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Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade was great until it wasn't. I had to stop reading because it was late and then woke up after only four hours of sleep angry about the characters and the choices they were making. Both have some pretty deep-seated childhood trauma regarding abandonment, and whilst having a conversation regarding future employment plans in which the hero clearly states that he wants her to come with him, the heroine decides to NOT FUCKING LISTEN to what is being said and reacts by fucking running away, doing the abandoning before she can be abandoned. Up until that point, I could believe in their HEA. After that? YIKES ON TRIKES. Yes, I did finish it, and yes, it got resolved, and yet it left a sour taste in my mouth.
After building up and building up and building up their relationship, after establishing good communication practices between them, to have a breakdown in communication be the device that drives the lovers apart? No. Just no.
At its core, that kind of literary 'device' is just lazy writing. There are other ways. And hell, I don't think this even NEEDED that kind of contemporary romance plot beat. It could have been done differently, in a dozen better ways than misinterpreted conversation that sent the characters spiraling.
This is also the last book in a trilogy. The first, Spoiler Alert, and second, All the Feels, are fantastic. 10/10, would recommend. This one? If communication snafus aren't going to turn you off, then go for it. If they do? For the love of all things holy, DO NOT STOP READING AFTER SHE RUNS. I guarantee it will chew on your brain and you will get less sleep and wake up frustrated and annoyed about a fictional character's bad choices.
After building up and building up and building up their relationship, after establishing good communication practices between them, to have a breakdown in communication be the device that drives the lovers apart? No. Just no.
At its core, that kind of literary 'device' is just lazy writing. There are other ways. And hell, I don't think this even NEEDED that kind of contemporary romance plot beat. It could have been done differently, in a dozen better ways than misinterpreted conversation that sent the characters spiraling.
This is also the last book in a trilogy. The first, Spoiler Alert, and second, All the Feels, are fantastic. 10/10, would recommend. This one? If communication snafus aren't going to turn you off, then go for it. If they do? For the love of all things holy, DO NOT STOP READING AFTER SHE RUNS. I guarantee it will chew on your brain and you will get less sleep and wake up frustrated and annoyed about a fictional character's bad choices.
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