A Contemporary Romance by DK Marie
DK Marie is a writer I stalk…I mean…follow online. I really enjoy her steamy poetry and snippets from her DK Masquerade, a series of flash fiction she is writing about a woman on the run from an abusive husband. Her character Liberty travels all around the world, seeking to find herself, and finds love along the way. Meanwhile, her Contemporary Romance, Fairy Tale Lies, was released in June. This is the first book in her Opposites Attract Series published by Champagne Book Group.
http://champagnebooks.com/store/sec-contemporary/764-fairy-tale-lies-9781947128972.html
I have to admit, this was a tough review to write. I enjoyed her book immensely, but Contemporary Romance is not a genre I am normally drawn to. I’m used to writing and reading Romantic Suspense, Fantasy and Horror. When it came time to review it, I’m definitely worried about spoilers. Is it okay to say the sex was hot? It’s okay to give away that they had sex, right? Lots of it…it was pretty steamy. Did I mention they had sex…? There were lots of other things as well, but I decided in the end to just have fun with it.
In this particular tale, the opposites are a couple from different socio-economic backgrounds. Timid, high-society Greta and sexy blue-collar business man Jacob have what they think is a one-time fling. When they are thrown together again, neither can ignore the spark between them. Greta is determined not to mix business and pleasure, but she finds that sexy Jacob is very persuasive. As Shakespeare once said in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “the course of true love never did run smooth.” So it will not for Greta and Jacob, as they encounter not only Greta’s family’s displeasure over the match, but each of the character’s own insecurities as they move forward.
Setting
Fairy Tale Lies is set near Detroit. I have never been to Detroit (or Michigan for that matter). I have read a lot about its music and maritime history, but I decided to do a little more research for this blog post. I was aware Detroit took a huge hit economically in the last downturn, as did most of US manufacturing. According to its most recent State of the Region Economic Outlook Report (2018-2019), it is rebounding by attracting new start-ups from cities where the cost of living has become prohibitive to business (areas like Seattle, Atlanta, and Silicone Valley). It is re shaping itself to be the up-and coming modern city for millennials. DK’s story (and really her Opposites series) uses the backdrop of a city renewing and rising up, with self-starting characters from a multitude of backgrounds.
To read the Michigan Economic Outlook Report, you can find it here:
Themes
Myself and my husband can relate quite a bit to DK’s theme. I started my career non-traditionally as a Naval Electrician’s Mate. My husband started out as a welder. We both went on to eventually get degrees in Electrical Engineering and Welding, Corrosion and Non-Destructive Testing (respectively). There is an incredible amount of bias in our society towards going to college and getting a degree while painting these “blue-collar” jobs as somehow inferior. To be frank, the only reason I got my degree was my medical condition meant I could no longer be an electrician. Yet my time as an electrician is what makes me such a successful electrical engineer. My husband got his degree because he was interested in corrosion and ultrasonic testing, and he is considered to be a global expert on NDT and corrosion.
All you have to do is Google “dating down” and here is what pops up:
https://nypost.com/2016/06/01/the-solution-to-nycs-man-drought-date-down/
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3bj5yv/youre-single-because-there-arent-enough-men-253
There is a bias that a college education is somehow higher than a trade job. In these articles women who have a degree but don’t date other men with degrees are “dating down.” Fewer and fewer men are graduating from college, where more women are graduating with degrees. As we have seen in recent years, a degree doesn’t even necessarily guarantee a good job. It also comes down to what type of degree you get (that’s a whole other blog article right there).
Yet some of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time dropped out of college. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are a few. **Ironically, good luck trying to get a job without a degree at Microsoft, Apple or Facebook.
Characters
Jacob
One of my biggest pet peeves in the Romance Genre is the rise of the “Alpha-Male.” Or as I like to call it, the incredible D-bag. So many authors try to sell you on the dangerous, bad-boy with a past that the female main character is going to change with her magical vagina. DK doesn’t try to make us swallow that tired pill.
Instead, DK shows us a self-made, blue-collar business man who’s good with his hands, and has a natural talent for fixing things. His dialog and responses to Greta and other characters are realistic. His insecurities and changes he undergoes throughout the story are in-line with what DK has shown us as a character. While he is definitely sexy as hell, he’s just an average guy just a trying to get his dream of expanding his business, Rework, off the ground. He’s finally found the financial backing to do so. Too bad it just happens to be with the company that Greta’s father owns. Jacob also has a “past” but he’s determined not to let it get in the way of his future.
