Breakthrough by Kris Bryant

Breakthrough by Kris Bryant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*I received this book from Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for an honest review*

I’m not sure I’ve read a book like this one before. I do not mean anything good or bad by making that comment, just making a note about it. I’m specifically referring, here, to the main character – the solo point of view character.

I’ve read many books that involved players or people with play reputations. Oddly, or not, most of those involved non-femme characters (or, at the very least, not high femme). Have I seen that character in books? Yes, but not high femme player.

Going over to the player side of the characterization I tend to find three versions: 1) players wanting to stop being a player and to settle down (most of the time I see this in the form of rakes in historical fiction who have spent the good portion of their early adult lives sleeping around with every woman they could find, but now they’ve decided they need to be responsible); 2) people with player reputations who were never players but that reputation got stuck to them for one reason or another (I’m reminded of two characters: Brayden has a character with a player reputation who feeds that reputation, not because they are specifically a player, but because they use it as a shield against . . . I forget now what; and Galli has one who got that reputation by being seen going home with different women every night from a bar, except she was driving them home as a designated driver type, not for romance); 3) players who have no intention of being anything but players (rarer character to find as main character). Well the character in this book is something of a fourth type. A woman who lives in a world, a situation, in which being a player is the norm, and she doesn’t even realize that she lives in a somewhat ‘different’ type of world. She knows she’s a player, but everyone is a player.

Kennedy Wells has spent her life going from one party to another, drinking, partying, sleeping around, and getting paid to do it. Quite well paid. She works as a celebrity journalist. The kind who writes articles about ‘her friend the actor’, instead of hit pieces. Her life was tossed off-course, though; when one of her flings with a random woman, her interview subject, lead to a lawsuit. So she was moved off the high flying celebrity circuit and wants back on. Her boss, Erin, promises that she’ll be put back into her old position if she helps her brother, Erin’s brother, Travis settle in at another magazine – one that’s more about fishing, hunting, and the like. Help by writing a feature article, not help in person with Travis. Travis makes no appearance in this book (other than via one or two emails).

The feature article involves interviewing a jerk asshole reality star type person who has a fishing show. In Alaska. And she has to leave immediately. All mentioned because she heads off with barely adequate clothing and without even reserving a room. Which is where I get back to reminding people that the main character is a high-maintance high femme princess type – who, upon arrival in Alaska, proceeds to disdain the offer of an SUV, takes instead a luxury sedan, then drives around in high heels somewhat randomly. Until getting lost. Because she’s a city girl and stuff.

This reminds me of my initial problems with this book. Very early on there was a very strong vibe of ‘my gosh, I can’t believe how nice and helpful these folks are out here far from the big city; they’ll help without wanting something in return’ (very early on? This goes on, at least the vibe about ‘help without an agenda’, throughout the book) compared with the city dweller who only helps if they have an agenda. I’m not really sure why that particular trope comes up so often. I live in New York, I’ve helped people and people have helped me without needing to be blackmailed into it, or with an ulterior motive. But, eh, I’ve never lived in Los Angeles, where Kennedy is based, maybe it’s as hellish as Kennedy describes.

Got distracted by tropes. Where was I?

So, Kennedy, the main and only point of view character, heads off to Alaska to write some articles. While there she bumps into several people, some nice (all of whom, weirdly, are described as super thin), some less than nice (from a waitress who isn’t as helpful as Kennedy would expect, up to . . . people with guns and evil intent). Stuff happens. Personalities change. Etc. etc. I really hope Kennedy is supposed to be seen, how to word this, as a not tremendously likable person. She does grow, though, so that’s good.

Four things I wish to note before wandering off and doing whatever else: 1) there’s a bunch of sex in this story, lots and lots of sex; 2) I like Wally the pet raccoon; 3) it is hard to get a handle on Brynn, the other main character, since her point of view is not present; 4) thinness. As in, every bloody person meet is described as being super thin. From the 40+ year old librarian who is described as eating a mountain of food, but is just so thin despite that; to the main character Kennedy who is described as being 30 pounds underweight (Kennedy describes herself as being thin, too thin, because she needs to be for her job; Brynn describes her somewhat more negatively as needing 30 more pounds on her); to Brynn herself who is tall, lean, and all muscle; I do not specifically recall if Lara, the police officer, is described as thin or not, but she is described as being gorgeous by vain Kennedy so, since it’s a thought by Kennedy that probably means Lara’s super thin also.

Oh, a fifth thing: Kennedy is really into the fact that she’s a high femme, and likes that Brynn is butch. Though it gets slightly confusing at times – what with Kennedy thinking to herself how Brynn is exactly her type, shortly after making note that everyone she normally sleeps with are all high femmes. Eh, whatever.

Rating: 3.89

May 10 2018



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