Warning – McGuffin Bites Leave Scars

I have this really cool red purse. Only after a while it got some wear and had a few hanging threads. I trimmed those off. Sometimes authors should do the same. Don’t add a detail that begs for answers then forget about it.

I just finished a book that featured the brooding sidekick from a previous novel. I was so curious why he kept running off and getting into trouble in the first book. I liked the author, the setting, and the relationship sounded interesting, two mutual crushes crashing together, so I really looked forward to reading this book. The clincher that put it at the top of my TBR pile was the blurb hinted at why the hero was so broody was family drama. And I was as ready as a medical student to open up that closet of bones.

Not far into the story, we get a great description of the hero’s back including a scar. I’m a sucker for wounded heroes, so naturally I’m curious about it. My first thought was he’s either had a kidney transplant or donated one. He was always running off. What if he was sick? Then I thought he was in an accident, and his absentee parents didn’t even visit. There were strong hints at a schism with his parents. Or maybe his famous father was abusive, and he had to hide it to avoid a scandal. This was the most horrific but also fit best with where I thought the story was going. I had less dramatic sources for the scar too. The hero liked the outdoors, so maybe it came from a camping trip. I pictured the heroine asking about it and him telling a story about how he narrowly escaped death in the wilderness.

In the end, the hero was moody and angsty because he was eighteen, rich, and bored. I mostly liked the book but was frustrated that the reason he skipped classes all the time was so mundane. And I still didn’t know how he got the scar. Well, the only logical explanation for me is that it was a McGuffin bite.