Review: A wonderful, messy love story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 6, 2014
am Burnside was a minor character in "Live," and as the angry, controlling brother who made it his job to manage his siblings' lives, he wasn't entirely likable. This is his story: messy, confusing, and very, very real. For those who love alpha male heroes and traditional romances, "Laugh" may not be their cup of tea. And at first, I found it difficult to warm up to Sam and his prickly insecurities, just as it was hard to get a handle on Nina, the war widow who is struggling to make a living as an organic farmer (as I said, this isn't a traditional romance).But this is a book worth sticking with -- and by 1/3 of the way in, I was totally hooked. Mary Ann Rivers has written characters so real that it takes time to fully grasp their complexities. The people in this novel aren't cardboard cutouts, but normal, quirky, moody humans who struggle with love and death, with commitment and control. It's refreshing to read about mature lovers who carry a lot of history with them and who already know a lot about themselves and what they want. As Nina explains, "They weren't kids. Life itself wasn't long enough. The way she was now, was the way she was." The writing style suits the tone and message of the book: a bit reflective and worth lingering over -- and Mary Ann Rivers is a writer to watch.