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A review by mspilesofpaper
Taken by the Alien Next Door by Tiffany Roberts
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Taken by the Alien Next Door is Science Fiction Romance and the first of a series, which has three books so far.
To be honest: it is an utterly bland and generic SFR book. Yes, it is rather light-hearted at times (aside from the kidnapping and the fatphobic comments of the FMC by other men) but it is so generic.
✔️ kidnapping trope
✔️ humanoid alien that is conventionally attractive
✔️ lots of generic sex scenes
✔️ MMC and FMC have whimsical jobs that somehow make a lot of money (soap and candle making & whittling/woodwork)
✔️ male alien values and worships the FMC because his race has a 20:1 ratio for males/females
✔️ one-dimensional and wishy-washy characters
The kidnapping and the questionable consent (partly even the absence of it at all) in combination of the fatphobia is ... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. Seriously, it would have been better to write this as an overall cute, hallmark movie-esque book. It might have been stereotypical then but it wouldn't irk me so much with the dark elements of kidnapping, the dubious consent, the fatphobia, which got paired with the light-hearted elements. Even the comic-esque cover doesn't hint at the dark elements. The cuffs could have been part of a sex scene.
Also, I don't know why we always have fatphobia in a novel where the FMC is a plus-size character. I don't want to read other male characters insulting the FMC or her own disturbed views on her body. I have reality for it, I don't need a romance novel doing it too.
To be honest: it is an utterly bland and generic SFR book. Yes, it is rather light-hearted at times (aside from the kidnapping and the fatphobic comments of the FMC by other men) but it is so generic.
✔️ kidnapping trope
✔️ humanoid alien that is conventionally attractive
✔️ lots of generic sex scenes
✔️ MMC and FMC have whimsical jobs that somehow make a lot of money (soap and candle making & whittling/woodwork)
✔️ male alien values and worships the FMC because his race has a 20:1 ratio for males/females
✔️ one-dimensional and wishy-washy characters
The kidnapping and the questionable consent (partly even the absence of it at all) in combination of the fatphobia is ... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. Seriously, it would have been better to write this as an overall cute, hallmark movie-esque book. It might have been stereotypical then but it wouldn't irk me so much with the dark elements of kidnapping, the dubious consent, the fatphobia, which got paired with the light-hearted elements. Even the comic-esque cover doesn't hint at the dark elements. The cuffs could have been part of a sex scene.
Also, I don't know why we always have fatphobia in a novel where the FMC is a plus-size character. I don't want to read other male characters insulting the FMC or her own disturbed views on her body. I have reality for it, I don't need a romance novel doing it too.