A review by mousegoddess
Aaron by J.P. Barnaby
3.0
I was of two minds on this one. really was. and all of it is spoilerific so I'll say now-rape survivors may be triggered by this story. just in case it's not abundantly clear.
okay, first and foremost, there was a LOT wrong with the shrink character. a lot. but the biggest part imo was shoved in to make a plot element work quicker. an ethical shrink, such as we are led to believe this guy is, would NOT out a patient. PARTICULARLY to his child who has made interest clear. just. no. I can see where the author was trying to go with this character, but missed a few steps along the way.
on the flip side, it was nice to have a rape survivor not just be a okay with sex because of the magical power of true love's cock. I've seen that more than a few times in mainstream romance and it skeeves me out.
time was a little nebulous and speaking as someone who has panic disorder (yay chemical imbalances with a genetic basis!) it bothered me that it seemed a little magic bulletish. panic attacks, anxiety attacks, they are hard to manage. incredibly. I understand space constraints, but having to battle constantly with people thinking I can just get over it ("it's all in your head!" "no shit, Sherlock") makes it a sore point with me.
so why did it get three stars? because what was done well was done very well. and I liked the teacher. had potential to be a five, but missed the mark.
on the flip side, it was nice to have a rape survivor not just be a okay with sex because of the magical power of true love's cock. I've seen that more than a few times in mainstream romance and it skeeves me out.
time was a little nebulous and speaking as someone who has panic disorder (yay chemical imbalances with a genetic basis!) it bothered me that it seemed a little magic bulletish. panic attacks, anxiety attacks, they are hard to manage. incredibly. I understand space constraints, but having to battle constantly with people thinking I can just get over it ("it's all in your head!" "no shit, Sherlock") makes it a sore point with me.
so why did it get three stars? because what was done well was done very well. and I liked the teacher. had potential to be a five, but missed the mark.