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The Reporter and The Girl MINUS The Super Man!
Welcome to the rabbit hole...
I am the last person in New York City who would fall head over heels in love.
Independent. Self-possessed. Why would I want to f**k that up?
My online dating profile at bd-fet.com simply reads: “Just looking.”
So why am I obsessing about Jon Sudbury?
Jon, the reporter, is vanilla as a milkshake and has probably never tasted rice and beans on the same plate before we met.
At least that’s what I thought.
Why can’t people remain simple and predictable?
All I want is control, not to be sent hurtling at maximum speed into the unknown.
Nothing about our story makes sense.
The thing is, I can handle desire, lust, passion, even betrayal...
But love is another world altogether.
And this is not a love story.
*For mature audiences only
I am the last person in New York City who would fall head over heels in love.
Independent. Self-possessed. Why would I want to f**k that up?
My online dating profile at bd-fet.com simply reads: “Just looking.”
So why am I obsessing about Jon Sudbury?
Jon, the reporter, is vanilla as a milkshake and has probably never tasted rice and beans on the same plate before we met.
At least that’s what I thought.
Why can’t people remain simple and predictable?
All I want is control, not to be sent hurtling at maximum speed into the unknown.
Nothing about our story makes sense.
The thing is, I can handle desire, lust, passion, even betrayal...
But love is another world altogether.
And this is not a love story.
*For mature audiences only
- GenresNew Adult
346 pages, Paperback
First published November 26, 2013
1 person is currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Rhyne
1 book71 followersS.C. Rhyne is a world traveler, blogger, and novelist based in New York City. When she isn't writing or exploring, she enjoys swimming, reading historical fiction, and discovering new music. Her first novel, The Reporter and The Girl blurs the lines of reality and imagination, and conjures the emotions that bind us together.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 2, 2014
Let me tell you this was a heck of a book. There are parts that I was almost ready to fall over from laughing. Sabrien is so raw! She just has no filter. Jon was sort of introduced as a so-so potential date from a dating web site. They meet and there really is nothing, no spark, he was strange. She dates a few others and remains drawn to him. I am a New Yorker, so I loved the subway scenes as well as the restaurants in NYC.
It is funny how the author doesn't mention race until chapter 5. There are a few references where she refers to Sabrien as Caribbean. What I liked about the men/profiles from this dating site was that race was not an issue. As it should not be in real life. So for me there is extra points awarded to the author for that. I dont want to add a spoiler but when the conversation comes up it is a good one.
The author has a different writing style which makes it appear as a journal entry.Overall very amusing, sexy, and real all at once.
It is funny how the author doesn't mention race until chapter 5. There are a few references where she refers to Sabrien as Caribbean. What I liked about the men/profiles from this dating site was that race was not an issue. As it should not be in real life. So for me there is extra points awarded to the author for that. I dont want to add a spoiler but when the conversation comes up it is a good one.
The author has a different writing style which makes it appear as a journal entry.Overall very amusing, sexy, and real all at once.
January 17, 2014
This is the story of The Girl. Yes, there is a reporter too, and he's certainly no superman, but this is not his story. It's not even their story. This is the story of The Girl.
I noticed The Girl about a year ago, I think. Her avatar stands out and I see it from time to time at the bottom of blog posts. She has even liked some of mine. Every time I see it, I think immediately: it's The Girl. Now, how's that for an effective brand?
So when, last November, S.C. Rhyne started offering her book on a read-for-review basis, I jumped at the chance to read: The Reporter and The Girl MINUS The Super Man!
And I really wish I could say I loved it. I do love certain aspects (the title itself is pretty cool), but I find others really quite frustrating - and it's a long book.
The Girl, Sabrien, meets The Reporter, Jon, on an online BD/fetish dating site. Sabrien is a New Yorker of Caribbean ancestry, multilingual and intelligent, a career woman, while Jon is your average white guy, passionate about pop culture.
