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A review by bianchibooks
The Major's Welcome Home by Tessa Bailey
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings (from Melanie’s review): Talk of loss of a loved one, war themes, use of the G-slur, references to parental heart attack, and abandonment throughout.
I ended up hating this, and I had such high hopes too! But this kept getting more and more deranged the further I got and suddenly the possessive love interest was just uncomfortable. Not that I ever was comfortable though, it is SO alarming how quickly Beck became obsessed with Kenna - I’ve been reading too many insta-love, let’s fuck after knowing each other for 12 hours stories lately and I have to say this one objectively did the worst job at it.
And the daddy kink. Listen, I felt it coming but I thought we were safe… then we hit like 80% and then it hit because of course it did. Same can be said for the spanking.
The characters were extremely difficult for me to relate to as well. This is more of a me problem than a writer problem since it’s not her fault I’m not from a Military family, but so much of this went straight over my head because of that. I will say that Kenna’s dad’s heart attack was handled well and had very real consequences both physically and emotionally, for better or for worse, regarding their relationship. My dad at 3 at the end of last year and this is the first book I’ve read that deals with a parental figure surviving a heart attack, so I appreciate the representation there being done with care as it could’ve derailed extremely fast in the context of the rest of the novella.
Also, why was this written in third person?? This would’ve worked infinitely better as a dual-POV first person piece instead, and probably would’ve helped the awkward writing and unconnectable characters. I couldn’t shake this the entire time I was reading which also contributed to how uncomfortable I was for the story’s duration.
Clearly this wasn’t for me though I see why people enjoy it (most people, actually). If it’s your bread and butter, go wild, my friend.
-
Pre-Reading Review: In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a novella kick. There is something very rewarding about finishing a piece in one sitting even if it is barely over 100 pages... also, it looks nice for the reading challenge. I promise I'm not cheating.
I ended up hating this, and I had such high hopes too! But this kept getting more and more deranged the further I got and suddenly the possessive love interest was just uncomfortable. Not that I ever was comfortable though, it is SO alarming how quickly Beck became obsessed with Kenna - I’ve been reading too many insta-love, let’s fuck after knowing each other for 12 hours stories lately and I have to say this one objectively did the worst job at it.
And the daddy kink. Listen, I felt it coming but I thought we were safe… then we hit like 80% and then it hit because of course it did. Same can be said for the spanking.
The characters were extremely difficult for me to relate to as well. This is more of a me problem than a writer problem since it’s not her fault I’m not from a Military family, but so much of this went straight over my head because of that. I will say that Kenna’s dad’s heart attack was handled well and had very real consequences both physically and emotionally, for better or for worse, regarding their relationship. My dad at 3 at the end of last year and this is the first book I’ve read that deals with a parental figure surviving a heart attack, so I appreciate the representation there being done with care as it could’ve derailed extremely fast in the context of the rest of the novella.
Also, why was this written in third person?? This would’ve worked infinitely better as a dual-POV first person piece instead, and probably would’ve helped the awkward writing and unconnectable characters. I couldn’t shake this the entire time I was reading which also contributed to how uncomfortable I was for the story’s duration.
Clearly this wasn’t for me though I see why people enjoy it (most people, actually). If it’s your bread and butter, go wild, my friend.
-
Pre-Reading Review: In case you haven't noticed, I've been on a novella kick. There is something very rewarding about finishing a piece in one sitting even if it is barely over 100 pages... also, it looks nice for the reading challenge. I promise I'm not cheating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Abandonment, and War