Slow Going but very Emotional
A young widow with a five-year old daughter, Karen is barely surviving with her temp jobs. To save on cost, she shares an apartment with Jim, an old college roommate and friend. Accepting that there was no “spark” between them, Karen and Jim became best friends as they pursued their own romantic relationships.
In a temporary assignment in Venice, Italy, Karen met Mark, a very successful lawyer for New Orleans. With a “spark” between them even while they were in Venice, Karen and Mark continued their romantic liaison alternately visiting each other in Montreal and New Orleans.
But, everything is not it seems. As Karen’s relationship with Mark deepens, she also notices how Jim, her nerdy friend is becoming a babe magnet.
***MY TAKE ON THE STORY***
Beautifully told, the story is actually slow in the beginning, yet you emphatize with the feeling of loss and sadness that permeates Karen. Looking at it from another angle, perhaps the author deliberately made the pacing that way.
Karen’s awakening from a grieving widow to a vibrant woman was also slow as the audience saw the small steps that she took. She blossomed into our very eyes. Her love interests – Mark and Jim, also blossomed into our eyes as we became familiar with their qualities. Even the minor characters were fleshed out nicely by the author.
Added bonus is the tour of Montreal, Venice and New Orleans. If you haven’t been to these places, you can actually see them in your mind’s eye as the author described them.
Rated PG 17 due to adult situation
