Lori Wick - Bamboo and Lace

I found this book very similar to "The Princess" in a lot of ways.

I liked the premise. Lily is a girl from a tiny asian country where she has been raised not to look men in the eye. It creates amazing opportunities for awkwardness and curious interactions between characters. I liked Lily and her love interest, Gabe. I hated Lily's domineering and almost over-the-top stern father. I loved that the story was set in Hawaii.

But yet again, the romance falls flat. It could have been wonderful. It could have been sweet and beautiful. Shy, beautiful girl is coaxed out of her restrictive shell and shown that true love does not demand silent, unobtrusiveness servitude. So what is with the hero being talked into even considering the girl as a potential wife? The confident wooing of said girl after being convinced of its sound logic and assured that Lily will take anyone who shows an interest in her? Instead of just letting the characters fall in love naturally, which the plot certainly allows for, they are more or less shoved together by friends who seem to see that they should be falling in love... but aren't.

All I can say is, Lori Wick has a weird idea of what love is. Kind of cool story. Not the kind of relationship I'm looking for, though.

Lori Wick - The Princess

This was a strange walk on the fantastic side of Christian fiction.

First, I loved the fairy tale premise. An ordinary girl is chosen as the new bride of a widowed prince. An escapist story, obviously, but what girl doesn't like to imagine she's a princess? Come on. We all do it.

The problem was, this fantasy didn't play out the way I wanted it to. It was an interesting story, and I enjoyed reading it, but there were things I didn't like. The setting seemed off, somehow, with contemporary and historical/idyllic elements that just didn't jive together. I never felt like I fully entered or understood this world. I also felt that some of the conflicts between the bride and groom were somewhat contrived and predictable - nothing really new or surprising. But my biggest issue with the story was the romance: it just wasn't there.

*Warning: Spoiler ahead!*
This is a story about an arranged marriage which, although with all the ingredients for a great romance story, turns out bittersweet. I suppose it is meant to be realistic - and I'm sure many arranged marriages end up in a kind of love that is more fond and dutiful than passionate. The problem is, it depresses me. When I read a romance novel, I'm not interested in two people who form a friendly and mutually beneficial partnership. Some people find it charming - but I wanted to tear up the last few pages and rewrite it myself. I restrained myself, because I had borrowed the book from the library. It probably wouldn't have worked, anyway. Lori Wick's ending suits the characters, somehow. And ultimately, I didn't care enough about them to lament their fate for long.