Empty Vows is a continuation of the Lexington, Alabama series by Mary Monroe and immediately picks up after the events from the ending of Mrs. Wiggins. I will not go into much detail because this is the second book in a series, and I don’t want to spoil anything. I will, however, tell you how I felt about the characters, writing style, and pacing because the setting was the same.
A fast-paced story isn’t what I expected from Empty Vows, but I also didn’t expect it to lag as much as it did. The pacing and overall storyline suffered because of the character development. It was very much, ‘I’m just here for the ride’.
There was no character growth and that was the most challenging part of my reading experience. I’m sure that’s why some members of my buddy reading group were left with a sour taste and a severe reading slump after powering through.
The thorny issue of my reading experience is the cyclic back and forth between characters. This constant motion is tiring and meandering. It felt as if we started each chapter just to be disappointed that nothing had progressed or changed.
When it comes to the author’s writing style, I’ve covertly mentioned it in my social posts before, but I’m making it plain now that I have difficulty deciphering whether the author is inserting herself when it comes to character dialogue. I believe I wouldn’t feel this way if I weren’t familiar with her biography or books on her backlist. Some of the comments regarding the body images of characters grinded my gears. Specifically speaking, characters larger in size or characters that have gained weight and those that aren’t easy on the eyes are foul-mouthed at each opportunity that presents itself. Move or look the ‘wrong way’ and someone has something to say.
Again, I’m not sure if the dialogue is based on the author’s perception or the characters’ feelings towards people who are large or ‘homely’ looking, but it reads that way when just about all the characters have something to say about someone’s appearance. I’m perceptive to dialogue that errs on fat-shaming because I am large. I can read between the lines and anytime I read that someone “needed to walk,” “put on some noticeable weight,” or wouldn’t be able to keep a partner because of their size, I grimaced. It’s cringey. If there was ONE character to speak like that, it wouldn’t have bothered me because I would have set it aside as part of their characterization. It was nearly ALL major characters and it wasn’t in a comical tone. Hence, it seems that the characters are all one-note, like-minded, and closed-minded. There’s little to no differentiation.
It’s not lost on me that people think this way. Hell, I’ve had my share of people automatically throwing around fat jokes or jabs when they aren’t creative enough to say anything else worth listening to. Fat people are lazy, have poor hygiene, are gluttonous, etc. People with ‘homely’ appearances are going to be alone. Sadly, these misconceptions are embedded. Passed down from generation to generation. It’s whack (lol).
Unfortunately, this was an issue in the last book, but even more of an issue in this one and it left a poor taste in my mouth.
Empty Vows is my least favorite book in the Lexington, Alabama series so far. I say ‘so far’ because as of the date this book review is published, there’s a 4th book set to release on March 26, 2024.
Empty Vows lacked the pacing and character development that was present in Mrs. Wiggins. If I am to recommend this book, I recommend it mostly to readers who are curious to know what happened after Mrs. Wiggins AND do not mind a meandering storyline without a plot. If you want to ‘just be there for the ride’, then give it a try. You may enjoy it more than I did.
