TLC Tour Stop, Review and Giveaway: Swoon by Betsy Prioleau

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Genre: Nonfiction
Hardback 288 pages
Book Source: TLC Book Tours

From the tour home page:

Casanovas:  where are those great romancers of women?  In Swoon: Great Seducers and Why Women Love Them (W. W. Norton), Betsy Prioleau gives us a smart, entertaining study of the ladies’ man, demystifying his character, seductive secrets, and killer charm.  Combining history, science, culture, and colorful contemporary research, Prioleau shows us a seducer we’ve never seen before.

He explodes every stereotype and shatters every cliché.  Instead of a satanic rake, slick player, or rich, handsome powerbroker, he’s an unlikely, often homely Romeo who cares about women and understands what they want.

Through analyses of history’s legendary lovers and interviews with today’s heartthrobs, Prioleau uncovers the surprising seductive secrets that really rock female hearts, from unfeigned ardor to conversational flair.  Finally, Prioleau critiques the 21st–century sexual malaise, especially women’s record discontent with men, and argues that it’s high time to retrieve and celebrate the great seducer.

My Thoughts:

This being a nonfiction book, I tend to approach these differently.  I feel like nonfiction works can be informational.  I chose to participate in this tour, because I thought it would be interesting for me to read this information and then think of books I read or people I know, and see what made them pick their mate, or whatever.  Come on ladies, we all have a friend or an experience where we were attracted to the wrong kind of guy.  Why is that?  We know some of these guys are wrong, and yet like moths to a flame we follow.  Or that friend who always goes for damaged guys, or falls for bad boys.  Why is that?

Prioleau starts her book with an introduction section which examines each type of seducer.  There are a dozen and I admit I never realized there were that many!  Some are very similar and hard to tell apart  but for the most part, as you read the characteristics of each, you can discern their differences and think of examples yourself. 

The book then goes into some of the methods or devices seducers would use to ensnare women, such  as dance, being a good listener or conversationalist, poetry, etc.  As each of these items is discussed, Prioleau brings many perspectives into the conversation, religious, societal, and obviously her own research, some of which includes local Lotharios she met while researching her book.  Famous people are the most common examples she uses, because there are so many of them, Lord Byron, Casanova, and yes, even Bill Clinton.  The one example I disagree with is Ashton Kutcher, but that is personal.  I have never liked him and find him ridiculous.  Really, Demi?  You can do sooo much better than that, especially with a younger man, as could his current beau Mila Kunis (my goodness she is gorgeous!).
But I digress.

This book was quite interesting and it is not the kind of book one can read straight through.  Every so often it needs to be put down, so the reader can think about what they have just read and consider Prioleau's theories.  Plus one can not help but compare Prioleau's examples and theories to real life, either themselves or their acquaintances.  Also, when you consider romance novels or regular books and the male characters presented, what is that author trying to say?  Which one of the twelve types would  Mr. Darcy be or Mr. Rochester?  Makes you think.  And let's not forget, which type does your spouse or mate correspond to?  What did he do or what does he do now to make you swoon? 

All in all Swoon is a wonderful book that examines aspects of men and women and what makes our hearts flutter and why.

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Giveaway Details:

I have one copy of Swoon to give away, courtesy of TLC Book Tours.

Rules are as follows:

• Must be in the U.S. or Canada and no P.O. Boxes
• Leave a comment with an email address.  No email address no entry.
• For an additional entry tell me who makes you swoon; can be real, character in a novel, movie, or an actor.  
• Deadline to enter is midnight, Thursday, March 28, 2013

Good luck!

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To see what other thought of Swoon, please visit one of the tour stops listed below.

Betsy Prioleau’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, March 4th:  Scandalous Women

Tuesday, March 5th:  Enchanted by Josephine

Thursday, March 7th:  A Bookish Affair

Monday, March 11th:  The Blog of Litwits

Tuesday, March 12th:  In the Hammock

Wednesday, March 13th:  Staircase Wit

Thursday, March 14th:  Jenny Loves to Read

Friday, March 15th:  Patricia’s Wisdom

Monday, March 18th:  Dolce Bellezza

Tuesday, March 19th:  Book Addict Katie

Wednesday, March 20th:  Stiletto Storytime

Thursday, March 21st:  Unabridged Chick

Friday, March 22nd:  Books a la Mode – author guest post

Monday, March 25th:  Man of La Book

Tuesday, March 26th:  Literally Jen

Wednesday, March 27th:  Peppermint Ph.D.

Thursday, March 28th:  Tiffany’s Bookshelf 

Monday, April 1st:  A Chick Who Reads

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