Review: His Kind of Woman

His Kind of Woman by Nona Raines

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A story about bullying is surprisingly moving. Roy Girard is a reformed bully. His brother, Travis is also a reformed bully. Travis's past is a classic reason why he was so mean. Travis's guilt weighs on him; He wants to apologize to Victor, the main target of his youthful anger. There is an added twist to Victor. He is now known as Venetia.

In addition to this heavy subject, Ms. Raines mixes it with a tough transgender topic. Talk about a double whammy. This story is surprisingly light in touch when showing both sides of the story. The added element of erotic sex is beautiful.

One may question if bullies ever change. One may even question if a bully did change, would the person bullied ever want an apology? How would the bullied person feel if the bully changed his tune and apologized? Is this a realistic portrayal? I would say Ms. Raines captured it perfectly.

This situation is a little too close to home. When I was in middle school, there was a guy I liked who one day decided he didn't like me anymore. He got other people to pick on me. It culminated when he arranged a bunch of his friends to help him assault me physically. While my incident is no where near the ferocity and humiliations Venetia experienced, I could completely sympathize.

The person who attacked me hurt my feelings but I moved on. I didn't exactly wish the worst on him but I figured I'd become successful and show him up. I forgot about it over the years. Then one day, several years ago, I saw him on a TV Show. All the hurt and pain hit me again and I was angry. Trying not to think about it, to my surprise, several days after the show, he contacted me on facebook to be friends. It was a shock to be reminded of him in such a short span of time. I declined. He sent another message asking to speak with me about something very important.

As it turns out, he's been feeling badly about it for years. He changed and he works on an outreach program to help children not be bullies. He wanted to apologize and explain why he did it. The last incident where he physically assaulted me weighed upon him. He begged for forgiveness. I cried. And I felt closure. I didn't even realize I wanted an apology but it made a difference. I forgave him a long time ago. I just wanted to know why he did it. I finally had my answer, twenty years later. And this is why Ms. Raine's story spoke to me. Her fiction is my reality. Recommended for readers who want closure.



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