Month: September 2020

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Chance of a Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets – Blog Tour (Review)

I have been on such a lucky run of books lately, with several unique plot twists or storylines making for very interesting reading.

This one takes the cake, putting a spin on a time-traveling romance in a way that makes it intriguing and thoroughly plausible (especially if you have particular beliefs – more on that later).

I will admit straight off, I am not generally a fan of regency romances, they just aren’t my thing, (which kind of doesn’t make sense, because I like historical romance) so at first, I was leery of this one. I worried that there would be too much set in that part of the story and it wouldn’t be interesting.

I was totally wrong. And I may have even found a new genre to explore, or at least give another chance.

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I liked the simplicity of the set-up of the initial meeting between Liam and Cora (told via Liam’s memories). It seemed as if relationships and connections were much more clear cut.

That’s important, because things get complicated quickly.

You see, Liam has a task based on his previous life actions. He needs to help Cora fall in love with the right person – because apparently he screwed up so badly in their original lives that each of her successive lives has ended in tragedy.

Can he ignore his love for her and complete his task? Can love be forced? Or are soulmates meant to be together regardless of the potential consequences?  

If you look at those questions, you may think that this has a lot of new age/past lives stuff in it, but aside from the premise, the authors deal with the concepts in a straightforward manner that made for easy and intriguing reading.

I really enjoyed Liam the most, because he was the one with the task. I thought it was funny that the angels gave him just enough knowledge to get by in the modern world, which made some of his revelations highly amusing.  He was also the only one who knew what was stake which added depth to his actions. However, I liked Cora’s slow realization as well.

For me, it was a great illustration that there are many things we don’t know – past lives is just one of them. I happen to believe that our energies continue when our bodies are gone, which is why we have feelings of déjà vu, or feeling totally comfortable with someone you’re just met. Cora puzzles over these very things.

I’m not going to give you the ending, because that wouldn’t be fair. But trust me when I say that you really should read this one for its unique perspective on undying love. I’m hoping it won’t be the only book like this from these authors.

Author Website: https://judedeveraux.com/
TWITTER: @JudeDeveraux1
FB: @JudeDeveraux
Insta: @Judedeveraux

Jude Deveraux is the author of forty-three New York Times bestsellers, including For All Time, Moonlight in the Morning, and A Knight in Shining Armor. She was honored with a Romantic Times Pioneer Award in 2013 for her distinguished career. To date, there are more than sixty million copies of her books in print worldwide.

Author Website: https://tarasheets.com/
FB: @TaraSheetsBooks
Insta: @tarasheets

Tara Sheets is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee. She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too. When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. You can find out more about her on the web at www.tarasheets.com, on facebook/tarasheetsauthor, and on twitter @Tara_Sheets.

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First Girl Gone by L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain – Books on Tour (Review)

This new crime thriller series is not your normal run-of-the-mill for one simple reason: its main character has a shall we call it…unique sidekick who also acts as her conscience.

Charlie always swore she would not return to Salem Island after her twin sister disappeared, tearing her family apart. But her uncle, a private investigator, is battling cancer, and Charlie is back to help out.

The story jumps off to a very quick start when Kara Dawkins goes missing. Charlie takes the case, but the investigation is off to a fairly slow start, with very few clues. Until another girl goes missing.

As Charlie tries to draw parallels and make connections, events happen that bring her past to the forefront, making the investigation even more challenging.

I’m not going to tell you anymore because that would be giving away the plot (which I don’t like to do). Suffice to say that it is well-plotted, well-written, drew me in, and kept my attention. That’s no easy feat these days.

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Now, let’s talk characters.  

I really liked Charlie. She was human, with fears and foibles. Being back in her hometown, she meets up with a lot of ex-classmates, including Will who was an unrequited high school crush…or was he?

I also liked the interactions that Charlie had with pretty much everyone. As a private detective, she doesn’t have quite the authority of the police, which allowed her to be a little bit more relaxed in her investigation. I enjoyed that about her.

