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A review by raoionna
The Charmer in Chaps by Julia London
3.0
There were many strengths to this book. First, it was very well actualized. The language is solid, with some wonderful conversational passages. The main characters, Ella and Luca, fall in line with many tropes of the genre (high school classmates, huge/ uneven crush, playboy and poor girl. The tropes of the genre (notice I don't say stereotypes) didn't at all bother me. The nuances of character outweighed any elements of familiar plotting.
Of course, the tone of my first sentence should indicate that is a "but" here. I don't know if it's London I fault or the genre in general (one that I have even blogged about loving mind). About 2/3 of the way through, you are starting to see these two people are friends growing into more. You see Luca isn't quite the cad you think. Ella is no wilting hayseed. The story is right on. This is Cinderella story where the poor girl needs saving as much as the prince. Cool! Then London makes a joke about feminism. The guy demands to take the girl on the date. She feels she shouldn't be ordered around, as she is a feminist, but then agrees stating she is a "bad feminist." Dear Ms. London, a bad feminist is one who doesn't think men and women are equal. Period. All other actions, including dating a cowboy, and actually a very enlightened one at that, doesn't make her a bad feminist. Feminism isn't about what you wear, or who buys you dinner, or which books you read. It is simply, and I say this again for the people in the back, the idea that women are equal.
What is strange is that after the protagonist calls herself a bad feminist, the cowboy calls himself one too. A cowboy even calling him a feminist, even tongue in cheek, is a sense that this book has inherent equality of sexes.
London, it's okay to think women and men are equal and due to equal rights under the law. It doesn't mean that women can't let me, including hot cowboys, buy them dinner. It also doesn't mean that women can't enjoy a book about said cowboys (or write them). And, I'll tell you what, it also means that I can rationally say this was a good book, worth enjoying on your next holiday, say, or in an evening where you need some escapism, despite that drawback. After all, I can be a feminist, see a mistake in something a woman does, speak of it critically, and still appreciate their work.
Thanks to Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Of course, the tone of my first sentence should indicate that is a "but" here. I don't know if it's London I fault or the genre in general (one that I have even blogged about loving mind). About 2/3 of the way through, you are starting to see these two people are friends growing into more. You see Luca isn't quite the cad you think. Ella is no wilting hayseed. The story is right on. This is Cinderella story where the poor girl needs saving as much as the prince. Cool! Then London makes a joke about feminism. The guy demands to take the girl on the date. She feels she shouldn't be ordered around, as she is a feminist, but then agrees stating she is a "bad feminist." Dear Ms. London, a bad feminist is one who doesn't think men and women are equal. Period. All other actions, including dating a cowboy, and actually a very enlightened one at that, doesn't make her a bad feminist. Feminism isn't about what you wear, or who buys you dinner, or which books you read. It is simply, and I say this again for the people in the back, the idea that women are equal.
What is strange is that after the protagonist calls herself a bad feminist, the cowboy calls himself one too. A cowboy even calling him a feminist, even tongue in cheek, is a sense that this book has inherent equality of sexes.
London, it's okay to think women and men are equal and due to equal rights under the law. It doesn't mean that women can't let me, including hot cowboys, buy them dinner. It also doesn't mean that women can't enjoy a book about said cowboys (or write them). And, I'll tell you what, it also means that I can rationally say this was a good book, worth enjoying on your next holiday, say, or in an evening where you need some escapism, despite that drawback. After all, I can be a feminist, see a mistake in something a woman does, speak of it critically, and still appreciate their work.
Thanks to Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.