted away from female empowerment, particularly after what happened to Bella and the lack of closure there.
I was hoping that by the time I finished writing my review I’d have a handle on my grade. But I really don’t know how to grade this one. The thing which bothered me pervaded the entire book. It’s difficult to set that aside in a meaningful way. And I’m a little concerned that to assign a grade/grade reduction would be somehow trivialising. (It is very possble I’m overthinking things at this point.) However, I gobbled up the book quickly (albeit with some discomfort) and the writing and much of the characterisations hit my good book buttons. If my review was a Facebook relationship status it would say: It’s Complicated.
Regards,
Kaetrin
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The statistics I’ve read are that only 3-8% of rape accusations are false, but I’m not sure which are more accurate. This plot line makes me want to throw things things against the wall. I stopped reading a Kat Latham book at 3% once it was clear it was going there. So despite enjoying this author’s previous books, I won’t be reading this one. It really reinforces a lot of negative stereotypes about victims of sexual assault.
And considering the face of American hockey is currently under investigation for rape, I really have to question who thought it would be a good idea to release this particular book at this particular time.
I haven’t read this one yet, though I really enjoy Bowen’s work and recommend her every chance I get.
As someone who loves her work, my mind is saying that her hero is one of the 8% and it’s okay to tell his story.
As someone who, at the age of 16, was basically kidnapped (locked in a basement at work) and a victim of attempted rape, I don’t know how I feel. I know that I didn’t go to the police because I knew that I would be vilified, called a tease or a slut. I know that my mind immediately went to notable stories in which women who reported their attacks were mistreated, and I didn’t know that I was strong enough to handle being that girl.
It does seem that Bowen handled the story she chose to tell responsibly. I’m glad to see the hero was sensitive to his accuser’s feelings. I just feel like after I read this, or if my daughter read it, I would need constant reminders that false accusations are rare and women should not fear going to authorities, that there is a community of support.
I think you summed it up best: it’s complicated.
@Andrea T:
Just wanted to add: I always struggle with the author’s “obligation” to the reader. I do believe an author should write the story they need to, within reason of course.
Oh good. I’m glad someone else had a problem with the false rape allegation. I got to that part of the book and was really taken aback, but I didn’t see it brought up as a problem in any of the reviews I looked through. I will still finish the book because I love the rest of the series but this one is forever tainted for me.
Good review, Kaetrin. :) Lots of food for thought. I love it when not only authors, but reviewers also challenge readers to think deeper and to ask questions. Now I’m wanting to read this book so I can examine my own reaction to it!
I have to say though, I think it was bold of the author to use this false rape accusation as the conflict between the couple. It’s definitely complicated, and choices like this are probably what makes this author stand out for you amongst a tight NA market. You’ve gotta give Sarina Bowen props for choosing a plot device that isn’t simple to resolve, but instead has many layers like an onion. And she treated it responsibly, that’s what’s most important to me.
Me again- another reason why it’s important that you brought this up- this gives readers a chance to fully understand ahead of time if this book is going to be their cuppa.
I always remember how, about five years ago, I bought a review based on another review site’s glowing rec, only to be horrified and literally toss the book across the room in anger because there was graphic cheating in the book and that hadn’t been mentioned in the review!!!! Anyways, I’m now sensitive to the idea that readers need to know what to expect before they go in. The whole point is to match readers to books they will love, right?:)
I’m on the fence about reading this book. I loved The Understatement of the Year and liked some of Bowen’s other books a whole lot, plus I was looking forward to Lianne’s story. But I had a problem with the choice to have a bold character like Bella slut shamed in The Shameless Hour, and the premise of this one also sounds problematic, especially given how prevalent rape is on college campuses, and how hard it is for survivors to get taken seriously.
“In context, the girl is getting screwed over again and the guy wins. And in a female-centric genre, I struggled with that. ”
This.
I struggle with this also, when reading in the romance genre (including paranormal romance). And also as a new writer, there are places I want to go and subjects I want to explore, but alas, romance may not be the genre to do it in, especially when dealing with real world issues.
I fear that my comments won;t be very well articulated because there is a lot to think about here and I have not chewed through all my thoughts, or the things others mentioned. I found this book really interesting and was glad I read it. I am a fan of the author’s other books, as well. I am a survivor of sexual assault and also spent years working with victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse, both professionally and as a volunteer, so I have some experience with the complexities and issues. One thing I did not see mentioned in the reviews or comments (and I could easily have missed these) is what I felt to be one of the really important issues presented in the book—how schools and universities and other institutions undertake investigations of rape and abuse allegations and how they handle issues of legal responsibility, punishment, compensation, etc. It’s messy, there are many problems, lots of media attention, and, I truly hope, a little bit of progress in this area. I thought this book did a good job of putting a spotlight on the messy complexities of these issues. Not perfectly, no, but it sure left me with a lot of food for thought.
