Real Men Don't Quit (Real Men)

by Coleen Kwan

[Angie]

Real Men Don't Quit has a sweet romance, but sadly, I didn't care about either of the characters at all. Luke is a successful author, but he's struggling to churn out his highly anticipated sequel. His heart just isn't in it. He's borrowing his agent's vacation home, which is next door to struggling single mother, Tyler (who is Ally's best friend from the first book). Tyler is having trouble balancing running her business, raising her daughter, and warding off her ex's mother. The two meet when her daughter wanders over to take a swim in Luke's pool, and initially butt heads, but eventually they realize that the other is exactly what they each need.

Real Men Don't Quit does have a strong focus on kids. It's Tyler's daughter who brings her together with Luke at first, and most of her personal problems are in regards to raising Chloe. I found that I didn't mind Chloe too much, since she's not really what makes the romance happen, she's just what introduced them. But what I did have an issue with was Tyler claiming that Chloe comes first, when it's really her own pride that she puts first. It's obvious to everyone, including herself, that she's struggling. Yet, she refuses to ask for help, or even accept help that's being offered. She's afraid of being seen as an unfit mother, but what's really going to make her bad a mother is struggling when she doesn't have to! Characters like this frustrate me to no end, whether children are involved or not. I just can't bring myself to feel sorry for them, since they're doing this to themselves. Set your pride aside, and let those who care about you take some of the burden!

As for Luke, I never connected with him either. He wrote his first novel as a way to impress his mentors. He knows it's pretentious, and he can't bring himself to write a sequel. He wants to write something else completely. I actually found all of the writing stuff quite boring. Then there's the issue of his absent father. Luke is worried about turning out like him, although he does want a wife and children. I never really believed his fears. It just felt like something he said so he can remain a loner, who lives out of his suitcase.

In the end, Real Men Don't Quit just didn't work for me. Neither love interest was one that I could bring myself to care about, since their problems were totally self-inflicted for no apparent reason other than conflict. At least they didn't have a huge, forced fight.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.