I admit that I bought this book in a split second, because of the cute egg faces on the cover. Those who read my blog should know by now, I am a sucker for cuteness! *smiles* Can you believe I did not even read the blurb before buying? Now, that is the selling power of a good cover!
Book Blurb:
Widowed at 45, Denise has come to the end of that first year alone and survived. It's time to get back out in the world and live her life. However, life, and particularly her own family, seems to have other ideas as first her mother and then her daughter move into a house that is suddenly bursting at the seams. A battle of wills ensues, but it is a battle that Denise is determined to win by fair means or foul, because only when she has sorted everyone else's lives out can she finally get on with her own. Romance doesn't figure anywhere in her calculations but Denise, of all people, should know that life doesn't always go according to plan. (Courtesy: Amazon.co.uk)
Review:
When I read the blurb, I thought that since this book is about a widow, it is going to be depressing and I might need a box of tissues handy for tears, but I was so wrong! In spite of the fact that this book deals with many serious and grim topics, the tone of the novel is not at all harsh or repulsive. As a matter of fact, at some points in the novel, I felt that it was written more like a “comedy of errors” than a gloomy piece for dramatic effect.
The main character of Denise comes out as that of a strong and powerful woman who manages not only her own problems but also straightens the life of her teenage daughter (Bobbie) and directionless mother (Elaine) who throw their load of trouble her way. Both of them suffer from selfishness and simply ignore to acknowledge how much inconvenience they cause to Denise. If that was not enough, her daughter’s boyfriend (Jason) who is a rotten egg - basically “pain in the ass”, also comes to live with them uninvited. What follows is a series of disasters. Curious to know more? Read the book to know the rest of the story.
The author’s style of writing is bold and blunt. With years of experience on her hand, Pamela writes with confidence and skill of a veteran, creating a fine balance between the vulnerability and strength of characters portrayed in this beautiful novel. The characters come to life and the reader is immersed in their world.
Apart from the female characters, I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of male characters introduced in the novel: Sam, Adam, Jason, Petie and Denise’s Dad. The story ends on a predictable note, I am not too fond of it, maybe because I was expecting the story to be left open-ended and upto reader’s imagination. But nonetheless, it was wrapped up nicely.
If I were to dissect this novel in terms of the themes that are explored throughout, they would be:
- Dealing with death of a closed one (i.e. partner, in this case scenario)
- Coming to terms with reality and the practical aspect of life
- Making the best out of life, whatever it throws towards you
- The needs and desires of modern woman which is subsequently changing the role of woman as wife, mother and daughter in the society.
As said in one of my previous reviews as well that the books I like the most are the ones that enrich my life with valuable words of wisdom. This is not a self-help book but it certainly has some powerful messages to convey that can improve one’s life a lot. According to my understanding, these would be:
- Whenever taking U-turns in life, one should try to make sound, rational and logical decisions
- As they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
- Do not give up on yourself no matter what happens!
- Believe in yourself and your abilities.
- Sometimes, you need to bring your nerves of steel to handle the complexities of life.
- Life does not give you “second chances”, once it’s done, it cannot be undone. In other words, there is no rewind button!
Since many of the themes are of universal nature, this book will appeal to everyone in some way or the other. Especially if you are a woman, it does not matter whether you are in your teens or fourties or even seventies, this book will make you happy with its sheer honesty and optimism.
I read the book in parts, some on the train when I was coming back from my weekend break, some while sipping evening tea, and I am sure I would not have enjoyed it as much if I had read it in single sitting. It is the kind of story you like to read when you are relaxed and have time to ponder and contemplate the various situations (there are many!) happening in the book. Read this book, I can guarantee it is not a waste of time.
Pamela Fudge was brought up in Poole, Dorset. She wrote poetry, mainly for her family, and then discovered a talent for short fiction, which has been published by most of the national magazines over a period of twenty years. A creative writing tutor for 11 years “Widow on the World” is her third published novel. Having been widowed not once, but twice in recent years, Pamela is well qualified to comment on the adage that life goes on. To know more about her writing, visit her website: http://www.pamfudge.co.uk/novels.html
In conversation with Darian Wilk, the amazing and talented author of “Love Unfinished” and “Reinventing Claire”. She is definitely a woman of substance and has some interesting stories to share about her childhood. So, join us in the fun as we talk about writing, books, characters and life in all its beauty. Smile is guaranteed!
