posted
Night whispers SPOILER * * I re-read Night Whispers this weekend and I have to admit that I liked it a lot more the second time. I think it's because I was too much into historicals the first time I read it to appreciate its content.
One thing still bothers me though and it's the fact that Noah didn't want a baby. No matter how I look at it, I never felt while reading that his mood changed except a little bit when he saw Sloan playing with a child on the beach. Then, in the epilogue, we learn that he has a daughter and he looks like a happy father. I feel like I have missed a part (I swear I didn't skim)!!
Am I the only one who wished Noah's feelings and his past would have been more elaborate? I would have liked to know more about his ex-wife, Jordanna, and what she did that made him cynical about women.
Also, I would like to know, does a hero who doesn't want babies turns you off?
I have to admit that it was a big issue for me in Noah's case because Sloan wanted babies so much.
posted
Well, it has been awhile since I have done a reread, but here is my take on it.
FIRST OF ALL NOAH IS HOT! LOL.
I think the fact that Noah's life although wealthy was not idyllic, so he couldn't picture himself being able to function in the capacity of a loving family. His father had repeated affairs and marriages. His first marriage not working out didn't help either. Plus, Courtney would have been a deterrent for anyone to have a child! LOL. (BTW...I love Courtney and WISH, WISH she could have a story.)
I think through Sloan he was able to see that he was capable of loving and being a good father. He may not have wanted children before Sloan, but he ended up wanting Sloan's children.
As for a hero wanting children being a turn-off. No. It doesn't matter to me, as long as his story is written so I understand where he is coming from.
Barb
-------------------- **We can't all be stars, but we can all twinkle!** Posts: 1848 | From: from St. Louis but staying at Mr. Darcy's playpit in Pemberley | Registered: Feb 2004
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Anick, I agree with Barb that Noah is H*O*T! lol Noah isn't one of my favorites though. I never could quite feel like I connected with him. It's been a while so I can't expound more intellegently than that. However, I don't think the issue of him not wanting kids ever bothered me. I kind of take it as subset of the don't want to get married genre of hero. Hero appears and steadfastly indicates that he wishes to maintain his carefree bachelor ways. Heroine enters his life, turns it upside down and Voila, instant groom. If they don't want to get married, they certainly don't want children. But once they want to get married, they invariably change their mind. Suddenly they want lots of little ones running around with the heroine's likeness. I hope this makes sense. Whenever a hero declares he doesn't want to have kids. I always assume it will change. So, it's never been a deterrent to me.
-------------------- I'm so glad you're here I like it alot It's just not as much fun to be here When you're not Dr. Suess Posts: 5625 | From: ACOSW's back office | Registered: May 2001
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posted
Lots of guys don't want kids until he finds a woman he can picture as the mother of his children. Since I know guys like this, I don't have any problem with it in books!
And hoo-boy Noah is hot, lol. He's not as complicated as most of the other JM heros but I still like him a lot.
Oh no, it was the subtleness of it that gave me BUTTERFLIES! I loved it!
Barb
-------------------- **We can't all be stars, but we can all twinkle!** Posts: 1848 | From: from St. Louis but staying at Mr. Darcy's playpit in Pemberley | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Judith, that was SUCH a beautiful scene!!!! Not too subtle, just perfect.
edited to add... no, I take that back, it was not quite perfect. It was less than two pages. That's hardly enough time go get good and sniffly! There should be at least a 4 page minimum on sweetly poignant scenes.
[ September 20, 2005, 03:31 AM: Message edited by: Tracey E ]
posted
I had resisted reading NW until recently because I was not a fan of the "mystery/romance" genre. When I read it this summer, I found that I enjoyed it quite a bit ... and of course I LOVED Noah. It's true that he is not as "troubled" as Zack or even Matt, but there was something appealing enough about him that I would have rated him as my number 4 JM hero.
I agree with everyone else's comments about Noah and wanting a baby. What won Noah over for me was that he shared responsibility in raising Courtney. In fact, he was more of a parental figure for Courtney than even Douglas! This suggested that despite what Noah *said*, he was capable of being loving and nuturing to the people he loved.
I guess I identified with his "not wanting to have kids" comment because my brothers are 11 and 13 years younger than me ... and because I had so many caretaking responsibilities when I was younger, I always said I was done with raising kids ... that was until I met the man I am with now :-) So people change when they meet the right person.
Posts: 37 | From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I would like to thank everyone for their answers. It makes me see Noah in a different light.
Ms. McNaught, I will certainly re-read chapter 55. I can't explain how much I would love to have the book with me right now. Thank you for taking the time.
Noah not wanting a baby was never a turn-off for me. What matters is that he changed his mind in the end because of Sloan. Sloan is the reason why he changed. Same with Cole too, I think.
Ms. Judith, I really love the subtlety in that scene.
Sharon
-------------------- ***Formerly known as Sharon Sandini***
"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time but to leave unsaid the wrong things at the tempting moment." -Anonymous? Posts: 2957 | From: Here, There and Everywhere | Registered: May 2003
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