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ccgwalt's review
5.0
4.5*
I like just about everything about this book. Every characters feel real. The challenges, past and present, that they face felt normal, like things I can relate to. Renia is damaged, but not broken and not self-pitying. Miles starts off seeming maybe a little to good to be true, but his human failings show up, and we learn that even with all his good intentions, he's just as likely to screw up as anyone. Sarah, Miles' teenage daughter irritates me at times (not always), and that is definitely the point. She is suppose to be caught in that awkward phase between childhood and adulthood. I have a difficult time imagining a teenager actually saying some of snotty things she says in front of other grown-ups because my children would honestly never do that--they'd think it, but not say it aloud! But I can be persuaded that there are teens who would.
I want to say again that the people feel real, the emotions feel real, the situations, regrets, second-guessing--everything. And the pull between Renia and Miles is so sweet. The romance is wonderful and the sex scenes are really good. There is so much in this book but it all works so well together. It's a book about finding a healthy place in relationships- between mother and daughter, father and daughter, mother and the daughter she gave up for adoption, between a man and a woman falling in love. There is hope, fear, rejection, forgiveness and finally acceptance. Acceptance that you do the best you can, so forgive yourself and others and move on with your life.
My minor quibbles are the following: 1) just a bit of repetitive internal monologuing by Renia on her feeling and 2) Miles got off the hook at the end with too little groveling. ;-)
I like just about everything about this book. Every characters feel real. The challenges, past and present, that they face felt normal, like things I can relate to. Renia is damaged, but not broken and not self-pitying. Miles starts off seeming maybe a little to good to be true, but his human failings show up, and we learn that even with all his good intentions, he's just as likely to screw up as anyone. Sarah, Miles' teenage daughter irritates me at times (not always), and that is definitely the point. She is suppose to be caught in that awkward phase between childhood and adulthood. I have a difficult time imagining a teenager actually saying some of snotty things she says in front of other grown-ups because my children would honestly never do that--they'd think it, but not say it aloud! But I can be persuaded that there are teens who would.
I want to say again that the people feel real, the emotions feel real, the situations, regrets, second-guessing--everything. And the pull between Renia and Miles is so sweet. The romance is wonderful and the sex scenes are really good. There is so much in this book but it all works so well together. It's a book about finding a healthy place in relationships- between mother and daughter, father and daughter, mother and the daughter she gave up for adoption, between a man and a woman falling in love. There is hope, fear, rejection, forgiveness and finally acceptance. Acceptance that you do the best you can, so forgive yourself and others and move on with your life.
My minor quibbles are the following: 1) just a bit of repetitive internal monologuing by Renia on her feeling and 2) Miles got off the hook at the end with too little groveling. ;-)
shell74's review
4.0
See my full review:
http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-the-first-move-by-jennifer-lohmann/
http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-the-first-move-by-jennifer-lohmann/
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