RG: Why did you think of becoming a writer?
When I was a child I always wanted to be a writer, it is what I loved, what I knew. But as an adult, due to pressure to have a stable, normal career, I forgot that dream. But in 2009, a few months before my mom passed away, I learned by her unfinished life that our time is too short to not do what we love for the sake of someone else’s ideals. I did not want to waste the rest of my life trying to be something I wasn’t, so I became a writer.
RG: Why did you choose to write in this genre? Because I love this genre as a reader and a writer. Women’s fiction, to me, blankets so many beautiful stories, so many strong characters, characters that are real women just like the women buying the books. Women’s fiction has a little bit of all of us in it, which gives me the chance to connect with readers on so many levels not many genres can.
Love Unfinished is my first published book, my baby! It’s the story of soul mates, torn apart on their wedding day by a tragic accident, but are destined to meet each other again in new incarnations. Only she has married someone else, and he has vowed to never love again. Are they fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished? It falls under the umbrella of "Paranormal Romance".
RG: Can you give us a sneak peek into your second novel, Reinventing Claire?
My second novel, which should be out in late spring of 2012, is Reinventing Claire. People get divorced, but that is what is supposed to happen to other people. That’s what Claire thought anyway, until her husband, Charlie, tells her he wants a divorce. Armed with her dating dunce cap, and her loud, suffocatingly sweet family by her side, Claire faces the question she has no idea how to answer, who is Claire without Charlie?
RG: If you could be one character from your books, who would you choose to be and why?
Good question! Only one character, phew that’s tough! I think from Reinventing Claire, I would want to be Claire. I love fresh starts, they’re exciting to me regardless of how you came to find yourself needing one. Starting over is a challenge, and I love a good challenge. And I like her spunk, her dorky coolness that I think is hidden in a lot of us.
RG: Where do you get ideas for your stories and characters?
From curiosity really. I wonder, asks questions, a lot. I am always wondering about people, situations, how something came to be that way or what would happen if something were to change. It’s that curiosity that leads me to a question I must answer.
RG: List 5 suggestions/writing tips for those who want to venture into writing fiction.
Interview your characters. I think for characters to feel real, you have to know them well. Taking the time to learn about them, about the things in their life that will never hit the pages of your book, makes them come alive and your readers will feel that.
As James Scott Bell says, write hot, edit cool. Get that story on paper, let the thoughts fly without worry of misspelled words or the compulsion to read over what you just wrote. Write while the story is hot. Then, edit cool. Take some time off, let the story cool down, forget it. Waiting allows you to come back to edit it with fresh eyes.
Don’t give up. A lot of writers find the first few chapters come faster than they can get the words onto paper. Then they hit the middle of the story and find themselves staring at a blinking cursor. Don’t give up on your story, or yourself, keep pressing on. Every step you have taken is one farther than someone else did.
Read while you write. Writers write better when they read good books. It keeps your imagination fresh, always going. Sometimes nothing will make you want to run to your story faster than reading a good book.
Have someone else read your book, someone who won’t sugar coat their opinion, and someone who will. You need the hard advice to better your craft, and the sugar coated encouragement for motivation when you’re down.
RG: Do you think that book blogs play a vital role in getting the books across to readers?
Absolutely. Book blogs can reach out to thousands of readers you might never reach otherwise; it’s the modern day word-of-mouth on Redbull. It’s an amazing way to connect, the world is literally at your fingertips.
RG: Printed books vs. E-books. What’s your take on this?
I think E-books will be commonplace for the next generation, but print books will stay alive because of previous generations like me. There are few things more exciting to me than the feeling of a new book in my hands, but I had to ask my 3yr old son how to turn on my husband HP Tablet. I think E-readers will become apart of households like cell phones have, but printed books are classic, timeless, something people will always see a need for.
RG: I totally agree with you! With traditional people like us, who love holding a book in hand, instead of a sleek gadget, paperbacks are going to stay for sure! At the same time, I cannot deny that e-readers are going to get popular day by day. How much time did it take you to complete one book? What was your routine for writing?
That is something I have to estimate, because while writing my first book I was a full time caregiver for my mom; my writing time was based around the amount of care she needed, and I took several months off after she passes away. I would guesstimate Love Unfinished took around ten months.
