So far as a romance novel goes, Lucy Burns has the very broad requirements and none of the nuances. It ends happy. There is a guy. She ends up with him. The romance was nonexistent as no emotions or depth came across when I read it. The story primarily focuses on Lucy Burns finding salvation.
As a heroine, I wasn't particularly enchanted with her. I was unable to sympathize with Lucy past her little girl stage. She came across exactly as she thought of herself: shallow, empty, and not particularly kind or nice beyond the relationship with her neighbor, her neighbor's child, and Luke Marshall.
I suppose Lucy redeemed herself in the end, but I didn't really connect to those inner changes. She was obviously disenchanted with herself, her job working for the devil, and with people and life in general. There was no growth to her character.
Luke Marshall was vague as a hero. We learn he teaches creative writing at a university, is writing a manuscript based on his perception of Lucy Burns, and sings off key when drunk... oh and he's blind, which means he can't see the gorgeousness that is Lucy at all.
Things in the book that I didn't like at all:
- Lucy getting so wasted she urinated on herself in her hall closet during a Tupperware party. What romance novel could happen without that?
- Her pretty blasé attitude over an innocent man accidentally going to hell by walking down into her basement. If there was regret, it was a twinge and nothing more.
- Her blasé attitude over the coffee shop goth-girl (admittedly not the friendliest of people) finding herself going to hell by trying to escape the some unrobed KKK members by running down into the basement...
- Reading the lyrics/song titles of Teddy Nightingale and random excerpts from Luke's novel. One or the other happened in every chapter. It was overkill.
- The backdrop of two movies duking it out in theaters that also appeared every other chapter or so. The movies were Adoring JC (Jesus Christ) and Absolutely Adolf: What were you thinking?
Rating: 1 Stars
Buy: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns
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1 Star, Blind, Book Review, Contemporary, Cursed Lead, J-L, Older Woman/Younger Man, Paranormal, Supernatural, Teacher, United States of America, Writer
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9 comments ↓
But…this is not a romance novel.
I realize it’s chick lit but even so you can’t expect a reader to just accept that two people who haven’t connected on any level to end up together with babies and a HEA.
I thought they did connect but then again , I got a completely different impression from the book than you did. The points that you listed were the points I thought were really clever. Well, except for the urinating part *g* that was just plain funny.
How did they connect for you? I’d be interesting in hearing your perspective.
I thought they got along fine, they laughed together, they shared a sense of humour. She got that he had a “dark” streak (by looking into his folder) , he got that she was more than looks (also, because he was blind.duh). She totally got him by reading his words and by noticing the kinds of restaurants he ate at. Ultimately for me, it was about being at ease with each other.
But frankly, the book is not about Luke and Lucy. It is really about Lucy and her sister and the fact that she is living this life because she felt guilty. The Sinful Life of Lucy was all because of that black envelope. The fact that she opens it, is really when she is able to let go of her own guilt and move on. Plus, the quirkyness of the story – the two movies playing along (just like the two sides playing for her soul?), really worked for me.
as you can see, I really loved the book. It took me completely by surprise as I did not expect it ( I don’t really read general literature) . But if you want, you can check my review here:
http://thebooksmugglers.com/2009/06/book-review-the-sinful-life-of-lucy-burns-by-elizabeth-leiknes.html
I agree though that is not everyone’s cup of tea. : D
I have started reading Lucy Burns and just passed the peeing in the closet scene which did crack me up. But I am not sure what type of book this is. It isn’t necessarily a romance or a straight paranormal. Demon chick-lit?
Kb – it is general fiction. With a dash of paranormal.
Am I too bloodthirsty to say I wanted to see some gore and people getting eaten and thrown in hell?
I agree that you can’t read this as a romance novel. I was also turned off by the drunken scene – it went a bit too far, but then I suspect I’m becoming more prudish in my old age, dammit.
Anyway, it’s a not a story you can pin down easily. I read it as a classic redemption story, unusual because such stories are often kind of grim and dark and this was treated like a “romp.”
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