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Love Unfinished
Soul mates from the past leave their love unfinished when a tragic accident ends their lives on their wedding day. Yet they are destined to meet again to fulfill that love in new incarnations, leading vastly different lives.
Emma thought she chose the right path in life, but too late does she realize her mistake when her husband reveals the monster behind the smile. Their happily ever after - is a lie. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive man, Emma knows this is not the life she was meant to live. As her hope for real love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.
Emma cannot deny the connection pulling them together, but her courage to abandon her marriage wavers, and unknowingly puts her life on the line. Are Emma and James fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished?
Emma thought she chose the right path in life, but too late does she realize her mistake when her husband reveals the monster behind the smile. Their happily ever after - is a lie. Trapped in a broken marriage to a powerful, abusive man, Emma knows this is not the life she was meant to live. As her hope for real love withers, she meets James, her love from a lifetime ago.
Emma cannot deny the connection pulling them together, but her courage to abandon her marriage wavers, and unknowingly puts her life on the line. Are Emma and James fated to fulfill their love, or will they once again, leave love unfinished?
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
50 people are currently reading
657 people want to read
About the author
Darian Wilk
8 books58 followersFreelance writer and author specializing in women's fiction. My current titles include Love Unfinished and Reinventing Claire. The first installment of The Four Peas series, The Responsible One, will be released in 2014.
For more information about my books, to sign up for my newsletter, giveaways, or general cyber-stalking, please visit www.DarianWilk.weebly.com
For more information about my books, to sign up for my newsletter, giveaways, or general cyber-stalking, please visit www.DarianWilk.weebly.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 23, 2011
“Love Unfinished” as the name suggests is the story of a married woman, Emma and a divorced man, James. Now I know what you are thinking - extra-marital relationships and blah. But hold your horses. You might be missing out on a very interesting twist to it by assuming! At least I was about to and thank God for that!
See, the twist is Emma and James were supposed to be together. Always. And that started few births back! Yes, eternal love! Only they haven’t been able to be together. And in this birth, they have a chance. A real chance to be together and fulfill their destiny. But here's where comes another twist. They, that is Emma and James do not know that they are made for each other! Ha! And just when you thought things are getting interesting, throw in an abusive husband who actually plans to do more than just abuse when it comes to Emma. So, where does it leave our hero and heroine? In deep trouble along with some super sweet romance between!
So, let’s get down to the balance sheet now!
What Works For The Book?
The sweet sweet romance! I really have to give it to Darian for the way she described the attraction to each other. The need to be together, near to each other, the pull is just fantastically described. It was swoony all over and come to think of it, she did not describe James as a hot guy either! Now that is definitely a big plus for me who is too visual when it comes to heroes in books! LOL!
The pace of the story is good too. The story moves all the time and each event added to the tension of the ending. Which reminds me of the amount of tension the story builds up by the time you reach the end of the story. Very good job there and I, for one, chew a lot of my finger nails trying to not skip ahead!
Lastly, the characters. They are very real, with real problems. I loved them. Their simplicity. Their niceties.
What Doesn’t Work?
It’s definitely the ending. No, it wasn’t bad. It was good. But after all the build up to the ending, you feel let down by a rather cool one. I expected some good action, hero saves heroine kind of scene but none of that happened. It might also be argued that it was in tune with Emma’s character but then I am a hopeless romantic!
There was also an instance of plot abandonment, for the lack of a better term to explain. There was no explanation to what happened to that piece. Perhaps that is a loose end that needed to be tied down.
Verdict:
If you are in to eternal love, sweet romance, and want to get in to a good mood with a not-so-heavy read, then this is the book! It is definitely worth reading. In fact, I think this would be a very good choice for the holidays!
See, the twist is Emma and James were supposed to be together. Always. And that started few births back! Yes, eternal love! Only they haven’t been able to be together. And in this birth, they have a chance. A real chance to be together and fulfill their destiny. But here's where comes another twist. They, that is Emma and James do not know that they are made for each other! Ha! And just when you thought things are getting interesting, throw in an abusive husband who actually plans to do more than just abuse when it comes to Emma. So, where does it leave our hero and heroine? In deep trouble along with some super sweet romance between!