My writing routine then was the same as it is now, I write while my son naps and my daughter is at school. Those two hours while my son sleeps are mine and mine alone. The laundry waits, cleaning waits, everything waits until he is up and my time is over.
RG: How do you balance your family life and your writing commitments?
It is hard, and it takes a lot of adjustment and flexibility. My family comes first, always. To keep both going, without dipping too much into the other, I have to stay organized and schedule my ‘writer’s life’ at least two weeks in advance. It keeps me on track, which makes my family life and writing life flow smoother.
RG: Are you inspired by any particular author? Who is your favourite author?
Anne Tyler, love her! I aspire to create characters like she does, so vividly real to a reader, flawed yet exceptional. It doesn’t take long when reading one of her books to forget that you’re reading, and it feels as if you’re spying on someone’s life.
RG: Among other author’s books, any character which you could relate to and you will always remember? What was the character about and how could you relate to it?
I think that would come from one of my favourite books, Katherine by Anya Seton, a historical novel. Katherine, slated to marry a knight, finds herself falling for a powerful Duke, married to a Duchess Katherine admires; for her beauty and gentle personality. I think it’s not Katherine’s choices I can relate to, I’ve never cheated, never watched my husband be murdered so I can love a married man; I think it’s her simplicity and craving for passionate love. I am a very simple woman at heart, very old school some might say. I enjoy staying home with my kids, I enjoy being Kat Von D meshed with June Cleaver, but I crave passion, the rush of strong love. I think, untamed, the craving could lead anyone to bad decisions, like Katherine had made. I remember her for that, to keep passion alive, but keep a hold onto it so that I control it; not it controlling me.
RG: I believe that there are only two categories of books: good books and bad books. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a “good book”?
There are a lot of things to consider; I think for me to call a book good, it has to pull me in, whether through the characters, plot, or a relatable story. Did it draw me in to the point that I no longer thought about prose, if the author was adverb happy, if I accidently let my dinner burn because I just HAD to finish that chapter? If a book can pull me, so that I forget it’s only a book and not a real story, that the characters are not real, that I have a life to live and need to put the book down, then I consider it a good book.
Now, time for some fun questions:
RG: Share with us your favourite childhood memory.
I cannot hear Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog without thinking of my childhood. My father was a truck driver, gone for days or weeks at a time, so much of the time it was just mom, my brother and me. Mom would put her record on the turntable; I would be in my best rocker chic clothes, my vacuum microphone in hand. My brother would be armed with his tennis racquet air guitar, ready for a solo, and mom was ready to dance or beat on the couch cushion drum set. We’d sing and dance all day, listening to one record after another.
RG: Okay Darian, here you go then! :) Rewind those joyful times in your head and dance to the tune!
RG: Tell us about the craziest thing you ever did in your life.
In my younger years, you know, pre-mommy days, I used to drag race – illegal street racing, and lost my license for a time because of it. I love the rumble of horsepower, it’s thrilling and irresistible to me. I would be out at ridiculous hours, racing other cars until the sun rose. Looking back it’s insanely stupid, I could have crashed and died, or killed someone. But to this day, every time I see a gorgeous fast car, I want to drive it and see just how fast it can really go.
Darian, will something like this catch your fancy? *wink*
RG: How do you relax when you have free time?
If I were rich I would shop, I love shopping. Shopping for clothes, shoes, accessories for the house, I just love to shop! But, seeing how I’m not famous or a millionaire, typically watching a movie or TV show with my hubby and kids is just what I need to relax. Give me some cuddling, a bowl of popcorn, and I forget whatever it was that had me all stressed out to begin with. Or, I wash my car. Sounds weird I know, but there’s something about washing my car and cleaning out the interior that is calming to me. Hey, I never claimed to be a normal lady!
RG: Complete these sentences:
· Love is...ever-changing over the years.
· Life is...opportunity at my feet every day.
· Writing is…fulfilment on paper.
RG: Thank you for your interview. It was so much fun chatting with you. Wish you all the best for your current and upcoming books.
Soul mates from the past leave their love unfinished when a tragic accident ends their lives on their wedding day. Yet they are destined to meet again to fulfill that love in new incarnations, leading vastly different lives.
