Ever since I first heard about The Pioneer Woman I have wanted to read her book - I really love the blog, and think she has an interesting story to tell.When I received my Nook, I quickly redeemed my gift certificate and ordered her book for $12.99. I needed a light, quick, adult read after the many SpineCrackers book club books I have been reading and I was able to finish it quickly thanks to some downtime I have had recently.
The Pioneer Woman is a love story, about Ree Drummond and how she went from a sophisticated, savvy, cosmopolitan woman, to a clueless country girl...and this all happened because she fell in love with a cowboy she met one night at a small-town bar. The book chronicles her transformation from city to country life with many different hiccups along the way - a clingy ex-boyfriend, her parent's divorce, and her desire to not let go of her grand Chicago plans.
Her story of their courtship is interesting, but it does get a little long-winded. I don't think I could have handled anymore chapters about how Marlboro Man took her breath away...we get the picture. Her character comes off as a little ditzy as well despite her attempts to make her seem clutzy, and it almost gets frustrating how much she tries to fight the relationship. You just want to jump in the book (a throwback to my precious two-year-old), and shake her into her senses!
Marlboro Man's character is very drawn-out, being the classic tall dark and handsome man, who comes to rescue Ree from herself. He is a strong man's man, who any woman in their right mind would consider to be a catch. He offers Ree a totally different existence than she is used to, and he holds on and is there to catch her along the way. I just think she repeated how enamoured she was with his starched shirts, Wranglers, and well-defined muscles from hard work more times than she should have. Enough is enough...
Overall I was a little disappointed in the book - the website is done so well, I fully expected the book to be amazing as well and it just didn't deliver and I got tired of waiting for her to get her head straight and realize she should let down her guard and fall in love. In hindsight, I wouldn't have paid $12.99 for it. Despite this, I probably will read the next book just to see what happens next (pending she writes another one), but will wait for it at the library.
So happy to read your review as this book has been of particular interest to me, given it's one of those blog to book Cinderella stories. I had read some of it online and thought a lot of what you shared. But I had mixed feeling about Eat, Pray, Love too - a lot of great stuff in between a lot of long winded complaining. Let that be a lesson to me as a blogger. ;)
ReplyDeleteI know, this was a hard one for me to write because I wanted so badly for it to be great! I do still think it is an interesting read, but disappointing at the same time.
ReplyDeleteYou need to get a Nook so we can lend books back and forth!