“I was crying because I was pregnant, not because their snowman was ugly,”
I sought out this book on my Kindle because I wanted to read more novellas. Plus, as it’s nearly December the seasonal theme suited. This is probably a good story to read if you want something unsubstantial and forgettable. I completely understand how a novella has to compress itself down in order to be a novella, but in this instance it caused problems with pacing, such as when the female protagonist, Ariana, meets her love interest Cassian’s family and the minute she says hello her water breaks. Hilarious, yes, but also quite stupid, as if the book remembered it had to have both a Christmas and a surprise baby story theme.
The two perspectives – Cassian and Ariana – seemed really similar from a narrative voice perspective. It was hard to differentiate between the two, even though each chapter began with the character name. Maybe I’m not particularly observant. Ariana and Cassian don’t feel tangible as characters seeing as so much of their dialogue serves to flesh out backstories in lieu of character and narrative growth.
The story also had some grammatical mistakes, which was distracting when they did occur. I know I shouldn’t have such standards when it comes to simplistic seasonal smut but I think all books should be held to the same standard no matter what genre or format they are published in. As a seasonal story, it’s not particularly remarkable but might fill a void before you manage to find something better.
I didn’t like Cassian as a character. I know that he was supposed to be the romantic protagonist but it felt weird how possessive Cassian was over Ariana even when they parted ways. It felt weird. The themes explored also felt very surface level, such as parental abandonment and loss. There was some LGBTQ representation, but the character felt very forgettable and was only defined by being part of the LGBTQ community and not falling in love with Ariana and her pregnancy the minute they met.
I think Ariana was supposed to be written as a strong woman through her managing a hotel but it’s only noted that she doesn’t need Cassian’s help as a strong woman because – shock, horror – she doesn’t need his help to get jars from high shelves ! It warms the heart, it really does. Not to mention, Cassian is constantly denying Ariana’s autonomy, such as when he says she is difficult when all she does is set boundaries. He seems to have a very volatile temper, and sees Ariana as an object to be possessed which tries to be romanticized but it just left me uninterested. In the story, Cassian is a Marine and the story tries to forge a link between the military, masculinity and overcoming trauma. Don’t worry, fair viewer, Ariana’s love will cure him of his trauma!
The story also has some weird asides, such as when Cassian mentions that he contacted a doctor friend he knows and asked about pregnancy, although the implication is that he asked about intimacy during pregnancy too. However, the timeline doesn’t make sense unless he was asking his doctor friend prior to him being reunited with Ariana. Hilarious, yes. Horrifying, also yes.
Maybe I’m taking this book too seriously but ultimately, it left me bored. While it has encouraged me to read more novellas, this one isn’t one I’d revisit.
MY RATING: * / *****
Every Book Is Beautiful 