However, both are completely clueless about relationships, unable to interpret each other's needs. Sabrien keeps her feelings locked inside her calm exterior, while Jon is wildly emotional. And the sex sucks, except when Sabrien gets to express her inner dungeon mistress.
What I really like about this book is Sabrien's Caribbean perspective and her personality. She shows us a different New York from the one we normally see (I speak as a white Englishman). I also wonder how biographical this is. Sabrien Collins is a very well written character, and one I'm very fond of.
However. I find the grammar distractingly glitchy at times. Incorrectly placed paragraph breaks in dialogue sections leave the reader confused about who is speaking. The 'now' of the first person narration shifts in a confusing way. Most of the writing is present tense, in the moment, but every so often reference is made to later events.
To some extent this is a result of structure of the book, each chapter written as a single blog post; towards the end of the story, Sabrien talks about creating the blog and writing the early chapters. Which is clever, but I feel this structure makes the book overly long and works against the pacing. There were several times where I would have shelved the book for 'later' had I not promised to read it.
Finally, the real problem for me - and I'm not sure this isn't deliberate - is that events aren't really described in enough detail for the reader to see what is happening and to understand the confusions that arise. What the reader experiences, therefore, is Sabrien's confusion. We're left guessing what really happened - which, in a way, is better than knowing what happened and having to wait for Sabrien to catch up.
But it feels a little dishonest at times. By the end, while I really liked Sabrien and enjoyed her journey, I was left completely baffled by Jon, The Reporter.
But this isn't his story. This is the story of The Girl.
I noticed The Girl about a year ago, I think. Her avatar stands out and I see it from time to time at the bottom of blog posts. She has even liked some of mine. Every time I see it, I think immediately: it's The Girl. Now, how's that for an effective brand?
So when, last November, S.C. Rhyne started offering her book on a read-for-review basis, I jumped at the chance to read: The Reporter and The Girl MINUS The Super Man!
And I really wish I could say I loved it. I do love certain aspects (the title itself is pretty cool), but I find others really quite frustrating - and it's a long book.
The Girl, Sabrien, meets The Reporter, Jon, on an online BD/fetish dating site. Sabrien is a New Yorker of Caribbean ancestry, multilingual and intelligent, a career woman, while Jon is your average white guy, passionate about pop culture.
However, both are completely clueless about relationships, unable to interpret each other's needs. Sabrien keeps her feelings locked inside her calm exterior, while Jon is wildly emotional. And the sex sucks, except when Sabrien gets to express her inner dungeon mistress.
What I really like about this book is Sabrien's Caribbean perspective and her personality. She shows us a different New York from the one we normally see (I speak as a white Englishman). I also wonder how biographical this is. Sabrien Collins is a very well written character, and one I'm very fond of.
However. I find the grammar distractingly glitchy at times. Incorrectly placed paragraph breaks in dialogue sections leave the reader confused about who is speaking. The 'now' of the first person narration shifts in a confusing way. Most of the writing is present tense, in the moment, but every so often reference is made to later events.
To some extent this is a result of structure of the book, each chapter written as a single blog post; towards the end of the story, Sabrien talks about creating the blog and writing the early chapters. Which is clever, but I feel this structure makes the book overly long and works against the pacing. There were several times where I would have shelved the book for 'later' had I not promised to read it.
Finally, the real problem for me - and I'm not sure this isn't deliberate - is that events aren't really described in enough detail for the reader to see what is happening and to understand the confusions that arise. What the reader experiences, therefore, is Sabrien's confusion. We're left guessing what really happened - which, in a way, is better than knowing what happened and having to wait for Sabrien to catch up.
But it feels a little dishonest at times. By the end, while I really liked Sabrien and enjoyed her journey, I was left completely baffled by Jon, The Reporter.
But this isn't his story. This is the story of The Girl.
