What did you like least about "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper?

Rosario M · Post by **Rosario M** » 19 Mar 2025, 21:25

I loved the book and didn't care about the sexual scenes, but there were some details and parts of the story that were not really necessary for the development of the story. And in the end everything was so quick that I missed something more there...

Renee Syll Springer · Post by **Renee Syll Springer** » 19 Mar 2025, 22:37

I wasn't impressed with this book at all. I was disappointed in nearly every character except Sister Rosalie and Dr. Hale Senior. The author saved all the description for the traumatic parts and there were scenes that were added almost as a filler to meet some unknown quota of pages. The storyline didn't flow and nearly all the parts noted in the synopsis were in the final 60 pages of the book. I might have liked it better if it focused on the second half and you got snippets of her previous life through flashbacks or clues.

Carla Clima · Post by **Carla Clima** » 01 May 2025, 14:30

I didn't like Barry at all, I know Tod was much more of an idiot compared, but I still didn't like the way the author mentioned that Barry would ask at every step of the way while they had sexual intercourse, while Vannessa was uncomfortable to do it right at first. And then the fact that he was brought up again later on.

Ali Pinar · Post by **Ali Pinar** » 11 May 2025, 11:55

I did not like the story telling at the end. It deviated from the rest of the book with too much Hollywood in it.

Jenny Mat · Post by **Jenny Mat** » 20 May 2025, 13:59

i didn't really think the end was worthy of the whole plot. It was an expected end and I would have thought to be more surprise.

The sexual content could have been toned down as I found it really very crude.

Post by **Ruth Shirk** » 24 May 2025, 18:55

There are two things I really did not like. I did not like the ending as it was too abrupt. I also did not like the amount of sexual content.

Dolores Lee · Post by **Dolores Lee** » 25 May 2025, 16:26

The only part I didn't like about the book was how it ended. It was so abrupt and left you hanging. It seems like there should be more to the story.

AdriannaEddy · Post by **AdriannaEddy** » 04 Jun 2025, 23:51

I felt that a lot of the historical anecdotes were long-winded, and I felt that it made me want to skip certain sections because I found that as I read on and on, there was no progress in the story, or no usage of the history references that actually mattered to the story. I think it would have been more interesting to have used these history references as a way to bring them back later on in a relevant way, but it wasn’t so it’s a bit deflated in that aspect. I like that they wrote the characters to be interested in these lessons, but I resonated more of the characters who didn’t have the patience for sister Rosalie’s Explanations. I wish there was more time spent on the adult life in the final chapters, where the people we are meant to root for are finally together and connect as a family in the way they deserve. What about the rock? How does the blending of the families go? What’s next? A new book would be cool to continue this but I need it to have our shared thoughts in mind to execute it the right way.

Jennifer Herzberg · Post by **Jennifer Herzberg** » 13 Jun 2025, 19:15

The violent sex was terrible. Also I know that the rascism was necessary to the story I thought it was quite off-putting.

I think a lot of people might be triggered by it and it is kind of a surprise. Especially the parts after she got married.

Laura Suppes · Post by **Laura Suppes** » 18 Jun 2025, 14:43

I think the book definitely needed a content warning for both the racist language and the sexual violence.
I'm pretty sure Barry's character was meant to be likeable, but I found him to be very predatory throughout the story. From coercing Vanessa into her first experience with sex after she made clear that she wasn't ready to getting Trisha intoxicated to get information out of her, and everything in between, he came off as self-important and inconsiderate of other people's autonomy.

I also had some trouble getting through the parts where it was just page after page of US history with little to no actual importance to the story itself, but this was a minor issue compared to Barry's actions.

Elbronice Ellablu Hanse · Post by **Elbronice Ellablu Hanse** » 23 Jun 2025, 02:45

Laura Suppes wrote: ↑18 Jun 2025, 14:43 I think the book definitely needed a content warning for both the racist language and the sexual violence.
I'm pretty sure Barry's character was meant to be likeable, but I found him to be very predatory throughout the story. From coercing Vanessa into her first experience with sex after she made clear that she wasn't ready to getting Trisha intoxicated to get information out of her, and everything in between, he came off as self-important and inconsiderate of other people's autonomy.

I also had some trouble getting through the parts where it was just page after page of US history with little to no actual importance to the story itself, but this was a minor issue compared to Barry's actions.

I agree. Barry was not likable at all. To me, he came across as entitled and spoiled. His parents were no better. The pages and pages of US history were almost too much to stomach. If I weren't writing a review on the book, I surely would've skipped those parts. It didn't add any value to the book, besides filling pages.

FelinaAlpuertoPittman2859+ · 04 Jul 2025, 19:08

I did not like the explicit sexual content of the book. The author could have toned that down, and the book would still sell to different types of readers.