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ARCHIVE Reader Reviews Romance: Brier Hospital Trapped

Discussion in 'The Dive' started by Bookangel, 5 Oct 2015.

  1. Bookangel

    Bookangel Administrator Staff Member

    Note: This is not a review. Reader is not allowed to review romance books except under limited circumstances due to her utter loathing of the conventions of the genre. We in the club have been subjected to these research-backed tirades, so here, for your amusement, are a few in written form.

    This should not be taken as a serious review or critique of the book.


    Brier Hospital: Trapped.
    This is the romance of Mike, studly doctor, and Lisa, NICU nurse with an abusive past. I picked this up expecting something like "Bringing Out the Dead" or Casualty, because it stated in the blurb that doctors know the real monsters. Two of them, for me, were the main leads who I rapidly lost all interest in.

    I will get the structural issues out of the way first. There are continuity issues and fact checking problems e.g. The Cyndi Hawkins baby goes from 24 week premie to 27 weeks premature in three pages. Either there are continuity issues or the lead character either lied during discovery or perjured himself. Then the book claims that a 24 week premie has 50% survival chance, then a 27 week has the same, then the same chance for a different 34 week premature baby. The actual survival figures at 34 weeks are 90%.

    One other major problem for me are the plot threads that are dropped or passed over. There's a year-long gap between chapter 24 and 25 with no warning, and plot threads like the tv crew and the cameraman Mike assaulted just vanish. I had to use the Kindle's search function to find the ends of some major story lines - they are covered in one line, and it's literally blink and you miss it - and a baseball bat assault on a doctor doesn't seem to have any police follow-up.

    There is a great deal of telling not showing. The entire plot stops on ocassion for multi-page flashbacks detailing a character's past, which can be confusing about whether you are in the present or past, and to be honest instead of yet another multi-page flashback detailing a character's problems with his drug addict daughter leading to the present, a simple phone call and "she's been arrested again" would have done it.

    Which brings me to my personal view of this book. I actually took it to another reviewer to check I wasn't being cruel, and the gales of laughter unfortunately confirmed it. Since two of us had the same opinion, here goes. These are awful, awful, people. Lets get all kissy face over our argument about a patient's horrific disabilities and the parents' inability to afford care for them? These people are horrible. The two leads deserve each other and may they live long and happily together sparing the rest of the world their godawful neuroses. When bad things happen to them halfway through, it begins to feel like karma.

    "Candor is an endangered species," Mike says right after screaming his head off at Lisa because she was candid about the fact he's selling out to insurance companies. But it's OK because she apologises. (And if the hospital he defended failed to tell the parents that "No heroic measures" was an option or to give the parents an accurate prognosis of brain damage they are liable as hell no matter what medical care they gave.) But then this is the hospital where the entire NICU staff leave their posts to spend fifteen minutes listening to the row and then the couple kissing so they can clap. Glad our leads are so much more important than all those dying babies.

    Never mind, we soon hear all about her silks and diamonds and his sports car (brand and model), so they know what matters. She's concerned about animal cruelty in veal-making, so he tells her not to think about it and orders it anyway. Our hero. But she's going to sleep with him on a first date regardless because she's seen his sports car and now knows he's everything she's ever wanted in a guy, so its okay. Just a shame they get blocked at his door because his beeper called him back to all those annoying sick children. At least it stops her running into her roomate who apparently intended to open the door to her and her boyfrend in her lingerie to try to steal Lisa's date. Now remember Mike is their boss/senior doctor and it gets a very squicky dynamic.

    The first sex scene wasn't erotic. I was laughing too hard at unfortunate word choice that revealed Mike's secret afiliction of gynomastica. I can honestly say that his pillow talk is about as erotic as "I want to wear your skin", but then Lisa's response is Fatal Attraction-worthy. Truly these two were made for each other. (And Mike, the doctor who works in a sterile environment, wants to endanger hundreds of lives by not washing so he can smell of her always.) Then later, Lisa, the NICU nurse with a high risk pregnancy, has sushi with a sashimi salmon appetiser and then she has a drink. Normally a sip won't hurt but, as I said, her pregnancy is high risk. She knows she may need to be given drugs at any time to save her baby, some of which are utterly contra-indicated with alcohol (yes, even a sip). Then when she's hospitalised, she insists on getting out of bed despite placental abruption. The first time might be a mistake. The second time, when she's so proud she can talk the doctor round despite knowing it risks ending the pregnancy? I will be quite blunt: I wasn't sure if she was stupid or trying to kill both herself and the child. I am sure there are people who will love this book, but sadly I am not going to be one of them. Even in romance I like my characters competent and I don't think two people being in love excuses a lack of continuity and research.

    I am not rating it.
     
  2. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    My actual notes while reading:

    The cyndi hawkins baby goes from a 24 week premie to 27 weeks, either continuity or the lead character perjured himself. respiratory distress and signs of brain damage 950 grams. claims that a 24 week premie has 50% then a 27 week has the same. CP is not obvious 6-9 months after birth. Then it claims the same for a 34 week baby. The actual survival figures at 34 weeks are 90%.

