The Bluest Eye: Toni Morrison

"Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty.  Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in.  Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife.  A brilliant examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity, Toni Morrison's virtuosic first novel asks powerful questions about race, class, and gender with the subtlety and grace that have always characterized her writing."

You might have noticed that this is different from the other reviews I've been posting lately.  This was one of the assigned books for my graduate Topics in American Literature course I'm just finishing up (this is the last week!).  I ended up writing my final paper on this book by Morrison, and Langston Hughes' poem, "I, Too;" I used these works of American literature as evidence of continued oppression of African Americans.  I will be entirely honest and tell you that I have not cared for Morrison's writing in the past.  I struggled to "read" (when I say "read," I really mean "began to read with earnest and good intentions, then fought terribly to maintain interest, and then skimmed for important parts when I could no longer stomach it) "A Mercy" and "Tar Baby" during my undergraduate work.  (I actually went back and read my review of "A Mercy;" contrary to what I just wrote, it doesn't seem like I hated that book, though I did struggle through some very difficult portions from the point of view of Florens).  "The Bluest Eye," for me, was the easiest to read.  It was easier for me to fall into the story than with Morrison's other works I've read.  Also, this book was obviously interesting enough to me that I chose to use it as the basis of my final essay for the course.  As social, cultural, and historical commentary, I thought this book was moving and it really made me think more deeply about racism (even racism within a race, which is not something I'd considered before) than I had in the past.  I really love literature that makes me think (yes, I do enjoy more of a mental challenge than my typical romance novels...).  I feel like this book is yet another example of why Morrison is a Nobel Prize-winning author; she exposes new facets of African American life and makes us question our lives and history.  She confronts harsh issues that are difficult to stamen, but - at the same time - are extremely important and need to be discussed.  Pecola is a tragic character.  As Morrison writes in the book's forward (which I also saw turned into an afterward in another copy of the book), "I focused...on how something as grotesque as the demonization of an entire race could take root inside the most delicate member of society:  a child; the most vulnerable member:  a female" (Morrison xi).  Pecola is this personification, stemming from Morrison's own childhood conversation with a classmate when she was growing up in Loraine, Ohio.  That girl, too, wanted blue eyes.  Blue eyes were the personification of beauty; while anything seen as a traditionally "black trait" is ugly or undesirable.  It is heartbreaking when anyone hates themselves for something they cannot control, and this is part of what makes Morrison's work so powerful.

I do recommend this book.  It made me think and it touched me.

Three Nights with a Scoundrel (Stud Club, Book Three): Tessa Dare

“In Tessa Dare’s dazzling new trilogy, the men of the Stud Club live and play by their own rules – until passion changes the game.

“The bastard son of a nobleman, Julian Bellamy is now polished to perfection, enthralling the ton with wit and charm while clandestinely plotting to ruin the lords, ravish the ladies, and have the last laugh on a society that once spurned him.  But after meeting Leo Chatwick, a decent man and founder of an elite gentleman’s club, and Lily, Leo’s enchanting sister, Julian reconsiders his wild ways.  And when Leo’s tragic murder demands that Julian hunt for justice, he vows to see the woman he secretly loves married to a man of her own class.

“Lily, however, has a very different husband in mind.  She’s loved Julian forever, adores the man beneath the rakish façade, and wants to savor the delicious attraction they share – as his wife.  His insistence on marrying her off only reinforces her intent to prove that he is the only man for her.  Obsessed with catching a killer, Julian sinks back to the gutters of his youth, forcing Lilt to reach out with a sweet, reckless passion Julian can’t resist.  Can her desire for a scoundrel save them both – or will dangerous secrets threaten more than their tender love?”

I brought this book on my honeymoon back in June (Yes – I’m now a married woman!  Planning a wedding was just one more thing that took up my time over the last year and kept me from posting these reviews!)  This book was an easy read – perfect for lying out on the beach or by the pool while sipping a pina colada or strawberry daiquiri.  (Writing this makes me want to go back…)  I had already enjoyed the first two installments in this trilogy, so it only made sense to bring the third along on the plane and enjoy while winding down from all of the wedding planning chaos.  As always, Tessa Dare’s writing style is pleasant, easy to read, and overall enjoyable.  She makes for a nice author to enjoy if you want a good, mindless, pleasant read.  (This is, of course, not to say that her writing is sub-par in any way; only that she is easy to follow and entertaining.)

As always, Dare has crafted a creative story with interesting characters.  I will readily admit that I was wrong in my assessment of Julian from the first book in this trilogy.  I found him extremely enjoyable and entertaining in this story – the one in which he is finally the male lead.  His chemistry with his female counterpart, Lily, was electric.  I found myself falling for Julian as the story went on (not something a VERY recently married woman should probably admit to happening while she was on her honeymoon!).  He was endearing, surprisingly sweet, and I loved the way he handled Lily’s deafness and his interactions with her.  His dedication to finding Leo’s killers was very honorable.  Contrary to the other books in this series, I found Lily to be equally as strong and interesting a main character.  In the other books, there was either a strongly developed male lead and a less-developed female lead, or visa-versa; this was not the case in this story.  I was just as interested in Lily as I was in Julian.  Once again, Dare has successfully created characters with compelling backstories and unique traits.  Julian’s secret life was creative and interesting; Dare handled it extremely well.  Lily’s deafness was handled so well that I did not feel any pity for her; I saw her as a strong, capable woman.  While Julian was acutely aware of Lily’s deafness, he looked out for her instead of babying her.  I particularly enjoyed the moments where he took advantage of her deafness to tell her everything he didn’t dare say to her face.  Their romance was well-developed and fun to read.

