Review: EPIC
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2013
I picked up this novel on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and let me tell you; I had no idea what I was in for. I'm a big fan of what I call "Sure-Read"s.. That is, formulaic, well-written romance. Why? Because I know what I'm going to get when I go into it. I don't care if the plot is cliche because that sense of romance I get from the book is familiar and cozy. So understand that when I picked up this book, I thought I was going to get a familiar, cozy, but predictable read out of it.I was wrong.This book was very well written. At first, I didn't particularly like the main female lead, Desi. Like some of the characters in the book, I felt her fake-Latina persona was phony and not endearing. That may be because I live in a heavily Latin-influenced area. (I live in El Paso on the border of texas/new mexico/mexico). However, as the story wore on and that fake-side of her personality started to melt away, I learned to like her more and more. It added a depth to the story that I wasn't expecting. As the other characters in the story grew close to Desi, so did I. It was a unique experience, and though I'm not sure it was planned, I really enjoyed the outcome.This story was full of characters with unique personalities and complicated emotions. I really enjoyed Joe, Desi, Zach, and Rory just to name a few. They were funny, witty, endearing.. I could go on and on. And though at first the plot seemed to be like every other sure-read I've come across in the past, it quickly turned into a very unique and personal tale of these character's lives that were basically torn apart by tragedy... and how they worked to overcome it. There were a lot of endearing, heart-warming moments, but I'd like to share one of my favorites:"Maybe this will change your mind." Rory took a small cardboard box from next to the door."Zach just dropped it off."Her heart started to thump wildly. She untucked the top flaps. A little gray head popped out. Attached to his neck was a loose bit of twine, with a note attached.You forgot your cat.I mean seriously, how can you read that and not go "awwwwwww"? He gave her a freaking kitten. Okay maybe it doesn't have the same impact when it's not in context, but it certainly had me smiling.There was a definite feeling of attraction and passion between the main couple, Desi and Zach. I'll admit sometimes I wanted to shake my fist at them because they both seemed so clueless, and a lot of times they made obvious bad decisions, but I have to say, the end to this book was absolutely PERFECT.I don't cry when I read books. I've read so many romances that I'm completely immune to their effect for the most part. I teared up with this one. Even just thinking about it makes my throat grow tight. I cannot put into words how epic and endearing this love story was. If you're going to pick up a romance anytime in the near future, pick up this one. You won't regret it.