February 18, 2014
Set in New York, this is certainly not your typical love story. It introduces us to two characters, Sabrien and Jon who give the true definition of the phrase opposites attract. I found myself on a roller coaster of emotions while reading. At a certain point, I was happy for them as an item and later became frustrated with them for their self-destructive behaviors all the while personally relating to Sabrien’s account of the rise and fall of their so-called relationship.
This book is for anyone who’s ever found themselves lost in the idea of love and the presence of a significant other. The erotica scenes don’t make it too shabby either so it is for mature audiences only.
Overall, it was a very good read!
This book is for anyone who’s ever found themselves lost in the idea of love and the presence of a significant other. The erotica scenes don’t make it too shabby either so it is for mature audiences only.
Overall, it was a very good read!
December 12, 2013
Full review: http://sharonsbooknook.com/2013/12/12...
*Copy of this book provided by Author in return for an honest review*
The tag line on this book is that it is not a love story. That is true in a sense. It’s not your typical romance novel that has you swooning from the word go. This story is very real and very raw and it is like reading someone’s diary of their struggles and fears of opening up and giving all of yourself to the person you love and admit your true feelings.
It is well written moves at a good pace, keeping the reader interested at all times. The author changes the point of view between Sabrien and John only a couple of times which I feel to be a benefit to this story.
This book is a realistic account especially since a lot of people are meeting over the internet these days and starting relationships. The emotions that we go though in the beginning of said relationship, and regardless of the colour of your skin we all feel these things. Not knowing when is the right time to say how you’re feeling and whether or not your partner will reciprocate those feelings.
The characters are an interesting pairing. In my opinion they are complete opposites but as we see in real life all too often opposites do attract. Sabrien is a strong woman and believes she knows what she wants in life, however when she meets John all her strength seems to be thrown for a loop because she has developed more feelings for him than what she was expecting. John we only get to hear his point of view a couple of times. However it appears he doesn’t seem to know how to handle Sabrien because she doesn’t always say what she’s thinking and seems speak through her actions instead. Particularly in the bedroom which can get a little kinky as there BDSM involved.
At the time of reading this I didn’t feel like sitting through a book where everyone was ‘perfect’ and I needed a story that was real in a sense and therefore it was a hit with me. So, if you need to read something that’s realistic and makes you feel glad to know that you’re not the only one who has these issues then definitely give this a try.
I give this book 4 stars.
*Copy of this book provided by Author in return for an honest review*
The tag line on this book is that it is not a love story. That is true in a sense. It’s not your typical romance novel that has you swooning from the word go. This story is very real and very raw and it is like reading someone’s diary of their struggles and fears of opening up and giving all of yourself to the person you love and admit your true feelings.
It is well written moves at a good pace, keeping the reader interested at all times. The author changes the point of view between Sabrien and John only a couple of times which I feel to be a benefit to this story.
This book is a realistic account especially since a lot of people are meeting over the internet these days and starting relationships. The emotions that we go though in the beginning of said relationship, and regardless of the colour of your skin we all feel these things. Not knowing when is the right time to say how you’re feeling and whether or not your partner will reciprocate those feelings.
The characters are an interesting pairing. In my opinion they are complete opposites but as we see in real life all too often opposites do attract. Sabrien is a strong woman and believes she knows what she wants in life, however when she meets John all her strength seems to be thrown for a loop because she has developed more feelings for him than what she was expecting. John we only get to hear his point of view a couple of times. However it appears he doesn’t seem to know how to handle Sabrien because she doesn’t always say what she’s thinking and seems speak through her actions instead. Particularly in the bedroom which can get a little kinky as there BDSM involved.
At the time of reading this I didn’t feel like sitting through a book where everyone was ‘perfect’ and I needed a story that was real in a sense and therefore it was a hit with me. So, if you need to read something that’s realistic and makes you feel glad to know that you’re not the only one who has these issues then definitely give this a try.
I give this book 4 stars.
