Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The basic concept of this story was good; the execution was not. The dynamic between Adeline and Ben quickly became circular and repetitive while only adding scraps to the plotline. Half of the first sixty percent of the book could have been edited down without losing anything but tiresome reading. In fact, the sixty percent point truly is the beginning of the story. It’s where the real clues begin, and where you’ll be able to start piecing them together rather quickly. The Home Alone references were an unadvisable device, were not necessary, and became absurd. Better to leave them out. A subsequent scene could have been an I Love Lucy episode. These are the type of things that distract, not enhance. The ending seemed hurried and forced, and the cute little tie-in with the title of the book fell flat. This novel needs some serious editing: * garbage disposals don’t spit dry white powder out into the sink * she had crutches – not taking them to the neighborhood meeting was understandable, but not using them for the visit to the clinic was not – yes, she wanted to be totally dependent on Ben physically, so reference that reason. But for someone as detail oriented as Adeline, it was surprising that she left herself open to the lack of the privacy that she wanted with the doctor. * “I asked you want you wanted…” Did anyone at all proofread? * “The one that’s been subscribing you medicine.” Again, proofread. * ‘But I hadn’t been done my work.’ Third time’s the charm. * Adeline Harlow.” End quote out of nowhere – there is no beginning quote. * She pinched the bridge of her nose so damn many times that I wanted to scream. Highly distracting. The last thing you want is to throw readers out of the story with irritating repetitions. Reword, use another descriptor, or simply leave it out. Any decent editor would have caught these things. Even a decent proofreader would have helped tremendously. Beta readers are wonderful, and every author would do well to have them. They can be valuable, but they’re not editors. In many cases, sadly, they’re simply ‘yes’ men, and often will post wonderful reviews simply due to the virtue of being chosen. Such carelessness in a published work is nearly unimaginable. Regrettably, it makes me care less.