Willa’s review of Nameless by Claire Kent
Erotic Romance published by CreateSpace 29 Apr 13
Ms. Kent was splashed around on the reading blog-o-sphere earlier this year, with her self-published book Escorted, about a male escort and his female client. I really enjoyed her voice in that story and how she stretched my reading comfort zone for me . . . male escorts are something I usually avoid, but she made it work. So I was looking forward to her new book, Nameless. Sadly, this didn’t work so well.
Seth and Erin briefly lived in the same town when they were kids. Seth had been taken in by his uncle/guardian, Mac, and though Mac tried his best, Seth ran off the rails. Fifteen years later Seth is a successful defence attorney and Erin is a judge’s assistant in the same building – so she sees him around, catches the gossip about him – he is a ladies’ man, but she has no contact with him. When Mac passes away she returns to her hometown and is surprised to see Seth there for the funeral. They end up having drinks together and a one-night stand. Even though they used protection, Erin finds out she is pregnant.
Right from the start Erin decides to go it alone. She has been married previously to a controlling and domineering man and wants to avoid a repeat. She does tell Seth about the pregnancy but makes it clear that his awareness is all that she wants from him. She is surprised, therefore, when he responds by saying he would like to be involved in the baby’s life. The trouble for me started here. We do not get any of Seth’s POV – throughout the whole book. It is all telling and not showing from his side. So all we have from Seth are carefully measured responses, giving no indication of what he is truly feeling at any given time. Meanwhile, we are given every feeling of Erin’s – and then some. I really wanted to slap her at various points. I feel that she just doesn’t grow through the book – it’s all “I have been hurt before’ . . blah, blah, blah” and it gets old and tired. Meanwhile, Seth is trying to second guess her feelings and moods, etc . How does a MAN manage to do that normally?? And then with a pregnant woman? 🙂 No chance!
Then right after Erin gives birth, Seth says he is falling in love with her – and she just slaps him down. But Erin is not above contacting Seth and asking him to scratch her hormonal itches or to babysit when she goes on a date. I just don’t feel a connection between the two of them. The style of the book is very much written the same way as Escorted and yet here it doesn’t work for me. It also covers quite a long period of time – two years, and I have to admit to skimming towards the end, as it just seemed to drag on. And on.
Grade: D
Summary:
They named it anything but love.
After a failed marriage to a domineering man, Erin refuses to be controlled by anything or anyone. That includes Seth, the father of her baby—a man who was supposed to be only a one-night-stand, a man who’s used to always getting his way.
There’s a reason that Seth Thomas, a successful defense attorney, is often referred to as the Bulldozer. If something needs to happen, he makes it happen. That includes being part of his baby’s life—even if he never expected to be a father, even if Erin doesn’t really trust him.
They’ll work out an arrangement in the best interest of their baby—and if they occasionally have sex, well, that’s just an added perk—but they both agree on one thing.
What they have will never be love.
No excerpt available.
