"Rock It" By: Jennifer Chance Review

Rock It

By: Jennifer Chance

Synopsis

Lacey Dawes is a total pro at the talent agency where she works, and it doesn’t hurt that IMO Worldwide Media represents Dante Falcone. The rock god has starred in her fantasies since she was sixteen—and remains her secret crush to this day. So when Dante picks her to be the interim manager on his Dream It tour, Lacey can’t believe her luck. Handling Dante is sure to be the most exquisite, spine-tingling, nerve-wracking mix of business and pleasure ever. Although Dante is grateful for the adoring fans who scream for one more of his full-throttle, soul-searing songs, being surrounded by a cadre of corporate types backstage is wearing thin. Then Lacey shows up. Yeah, she’s organized, smart, quick to get him what he wants before he knows he wants it—but Dante senses there’s something else going on with sweet, sexy Lacey. One kiss tells him what that “something” might be . . . and makes him hungry for more.

My Thoughts

     Lacey Dawes has it all, or so she thinks. Her dream job, in her dream city, with everything going right, Lacey is on top of the world. Her talent agency has just signed with Dante Falcone, one of the hottest rock stars on the planet and coincidentally, her crush since she was a young teen.

    Dante has been a rock idol for so long, its almost as if he’s forgotten how to be a normal guy. When he meets Lacey, he suddenly sees himself wanting to change and be different for her. He wants to be a better person for her and uses her crush for him as a catalyst for a relationship.

      I found this book on Netgalley and was incredibly excited just by the cover alone. Isn’t it gorgeous? Loving rock star heroes, I was sure I would love this book...unfortunately, that’s pretty far from the truth. Pretty cover does not equal pretty book.

     I found both Dante and Lacey to be poor characters. Dante is this mythical thing in Lacey’s mind, she’s followed him for years. Suddenly when faced with touring with him, she jumps at the chance. That part didn’t bother me, but the immediate jumping into bed with him without a how do you do drove me insane.

    Dante felt empty. We are supposed to believe he’s been this star for these many years, but he just seemed juvenile and devoid of character. Again, he’s super attracted to Lacey immediately and doesn’t find the fact she was a rabid fan before creepy at all. Not even enough to be a little cautious, they are just friendly in the biblical sense in the beginning.

    The book had promise and even the story itself isn’t that bad. I enjoy the idea of fan and star falling in love, but with this one it is just poorly executed. Not realistic in the least and the characters fell flat. Poorly executed and flat, this may be one to skip.

Book Details

Publisher: Loveswept

Date of Publication: March 4, 2014

# of Pages: 240

ISBN: 978-0553390957

Source: Netgalley - For Review

Challenges

2014 Contemporary Romance Challenge

2014 New Author Challenge

2014 Ebook Challenge

2014 Where Are You Challenge - Boston, MA

2014 Erotic Romance Challenge

"Fighting For You" By: Sydney Landon Review

Fighting for You

By: Sydney Landon

Synopsis

Ella Webber has spent years uncomfortable around the opposite sex... But as soon as she meets handsome Declan Stone, she is smitten. Quickly they become friends, finding frequent reasons to see each other around the office, and Ella longs for even more. So-with a little help from her friends-Ella resorts to performing a little seduction. One that Declan will never be able to resist.

Burdened by emotional baggage from his time in the army, Declan refuses to believe he's the right man for sweet Ella. Even if she makes him long for normal things, like marriage and family....But in his attempts to close off his heart from her love, could he have underestimated Ella's powers of persuasion?

My Thoughts
     Being a huge fan of this series as a whole, I was highly anticipating Declan and Ella’s story. I can’t even tell you how excited I was...and how disappointed I am in what I just read. This is my first DNF I’ve had for quite a while and I am so sad it was Sydney’s book.
     Ella and Declan’s romance has been hinted at in all of the previous books. We all wanted big bad Declan to fall hard for the shy, simple Ella. So its safe to say there was plenty of buildup and as a reader, I wanted that buildup to pay off. I’m sorry to say, it never did for me.