So, let’s get down to the balance sheet now!
What Works For The Book?
The sweet sweet romance! I really have to give it to Darian for the way she described the attraction to each other. The need to be together, near to each other, the pull is just fantastically described. It was swoony all over and come to think of it, she did not describe James as a hot guy either! Now that is definitely a big plus for me who is too visual when it comes to heroes in books! LOL!
The pace of the story is good too. The story moves all the time and each event added to the tension of the ending. Which reminds me of the amount of tension the story builds up by the time you reach the end of the story. Very good job there and I, for one, chew a lot of my finger nails trying to not skip ahead!
Lastly, the characters. They are very real, with real problems. I loved them. Their simplicity. Their niceties.
What Doesn’t Work?
It’s definitely the ending. No, it wasn’t bad. It was good. But after all the build up to the ending, you feel let down by a rather cool one. I expected some good action, hero saves heroine kind of scene but none of that happened. It might also be argued that it was in tune with Emma’s character but then I am a hopeless romantic!
There was also an instance of plot abandonment, for the lack of a better term to explain. There was no explanation to what happened to that piece. Perhaps that is a loose end that needed to be tied down.
Verdict:
If you are in to eternal love, sweet romance, and want to get in to a good mood with a not-so-heavy read, then this is the book! It is definitely worth reading. In fact, I think this would be a very good choice for the holidays!
August 26, 2012
Wow, I can't believe so many other readers gave this 4 or 5 stars...
IF (and that's a big IF) you can get past the terrible editing and e-book formatting, the characters, plot and dialogue leave so much to be desired.
The story emerges as somewhat hokey, but sweet- a young couple is killed on their wedding day and arrive in a sort of limbo, with a chance to find each other again through reincarnation.
From there on in, the story is a confusing mix of plot angles and choppy phrasing. I get the gist- Emma (the reincarnated Carol) finds herself in a loveless marriage to a dishonest, manipulative politician. Through a series of seemingly coincidental events, she falls in love with James, a quiet, earnest antique dealer. It comes as no surprise that he is actually her former-life love, Ted.
What really got to me were these random plot points- Emma's jerk of a husband becomes abusive out of the blue. She has this crazy, alcoholic, bitchy best friend who seems like the same sort of person Emma loathes. At one point James discovers an old gold brooch and a photo of Carol/Emma wearing it on her (first) wedding day, and seems to get the connection...but instead of this being a major turning point in the story, it is glossed over and never fully explained. Emma herself has a personality that goes where the wind blows...desperate for the love of the ass she married, strong and determined, disgusted with herself for loving a man who is not her husband, snarky and catty.
I found this book to be boring, lacking in fully thought-out scenes, and grammatically excrutiating. Recommended for no one!
IF (and that's a big IF) you can get past the terrible editing and e-book formatting, the characters, plot and dialogue leave so much to be desired.
The story emerges as somewhat hokey, but sweet- a young couple is killed on their wedding day and arrive in a sort of limbo, with a chance to find each other again through reincarnation.
From there on in, the story is a confusing mix of plot angles and choppy phrasing. I get the gist- Emma (the reincarnated Carol) finds herself in a loveless marriage to a dishonest, manipulative politician. Through a series of seemingly coincidental events, she falls in love with James, a quiet, earnest antique dealer. It comes as no surprise that he is actually her former-life love, Ted.
What really got to me were these random plot points- Emma's jerk of a husband becomes abusive out of the blue. She has this crazy, alcoholic, bitchy best friend who seems like the same sort of person Emma loathes. At one point James discovers an old gold brooch and a photo of Carol/Emma wearing it on her (first) wedding day, and seems to get the connection...but instead of this being a major turning point in the story, it is glossed over and never fully explained. Emma herself has a personality that goes where the wind blows...desperate for the love of the ass she married, strong and determined, disgusted with herself for loving a man who is not her husband, snarky and catty.