As for her Jiminy Cricket – her sister Allie is the one who keeps a running commentary in Charlie’s head. It was a super twist to a sidekick, and it allowed Charlie to have random thoughts and argue with herself (which we’ve all done).

She’s also the yin to Charlie’s yang, providing balance, levity, and a dose of tough love when Charlie needs to hear it the most. I loved their “conversations” and Allie’s monologues. They were a welcome aspect that gave a special twist to the story.

Just one more thing, though, and it’s totally nitpicky. A key character has the name Leroy Gibbs. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m a huge “NCIS” fan. And, of course, the main character is Leroy Jethro Gibbs (better known as just “Gibbs.”)

Every time the character in the book was mentioned, I thought of the TV character – and they couldn’t have been more different. It was an unfortunate distraction. But as I said, that was for me. If you don’t watch the show, it won’t bother you one bit.

I truly enjoyed this book, and I hope there are more Charlotte Winters investigations to come.   

Author Bio:
L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain are the authors of the Violet Darger series and The Scattered and the Dead series among others, which have collectively tallied over a million downloads. Their book, Dead End Girl, peaked at #3 in the US Kindle charts and has remained in the top 10 in multiple sub-categories since it was published in 2017.  

Website: https://ltvargus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ltvargusbooks/  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ltvargus  
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Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite – Books On Tour (Review)

Hands down, this is one of the most lushly described, detailed, creepy, and hauntingly beautiful serial killer stories I have ever read.

And those are words I never thought I would put together into a sentence.

Honestly, though, I can’t remember a time that an author paid so much attention to the criminal, and the story is so much better for that attention. It elevates this book beyond a normal serial killer/crime procedural.  

The author even manages to make the reader (well, at least this one!) sympathetic to the killer. That’s a tough road to go down, because it could make a person turn against the plot and dislike the book.

Not the case here.

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Adam obviously has some deep seated issues, but tracing his journey from sweet boy on his grandmother’s knee reading fairy tales to psychopathic killer who (for all intents and purposes) stalks his victims is fascinating.

In fact, I found myself more intrigued with Adam’s story than that of his main target, Laura’s. Not to say that she wasn’t interesting in her own right. The character study of her grief is the perfect backdrop for not being totally aware of the impending events.

I particularly liked how the author used flowers and their “language” (i.e. Wood sorrel: Maternal tenderness) as each chapter heading. It was a unique indication of a focus or point of importance of the chapter.

I highly recommend this book. But be warned: it is not one that you can just rush through. This one takes its time setting the stage and slowly entwining the characters (not unlike ivy or some other flowering vine). That’s not to say that it’s boring because it’s nowhere near that. But the action does accelerate to a thrilling finish.

The only other warning I can give is that you might find yourself wondering what’s wrong with you that you are feeling for (and maybe even rooting for) Adam’s misguided vision of love and protection. But don’t worry, you won’t be alone in that feeling.

Facebook: AuthorBarbaraCopperthwaite
Twitter: @BCopperthwait
Instagram: author_barbara_copperthwaite/
Website: www.barbaracopperthwaite.com

Author Bio:
Barbara is the Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of psychological thrillers INVISIBLE, FLOWERS FOR THE DEAD, THE DARKEST LIES, and HER LAST SECRET.

More importantly, she loves cakes, wildlife photography and, last but definitely not least, her two dogs, Scamp and Buddy (who force her to throw tennis balls for them for hours).

Having spent over twenty years as a national newspaper and magazine journalist, Barbara has interviewed the real victims of crime – and also those who have carried those crimes out. She is fascinated by creating realistic, complex characters, and taking them apart before the readers’ eyes in order to discover just how much it takes to push a person over a line.

When not writing feverishly, she is often found hiding behind a camera, taking wildlife photographs. 

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The Mistress by Jill Childs – Books On Tour (Review)

This book zigged when I thought it was going to zag and kept me guessing (for the most part) right up until the very end.

The story is told in two halves. The first is from the perspective of Laura Dixon, the titular mistress. We only get a small glimpse into her relationship with Ralph before everything goes horribly wrong.

