2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Lara and Connor fall into instant lust and eventually love soon after. Your thoughts about their romance and each character individually? Your opinion of Lara? Connor?

Lara was a bleeding heart who loves tilting at windmills and thinks she can single handily right the world's wrongs. I thought she was naïve and gullible and the way she fell for Connor proves that. Connor is a cynic and has a world weary life view. His stated purpose was to seduce Lara into giving him information and shutting down her blog. She surprised him with what a genuine and caring person she really was.

My preference is for kick-butt heroines, so Lara's naivete grated on my nerves at times. She was just too sweet for me.

Connor is a domineering jerk and his cruel machinations rubbed me the wrong way.

They have great chemistry, but I did not find their romance as believable as Gabe and Everly's.

Connor was expecting someone as cynical as he or close to it. But Lara has a good heart and that knocked him off balance. Connor shifted in and out of charm (mostly out) in an instant, coming across like a jerk. I really liked him before this book and not so much here. Maybe now that he’s out of the CIA and has Lara, I’m hoping that will mellow him out some.

Lara’s gullible nature could be irritating but I think her view of the world has been reshaped. Does that mean she might be more cynical? Probably. And maybe Connor will be less so.

The romance didn’t work for me because most of it happened during Connor’s duplicity. I just couldn’t get past her falling for a guy who was lying to her so completely. My head got in the way of them reaching my heart.

I don't buy relationships based on deception, especially when the lies and deception go on so long. They both need to make some big changes before I can wish them a happy ever after.

Jonetta wrote: "I just couldn’t get past her falling for a guy who was lying to her so completely"

Exactly! It really bugged me that he let Roman into her apartment and just took her back to bed. It was smarmy.

That felt so icky I skimmed over the love scenes.

I agree with you all. Normally I love Shayla's love scenes, but I skimmed these too. As a couple, they turned me off.

Writing this before I read everyone's comments.

Lara just grated on my last nerve. I prefer kickass woman that are strong and the right kind of sassy. So suffice its to say this do gooder with a mild wide naivety and gullibility made for reading in gits and starts.

Now I'm all for opposites attract. Connor was way to the other side. And alpha jerk that is so cynical about everything how am I to believe they would fall at first sight. He was fighting his training so hard because I don't think he'd ever come across someone as sweet as Lara.

Most of the time I understood Connor. Didn't always like what and. How he did things but I understood it every time. Lara nope. Just didn't connect with at all.

As for the romance? Lust at first sight. Thank goodness that's what the authors started off with. That I could believe and thought okay can see this becoming more. That was the only way I would have believed them falling for each other

Jonetta wrote: "Connor was expecting someone as cynical as he or close to it. But Lara has a good heart and that knocked him off balance. Connor shifted in and out of charm (mostly out) in an instant, coming acros..."

That a good point Jonetta. If one takes into account that she is a" reporter" you expect a certain amount of cynicism. She really was a breathe of fresh air after his years as a spy and also his beginnings. I don't think he'd have ever been exposed to someone like Lara. Wide range of friends. Vegan do-gooder that just doesn't look for faults in others.

Michelle, her nature was the one that threw me, too. She lacked any of that jaded outlook you’d expect of someone who was raised in a political family and runs a scandal sheet. This may be why we all struggled with her gullibility.

As I said before. I feel the authors didn't think this all through properly. They have the personality of characters all worked out but not really going with their profession. Or like with Kiki a good idea of having a friend that is more world wise but then in the end you find her a stalker and not really her friend, obviously, but nothing really suggested that or supported that fact.

Good points Michelle & Jonetta. I prefer kick ass heroines too, but and author can make a heroine likeable even when gullible. That usually takes the growth. I didn't see any in Lara.

I don't know how anyone can be around all the corruption in D.C. for more than a month and not become jaded. I worked there for almost two years, and nothing surprises me. Lara was around this her whole life, and doing research on the corruption she can't continue to look at life through rose colored glasses like she does.

Can I just mention the thing that was just the last... Straw. Her making her dog vegan because of her own choices.
Please no one hit me over the head with this. I just have never understood why people would make an animal be what it's not. Yes you can, like Lara tried , not give it meat. It's an animal that I've never heard anyone try make vegan?

Or was this an example of Lara and her believes and what she would do to keep it true.

Sharon wrote: "Good points Michelle & Jonetta. I prefer kick ass heroines too, but and author can make a heroine likeable even when gullible. That usually takes the growth. I didn't see any in Lara.

I don't know..."

Exactly Sharon.

Michelle wrote: "Can I just mention the thing that was just the last... Straw. Her making her dog vegan because of her own choices.
Please no one hit me over the head with this. I just have never understood why peo..."

Yes she is a fanatic. If I remember correct when Paul and Linda McCartney had their ranch they didn't feed any of the animals meat either. They claim it was healthier. There are arguments on both sides, but I like my meat and poultry. I don't like to listen to anyone preaching to me about it.

Amen Sharon.

FYI, I tried being on a vegetarian diet (not vegan) when I was in college. My body rebelled. You really need to consult a nutritionist before taking this on (which of course I didn’t do) and after six months, I gave up.

I can understand if you choose this direction as your own personal choice. But to impose it on a dog without consulting a veterinarian was foolhardy. I actually went with my doggie doctor’s recommendation for my own pooch and the first thing I was told was not to feed him how I ate. Their digestive systems are unique from humans and can vary by breed.

This was just another example of the character’s flawed design. Lara really should have been smarter than this.

Michelle wrote: "Her making her dog vegan because of her own choices.."

OMG! I was shaking my head at this. It drives me nuts when so-called animal lovers try to foist their own personal health decisions onto an unsuspecting animal. Dogs are carnivores for goodness sake!

Look I have family that are Hindu that can't eat what we cook because our pots have touch sacred cow. Even they aren't this silly. They buy the pet food and find a way to feed them so they are all good.
As I said was just one too many things about her that rubbed me wrong.

Lara rubbed me the wrong way also. I prefer my heroines with a backbone. And the dog thing really bothered me too. I'm so glad I wasn't alone! Connor didn't bother me as much as Lara. I felt that he was with the CIA and that made him cynical. But I didn't enjoy this couple together as much as I have others that these authors have written.