The Cold Wife - Ruth Ann Nordin Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

I feel like it had a lot more potential than was developed, though that could simply be a matter of my tastes not matching the writing style.

I enjoyed the angst of having everyone manipulate Carrie's life -- I could imagine how utterly helpless she had to feel, especially with all the gossip going on in town.

Justin, however, was too perfect. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking for a "bodice ripper" story or anything, but he just seemed so.... weak? He was very non-confrontational, and honestly came off a bit whiny to me..

I find it a bit ridiculous that every unmarried character in the story was a virgin.. Okay so they're virtuous and Christian. I get that. But even the 40 year old uncle was still a virgin. I just don't find that realistic at all, especially since it was turn-of-the-century South where, while illegal, houses of ill repute were common. I would've been able to more easily let that slide had it just been the hero who'd never lain with a woman.

Also, despite the fact that everyone was a virgin, and these were supposedly upper-class anglos, it seemed like every time you turned around, people were making very blatantly sexual comments -- her brother even went so far as to tell Carrie that he would send her some chocolate since chocolate has been known to increase sexual desire -- and this conversation occurred at the dinner table in the middle of a party!!

Carrie also forgave everyone way too easily in my opinion.. Not only did everyone conspire to force her to marry Justin, but her best friend betrayed her with the man she'd just started courting (before the whole Justin thing), how Justin was constantly cancelling their engagements at the last minute due to business (whether it was in his control or not), and her brother freaking bust up in her house and tied her to the bed and told her she'd have to stay there until she had sex with Justin! *shakes head* And yet, she just laughed everything off and went on like nothing had ever happened.

Overall, it was a very easy, light read. I didn't find it as humorous as I think it was intended to be, though, and instead felt as though the characters were all pretty flat and, well, not very interesting.

I just feel like there was so much more potential than was actually fulfilled. Everything that happened could've been so much more meaningful had Carrie shown signs of being more upset about the way everyone (including Justin) was treating her, because then as a reader I would've felt that Carrie and Justin really did fall in love. As it was, they were together a week or two and she just decided she loved him despite the utter unfairness of the whole situation. It would've been a more satisfying read had she resisted a bit longer, or Justin had been less "perfect" and more realistic (occasionally showing anger, frustration, or really anything other than mild lust and disappointment)..

The one explicitly sexual interlude felt out of place with the rest of the book as well. Sure, Justin had kissed Carrie several times up to this point, but all of a sudden there's some very explicit third base action going on, sliding right into home. As much as I love me some smut, I prefer when sexual situations match the tone of the rest of the story. I really feel as though a PG or "fade to black" situation would've fit much better in this story. Instead of feeling as though their love was being gloriously celebrated by their consummation, I felt as though I'd been watching a Disney movie that had a naked chick thrown in to make it more "hip" or something.

2 1/2 Stars.