One of my favourite themes in books is the older woman, younger man. Now I’m not talking Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher kind of age difference. That’s a little too much for me – or maybe it’s just because I don’t really care for either of them, I’m not sure.
With that being said, I read two of them over the weekend, one a wonderful reread and the other a DNF.
Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone is a wonderful love story between writer Sara Diamond and Ryan Kinsmore, a young male prostitute. I’m not going to review this one really. I think just about everyone has heard of it and a lot of people have read it. If you haven’t read it, I urge you to give a try.
The other one I read was the new release by Stef Ann Holm, Leaving Normal. Natalie Goodwin is a divorced woman who just opened her own flower shop. She is attracted to her younger sexy neighbour firefighter Tony Cruz. I found this book – well – boring. At the start of the story, Tony is married but his marriage is in trouble. Time goes by. Natalie’s father shops at Target. Time goes by. It’s thanksgiving and Tony’s wife doesn’t come to the fire station. Time goes by. His wife cheats on him. They get divorced. Time goes by. He runs into his neighbour Natalie. He gives her flowers he bought at her shop. Time goes by. Natalie’s daughter comes home from college and brings her boyfriend whom Natalie doesn’t like. Time goes by. The firefighters save some kittens. Time goes by. Tony asks Natalie out. Time goes by etc. etc. etc. Time went by when I read this book. Time I could have been reading an interesting book. Finally enough time went by – wasted time – and I gave up on this one. I wanted to like it – I really, really did. The writing in this book wasn’t bad. I’ve read quite a few of her books and quite enjoyed them. She used to write Westerns and Americana type books and then moved on to contemporaries. The subject matter – younger man/older woman is something I could really get into and I was so disappointed in this one. I didn’t enjoy her contemporaries as much as her previous books but still stayed with her but after this one, sadly, she is getting pretty close to being off my list. I hate when this happens. One other silly thing that really bothered me about this one was the name of the flower shop that Natalie owns. The Hat and Garden. Every time I read this – and it was quite often, I couldn’t help thinking “I don’t get it. What a dumb name”
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8 comments:
Isn't Fallen from Grace wonderful! I usually love younger man/older woman stories, too. I read a contemporary by Stef Ann Holm (Girls Night) and loved it. Darn, too bad about this one.
Okay, your review of Stef Ann Holm's book is too funny. Probably one of those books where the author should have cut the first 200 pages and then started her story there. Hey, if all I needed to do was recount my time at Walmart to write a book I would have written one already ;)
CindyS
I have to agree Fallen from Grace is a fabulous book, though I wont be able to do any rereads, I sent mine to Rosario, she seemed rather desperate for it.
I guess the title for the other book should have been "Time goes by..." Don't you just hate when a book doesn't live up to expectations??
Kristie, Usually don't post..just visit your blog, but I have to comment on the Holm book. I am reading it now and actually liking it. It reminds me a bit of Family Blessing by Lavryle Spencer with a little bit of The Second Coming Of Lucy Hatch thrown in. I really think I've read that flower scene before where the heroine makes up her own bouquet of flowers and the hero surprises her with them....same one in Lucy Hatch.
Also, the name of her shop is just stupid. Hat and Garden??? I'm trying to figure out the hat thing. Still, I like the book very much.
Xina: funny you should mention Family Blessing since Leaving Normal reminded me quite a bit of that one - and oddly enough, I didn't like FB either, one of the very few Spencer books I didn't like - for very similar reasons of which I am - even as I speak - getting ready to blog about. (talk about your run-on sentences). I've yet to read Lucy Hatch though. I saw it in the stores around here once and it something like $28 - a little too much for me to spend. Like I said, the writing isn't bad, and I can really see it working for some people, but alas, I wasn't one of them. Maybe if I hadn't read Fallen From Grace right after it might not have seem so bad either. And another thing that amuse/annoyed me after a while - what was with the father and the fizzy drink he could only get at one Target?
LOL!!!! The bad girl in me loved your capsule review of Leaving Normal! You did well to get so far with it.
Kristie...Yes, those slushy drinks. He had an odd obsession with visiting Target. I should talk...I'm in there way too often myself. Not drinking slushies though.
Well, I finished the book last night and really did like it. Family Blessings is one of my favorite books and it's better than Leaving Normal...FB has more depth, but I still did enjoy the Holm book. I thought the hero was written in sort of a sexy way, and it worked for me.
kristie, that post above is from me...xina
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