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mckayla_haesch's review against another edition
I lost all interest. just wasn’t captivating!
fidan_aliyeva's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable story. I loved Ramona’s character. I felt transported on the shores of Nova Scotia’s east coastline and the book made me want to visit that area. Read as a slice of life genre to me.
amn028's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book solely on the title (and cursed myself for the ear worm). It is a hard book to put into a category. I would say a drama with a touch of comedy and a heap of absurdity. A nice, light, easy read for a day at the beach or something to refresh your brain after a heavier book.
sharla_nicole's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
I honestly struggled with the first part of this book. The beginning just really didn't work for me, to the point that I found myself wondering if I'd maybe added this to my TBR by mistake meaning to add another book. But as the book continued and we learned more about Charles and his life, it really took a turn for the better.
This book really reminded me a lot of Alistair MacCleod's No Great Mischief - the plots are not at all similar but the Canadian voice and feel really were similar. This story was well-written and heartbreaking in all the right places. Maybe the beginning just moved too slowly, I don't know, but it was worth pushing through to get to the rest of the book.
This book really reminded me a lot of Alistair MacCleod's No Great Mischief - the plots are not at all similar but the Canadian voice and feel really were similar. This story was well-written and heartbreaking in all the right places. Maybe the beginning just moved too slowly, I don't know, but it was worth pushing through to get to the rest of the book.
jamicuns01's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. This is a sweet story of a man and a woman finding each other in the most unexpected way and time. They work together (and at times look like they’ll fail each other) to overcome childhood trauma, commitment issues, familial disputes, fears of what the future holds, and finding inner strength when everything around them seems to falls apart. It’s a beautiful romance story that doesn’t have a hint of cheesiness, which is refreshing. I felt there were parts of the story that were drawn out longer than they needed to be but overall it’s a lovely story two people finding love when they thought those days were over for them. Thank you #NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC of #brokenmanonahalifaxpier.
sprainedbrain's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
miramichireader's review against another edition
4.0
This is yet another great story from the prolific Lesley Choyce with enough turns, ups and downs and existential food-for-thought to keep the reader turning pages until the end (which I found a little too tidy). Highly recommended reading!
karenika's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
"I realized there was no such thing as a life without consequences. Every little thing—or big thing—you do in life sends out ripples in the pond that keep getting wider and wider."
Reading this novel was an interesting journey. The two main characters meet on a Pier on a random night and end up having a meal together. The dialogue is unusual in that it's almost immediately witty and they are quoting literature/poetry at each other which was amusing and also annoying at the same time. The interesting part is that this doesn't really continue throughout the novel all that much.
The characters, Ramona and Charles, meet and immediately hit it off and then decide to do an impromptu drive to Charles' hometown which he hasn't been to in a long, long time. This starts off a chain of events that add complications to both of the characters' lives. The issues get serious very quickly and the two characters get enmeshed in each others' lives.
While the story was engaging and I kept wanting to read it, I did feel like the emotional intensity required to so heavily and fully invest into another person whom you just met (especially when in the context of some of these very serious issues) was not really clear in the story. It always felt a bit distant. We didn't get to see the depth in any of the characters and understand their motivation for continuing to get/stay engaged in each others complex lives.
Having said that, I really did enjoy the story and enjoyed some of the secondary characters like Jack and BethAnn and the story continued to be engaging and worthwhile. The writing was engaging and it was a great story about second chances, small towns, people looking out for each other.
With gratitude to netgalley and Dundurn for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
"I realized there was no such thing as a life without consequences. Every little thing—or big thing—you do in life sends out ripples in the pond that keep getting wider and wider."
Reading this novel was an interesting journey. The two main characters meet on a Pier on a random night and end up having a meal together. The dialogue is unusual in that it's almost immediately witty and they are quoting literature/poetry at each other which was amusing and also annoying at the same time. The interesting part is that this doesn't really continue throughout the novel all that much.
The characters, Ramona and Charles, meet and immediately hit it off and then decide to do an impromptu drive to Charles' hometown which he hasn't been to in a long, long time. This starts off a chain of events that add complications to both of the characters' lives. The issues get serious very quickly and the two characters get enmeshed in each others' lives.
While the story was engaging and I kept wanting to read it, I did feel like the emotional intensity required to so heavily and fully invest into another person whom you just met (especially when in the context of some of these very serious issues) was not really clear in the story. It always felt a bit distant. We didn't get to see the depth in any of the characters and understand their motivation for continuing to get/stay engaged in each others complex lives.
Having said that, I really did enjoy the story and enjoyed some of the secondary characters like Jack and BethAnn and the story continued to be engaging and worthwhile. The writing was engaging and it was a great story about second chances, small towns, people looking out for each other.
With gratitude to netgalley and Dundurn for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.