Review: Great Writing - Storyline Was Lacking
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 18, 2013
Rating: 2.5 starsI heard great things about this book and after reading the Prologue I was hooked. I really loved how Laura gave a run down of her relationship with Alex and the events that happened to lead her to Rock Cove, Virginia - the place where her mother, who is now deceased, grew up. And then we met Brooks, the gardener, who helped Laura change a flat tire. After a hilarious interaction that involved granny panties, I thought I was going to be in for a real treat. Unfortunately, as the book continued, the author lost me.Laura is a little lost, which is completely understandable given her history of failed relationships. I really could relate to her in the beginning and I liked that she had a level head on her shoulders. She was not a naive girl who ran from her problems. The point where the story lost me was when she found her mother's journal. Her mother went through a similar heartbreak by a man who was not Laura's father when she was 17 and detailed the events leading up to it in her journal.What I didn't understand was why Laura felt the need to reenact/recreate everything her mother wrote about in her journal. What would that do for her? What would spending the day on the beach exactly as her mother had do for her especially when Laura knew all those events led to a heartbreak anyway? I felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle to make sense of this.And then we have Brooks, who isn't the gardener, but a son who has been pigeon-holed into a situation by his overbearing father. Poor Brooks. I liked him and thought he was overall such a great guy. I understand why he wasn't standing up for himself - he wanted to shield his siblings from their father, which makes him that much more swoon-worthy - however, it just seemed unbelievable at times.It would be one thing if his fiance was a nice girl who he just didn't love, but Jacqueline was a horrible, money-hungry troll who had an agenda of her own. Why in the world would Brooks date this woman to begin with, let alone agree to marry her? Add to the fact that neither really enjoyed the other ones company, yet Brooks still remained faithful. It just became too unbelievable for me.Here is the thing about this book that saddened me - I liked the characters a lot. There was a great balance of personal growth and self-discovery on both parts. I also thought it was funny - the scenes were well written and well timed. The author can definitely write a great story. My problem was with the actual storyline - it just didn't make sense and everything was too coincidental for me. I know I am the minority on this, but I just didn't connect with it.2 stars for the story and 3 stars for the characters = 2.5 stars