• Declan and Ella seemed to have zero chemistry. Where were the shy glances and whispered conversations in this book? It seemed as if the moment Declan decided he was ready to go after Ella, it was done. There was no more of the cute flirting that made me fall in the love with them to begin with.
• I found Ella unbelievable as a character. Her mother seemed WAY WAY over the top and never really plausible. 
• Ella’s innocence was way overplayed too. The "I’m a virgin and have no idea about life" seemed unrealistic and just weird. I can understand the not being intimate part but its 2013, sex is on the tv, Internet and radio. We know about it people. Oye.
• Declan was a jerk. A jerk. He seemed disinterested in Ella and then suddenly its wham, bam, thank ya ma’am. He didn’t seem to even match his intensity in the previous books, so much so in fact that it was like I didn’t even know him.

     I’ve relatively enjoyed the other books in the series, especially Fall For Me but this one was blah. I made it about 50% of the way through and decided there were so many more books out there that I set it down. All in all, a blah book. Blah :)

Danvers Series

1. Weekends Required

2. Not Planning On You

3. Fall For Me

4. Fighting For You

4.5 Betting on you (Coming January 2014)

Book Details

Publisher: Penguin Group

Date of Publication: October 15, 2013

# of Pages: 304

ISBN: 9780451468956

Source: Personal Purchase

"Curve Ball" By: Charlotte Stein Review

Curve Ball

By: Charlotte Stein

Synopsis from Goodreads

When Judy Myers is offered a relaxing vacation to get away from her latest heartbreak, she can’t say no. A cruise on her brother’s yacht sounds like heaven...until she realizes her brother’s best friend has been invited along for the ride.
Steven Stark is big, he’s loud, and he’s obviously not interested in the plump, plain little sister he used to tease unmercifully. In fact, he’s still quite happy to tease her – until she turns the tables on him. Now Steven can’t seem to keep his thoughts, or his hands, to himself. And worse, Judy’s not sure she can resist the attraction she’s kept buried for so many years.
Being trapped on a boat isn’t the best place to be, when you’re suddenly thrown a hunky curveball.

My Thoughts

     A free read over a weekend, I saw Curve Ball featured a chunky heroine and I couldn’t help myself so I picked it up. Being somewhat of a zaftig lady myself, its nice to find books featuring the bigger ladies. Free and with a unique heroine I was excited, but sadly I disliked this book so much it almost turned into a DNF.

       The whole novella is filled with Judy feeling bad about herself. Lots of internal dialogue but its almost completely about how fat she is, how large she is, no can find her attractive, and on and on and on. It was exhausting.

      For someone with all of these body issues, Judy has no problem allowing her brother’s misogynistic and somewhat sexist friend Steven ,to secretly sneak into her bed...then he acts as if it never happened. Suddenly Steven is professing his love for her and all is well. Does it sound rushed and not well planned, because it is.

      I will mention this is a novella, so there isn’t a lot of character development as with a regular novel. With that being said, the author could have done quite a bit more with the time she had. I didn’t care for the plot, the characters, and I even disliked the setting, which takes place mostly on a boat. Everything was hurried, character motivations didn’t jive, and frankly, Judy needs a class in self-esteem before she needs a boyfriend.

Book Details

Date of Publication: January 21, 2013

ISBN: 978-1909520677

Source: Personal Purchase

Challenges

#21 for the 2013 E-Book Challenge

#23 for the 2013 Women's Reading Challenge

#25 for the 100 Books in a Year Challenge

#25 for the 150+ Books in a Year Challenge

#18 for the 2013 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge

#22 for the 2013 Where are You Reading Challenge {Spain}

"Hunter's Season" By: Thea Harrison Review

Hunter's Season

By: Thea Harrison

Synopsis from Goodreads

Xanthe is everything Naida wasn’t, and the passion she stirs in him is something he thought had long passed him by.