From there, the readers are taken through Laura’s confusion “post-incident.” We’re never quite sure if she is totally losing it, or if there is a reason that she is reacting so strongly to her situation. Did she love Ralph that much? Did he have another secret that she knew about? And what’s with the weird text messages she begins to receive?

The tension builds as she becomes more erratic, finally climaxing in another incident. However, we don’t know exactly what happens, because the book abruptly switches point of view.

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The second half is from Helen’s point of view. She’s the long-suffering wife of Ralph. She has to keep everything together for the sake of her daughter. She’s calm and collected where Laura is spinning off the rails.

Is there a method to why she is so cool in the face of her husband’s betrayal? What does she know that she’s not sharing? The author drops a few asides that let the reader know there’s more going on.

I thought that both characters were interesting in their own rights, and well-written to represent the two sides of an affair. The mistress blames the wife for the husband straying…until she’s forced to really take a look at her own behavior.

The wife knows how charming her husband could be, but how many times would she put up with betrayal? And having a daughter to look after and protect makes for a mean Mama Bear to come out.

This book is well-plotted. Even though I said that the switch in point of view was abrupt, it wasn’t jarring. It was obvious that Laura’s part in the story was pretty much over (we do get a few mentions of what happened to her), and that it was time for Helen to take over the narrative. It was effective story-telling.

I mentioned it kept me guessing “for the most part.” I like to play a game when I read psych thrillers, trying to think of the most outrageous plot twist, seeing if I can outguess the author. Sometimes I’m successful. This time I had an inkling, but not a full theory until late in the story. Even then, I didn’t get it completely right.

I’d definitely recommend this one for insight into the minds of females on both sides of an affair…and that killer twist (literally).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/author_jill

Author Bio:
Jill always loved writing – real and imaginary – and spent thirty years travelling the world as a journalist, living overseas and reporting wherever the news took her. She’s now made her home in south-west London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does. Although she’s covered everything from earthquakes and floods, wars and riots, she’s decided some of the most extraordinary stories are right here at home – in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets just like yours. 

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The Runaway Sisters by Ann Bennett – Books On Tour (Review)

As anyone who has read this blog even in passing knows I read a lot, and historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. Many of the books often have “heartbreaking” or “unforgettable” in the taglines.

This is one of the first ones in recent memory where the story actually lives up to the “heartbreaking” part. Even though anything having to do with war is tough to read, this one was especially so.

I thought the entire set up, from present time to the past was well done. The way that Helen and Laura found “clues” to their mom’s past little by little felt natural, especially in light of what that past entailed.

I think Daisy is illustrative of many people who lived during WWII. Their experiences were so harsh that they don’t want to talk about it, and even hide it. My mom said her father was that way when he came back from the South Pacific; she knew that he had changed, but he never talked about the things that he had seen and done.

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What makes Daisy’s situation unique, of course, is that she was a young girl and wasn’t actually “in” the war in the truest sense. However, she was a victim of it just the same. In some ways, her experiences were harsher than some others possibly were.

I have studied the program that sent children who were evacuated from the cities to farms for safety, but it honestly never occurred to me how that could be manipulated. The author did a fantastic job of relating the issues in a realistic way that really hit home.

In war, you can’t always rely on people to have the best interests of children in mind. That’s a sad realization.

Aside from the situation itself, Daisy had a very hard life (really, because of the situation as well). It seemed at one point that the hits just kept on coming. There were a few passages that were difficult to get through. I felt so bad for her.

But I thought the way that Helen and Laura bonded over discovering their mother’s past was heartfelt, and I particularly liked how learning about Daisy’s history shined light on their perceptions (especially Helen’s) of their relationship with Daisy. That was a great touch to include.

