Friday 29 March 2013

The Vincent Brothers - Abbi Glines

Pages: 270
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Release Date: 7th March 2013
Edition: UK paperback, won from Lynsey

Other titles in this Series: The Vincent Boys

Smouldering Sawyer Vincent is in a bad way after his break-up with Ashton Gray. Losing the girl he dreamed of marrying is bad enough, but to lose her to his brother Beau is plain humiliating.

But Sawyer won’t be alone for long – not if Ashton’s cousin Lana has her way. Lana’s grown up to be a femme fatale and she wants Sawyer, real bad.

But deep down, will Lana ever feel good enough to compete with Ashton in Sawyer’s eyes? She’s red hot, but inside, Lana’s still the shy geeky girl she used to be.

Lana’s gonna need all her sexy powers of persuasion to make this gorgeous Vincent boy her man...

I had problems with The Vincent Boys when I read it, but my enjoyment outweighed them. Not this time – I have a scary number of problems with The Vincent Brothers.

Before I go off on one I’m going to start with the positives. I do love the setting of a good sultry, summer in the South and it makes me hate rainy, cold Britain with a passion! I want to have a summer of continual sun and everything that comes with it. Partly due to this, The Vincent Brothers was also incredibly quick and easy to read – I read it in two short sittings. I’m afraid these are the only good elements of this novel for me.

This book was very poorly written. The prose is endlessly clucky and clichéd; either it had gone straight from self-published e-book to the paperback without being edited or it was a hurried and cursory edit. This resulted in the meaning being frequently lost in a forced attempt at drama, tension or humour.

As for the clichés, I thought the plot of a heartbroken guy using a pretty innocent girl as a way to get over his previous girlfriend and then falling in love with her was a cliché in itself. There were also the name-checked songs with a cringe-worthy theme or character appropriate lyrics which always makes me feel like I’m having my music taste dictated to, even if I actually like a song that’s mentioned. And the final niggling cliché is also intensely cheesy: the epilogues. Yes, plural – there are three of them. I’m pretty good with cheese and I love a good epilogue, but this went too far even for me.

I was able to look past all of these things in the first book but when paired with the misogyny in The Vincent Brothers, my blood boiled. It started when Sawyer didn't notice Lana until she had undergone a makeover and started to wear short shorts and tiny tops with a sexy hair style and rejuvenated make-up. That is not something to base a relationship on, but moreover, what sort of message is that? It’s like telling the fourteen years olds that are going to read this book that the only way you’re going to get the guy you want is by dressing provocatively.

It continues with a tendency for sex or violence to be the answer to every one of the problems that the characters encounter. Some guy threatens ‘their girl’ and fists go flying, girl is upset and runs straight in to physical intimacy with the boy. There was a really strong example of this in each novel which resulted in sexual acts they hadn’t taken part in before for both girls. I just thought that was such a bad idea! That’s not the answer and again, such a bad message to give girls and guys. It also pushes the idea that the female characters in the novel, especially Ash and Lana, can’t do anything without their boyfriends coming to their rescue or stepping in for some reason.

Even when you ignore the misogyny and sloppy prose the characters just aren’t likable. Lana who takes the lead in The Vincent Brothers is so distinctly blah. The only personality traits she seems to have are being hot, being Ash’s cousin and that was about it. She only even spiked interest in me when she stood up for herself and let Sawyer know what a shit he was being. Ash and Beau from The Vincent Boys were also featured in this one, a lot more than I expected them to be actually. Now, I really loved Beau in the first book; he’s a bad boy with a heart, he genuinely loves Ash and he's seriously hot, but he turned into a manipulative jerk who frequently bordered on psycho in this instalment. I really disliked Ash this time as well – she’s so whiny!

Well, now I've got that all out of my system I feel much better! I really hated this and it worries me that some people had no problems with The Vincent Brothers and yet I’m still planning to give her other series ago. I just want more from Abbi Glines.


Sophie 

5 comments:

  1. Wow, now I know why you were worried about writing such a negative review! I haven't read this series, but like you, have heard both good and bad things. I want to give at least the first book I try - I'm hopeful like that :)

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  2. I really disliked Ash as well and I agree with the comment on the epilogues plus the bad image and lesson portrayed in the story., :)

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  3. Hmm, I quite enjoyed the first book but I agree - this second one was quite bad. It didnt do much for me and I spent much of the time wanting to slap the charcters lol. Yet I still want to read her other series...

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  4. You are so right in everything you said in this review Sophie! I couldn't agree more :o)

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  5. I find the Sea Breeze series much better than the Vincent Boys. Similar setting but better plot and characters!

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