Emma thought she had chosen the right path, but too late does she realize her mistake as her husband reveals the monster behind his smile; morphing their fairytale image with loveless obligation. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive husband, she knows this is not the life she was destined to live. As her hope for love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.
Emma cannot deny the love pulling her toward James, but courage to abandon her marriage wavers and unknowingly puts her love on the line. If Emma has any hope of life and love, she must trust the bond with James and be with the man destiny has spent two lifetimes guiding her toward. Are they fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished? (Book Blurb Courtesy: Amazon.com)
The cover of the book is so funny. The couple wearing handcuffs on wedding day perfectly fits the title and theme of the book. Since pink and aqua are both my favourite colours, I love it.
Review:
When we say, “Relationships are complicated”, we are usually thinking of either love relationships ending in marriage/divorce or lasting friendships getting sour. But there are other relationships which are as strong and sometimes full of complications. We do not choose them, we are born tied to them. Yes, I am talking about parent-child relationship, which has its turns and twists especially when children grow up and want to make their own life decisions, sometimes parents are so imposing or dominating or just too over-protective to let go of things and face the fact that their children are adults and should be given space and understanding, even confidence to make important decisions of their life such as: which career to choose Or who should be their life-partner. They think that just because they have given birth to them, it is their right to control their lives forever! I am not saying that all parents behave that way, but some do! I see some of you can relate to what I am saying.
This book explores such a chaotic relationship between a mother and a daughter (the main protagonist of this story). Rebecca is a 30 plus woman who wants to try her luck in Hollywood. One of her great passions is to become an actress but her mother strongly disapproves of this because she belongs to a traditional family who find it against their ethics and morals. Nonetheless, she follows her interest but partly as a revolt to her mother’s decision. She feels suppressed and longs for her mother to back her up in her career move but nothing of that sort happens, rather this issue causes them to drift apart as they end up hardly speaking to each other for a year.
While things remain topsy-turvy between the two, she keeps struggling for her dream role by working as a part-time waitress and looking for that golden chance to make her a star. Her (failing) attempts end up in depression and she starts seeing a psychologist who makes her realize that she is doing things half-heartedly and out of grudge for her mother, not because of her passion. Find out whether her dream of starring a big role gets true or not. Most of all, does she manage to patch up things with her mother or things go insane after that.
Besides her acting career, there is another typhoon going in her life, her wedding with the wrong guy, Craig which follows another roller-coaster ride, full of (mis)adventures and mishaps. It gets quite ballistic at the end but then the author finally manages to pull all strings together which saves it from getting off the rail. The story gets interesting when she gets away from that “psycho”, lands up in the arms of a flirtatious movie director whose charm makes her blind – well, “love is blind” so not much of her fault. But is he “The One”? or is there someone else waiting to be discovered by her. Read the book to figure out who is her “true love” and does she get to have a “happy ever after”.
The book is easy-to-read as it is not overloaded with characters or viewpoints. It is written in first person POV. The secondary characters such as those of Rebecca’s sisters, her parents, her boyfriends and even of her best friend and therapist, Karen is sketched nicely. They all provide a direction to the story. I really liked how the character of Craig was shown, in spite of his weaknesses and craziness, it was not all-evil. The author kept it genuine and believable. I also loved the main character of Rebecca who goes through a lot of upheavals and learns to survive and make right decisions for herself. Even when she is vulnerable, she is smart and it shows the strength of her character.
The book is written from a mature perspective. It is engaging and heart-warming while making you learn a thing or two about practical life. I can see that Bonnie has put her heart into it and surely does not disappoint the reader/critic in me. I hope that her next endeavour will turn out to be more exciting than this one. All the best, Bonnie!
Review Girl Rating: 8/10
“I would like to thank Bonnie Trachtenberg for sending me a free paperback of her book, Wedlocked for the purpose of reviewing it on my blog. To buy this book on Amazon, click here. You can also buy this book direct from her website, by clicking here.”
The cover is quite simple and gives an impression of a hand-made drawing. Though it makes sense after reading the story, it definitely has room for improvement. I like the whole concept but maybe bright colors would have made it more attractive and eye-catching.