I found this book to be boring, lacking in fully thought-out scenes, and grammatically excrutiating. Recommended for no one!
October 28, 2011
It was a rainy day and I needed a good book, and I couldn't have picked a better one that Darian Wilk's "Love Unfinished". It had a little bit of everything in it--love, revenge, humor, paranormal, sarcasm...it was a a quick, good read. The characters were well developed. Olivia reminded me a bit of one of Bravo's "The Housewives of...", but Emma, the main character, seemed more like someone you lived next door to. The story is a love story about two people trying to find their way to each other. I am not a big romantic book reader, but this was quirky, romantic read without being a cheesy romance and has a bit paranormal air thrown in the mix without being weird. Definitely recommend.
October 28, 2011
I recently started watching ABC's new show Revenge and while I was waiting for the next episode to air, I picked up Darian Wilk's "Love Unfinished". What a good choice I made! This book reminds me so much of that show! The billionare lifestyle, the forbidden love and of course the possibility of revenge! "Love Unfinished" is the first indie book I have ever read, and if they are all as good as this one, it definitely won't be my last.
July 18, 2014
“Everyone should be so lucky to marry their soul mate”
Love Unfinished starts with Carol and Ted, who later become Emma and James. It starts with the year 1946, when the two had just met, and then skips to 1954, 8 years later to their wedding, which is where everything goes wrong.
Carol and Ted are both sent to different ‘waiting rooms’, separated, awaiting to fulfil their souls destiny, where is how they both end up as Emma and James, put back on earth to find each other and finish their lives together.
Fast forward to 1992, and Emma has been married for 8 years to a guy called Craig. You can tell she’s not happy – her marriage is more like a business partnership and Emma just wants marriage filled of love, not one where they act like strangers. Craig is a manipulative, emotionally and physically abusive bully and I actually really disliked him from the start. All he’s worried about is his reputation, and uses Emma to get him where he wants to be making her a puppet of everything she doesn’t want to be.
The first time Emma meets James, she feels this attraction to him and its like she’s met him before then the second time they meet, they dance and it’s like love at first sight but when she mentions who she is, he walk away and she hasn’t seen him since – she feels her marriage is a burden because she feels something with James and she has just lost him before getting to know him.
I loved the friendship with Olivia. Olivia looked out for Emma, wanting and waiting patiently for ‘spunky’ Emma to return and leave Craig. She hated him and did everything she could to damage his reputation. It was brilliant to read her plans regarding Craig.
Prudence, the maid, was amazing to Emma. Helping her out when Craig went mental, helping her with her plan and just generally being there for her. She loves Emma telling her about her visits to James and she’s basically a best friend for Emma. She says about James: “You think this guy was something special right? If life gives you a chance at something, you just gotta take it you know.”
James. What can I say about James? Well, he’s swoon worthy, totally in love with Emma, even though they don’t know each other and it just feels natural to be together, but he has no idea why. His and Emma’s relationship pulled at my heart strings. You really saw the love he had for Emma, although they hardly knew each other and you just wanted Emma to leave her husband and be with him, where she would be loved and safe and that’s exactly what she is when she’s with him.
So much happens during this book and you really feel for Emma. She wants to leave her abusive husband to go to James, but it takes some doing and help from Olivia and Edward (the butler) who have sabotaged Craig’s live and reputation, which was so great to finally read as he had it coming all throughout the book.
I have to admit, I cried reading the part in the waiting room at the start of the book. Carol was so frantic and when told by her Grandma she had to find Ted again, it broke my heart because she just wanted to be with him now and was so afraid that he wouldn’t remember her and I also cried at the end too, especially at the kids names and the waiting room area again.
The only problem I would say is that at the end, I was confused over the time span, as it kept jumping but other than that, I freaking loved this book. Seriously, if books make me cry, they are good in my eyes and I would love for it to be made into a movie or something. I would definitely go see it numerous times!
