Todd R Baker

I have to be honest, this book was just not for me. I liked part 1 and the last few pages but everything in between that was really just bland filling with hints of unintentional comedy.

Part 1 was good, I was getting into the characters, feeling bad for Luke and his struggles. The relationship Luke had with his son Trevor was fun and unique. There were a few parts that I thought were odd, like when Luke talking about all his online dates, but overall the first section of the book is good.

When Part 2 started I was interested, even with the whole God/Angel thing that was going on, and seeing Luke in a world that was opposite of what we read so far had a certain appeal to it. But in my opinion this lasted too long, I felt like information was being thrown at me with little care behind it. He bought this, then that, then this, then that. The slow growth of possessions and cycle of women coming and going got repetitive quick.

Not all of part 2 was bad though, there was some unintentional comedy in there. The way Luke treated people was mean and terrible but to be honest I found some of it funny because it was so over the top.

I think the author had a good idea and a good message to send, but the writing (which was too script-like in some places, something others have mentioned) and a huge portion of part 2 just wasn't for me.

I received this book through a GoodReads FirstReads giveaway.… (mehr)

As Luke Morrow is about to turn 40, he feels like is a failure. It's as if life has thrown him a lemon, and he needs to decide if he should make lemonade, or give up everything and end it all. After a “magical twist of fate”, he is given the opportunity for a do-over. Will he make the right choices and end up a happier man, or will he end up worse off than he was to begin with?

I enjoyed this book because of the symmetry and balance in the text between the two timelines. Much care was given to replay exact scenarios in both lifetimes, but with a little twist that made them different, and allowed the reader to gain that extra bit of insight into the minds of the characters due to these tiny changes in the scenes. One of my favorite examples is when Luke is singing to baby Trevor in the first lifetime, “How wonderful life is, with Trevor in the world” and then when he is singing to him in the second go-around he sings, "How wonderful life is, with Daddy-O in the world”. It was spot-on for exactly where Luke’s mind was in the two divergent timelines.

The only major way this story would have been better for me, was if a few timeline inconsistencies were cleared up. These are minor issues, and not crucial to the plot, but were distracting to me, nonetheless.

**SPOILER ALERT**
In the first timeline, Kit, his niece was five years old when he visits his sister’s family in Chicago. At this time, Trevor was eight, and Luke and Lisa were already long divorced. However, in the second timeline, Kit attends the marriage of Luke and Lisa and is five years old. The age of Luke when he got married did not change, so Kit’s age is a discrepancy.
The other problem was with Trevor’s age. In the first timeline, Luke receives his 20 year college reunion book and Trevor is eight years old. In the second timeline, when Luke receives his 10 year college reunion book, Lisa is pregnant with Trevor. If one is true, the other is off by two years.
But, as I said, these issues were minor and did not take away from the plot of the book, merely made me frustrated.
**END SPOILER**

Potentially Offensive Content:

Sex – multiple one night stands between consenting adults, other sexual encounters between consenting adults, voyeurism, masturbation, prostitution, etc.

Violence – military discussions about war, one scene involving domestic violence on a child, verbal abuse, suicide

Language – I did not keep a tally, but the there were many swear words and other potentially offensive language sprinkled throughout the entire book. The “F” word is used multiple times.

**SPOILER ALERT**
I especially enjoyed how much the author made me empathize with nearly all of the characters at different times. During the the first timeline, I really felt sorry for Luke. He was a good guy, who had just been handed some rough breaks in life. Then fast forward to the second timeline, and I really didn’t care if he was hit by a bus, and was at times actively rooting for such a catastrophe to befall him. The character development was amazing, though, because just as Ebenezer Scrooge learned to value life in A Christmas Carol, or George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, Luke comes around in the end.
**END SPOILER**

I would recommend this to anyone who likes stories with a “life lesson”, especially along the lines of A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life, as they are similar in theme.

This paperback was given to me in a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

https://shelvesofknives.wordpress.com/2016/06/23/secrets-of-men-in-a-lifeboat-to...… (mehr)

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fast paced and an easy read. Todd R Baker, in his debut novel, tells a story of a struggling single parent, Luke Morrow, exploring the meaning of life and success. In my opinion, Secrets of Men in a Lifeboat is haunting and unforgettable. It follows Luke Morrow as he fails, hits rock bottom, gets a second chance in life, becomes heartless and tramples everyone in his path. It is a story as told in the third person narrative, of anxiety, depression, divorce, and narcissism. There is also a message of redemption.

The journey to the end had its "bumps"along the way. The writing appeared to be disjointed in a few areas. Perhaps, this is the "script” type writing some reviews mentioned.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.… (mehr)