This book was extremely well-written. I learned a lot and it made me think. That’s all I can ask for in a historical fiction novel. Don’t miss this one.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annbennett71
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annbennettauthor/

Author Bio:

Ann Bennett was born in a small village in Northamptonshire and now lives in Surrey. Her first book, A Daughter’s Quest, originally published as Bamboo Heart, was inspired by her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway. The Planter’s Wife (originally published as Bamboo Island) a Daughter’s Promise and The Homecoming, (formerly Bamboo Road) are also about the war in South East Asia.

Ann is married with three grown up sons and works as a lawyer. For more details please visit www.bambooheart.co.uk

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Close to the Bone by Susan Wilkins – Books On Tour (Review)

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Buried Deep, so I was looking forward to this one. I’m pleased to say that Detective Megan Thomas is still in fine form.

She’s still somewhat of a mess, but she is trying to work through it. It helps that she has not one, but two seemingly disparate investigations – are they somehow linked or is that just a reflection of normal casework. And is her past making her too jaded to be objective?

Megan herself wonders this more than once, which adds an interesting dimension to her character. Her self-doubt comes close to making her an unreliable investigator. She knows that she should be trusting her gut and just “going with it,” but she constantly second-guesses herself.

It doesn’t help that she’s still living with her sister, Debbie, and Debbie’s family. This adds to her sense of loss from the past traumas. I’m not going to rehash that, but I stand by what I said in my previous review (see link above).

The author writes about her past as if the reader experienced it with Megan, but we didn’t; it’s all been exposition. It still feels more manipulative than character driven. Even actual flashbacks would be beneficial to a greater understanding of Megan’s current state.

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As to the investigations, Megan has a lot to deal with here as well. The team, whose personalities were established in book one, continue to work well together in spite of the conflicts they have. I think these are the most real parts of the story.

No unit gets along 100% of the time. They snipe at each other, get angry, disagree with next steps…but ultimately work together to solve the case(s). However, sometimes it’s difficult to see behind the façade of a person, especially when you work closely. Megan has to face this a couple of times.

We do get the addition of a couple of interesting characters from the National Crime Agency (NCA). I liked these two, as I think they both had a positive impact on Megan…although for very different reasons. It will be interesting to see if those connections continue in future books.

The action was well-plotted and retained my interest for the most part. It did drag a little bit in the middle, but that’s typical of an investigation…sometimes there’s just a brick wall in the way until another piece chips away and the whole thing comes tumbling down, breaking the case wide open. That was certainly what happened with this investigation.  

I did have a suspicion about a character fairly early on that proved to be true, although not exactly in the way that I thought. I liked that the author surprised me with that. She also handled the timely topic of human trafficking (no spoiler) with sensitivity and insight.

All in all, it’s another solid investigation from Megan and the team. I’ll be interested to see where she goes from here.     

Website: https://susanwilkins.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanwilkinsauthor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SusanWilkins32

Author Bio:

Susan Wilkins also writes as S.J. Wilkins. Susan worked for years in television drama, wrote for shows including Casualty, Heartbeat, Coronation Street, and Eastenders, and created the London-based detective drama South of the Border.

Her gritty, Essex-based gangster trilogy – THE INFORMANT, THE MOURNER and THE KILLER – has been compared to Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers and described as “blazingly brilliant” (Sunday Mirror). IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME, her fourth book, is a twisty psychological thriller, featuring police detective Jo Boden, an ambitious cop still grieving for a murdered sister.

For 2020 a completely gripping new series from Susan introduces the tough and determined Detective Megan Thomas. For fans of Ann Cleeves, LJ Ross and Mari Hannah, this will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. Writing as S.J. Wilkins, A KILLER’S HEART – a tense and timely political thriller, is now available on Kindle.

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The Wartime Nanny by Lizzie Page – Books On Tour (Review)

As I have mentioned before, many historical fiction novels set in and around WWII usually focus on the war itself, or occupied territories. This one is unique because it is actually set in England in the years leading up to Hitler’s rise.

It starts with an elderly Natalie asking her daughter to find a person for her, and we get an inkling that this person is very important to her past. From there, we are taken back to 1936, when Natalie arrives in England (from Austria) as a nanny (hence the title).