Love Unfinished starts with Carol and Ted, who later become Emma and James. It starts with the year 1946, when the two had just met, and then skips to 1954, 8 years later to their wedding, which is where everything goes wrong.
Carol and Ted are both sent to different ‘waiting rooms’, separated, awaiting to fulfil their souls destiny, where is how they both end up as Emma and James, put back on earth to find each other and finish their lives together.
Fast forward to 1992, and Emma has been married for 8 years to a guy called Craig. You can tell she’s not happy – her marriage is more like a business partnership and Emma just wants marriage filled of love, not one where they act like strangers. Craig is a manipulative, emotionally and physically abusive bully and I actually really disliked him from the start. All he’s worried about is his reputation, and uses Emma to get him where he wants to be making her a puppet of everything she doesn’t want to be.
The first time Emma meets James, she feels this attraction to him and its like she’s met him before then the second time they meet, they dance and it’s like love at first sight but when she mentions who she is, he walk away and she hasn’t seen him since – she feels her marriage is a burden because she feels something with James and she has just lost him before getting to know him.
I loved the friendship with Olivia. Olivia looked out for Emma, wanting and waiting patiently for ‘spunky’ Emma to return and leave Craig. She hated him and did everything she could to damage his reputation. It was brilliant to read her plans regarding Craig.
Prudence, the maid, was amazing to Emma. Helping her out when Craig went mental, helping her with her plan and just generally being there for her. She loves Emma telling her about her visits to James and she’s basically a best friend for Emma. She says about James: “You think this guy was something special right? If life gives you a chance at something, you just gotta take it you know.”
James. What can I say about James? Well, he’s swoon worthy, totally in love with Emma, even though they don’t know each other and it just feels natural to be together, but he has no idea why. His and Emma’s relationship pulled at my heart strings. You really saw the love he had for Emma, although they hardly knew each other and you just wanted Emma to leave her husband and be with him, where she would be loved and safe and that’s exactly what she is when she’s with him.
So much happens during this book and you really feel for Emma. She wants to leave her abusive husband to go to James, but it takes some doing and help from Olivia and Edward (the butler) who have sabotaged Craig’s live and reputation, which was so great to finally read as he had it coming all throughout the book.
I have to admit, I cried reading the part in the waiting room at the start of the book. Carol was so frantic and when told by her Grandma she had to find Ted again, it broke my heart because she just wanted to be with him now and was so afraid that he wouldn’t remember her and I also cried at the end too, especially at the kids names and the waiting room area again.
The only problem I would say is that at the end, I was confused over the time span, as it kept jumping but other than that, I freaking loved this book. Seriously, if books make me cry, they are good in my eyes and I would love for it to be made into a movie or something. I would definitely go see it numerous times!
August 24, 2012
**Spoiler Alert**
What drew me towards Love Unfinished was the synopsis on Amazon that mentioned reincarnation! I love reincarnation plots!
The beginning of the story was gripping and I felt really sad and touched by the tragedy. The new story began pretty well and I could understand the plight of Emma trapped in a loveless marriage. But I wished Emma was a little more stronger and could use much more impactful words when replying back to Craig and wasn't giving up so easily on the arguments when he would threaten her and treat her so badly! Maybe I felt this way because Craig was really really rotten and I couldn't help feel infuriated and just wished that Emma would kick him in his groin and leave right away! So kudos to the author for bringing out the character of Craig so well that readers would actually hate him!
I also liked how unlike many love stories where the hero and the heroine are powerfully drawn to each other just because he is handsome and she is pretty, here James and Emma are attracted to each other because they had a real connection! In her writing, the author did not allow just the looks and physical appearances of the characters to overshadow the inner connection they felt. The moments they spent together were so beautifully and vividly described that they made me root for the couple all throughout the story.
The unstoppable attraction between them was very well written and I could almost hear romantic music in the background every time James and Emma came together. I wished these scenes wouldn't just end!