My Thoughts
      I’ve been a fan of this series since the very first book. I loved the new world created by Thea Harrison and how diverse the characters were. Yet when I read this short novella, I just couldn’t get in the groove. I don’t know if its me or the book, but it didn’t work for me on any level.
     Xanthe is some sort of a noble in a royal court within our paranormal world Thea Harrison has created. Xanthe’s first wife was involved in a plot on Queen Niniane in a previous book and has since been killed. Nadia is a private guard of the Queen and ultimately becomes Xanthe’s security guard after an assassination attempt on his life. Nadia and Xanthe spend most of the novella in Nadia’s home while Xanthe is recuperating from the assassination attempt.
     I don’t know what the problem was, but I never connected with either Xanthe or Nadia. Xanthe seemed so off putting. He was proper and seemed very old order. It didn’t even go with my view of Xanthe for him to feel romantically inclined towards Nadia. Nadia is a tough chick more in line with security guards, so I pictured this ripped, say it like it is, pants wearin’ strong female. Xanthe is old fashioned and I just don’t see him interested in Nadia at all.
     The actual romance seemed unrealistic, one moment they don’t even know each other and suddenly they are professing ever lasting love. I’ve been a fan but this one didn’t do it for me at all. The last few have drug for me, so I’m not sure if I’m gonna pick up the rest of the series. Guess we’ll see what Thea Harrison has in store.

Book Details

Publisher: Pocket Books

# of Pages: 417

Date of Publication: January 20, 2009

Source: Personal Purchase

Challenges

#10 for the 2013 E-Book Challenge
#10 for the 2013 Women's Reading Challenge
#10 for the 100 Books in a Year Challenge
#10 for the 150+ Books in a Year Challenge
#4 for the 2013 Sequels Challenge

"Double Time: Sinners on Tour" By: Olivia Cunning Review

"Double Time"

By: Olivia Cunning

Synopsis from Goodreads

Trey Mills, the notoriously sexy Sinners rhythm guitarist, gives up his bisexual lifestyle and is swept into a hot, heady romance with Reagan Elliot, a female rock star sensation. But when Trey encounters Reagan's sexy bisexual roommate, Ethan Conner, he can no longer deny who he is or what he wants. Reagan heartily agrees to a solution that opens up a hot new world of sexual experience--and love--with the two men she wants the most.

My Thoughts
   I read my first Olivia Cunning book this past May around my birthday. I remember it pretty vividly because after I read “Backstage Pass” I immediately ran to my computer and purchased the second title, “Rock Hard” for my nook. I have read her other series and enjoyed them. Olivia Cunning has an amazing way of writing characters that you know inside and out and you love them for it. Sadly though, “Double Time” is completely missing the magic her other books have.
    First off lets talk about the sequencing of these books. Other reviewers have mentioned it too, but its a supremely bad play on both the publisher and Olivia’s part to release the last book in the series third. I have NEVER seen this done before and have to wonder at the motivation for it. Two other band members who are going to be getting books are actively talked about and the women they decide to marry. Why would they release the last book third? It ruins the others happily ever after and honestly dampens my enthusiasm for their books.
    I’ve loved Trey since the first book when it became clear he was wildly in love with Brian. He was heartfelt, earnest, and just so gosh dang sweet. He deserved his happily ever and he deserved a good one.
    When Trey encounters Reagan there is a guitar contest and she wins. Shortly after she joins him in the hot tub and then later that evening they get frisky with one another. Same day, same night, just within a few hours they are “in love” with one another and Trey is thinking about how good of a woman Reagan is. It seemed rushed, unrealistic to the extreme, and not in character with Trey whatsoever.
      Beyond this quick meet and greet so to speak, Trey is automatically attracted to Reagan’s male roommate. Reagan ok’s this relationship because Trey wants it but that too seemed rushed and just forced. As I read the story I kept shaking my head and thinking there was no way she’d do that. The m/m storyline didn’t bother me, but the just general lack of concern on Reagan’s part bothered me. My boyfriend wants to invite another person into our bed, ok, that’s cool. That’s pretty much all of the thought process that goes through her mind but in my mind I’d at least be asking some questions.
      There were some enjoyable parts. I think Olivia does a wonderful job of writing guys just hanging out and I really liked seeing the bandmates interact. They are funny and serious but also with that quality of realness that is enjoyable to read.
      So what should you do if you are a fan of this series? To be honest, I skimmed a lot of it because it seemed like one sexual encounter after another, with very little story. That bit of story was split into unrealistic actions on the behalf of Trey and Reagan and then interactions with the bandmates. I am glad I read the other parts, they were funny and enjoyable. However, on the whole I was unimpressed and frankly disappointed. Here’s hoping that the next installment, “Hot Ticket” featuring Jace and Aggie is much better!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of Publication: November 6, 2012

