Michelle Montague Mogil

Warning: Slight Spoilers

“Four scant weeks ago, I was given the choice between an extraordinary existence and a life of mediocrity…As a consequence, I am now attempting to justify that decision, explaining to myself and to a number of other people, how I managed to get where I am now.”

Those lines in Chapter One made me want to learn more.

The author did a wonderful job of ensuring a level of excitement in practically every chapter. This made you want to turn the pages and find out what happens next. One of the parts that stood out the most was towards the end: the final confrontation between Rachel (the obsessed with immortality caretaker), Domm (the vampire), and Anastasia. I thought the ending was going to go one way, but it took quite a turn that was very shocking, yet sets up the scenario for the next installment.

I’m a fan of Anastasia’s sense of humor. There were things she did which made me chuckle yet I know people around me who have done some of the same things. She is a part-time bartender on the side, and every once in a while when things get rough, she sneaks in a drink. Sure, one isn’t supposed to be doing it on the clock, but it is understandable why it can be a bit tempting. Also, her primary job is about to lay her off, so her attitude towards them is less than stellar, which seemed very real to me.

I’m very pleased with the presentation of the print material—it had very little wrong with it in terms of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

There are a lot of great things about this book but there were certain aspects that kept me from reaching maximum enjoyment.

Despite Anastasia’s situation and her sense of humor, I found her to be annoying as the chapters progressed. I was willing to excuse the initial naivety concerning Domm the Vampire, but as more evidence surfaced, I feel like her struggling to come to grips with it was a bit dragged out. It also stunned me how quickly she was willing to turn her back on her husband and her children to give into Domm the Vampire. I was hoping maybe she was hypnotized into being with him so quickly but when I discovered he didn’t really do that to her, it made me question if she really loved her husband as much as she claimed. I found myself feeling Ethan’s pain and wanting to know how he was struggling, knowing that he was losing his wife, wishing that the writer would have expounded more on his struggles as well as Anastasia’s.

Considering I’m a fan of vampire literature, I really wanted a great visual of how Domm looked, yet besides the description of his skin and his eyes, I couldn’t really get a good gauge on how he looked.

Overall, I recommend this:

1. For someone who wants to see an atypical main character—in the form of an older lady heroine.
2. For non-stop action
3. For vampire literature with huge dosage of comedy as opposed to romance

Extended review can be found on ChickLit Pad as well as The Review Board.

Book Review: The Gentle Man
http://chicklitpad.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-review-gentle-man-by-michelle.html

The Review Board on The Gentle Man
http://theunleashedreviewboard.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/unleashed-speaks-on-the-...

Side Note: Technically, it's 3.5 stars out of 5, but since I see no half star option, this is closer to a 4 than a 3.

… (mehr)

Note: This was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Also, the rating is closer to 3.5 than a 3 but wasn't quite moved to round to 4.

I was first exposed to this author’s work at a former review group I was a part of. At that time, we all were assigned to read The Gentle Man, which is the predecessor to this book. I did enjoy that particular book yet I was curious as to more insight to Ethan, who was one of my favorite characters in the first book.

When the author alerted me that she decided to cover Ethan’s story I was intrigued. I had to find out whether the follow up would mimic the elements I enjoyed so much about the first book.

With eagerness, I delved in.

The first few pages of the book started off with Ana the vampire sending a message to Dr. Cruciat. Soon after that, the author takes us into a day in the life of Ethan adjusting to having a wife as a creature of the night.

One doesn’t have to necessarily read The Gentle Man but to understand the impact of some of the past characters, such as Domm, and the sinister ways of Dr. Cruciat, it would be a great idea.

For me, the pace in this book runs slower than its predecessor and the development somewhat choppy. The initial presentation of the showdown between Cruciat and Ana was hinted at immediately but took several chapters before things circled around. Also, there were quite a few new people presented in the early going before familiarity was established with the main characters. Some of the side stories took away from the central conflict, which was Ethan’s dynamic with Ana.

When the confrontation occurred, it was not nearly as climatic as I had hoped. Similar to the antagonist in the first installment, there was great ease in defeating the foe, and it left me wondering what else to anticipate because this scene happened at about the seventy five percent mark in the book.

The other twenty five percent represented vengeance for Cruciat’s death and a possible trial for foul play, whose resolution also was a bit contrived.

Although the syntax was done relatively well, there was something lacking in this follow up. Ethan should have been the star but his plight took a back seat to all the other events going on around them. The epilogue was cute but wasn’t sure it was overall necessary unless it is setting up for another installment in this couple’s tapestry. Despite the missed chances in The Loyal Man, I do enjoy the author’s overall writing style and remain open to reading other books by her.… (mehr)