November 20, 2013
The Reporter and The Girl Minus the Super Man
S. C. Rhyne
ISBN: 9781310170683
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Sabrien Collins is an independent New Yorker. Jon Sudbury is a suburban boy she finds online. This is not a love story. It is however a story about looking for love in this electronic world we find ourselves in.
The sex is sporadic but raw in both action and emotion and portrays perhaps quite accurately what happens when lovers arrive at the same lustful place … just not always at the same time. Texts and messages between Sabrien and Jon are often lost in translation with the receiver misunderstanding the sender’s hidden message … you know that one we hide in a statement… that’s really a question? The Author very carefully skims the surface of her characters’ wants and needs as they interact just short of the true level that they both want. At the same time, she delivers depth and understanding of her them to us, her readers. She tells us what Sabrien and Jon cannot easily tell each other.
Could it be that the E-Generation has feelings, and needs, and desires that can’t be explained in 140 characters or less? S.C.Rhyne would have us believe that they do…and that even in the most modern of times, Love still hurts.
S. C. Rhyne
ISBN: 9781310170683
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Sabrien Collins is an independent New Yorker. Jon Sudbury is a suburban boy she finds online. This is not a love story. It is however a story about looking for love in this electronic world we find ourselves in.
The sex is sporadic but raw in both action and emotion and portrays perhaps quite accurately what happens when lovers arrive at the same lustful place … just not always at the same time. Texts and messages between Sabrien and Jon are often lost in translation with the receiver misunderstanding the sender’s hidden message … you know that one we hide in a statement… that’s really a question? The Author very carefully skims the surface of her characters’ wants and needs as they interact just short of the true level that they both want. At the same time, she delivers depth and understanding of her them to us, her readers. She tells us what Sabrien and Jon cannot easily tell each other.
Could it be that the E-Generation has feelings, and needs, and desires that can’t be explained in 140 characters or less? S.C.Rhyne would have us believe that they do…and that even in the most modern of times, Love still hurts.
November 23, 2013
The writing style took me by surprise. It flowed smoothly and was enjoyable. While at times I found the actions of the characters (which I saw to be rather incompatible from the beginning) to be a little annoying, the novel was so well written that I kept going and I was happy that I did. The characters were different from other stereotypes that often appear in romance and drama stories. Having the book told from their perspective made it interesting, but giving the second view point of Jon, on occasion, really helped make the story feel more rounded.
Read my full review on my blog
Read my full review on my blog
December 11, 2013
I really liked this story about a relationship in the making between the main characters, Sabrien and Jon. It's a tale of how love surpasses the all too familiar barriers of misunderstandings and miscommunication between people unwilling to admit exactly how they feel about one another when the opportunity to do so presents itself.
I appreciate how the author incorporated the use of modern communication and how she references how impossible it is to retract words spoken and messages sent by texting.
I appreciate how the author incorporated the use of modern communication and how she references how impossible it is to retract words spoken and messages sent by texting.
Read
August 26, 2016This is not a love story. Check. Is it a memoir, is it fiction? Best as I can tell it reads as a series of diary entries that meanders along.
October 17, 2015
Originally posted as inkorkeys.com
(i'd actually say 2.5 stars but i don't have that option)
First things first. This Book is for mature readers only who don’t mind a lot of sex and a little BDSM. I’m not sure that I would classify this as an ‘erotic novel’ however it does lean that way.
I love to read books from authors trying to make a career out of their writing and I have read many great reviews regarding this book and their perceptions of this book are extremely insightful, however this book just didn’t work as well for me. That’s not to say it was a bad book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This books greatest achievement is its reflection of reality. I think Rhyne beautifully captured what the beginnings of a, somewhat dysfunctional and fetish-ie, relationship actually looks like in our everyday lives. It was this reflection of reality that gave this book depth and a kind of strength.
The writing itself was rather engaging and was one aspect of the book that kept me reading and major points for no grammatical or spelling errors…that I was aware of.