Thank you for the review but I think more importantly your thoughts regarding this, Kaetrin — I’m 100% with you. I don’t think it’s a question of “should an author write about x or y” but simply we are allowed to respond to books with the way we feel, can question why (wikkidsexycool’s comment kind of solidified a paragraph of text into a couple of lines), why it bothers us, and so on. It doesn’t mean the book is bad or the author is bad or our feelings are bad — it means that there’s stuff here to talk about, that we’re allowed to find things problematic, and that books absolutely do not exist in a vacuum and it’s okay to take things into consideration regarding where they fit within the real world.
I’ve been raped more than once, and in all but the last instance I didn’t have the words to even call it that, not for at least another decade, maybe more. There are a couple of cases in my life where I’m not sure what the words would be (a forced vaginal ultrasound I kept saying I did not want? A pelvic exam where the doctor invited in three students without my consent and let them all poke around and when I objected was told that this was a teaching clinic and if I refused the students my care would be withdrawn?).
What would happen if I pressed charges? I’m a silly girl and they’re a Very Important Doctor. They were just performing medical exams. From places of extreme power, especially since in both of those cases above I would be denied medical care I absolutely needed if I didn’t submit to the massive intrusions to my body.
A lot of reports are classified as false once the victim rescinds their report, as well — and there is a whole, whole lot of pressure for people to back down and say they were mistaken or it didn’t happen or it really was consensual after all. When you take those out the number falls to something like 2%, which is smaller than the false allegations of pretty much every crime out there. It is more likely someone has been raped than robbed, but you don’t see people asking “but did someone REALLY break in to your house and take your stuff, or could it all just be in your head?” as the very first question.
Basically, women’s bodies + women’s mental facilities + women-as-liars all plays into a huge ball of issues, and in this book’s case it sounds like the ball mostly rolled away from the plot. The quotes you put in are really good and I’m really glad that the author/characters were willing to put in some thought on it, but at the end of the day, I hear you — I don’t need another story about the poor mens suffering from the evil liar wimmins (Darius by Grace Burrowes is another where I struggled with this, where the women involved are caricatures of people when it could have been a lot less clean-cut but a lot more thoughtful), not when there’s so much else that can be said about this subject, and that Romance is one of the places where it CAN be said, and taken seriously, and truly written about.
This is way less about this book and way more about the subject, and I worried I’d be derailing, but I think this is a discussion that is worth talking about and there’s no one I’d rather talk about it with than folks here, if that makes sense.
I don’t feel like I have to struggle with whether a writer *should* write this type of story; I just know that I don’t want to read it. I was actually looking forward to Lianne’s story; I liked her as a character in the previous book. Hearing that she’s not the focus so much of this one already made me less interested in it, and the false rape allegation kills my interest entirely.
Thanks for the review.
I’m a rape survivor who would have had zero chance of pressing charges.
When I first realised what the plot was I was all hells no, don’t think I can continue to read this but I am glad I did. The resolution is way more interesting than where I thought it was going and I look forward to that character’s book. It’s not a trite story wound up quickly with obvious tropes.
Bella’s slut shaming was way more triggering for me especially as it remains unresolved in terms of character arc.
@ohhellsyeah: I read the Kat Latham book and liked it. I didn’t have the same strong reaction to that one that I did to this. I think because (possibly) the rape accusation (spoiler alert) was because the girl was underage and not because of a lack of consent. (I know that from a legal perspective an underage girl cannot consent but in the circumstances of the book, I felt that consent had been given in actuality. Still, that it didn’t bother me in the same way is something I need to think about – maybe it should have.
@Janine: I think what tipped me over the edge was that Bella didn’t receive the same degree of closure in her book and it felt like a double-standard to me. While I don’t think it was intentional on the author’s part, it was nevertheless the result when I read it.
@wkw: Actually, this was mentioned in the review. :) I understand that the author wanted to highlight the poor way colleges investigate reports of rape and I linked to an article about that very thing. While other people’s reaction to a book is not the author’s responsibility, I’d be dismayed if the takeaway from The Fifteenth Minute was “poor men”. False rape accusations are really rare. Yes, they happen but not with anywhere close to the frequency of sexual assaults. I definitely think colleges have an obligation to do better in investigations – but you are right – the area is very very complicated.