But there were some places where the story brought down my high hopes. I was expecting that the reincarnation plot would be used a little more and not just stop at the initial attraction between the characters and a faint connection they felt with the brooch. I actually expected there would be memories from the past life coming to the characters but maybe that was too much to ask for. There were some loose ends too. Like when James takes out Carol's picture and thinks that's why she looked familiar, but to my disappointment this train of thought was never pursued. In one instance, James is panicking and wants to meet Emma asap, but the author never revealed what caused the panic. I couldn't also digest the fact that Emma was waiting to gather money (of all things!) before she could leave! I mean, C'mon, she didn't seem to be that incapable of making a decent living and not being able to move on! I couldn't relate to her fear of being destitute again well enough to justify living in misery than to be poor. In the climax, I was expecting Derek to show up, but instead Craig did. I got a little confused there as to what was the point of hiring Derek if Craig himself comes to kill her! There were some more inconsistencies and places where the plot fell weak. I couldn't help but notice that almost all the characters seemed to be talking to themselves in whispers. I don't know why it started bothering me when I kept coming across "murmurs under breath" and had to really push myself to get over it before my OCD kicked in :D
Overall it was a nice evening read when you want to just enjoy a sweet romantic story, sipping hot tea. The plot is gripping all along the way and I just couldn't stop reading it! I HAD to know what will happen next. The author did a splendid job with good writing style and characterization.
What drew me towards Love Unfinished was the synopsis on Amazon that mentioned reincarnation! I love reincarnation plots!
The beginning of the story was gripping and I felt really sad and touched by the tragedy. The new story began pretty well and I could understand the plight of Emma trapped in a loveless marriage. But I wished Emma was a little more stronger and could use much more impactful words when replying back to Craig and wasn't giving up so easily on the arguments when he would threaten her and treat her so badly! Maybe I felt this way because Craig was really really rotten and I couldn't help feel infuriated and just wished that Emma would kick him in his groin and leave right away! So kudos to the author for bringing out the character of Craig so well that readers would actually hate him!
I also liked how unlike many love stories where the hero and the heroine are powerfully drawn to each other just because he is handsome and she is pretty, here James and Emma are attracted to each other because they had a real connection! In her writing, the author did not allow just the looks and physical appearances of the characters to overshadow the inner connection they felt. The moments they spent together were so beautifully and vividly described that they made me root for the couple all throughout the story.
The unstoppable attraction between them was very well written and I could almost hear romantic music in the background every time James and Emma came together. I wished these scenes wouldn't just end!
But there were some places where the story brought down my high hopes. I was expecting that the reincarnation plot would be used a little more and not just stop at the initial attraction between the characters and a faint connection they felt with the brooch. I actually expected there would be memories from the past life coming to the characters but maybe that was too much to ask for. There were some loose ends too. Like when James takes out Carol's picture and thinks that's why she looked familiar, but to my disappointment this train of thought was never pursued. In one instance, James is panicking and wants to meet Emma asap, but the author never revealed what caused the panic. I couldn't also digest the fact that Emma was waiting to gather money (of all things!) before she could leave! I mean, C'mon, she didn't seem to be that incapable of making a decent living and not being able to move on! I couldn't relate to her fear of being destitute again well enough to justify living in misery than to be poor. In the climax, I was expecting Derek to show up, but instead Craig did. I got a little confused there as to what was the point of hiring Derek if Craig himself comes to kill her! There were some more inconsistencies and places where the plot fell weak. I couldn't help but notice that almost all the characters seemed to be talking to themselves in whispers. I don't know why it started bothering me when I kept coming across "murmurs under breath" and had to really push myself to get over it before my OCD kicked in :D
Overall it was a nice evening read when you want to just enjoy a sweet romantic story, sipping hot tea. The plot is gripping all along the way and I just couldn't stop reading it! I HAD to know what will happen next. The author did a splendid job with good writing style and characterization.
