Review: Appealing novella
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2013
I have previously read and enjoyed The Man Plan by Elise K Ackers a sweet, lighthearted contemporary romance. Ask Me To Stay, the first novella in a new series by the author, is quite different with less emphasis on the romantic relationship between the protagonists.Ethan Foster left home at eighteen without any explanation, deserting the brother who raised him after the tragic death of their parents and his childhood sweetheart, Samantha O'Hara. In the past ten years or so he has returned only a handful of times for family occasions, never staying more than a day or two, leaving town with gossip trailing in his wake. But this time it's different, Ethan's brother's wife has died, leaving Dean to raise their two young children alone. Despite the animosity between the brothers, this time Ethan doesn't leave, even though he risks disclosing the secret he has carried for the last decade, the secret that has stopped him coming home.Though written in the third person, which allows us to learn what Sam, and the other characters, think and feel, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ethan takes the lead in this story. The plot centers around the ruinous secret that haunts Ethan and it is his regrets and hopes that drive the story.Ethan is a credible, sympathetic character and I found his motivations believable. I especially liked the way in which Ackers developed his relationship with his niece and nephew, child characters are notoriously difficult for authors to get right and I think the author did so wonderfully in this instance.I thought Sam could have been a stronger character as I didn't get much of a sense of why she and Ethan should be together above all things but I did like her. She is one of the few who never loses faith in Ethan despite having good reason to.While within the scope of the story the romance works fine since it is a relationship rekindled, fans of the genre may be disappointed by the lack of direct interaction between Ethan and Sam. There is a happy ending though which should satisfy most romance readers.The secondary characters in Ask Me To Stay are also likeable, with subsequent books in the Homeland series to feature Ethan's best mate, Cal and brother, Dean.At only 130 pages, Ask Me To Stay is a short, quick read but a very engaging novella with appealing characters and surprising emotional depth. I am looking forward to reading Cal's story in July.