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A review by currant7
Mirrors by A.L. Woods
4.0
This review can also be found in Currant7 Recommends.
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Sean is a real estate investor. He buys run-down homes at rock bottom prices and "flips" them through renovations, then sells them at a profit. He intends to sell his current property quickly and move on to the next project. Too bad markets are down, and he is having trouble bringing inquiries to the said property.
In comes Raquel Flannigan, a journalist at a small-town newspaper, to the rescue. As a favor to her best friend, Penelope - coincidentally hired as the interior stager for the property Sean is selling, Raquel agrees to promote the property. Her first encounter with Sean was electric to both of them but was an odd interview. There was no denying the tension radiating in the. When it all came out, it was explosive and spectacular! It raised the standards in steam and angst!
Raquel is a complex character. She went through a tragic past that changed her. Filled with much guilt and torturing emotions, Raquel was crumbling from the inside while maintaining a calm, no-nonsense, tough journalist facade. Outside of her job, her life is pure chaos that Sean seems to be willing to dive into to "save her."
Without giving so much, readers will surely get the gravity of Raquel's situation midway through the book. It is dark and sinister. It will change how you perceive things. I did not like the road that Raquel took to "save" the people around her. I was frustrated with her reckless decisions. Yes, she had terrible things happen to her and her family, which she blames was her doing. Because of this, she lost herself, her passion and decided that she was not worthy of peace and happiness by taking on the "bad things" in her life as penance.
Sean has his issues, but it's a lot safer than what Raquel had around. He gave up his dreams to be able to support his family after a tragic loss. It was not uncommon, but now, his family is on him going back to pursue his passion and think of himself. It was driving him crazy because Sean believes he is fine where he is...or so he thinks.
The theme of "mirrors" or "self-reflection and perceptions" runs well into the book. There is a lot of "push-pull" in Sean and Raquel's lives for their daily interaction with family and friends - how they see themselves - potential, ambition, and expectations.
I like to note that I love Raquel's best friend and forever confidant, Penelope. She and Raquel are opposites but bonded together in college when they became roommates. Penelope has gone through a lot with her family and background, but they become an unstoppable team with Raquel's support. Penelope also is integral in having Raquel realize the destructive path she was heading towards. Without that realization, this story would turn out badly.
Mirrors is a poignant, slow-burn, enemies-to-friends story. It is a gut-wrenching story that dives into two broken characters' lives: one accepting it while the other is in denial. Both need each other to find their redemption and healing to move to live with their choices.
The scenes and points of view are very detailed. The writing may get overwhelming at times, so I had to sit and reflect. This book took me longer than expected to finish because of the immense information coming from interesting characters - each detail of a scene, person's points written and described in vivid word descriptions.
There is a lot of character development that will surely make readers also reflect and empathize with them. Note that the plot is heavy and complex, with various issues between Sean and Raquel. Expect the book to be pulling out all types of "feels" for readers.
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Sean is a real estate investor. He buys run-down homes at rock bottom prices and "flips" them through renovations, then sells them at a profit. He intends to sell his current property quickly and move on to the next project. Too bad markets are down, and he is having trouble bringing inquiries to the said property.
In comes Raquel Flannigan, a journalist at a small-town newspaper, to the rescue. As a favor to her best friend, Penelope - coincidentally hired as the interior stager for the property Sean is selling, Raquel agrees to promote the property. Her first encounter with Sean was electric to both of them but was an odd interview. There was no denying the tension radiating in the. When it all came out, it was explosive and spectacular! It raised the standards in steam and angst!
Raquel is a complex character. She went through a tragic past that changed her. Filled with much guilt and torturing emotions, Raquel was crumbling from the inside while maintaining a calm, no-nonsense, tough journalist facade. Outside of her job, her life is pure chaos that Sean seems to be willing to dive into to "save her."
Without giving so much, readers will surely get the gravity of Raquel's situation midway through the book. It is dark and sinister. It will change how you perceive things. I did not like the road that Raquel took to "save" the people around her. I was frustrated with her reckless decisions. Yes, she had terrible things happen to her and her family, which she blames was her doing. Because of this, she lost herself, her passion and decided that she was not worthy of peace and happiness by taking on the "bad things" in her life as penance.
Sean has his issues, but it's a lot safer than what Raquel had around. He gave up his dreams to be able to support his family after a tragic loss. It was not uncommon, but now, his family is on him going back to pursue his passion and think of himself. It was driving him crazy because Sean believes he is fine where he is...or so he thinks.
The theme of "mirrors" or "self-reflection and perceptions" runs well into the book. There is a lot of "push-pull" in Sean and Raquel's lives for their daily interaction with family and friends - how they see themselves - potential, ambition, and expectations.
I like to note that I love Raquel's best friend and forever confidant, Penelope. She and Raquel are opposites but bonded together in college when they became roommates. Penelope has gone through a lot with her family and background, but they become an unstoppable team with Raquel's support. Penelope also is integral in having Raquel realize the destructive path she was heading towards. Without that realization, this story would turn out badly.
Mirrors is a poignant, slow-burn, enemies-to-friends story. It is a gut-wrenching story that dives into two broken characters' lives: one accepting it while the other is in denial. Both need each other to find their redemption and healing to move to live with their choices.
The scenes and points of view are very detailed. The writing may get overwhelming at times, so I had to sit and reflect. This book took me longer than expected to finish because of the immense information coming from interesting characters - each detail of a scene, person's points written and described in vivid word descriptions.
There is a lot of character development that will surely make readers also reflect and empathize with them. Note that the plot is heavy and complex, with various issues between Sean and Raquel. Expect the book to be pulling out all types of "feels" for readers.