The Romantic by Hudson Owen

Reviewed by Carrie Anne

When I sat down to write this review, I read a few others first.  One of the other reviewers praised the magnificent cover of the book.  Unfortunately, my copy didn't even have that going for it.

Sebastian Cloud is a gladiator, though not in the ancient Roman coliseum.  He's in a futuristic world where he's fighting for his freedom.  Along the way, he crosses the wrong fellow and also falls for his wife, Virginia.  The story picks up as they fight to stay together as they fight to get away.

I am not a fan of long descriptive sentences, And this book had no trouble with that!  In fact, the narrative was so sparse, it didn't really grab my interest.  It's hard to develop a relationship with characters with so little to base it on.  Thankfully, there were a few humorous moments thrown in, and enough action to propel the story forward, even if it wasn't the kind I'm interested in.

I also got frustrated with scenes, such as the opening of the book, that just didn't seem to fit in.  Sebastian was in a virtual reality love scene in the past, thus the title of The Romantic.  Though he falls in love with Virginia, the opening felt disconnected, unnecessary.

While this wasn't my favorite story, it was short, 75 pages, and entertained me for an evening.  If you like futuristic action/love stories, you may want to give it a try.  Just try to find a copy with a cover.