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A review by amyl00wh00
True Nature by Willow Madison
4.0
Ooooh, man...
The serious talk:
I don't know what it is about Willow Madison's writing, but every time I read one of her books I feel like I'm embarking on an exploratory psychological study. I wasn't a Psych major, but if I had been, her books propose a fascinating, entertaining, and enlightening platform. In this book, (whether it is the author's intent, or not) I feel like I (as the reader) am being subtly forced to examine my own acceptance of a thing that, in general, I would say, "Ain't no way I'm toleratin' that shit!" In truth, however, (especially when exposed in a situation similar to boiling a frog) I keep saying, "Well, I'm gonna let that one slide." Then next time, I say, "Wellll... I'm gonna let that one slide, too," until eventually I land in a precarious situation which I'm too blind to get out of. Now, the difference here is that I'm being personally required to examine the distinctions via compare and contrast between a D/s relationship, and domestic abuse. What are the differentiations? Where is that line? Clearly, I gather all of this from only this single, first book in the series, as I have yet to move on to the second True book, therefore I'm unsure yet as to the differences, as well as unsure as to my personal feelings of acceptance regarding any of it.
Moving along.
That being said, I really like both of the main characters.
Generally, as a reader, I am exceptionally hard on the heroine. She's always too petulant, too stupid, too wanna-be-badass, too bitchy, too dramatic... *sighs* Here, I feel like she's well-rounded; like she just is, as a person, and that is a key characteristic in being able to witness the progression of her relationship with Max, as well as in aiding in my own (as the reader) acceptance, or lack of, said relationship. I like Lucy.
When it comes to the Hero, in any book I've ever read, I find I am always way more accepting and forgiving of his "flaws." Maybe this is because I generally think men are flawed creatures - an attribute they cannot help - and therefore we have no choice but to overlook it and move on; maybe I think men are just lost, most of the time, and need their bullshit overlooked as a show of my strength as a woman...? I don't know, but I am forgiving of the male character, and that is still true with Max, which, going back to my psychological rambling earlier, makes me take a good hard look at myself. As I read, I think, "If my husband did that I'd smash his knee-cap with an iron skillet." Lol Maybe that's why I'm forgiving of male book characters, because I'm less forgiving with real-life men...? HA!
But I digress...
Max is... not the stereotypical alphahole. Alphaholes are represented well in Kristen Ashley's books, Madeleine Sheehan's books, Nicole Jacquelyn does a good alpha... what Ms. Madison does here with Max is take the alphahole "quirk" to a whole new level. Max is not a mere alphahole; Max is: a Dominant. (Which loops me back around again to the technicalities of a psychological study.) Namely, I think many books of this genre label "alpha's" as "Dominants," paint fluffy little clouds over it, and call it a BDSM-type relationship between a Dom and his sub. What Ms. Madison does, I believe, is take an alpha, paint him as a Dom (right from the start), take the reader's hand, and lead us into observing what may be a beautiful, even if precarious relationship between a Dom and his sub. (Again, I have only read the first book, so I don't know where this is going to go.)
Very well done.
The serious talk:
I don't know what it is about Willow Madison's writing, but every time I read one of her books I feel like I'm embarking on an exploratory psychological study. I wasn't a Psych major, but if I had been, her books propose a fascinating, entertaining, and enlightening platform. In this book, (whether it is the author's intent, or not) I feel like I (as the reader) am being subtly forced to examine my own acceptance of a thing that, in general, I would say, "Ain't no way I'm toleratin' that shit!" In truth, however, (especially when exposed in a situation similar to boiling a frog) I keep saying, "Well, I'm gonna let that one slide." Then next time, I say, "Wellll... I'm gonna let that one slide, too," until eventually I land in a precarious situation which I'm too blind to get out of. Now, the difference here is that I'm being personally required to examine the distinctions via compare and contrast between a D/s relationship, and domestic abuse. What are the differentiations? Where is that line? Clearly, I gather all of this from only this single, first book in the series, as I have yet to move on to the second True book, therefore I'm unsure yet as to the differences, as well as unsure as to my personal feelings of acceptance regarding any of it.
Moving along.
That being said, I really like both of the main characters.
Generally, as a reader, I am exceptionally hard on the heroine. She's always too petulant, too stupid, too wanna-be-badass, too bitchy, too dramatic... *sighs* Here, I feel like she's well-rounded; like she just is, as a person, and that is a key characteristic in being able to witness the progression of her relationship with Max, as well as in aiding in my own (as the reader) acceptance, or lack of, said relationship. I like Lucy.
When it comes to the Hero, in any book I've ever read, I find I am always way more accepting and forgiving of his "flaws." Maybe this is because I generally think men are flawed creatures - an attribute they cannot help - and therefore we have no choice but to overlook it and move on; maybe I think men are just lost, most of the time, and need their bullshit overlooked as a show of my strength as a woman...? I don't know, but I am forgiving of the male character, and that is still true with Max, which, going back to my psychological rambling earlier, makes me take a good hard look at myself. As I read, I think, "If my husband did that I'd smash his knee-cap with an iron skillet." Lol Maybe that's why I'm forgiving of male book characters, because I'm less forgiving with real-life men...? HA!
But I digress...
Max is... not the stereotypical alphahole. Alphaholes are represented well in Kristen Ashley's books, Madeleine Sheehan's books, Nicole Jacquelyn does a good alpha... what Ms. Madison does here with Max is take the alphahole "quirk" to a whole new level. Max is not a mere alphahole; Max is: a Dominant. (Which loops me back around again to the technicalities of a psychological study.) Namely, I think many books of this genre label "alpha's" as "Dominants," paint fluffy little clouds over it, and call it a BDSM-type relationship between a Dom and his sub. What Ms. Madison does, I believe, is take an alpha, paint him as a Dom (right from the start), take the reader's hand, and lead us into observing what may be a beautiful, even if precarious relationship between a Dom and his sub. (Again, I have only read the first book, so I don't know where this is going to go.)
Very well done.