Book and Play Reviews

This is a wonderful and insightful book. It is unapologetic, but the arguments that Obianuju Ekeocha presents are compelling, especially in the continuing debates on life matters and colonialism. There will be some who will refute her arguments, but the patterns and effects of neocolonialism on the African continent reveal that adage, “hell is paved with good intentions.”

Anyone looking for a book that reveals how power and wealth can destroy culture and life in modern times will find this work timely and heart wrenching. It is a brave and honest study to show that human beings are slow to learn the lessons from the past. Obianuju Ekeocha argues with facts, reason, and passion how nations, especially those in the western world continue to exploit the African continent. 

Posted on goodreads.com

I started this story late at night and stayed up the whole night to finish it.  The pace of the story kept me engaged and my desire to solve the mystery of Caitylyn’s amnesia only made me want to see how the relationship between Caitylyn and Jarret would unfold. 
Imagine waking up in an unfamiliar state and married to a man you despised in your youth, with no recollection of how you got there.  The hook was fabulous, but how Linden weaves her story to draw you into a world of suspicion, trepidation and yearning had me invested in these characters’ lives.  It was a who am I, who done it, who do I love, and who is my enemy all rolled up into one fabulous story.  It was a story that I would never want to wake up to, but how it ends is what one could hope for in life.  

Full review on Goodreds.com

All in Good Time by Carolyn Astfalk illustrates the saying patience is a virtue.  In her two principal characters, Melanie and Brian exemplify the importance of being patient with another person, especially when you want to form a lasting and intimate relationship with someone.  Though they carry a lot of baggage into the relationship, Melanie coming into the relationship as a young widow with three kids and Brian as a recovering pornography addict, each learn the path to love requires patience, honesty, and forgiveness.  A story which shows the importance of seeing each other as broken and imperfect, so to acknowledge the love of God and mercy in each other.....

Full review on Goodreads.com

This story has your traditional meet cute, awkward getting to know each other, steamy kisses, familial and personal obstacles, and a sex scene that would rival any Jasmine Guillroy or Sophie Kinsella novel on the market today.  But Carolyn Astfalk takes all of those troupes and weaves a story with more depth. Her readers are treated to a relationship which is rich in human frailty and failings. Moments where love is expressed the self sacrifice of other so the reader can experience how difficult it is for people to accept love in their lives when someone offers it to them. It is also a story that shows the devastating affects when we cannot live up to our expectations one has for themselves and each other.  How the emotional baggage and experiences we bring into a relationship are messy, but are not roadblocks to finding authentic love.

Full review on Goodreads.com

An amazing and thought provoking reflection and argument for the Roman Catholic Church. Difficult to read at times, but if you take your time and reflect on every quotation and paragraph, this book is life changing and affirming. I would give it more stars if that was an option.

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(Working on a longer review as I'm completing the first book of the triology)

I have never come across a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen that I did not enjoy.  Now, granted nothing will ever compare to the original, but every time I read a novel that is a variation on the same theme, I can’t help but keep reading it. 
I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, and Other Flavors because it is a retelling of the original.  With its gender reversals, a cultural class difference, and an illness to overcome, Sonali Dev gives her reader an insight into Indian culture and how the family unit can influence who a person loves and how they live their life...

Full review on Goodreads.com

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella is a traditional love story in a social media and filtered world. Girl is dissatisfied with her life and thinks everyone has a better one according to their social feed.  Girl meets a mysterious and fun-loving boy, but who has a reputation of being unfaithful.  Our couple has to overcome the rumors online and in the workplace to find their happiness. A charming detail to the contemporary love story of Katie and Alex. 

Full review on Goodreads.com

I enjoyed Sophie Kinsella’s I Owe You One.  It includes your traditional contemporary romance ingredients with a cute meet at a coffee shop, a boyfriend and a girlfriend who keep our romantic leads apart, and a high maintenance family whose members detract the heroine from fixing her life.  Yes, Kinsella reveals the plot within the first chapter and in the heroine’s name, Fixie.  But, in its predictability, Kinsella weaves a tale that shows how love is not a game of keeping score. Instead, she provides a story where love is something you sacrifice your pride to embrace it and where our acts of kindness helps others.

Full review on Goodreads.com