# of Pages: 416

ISBN: 978-1402271519

Olivia Cunnings’ Sinners on Tour Series

“Backstage Pass”

“Rock Hard”

“Double Time”

“Hot Ticket” (Feb 2013)

“Snared” (2013)

"Seduction and Snacks" By: Tara Sivec Review

"Seduction and Snacks"

By: Tara Sivec

Synopsis from Goodreads

Claire is a twenty-something, single mom that grudgingly helps her best friend sell sex toys while she attempts to make enough money to start her own business to give her foul-mouthed, but extremely loveable (when he's asleep) toddler a better life. 

When Carter, the one-night-stand from her past that changed her life forever, shows up in her hometown bar without any recollection of her besides her unique chocolate scent, Claire will make it a point that he remembers her this time. 

With Carter's undisguised shock at suddenly finding out he has a four-year-old son and Claire's panic that her stretch marks and slim to none bedroom experience will send the man of her dreams heading for the hills, the pair will do whatever they can to get their happily ever after.

My Thoughts
    I am so totally prepared to be boo’d right now, but I just don’t get the appeal of “Seduction and Snacks.” I picked it up on a Monday to read with the Smut Monday book club that is on Goodreads. Everyone on the group was loving the book, so I thought I had better pick it up and try it out too. With 100+ five star reviews and nothing below a three, I figured this was destined to quickly become one of my favorites.
    Maybe it was because I was expecting alot but this is easily one of the worst books I have read this year. I’m going to start off saying I didn’t quit this book because I kept expecting it to get better, so I kept reading and reading. I NEVER do that but I did with this one, trying to figure out the appeal.
      Claire is a single 20-something mother raising her son all alone. She got drunk at a frat party in college, got pretty friendly, and 9 months later is raising her son Gavin, all by herself. Her dad helps at times but mostly it is Claire striking out on her own.
     Enter the absentee father, Conor. He doesn’t remember Claire’s face, he didn’t get her name that fateful night, but he remembers her smell. He’s been searching for her smell for five years and finally finds “that smell” in a bar one night when he is once again, drunk. Cue violins and instant harmonies as these two magically want to be with one another again and everything is forgiven. You don’t remember me except for my smell? That’s ok, because I didn’t even get your name when I took off my pants.
     Really? REALLY? Ugh. Beyond being completely corny and so over the top sometimes it made me want to scratch my eyes out, Gavin and Claire were two terrible characters. When they weren’t whining about how hard their lives were, they were whining that people didn’t truly understand them. Their friends are morons and total caricatures of a "type" instead of being their own person.
       Another thing that really bothered me was the first person narrative carried throughout the story. Claire and Conor both tell the story with I and me’s thrown in there, EVERYWHERE. Think that gets confusing? It totally does and I would find myself flipping to the next page because I didn’t care enough to actually figure out who was talking.
     Finally, the rudeness and crudity of the story can not be overlooked. Lots of reviews rate these as funny and trust me, some of them did make me giggle. Yet, just as in real life, I’m not going around throwing these words out EVEYR SINGLE SENTENCE even with my closest friends. I’m not saying the cursing bothered me, I’m saying it was way too over the top and people just don’t talk that crudely to one another, all the stinkin' time. It made me just roll my eyes as I passed over another penis reference or yet another tired nickname. It took away from the story really, and I didn’t think it was cute or enjoyable at all. Enjoy these gems scattered throughout the story...

“Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, watcha gonna do when they cut your wiener,” Gavin sang as he pointed his gun at random objects.

“I remember that night fondly. And by fondly, I mean with bitter resentment toward all things alcoholic and with a penis.”

