Category: General

I think I’ve rated this reading higher than at least one previous reading. I think any book that can keep me captivated and move me to the point of having visceral reactions after so many readings and discussions with friends deserves that extra half star (full star on Goodreads because they don’t allow half stars).

After finishing Backwards to Oregon, I always know I’m going to want to jump right into this one and always have the same feeling of “But I don’t want to focus on Amy and Rika. I want more Luke and Nora!” Once the book gets going though, I tend to want to stay with Amy. Even though the most moving and gut-wrenching scene involves Luke, Nora, and their girls, it’s Amy and Rika’s show.

No, the book isn’t perfect. There are characters and situations that I don’t care much about but they serve a purpose and it may be my impatience to get back to the folks I really want to read about that makes me a little cranky.

I’m certain I’ll be reading this one again.

I think my biggest problem with this book is the fact that it felt so incredibly unbelievable right from the first chapter and I don’t think it got any better on that front.

There was no part of the story that would lead anyone to believe that the two women at the center of the story should have any feelings for each other besides resentment and dislike and then suddenly, they’re so close that secrets are shared that can’t be divulged to Amy’s best (and apparently only) friend in the world.

The mystery wasn’t much of a mystery and the way the business situation resolved itself made me scratch my head and think, “what the hell?” Based on just about every thought and conversation in the book dealing with her feelings about the job, the way it ended up seemed to go against everything she said she wanted. I just don’t get it.

The characters were very two-dimensional and by the time some information was shared about past hurts and struggles, it was too late to change my opinion of their flatness and I didn’t care.

Very near the end, I started thinking, “ok, this is going to at least wrap up nicely and I can feel good about the story after all.” But that’s not what happened. Overall, my feeling is that it needed much more depth. The reasons behind Amy being approached and for taking the job could have been more developed. The characters could have been so much more fleshed out to really make the reader care about them and want them to be happy and succeed. If the mystery part had been dropped completely and the story focusing on Amy and Diego’s relationship and Amy and Casey’s relationship, there would have been so much more opportunity to involve the reader. And I’m saying that as a huge fan of mysteries and someone who reads fewer and fewer romance novels.

This isn’t a book I’d recommend to friends. But, as you’ll be able to see from other reviews and ratings, there are loads of folks who disagree with me.

Last year I was doing quite a few reviews for my own review site and for a lesbian magazine so I really loaded up on NetGalley.com books. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up reviewing the vast majority of them.

This year, I’m making a point to read and review as many of the books I received as possible. Good or bad, I will submit feedback and post some reviews. I WILL HIT 80%. And it’ll be a great way to work toward my 80 book goal for 2016.

Feel free to join in on the fun. Nearly all of the books I requested and was approved for have been published by now. Here’s a link to the list: http://booklikes.com/apps/reading-lists/594/netgalley