Review: Not my favorite
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 30, 2013
I read The Worth series books by Mara Jacobs out of order. I am now glad I did because when I first I first met Allison as a therapist in Worth the Effort, I really liked her.  She seemed like a great person. Then I went on to read the other Worth books--Worth the Drive, Worth the Weight, and Allison started to annoy me. She just didn't seem to have the demeanor of a therapist in her interactions with her friends. I guess I just envisioned her as being more thoughtful and less outspoken. Perhaps this was the author's intent--Allison has a very different personality than her friends and this needed to be shown.Other reviewers said Worth the Fall was their favorite book and really liked the story of Allison and Petey (a hockey player) getting together. I was excited to read it, thinking I'd learn more about Allison and come to like her better. But sadly, that wasn't the case. I skipped most all of the intimate love scenes between her and Petey. And I never got the feeling they really liked each other past the intimacy, or even why they would. They seemed to have little in common and didn't have a tenderness between them. Their story does get revealed which explains their  dynamic, but it still didn't endear me to either of them.This story is well written, as are all the stories in the other books. I must admit I skip the love scenes precisely because they are so well written, if that makes any sense. I feel like I am intruding on a very private scene. They are much more detailed than your usual romance novel love scenes. No euphemisms for Ms. Jacobs.The characters in all the books are believable. However, sometimes the love "push/pull" between the characters gets a little tedious, but the books are still fun to read and very engaging. I recommend them all. Worth the Fall just wasn't my cup of tea, I guess.I do like the quotes that begin each chapter. They are always well chosen and poignant to the story. And sometimes quite funny. My favorite in Worth the Fall was one by Rodney Dangerfield--I'm quoting here from memory so forgive if not exact--"Sometimes I go to the fights and a hockey game breaks out."If you've read the other books, you'll want to read this one too if only to learn more about what makes Allison the way she is.