Review: Promising
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 7, 2013
I've just completed Finding Sweetness, and this author has a lot of promise as a writer, but she's in dire need of an editor. It is that lack of editing that detracts from the overall enjoyment of this read. I do not write reviews to praise or bash a writer. I write reviews because the story touched me in some kind of way so here's my honest assessment:Pros:*Compelling storyline: White supremacist forced into a lifestyle of hatred and bigotry falls madly in love with beautiful, black girl, however, he must endure a life of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his Neo-Nazi father in order to save his, his mother's, and ultimately, his love's life*High stakes drama: You never know what's going to happen next. Will they get caught? What is the grand wizard daddy hiding? Who are the real friends and the true enemies? Will Alton and Yaz find their HEA...?*Sexy love scenes: For the few that there are, they are non-gratuitous and very steamyCons:*Needs editing very badly: Poor spelling, run-on sentences, incorrect punctuation and improper tense usage. It's often difficult to tell who's actually doing the talking because everything is run together...*Storyline seemed a bit rushed. There were many period jumps with no detail in between. Also, it's a little confusing as to what era we're dealing with: When we first meet the couple, it felt like the 60's, but then, I felt like we were in the 2000's. Yaz was driving a '78 Chevette in one paragraph and the very next scene, Alton spots her putting her suitcase into an Altima.*Names of her best friends are often switched (Again due to lack of editing)*How could Yaz claim to love Alton so much yet doesn't immediately recognize him when they lock eyes in the Starbucks? Yeah, it's been 8 years, but still...It's explained because he looked different, but how? We never really know how he looked to begin with.*Lack of description of the main characters: What do Yaz and Alton really look like. All I know is Yaz is black with long hair and small breasts. AJ is white with pretty, white teeth, brown eyes and thick, brown hair. We need more-features, height, shape, etc... What does the racist father look like? What does Alton's mom look like? What do Channing and Gabe and Erica and Azari look like? We need to be able to relate to the characters in some way by knowing how they look.The story ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger, so I will definitely be back for Part 2. Ms. Lewis, keep writing. I see your potential as a good storyteller, but investing in an editor is a must. I would love to recommend this book to one of my reading circles, but cannot unless it's cleaned up. I still look forward to the next installment...