“Oh my God, I sent a picture of my boobs to Jim," I moaned as a fresh wave of nausea rolled through me.

"You also threw up in the emergency room parking lot, called Drew and told him you were the Donkey Punch Queen and filled out a Last Will and Testament on a Burger King napkin and then asked the drive-thru worker to notarize it.”

    “Seduction and Snacks” was going to be my funny book of the year but sadly disappointed me. I finished it but am a little grumpy at myself for even taking the time. The story lacked substance for me, the language confused and disgruntled me, and the characters were flat and caricatures of what the author thought they should be. There are very few books that I truly didn’t like and this falls into that category unfortunately.

Book Details

Date of Publication: June 11, 2012

# of Pages: 286

ISBN: B008AZTUU8

"Gabriel's Inferno" By: Sylvain Reynard Review

"Gabriel's Inferno"

By: Sylvain Reynard

Synopsis from Goodreads:

     Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption.
     When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide.
     An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, “Gabriel's Inferno” is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.

My Thoughts:
    I don’t understand this book at all. I found this title on one of those “If You like 50 Shades of Grey,” lists, it has over 4,000 ratings on Goodreads, so i thought, hey, if all these people loved it as much as they do, surely I will like it too! This book was so off the mark for me, it’s insane.
       Julia Mitchell has went off to college in Toronto, Canada. She’s alone in the big city, having suffered a pretty bad break up with her previous boyfriend. Incidentally, her main teacher is Gabriel Emerson, her best friend from home’s brother. He doesn’t remember her from his younger days, but she remembers him with fondness bordering on hero worship.
     To start this out, I read the entire book. I regret it, but I read it thinking it was going to get better. AND IT NEVER DID! The characters were terrible, the plot was implausible, the dialogue is poorly written, and the romance was nonexistent.
     Julia is a terrrrrible heroine. She’s whiny, depressing, and if she was one of my friends I would have stopped talking to her a long, long time ago. She had a one time encounter with Gabriel when she was like 17 and he was drunk, and is absolutely crushed when he doesn’t remember her. This colors most of the novel, so be prepared for that to be repeated and repeated. She’s mad at him for not remember her, but she never once tells him who she is.
     Gabriel is a self-serving jerk who blames himself for everything, and seems to actually enjoy having a dark and tortured soul. He’s irresistibly drawn to Julia, though for the life for me, I don't see why. He just “can’t help himself” which had me banging my head against the wall more than once. They want to be together, then they don’t, then they do again - oh but wait, he’s her professor and it isn’t professional so they’ll just keep it secret - but wait, someone found them out. The book just goes on and on like that, can you actually hear me rolling my eyes?
     This book will be turned into a series and this book is only the first installment. According to the author, the second title is called “Gabriel’s Rapture” and will continue Julia and Gabriel’s adventures. I will never ever read the title, but for those people who enjoyed “Gabriel’s Inferno” they may be interested. I kept trying and trying to enjoy this one but it never did it for me. I was relieved to finish and then, a little embarrassed to realize I had spent my time on it. Run from this one folks, it’s pretty wild.

Book Details

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Date of Publication: April 18, 2011

ISBN: 978-1936305629

"Guilty Pleasures" By: Laura Lee Guhrke

"Guilty Pleasures"

By: Laura Lee Guhrke

Synopsis from Amazon:

One of Daphne Wade's guilty pleasures is to watch the Duke of Tremore as he works, shirtless, on the excavation site of his ducal estate. Anthony Courtland is by far the most exciting and handsome man she has ever known, and she dreams of one day being able to speak with him without getting tongue tied.
Anthony, meanwhile, only sees Daphne as a hard worker on his excavation team. He considers her a plain young lady and says so in a careless remark to a friend, unaware that Daphne is outside the library door, her heart shattering to pieces. So Daphne decides she will not be so silly any longer. She begins to be tutored in the social graces, forcing Anthony to see the beauty who has been right in front of his eyes.

