Title: Say No More
Author: Karen Rose
Series: Romantic Suspense #24; Sacramento #2
Pretty meh
I would like to thank Karen Rose, Berkley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I used to adore Karen Rose’s books and eagerly awaited new ones, but I was not eager to read this book and had a hard time getting into it. Either Rose’s writing is getting boring, or my taste in books is changing. Possibly both. I didn’t find the first book set in Sacramento all that enthralling, and of late Rose’s characters have been bland, indistinctive, overly emotional, and way too concerned with being woke and nondiscriminatory. Plus, her plots are becoming a tad formulaic. *yawn* Rose is still a vastly talented writer, but she needs to inject her stories with personality. Give the characters unique traits—not growing up in a cult or being part of a large family; I mean relatable things, like funny, quirky, quippy, irreverent personalities or distinctive mannerisms, something that entertains, endears, and individualizes. And maybe give the plots some different elements or twists.
Also, of all the authors I read, she has to be the one who uses direct first-person thoughts the most. You know, the italicized thoughts? Their merit is debatable, and I understand if some readers like them because direct thoughts get them inside characters’ heads better, but I feel more and more that they’re a sign of bad or lazy writing: You shouldn’t have to switch perspectives to get a point across, and I’ve noticed they sometimes serve as phantom dialogue in a passage that has too much “telling”—meaning, they’re an interaction cheat. So that’s another thing turning me off her books.
Her next novel, Say Goodbye, is due out next year, probably in February if she holds to pattern, and features Tom Hunter and Liza Barkley. It will no doubt include cameos of characters from her earliest books set in Chicago, since Tom’s parents were the hero and heroine of Rose’s first book, Don’t Tell. Honestly, I’m not sure how excited I am for this book. It would be nice to wrap up the Eden plot and see those disgusting pervs taken down, but I have no interest in spending time with Tom; just from the brief glimpses we’ve had of him during these first two Sacramento books, I don’t find him at all compelling. He’s a former and apparently legendary NBA player, an upstanding citizen and dedicated FBI agent, and a tech genius. And a choice physical specimen, of course. Sounds like a Gary Stu to me, and I have no desire to read about a guy who is his own ex machina. I hope he has severe IBS or something to humanize him.
Lastly—why does the woman on the cover look like she’s underwater? As far as I recall, the only water involved in the story was used in the bathroom. That cover image is another thing that turned me off this book—it’s driven me nuts ever since it was revealed months ago. It looks so weird to me, and now that I know there’s no reason for the woman to be underwater, it irritates me that much more. Just—why?
Overall, this book was just okay with its predictable if interesting plot, flavorless characters, and irrelevant cover, and I’m not too enthused about Rose’s future work, which breaks my heart a little.
