I love Alpha Male books club discussion

Confession: I completely procrastinated on writing today.

*slaps wrist*

I had writers block and I figured rather than stare at my computer screen, I'd stare at my tablet and finish the B.B. Reid book, Fear Me. I am wondering if anyone else felt as conflicted as I did about this story. I gave it 3 stars because it did keep me interested enough to finish but somewhere along the way I felt lost and confused.

I love a dark romance. Give me an alpha antihero and I am a happy camper. But with this book, I was repeatedly pulled out of the story by 2 things:

1)The age of the characters. Having 17-18 year old characters, and then needing to deal with the logistics of the parents/guardians, made it hard for me to believe. I kept wondering if Six Forks was just filled with neglectful/selfish parents who didn't give a rats a** about kids disappearing or what dangerous things their kids were up to.

Other works, such as Twilight, didn't deal with the same level of violent abuse this book did so it was a little easier to forgive the absentee parenting (although I still wasn't a big fan of that book for other reasons). However, this one was very abusive and violent, which is fine except the story kept reminding me how young the characters were each time it explained why the parents/guardians were constantly out of the picture.

2)There was no repentance for the antihero. What I love about dark romances with a possessive/obsessive antihero is the moment when the tide changes. When the antihero begins to come around and become the type of guy I want the female lead to be with. Not necessarily turning into a traditional hero but instead coming into his own and developing the relationship. This is often paired with the heroine developing more confidence and standing on her own two feet. That didn't happen in this story. The most she got was a single date and that was more or less it.

I really struggled with that. I understand there are 2 more books in this series and I might read those to see if there are answers but as it stands I was left feeling like, WTF did I just read?

I got the sexual tension. The heroine's confusion about feeling attracted to someone who was so abusive to her was well developed. But at some point in the book the heroine just decides to toss her hands up in the air and call the abuse love, rather then the author creating a point in the story where the hero gives her a reason to feel that way.

Did anyone else feel this way?

Hey Claire, I haven't read this one. I agree with your points though. I have found that I'm taken out of the story thinking about those issues too.

Hi Claire, I read this book and I also was conflicted. Kieran (mind me if I'm wrong) was an "alpha" that creeped me out in the beginning. You know the whole "kiddy" thing, then further into the story he kept taunting Lake. I like dark romance. This was one. I surely as hell don't want to find love that way. Lake made me want to slap her sometimes, our hero made me want to choke him sometimes but he was broken. His love was twisted. I liked the book and I read the second one which I also liked since it made me laugh.( Nope it's not comedy, it was the "randomcy" of the events and the outcomes)

Nee, I can see your point and I think that is why I struggle with it. This story isn't intended to have the reformed bad boy, he's just always bad. However, I think I could have been more forgiving of the continued abuse/antihero routine if I felt there was more character development for him. A believable plot line. But him being an enslaved murder-for-hire 7 year old was just too much for me.

I think that circles back around to the age issue. If the author had made him older then his dark past would have been more acceptable and fitting. But as far as any 18/19 year olds I knew in high school, the ones with really effed up childhoods weren't brooding boys who had the self conviction to stand up to authority and concur the social scene. They were mixed up and any rebellion on their part came with a heaping side of insecurity. The more I think about the story, the more I think I'd have swooned over antihero if he were in his 30s or 40s with some years/life under his belt.

*hopefully this makes sense, I wrote it on my phone and the text box is super small :p

Hi Claire, I just finished this book and I was glued to it. However, I do agree with point 1 undisputed. There is no way these things would go unnoticed with my child - the characters being in their mid-20 would have been more real for me. I can also see your second point - but maybe that's what book 2 is for. For me, I also questioned the reason why he was twisted - a six year old killer for hire - really?? Too far fetched for me. It would have been better if he had killed because of the abuse he was going through at the hands of his "owners". But even that is pushing it. Children just don't have that in them - which is why they are victims to begin with. This said - I will probably still read book 2 just to see where it goes. I'm just one of those who has finish it. :)

Stacey is Sassy wrote: "Hey Claire, I haven't read this one. I agree with your points though. I have found that I'm taken out of the story thinking about those issues too."

Agree with Stacey....I start worrying about those things and it bothers me sometimes that it is not explained away....I guess that is why so many parents/family have died in the pnr/uf books I read.