Review:
This is a story about Marissa Lyons, a divorced woman in her forties with two kids, which made me think that why is the book named after some other character? Well, I found out soon as we get introduced to Beatrice in the first chapter. In the opening scene, we see Marissa spying on one of her neighbours who have just moved in. This peculiar neighbour is, Beatrice Munson: smart, beautiful blonde and her high-school arch enemy. Why she hates Beatrice so much? Because in high-school, she had a crush on this cute guy named Jeffery, but he chose to date Beatrice instead of her. Hang on, let me tell you that it was not Beatrice’s fault, nor was she “mean” to our "insecure" heroine in any way.
Anyways, let’s move on to what happens next. Years later, she still holds that grudge against Beatrice and fears that she will steal every one’s attention due to her impressive personality and beautiful looks. With those negative thoughts and just a smidgen of self-esteem, she bakes some delicious cupcakes (her mom’s favourite recipe) which is just a great excuse to meet her and find out why she has landed in her neighbourhood and more importantly, in her life again.
Soon, we are surprised to see that Marissa has not only forgotten about her hatred, she is also totally captivated by Beatrice’s charm. Looks like, Beatrice has moved her magic wand and Marissa is under the spell as she finds her an epitome of all-good. Is that because Beatrice’s crazy, adventurous and exciting life, makes her feel small in front of her? Does she envy her for being so passionate and daring and wishes secretly that she could be like her and follow her dreams? Read the book to find out!
This book sucked me right in with its warmth, passion and high dosage of good humour, along with ample twists and turns to keep me hooked from first chapter till the very last pages. The characters are drawn in such a way that you feel like they are part of your neighbourhood and like your friends with whom you can share your secrets and feel comfortable. In spite of their faults, they are well-rounded, realistic, relatable and extremely adorable.
The writer has kept a very candid and frank style throughout the story which made me feel as if I was reading someone’s private diary, written without inhibitions and with utter honesty. Though this book is Lorena’s first novel, she is successful in involving the reader into her fictional world of memorable characters so much that the readers lose track of the real world around them. I think this speaks volume of her calibre as a writer.
The book is aptly named after Beatrice whose character is like some sort of “guru” or a “revolutionary spiritual leader” who has the power to convince people and bring a positive change in their lives. She makes things "happen" rather than just sitting and dreaming about them. She infuses this spirit in the whole neighbourhood with her presence and ideas.
There is Marissa, who lacks confidence and guts. She does not want to take charge of her life but soon, she finds herself acting on her long-lost passion of photography by opening a studio and joining a newspaper as a journalist. Soon, all the ladies of Vista Heights: Andrea, Lily, Deidre get spontaneous and the whole neighbourhood catches “Beatrice fever”. They start embracing opportunities lying in front of them, thus explore and widen their horizon.
The book is a joy-ride full of excitement and nervous energy. It reminded me of Katy Perry’s upbeat song, “Firework”! There is lot of activity going on, which keeps the story fast-paced. It also delves into the various aspects of divorce, marriage, flirtations, friendships and much more but in such a way that it does not burden the reader; instead it is heart-warming and enlightening. There are laugh-out-loud funny scenes, especially the one with drag queen parties. I was stumped by Lola Rau’s character and wanted to read more and more of her. There is a lot of mention of yummy food, which made me hungry, looks like Lorena is fond of tasty treats! *smiles*
Apart from fun surprises, there is also a rape scene. But it has been written in a very mature way and it did not make me gag, so I think the writer pulled it off neatly. I loved this book as the story reached a satisfying climax and gave many underlying messages as well. Well done Lorena! I would love to read more of Lorena’s work in future too. Highly recommended!
Review Girl Rating: 9.5/10
“I would like to thank Lorena Bathey for sending me a free copy of her book, Beatrice Munson for the purpose of reviewing it on my blog. To buy this book on Amazon, click here. You can also buy this book from her website, by clicking here.”
The cover is brilliantly designed. By looking at its cover, one can easily tell that the novel revolves around relationships influenced in one way or the other by online social networking sites. The blue background is used to link it to Facebook’s signature colour. I love it!
Review:
The book deals with the “relationship issues” of three women, whose lives change dramatically due to their connections on Facebook. First is Chloe, a thirty-one year old movie reviewer who works for some entertainment magazine. The novel opens with Chloe dealing with her latest break-up, who joins Facebook on her friend’s insistence. Reason to join: To get over her recent break-up. Soon, she finds that her first love Kyle wants to add her as a friend on Facebook. The writer goes in flashback to tell us how they were a perfect teenage couple when due to certain circumstances, they grew apart. Now, will their relationship work this time? Does it have a chance to grow into something mature and meaningful than just a teenage crush? Will it help Chloe re-adjust the priorities in her life?
