Review: One long sob
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 03 20, 2014
After reading the sample for this book, I was looking forward to a different kind of romance--one without the usual romance plots of terrible secrets or marriages of convenience or the fling that turns into something more--and that sample held promise. But the thing this romance could have used was some romance. Oh there are nice moments between Mattie and Nat, and even a love scene (although it lacked passion) but their times of connecting in this story were too few and far between.The rest of the book was one long cry-fest over Mattie's ridiculous jerk of a husband. Oh, how I wanted to tear into this guy and hoped that at some point Mattie would unload all the hurt, but when she finally confronted him after months of sobbing, she really didn't say the things that needed to be said. (And a good slap would have been pretty satisfying, as well.)In between all the tears, we are introduced to Mattie's sisters and her very gruff and unexplained dad in a way that left me saying, "I don't care about these people at all. Can we please get back to the main story." It was like a slice of life, but a very boring slice, I'm afraid. I really started skimming when they were all together for Christmas--just a bunch of yammering women with no point. At least not in this book, which is why I hate series so much. The authors of series think they have to introduce ALL the people that will appear in subsequent books--whether that introduction is interesting or not.Then Carmichael decided to insert a little YA story by following Mattie's daughters in college. Didn't feel real--just felt like padding. And the twin's reactions to their dad two-timing their mother, not calling them for months, and even skipping out on a Thanksgiving he promised to be at was far too forgiving. They pretty much showed no reaction at all when they finally see him at Christmas. Just accept his new life with another woman. Totally unreal.And what of Nat, our handsome, oh so caring hero? He makes love to Mattie, leaves, and doesn't call her for something like 5 months. After she'd been dumped by her husband. Oh, yeah, he was doing the noble thing. Maybe he could have stayed away a couple of weeks but 5 months? Again, just ridiculous.This story lacked the sparks of a great romance and the pacing and basic good storytelling of a great work of fiction.