Here is the first review of Saving Shelby Summers. And it's one that will be hard to beat!
I am happy that Shelby's dilemmas and their solution have moved this reviewer to award the story 5 stars.
By Ian Mathie
I used to say I
don’t read romance, but if this is the genre yardstick, I’m ready to
change my mind. Margaret Sutherland doesn’t mess around with sloppy,
lovesick heroines, mooning over impossible dreams, or mushy idealistic
ramblings though unlikely situations. Her version of romance gets tough,
gritty and personal from the first page of Saving Shelby Summers.
Her heroine is a gutsy young lady with a traumatised past. Emerging from the wilderness of confusion and hurt, she is beginning to find her way, like a bird first learning to fly, when she suffers a very real catastrophe whilst out riding a friend’s horse. A passing stranger, pausing during a moment of transition in his own life, manages to rescue her and then mysteriously vanishes. This gives a dramatic start to a novel where all the characters have baggage, many have unresolved life issues, and all are seeking, in their different ways, a path forward to an unclear future.
Character building is one of the great strengths of this writer’s work, and it is built on her detailed understanding of the emotional and practical dilemmas that face every one of us. Her characters come across as real people we all know and can identify with; sometimes irritating, sometimes inspiring, and frequently frustrating us, the readers, when they can’t see the obvious opportunities a situation offers. But this is real life she’s showing us, with real people portrayed, warts and all. She also has a strong plot, so it makes the romance gritty, gripping, and compelling as she introduces complications, drip feeding in new revelations about her protagonists just as you think you know how they’ll behave and where things are going.
This book offers a good, compelling story, and the style of writing makes rewarding reading. Beautifully written, and offering a real flavour of life in provincial Australia, it is nevertheless right up to date with the trappings of the modern world. Her use of animals as catalysts in the story proves an interesting vehicle to open up other aspects of human behaviour and interaction, contrasting the inherent unselfishness and trusting nature of the animals against the confused desires, emotional volatility, and hesitance to take risks of the humans.
Just like her New England Romance, this book can be read at several different levels, each delivering layers of insight into the human condition and to how people handle, and often mismanage, their relationships. There is a lot to be learned from Margaret Sutherland’s books, as well as in enjoying their great entertainment value. She sets a high standard most romance writers struggle to attain.
On the downside, her publishers clutter the front few pages of the e-book version with advertising for other books. This is irritating for the reader who wants to read Saving Shelby Summers, and should have been attached to the back end if it has to be included.
Despite this, the book is worthy of its five stars. Do read it.
Her heroine is a gutsy young lady with a traumatised past. Emerging from the wilderness of confusion and hurt, she is beginning to find her way, like a bird first learning to fly, when she suffers a very real catastrophe whilst out riding a friend’s horse. A passing stranger, pausing during a moment of transition in his own life, manages to rescue her and then mysteriously vanishes. This gives a dramatic start to a novel where all the characters have baggage, many have unresolved life issues, and all are seeking, in their different ways, a path forward to an unclear future.
Character building is one of the great strengths of this writer’s work, and it is built on her detailed understanding of the emotional and practical dilemmas that face every one of us. Her characters come across as real people we all know and can identify with; sometimes irritating, sometimes inspiring, and frequently frustrating us, the readers, when they can’t see the obvious opportunities a situation offers. But this is real life she’s showing us, with real people portrayed, warts and all. She also has a strong plot, so it makes the romance gritty, gripping, and compelling as she introduces complications, drip feeding in new revelations about her protagonists just as you think you know how they’ll behave and where things are going.
This book offers a good, compelling story, and the style of writing makes rewarding reading. Beautifully written, and offering a real flavour of life in provincial Australia, it is nevertheless right up to date with the trappings of the modern world. Her use of animals as catalysts in the story proves an interesting vehicle to open up other aspects of human behaviour and interaction, contrasting the inherent unselfishness and trusting nature of the animals against the confused desires, emotional volatility, and hesitance to take risks of the humans.
Just like her New England Romance, this book can be read at several different levels, each delivering layers of insight into the human condition and to how people handle, and often mismanage, their relationships. There is a lot to be learned from Margaret Sutherland’s books, as well as in enjoying their great entertainment value. She sets a high standard most romance writers struggle to attain.
On the downside, her publishers clutter the front few pages of the e-book version with advertising for other books. This is irritating for the reader who wants to read Saving Shelby Summers, and should have been attached to the back end if it has to be included.
Despite this, the book is worthy of its five stars. Do read it.
Wow! What an excellent review. I'm looking forward to reading this book ASAP.
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, Margaret! Now I'm going to have to read this one!!
ReplyDeleteLovely, a well-deserved review. Congrats!
ReplyDelete