Feeling strong and viral

[jmc_bks]

In a book that shall remain nameless (unless you ask), the heroine was musing about the hero's physique and thought he looked "strong and viral." Okay, I know what the author meant to have the character think, virile not viral. Clearly the word processing program missed the word because it is a word even if it wasn't appropriate in that context, and neither the copy editor nor the author caught it when proofreading. It's not that big a deal, but I couldn't take the hero seriously after that. All I could think about was his "viral-ity" and whether or not he was passing the bug to the heroine when he kissed/touched her. Viral indeed.

Comments

[davidgallaher1.livejournal.com]

It'd make sense ... you know ... if it were a Laura K. Hamilton novel. Or had something to do with vampires, werewolves, or the like.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Hadn't thought about LKH and vampirism or werewolfism (is that even a word? it looks weird) as viral. But you're right. In this case, the author can't fall back on that, unfortunately, since it was plain chicklit.

[(Anonymous)]

Eeew, that really is a bad one. That's why I always have several people read my stuff before it ever goes pubic.

Sorry. Couldn't resist ;)

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

There must be a teenaged boy lurking somewhere in my sense of humor, because your "typo" just made me snicker. I feel like Beavis or Butthead, "You said pubic. Heh-heh." Unlike viral, which made me roll my eyes.

[jperceval.livejournal.com]

LOL! I love it! Almost as much as I loved the heroine's "islet" lingerie in a Rachel Gibson book I read several years ago.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

For a minute, I couldn't even think what the homophone for islet was, and how it could possibly apply to lingerie. Eyelet, okay. Umm, that's bad. Little island underwear. Don't think I could read a love scene that involved the removal of islet underwear -- I'd be too busy imagining the heroine wearing little tropical island patches in strategic places.

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, so I want to know what book it was since no one else asked.

~Jay

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

It was Love Under Construction by Courtni Wright. I generally don't pay much attention to Amazon reviews (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1583145583/qid=1143725153/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-6269961-9727219?s=books&v=glance&n=283155), but this is one book that I wish I had checked on before wasting my time. It was a C- at best, leaning more toward a D+ at the end. Too slow, inconsistent characters, no chemistry, surprise ex-fiancee appearing at the end to create a manufactured obstacle, etc...

[(Anonymous)]

Sounds yuck

~Jay

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I liked the idea of it -- how often do you have heroines who work in construction? But the idea was better than the execution.