My Thoughts:

     In the mood for a romance, I picked up "Guilty Pleasures" out of my library book stack. A fan of Laura Lee Guhrke's earlier works, I was somewhat disappointed with this title, both in terms of characterization and the romance. 
     Daphne is your stereotypical smart girl behind her glasses. Sure she knows how to date a antique, but she doesn't know how to use her femininity to catch a husband. It isn't until she hears Anthony, the Duke, talking about how unattractive she is to his sister that she decides  she doesn't need a man and goes through a transformation. Very much like Olivia Newton John in Grease.
     Anthony is not a very good hero, plain and simple. He is arrogant, small minded and selfish. Every time he spoke, I just wanted to cringe. He honestly expects Daphne to come running to him because now he sees (insert air quotes) the real Daphne. Bleh. If you can't tell she's awesome when she's wearing her glasses, you shouldn't have her when she's out of them.
      Please don't start reading Laura Lee Guhrke with this book. Many people enjoyed this one, but I just didn't see the appeal. A disappointment, I kept reading to get to the good parts but never got there.

Product Description

Publisher: Avon

Date of Publication: January 27, 2004

# of Pages: 384

ISBN: 978-0060541743

"In Bed with a Highlander" By: Maya Banks Review

"In Bed with a Highlander" 

By: Maya Banks

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

     Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer.
      The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

My Thoughts:
     I put this book on reserve at the local library because I saw this on several "Best of 2011" lists and I have never read a Maya Banks book...which is kind of wild considering how many romance books she has written. So I picked this one up, and was somewhat surprised by what I read. If this was Ms. Banks finest book, sadly I doubt I will be picking up any of her other books.

Things I liked:
--Mairin the heroine at the beginning of the story is courageous, smart, and was interesting
--Crispin, Ewan's son from his first marriage, is incredibly cute and definitely behaves like kids his age

Things I didn't like:
--Ewan, the hero, is completely domineering. He just decides they will marry after learning who Mairin is and her family connections. He basically rapes her (which I haven't seen anyone mention) after their marriage. There isn't any romance or getting to know one another. Wham, bam thank you ma'am stuff and suddenly oh wow, we love one another so much. I just didn't buy it.
--Meroine at the end of the story is just a doormat. It's basically a feeling of: men are smarter so I'm just going to go with what they want me to do.
--The storyline itself was really farfetched. Illegitimate daughter of the King, that no one knew really existed, is supposed to inherit some special property that people are fighting over so its worth a lot of money...and it all hinges on this one girl with a weird birthmark. Ugh.

     I doubt I will read any more books by Maya Banks. My mom just loves her, but there are too many books out there to read poor literature! Life's too short baby!

"Little Bee" By: Chris Cleave Review

One of the book groups I belong to decided to read, 

"Little Bee" By: Chris Cleave in November. 

Boy, do I have a lot to talk about!

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK.

It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.

Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:

It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific.

The story starts there, but the book doesn't.

And it's what happens afterward that is most important.

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

My Thoughts:

      This book is honestly one of the most confusing, depressing, and just plain sad stories that I have read in a long, long time...if ever. The synopsis in no way resembles the book I just put down. The blurb makes you think it will be funny...or charming...or will leave you smiling. 

     The story starts out with a young Nigerian girl leaving a British detention center for refugees. She has the driver's license of an English man in her pocket. She leaves the center with some of the other refugees and gives the Englishman  a call to tell him she is coming to see him.

     The story then cuts to a middle class Englishwoman, the wife of the man on the license. Her husband has just committed suicide after hearing from the Nigerian girl.  The woman is missing her middle finger on one of her hands. That's all the information the reader is given. 

     The story drags on with random references to something that happened on the beach. Throughout the story it is revealed that the Englishwoman had cheated on her husband for most of their marriage and the events of the beach are tortuously released. I felt most of the characters were unlikeable and I just didn't care what happened to them. The story just kept revealing sad things and there was absolutely no resolution. The story just ends, no conflict resolution....nothing.

     I must have missed the appeal of this one. Oprah chose this book as one of the best books from 2009. In no way would I have finished this book if this wasn't a book club book. I would give this book 1 Star out of 5...I simply didn't care for it!