Review: Adds such a rich layer to the saga
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2013
Okay, Beth Fred did the impossible.  She actually got me to like Kammy. I couldn't stand the girl at the end of THE FATE OF A MARLOWE GIRL and when I started reading and realized that she was the focus of THE OTHER MARLOWE GIRL, I was a little skeptical if I could put up with her for an entire novel. Especially when her bad behavior continues from posing for a risque photo shoot to running from a drug dealer to drinking alone in a bar, I kept thinking how can I root for her when I still can't forgive her for what she did to her sister in book one? But you know what? I did. And it's all because there was so much depth to the writing this time around.The first novel was short and fast paced. The action mostly stayed in the present moment and not much of a back story was revealed. But being an author's debut work, I can definitely relate (being a novelist myself). It's all about testing the waters and seeing if you can actually write a book. Once you see that you can, your confidence grows in leaps and bounds and that's exactly what I saw in book two. Beth Fred gave me what I was looking for the second time around. Kammy became a three-dimensional person with faults and insecurities and of all things, a good heart. I was bowled over by how much more developed this character was and not only Kammie but Tiffany and Luke, as well. They all seemed to come into their own. I knew where they were coming from and it deepened my connection to them. I felt like I knew them so much better because Beth Fred showed me what made them tick. When it comes to revealing character motivation, she nailed it.I also liked how the theme of insecurity continued in the series. Tiffany was a mess in book one because Kammie's betrayal rocked her world. So it was nice how the tables were turned and we got to see just how much Kammie feels threatened by Tiffany. In her mind, Tiffany is the put-together one. She's stable, secure with a family and a good job. While Kammie is now a divorcee with no viable career prospects trying to flee a criminal lifestyle. She's in over her head and she knows it.Enter Enrique who just happens to be Luke's younger brother. I'm loving how the two Marlowe girls end up with the two Hernandez boys. What a great plot device. He basically tells Kammie that he's not into her type - the hot girl who comes on too strong. But he banters with her and discovers that his brother is married to her sister and then it's game on. The two of them can't get enough of each other because they're standing on common ground. They can relate to being the sibling that screws up and having to pay the price for it. Their shared stance immediately forges a bond between them, not to mention their physical attraction which is off the charts. Yet Enrique wants to take things slow while Kammie simultaneously tries to back away because she doesn't think she's good enough for him. I love the line, "He was interested in me for me, and I didn't think that had ever happened before."Another aspect of the story that I enjoyed was the dynamic between Kammie and Luke. They both can't stand each other, yet they're forced to get along when Kammie moves in and starts dating Enrique. Luke doesn't trust Kammie, especially after what she did to Tiffany. He's a stickler for holding Kammie accountable for her actions. The disciplinarian role he assumes over his wife's sister enlivens the clues that were dropped in the first book. He didn't approve of Kammie then, and he certainly doesn't approve of her now, but this time he's interacting with her himself instead of just hearing about her exploits from Tiffany and it adds such a rich layer to the saga.And while Kammie is still immature and self-destructive, she's at least trying to turn her life around. She's used to having everyone else take care of her - Tiffany, her parents, Luke, Enrique - that when she finally stands on her own two feet she begins to realize what she's truly capable of. She's not a pariah. She's worthy of being loved. Because as Enrique's mom tells her, "I've never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you." And Mama Hernandez always knows best when it comes to her sons and the Marlowe girls.