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What A Wallflower Wants (2014)

by Maya Rodale(Favorite Author)

3.8 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0062231243 (ISBN13: 9780062231246)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Avon

series

Bad Boys & Wallflowers

review 1: I have loved the characters from the first book in the series, however in this book I believe Ms. Rodale has taken them to a new level. Her delicate, yet truthful dealings with such a taboo subject, was amazing. As with the previous books, we are once again united with all of the characters we have come to love. But, in this book, we get to finally understand Prudence and her reluctance for love. John is also an amazing man, sensitive, strong and his patience with Prudence sets him above all others. Ms. Rodale has skillfully woven this story around the previous two books, filling in the gaps that had been missing in Prudence’s life. Her friends Emma and Olivia stay true to form, supportive and loving of their dearest friend, while showing true compassion when Prudence fi... morenally reveals her deepest, darkest secret. Radcliff and Ashbrook are not only protective of Emma and Olivia, but of Prudence their wives childhood friend. In this book, ones position in life is clearly defined, yet our characters move beyond that to defy the ton in support of true love. In addition we once again get a glimpse of our favorite editor Mr. Knightly and his support for not only a woman’s right but that of a man’s ability to rise above his station. In the end, you will be sad to say farewell to these characters, but you will be able to reread this book as the others over and over again.
review 2: (Reviewer's Note: This story deals with the topic of rape through memory and retelling. It is addressed in my review. Please take this into consideration before reading further, and before purchasing this book.)The opening chapter of this story lays the groundwork for the chapters that follow. It doesn't pave the way for a story about a woman who lives in constant fear though. It paves the way for a woman who was horrendously assaulted, her life afterward, and how she overcame the darkness that had plagued her for too many years.Prudence is a very strong female protagonist. Her strength is quiet, subtle, a wrinkle beneath the surface of her otherwise paranoid countenance. To others, she comes across as shy, an introvert, a true wallflower. To John, she was a woman who needed to know and understand she was not at fault for that terrible night, and neither was she as weak as she thought or felt. She lived in fear of Lord Dudley, The Beast, the man who raped her, and the memory of what he did. She felt used and useless, condemned and forgotten. She wasn't any of those things, but she didn't know that. It took a man who understood to help her see that.John and Prudence's relationship was sweet and slow. It needed to be. John understood Prudence's fear because his sister suffered the same fate. His knowledge helped him gauge what he could and couldn't do with Prue. He let her choose instead. That, I believe, was crucial to their relationship. Having her innocence stolen wasn't her choice so he gave her the power to decide everything about their intimacy. It's what gave me hope that all would end well when their world fell apart.Ms. Rodale's handling of Prue's rape was wonderfully done. It wasn't devoid of emotion or addressed with indifference, but it was spoken of and remembered with fear, self-loathing, and resignation. It pained me to read how low Prue thought of herself. But it gave me great joy to read how highly John thought of her.John's past was a huge mystery for most of this story. It wasn't until almost three-fourths of the way through that his true identity was revealed. The repercussions for his decisions came full-force and nearly cost him Prue. To be honest, I didn't hate him for lying. I didn't condone it either but I was glad his secret wasn't something worse. And I really admired him for finding and telling Prue the truth. He could've fled, left her to wonder what happened, but he manned up and set the record straight. Any future they could have would depend on Prue and what she decided concerning him.Despite the heaviness of Prue's rape, this was a surprisingly light read. Sex scenes were minimal; character building was maximized. Ms. Rodale did a great job showing John and Prue's growth. The man and woman standing at the end of the story were a far cry from the ones I met at the beginning. Their former selves were shadows by then, no longer detriments to what could be but reminders of how far they had come.***Received from Edelweiss via Tasty Book Tours for an honest review*** less

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