Review: Not really romance
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 08 26, 2012
Reading this book was an odd experience, and my grade for it really depends on what it's trying to be. As "womens' fiction" this is quite an engaging story, but as a romance it fails. It's just not emotional enough. I was attracted by the premise (I love unrequited love stories) but we don't get nearly enough of Liam's point of view; I wanted to feel his longing, anguish and joy. Without access to his thoughts I didn't believe in his love for a woman he'd only met a couple of times before.The love scenes in general are tepid; the author simply describes actions without showing what the characters are feeling. When Liam tells Alicia he's loved her for years, she barely reacts at all. And one of the secondary characters - Alicia's new friend Penny - is unbelievably irritating. An old friend of her husband who latches onto Alicia as soon as she moves to town and proceeds to endlessly warn and lecture her about Liam like an overbearing parent - I couldn't understand why Alicia puts up with her. And this from a woman who was in a relationship with Liam herself for years, yet Alicia isn't even curious about this. In fact, most of the characters behave inconsistently at times.The story is fine and the writing is technically good, but I found myself unmoved and frequently frustrated by this book. Even the happy ever after is so tentative and unemotional. If you're expecting the romance to be a minor element of a story of small town life, second chances and personal growth, you'll probably enjoy Where the Heart Lies. But I was disappointed.