February 13, 2012
If you are looking for a sweet romance with a touch of 'Lifetime' movie moment, this is the book for you :)
To be honest, I had put off my review for this book for about a month now - I liked the story, the writing was good, it moved along at a very good pace... but I still feel like there was something missing - and I do not know how to put that feeling into typed words here, sigh...
The story starts with sweethearts, Carol and Ted, how they met, fall in love and then die tragically together on their wedding day...
Many, many years go by and we meet Emma and James. They meet and there is an instant familiarity and connection to each other. They just know that they are meant to be together.
I really love how Wilk was able to create the 'love-at-first' sight for both couples without making it feel like it was impossible or too soon.
However, there is a twist to the story that keeps Emma and James from being together - no spoilers here! This is where it gets to be like a 'Lifetime' type of movie for me - I don't mean that in a bad way at all! I liked it very much :) For me, it was a bit predictable, but I don't mind that at all.
The supporting characters turned into my favorites too! Emma's best friend, maid and butler - who would have thought that you could love every good character in a book! and hate the one that you're suppose to hate, like a lot, lol!
The only problem that I had was that I really wished that the connection to Emma and James' past lives had been tied into the story a lot more - there were a handful of 'mentions' here and there, but not enough for me, I wanted more of that!
And just when I thought that the story had ended, I noticed that there were too many pages leftover - I actually forgot about Carol and Ted, and why Emma and James wanted to be together... this is the part that I don't know how to explain, I'm just going to leave it that I got too into the main part of the story, and leave it at that.
The actual ending is truly the most sweetest ending I have ever read in a long time!
I enjoyed this and I think that anyone who loves a quick romantic read will enjoy it too :)
I give it 3 1/2 bumble-ys :)
http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot....
To be honest, I had put off my review for this book for about a month now - I liked the story, the writing was good, it moved along at a very good pace... but I still feel like there was something missing - and I do not know how to put that feeling into typed words here, sigh...
The story starts with sweethearts, Carol and Ted, how they met, fall in love and then die tragically together on their wedding day...
Many, many years go by and we meet Emma and James. They meet and there is an instant familiarity and connection to each other. They just know that they are meant to be together.
I really love how Wilk was able to create the 'love-at-first' sight for both couples without making it feel like it was impossible or too soon.
However, there is a twist to the story that keeps Emma and James from being together - no spoilers here! This is where it gets to be like a 'Lifetime' type of movie for me - I don't mean that in a bad way at all! I liked it very much :) For me, it was a bit predictable, but I don't mind that at all.
The supporting characters turned into my favorites too! Emma's best friend, maid and butler - who would have thought that you could love every good character in a book! and hate the one that you're suppose to hate, like a lot, lol!
The only problem that I had was that I really wished that the connection to Emma and James' past lives had been tied into the story a lot more - there were a handful of 'mentions' here and there, but not enough for me, I wanted more of that!
And just when I thought that the story had ended, I noticed that there were too many pages leftover - I actually forgot about Carol and Ted, and why Emma and James wanted to be together... this is the part that I don't know how to explain, I'm just going to leave it that I got too into the main part of the story, and leave it at that.
The actual ending is truly the most sweetest ending I have ever read in a long time!
I enjoyed this and I think that anyone who loves a quick romantic read will enjoy it too :)
I give it 3 1/2 bumble-ys :)
http://bumblesandfairytales.blogspot....
October 8, 2012
Two soul mates meet a tragic end and they won't know peace until they find each other again. A story of reincarnation I guess one might call it - a story of 'eternal love transcending time and all obstacles'.
Yummies: I really liked the idea behind the story & its heart wrenching beginning. I'd have to say the antique picker, James, is my favorite part of the whole story. Oh. And the socialite bitch Olivia runs a close 2nd. While the other two main characters were alright, it was the supporting cast I enjoyed the most.
Yuckies: There were a few parts I had believability issues with. What else is new, right??? Like how the butler knew something was going to happen - how everyone else had this 'bad' feeling. Everyone had a 6th sense I guess. Bugged me a smidge.
