Review: too perfect, that was until the twist about half way ...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 20, 2014
A romance, told from the perspective of Megan, a pregnant singleton who appears to be off men, that is until Mark shows up at the bar and in a very forward (and at times bordering on stalker-ish style) sweeps Megan off her feet, or so it would seem. And that is really all I can tell you without spoilers!So I guess you want to know what I thought? Well, in a nutshell, it was rather enjoyable, even in aspects were a little hard for me to get into. As a newcomer to the romance genre (I’m looking for my own Mr Right so I’m canvassing book boyfriends to fill time!) I have to say, at times this was just a little too soppy for me, too perfect, that was until the twist about half way through, and then it got much more believable, but you get where I’m coming from. There was also the fact that this story is a bit of a slow starter. You do need to keep reading until about 50% of the way through before, and I promise you this, Chapman hooks you nice and strong and you can’t put the book down.The plot is, at times, quite ambling. It does develop well, but sometimes it could just be a little faster paced to help you engage more with the story being told. However, that being said, I cannot fault the final few chapters which are simply a delight to read and incredibly hard to stop reading once you start. They have the momentum and pace of a freight train heading downhill without any brakes, and it is incredibly hard not to get swept up in the emotions of Megan and the other characters as their little world seems to go to hell in a fast car and back again several times. Add to that some really jarring twists and turns as the plot develops and you are left with whiplash from the sudden u-turns the story takes. Credit is most definitely due for Chapman in turning what I felt would be a very run of the mill story into something out of the ordinary.The characters are a mixed bag. Megan is very believable in a modern society, and her lifestyle, attitude to dating, the whole package is like dipping into my own head, or that of my friends. Mark, on the other hand, is a bit harder to get used to. Yes he’s romantic, yes he’s attractive, yes he’s loaded, but at times he is just, quite simply, too ‘in your face’. He’s the only character I really didn’t feel was entirely believable and I found it harder to engage with him. That is until we got to know his character flaws and he was no longer the perfect guy! Somehow, even reading perfection worries me because it makes it that much harder to find in real life, so on balance, I guess Mark is a normal guy! The supporting characters are an engaging and diverse, even if we don’t really get much chance to get to know them.In conclusion, this is an enjoyable and easy read that would be well suited to poolside reading or a nice relaxing afternoon. It’s not too long, which is always a bonus as it keeps the visit to Megan’s world short and sweet, and I think the length is pitched just right. Pace is better in the second half, as is the plot, but I have to say, I’m very much looking forward to hiding away and reading the next in the series. And on that note, I’m off to find a quiet corner to read!ARC received in return for an honest review as part of a blog tour on Lily Loves Indie - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=102