Greta
Okay, confession time. I wanted to slap the hell out of Greta for 80% of the story. While sweet, she is possibly one of the most spineless, insecure female characters I have ever read—and it is fantastic. DK creates a woman approaching her late-twenties who is so stifled by her parents (particularly her narcissistic, smothering mother’s) behaviors and expectations she can barely breathe. She is the Queen of Non-confrontation, and this will drive a wedge between her and Jacob. I’m surprised she had the guts to dump the fiancée her mother loved (even though he cheated on her). I’m even surprised she decides to date Jacob. Greta’s character is well written in this story and really relatable (even though she drove me nuts). I wanted to scream at her to stand up for herself. While the other characters evolve and change, I felt Greta’s change was the most well-written and believable. She doesn’t go from spineless to ball-buster, but after all of the mental and emotional abuse she’s been handed, she does become a more independent woman by the end of the story.
On thing I do have to mention…
Yes—it is poor professionalism to make out with a guy at work who is also a client. The fact that she lets her father lecture her about this really galled me. She worried constantly about what he would think of her professionalism, then did it anyway (which I was like—woo hoo! Way to put on your big girl panties!). If you’re that worried about it, find an office door with a lock, don’t kiss the guy in a room where EVERYONE and ANYONE can walk in at any time (which of course, all the people she doesn’t want to find out about Jacob walk in and tell daddy).
But when she got caught, she really ought to lecture her father about sexual harassment in the work place and how her ex-fiancee, a senior employee, is making up IT issues and stalking her at work in order to hound her into coming back to him. The fact that all of her co-workers see this an NO ONE calls this out to HR or the boss is hideous. Everywhere I’ve ever worked that’s considered harassment. Granted, the one who has to report it is Greta, and we’ve already established (at least at the beginning of the story) that she just won’t stand up for herself, but I really wanted her to call him out. Okay—rant over.
Supporting Characters
At the risk of spoilers (not only for this book, but the rest of her series), I will keep this brief and avoid revealing names for those who haven’t read the books, as DK does reveals and giveaways.
DK provides a great cast of supporting characters. Greta’s narcissistic, snobbish mother is a piece of work. I wanted to see this woman just humiliated, even destroyed. We’re friends with several horror writers—I want to collaborate on a crossover and write a gruesome death for this woman. Preferably strangled by her pearls or stabbed to death with one of her Louboutin’s.
Greta’s sister is more than she appears, having learned to deal with their mother in a different way than Greta. I actually found her to be one of the more intriguing side characters, even more intriguing than Greta. I would love to see her become a main character in another book.
Greta’s ex-fiancée is a well depicted antagonist. One thing I am surprised about is that he didn’t make another appearance at toward the end of the book. I didn’t expect him to give up after the 4th of July incident (avoiding spoilers here). He is the epitome of rich, frat-boy snob. He reminded me a lot of the fiancée from Wedding Crashers. He’s another character for whom I want to see a horrific, humiliating end—hey maybe with Greta’s mother since she loves him so much!
Jacob’s brother is another fun character who I would love to see more of. His dialog with his brother is realistic and yet heartfelt. I would love to see more interactions with the two brothers (in another book maybe? Once again, please tell me he gets his own story).
Another pair of side characters I would love to see more from were Greta’s college neighbors. Their love story would make a great prequel/fun short story or novella.
This novel was a fun read. I went through the entire gamut of emotions, which meant DK got me really invested in her characters. I wanted to slap Greta, I wanted to both shake and well, uh…do other things to Jacob. I wanted to tell Greta’s mother to go —– herself with a rake. The wide end. I cried during the New Year’s Day scene, that was really intense. I will have to let you as readers find out for yourselves as to why.
If you like Contemporary Romance with believable characters that draw you in and wring emotion from you, then you will really love DK’s style of Romance. And I mentioned the sex, right? If you want to find out how steamy it was, I’ll give you a tiny tease from my favorite part:
“He turned her, placing her hands on the still-warm leather seat. The position had her bent, with his front against her back. He trailed his hands along her arms, down her sides to her thighs. Once there, he slowly bundled her skirts in his fists.”
Marie, DK. Fairy Tale Lies (Opposites Attract Book 1) . Champagne Book Group. Kindle Edition.
Thanks for reading. My next review will be Michael Nadeau’s fantasy novel, The Darkness Return’s!