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Foz Meadows: Strange and Stubborn Endurance (2022, Doherty Associates, LLC, Tom) 4 stars

Not for me

3 stars

This really didn't do it for me! I think part of that is that I'm not wild about romances and this was a romance. A big complaint for me is that the romantic leads behave so constantly and consistently we've-been-to-therapy correctly towards each other that I found their interactions tedious and didactic. It felt moralizing to me ("observe, this is the correct way to handle an emotion"), but I think it was intended to be more of a wish fulfillment love story ("imagine if you dated someone this emotionally mature"). Also everyone is described as being super hot and I did not enjoy that.

The heroes behaved perfectly in every situation and the villains were over-the-top horrible in every situation, and even though the moral stakes were ones I agree with (don't sexually assault people, don't be homophobic, don't murder people), I was put off by the black-and-white-ness of the …

@mouse This is a solid review! Your reasons for not rating it as high as I will may be why this book was a good fit for me. I am almost done with the book, but am finally (in my late years) learning to process and communicate emotions correctly. A book like this, where the baddies are clearly bad, and the good ones behave in a "we've-been-to-therapy" way was refreshing and helpful. I may revisit the book in another decade and have a more nuanced take, but my "I've been a straight cis male who was raised in a Ralian way but has realized he may not be as straight as he thought" mindset found a nearly perfect read in this book. Everything you say about the book is absolutely right, and is also probably why the book was perfect for me and not for you.