His Revenge Baby by Theodora Taylor

BW/AM

Rating: 2.5 stars

Published: July 2016

In His Revenge Baby, we get the story of Norio (No) Nakamura, the brother of Suro Nakamura (Her Perfect Gift). It's been awhile since Suro's story, and although it isn't necessary, I recommend reading Her Perfect Gift if you haven't already. It's a great story and I think it gives you a better feel for this book. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one. Wow! That was painful to say considering I really was looking forward to reading it. But I cannot tell a lie folks, and there were many things that didn't work for me. So let's explore my feelings and thoughts shall we?

What it's about

No Nakamura is a Japanese business man who is the descendant of samurai on both his mother and his father's side of the family. He strictly follows Japanese etiquette in all things, including how he interacts with the other sex in regards to what is and is not acceptable in and out of public. His strict adherence to cultural and familial rules ensures that he doesn't bring shame to himself or his family. Because of his wealth and importance, he hires mistresses for six months at a time, before trading them in for a new one. He encounters an African-American woman with “big hair” at a party and is instantly attracted to her. Unfortunately he loses sight of her, but sets out to find her again through his escort agency. When we meet (Anna) Lilliana, she is butt naked and preparing to interview with No (yup, her a$$ is naked!) and it turns out she's the girl he's been looking for. The pair embark on a six-month affair by contract that's based on secrets, deception, and eventually revenge and danger.

My Thoughts

Although I believe the book was well researched, it still felt like it was dipped in a whole lot of stereotypes that just rubbed me the wrong way. Even in private No really wasn't a very loving or affectionate (in a non-sexual way) man. I couldn't see why Anna would fall in love with him. He just wasn't a character that I could warm up to. Lilliana (Anna) was TSTL in my book. She sacrificed her pride, body, and obvious common sense for a family that was undeserving. It wasn't until the final part of the book that she showed any strength and didn't just accept how she was being treated.

I won't even talk about her niece…

Suffice it to say, I wasn't feeling the characters. Nor was I feeling the whole “his revenge baby” story line. This felt like a silly plot device and No really needs go back to revenge 101 if that was the best he could come up with, especially when it came to getting revenge against Anna.

My Final Word

Unfortunately, this book did not hit the right note with me. No felt like a walking stereotype and I never really felt the relationship was an authentic one. While some of my complaints were resolved by the end of the book, my feelings about the characters and the situation were already set. This was a miss for me. I'm giving His Revenge Baby 2.5 stars because it engaged me enough to keep reading and find out how it would end. 

*I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*