Thursday 25 May 2017

Read in 2017 - 21: Mr. August

[Just a short interlude of two posts before I'll pick up my Lago Maggiore posts again. I have a back log of several more book reviews to post; amazingly, these days I seem to be reading books faster than I can review them!]

Mr. August
Jan Romes

Now, this was one of those typical works of chick lit where you know from the very start that the man and woman coming across each other under the worst possible circumstances, instantly taking a hearty dislike to each other, will end up living happily ever after.
And it is exactly how it turns out.


Also, hardly surprising, there are many obstacles to overcome before that happy ending; last but not least, the protagonists' own stubbornness. Of course, the man and the woman in question are both extremely attractive - why do some authors seem to assume love only happens to those super-beautiful people? Or do they believe the reader is not
interested in stories about ordinary people? Well, this reader certainly is; I actually find some real extraordinary stories come from the (at first glance) most ordinary lives.

Anyway, I read this to the end because it had its superficially entertaining value, and for a free ebook, it wasn't too badly edited. But none of the characters really "got to" me (and I still don't think it is funny to portray a young mother of a bunch of completely unruly kids as going through her messy and disorganised days by resorting to glasses of wine in her kitchen as soon as breakfast is over).

Not as bad as "Roses on Cliff Walk", but definitely another one you can safely pass by without missing out on anything really good.

If you are still interested in Jan Romes and her books, here is her website.

3 comments:

  1. A sad review, but at least we know what to avoid!

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  2. Surprisingly, after I posted the same review on Amazon, the author replied to me in the most friendly manner. It does nor change my opinion of the book, but it does alter my impression of the author.

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  3. Just in case you are interested in what Jan Rome wrote as a reply to my review, here it is:

    Jan Romes says:

    Thank you so much for the review. I truly appreciate all feedback. Regarding the predictability that the hero and heroine will live happily every after...the romance genre dictates either a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now ending. Again, thank you for reading Libby and Max's story and taking the time to share your thoughts. Kind regards! ~ Jan

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