    Lets get all kissy face over our argument about a child's horrific disabilities and the parents inability to afford care for them. These people are horrible. The two leads deserve each other and may they live long and happily together protecting the rest of the world from their godawful neuroses.

    And if the hospital failed to tell the parents that "No heroic measures" was an option or give the parents an accurate prognosis of brain damage they are liable as hell.

    And the entire NICU staff leave their posts to spend fifteen minutes listening to the row and then the couple kissing. Glad they are so much more important than all those dying babies.

    "Candor is an endangered species" he says right after screaming his head off at the female lead because she was candid about the fact he's an insurance whore.

    but never mind, we hear all about her silks and diamonds and his sports car (brand and model), so they know what matters.

    she's concerned about animal cruelty in veal making. He tells her just not to think about it. Our hero. But then she's going to first-date-fuck because she's seen his sports car and now knows he's everything she's ever wanted in a guy, so its okay. Just a shame he gets cock-blocked because his beeper reminded him of all those sick children.

    These are awful, awful, people.

    I just realised she was going to first-date him at his place. Then that stops her seeing her roomate who apparently intended to open the door to her and her boyfriend (remember the guy is both of their bosses) in her lingerie to try to steal her man.

    The first sex scene wasn't erotic. I was laughing too hard at unfortunate word choice that revealed Mike's secret affiliction of gynomastica.

    I can honestly say that one line is about as erotic as "I want to wear your skin". That would get you whalloped with a nearby heavy object. Her response is Glenn Close-worthy. Truly these two were made for each other.

    The doctor who works in a sterile environment wants to endanger hundreds of lives by not washing so he can smell of her always.

    chapter 25 has an entire year pass. no followup from camera man or tv, no suing after Mike hit the guy? Really?

    He went from a 2 month coma onto a walker and going home in two weeks. There are no mentions of the long term physical and mental effects of brain damage, just that he has PTSD. No memory loss, no aphasia...
     
  3. Okay, so why don't you tell us what you really think?

    I can see why these aren't going on the site.
     
  4. jessica

    jessica Active Member

    I can't get over the fact she swears!

    What makes it worse is I've read it and the fact issues are right, and now I can't unsee them.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 2 Jan 2016
  5. porridge

    porridge Member

    You're a hard, hard, woman...never knew you had it in you!
     
  6. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    Well, you know now, and now you know why I do not review romance.

    I genuinely prefer to give good reviews. Sadly some books don't make that possible.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 2 Jan 2016
  7. Tregaron

    Tregaron Member

    I don't suppose there is any, even the slightest, most remote chance, I could interest you in a book called Twilight?

    Please?
     
  8. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    No.
     
  9. Account Removed

    Account Removed New Member

    <mod note: original poster deleted>

    That. was. Awesome!

    Can we have another one?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 2 Jan 2016
  10. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    It is hardly awesome. It is a rather mean-spirited dissection of an author's work by a person who acknowledges outright that they will never be part of its target audience.

    Doing another one would mean that I would have to read another romance book, and that is extremely unlikely.
     
  11. Account Removed

    Account Removed New Member

    Aww. Come on. Kick a bit harder and you can make the author cry.
     
  12. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    It takes no great skill or talent to be nasty about a book. For examples, all you have to do is look at what many reviewers say about indie books, sometimes without reading them, or they fact that they simply won't review them.

    Critical dissection, finding every flaw in a book with far too many, takes a lot more time and effort. Frankly I'd rather spend that time on books I enjoy.

    Why don't you try writing one. Believe me, there are a lot of books asking for it.
     
  13. Account Removed

    Account Removed New Member

    Deleted by mod. That is unacceptable on this board.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 3 Jan 2016
  14. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    <Deleted at poster's request.>

    I apologise to the board. That was unworthy of me.
     
  15. Bookangel

    Bookangel Administrator Staff Member

    Reader, thank you for removing your comment.

    TyrantNinja, images with that content are not allowed on this board. This is your second warning. One more violation and you are banned.
     
    Last edited: 3 Jan 2016
  16. porridge

    porridge Member

    Shame. I like the reminder she was reviewing when he was in nappies.
     
  17. Bookangel

    Bookangel Administrator Staff Member

    Not helping, porridge. Thread reopened for valid comments only.
     
    Last edited: 3 Jan 2016
  18. Terry

    Terry Member

    How did I miss this the first time around...

    ...and when is the next one?

    Hey Reader. Is it the genre you hate or just the way people act stupid in love?
     
  19. Angel

    Angel Munificent Critic

    I knew what was coming - I didn't need to read the review having been on the receiving end before now.
     
  20. Reader

    Reader Vile Critic

    The entire club has been on the receiving end before now, for which I do not apologise. You knew what was coming when you made me read those books.

    What I hate is not "people acting stupid in love", it is "stupid people in love, acting". A subtle but essential distinction.

    A more recent read has the stunning attorney fall for the hunky rich suspect who is accused of murder, but she knows he didn't do it, not because of the evidence or the DNA, but because he's just that good-looking. I would have given that book every star I had spare if he had been guilty and using her. Instead he gets off because of random reasons, notably not innocence, and in real life would be headed for a retrial not Marbella with the prosecuting attorney. Oh, didn't I mention she was the prosecutor?
     

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