The middle drug on for me as well. I kept wondering why the hell Emma wouldn't just leave her abusive husband already! She'd already made up her mind to go, but she didn't - this made the final confrontation between her & the soon-to-be-ex feel forced.
The ending was exactly what I expected, but the last couple chapters of getting to that point was rushed, almost like an overview. Not really sure how else it could have been done, though. Perhaps skipping to the final chapter? Would have made for a better ending, IMO.
Recommend: Sure. While I'm not jumping for joy it was a decent read and worth the time if you've nothing better to do.
Yummies: I really liked the idea behind the story & its heart wrenching beginning. I'd have to say the antique picker, James, is my favorite part of the whole story. Oh. And the socialite bitch Olivia runs a close 2nd. While the other two main characters were alright, it was the supporting cast I enjoyed the most.
Yuckies: There were a few parts I had believability issues with. What else is new, right??? Like how the butler knew something was going to happen - how everyone else had this 'bad' feeling. Everyone had a 6th sense I guess. Bugged me a smidge.
The middle drug on for me as well. I kept wondering why the hell Emma wouldn't just leave her abusive husband already! She'd already made up her mind to go, but she didn't - this made the final confrontation between her & the soon-to-be-ex feel forced.
The ending was exactly what I expected, but the last couple chapters of getting to that point was rushed, almost like an overview. Not really sure how else it could have been done, though. Perhaps skipping to the final chapter? Would have made for a better ending, IMO.
Recommend: Sure. While I'm not jumping for joy it was a decent read and worth the time if you've nothing better to do.
March 19, 2012
Beautiful heartwarming story.
LOVE UNFINISHED by DARIAN WILK is a lovely tale of two soul mates finding each other in their current life and the obstacles they face coming together as they were meant to be. If you are a lover of romance like I am, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
We meet Carol and Ted in the beginning of the book and fall instantly in love with both of them. Unfortunately for the reader, Carol and Ted have a tragic ending. Yep. I cried. Fortunately for the reader, we get to meet them again as Emma and James, both of which have some serious baggage to contend with. Throughout the book, I found myself rooting for Emma and James, but I never knew if they would be able to overcome all the obstacles in their way to find true happiness with each other.
I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this book. There was a twist I was not expecting at all. If you enjoy romance with a touch of paranormal thrown in, you are going to love this book as much as I did. There were some grammatical errors occasionally throughout this book, but the story being told was so good they just didn't bother me. I was hooked and couldn't put it down. This book had all the elements a really great romance should have and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read more from this author.
LOVE UNFINISHED by DARIAN WILK is a lovely tale of two soul mates finding each other in their current life and the obstacles they face coming together as they were meant to be. If you are a lover of romance like I am, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
We meet Carol and Ted in the beginning of the book and fall instantly in love with both of them. Unfortunately for the reader, Carol and Ted have a tragic ending. Yep. I cried. Fortunately for the reader, we get to meet them again as Emma and James, both of which have some serious baggage to contend with. Throughout the book, I found myself rooting for Emma and James, but I never knew if they would be able to overcome all the obstacles in their way to find true happiness with each other.
I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this book. There was a twist I was not expecting at all. If you enjoy romance with a touch of paranormal thrown in, you are going to love this book as much as I did. There were some grammatical errors occasionally throughout this book, but the story being told was so good they just didn't bother me. I was hooked and couldn't put it down. This book had all the elements a really great romance should have and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read more from this author.
October 18, 2012
This is a book about two young people who fall in love in the late 1940s, marry in 1954 only to die on their wedding day. Then are told that they must find each other again in their new life and finish their love. Fast forward some years to Emma trapped in a loveless marriage to a creep of a guy running for political office. Emma attends a wifely responsibility of an auction and runs into a man that is familiar to her and he feels the pull as well... some time passes and they see each other at another function and again, that spark of familiarity surfaces... meanwhile the jerk of a husband becomes abusive as Emma begins to question her future. As well, her best friend and then her butler scheme to ruin her husband and get her out unscathed.
