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A review by rogue_lurker
Sing for My Baby by Jenn Matthews
I'm still debating on a rating for this one.
Sing for My Baby is well written and Ms Matthews tackles some serious issues quite well. Despite that, I had a hard time becoming invested in the two characters and their relationship so it felt like it dragged a bit.
This is a slow burn romance - perhaps a bit too slow for me. When Amber and Rosie meet, their friendship starts, haltingly, with Rosie encouraging Amber to join the local choir and building from there. Both women harboured secrets that aren't necessarily easy to figure out how to tell a new acquaintance or friend, and by the time that they were ready to talk about things, it was so far down the road that it was inevitable that there'd be some feeling that the other didn't trust them.
Having received her one year chip for sobriety, Amber is coming into her own but her confidence is still not there as she's too embarrassed to admit that she was just leaving an AA meeting when she bumps into Rosie. Rosie mistakes her for a new volunteer for the choir and when she realizes Amber is mouthing the words, she takes it on herself to teach Amber. Despite getting found out on her lie about singing, Amber is still hesitant to tell Rosie the truth as their singing lessons evolve into friendship. At the same time, Rosie is newly pregnant and after a late term miscarriage is hesitant to tell anyone until the pregnancy's is more advanced. It's actually kind of cute where the two of them go out for drinks and are both having juice - both grateful that the other isn't drinking or asking why they aren't.
From a character perspective, Ms Matthews addresses these issues in a realistic manner and gives the internal struggle both women are dealing with some depth. As much as I appreciated that, the characters weren't as easy to connect to - especially Rosie, who was so very focused on the pregnancy and motherhood. I really liked Amber, and at times wished that she got a bit more attention from Rosie. At times there was a bit too much detail and minutiae that made the book seem longer than it was.
For me, this one was a miss, but if you are a fan of the slow burn friends to lovers with a looooong build up of that friendship, this may be a good fit for your library.
Sing for My Baby is well written and Ms Matthews tackles some serious issues quite well. Despite that, I had a hard time becoming invested in the two characters and their relationship so it felt like it dragged a bit.
This is a slow burn romance - perhaps a bit too slow for me. When Amber and Rosie meet, their friendship starts, haltingly, with Rosie encouraging Amber to join the local choir and building from there. Both women harboured secrets that aren't necessarily easy to figure out how to tell a new acquaintance or friend, and by the time that they were ready to talk about things, it was so far down the road that it was inevitable that there'd be some feeling that the other didn't trust them.
Having received her one year chip for sobriety, Amber is coming into her own but her confidence is still not there as she's too embarrassed to admit that she was just leaving an AA meeting when she bumps into Rosie. Rosie mistakes her for a new volunteer for the choir and when she realizes Amber is mouthing the words, she takes it on herself to teach Amber. Despite getting found out on her lie about singing, Amber is still hesitant to tell Rosie the truth as their singing lessons evolve into friendship. At the same time, Rosie is newly pregnant and after a late term miscarriage is hesitant to tell anyone until the pregnancy's is more advanced. It's actually kind of cute where the two of them go out for drinks and are both having juice - both grateful that the other isn't drinking or asking why they aren't.
From a character perspective, Ms Matthews addresses these issues in a realistic manner and gives the internal struggle both women are dealing with some depth. As much as I appreciated that, the characters weren't as easy to connect to - especially Rosie, who was so very focused on the pregnancy and motherhood. I really liked Amber, and at times wished that she got a bit more attention from Rosie. At times there was a bit too much detail and minutiae that made the book seem longer than it was.
For me, this one was a miss, but if you are a fan of the slow burn friends to lovers with a looooong build up of that friendship, this may be a good fit for your library.