@Lindsay: Thank you Lindsay. I’m sorry you have experienced all the assaults you have – all of them are terrible. I think we do need to talk about problematic things in media and even if the author is someone I admire and like (as in this case), we ought not back away from the conversation.
@Flora: I had more trouble with this book when compared with Bella’s – that DJ got his full resolution and justice was served and *seen to be done* and Bella didn’t, not fully, really bothered me.
I wanted to read the book before commenting. On paper, the premise does seem problematic, especially since as readers we have to assume that DJ is not guilty, but the details of what happened and Annie’s side are not really presented until well into the book. That said, I think Bowen was able to successfully walk this line because 1. Daniel himself is very aware that false accusations are rare, that presenting his side of the story can come across as shady, and he is genuinely concerned about Annie and what might have compelled her to claim that the sex was not consensual. He decides not to pursue certain options because he knows that they are shady and would hurt Annie. 2. Annie wasn’t a victim of a sexual assault, but she was a victim of coercion and emotional abuse. It’s understandable how she would come to the point that she did, and DJ acknowledges that she may have ended up truly believing the false narrative she’d been compelled to share. He never blames her, he feels bad about what happened between them, and he remains concerned about her even after things wrap up. In short, this isn’t the novel equivalent of the aftermath of the Duke lacrosse scandal/Rolling Stone story.
I’ll admit that I hoped that Annie would have a different reason for her actions (in fact, one of DJ’s imaginary scenarios made more sense to me than the actual outcome), but I think what Bowen did with this book is more complex than what’s been suggested in this discussion.
The system colleges have in place to investigate allegations of sexual assault can be very problematic, for both men and women. The remedies for assault survivors are obviously limited, the protections for the accused are lacking, and the people investigating often have neither the training nor the tools these cases require. I also worry that some women might choose to leave this to the schools, because the procedure is not as intimidating as going through a police investigation and a trial. I don’t think that’s a desirable outcome.
What does bother me is that this is the second book in which a main character has a bitchy, shallow girlfriend; can’t someone have a nice girlfriend, even if she doesn’t get her own book? Or are only women who are true hockey fans/players allowed to be likable?
Finally, I felt that Bella got enough closure in her book – she got the revenge and emotional justice that she wanted, chose to contribute to the official investigation, and she got an apology from one of the people involved. If anything, that was a bit too neatly tied up, rather than the other way around (a problem I have had with some of Bowen’s books). This wasn’t Bella’s story, and having this be about Whittaker would have been an unnecessary distraction.
I just finished reading this book, and while I appreciate DJ’s mature reaction/views on the sensitive issue, it still left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Also, this line from Chapter 12 annoyed me to no end: “…Amy elbowed her puck bunny friends…” Wth? Why is that term used so much in hockey romances these days? It’s disgusting.
@Jo: The puck bunny references annoyed me as well, and I’d group that together with the bitchy girlfriends: it’s not slut-shaming, but it’s an unpleasant way to judge women, regardless of whether those doing it are men or women. It’s as if only women whose love for hockey is true and pure (as players, like Corey and Scarlet, or fans, like Bella) are worthy of love and respect.
I kind of want Bowen to pair up one of her hockey players with a figure skater. She can teach him skating skills without fixating on his hockey greatness.
@Kaetrin: Re. Bella’s book. The lack of justice bothered me but not as much as the slut shaming did to begin with. It’s so rare to get a heroine like Bella outside of erotic romance, one who enjoys sex, enjoys men, and makes no bones about it. Why do we have to have her shamed like that when we get a book about her? Isn’t the whole point supposed to be lack of shame? Heroes who sleep around, like Bridger did before he met Scarlet, are just fine as they are, but when it’s a woman she has to be diminished before she can be loved? Bowen did another version of the same thing in Blonde Date, and it’s really frustrating.
@Janine: I’m not sure I agree with this perspective. What I think Bowen did was reflect the real double standards that exist in society – but this is not the same as condoning them. In The Shameless Hour, the ugliness that sexually confident women can face catches up to Bella in two ways: first, with the STI diagnosis, and second, with – I guess we can call it a form of revenge porn, right? – that the frat guys use against her. But this is never presented as okay, and they are clearly the villains. None of Bella’s friends and the people who matter in her life ever considers that she had it coming, or that she should tone things down, whether it’s Rafe who thinks that she is perfect exactly as she is, Lianne who helps her plot and execute her revenge, the nurse who makes it clear that she is the same beautiful girl that she always was, or the hockey guys who give her the space she wants at first, but who are clearly real friends to her. Bella gets the emotional justice that she wants; it’s not an official investigation, but it’s her choice, and something that empowers her as she embraces her life and her sexuality again. The whole point of the story is that people try to shame Bella, but ultimately, they fail – because Bella doesn’t accept it, and everyone who truly matters to her doesn’t accept it, either. Sure, it takes time, because what happens to her really is traumatizing. But Bella wins, and not just because she ends up with a hot guy.
