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Untamed (2003)

Untamed (2003)

Book Info

Author
Genre
Rating
3.7 of 5 Votes: 2
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ISBN
0373218435 (ISBN13: 9780373218431)
Language
English
Publisher
silhouette books

About book Untamed (2003)

I really enjoyed this book. Which is a complete shock as it's one of her earliest works (published in 1983--Roberts' first book was published in 81) and I generally find her 80s novels a bit hard to take. Before anybody gets too happy about it, though, I have to acknowledge that my enjoyment is probably idiosyncratic and unlikely to match general tastes.My favorite part of the novel is that although Keane is one of those demanding alpha types, he doesn't get things his way. Jo actually stands up to him when needed and his own sense of honor prevents him from pushing or taking advantage of her when he could very well have done so once she acknowledges her own feelings (to herself). Further, he doesn't even attempt any of the emotional manipulation so common to the era (Hawkeye Pierce playboy stuff, if you know what I mean).And I liked Jo's personality. She's a great blend of fierce, open, and naïve that makes sense to her background. She's brave (as opposed to fearless) both physically and emotionally and loyal to a fault.And this is where I'm going to diverge from popular opinion, but it's all about the ending, so, sadly, it's spoiler time. (view spoiler)[I particularly liked the ending. Yeah, it flies in the face of feminist dogma because it is Jo who makes the sacrifice, giving up her life as a lion-trainer in the circus in order to be with Keane (trust me when I say it doesn't feel as cheesy as it sounds when reading the book). The fact of the matter is that Keane is right that there is no adequate compromise possible for him. He cannot take that she puts herself into life-threatening danger every day (something Jo wouldn't bother to deny because it is literally true) and that fact was clearly killing him. A lot of readers are going to see that as controlling or inappropriate, somehow. The thing is, actual equality in a relationship isn't about who compromises or who gets their way. Equality in a relationship is achieved by both partners working as a team to figure out a solution that works given their respective resources and/or limitations. In such a situation, Jo is perfectly reasonable to do what she has to in order for the relationship to work because they both want it to work. It isn't about gender, it isn't about who is stronger, it isn't even about what's right. It's about working together to overcome an obstacle and finding the solution together. And that's exactly what they do. Keane doesn't demand it (let alone expect it), Jo offers because she knows she can and it will solve the problem keeping them from being together. (hide spoiler)]

I am a huge Nora Roberts fan but I was not happy with this book. No, that's not entirely true. I was okay with it until the end. Of course, as is the norm for all of her books, there was a happy ending. That is a good thing. Usually. In this case, while it may have been "happy" it was just wrong, in my opinion. Apparently "compromise" was not something that was considered. I know that this is one of her much older books. I get that. But why is it that in a lot of earlier books it is always the woman to give in? The man never seems to. Yes, the story was good. Yes, I even liked the couple. But I really felt like it should've ended differently. I have always loved her books. She is and has always been my favorite author. Maybe this one was just a fluke or maybe I was having a bad day when I read it. Either way, it won't be one of my rereads in the future.

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You have to hand it to the marketing folks at Harlequin/Silhouette; they know a cash cow when they see it. Nora Roberts started out with the thin, cheap paperback bodice ripper genre, and once she became the huge bestselling author that she is now, they started rereleasing her catalog of out-of-print romance novels, which is how I ended up with Untamed in a pile of books given to me by my sister.::: Three Rings Too Many :::Untamed tells the story of the orphaned Jovilette Wilder, a lion tamer raised in the circus, first by her parents, then by Frank Prescott, the owner of the circus. After Frank's death, Jo learns that he left the traveling circus to his son, Keane, a man who had never been around the circus, and was a successful Chicago lawyer by all accounts. Jo can't help feeling bitter that the only home and family she has ever known will probably now be sold off piecemeal, and tries as hard as she can to convince Keane not to sell the circus.Keane, meanwhile, is learning a bit about the life his estranged father led, a life as foreign to him as if he was visiting another planet. He's also intrigued by Jo, who reads classic fiction in the original language it was written in, and who faces danger with her lions night after night without seeming to think about it.::: Something Is Missing :::Untamed was originally published in 1983, and I found myself wishing that Roberts had waited a while before writing this story. Her penchant for serious research about a topic before writing about it is evident even in this short novel, but the characters and plot are under-developed. The reader is left with the feeling that Roberts could have done a lot more with not only the romance between Jo and Keane, but also with some of the other characters she introduces, such as Rose the snake charmer and Jamie the clown. Everything seems rushed, and you end up feeling like you weren't given the time to get to know any of the characters, or understand their motivations, leaving you lost as Roberts begins to tie up all the loose ends at the end of the novel.Still, Untamed is better than a lot of the books you'll find in the short romance genre, and is an interesting read, even if it isn't quite as filling as her meatier books.This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Untame...
—Cyndy Aleo

Aceasta carte a Norei Roberts surprinzator mi-a placut a fost o carte de dragoste a fost chiar simpatica si mi-a atras atentia.In aceasta carte este vorba despre o fata pe nume Jovilette Wilder care este dresoare de leii de la un circ,ea se indragostete de noul proprietar pe nume Kane Prescot.Aventura incepe cand cei doi nu mai pot ascunde ceea ce simt unul pentru celelat si pana la finalul carti normal ca vor fi impreuna.Nu vreau sa dau pre multe informatii prefer sa cititi cartea ca sa va surprinda cum ma surprins pe mine chiar a fost o carte buna
—Cristiana Daniela

Udah lama sangat baca NR yg in...awal2 kenal HQ sekitar 2008...n mungkin in NR yg pertama kli aq baca... :pjd pengen reread lg...RIPIU PART 2... ;Pakhirx jd juga reread ini...alhasil jd melihat ceritax dengan cara yg berbeda...dulu waktu bacax rasax agak bosan n alurx lambat sangat...tp sekarang g,cz udah tw gayax NR...hehe..."kenangan adalah hadiah bagi usia yg bertambah tua..."tidak terbayangkan bagaimana rasax hidup d lingkungan sirkus dan nomaden...sekumpulan orang yg hidup d dunia mimpi dan menjual keajaiban...dari semua profesi yg tante NR gunakan,sirkus dan dan pelatih singa ini yg paling berkesan...jd bertanya2,apakah masih ad sirkus seperti itu d zaman sekrang...karna udah lupa ceritax jd penasaran ap yg akan terjadi antra jo dan keane,apa keane mw mengorbankan kehidupanx d chicago dan tinggal bersama jo d sirkus...atw jo mw meninggal sirkus satu2 x dunia yg ia tahu,dan pindah k dunia x keane...atw tidak ada satupun yg mengalah dan mereka tetap menjalani kehidupan masing2 seperti orang tua keane...atw mereka bisa mencoba berkompromi dan berbagi kehidupan antara dunia jo dan keane...dan kalopun mereka berkompromi sanggupkah keane melihat jo mempertaruhkaan nyawax setiap hari dengan singa2 x..."cinta saja belum cukup...kompromi tidak selalu memungkinkan"
—Yulia Anggraini

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