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3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
Mom had given me the book without much fanfare or enthusiasm. Just an afterthought with a pile of magazines. Which is kind of how this book pans out. An afterthought.
OK, don't get me wrong. It was wonderfully written. The story moved along fine. The main character, Grace, in her 30s has to return home to a small town in Connecticut when she lost her job, her boyfriend left her for another woman, and the ceiling in her apartment caved in. She's back only through her dad's 65th birthday party and for about two weeks. While home, she revisits the painful family experiences of her sister dying a car accident when they were teenagers. Clearly Grace has not dealt with this at all, holds on to a belief it was her fault, because she got into an argument with her sister and she wished her sister dead.
Ok but seriously, haven't we, as a society, watched enough Oprah to know, as adults, that wishing does not make it true? And why didn't she see a therapist? I mean Grace, as written, is pretty flimsy and shallow and must have had a boatload of life problems before this point of tearful confession with her family if she was holding on to the belief she was the reason her sister was dead.
I've skimmed some of the other critiques here before sitting down to write this and many of us had the same impression -- Grace was immature, acting like a teenager not a 30-something, and trying so hard to live in her youth. She acted inappropriately everywhere and her expectations were way out of proportion with reality.
Still, I couldn't dislike her. Clearly this incident in childhood had impacted her deeply. And part of her playfulness I liked.
For a summer read, this was perfectly fine.
OK, don't get me wrong. It was wonderfully written. The story moved along fine. The main character, Grace, in her 30s has to return home to a small town in Connecticut when she lost her job, her boyfriend left her for another woman, and the ceiling in her apartment caved in. She's back only through her dad's 65th birthday party and for about two weeks. While home, she revisits the painful family experiences of her sister dying a car accident when they were teenagers. Clearly Grace has not dealt with this at all, holds on to a belief it was her fault, because she got into an argument with her sister and she wished her sister dead.
Ok but seriously, haven't we, as a society, watched enough Oprah to know, as adults, that wishing does not make it true? And why didn't she see a therapist? I mean Grace, as written, is pretty flimsy and shallow and must have had a boatload of life problems before this point of tearful confession with her family if she was holding on to the belief she was the reason her sister was dead.
I've skimmed some of the other critiques here before sitting down to write this and many of us had the same impression -- Grace was immature, acting like a teenager not a 30-something, and trying so hard to live in her youth. She acted inappropriately everywhere and her expectations were way out of proportion with reality.
Still, I couldn't dislike her. Clearly this incident in childhood had impacted her deeply. And part of her playfulness I liked.
For a summer read, this was perfectly fine.
slow-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like Grace but my opinion of her from the beginning of the book, didn't change.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I feel bad that I’ve had this ARC for a couple years now. I really liked this book. It was a cute summer read. It dealt with some heavy issues. But once I started I clutched it down.
A fun, carefree read that kept me up too late at night reading "just one more chapter". I received a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was pleased with the chance to read a new author. I'm a stickler for grammar myself, and felt the addition of the grammatical terms was fun, even though it was a little forced. I like the premise that words matter, and while I felt that Grace and other characters were a little shallow and dense at times, it's what I expect from a quick beach-type read like this. It kept me entertained and I would read the author again when I was looking for a light read for vacation. Thanks, Goodreads!
Last year I read Mary Simses' wonderful "The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe". I found it charming, relaxing and a thoroughly enjoyable read. It was my favorite book I read in 2015! I looked forward to her next book which turned out to be "The Rules of Love & Grammar."
To use a food illustration, reading "The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe" was like eating and enjoying a hot, delicious home cooked meal. Unfortunately, reading "The Rules of Love & Grammar" was like a souffle that fell completely flat.
One of the key pieces to me enjoying a novel is for me to click, to understand, to root for and/or empathize with the main character. I never could click with Grace, the lead of the novel. I found her to be whiny, complacent and often times annoying. I had to remind myself at times that I was reading about a 30-ish woman and not a brooding teenager.
The book's overall tone was somber and mysterious. I enjoyed the mystery aspect but the somber, depressing scenes and tones turned me off. I read to relax and get away, not to dive into someone's family drama and dark sides. I know some reviewers likened this to a good beach read but to be honest, I most definitely wouldn't call it that. To me a beach read is something light, fun and makes you feel good. Where I looked forward to reading Ms. Simses' first novel every day, this book's dramatic plot felt more like a chore to get through.
Mary Simses didn't disappoint in her writing style however. I may not have enjoyed the theme or nature of the story but her writing (in both novels) does have a great way of putting you right into the heart of it, able to picture the scene, its characters and events seamlessly and effortlessly. I love that.
Despite my low rating of this novel, I look forward to Mary Simses' next works. I just would highly recommend trying out her first novel instead.
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review on it.)
To use a food illustration, reading "The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe" was like eating and enjoying a hot, delicious home cooked meal. Unfortunately, reading "The Rules of Love & Grammar" was like a souffle that fell completely flat.
One of the key pieces to me enjoying a novel is for me to click, to understand, to root for and/or empathize with the main character. I never could click with Grace, the lead of the novel. I found her to be whiny, complacent and often times annoying. I had to remind myself at times that I was reading about a 30-ish woman and not a brooding teenager.
The book's overall tone was somber and mysterious. I enjoyed the mystery aspect but the somber, depressing scenes and tones turned me off. I read to relax and get away, not to dive into someone's family drama and dark sides. I know some reviewers likened this to a good beach read but to be honest, I most definitely wouldn't call it that. To me a beach read is something light, fun and makes you feel good. Where I looked forward to reading Ms. Simses' first novel every day, this book's dramatic plot felt more like a chore to get through.
Mary Simses didn't disappoint in her writing style however. I may not have enjoyed the theme or nature of the story but her writing (in both novels) does have a great way of putting you right into the heart of it, able to picture the scene, its characters and events seamlessly and effortlessly. I love that.
Despite my low rating of this novel, I look forward to Mary Simses' next works. I just would highly recommend trying out her first novel instead.
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review on it.)