*This is a standalone novel.*
While a weeklong
retreat to her family’s cottage in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, preparing to
attend a good friend’s wedding should be a joyous celebration, Hope Anderson is
flailing. She’s thrilled for her friend, but her own life is nowhere she
expected it to be. At 36, she’s been dating her orthopedic surgeon boyfriend
for six years, and there is still no proposal in sight, plus Josh isn’t coming
to the wedding since an explosive argument prompted him to put their
relationship in “off” mode and go to Las Vegas, her parents have actually
recently sold the family cottage at which she’s staying, and her dad has been
diagnosed with ALS. It is 1990. Enter next door Tru Walls, a 42-year-old safari
guide from Zimbabwe who’s staying at the monstrosity-of-a-beach-house awaiting
his first meeting with his birthfather, who’s recently reached out to him. Hope
and Tru’s first meet-cute is thanks to Hope’s dog, a sly Scottish terrier named
Scottie with gobs of energy and selective listening skills. That meet-cute
turns into an epic, whirlwind romance with a visit to Kindred Spirit, a lone mailbox on Bird Island. Their love is real;
it’s not a fleeting moment to be chased away by the wind.
Fast forward 24 years to 2014. Hope
made a choice that did not involve Tru and put her life on a trajectory that
succeeded in certain ways and failed in others. She tried to find Tru eight
years ago, but could never locate him. Desperate to reach him, she went back to
the only place she could think of to leave a message: Kindred Spirit. What sort of fates will have to be at work for Tru
to be reached? Where has he been all these years?
Whereas I struggled with the
previous story I’d read by Sparks, I am relieved to say that I liked this novel.
I enjoyed how the bookends of the story were written as though the author was
explaining how he came across this story as though it’s reality, even though it
is a work of fiction. I felt more invested with the characters where I did not
in the other story, even knowing that Hope’s decision wouldn’t fully turn out
in the long run. The depiction of Hope’s father’s ALS diagnosis and subsequent
battle was very moving. The expected North Carolina setting is stronger for the
real places involved, in particular the Kindred
Spirit mailbox. (Road trip, anyone?) Sparks’ novels are about as much
romance as I can handle. You know Tru and Hope will somehow return to each
other, but it isn’t without a winding path of heart-wrenching decisions, tricky
fate and desperate hope that an epic, sweeping love can transcend time and time
zones.
Shattered Mirror (Apr. 24, 2018) by Iris Johansen.
*This is a standalone novel with recurring
characters.*
In the disturbed
and twisted mind of Rory Norwalk, instead of an eye for an eye, it’s a twin for
a twin. He personally delivers a mystery skull to highly-sought-after forensic
sculptor Eve Duncan. The skull looks alarming; there’s a bullet hole, and it
has been blackened by fire. The face, which she calls Sylvie, courtesy of
Michael, who’s now six, is stunning, and she wonders what monster would do
something so dreadful to her. It becomes clear that Norwalk is targeting her,
but also threatens those she loves, particularly Michael (her son) and Cara
Delaney (her ward). While Cara thinks it’s her new roommate, Darcy Nichols, who
may be the target, Jock Gavin has his doubts. He’s been keeping tabs on Cara,
expecting a threat to her to arise with the knowledge of who her grandfather
is. He will be very upset if Sergai Kaskov gets involved, but if Kaskov is one
of the targets, he’ll get involved and not care if he steps on anyone’s toes.
Why is Rory targeting Eve and Kaskov and those closest to them? What is the
connection? Does there even need to be a connection with someone as clearly
unbalanced as Rory Norwalk?
I am torn. With Eve and Joe having a
son, it on one hand adds a potential layer to the plot when Michael is
involved, but it’s also a convenient filler. I’m not saying this is the case,
but it can seem like Johansen brought a child into the picture to distract from
a lack of new ideas. As a mostly loyal reader of Johansen’s novels over many
years, I don’t apologize for thinking this. It is my opinion, after all.
Additionally, I think it’s too convenient that Michael, like Bonnie, is wise
beyond his years and isn’t usually so much a six-year-old than a conscientious
adult with childlike conviction. I wouldn’t be able to write a current
six-year-old and perhaps the author struggles in that arena, thus her reasoning
behind making Michael so much broader and shrewder in his thinking. Also, what
is the age difference between Jock and Cara? Because no, just no.
If you’re thinking I should halt
reading Johansen’s books, you’re right. I probably should quit reading her
books. Or at least choose not to write about them after reading them. I see a
new recurring character in Darcy. For anyone wanting to read what you’d expect
from Johansen, you’ll be satisfied with this novel. For others, you may want to
skip this one.
*This is a standalone novel with recurring
characters.*
I really thought
I wouldn’t write about this book, but I changed my mind since Catherine Ling is
in it. Catherine is an Asian woman in a stack of Johansen books usually
featuring a white default.
What CIA Operative
Carl Venable says with his dying breaths both puts his daughter in the
crosshairs of terrorist Max Huber and tries to protect her in convincing Jude
Brandon to find Rachel Venable and keep her safe. Rachel is a spectacular
physician who’s also highly proficient at crafting poisons. Huber has
connections to Rachel’s past that she is unaware of, though she is aware that
she’s responsible for the death of his father, though it was without her
consent or initial knowledge. Huber is the leader of Red Star, and he’s
orchestrating a catastrophic event in California that he wants to be vastly and
impressively worse than 9/11. While Rachel is safe with Brandon, she wants
Huber dealt with, no matter how scared dealing with him makes her. When he
takes someone she cares about, she’s willing to set herself up as a sacrifice
if there’s any chance the other person can be safely extracted from Huber’s
evil and horrific clutches. She may come out alive as well. Familiar characters
in Catherine Ling, Richard Cameron, and, to a lesser extent, Hu Chang come to
fight the fight. Dealings with high-echelon CIA Operative Claire Warren are
tense at best, and who is Nemesis?
Action and
drama from the get-go are constants for Johansen, which is a plus.
Unfortunately, I was not fully engaged in the story. I had to make myself sit
down to read one chapter a day. This, of course, is simply my opinion, but it
seems that all of her characters – no matter which story you’re reading – are
the same. Sure, they have different names and different physical features and
different backstories, but they remain like fraternal multiples. An exception
is given to Catherine, who is at least of partial Asian descent and not
Caucasian. All the lead females are strong (which is good) and stubborn and
holding it together but still savvy and strong with the same emotions and
attitudes in each book no matter the character. All the lead males are
masculine and tough and struggle to let the females be strong and want to hold
them when they’re having a vulnerable moment, and it hurts them to see the
women like that, and they want to wreak extra havoc on the bad guys. Same,
same, same. I’ve read so many of Johansen’s books over the years that I can’t
stop cold turkey, but I will be tapering off. I can’t say I’ll stop reading her
stories for good, but I’m heading that direction, which does make the dedicated
bibliophile in me a little sad.
Nicholas Sparks- While this book I have not read, I have read a few others of his.
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