Review: Two and a half stars
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 09 27, 2013
I am really surprised to read all those great reviews. I was hardly impressed by this novel, and wasn't able to read it to the end. The writing is weak and shaky, there are too many typos and syntax errors to count (where were the editor and the proofreader?) the story lacks spark and originality (I read the same thing over and over again in different variation, so many times in fact I'm fed up with it) and the dialogues are bland. Another thing that puzzles me - why on earth does the author venture into using French when she obviously doesn't master it? A simple Google search would have revealed that the feminine for dear, darling, sweetheart in French is Chérie, not Cheri. Also, in sentences such as "They are special to you, non?" or "It is like any relationship, non?" one doesn't use the French word "non" if one insists on adding French, but would say "n'est-ce pas?" instead, which would translate to "isn't that so?" So the sentence would be: "They are special to you, n'est-ce pas?" That would be the correct structure of a French sentence. Not to mention that the author ignored the correct spelling of most French words in the novel (she forgot the accents). But leaving aside grammar and orthography, the novel itself is most disappointing. The characters are not believable nor likable. Laurent is one of the most annoying characters I ever came across. I just couldn't relate to him, couldn't see why Sam was attracted to him. He didn't even seem to be a smart guy, if I think of it. Just an arrogant, conceited ass with the advantage of being filthy rich. His domineering ways should have gained him a slap over his insufferable face if Sam was the smart girl the author claims she is. But obviously, Samantha is only smart because the author is trying to brainwash the reader to believe it. I felt all along that the author was trying to shove her views into my mind instead of letting me go on a journey of discovery. The characters' internal world was contrived. Laurent's in particular, which only popped in every now and then, very briefly, very much like a newsflash bulletin, only to disappear after a short paragraph. Just informative, to make sure that I, the reader, am kept up to date with the progress of his feelings for Samantha. But it sounded way too much like a weather update. The sex scenes left me completely cold. The threesome dream, in particular, was utterly tasteless. I noticed that the author tried, as soon as she introduced Laurent, to build up some sexual tension. She failed.I have no desire whatsoever to keep reading to the end. This novel was a disappointment.