Review of Regency romance His Lessons on Love by Cathy Maxwell, and rant about portrayals of single parents in pop culture

 

Author Cathy Maxwell has serious issues with mothers.  I mean, she's not that fond of fathers either, but the mommy issues . . .  

In her Regency romance His Lessons on Love, heroine Clarissa's mother died when she was an infant. Hero Mars's mother is narcissist whose only interactions with her son are to use him to further her political ambitions.  The woman Mars got pregnant and presumably knew well during their long-term affair literally abandons the six month old baby with Mars -- who did  not know of her existence -- purposefully without food or diapers.  We never hear from the mother again.  Add to that she is a nursing mother who does not have any apparent mental illness, substance abuse issues, or even financial constraints, and come on, really?

I hate moms abandoning kids and leaving them with the dads stories.  I mean, yes, it happens, but if you take the percentage of dads who abandon children compared to moms, and then look at the percentage in pop culture -- how many TV shows are there about single dads?  Versus how many about the astronomically more common single moms? (And by single parent I do not refer to parents with split custody; I refer to parents who are basically going it alone.) 

That said, there were things about The Lessons of Love that I really enjoyed.  Clarissa is a woman who negotiates, and does it well, and I appreciate that in any heroine.  She and Mars are genuinely good people who have a strong and growing and not overly dysfunctional relationship.  There are no kidnappings, despite plenty of opportunity.  I give this book a thumbs up.  

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