Review: Jodie's 3 star review
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 29, 2014
“We never live so intensely as when we love strongly.  We never realize ourselves so vividly as when we are in full glow of love for others.”The Face in the Mirror is a light, easy, leave you with a smile read.  I went into this book expecting the emotions I got with Barbara’s previous work and I am sad to say I didn’t fully get that.  What I can tell you I got was love, plain and simple.  But I also found this book had more than just second chance love, this book gave you a rare glimpse into the bond a mother and daughter share.  The synopsis with this book had me pulled in, I love the thought of a second chance at love.Renee aka Renie and Mitchell met when they were just teenagers. They had the whole love at first sight love.  Their love followed the fairy tale, fall in love, get married but …. Then life happened and Renee walked away.  Years passed and that love never truly left it just waited.  Then tragic loss brings them back together and that love comes right back to the surface.  I love how Barbara’s writing style is more a journey.  We watch as a couple that knew love as teenagers learns to love each other as the adults they have become.  What I wasn’t expecting was Barbara to throw in this amazing bond of love that Renee had with her mother, a relationship that we witness through her mother’s journal entries.“I love seeing the two of you together.  I knew, Renee, I knew that day Granny and I sat down with him that he was the one for you!”As I read her mother’s entries I couldn’t help but think to myself, “A momma always knows.”  These characters Barbara created were very real and likable, but to me something was still missing.  The story almost felt too sweet and cute.  Can a story be too fluffy and warm?  I feel like I was missing something.  Passion was there but I never felt like I was truly able to feel it.  I don’t truly know how to explain it because don’t get me wrong there are scenes where they are together and it has everything there but then it’s over and you are moving to the next.  There is something this book makes you want and it is not sex, it is an omelet, I WANT A KITCHEN SINK OMELET!!** I received a complimentary copy from the author for an honest review **