The protagonist didn’t seem like a strong character, and rather like she had no depth and seemed, at times, as if she couldn’t go on without the main love interest, Jon, however she does grow and this is something I really enjoyed. There is great growth within Sabrien as the story progressed and I did love to watch this growth of her character. It was rather satisfying.
The one plot device that really grew on me was the constant miscommunication, misunderstandings and misreading between Sabrien and Jon. I think it showed an honest truth about relationships, especially new relationships, and slowing becoming to really understand your partner and all the mistakes you make along the way.
As I said this book wasn’t really for me and I did have a few issues that stunted my reading of it.
Things seem to happen out of the blue a lot with no leading into it like the rather aggressive internal dialogue that, at time, seemed out of sync with what was actually taking place. The most in your face ‘out of the blue’ moment was the BDSM sex scene. There’s only one. Which is the major reason why it’s so out of place and why it feels like a chapter was chopped out of a completely different book and shoved into this section. At times even the romance didn’t feel real, THIS however lessens as the characters themselves grow and come to farmiliarise themselves with each other.
I’m a sucker for smut, however the majority of the erotic scenes weren’t that detailed or graphic. This is a good thing if you don’t like that kind of thing and a somewhat bad thing if you do like that sort of thing.
The overall voice of the book was strong and demanded a presence that I think is important for any book. While this kind of book isn’t of my tastes I think Rhyne has produced something to be proud of with the elements of truth and realism.
(i'd actually say 2.5 stars but i don't have that option)
First things first. This Book is for mature readers only who don’t mind a lot of sex and a little BDSM. I’m not sure that I would classify this as an ‘erotic novel’ however it does lean that way.
I love to read books from authors trying to make a career out of their writing and I have read many great reviews regarding this book and their perceptions of this book are extremely insightful, however this book just didn’t work as well for me. That’s not to say it was a bad book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This books greatest achievement is its reflection of reality. I think Rhyne beautifully captured what the beginnings of a, somewhat dysfunctional and fetish-ie, relationship actually looks like in our everyday lives. It was this reflection of reality that gave this book depth and a kind of strength.
The writing itself was rather engaging and was one aspect of the book that kept me reading and major points for no grammatical or spelling errors…that I was aware of.
The protagonist didn’t seem like a strong character, and rather like she had no depth and seemed, at times, as if she couldn’t go on without the main love interest, Jon, however she does grow and this is something I really enjoyed. There is great growth within Sabrien as the story progressed and I did love to watch this growth of her character. It was rather satisfying.
The one plot device that really grew on me was the constant miscommunication, misunderstandings and misreading between Sabrien and Jon. I think it showed an honest truth about relationships, especially new relationships, and slowing becoming to really understand your partner and all the mistakes you make along the way.
As I said this book wasn’t really for me and I did have a few issues that stunted my reading of it.
Things seem to happen out of the blue a lot with no leading into it like the rather aggressive internal dialogue that, at time, seemed out of sync with what was actually taking place. The most in your face ‘out of the blue’ moment was the BDSM sex scene. There’s only one. Which is the major reason why it’s so out of place and why it feels like a chapter was chopped out of a completely different book and shoved into this section. At times even the romance didn’t feel real, THIS however lessens as the characters themselves grow and come to farmiliarise themselves with each other.
I’m a sucker for smut, however the majority of the erotic scenes weren’t that detailed or graphic. This is a good thing if you don’t like that kind of thing and a somewhat bad thing if you do like that sort of thing.
The overall voice of the book was strong and demanded a presence that I think is important for any book. While this kind of book isn’t of my tastes I think Rhyne has produced something to be proud of with the elements of truth and realism.
April 16, 2014
My Review:
Let me first start with the cover:
A drawing of a woman of color being held by a fairer skinned man. Both of them holding a pink stick. Is it a cane? Is it a walking stick? I am very curious about the stick and its significance in the book. I love the title because it is intriguing, "The Reporter & The Girl (Minus The Super Man!)."
