Review: Too ambitious
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2012
The story is well-written in terms of language and grammar, but I felt that the author was too ambitious in making it a story about three separate couples. Because of this, everything moved too fast and was rather shallow. The idea of three women friends each finding their own man is great, but it would have been better if each had been given her own separate book. Nora Roberts has done this effectively in many of her books.Going back to THE LURE OF LOVE... I read the opening scene in the sample and was captivated by it. I liked Jamie's character, her straight-forward manner and independence. But after the first chapter, things began to go downhill.It was strange to have Jamie and Craig start opening up about very personal things right from the first day they meet (for example, Craig tells Jamie that his wife and son died in a plane crash two years ago, and that he drank heavily for a period of time after that). However, these things can happen if a couple feel a strong connection from the beginning, so I thought it was strange, but still okay. Then I read on and discovered that the same happened for Brooke and Billy, and Leeza and Matt. Brooke tells Billy that she is independently wealthy, and gives him all her family history. Really? Telling a total stranger that you have money? Not a good idea. Matt confides to Leeza that he's being investigated for fraud. That's definitely not something you would tell a lady on a first date! To have all three couples confiding really personal things to each other from the get-go is beyond believable. It usually takes time to build up that level of trust between two people.As a result of this, everything felt way too rushed. The reader doesn't get to savour the development of the relationships or watch how the couples fall in love. You also don't get enough sense of each character's distinct personality. They all seem a bit cardboard-like.Overall, it's a pleasant story but not one that I would keep to read again and again.