Book Review: Walking Red Flag

Author: Morgan Elizabeth

Ocean View #2

Walking Red Flag, the second book in Morgan Elizabeth’s Ocean View Series, picks up the story of Gabi, Cassie’s assistant and 28 year old virgin (this is a significant character trait for this woman apparently). The plot centres around the fact that Gabi not only hasn’t had sex but is unable to reach orgasm, either with partners or by herself. After an unfortunate mishap with a shower head, she ends up in the ER where she meets super hot doctor Vic, who offers to help her with her problem in return for keeping his super nosy and pushy mother off his back.

If this sounds like a slightly bonkers, fan fiction-esque plot, you are correct. And it gets worse. Apparently the reason that Gabi is unable to achieve orgasm is that her mind consistently wanders with random thoughts and questions all the time (read: has ADHD), including whenever she is getting there. Now this is in no way meant to diminish the experiences and frustrations of folks with ADHD and/or folks who struggle with orgasm but the premise that she is just so kooky that she can’t concentrate on sex and needs a man to help her ‘learn her body’ is so mind bogglingly condescending that I almost had to put this down.

The only things that stopped me were that I genuinely think Elizabeth was trying to come from a good place. I think that she was trying to show a relationship in which, instead of consistently making fun of her random asides and questions, and berating her for being annoying and for getting distracted, Vic cherishes and works with Gabi’s brain. That part was really sweet. But when it came to the spice, the approach that Elizabeth took was less a collaboration between a fully grown woman and a man exploring ways to make it easier for her to experience pleasure, and more of a ‘silly girl let me show you what you need’ kind of dynamic. Sure it might be sexy on the surface if you’re into that (out of context, I wouldn’t have minded it lol) but within the context of the wider narrative I felt that it stripped an interesting female character of agency over her sexuality.

I did like the continuing female friendship between Cassie and Gabi and I think that is one of the strongest aspects of the series so far. In the first book, The Ex Files, Cassie learns to open up in part by allowing herself to trust and lean on Gabi, and in this book, Gabi is able to talk things through with Cassie and get meaningful advice that calls her on her shit as well. That is what a good female friendship is like to me and I like that this is almost as important in the narrative as the romantic relationships.

I’ll probably still read the last in the series because I do like the cast of recurring characters she has in this series, and because her spice is hot, but this one pissed me off lol