The Book:
First I must say that this book is ONLY for mature adults. This book does reference fetish lifestyle, which includes BDSM. This is not your Fifty Shades I'm speaking of. However, please know that is is within the first few chapters then not revisited. But for me, what I did read was a bit more than I could handle, or rather I was prepared for. Author, S.C. Rhyne is a wonderful person, and when I communicated with her, she shared that it was just a small portion. I continued with the book, and I'm very glad I did.
We meet Sabrien, who is looking to meet someone to spend time with and has the same interests as she does. She meets several guys but one stood out from the rest and caught her attention, an eccentric, fowl mouth young man named Jon.
Her and Jon hit it off and their adventure begins.
This is a story of a young New York couple who get caught up in the moment. Both enjoying a fetish lifestyle in the beginning but then learning one another. Albeit on two different pages. Sabrien is finding out more about herself as a woman in a relationship, allowing herself explore feelings that she had denied herself. However this is all within, she is showing Jon a different side.
Jon was also showing one side of him that he thought Sabrien wanted to see.
So what happens when two sides are feeling one way, but doing something different?
Rhynes, allowed readers to get a small taste of Jon, by allowing Jon's POV come through in a couple of chapters. It was very refreshing, and honestly it had me wanting more. I really wanted to know more of what Jon was feeling.
An additional great part of the book, was watching Sabrien learn more about herself, she opened herself up to others opinions. She grew quite a bit in the book. She is what you expect for a young twenty-something trying to figure her life out.
In the end the story left me wanting more, and in my book, that is always a great thing.
This book definitely Kept Me Interested.
Let me first start with the cover:
A drawing of a woman of color being held by a fairer skinned man. Both of them holding a pink stick. Is it a cane? Is it a walking stick? I am very curious about the stick and its significance in the book. I love the title because it is intriguing, "The Reporter & The Girl (Minus The Super Man!)."
The Book:
First I must say that this book is ONLY for mature adults. This book does reference fetish lifestyle, which includes BDSM. This is not your Fifty Shades I'm speaking of. However, please know that is is within the first few chapters then not revisited. But for me, what I did read was a bit more than I could handle, or rather I was prepared for. Author, S.C. Rhyne is a wonderful person, and when I communicated with her, she shared that it was just a small portion. I continued with the book, and I'm very glad I did.
We meet Sabrien, who is looking to meet someone to spend time with and has the same interests as she does. She meets several guys but one stood out from the rest and caught her attention, an eccentric, fowl mouth young man named Jon.
Her and Jon hit it off and their adventure begins.
This is a story of a young New York couple who get caught up in the moment. Both enjoying a fetish lifestyle in the beginning but then learning one another. Albeit on two different pages. Sabrien is finding out more about herself as a woman in a relationship, allowing herself explore feelings that she had denied herself. However this is all within, she is showing Jon a different side.
Jon was also showing one side of him that he thought Sabrien wanted to see.
So what happens when two sides are feeling one way, but doing something different?
Rhynes, allowed readers to get a small taste of Jon, by allowing Jon's POV come through in a couple of chapters. It was very refreshing, and honestly it had me wanting more. I really wanted to know more of what Jon was feeling.
An additional great part of the book, was watching Sabrien learn more about herself, she opened herself up to others opinions. She grew quite a bit in the book. She is what you expect for a young twenty-something trying to figure her life out.
In the end the story left me wanting more, and in my book, that is always a great thing.
This book definitely Kept Me Interested.
August 27, 2016
This was a good book!! It's about a girl meeting a guy(The reporter) on a dating website. This is not a love story. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Sabrien is hilarious!! This book had me laughing out loud!! Overall good read!! Good Job S.C Rhyne
Want to read
December 12, 2015I could not rate this book because I DNF. Sorry to say that this just wasn't for me. I couldn't get past chapter 4. Like I've said, just wasn't my cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews