YOU'VE GOT MALE (OPUS, 1), BY ELIZABETH BEVARLY
Fiction: Romance. HQN: 2005. 384 pp.
Sometimes, all you need in life is a glass of red wine and a good romance novel.
I had read You've Got Male in the past, probably sometime in college, and I remember really enjoying it for what it was. It's fast-paced; it's entertaining; it's sexy. All good things in the romance genre. And yet, when I reread this novel as part of the Book Roulette, I couldn't help but be let down by this book. As promising as it was, there were some real gaps in the storytelling. One gap in particular: Bevarly ever concluded the main plot (the 'Story A' if you're following along with my Story Map). It was -- shall we say -- unsatisfying. Thankfully, there were still some good lessons in this to pass along to anyone writing their own novel.
Fiction: Romance. HQN: 2005. 384 pp.
Sometimes, all you need in life is a glass of red wine and a good romance novel.
I had read You've Got Male in the past, probably sometime in college, and I remember really enjoying it for what it was. It's fast-paced; it's entertaining; it's sexy. All good things in the romance genre. And yet, when I reread this novel as part of the Book Roulette, I couldn't help but be let down by this book. As promising as it was, there were some real gaps in the storytelling. One gap in particular: Bevarly ever concluded the main plot (the 'Story A' if you're following along with my Story Map). It was -- shall we say -- unsatisfying. Thankfully, there were still some good lessons in this to pass along to anyone writing their own novel.
LESSON 1: IF YOU BEGIN A PLOT, BE PREPARED TO FINISH IT
As you're writing your story, it can get easy to become swept away with certain story lines. Go for it. Ride that inspiration wave. But, in editing, you have to go back and make sure everything lines up. More (most) importantly, you have ot make sure that your story lines are fulfilled. The primary plot line of You've Got Male is this suspense story in which someone is after Avery, but after throwing a red herring right at the end of the novel, Bevarly never actually answers the question of "who is this person?"
LESSON 2: EVEN IF YOU ARE WRITING A SERIES, EACH BOOK IN THAT SERIES HAS TO BE ITS OWN UNIT
Perhaps the answer to the question above is a thread that continues in further OPUS novels. However, while You've Got Male is an installment in this series, it is also a standalone story. Even if you are writing a series, each novel has to be able to stand alone. You can certainly hope that your reader will be so captivated by your story and the characters that he (she) will immediately move on (or anxiously await) you next book, but you can't guarantee it. And, leaving gaping plot holes in your story is a good way to confuse them and cause them to lose interest.
The thing is, You've Got Male is still a fairly good romance novel. It's still fast-paced, entertaining, and sexy. And this is probably the biggest letdown: Thinking about what this book could have been. As a writer, I would hate to have a reader finish my book and judge it based on what might have been.
THE STORY
AveryIsIn: hi HJFan -- you'll never guess what happened. Supposedly I'm a dangerous cybercriminal, and the feds have come knocking down my door. They think I'm in contact with some supervillain -- but I never leave the house, and you're the only one I talk to. Lv it to the govt, huh? LOL
DixonOPUS: Avery Nesbitt made e-mail contact with target today. Although suspect seems unaware of target's true identity, I can't be sure she's uninvolved. My next move: get inside. Time to rattle Ms. Nesbitt's perfect online world.
DixonOPUS: Avery Nesbitt made e-mail contact with target today. Although suspect seems unaware of target's true identity, I can't be sure she's uninvolved. My next move: get inside. Time to rattle Ms. Nesbitt's perfect online world.
