Review: Bartender Rating: House; A really great ending.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 10, 2013
This and more reviews available at The Book Bar.coGood Lord, this book took a long time for me to finish. I wanted to put it down and come back to it later, but the characters were enduring and unique. But, man! I couldn't read but a couple chapters every time I picked it up.So here's why you should give it a try. A book where the main characters are in the forty's or older. Score 1 for the 'more mature' readers! The story involves the possibility of falling out of love with the person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with. Like a reverse fairy tale. It doesn't, at all, go where you think it's going to go. Sexy, wealthy, charming man sweeps our disgruntled mom (with a curvy figure no-doubt) off her feet only to dump him. WHAT THE HELL!He placed both hands on the wall beside my face and leaned forward, only our foreheads touching, our breathing ragged, our eyes closed. We stood like that for what felt like an eternity. Paralyzed, I just stood there. Absorbing the intense heat radiating from his body. Savoring his singular scent. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when his lips brushed over mine. Always tactile, his simple touch spoke louder than a thousand words ever could. I felt his vibration, what every cell in his body screamed out to me.FINAL Open_Your_Eyes_JKV10.4 (Kindle Locations 3180-3184).I haven't read anything like this before, and when I sum up the parts of the book, it really had a lot going for it. However, as a whole, I had issues.I wasn't connecting with the story. It seemed like we were skipping context to get to the 'good stuff'. The leading lady, Natalie, described every thought she had and this got a little repetitive and unnecessary. Her husband had made her feel worthless, I get that, but she downplayed every compliment or 'suggestive' gesture Nick gave her. Let the poor girl be happy.(Meeting up with Nick after they have already have been intimate, very intimate)I shrugged into my coat and hoped that he wouldn’t think I was silly dressing so provocatively. That my efforts weren’t wasted and my heart crushed – again.FINAL Open_Your_Eyes_JKV10.4 (Kindle Locations 667-668).Also, the passages that included Natalie's kids were always throwing me off. Natalie's daughter is twenty-one and sons are younger, yet Natalie's daughter, Olivia, is either depicted as a tween or a crass friend, not a daughter. Natalie's sons never seem to be home either, but as a mom, she can't possible move one with what 'she wants' because her kids need her so much. Really? Where are they?(Natalie, Nick, Olivia & Sophia, Nick's niece, all in one hotel room. What the hell? They just met and two 21 y/o's are sleeping in the same bed? Across from their fornicating Uncle and Mom? Chills~)Sometime during the night, the girls had crawled under the bedcovers, peacefully sleeping like long-time friends at a high school sleepover.FINAL Open_Your_Eyes_JKV10.4 (Kindle Locations 433-434).(Olivia discussing Nick with her mom, Natalie.)“Nick seems very nice. And very passionate. He’d be a great lover – for you, I mean.”FINAL Open_Your_Eyes_JKV10.4 (Kindle Location 536).But I did want to finish the book. I wanted to know if the life Natalie chose would be good to her, what would happen with Nick and does Gabe eventually pull off the mask and reveal his darker intentions. My suggestion to Jani Kay, write more books like the epilogue. LOVED THE EPILOGUE! That was the most heart felt, sincere, touching, raw, emotional (I teared up) conclusion. When I finished, I just turned the book off and thought, I want more of that!*Brilliantly edited too!(oh, and this may have nothing to do with nothing, but it really irked me that this wealthy socialite, depicted on the cover, doesn't know how to tie a bow tie.)