Black Hawk/Ravenswood Publishing, November 15, 2015.
Two Stars
First of all, this book had nothing to do with Alcatraz, which was
very disappointing because I initially chose it based on the title. It is
actually set in nearby Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco. Brandy and
Weston are a married couple, pregnant with their first child. However, when the
baby dies during the birth, both parents are devastated. This first part of the
novel was well-written – the tragedy of losing a child was described in
heartbreaking detail. Unfortunately, the story just dissolved into a series of unbelievable
events after that.
After they lose their child, Brandy and Weston’s marriage becomes
strained. Weston takes a job across the country, and the long-distance
relationship leads, predictably, to infidelity. Weston is not at all
understanding about Brandy’s depression following the loss of their child, and
he takes her pain personally. Lashing out against her, he only drives her
further away, which leads to yet more romantic complications. Both Brandy and
Weston want to forgive each other, but they keep making bad decisions that only
hurt each other.
The language used by most of the characters was stilted and abrupt –
not realistic at all. I also wished for more background story as I was unable
to see the characters are real people, beyond their present lives and awful
decisions. There was a lot of conflict for no real reason, and a ridiculous amount
of tragic hospital visits – it got to the point where I just couldn’t care
about these people any more. At least the romance storyline wasn’t completely
cheesy, but I wish there was more build up to the relationships. If you are
looking for a simple romance, and aren’t looking for a lot of meaning beneath
the surface, you might enjoy this. For me, it was too simple and unlikely.
I received this book for free from Blue Moon Publishing and NetGalley
in exchange for an honest review.
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