Review: Great Story
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 4, 2013
I have to admit after reading the other reviews for Natasha's Dream, I feel a tad bit dumb, but I was lost when the book transitioned from the modern day couple to a Princess who feel asleep in a hammock and woke chasing her dog down to the beach.  Suddenly, I was drowning while clinging to a rickety staircase uphill and ended up next to my dog, listening to some man tell of Princess Natasha and her brothers, how she wasn't valued by her parents, and was denied the love of her choice while waiting for her father to find a suitable husband for her.  I think the author saw the story her in her head but failed to make it clear for at least this reader.I enjoyed the story telling, but aside from the smattering of dialogue, that's exactly what this was...a novel that tells rather than shows and kept me from really stepping into the character's shoes and seeing the story from their perspective.  Rather than showing me excitement through features and actions, the author used descriptive words that didn't make the scenes come alive in most places.  There were a few moments where the dialogue and action did mesh well, but I wanted more...much more.  Although I wasn't sure of the era to which the original heroine was transported, I wondered if "klutz" would have been in the vocabulary.I know this is a prequel for more to come from this author, and just as any debut novel, writing is a learning experience.  As one progresses through the editing processes, one continues to learn.  There is a compelling story here, just one that I personally would have liked to experience rather than feel like I was being read a bedtime story.I look forward to seeing the growth of Heather Greenis.  I think she is on the brink of becoming a stellar author.