Pawns in the Bishop’s Game by Emilia Finn

Category: Contemporary romance
Publication date: 03/12/2019
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

Rarely do I hate romance novel heroines as much as I hated the heroine in this book.

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Plot overview: Almost lawyer Jess puts herself in danger and requires rescuing multiple times by Kane Bishop, a guy who is working for the city’s worst-of-the-worst criminal element.

First of all, let me just say that I kind of liked Bishop. He was a snarky, dirty-talking, bad boy, and I probably would’ve enjoyed reading about him with ANY heroine other than Jess. 

I also enjoy the author’s writing voice and style. She’s talented. Truly. I don’t want what I’m about to say to be a reflection on her ability to...author. She’s good. No question. 

But here are the ways in which I loathe Jess with an almost violent passion:

• She’s researching bad guys for her job. Never in a million years did her boss expect her to GO to the dangerous club where the bad guys hang out. In fact, her boss cautioned her AGAINST getting too close to the bad guys. But, in all her wisdom, our intrepid heroine thought it best to put on her Louboutins with a micro-mini, grab her $500 handbag, and go “fit in with” the bad guys so that she could get the skinny on them. Sure, Jess. I just don’t see anything wrong with that plan at all.

via GIPHY

• Jess is assaulted before she can even get inside the club. Shocking, right? I mean, she was doing such a great job of blending in with the criminal element! Bishop saves her, of course. I could’ve gotten over that if THE SAME EXACT THING didn’t happen once more when Jess refused to listen to Bishop and once again waltzed into the club like she owned the place and got attacked. Again, I say. Because once wasn’t awful enough. Damsel in distress, party of one...your table is ready…
• Jess passes out after not eating for a few days and not bothering to care for her wounds. Why didn’t she go to the hospital after being wounded, you ask? Great question. Jess didn’t want her family full of cops and EMTs to find out she’d been injured and worry about her. Good plan, hon.

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• As Jess is contemplating her time with Bishop, which pretty much only included him saving her, stitching her wound, a little kissing, and a bit of finger banging, she wonders if he had AIDS, and if he could’ve given her AIDS. Then, our little MENSA candidate wonders if there’s a vaccine for AIDS, because she really enjoyed the finger banging.

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• For all her “you’re a bad guy and I can never be with you” bluster early on, Jess sure flips the switch on her morals pretty quickly and does everything she can to help Bishop and keep him out of trouble. Way to stick to your guns, Princess! 
• And for all her worry about AIDS, Jess didn’t hestitate to have unprotected sex with Bishop, even while thinking that he was drug-using killer who may or may not have raped a girl (long story).           

And the twist ending? I saw it coming a mile away. But I wouldn’t have taken a star away if Jess had been a halfway decent heroine. The one star I let this book kept belongs solely to Bishop. 

So, long-story-short, the hero is a pretty decent dude, the author is a talented lady, and the heroine is a dumpster fire of epic proportions. May she never darken my Kindle ever again.

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Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
It’s not stigma-y. I just hate the heroine with a nearly unrivaled fiery passion.

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