10 Dates by Emily James

Romantic Comedy

Publication date: 05/16/2017
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: I dunno

And the horrific rom com book slump continues...

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Plot overview: Desperate-to-be-married Joanie gets dumped by her boyfriend (big shock) and embarks on a set on blind dates.

I had to DNF at 9%, y’all. 9%. How sad is that? This book had over 200 gushy, glowy reviews on Amazon, and I had to DNF at 9%. I’m starting to feel like someone is playing a practical joke on me or something.

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I will say that I didn’t DNF the book because it was poorly written. It wasn’t. And frankly, I found Joanie’s inner thoughts to be really funny in most cases. What I couldn’t get behind was finding YET ANOTHER romance novel heroine who is so terribly desperate to get married that she’s willing to accept crappy treatment because she thinks it’ll get her a ring faster. Joanie is SURE her boyfriend is going to propose, even though he’s given her exactly ZERO indications that he even cares about her at all. He’s so clearly using her to finance his business venture that it makes me want to smack Joanie across the face for thinking THIS guy is even remotely husband material.    ​

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Here’s what I learned about Joanie’s boyfriend (the guy she’s willing—desperate—to marry) in the first 9% of the book:

1. He’s been dating her for 3 years and has never made their relationship—or commitment—a priority
2. He cheated on her early in their relationship. She made excuses for him.
3. He asked her to pay for and plan a party for him when he fully intended to dump her at that party. She expected a ring. She made excuses for him again.
4. He calls her “Joan”, even though he knows she hates the name. She allows him to keep doing it, though.
5. He doesn’t say “I love you” to her. Like, ever.
6. He asked for an expensive computer for Christmas (which she bought him) and he got her a cheap copy of the watch she wanted.   

Sounds like a great guy, huh? I really hate him, but honestly, I kind of hate Joanie more for tolerating that behavior and for being willing to overlook all of it just so that she can be married. She’s a total doormat and I hate her so much that I can’t keep reading, even though I’m sure she learns to not be doormat later in the book. (One can only hope, right?)

Women being portrayed as desperate ring seekers is only perpetuating the romance novel stigma and I’m totally over it.

So I’m out. I’m out at 9%. I’m out with extreme prejudice.

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Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
Stigma City. Population: This book.

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