Review: Great story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 15, 2013
Yours To Keep isn't your typical romance. Serena Bell has written something with a common trope, main characters coming from two different classes, and fleshed it out, giving it more dimension and depth. Ana is an illegal immigrant by fate and not by choice. She has been living in the US for twenty years and knows no other life but the one she has. The fear of deportation has always been at the forefront of her existence. The need to hide, to keep low and not form any attachments is her form of survival. But she wants more, she works nearly everyday morning till night to save up for that undefinable future she wants so badly. Ethan is a widowed pediatrician with a teenage son, just gliding thru life since his wife's passing. Raising a child alone is a daunting task that he tries so hard to overcome. When Ana and Ethan meet everything changes for the both of them. They both learn that to truly get what you want, you have to break thru the barriers of your own making. There are so many things going right for this book. Ms. Bell's writing is excellent, the tone, the pacing, the writing style is all unique. The dialogue flows, there is humor, a poignancy to the words giving life to the story. The author has done her research really well into the Dominican Republic culture (which I learned is multi ethnic hence explaining Ana and her family's differing looks). As well as legalities of immigration and medical illnesses and situations. In other words, the details are meticulous but not to the point of overwhelming the reader but instead it gives out that well rounded feel to the characters and to the story. This is definitely a one of a kind, engaging and heartwarming love story most readers would appreciate.*Received an ARC in return for an honest review*