The rest of the story is told entirely in the past, as the reader gets to experience a new country and new customs through Natalie’s 16-year-old eyes. Of course, the timeframe needs to be taken into account here.

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I liked how Natalie tried to fit in with the other servants in the Caplin household and how they eventually came to understand each other. I also thought Natalie’s discomfort in new situations, partnered with her efforts felt realistic.

I did feel like the Caplin family was sort of a collective enigma. At first, I thought it might have been purposeful, with a possible respelling of their name. It wasn’t until later in the book that it became apparent Caroline and her husband were just at opposite purposes. I don’t mind saying that Caro was one of the more easily despisable characters I have come across.

As news comes from home, Natalie realizes that she needs to get her sister and mother out of Vienna. The scenes at the refugee offices were especially interesting, because that is not an aspect that is often addressed, especially the anti-Semitism in western countries. It is often subtle here, mainly because 16 is still a naïve age, but also apparent in cutting remarks and actions of certain characters.

I thought there were a few weak plot points, with Natalie’s love life being one of them. I understand that this was just as much a “coming of age” story as it was a historical novel, but some of her interactions just didn’t ring true to me. They weren’t bad or anything, they just didn’t seem to fit.

It also seemed as if the ending was all wrapped up rather quickly, given the three-year span that was the focus. One of Natalie’s driving forces became trying to help her mom and sister, but that was all addressed quickly with mostly some commentary. I wish it had been a bit more balanced. And the very end seemed a little neat, given the messiness of the rest of the relationships.

For me, it didn’t quite reach the level of success of The Forgotten Girls. Overall, however, it was an interesting book for its unique perspective and focus, which this author does excel at, and for that reason alone, I would definitely recommend this book.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizziePagewrite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.page.75

Author Bio:

Lizzie loves reading ALL the books and has always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.

She lives with her family by the sea in South East England. And with her dog. She enjoys traveling and lived in Japan for several years. Lizzie has had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling – but being a writer is her absolute favourite.

She’d love to hear what you think of her books – feel free to send her a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review on amazon.

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Who’s Next by Chris Merritt – Books On Tour (Review)

Writers have been stepping up their games, making me one happy reader. Why?

Let me explain.

I’ve often talked about how the first book in a series can be a grabber, and that’s great!

The question (for me) is always the same though: once the scene is set (so to speak), can an author maintain the interest into a second book, especially when they don’t need to spend as much time on introducing characters?

This is at least the fourth book I’ve read in the past week or so that is second in a series. And, as with the others, the answer to the above question is a resounding “yes!”

Now, I know some of you may say, “but the author has written other series, so it’s really not the same thing as a potential Sophomore Slump.” I disagree, because I look at each series as a new opportunity, and think it would be quite easy to slough off – even if there were successful past series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this author’s Knock Knock. It had a winning combination of compelling characters, unique perspectives, and page-turning action. All continue in Who’s Next.

BUY LINK:   https://geni.us/B08CH9H7YDSocial

I particularly like how the author gives us periodic insights into the killer’s mind, dropping hints about motivation. The clues are there, but only the reader is privy to them directly from the killer…the team has to find them another way. This makes it different from books that only allow readers to see the clues that the investigators find. It’s a welcome addition.

The two protagonists, Lockhart and Green, are still grappling with their past baggage (his missing wife, her experiences from the last book) while also trying to define their relationship. Therapist/patient? Co-workers/friends? Something more? I like how they’re both real people with real issues.

The case itself is another good one. The initial murder is treated as a standalone homicide, and only the reader knows that there is more to come. I love this “I know something you don’t know” feeling that I get over the investigators. Especially as the bodies start appearing and the team has to connect the dots to figure out what they all have in common

Additionally, one of the team is working on a parallel investigation of a serial rapist. Are the two cases related? Is there some connection that they keep missing? (You know you have to read it to find out).