Second is Morgan, married woman, in her early thirties who joins Facebook to get a break from her housework routine, which involves managing the two little kids, Ashley and Tony. Yes, she is a stay-at-home mum who loves to spy over her friends’ lives through Facebook and finds it a lot of fun. She even starts to spy on her hubby’s Facebook account and that is where a rift comes in their otherwise happy marriage. Apparently, she thinks that her husband has befriended his ex-girlfriend and something fishy is going on behind her back. Is she true in her assumptions? Or Is she ‘paranoid’ and ‘obsessed’, as her husband EJ likes to put it?
Wait a minute, before we find out more, there is a third leading lady of this novel. So let me introduce her. Her name is Brynn. She lives with her husband Chad and two teenage kids, Hailey and Finn. From the start, she seems to have lost interest in her husband (though she thinks it’s the other way around), vying for attention and to fill the vacuum in her so-called empty life, she tries to kill her isolation through Facebook and finds her love from the past, Timothy. Soon, the reader sees how she wrecks her happy family life and welcomes Timothy’s advances with open arms. Rekindling old passion leads to some ugly decisions. Is she right in finding her ‘own’ happiness at the cost of ruining her kids and husband’s life? Is she plain selfish and mean, who will go to any lengths to re-do her past and spoil her present?
The book unfolds the lives of Chloe, Morgan and Brynn in each chapter to reveal what happens next when these women enter the world of Facebook and how this social networking site is merely a "catalyst" and a "tool" which affects their relationships and their life-turning decisions.
When I read the starting chapters, I felt that the book has a wonderful premise and it would be interesting to see it develop and shape into a full-blown exciting story. Sadly enough, I was wrong.
First of all, each chapter is told in three small chapters subscribed to three leading ladies, which confused me a lot. I had to go back and forth many times, to keep track of the developments happening in each lady’s life. It is like having three protagonists in one novel, each telling their story and that too in first-person POV. I think it would have been better if the writer focused on one story instead of developing three stories simultaneously. In my humble opinion, it could have been put into three novellas separately instead of one lengthy complicated book.
There are lots of secondary characters, from Blonde Bianca to gay Bryan, also there is ample room given to Morgan’s supporting cast, and then there is the most sensible character of Ivette who plays the role of Brynn’s friend. While I felt that the supporting cast of Chloe and Morgan consisted of predictable characters, the character of Ivette presented a breath of fresh air.
There are sub-plots, for example, Morgan’s preparation for mini-triathlon which felt like dragging the story to a halt, as it did not do anything to progress the story, rather presented a distraction. The situations like Hailey’s broken leg, Chad’s last kiss, Timothy’s outbursts had the potential to develop into something, but it seemed that the writer picked up so many threads and failed to weave them together in a page-turning climax.
The reader can easily figure out that Chloe’s story deals with the problems of long-distance relationship, her over-emotional behaviour and her desperate boyfriend trying to get hold of her, while she keeps busy with her career and her gay friend’s life. Her story is interesting but predictable.
With every passing chapter, Morgan’s jealousy goes to annoy and irritate not only her husband but the reader as well. Brynn’s story is more like a fling which goes beyond control and ultimately brings a crack in her marriage and her relationship with her kids. The reader sees her as an emotionally unstable woman who is full of self-pity and loves to blame others for her wrong actions. No matter how much I wanted to love the characters, I ended up disliking them, except for Kyle and Chad’s character.
While I would not say that this book is all-bad, it surely has some loopholes in its craft, for example, the slow pace and an abrupt ending. It also lacks growth in terms of character-development. With 350 pages to read, the story could have been chopped at places to save it from getting dull at the end. Overall, I think it is a good effort considering this is Amanda’s first book. Hopefully, her future endeavours will offer much improved version of her writing skills.
Review Girl Rating: 6/10
I would like to thank the author Amanda Strong for sending me a free copy of her book, “With Just One Click” for the purpose of reviewing it on my blog. To buy this book on Amazon, click here.
