Publisher: Affinity eBook Press
Writing
a book about lesbians would seem to be controversial enough in some circles,
but then an author comes along and throws another kink in the story. There are no spoilers in this review, but, if
you choose to read it, expect a “family secret” to shake up the story and many
people won’t care for the way it is resolved.
The
Beckett family has retreated to New Hampshire hoping that the more peaceful
area will allow them to recuperate from a terrible experience in New York
City. This is how college student Emma
meets a local artist Charlie Campbell and love blossoms. The Becketts are thrown for a loop because
Emma has never shown any inclination to be lesbian since she’s had more than
one boyfriend, but Charlie is charming, sensitive, experienced and all of the
things that are apparently appealing to Emma.
Gradually they fall in love and then the family secret comes into play. The reader can decide how well that situation
is handled.
The
main problems with Fire and Ice stem
from its inconsistencies. There are
places where the wording is odd, which is probably due to the author not being
a native English speaker. That doesn’t
explain the rest. The main characters
know things about each other’s lives that they have no way of knowing or at
least aren’t explained in the story.
They use odd cues that make no sense to decide if someone is a
lesbian. No, not gaydar, peculiar
ideas. The continuity editor truly
failed in this story because a cat named Liloo is introduced in the present,
then later in the book it’s revealed that the cat died years before. Perhaps every cat was named Liloo.
This
is not a strong book and the end of it will certainly be controversial for many
people. If the reader is just looking
for something to pass the time and can borrow a copy of this, then go
ahead. If not, pass on by and read
something better.
I've left my full comment on this review on my blog but I feel it's my "duty" to correct the cat part of it, as it is totally inaccurate. It's written black on white in the book. When the name Liloo is first mentioned for the much alive black and white cat, Charlie says that, "officially, it's Lil'loo" but she doesn't explain more. Later in the book, at Charlie's house, when Emma wonders about the many pictures of Lil'loo, compared to the other cats. Charlie points out that it's Liloo on some of the pictures, a black and white cat that died years ago. She named the next black and white she had in "replacement" Lil'loo (little Liloo). It's all in the book, you just have to read it.
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