Suffice to say that in spite of having “inside info” from the killer, you won’t see this one coming. While this can certainly be standalone, I definitely recommend starting with the first book, if just to get background on the Lockhart and Green. It will make this one even more enjoyable than it already is.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCJMerritt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/chris_merritt
Website: www.cjmerritt.co.uk

Author Bio:

Chris Merritt is a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.

All his novels are set in London, where he lives. He began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. He specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked his interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.

Now he spends most of his time writing novels and drinking coffee while *thinking* about writing novels. When he’s not writing, he loves climbing and playing basketball.

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The Wife by Shalini Boland – Books On Tour (Review)

I remember reading early books from this author. I am pleased to say that the plotting, character development, and overall feel of the books have improved over time.

This one starts with a brief flashback from someone’s perspective, but we have no idea which character it belongs to. That’s followed by a scene in the past at Zoe and Toby’s wedding – and then we’re off on an intelligent and twisty plot.

The author effectively moves back and forth between “then” and “now” chapters, which are roughly 10 years apart. Through Zoe’s eyes, we experience strange events in the present time as she plans her 10th wedding anniversary party. These events may (or may not) have something to do with things that happened around her wedding.

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I liked how the author tied the two together. It was interesting to try to figure out what past conversations and interactions had bearing on the present day. The author also did a good job of throwing in a few things that seemed to be inocuous, but only later were revealed to be pertinent.

I do think that there could have been a stronger tie with the behavior of the characters in current day. In hindsight, I would have liked a few more “clues” to have been dropped…things that would have either whetted my curiosity or made me think “Oh! So THAT’s what all of that meant.” I think it might have made the big reveal a little more impactful.

There was also one major plot point that wasn’t cleared up for me, and that had to do with Zoe’s memory. Given how the story turned out, I remain unsure as to whether or not others had a direct bearing on that over 10 years or if it was solely a defensive mechanism.

But I really enjoyed the book. I think this author keeps getting better and I look forward to the next one!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ShaliniBolandAuthor
Website: http://www.shaliniboland.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShaliniBoland  

Author Bio:
Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing psychological thrillers (in between school runs and sorting endless baskets of laundry).

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The Wreckage of Us by Brittainy C. Cherry – Blog Tour (Review)

While nothing has quite lived up to Eleanor & Grey (my first introduction to this author), I still enjoy her books and get excited each time I see a new release. Nobody does “real” and gritty as she does.

This is the story of Ian and Hazel. They live in a small town in Nebraska, but both have bigger plans: Ian is going to be a Rockstar (with his band, The Wreckage – catch that title) and Hazel is NOT going to be her mother.

When Hazel gets a job at the local patriarch’s ranch (Big Paw just happens to be Ian’s grandfather), Ian treats her….well, like the pigshit she has to dig out. But he has his reasons…or so he thinks.

With any Brittainy Cherry book, we get a lot of backstory on the two main characters, and they are fully developed people. One of the strengths of her writing is building these characters who feel like they could literally walk off the page at any moment.

This time she also captures the absolute hopelessness of a small town that has been ravaged by zero opportunities while also addressing the epidemic of meth and opioid use that tends to follow failing towns. Those passages are among the most raw and realistic.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fmbg5g 
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheWreckageofus 
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/3ey4c4x 
Amazon Audio: https://amzn.to/2ATroMy 

As always, I was drawn to the characters and their relationship as they moved from hate to dislike to understanding to friendship and beyond. I love the way this author tracks relationships.

However, as with the past couple of books, there is a great build up but then the end seems rushed. There were a couple of character transitions that seemed a little rocky along the way, but once the inevitable split between Ian and Hazel occurs, it isn’t the end-all, be-all that it should be.  Dare I say, there wasn’t enough angst?

And I was really ticked off that the resolution of Charlie, and even Jean to an extent, were both almost asides. Charlie especially deserved a much bigger end to his story. As it was, it seemed like an afterthought, or just a plot manipulation. It didn’t match the influence he had on the earlier parts of the story.

That being said, I enjoyed Ian and Hazel’s journey, just as I do each time I read this author. And I will still look forward to the next one.

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