Gwynne Forster (1922–2015)

Title: Last Chance At Love
Author: Gwynne Forster
Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Arabesque
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:

How Much Will She Risk For Love?

"Fired from her prestigious job, journalist Allison Wakefield is now working for a tabloid newspaper, and she's desperate to find a way to get her career back on track. Her new assignment, an explosive story involving mysterious bestselling author Jacob Covington, could be the answer. When Allison first encounters the author while visiting her aunt's home on Idlewild Lake in Michigan, she realizes that Jacob is one subject she wouldn't mind getting to know more intimately….

But as they work side by side during Jacob's book tour, Allison finds herself falling in love—and in a dilemma about what to do. The exposé is her ticket to success, but revealing the truth about Jacob's past as a State Department undercover operative could jeopardize his career—and destroy a summer romance that holds the promise of a lifetime of happiness."

What I liked from this read...

This was a wonderful beautiful read that once you start you will find it hard to put down until he very end. The two main characters Allison Wakefield and Jacob Covington were quite a interesting
pair and being put together whether it was wanted or not was really fascinating to read.
Allison had a job that meant that she had to do what she had to do to get the story and not let no one, not very Jacob Covington stop her from getting what she needed for this story about which was about 'him.' Jacob on the other hand was a very private person that was determined that there were some things in his life he wanted kept that way. With Allison having been fired earlier from a prestigious journalist job due to the fact she hadn't done her job well she was determine that that would not be the case in this job even if that meant that she had to become a under cover sleuth to find more out about Jacob. It was really intriguing when Allison had to make a decision that could cost her happiness. What will she decide to do? How will this dilemma play out? To find these answers pick up "Last Chance at Love" to see how this author will bring it all out to the reader. I found "Last Chance at Love" a wonderful entertaining love story that will give you some food for thought in this well written novel by a wonderful author. Would I recommend? YES!… (altro)

By: Gwynne Forester
Published By: Dafina
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"When the Sun Goes Down" by Gwynne Forester was a wonderful written novel about the Leon Farrell family. It was the death of Leon Farrell when it all came out about a family that looked good on the outside but when you are able to get inside this picture...my, my, my what will we find...a father whose life changed for his family in their treatment after his loss his 'beloved wife.' There were three children, Edgar, the oldest, next their was Gunther and then the baby sister Shirley. We find Edgar was the 'rebel' who lived his life by is own terms only leaving Gunther and Shirley more or less on their own due to the treatment of their father. What was so very important about this read is that from the opening of the story till the very end that there wasn't any love lost between the father and the children. Why was this?

Edgar was a guitarist, Gunther an entrepreneur software designer and Shirley was a PR specialist for a cruise line. The two younger Farrell children had worked their way through college and into successful careers while Edgar, well you will see from the read how he managed. Now, to really understand what all is going on with the Ferrell's you area going to have to pick up this amazing read to see what happens after their father dies and no one can find the will.
Who will be really concerned with this... the inheritance? Will they find this well hidden will? Be ready for some mystery, with deep secrets and lies with will be revealed in this drama of many twist and turns. Will the oldest sibling, Edgar finally grow up and stop depending on his brother and sister to help him out of his messed up life? One thing I will note about this novel is that their was love showed toward the brother, Edgar by his siblings. They truly had tried to help him out many, many times. "When The Sun Goes Down" will be a long novel but I feel the author did a good job at presenting it all to her readers the way she did and it was a easy smooth read.

The characters well developed and interesting maybe some I didn't like but that did not take away from the awesome story that was presented. I thought that the 'family dynamics' were very true to life in what could happen when someone loses a 'influential' family member especially when money is involved.

If you are looking for a good family story with a little bit of it all you have come to the right place for "When The Sun Goes Down" will give you some of it all. From death, secrets, lies, love, rape, deceit to romance....it's well covered between the book cover. Would I recommend? YES!… (altro)

Bullet points because I don't want to have to think about this anymore than necessary:

*The writing was like reading someone's very first fan fiction (only technically proficient).

*The dialogue was beyond ridiculous. I shouldn't be thinking of Leave It to Beaver when reading a contemporary book. No one, no one speaks like that in real life in the 21st century. This was a complete and total failure to make these characters sound like believable human beings.

*They kind of read like old timey robots programmed to do improv. The dialogue was that stilted and their conversations would start off making sense, but one would end a sentence and jump to a non-sequitur literally in the same breath. I felt I was yelling, "WHAT?! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM, THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!" every other page. They'd be having some ostensibly sweet moment and the next thing out of his mouth is something entirely random that set off a fight. 'Oh, Jack, this dinner was scrumptious!" (yes, it sounded exactly like that) "Thank you, Melanie. Why do you keep denying you have any feelings for me?" I AM NOT EXAGGERATING. This was constant.

*If you don't want to write cursing into your book, that's fine. Having adults in their 30's say things like "gosh", "gee", "heck" constantly makes them sound utterly stupid.

*There was no continuity. They'd have a conversation and a few pages later one of them would say something that completely contradicted the conversation. 'Why won't you commit to me?!' Okay, except you've had like ten conversations where you've each confirmed you'll only be with each other. "Unless she could tell by the, Porsche, she doesn't know how wealthy I am and she doesn't care." Uhmmm, what in the actual fuck? Let's say the Porsche actually didn't tip her off to his wealth. I think him having an office in the rich area of town, paying for this clinic in the poorer area on his own, the fancy-ass wealthy things he wears, buys, throws around, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. would freaking tip her off! Honestly, the whole thing was this nonsensical.

*Did an editor even read this?!

*Worst attempt at an alpha male. Ever. It's not all that cute to begin with, but when the author writes it with all the deftness of a toddler finger painting it becomes painful. He is the most over sensitive, YOU MUST TELL ME YOU LOVE ME. WHY, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE JUST SHOWN ME AFFECTION TWO SECONDS AGO, WILL YOU NOT SHOW ME/TELL ME THAT YOU CARE ABOUT ME?! No lie, these are things that were said. Yet he was controlling to the point that he literally buckled her seat belt for her every time she got in his car. He would give her commands constantly. It was so clunky and awful.

*The Heroine read more like a teenager than someone who is 31 years old (and not because she only referred to her father as "Daddy"). Her behavior and reactions to things were so stupid. But so were his. I wish they wouldn't breed, their children will be dumb as a box of rocks and emotionally volatile. And the reason why she was only finishing up her schooling at this age was never addressed.

*The plot was so basic and clichéd. I still can't believe that this was somehow 300 freaking pages long. There was so much random crap. It makes no sense that it rambled on that long without really saying anything. No, seriously, so much of it didn't make sense! The character actions, reactions, interactions, and motivations were so dumb. Again, I spent way too much time stopping reading to exclaim how much what was going on made no damn sense whatsoever. HOW WAS THIS 300 PAGES?!

*No, seriously, how is it even possible an editor read this?!

Honestly, I could really delve deeper into all of these points and find new ones to bring up and give countless examples (which I kind of want to do because I want you guys to understand my pain) but I've already written more than I had intended. Apparently my abject frustration from reading this kind of poured out against my will.… (altro)