I would also like to thank Samantha of Chicklitplus.com who gave me the opportunity to be part of her amazing CLP Blog Tour. To visit other blogs taking part in this tour, click here.
Cover Critique:
The cover is so stylish. With fashionable ladies gracing the cover, it perfectly matches the women-centric theme set in the backdrop of posh NYC. Very apt and convincing! It has got this "Ooo la la" factor and I like it!
Review:
This is a story of a thirty-something married working woman, Lindsay Chandler. She lives on the Upper East Side of New York, in a posh apartment, with two school going children (Kristen and Jake) and her husband, Grant. To complete this picture perfect family, they have a dog as well, named Digby. But the truth is that her life is not as perfect as it looks. Being a misfit among the trophy wives of rich men, she yearns for a life of meaning and a burning desire to fill the vacuum inside her. We see that her relationship with her husband is as chaotic as it can get and we learn that she is extremely unhappy and craves for her husband’s care, love and attention.
On the other hand, her husband does not only have a “don’t give a damn” attitude towards her and kids but is also filled with egotistical male-chauvinistic demands, which he expects (rather orders) Lindsay to fulfil. Lindsay not only performs all household chores but also her job, which do keep her occupied but not enough to fill the emptiness in her married life. When she encounters a handsome bachelor (addressed in the novel as, “The Man Upstairs”) living in the building, she starts to fall for his physical charm, much like a “desperate wife” hungry for attention. An extra-marital affair starts and the reader is taken on a whirlwind of relationship problems, lust, love, temptations, social taboos and a journey of self-discovery for Lindsay.
If you are thinking that it is just another chick lit with a non-serious, superficial story, then you are wrong. The story can be read on many levels. The title serves double meaning: apparent and underlying. The apparent meaning is of course about the physical appearance of Lindsay which does not match the Upper East Side ladies who are thin, one-dimensional and blonde. But underlying meaning would be that she is like an outsider; a misfit in the shallow world of trophy wives.
The novel beautifully narrates the story of a woman who wants to re-invent herself and her failing marriage gives her the golden opportunity to analyse her self-worth and potential. On this journey of self-discovery, with the support of her friends, she finally comes to understand the complicated world of adult relationships and masked personalities which make her realise that she was living in a world of illusions and day-dreams.
The novel is written from the point of viewof female protagonist and the opening chapters are filled with her constant whining about house chores, her husband’s indifference to her needs and her wish to land on a better job profile. While Lindsay’s complaints irritated me a little, they did not put me off at all. On the contrary, the novel hooked me from the beginning and made me want to know how her character develops and grows in the coming chapters. As the dilemma of Lindsay’s marital life is laid in front of the reader from the start, the theme of the novel gets wide and clear with all its complexities that are sure to follow.
The writer keeps the chapters short yet meaningful as we witness a whole lot of activity going on from first chapter till the last. So, as the pacedoes not slow down at any point of the story, it keeps the reader totally absorbed. Half-way through the story, I was so much engrossed in Lindsay’s character, that I could feel and imagine what she was going through in her life. In spite of its mature and complex story line, the writer does not digress from the plot, which is extremely remarkable!
There is also a lot of thought put into the secondary characters. There is quirky Jodee (her friend who is more like her sister), sex-expert Tanya (who is her best friend and a great aunt to her kids), helpful guy Ryan, smart kids, her compulsive mother and a very loud father. While the character of“The Man Upstairs” is complete and original and other characters are also believable, surprisingly the character of Grant is the epitome of all-bad, so much so that it looks fake and plastic! Since the story is told from first person’s POV and the readers see characters from Lindsay’s eye, it is justified to an extent. Overall, it is a smartly written book.
The ending of the book is bound to make you happy, but I will not spoil it for you. Read to find out what she decides for her future life. I will recommend it to all, especially working mothers and housewives who can empathise and maybe even learn something from Lindsay’s story. The readers get a glimpse of modern lifestyle and the changing rules of marital relationships in this social satire. A well-rounded novel which is worth a read!
Review Girl Rating: 8/10
“I would like to thank Meredith Cagen for sending me a free copy of her book, “Size Eight in a Size Zero World” for the purpose of reviewing it on my blog. To know the review rules and policy, click here. To buy this book on Amazon, click here.”