The connecting thread – Leo’s murder and the fate of the Stud Club – obviously remains in this story.  The mystery, however, comes to a very shocking conclusion – one I really did not see coming!  Well done, Dare!  I’m not an easy reader to lead astray and she’s managed to do this two times in this series.  This trilogy is definitely worth the read.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue (Stud Club, Book Two): Tessa Dare

“The daring members of the Stud Club are reckless gamblers and no strangers to risk – until love raises the stakes in Twice Tempted by a Rogue.

“Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur.  His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his good friend in the elite gentleman’s society known as the Stud Club.  Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper who dares him to take on the demons of his past – and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.

“Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan.  But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is town between determination and desire.  As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.”

This is the second installment in Tessa Dare’s Stud Club trilogy and I enjoyed it just about as much as I did the first.  The characters were well-written, but I will say that I far preferred Rhys to Meredith.  Contrary to the first book in the series, I felt the male lead (Rhys) was far more fleshed-out than the female one (Meredith).  Her backstory not as detailed and I did not care about her as much as I cared for Rhys – maybe that’s because I have a soft spot in my literary heart for damaged heroes?  Rhys was deep, his background was complex, and he seemed extremely real.  He is one of those characters whose past really comes alive with dark issues that are relevant to this day – I do love a good, twisty backstory.   The relationship between Meredith and Rhys was sweet, but I do not know how much stock I put into them actually getting married (not really a spoiler…we all know how these romance novels end).  She’s an innkeeper and he’s a peer – however impoverished he may be.  I just don’t see their social statuses allowing for a marriage.  Also, I found Meredith’s obsession (because that’s what it is – an obsession) with all things to do with inns and hotels to be a bit silly and overdone.  It’s one thing to want to run a successful inn (and I applaud Dare’s creation of a strong, independent female lead who was not scared of working her fingers to the bone), and quite another to have it dominate her personality and make her act like a dog spotting a squirrel (think Doug from the movie “Up”).  This, however, did not destroy my enjoyment of the book; it just made me dislike Meredith a bit more than other female leads I’ve experienced in Dare’s writing.

The same dark undercurrents from the first book remained in this one, and this kept me captivated.  I wanted to know who really killed Leo!  Dare has a way of making you invested in the story and in the characters.  I very much enjoyed Rhys and I liked seeing characters we’d been introduced to in the first book – I especially liked Lily and couldn’t wait to see more of her.  I mentioned in my review of the first book how much I disliked Julian; I must say, after reading this book, I do like him more.  He felt more complex and better-written than he did in the first book, so kudos to Dare for fleshing him out a bit more and making me care for him a tiny bit more than I had previously.

Would I recommend this book?  It is integral to understanding the overarching plot of the Stud Club series, so yes, I recommend it.  Rhys was an interesting character and the book was a relatively quick read.  Dare’s writing is very pretty and extremely readable.  Most impressive, however, is probably the fact that she managed to have a surprise in the story’s conclusion.  I rather well-read (not just romance novels, I assure you – I’m a studying to become a professor of English), so I’m not an easy reader to trick and Dare managed to pull one over on me.  I was definitely impressed.

One Dance with a Duke (Stud Club, Book One): Tessa Dare

“In One Dance with a Duke – the first novel in Tessa Dare’s delightful new trilogy – secrets and scandals tempt the irresistible rogues of the Stud Club to gamble everything for love.

“A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization to select it has only ten members – yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck.  And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing ‘Duke of Midnight.’  Each evening he selects one lady for breathtaking midnight waltz.  But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody every bests the duke – until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

“In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart.  When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal.  Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder.  Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?”

I was extremely excited to start another series by Tessa Dare after I so enjoyed her Spindle Cove series (which, I just happily discovered, just had another installment published!), and this book did not disappoint.  The book was fun, very self-aware of the quirkiness of its own plot (the Stud Club) and the serious undertone (Leo’s murder) helped keep the silliness level down quite a bit.  The characters were extremely relatable and, while moments here there felt a bit unrealistic, I enjoyed the overall premise.  This book (as well as the series) did not take itself too seriously – which is something I appreciate – yet, it was not derailed by this fact.

I felt like Morland eventually developed into a better male lead than the one he started off as.  I love how Dare always seems to throw in little details and personality traits that make her characters so relatable, alive, and interesting – she definitely did this with Morland, though I won’t give the secret away!  The wittiness of the banter between Amelia and Morland was quick and captivating.  This was due, I believe, to the strength with which Dare developed Amelia as a character.  She felt fully-realized and well-thought-out.  I enjoyed her backstory, though the depth of her story only seemed to underscore the way in which Morland’s own past felt a little bit glossed over.  Sure, his backstory was touched on, but not nearly as much as Amelia’s.  I’m sure the intent was to add to his “dark and brooding” character, but I don’t know if it was as successful as intended; in my humble opinion, I think it made him feel a bit less-developed.  As far as supporting characters go, I far preferred Rhys to Julian (though I’m a bit more torn now that I’ve finished the series and seen things from the eyes of those characters).  Julian felt way too dramatic and over-the-top – more like a bad actor in a play than a fully-realized character.  In fact, I rather disliked him for much of this book.  He annoyed me.  He was moody and childish.  I did not care for the way in which he was presented, though part of that may be that half of the book is from Morland’s perspective and there’s certainly no love lost between the men.

Overall, I liked the premise of the series and was very much looking forward to reading the next books in the trilogy (and I have already done so at the time of this review).  It was another example of Dare’s fun, intelligent, captivating writing and I do definitely recommend this book, as well as the series of which it is a part.