Book Information: Philips, S. E. (2014). Heroes are My Weakness. New York, NY. HarperCollins.
ISBN: 978-0-06-210607-0
Synopsis:
Annie was burnt out and out of options. Swimming in debt and not making decent work as a struggling actress and ventriloquist, she ventures to her late mother's cottage in the middle of winter on an island in Maine. To her disgust, she discovers that her neighbor for the next two months is none other than Theo Harp, a best selling horror novelist who she used to know... and he was the cause of very real terror in her life. Someone wants Annie off the island and while the answer should be obvious, Annie can't help but start to question her judgement about Theo. Is he the villain of her childhood? Or was her perception all wrong?
Characteristics of Romance:
- Evocative, emotional tone
This book has a surprising balance between following and breaking the stereotypes of romance. While there is a lot of emotional writing in this book that details the expected intense back stories of the characters and sexual tension, there are a lot of funny, childish tones as well. This has to do with Annie's current profession as a ventriloquist for children. She uses puppets to teach kids not to bully or do drugs and she's a excellent puppeteer. She converses with her puppets, who all have labeled personalities: her alter-ego, her hero, the villain, and the diva. She also brings out her puppets to communicate with a mute four-year-old. Some readers may find this weird for a romance, but I personally loved it. - Easily identifiable character types
While Annie isn't described as strikingly beautiful, she's more of a Jane Eyre/Hermione Granger plain/unruly type: she is strong willed, funny, and smart, albeit taking a blow in her confidence due to her financial situation. Theo is tall, handsome, brooding, dangerous, and sometimes borderline creepy. I actually hated him at first, I had no idea how Phillips could possibly make this guy a character worthy of Annie because I really liked Annie. I will say, Phillips pulled it off and payed homage to classic Gothic romance novels (i.e. Wuthering Heights). - A misunderstanding between the protagonists or outside circumstances that force them apart. Followed by a satisfactory resolution
I can't say much without giving away spoilers, but this book contains a bit of both of these situations. There's definitely a massive misunderstanding between Annie and Theo, but it was completely intentional. - Engaging details of time and place
The story takes place on Peregrine Island where the residents are all lobster fisherman. Everyone knows everyone's business on this island. While this island is beautiful and full of tourists in the summer, it is essentially cut off from the rest of the world in the winter, which makes it lonely, miserable, and dangerous. - Quick read, fast pace, but can be stopped and started easily
I couldn't put this book down for a few reasons. Initially, I was just flabbergasted at what was going on. I had so many questions and was confused. If it weren't for the fact that I liked Annie and her puppets and that Phillips is incredibly good at weaving in suspense with her writing this book could've been terrible. The story is weird enough that I believe I could put it down and leave it for a week and pick it right back up and know what was going on. The pacing is a tad slow at first but picks up quickly after a quarter of the way through. I wouldn't say it's a quick read, unless you are very dedicated and willing to stay up into the wee hours of the morning like I was. - Descriptive Language/romantic/sexual interludes
Phillips made the story seem very realistic. She paints a gruesome picture of the setting that I could easily imagine the misery of this island in the winter. There is also a lot of descriptive language in the romance/sexual department as well. Sometimes it's traditional and steamy, and in some cases it may get interrupted by the thoughts of a snarky puppet, which just makes the whole thing funny.
Read-A-Likes:
Solsbury Hill by Susan M. Wyler
Inn at Last Chance by Hope Ramsay
The Billionaire Takes All by Jan S. Scott
The Night Remembers by Kathleen Eagle
The Girl from Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux
Saricks, J. G. (2009). The Reader's Advisory Guide to Genre
Fiction. Chicago, IL. American Library Association.
Hi Shelby,
ReplyDeleteWhen you were describing the character Annie from this book I had images of comedian Kate Micucci pop into my mind. She is an actress that has appeared on shows like the Big Bang Theory and Raising Hope. She is part of the hilarious musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oats. Here is their website: https://www.garfunkelandoates.com/
Kate shares many characteristics of the character Annie. She has that plain Jane or girl next door look; she also collects and performs with puppets. In television roles she often portrays characters with a quiet and reserve personality. However, her music videos and stand-up comedy with Riki Lindhome can get a bit racy. So, if they make a made for TV movie from this book Kate would be a good choice.
Thanks for you review.
Robert
Robert,
DeleteKate would be a great pick to play Annie! I'd definitely watch a tv movie based on this book.
I can absolutely picture Kate Micucci playing Annie. The 1-2 punch of Micucci and Shelby's description makes me want to read the book!
DeleteThis doesn't seem like something that screams romance. From your synopsis, I originally got the vibe of a romantic suspense. "Someone wants her off the island" makes it sound like someone is out to get her. Am I taking this the wrong way or are there elements of suspense in this book?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am curious what point of view this is from. Is the entire thing told from Annie's perspective? Do you get to see Theo's point of view?
You have me intrigued, though I admit the whole puppet thing puts me off a little bit. I am going to have to do some looking into this book.
The book was advertised to me as a full fledged romance, (especially given the author's reputation with writing romance novels). So I was surprised while reading that were were elements of suspense in it - someone does want her off the island but it's no where near as serious as would be in a typical romantic suspense. The focus of the story is on Annie and Theo's relationship and unraveling what happened between them when they were teenagers.
DeleteMost of the book is from Annie's perspective but there are a a lot of chapters in Theo's point of view as well, and it alternates between them more as the book progresses.
The puppets are kindof weird at first but once Annie starts interacting with the mute child using her puppets it's just adorable.
"Sometimes it's traditional and steamy, and in some cases it may get interrupted by the thoughts of a snarky puppet, which just makes the whole thing funny."
DeleteThat sounds outstanding. If more romance novels had a little bit of suspense and random puppets giving their two cents - I would read them!
I've read a few books where I'm so perplexed at the beginning that part of me wants to put it back on the shelf. But the other part of me wants to press on. Sometimes the pieces start to come together and it makes me love the book that much more.
Heroes and My Weakness sounds like a great beach read. What is nice about the romance genre is the ability to transport the reader to another place where they feel safe and they know everything will be alright by the end of the story.
DeleteI loved hearing all about the puppets. A weird detail like that might make me more interested in picking up a book so I'm glad you included it. Great annotation!Full points!
ReplyDelete