Title:
"Man of Her Dreams"Author: Tami Hoag
Published: 1989
Pages: 265
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis: Maggie McSwain should have been thrilled when Rylan Quaid asked her to marry him. Instead, she was crushed. After all her romantic fantasies, Ry’s proposal was missing one crucial element: love. But Maggie would prove to Ry that he had a heart—and then she’d use every teasing, tempting ounce of seductive power she had to capture it. The next time he proposed to her—and there would be a next time—common sense would be the last thing on his mind.
As far as Ry was concerned, solid partnerships made for lasting marriages—and that’s what he could have with Maggie. Of course he wanted her, as any man with eyes would want her. But he couldn’t love her…because he’d vowed never to fall in love again. Now it seemed that the only way to make her his wife was to use reverse psychology. He’d just retract his proposal—and pretend to be immune to her charms. He had no idea what a challenge that would turn out to be.
I usually adore Tami Hoag novels but this one didn't work for me on any level and hit way too many of my pet peeve buttons. I tried...I really tried to like it because the author is Tami Hoag and she writes some wonderful steamy romances so she's got a good reputation with me and my reading tastes. Sadly, I can't say that I liked anything about this book.
The hero "Rylan" was boorish, clueless and inept. He's supposed to be emotionally scarred because his parents had a rotten marriage (his sister has no such issues, just Rylan). The heroine, Maggie, was madly in love with the hero but I still don't know why. I was TOLD she had a crush on him for years and was madly in love with him but for the life of me I couldn't see why anyone would love this hero. The heroine is best friends with the hero's sister. This is how she first meets Rylan a horse ranch owner.
Rylan doesn't want love in his life (mommy/daddy issues) but he does want a wife to give him children. After years and years Rylan finally asks Maggie out and she's beside herself that finally Rylan sees her as a datable woman and not just his sisters friend. They date a few weeks and during Rylan's sister's wedding Rylan (out of the clear blue) says to Maggie "I suppose we could just as well get married." This is his idea of a wedding proposal, NOT because he loves her, but because he basically wants a wife to produce children and Maggie's available and they get along OK. When she asks him why he proposed (looking for some sort of love declaration) he tells her "
It's the practical thing" [page 22].
Her heart is shattered because she loves him and he has no love for her at all. He cares for her but he hasn't even tried to go to bed with her. Something she can't figure out and it eats at her because she knows she doesn't have the tiny thin body that is currently popular with men. Maggie is rounded and more full figured and while not beautiful she is girl next door attractive. Everything Rylan does and says seems to stab into Maggie's heart and make her feel like complete garbage (pet peeve flag).
The dialogue made me want to yank my hair out by the roots. Bad dialogue is a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE pet peeve for me. It's hard for me to EVER forgive or get over bad dialogue in a book. If I don't buy that REAL people would talk this way in real life then the book is a complete failure for me.
Example excerpts of bad dialogue (in my opinion):
[page 62-63]
She batted her lashes at him coyly and conjured up her most seductive voice. "You don't have anything to worry about, sugar; he's not half the man you are."Ry blushed burgandy. "Crimeny, Mary Margaret."Seriously?? This is a rough tough rancher??? He goes on and on and on with "Jeepers cripes" and "Gosh almighty" while all she says (nearly EVERY page) "Sugar" and "darlin'" and a couple of "son of a sailor"s tossed in. It just rang completely ridiculous to me.
[page 160- they have just had sex and Maggie says "I love you" which horrifies Rylan. Maggie sees Rylan is NOT happy about her loving him, her heart breaks (again) and she's upset trying to gather her clothes so she can go home and lick her wounds -again. She hiccups whenever she gets upset so you'll note the "hic" in her dialogue- which is ALL over this book-another pet peeve]
"Maggie, what are you doing?" he demanded climbing out of bed to follow her around the room. In concession to modesty, he snatched his white cotton briefs off the back of a chair and held them in front of himself."I'm hic going home." She picked up her garter belt and lone stocking, wadded them into a ball, and stuffed them into one of her shoes. Glancing back at Rylan, she frowned at his attempt to cover himself. "Sugar, isn't that a little hic like trying to hide a baseball bat with a postage stamp?"Ry scowled. He stepped into his shorts as Maggie returned to her search.I'm supposed to believe a modern day rancher who breeds race and jumping horses has sex with a woman then hides his penis from her???
And she is heartbroken and angry and still calls him "sugar"?? None of this worked for me, not a moment of it.
Then when Maggie tries (again) to seduce Ry after a long horseback ride she asks for a massage because she's sore. He massages her with HORSE LINIMENT from his barn that he uses on his horses! She reeks of it for days (people actually notice the vile odor but she can't seem to wash it all off). I'm supposed to believe a man turned on by a woman wants to rub her naked body with smelly horse liniment?? Not buying it at all. This is a contemporary romance...maybe I would buy this in a historical frontier romance (big MAYBE on that) but I am NOT buying it in a contemporary romance of rich rancher.
The title "Man of Her Dreams" doesn't work for me either. The hero is more from my nightmares than my dreams so I can't relate to Maggie on this level either.
I read nearly the whole 200+ pages, but after about 180 pages I was mostly skimming it because I just could not take these characters or the dialogue.
Rating: 0 stars - DNFTami Hoag has some great books (loved "Lucky's Lady") but this one isn't one of them in my opinion.