I also want to address the point Kaetrin made, that Lianne’s arc in The Fifteenth Minute is small. I don’t think that’s true; I think what is true is that Lianne’s arc is more about her desire to live a normal life and be seen as a person rather than a persona, which means that a lot of the things that matter to her aren’t big and flashy. Sort of like all Harry Potter wanted was a family. It might not be as exciting or challenging a journey as some characters have (e.g. DJ, or Corey Callahan in The Year We Fell Down) but it is the one that’s right for her.
Just to follow up on my previous post – I was referring to Bella’s friends, because her family isn’t great for much of the story (though that’s a separate storyline from the events at Harkness).
I know a man right now who’s dealing with a false accusation from a vindictive woman and it may ruin him. I don’t want to see the voice he represents, nor any voice, silenced in fiction.
I admire a writer who’s compelled to tell a certain story, knowing the backlash it will receive.
@Rose: I got that that’s what Bowen was going for in The Shameless Hour, but it still bothered me. A lot. Because it’s not an uncommon trope in books and on television that a heroine who might be what society terms a “bad girl” has to go through some kind of traumatic experience, be it rape or another kind of assault, to be viewed as sympathetic and to win a “good guy’s” love.
For me Jennie said it best in her reading list post when she said that she was “a bit perturbed that after setting Bella up as unashamed of her sexuality, the majority of the plot had to do with her being assaulted, abused and shamed for that very thing.”
@Janine: But the good guy was always into Bella, and all those things, in the end, did not change who she was and what she wanted. Bella didn’t end up in a relationship because she’d learned a lesson that being slutty is bad, or because she’d been reformed by her experiences, but because she met a great guy who was really into her and who was worth taking a risk (and giving up casual sex) for.
I think that Blonde Date is more problematic in how it explores the aftermath of a young woman being slut-shamed, and I can see how what you wrote can apply to Katie. To me, The Shameless Hour was like a successful redo: it wasn’t about a woman being shamed, it was about a woman ultimately refusing to be ashamed and getting what she wants.
I think the ultimate problem here is about association. In fiction, a sexually liberated woman almost always ends up being associated with shame, unlike a sexually liberated man; not unlike characters with strict religious values who are almost always associated with violence and cruelty (e.g. Annie’s dad here). It would be refreshing to read a character without their stereotypical associations; and perhaps that way, in time, we’ll be rid of the associations altogether.
@Rose:
The issue to me is not whether Rafe was into Bella just as she was, but whether the author trusts readers to feel the same way — to love Bella if she remains unashamed throughout. Bowen had an opportunity to show that she did, but she chose not to.
Also, what Jo said! Thank you Jo — you articulated that better than I could.
@Kaetrin I might not have judged the Latham book as harshly either if I had known it was headed in that direction. I wrongly assumed that it was going to be a case of a woman lying about rape which I have a big problem with. I’m not giving the book another chance, but I might give the author another chance.
@Rose Pretty much any female hockey fan gets called a puck bunny (by men). IRL, Bella would definitely get called a puck bunny.
Which is why it’s so disheartening to see these ideas propagated by other women. It would be nice if this genre wasn’t constantly disparaging women.
@Jo: As I wrote before, I think the double standard exists in real life, and Bowen is reflecting it, not condoning it. Unfortunately, women like Bella often are shamed (usually not as viciously as she was, but in more subtle ways), and the narrative doesn’t imply in any way that this is acceptable. Bella working through her feelings isn’t the same as Bella accepting that she’s slutty and needs to change her ways, and the outcome is pretty much Bella making a statement that she shouldn’t be ashamed; the perpetrators should. I don’t think Bella at the end of her book is “reformed” just because she’s in a relationship.
I do have a problem with how Bowen writes other women in her books – the puck bunnies and the bitchy girlfriends – but I don’t think that she’s letting her heroines down, or her readers by extension. Obviously, others may disagree.
@my I think talking about problematic things in fiction, while still being respectful of the author, as is the case here, isn’t the same as “backlash”. I’m an unabashed fan of this author. But I think we should talk about problematic things. What I may find problematic in a particular book will likely be different to the experience of others, which is fine. In general, I think this book has been well received by Ms. Bowen’s readers.
@ohhellsyeah you have every right to read or not to read as you choose, but FWIW I have enjoyed her work (ie Kat Latham) and certainly recommend it, as does Jayne.