TEST
Not all romance novels can be summarized in a nutshell. But if a book is borderline between two grades, then I’ll trot out the bottom line. Personally, I consider a B-grade book (a recommendation) to be a pleasant read that provides happy feelings. Bottom line. And on that qualification, Riding the Waves doesn’t cut it. 
My issue isn’t one big thing, but rather a collection of tiny things. The premise is par for the course: Uptight scientist has never had mind-blowing sex in her life, so she goes to Mexico for a fling and mind-blowing sex with the surf instructor. But when she returns to San Francisco, her new colleague (and the science community’s hot shot) turns out to be her partner in mind-blowing sex. Five gazillion brownie points if you saw that coming.
Anyway, they both have parent issues and professional problems and they continue to indulge in mind-blowing sex, but after the relationship crisis it all comes right. This is the first of several niggles: It’s all so darn predictable. There wasn’t anything I didn’t see coming, which immediately removes any possibility of originality.
But don’t I always say it’s not the originality that counts, but the execution? Fine, so here’s the second niggle: The characters, Drucilla and Alex, are blah. I like the fact that Alex is younger than Drucilla, and I like the setting in a privatized scientific corporation (although the mumbo-jumbo is a bit much for me). I don’t like Drucilla’s name, and I don’t like our couple’s moments of insane idiocy, when they’re so hung up on mind-blowing sex and thinking about mind-blowing sex they just, well, stop thinking. And I’m not so crazy about their various hang-ups, which are understandable enough but did strike me as rather tedious.
And then there is niggle number three, which consists of the two mothers. Drucilla’s and Alex’s mothers have a huge impact on their life and decisions, and I appreciate that Ms. Weber neither demonizes nor victimizes the two women. But at some point my sympathy turns into irritation, especially when Alex’s daffy mother magically becomes the Mother of All Wisdom.
Which leads to the last niggle. Ms. Weber’s prose works absolutely fine, except for the mind-blowing amount of repetition. I got it once. I even got it twice. But using the same qualifiers to describe sex gets old real fast.
I call my complaints niggles because they are, in the grand scheme of things, minor complaints. On the whole the prose is readable and the story passable. But those little insignificant niggles add up, and the end result was, unfortunately, something less than enjoyment.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Series Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 04/10/10
Publication Date: 2010/09
I live in Seattle, Washington and work as a legal assistant. I remember learning to read (comic strips) at a young age and nowadays try to read about 5-6 books a week. I love to travel, especially to Europe, and enjoy exploring smaller towns off the tourist track though London is my favorite city in the world.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.