sunnysaysbookreviews: What A Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale We absolutely need to talk about this b

sunnysaysbookreviews: What A Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale We absolutely need to talk about this book.  (SLIGHT TRIGGER WARNING, IF YOU HAVE A TRIGGER TO SOMETHING BUT DON’T WANT TO READ TO FIND OUT WHAT THE TRIGGER IS MESSAGE ME) Synopsis:  Miss Prudence Merryweather Payton has a secret.Everyone knows that she’s the only graduate from her finishing school to remain unwed on her fourth season—but no one knows why. With her romantic illusions shattered after being compromised against her will, Prudence accepts a proposal even though her betrothed is not exactly a knight in shining armor. When he cowardly pushes her out of their stagecoach to divert a highwayman, she vows never to trust another man again.John Roark, Viscount Castleton, is nobody’s hero.He’s a blue-eyed charmer with a mysterious past and ambitious plans for his future—that do not include a wife. When he finds himself stranded at a country inn with a captivating young woman, a delicate dance of seduction ensues. He knows he should keep his distance. And he definitely shouldn’t start falling in love with her.When Prudence’s dark past comes back to haunt her, John must protect her—even though he risks revealing his own secrets that could destroy his future. Thoughts: Jeez I ADORED this book. I have liked almost all of the books I have read by Maya Rodale (with one exception) but this was just so far and beyond any expectations I had for this book.  So I guess the best way is to discuss my favorite aspects individually (I wish I had more structure to these reviews, but alas I do not).  The most important thing in this book, in my opinion, is the VERY CLEAR statement on (TRIGGER POSSIBLY) rape and rape culture. Our heroine was had her “innocence taken forcibly” by a disgusting human being four years before the start of our story. And she has been struggling in silence with her fear of men the whole time.  At the start of the story, she is riding in a mail coach, to marry a man who she is fairly certain is only into another man, and would never try to hurt her. But when they are held up by highwaymen, and her fiance throws her from the carriage as an unwilling sacrifice, she knows one thing for certain: men are not to be trusted. So she walks all night and day until she first meets our hero, who is riding a carriage pulled by two sheer white horses. He pulls over and offers her a ride.  Despite being sweaty, exhausted and her hands raw and in pain from carrying her valise, she denies the ride for fear of being alone with a man. He asks a couple more times but she sticks to her guns.  So he continues on, wanting to respect her wishes.  Moving onto when she gets to the small village, she goes to the inn that our hero is also at.  It is heartbreaking to watch their interactions.  “Castleton’s arms enclosed her. Logically, she knew he only acted on instinct. Logically, she knew this embrace was merely to prevent her from tumbling backward and possibly to the floor. She knew these things. But still her body stiffened and the warning bells in her head clanged loudly, drowning out the voices of logic and reason. They were alone, she was unguarded, and his hands were on her.”  My heart was BREAKING for her. She wants so much to be fine. She wants to listen to logic and reason and move forward but she is so so stuck!!!  I have never loved a heroine so much that I felt like I had known her for years and need to protect her from everyone and everything.  But slowly, very slowly, she starts to become less uncomfortable with John Roarke. It isn’t a sudden transition. She isn’t suddenly fixed. It feels, to me, realistic. And then there is John Roarke, who definitely merits mention. I am not super familiar with Beta heroes. But I am fairly certain he is one. He is sweet. He wants to protect the heroine, and women, and hurt animals. He has self control and when the heroine says she is uncomfortable or needs to not be touched or to leave, he listens and does what she asks. He does NOT try to force her to change.  Instead of trying to force her to be comfortable with men, he teaches her how to protect herself in one of my favorite scenes in the book.  “’You have survived the worst thing that could happen to you,’ he said softly. ‘And you have carried on. Prudence, you are far stronger than you know.’ That left her stunned and speechless. ‘Now move,’ he said in a low voice, just before reaching for her wrist. She snatched it away. ‘Move,’ he growled. ‘Like all those dancing steps you spent two-eighths of your life practicing.’” It was really a touching scene, because he wanted to teach her how to defend herself for if he wasn’t around. He didn’t try to make her try to just stick around him for protection, he gave her a tool to help heal herself on her own.  Gosh darnit the feelings.  So anwho, while they are at the inn (Stuck due to intense rain) they become comfortable friends. And though Prudence is still nervous and skiddish, she becomes a bit more comfortable with him. Comfortable enough to be alone with him. Comfortable enough for a quick kiss, though she still panics a bit afterwards. But John Roarke, a.k.a Catleton, has a secret. It took me literally the entire book to figure it out and then they had to spell it out for me, because I am not bright. But needless to say, I was shocked. It made it even better in my opinion.  There is a lot of layers to the characters and you have to read to the end to even begin to understand them as a whole. But the big picture is beautiful, and you are rooting for a happy ending from beginning to end.  Final score: 1 million stars. So good. So perfect. I will warn ya’ll that there is a pretty graphic scene between prudence and her attacker between pages 81-84/85. So if you want to read the book but want to skip that, I would start at either page 85 or 86.  So yes, if you can, or if this sounds like something you would like, I would 100% suggest it.  Happy reading and much love to all my followers! I hope this new year brings you good books, good food, and happiness!!! ~Sunny I feel like I might be in love with this book. Tbr for sure. -- source link
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