I honestly did not feel connected to any of the characters in this book, but I finished it because I had to know how the creep of a husband ended up.
Honestly, I probably would have read this book years ago and loved it and raved over it, but compared to other reads of late and other interests... it's just not up to my par. However, with that said... if you want something to occupy your time and nothing else loads on your kindle, nook, laptop, or phone... maybe this story will pique your interest.
I honestly did not feel connected to any of the characters in this book, but I finished it because I had to know how the creep of a husband ended up.
Honestly, I probably would have read this book years ago and loved it and raved over it, but compared to other reads of late and other interests... it's just not up to my par. However, with that said... if you want something to occupy your time and nothing else loads on your kindle, nook, laptop, or phone... maybe this story will pique your interest.
February 18, 2012
I received this novel for review from the author.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I know that from the synopsis many of you might be thinking married woman who likes somebody who is not married. Yikes. However, the book is so much more than that. Yes, I don't like the idea of an extramarital relationship, but this book had a twist. They were meant to be together, and Emma and James were characters I liked. I'm not saying that I think extramarital affairs are good, but I did find the book intriguing.
Like I said earlier, I loved the characters in this book. Emma and James were two characters that I loved reading about, and Craig was one that I loved to hate.I really felt like I got to know the character's and I loved that.
The premise of the novel-the idea of love unfinished- was intriguing. I loved the writing in this novel. The book was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it.
In Summary: A well-written book with an intriguing premise with characters that I loved.
For an extended review, please visit this link .
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I know that from the synopsis many of you might be thinking married woman who likes somebody who is not married. Yikes. However, the book is so much more than that. Yes, I don't like the idea of an extramarital relationship, but this book had a twist. They were meant to be together, and Emma and James were characters I liked. I'm not saying that I think extramarital affairs are good, but I did find the book intriguing.
Like I said earlier, I loved the characters in this book. Emma and James were two characters that I loved reading about, and Craig was one that I loved to hate.I really felt like I got to know the character's and I loved that.
The premise of the novel-the idea of love unfinished- was intriguing. I loved the writing in this novel. The book was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it.
In Summary: A well-written book with an intriguing premise with characters that I loved.
For an extended review, please visit this link .
August 29, 2012
I downloaded this book as a freebie from Amazon.
The blurb for this book describes it as being a story of two people that are killed, then meet again in a different incarnation. This worried me a little, but that theme is so far in the background that it could almost not exist as part of the story other than it is necessary to explain the instant/total/unexplainable attraction between the two main characters. I am a little curious if that was one of the reasons the aspect was added into the plot.
The story is very good - it pulled me in easily and I enjoyed it. There are some wonderfully original characters in Emma's life. I caught a few writing/editing errors, but nothing major enough to distract from the tale. I would classify this to be in the upper tier of the "giveaway" books I've read.
The blurb for this book describes it as being a story of two people that are killed, then meet again in a different incarnation. This worried me a little, but that theme is so far in the background that it could almost not exist as part of the story other than it is necessary to explain the instant/total/unexplainable attraction between the two main characters. I am a little curious if that was one of the reasons the aspect was added into the plot.
The story is very good - it pulled me in easily and I enjoyed it. There are some wonderfully original characters in Emma's life. I caught a few writing/editing errors, but nothing major enough to distract from the tale. I would classify this to be in the upper tier of the "giveaway" books I've read.
March 19, 2012
This was truly one of the best love stories I have read in a long time. It was beautifully written and flowed very well. I really felt what the characters were feeling as I was reading and it moved a few tears a couple of times.
The story begins with the meeting and marriage of Carol and Ted. They were involved in a terrible car accident back in 1954 which took both of their lives. This of course is the unfinished love that will hopefully be fulfilled by Emma and James. Emma is stuck in an unhappy marriage with a husband that does not love her. James is an antiques dealer who runs his own business with a partner. Was their meeting fate or just coincidental?
The story begins with the meeting and marriage of Carol and Ted. They were involved in a terrible car accident back in 1954 which took both of their lives. This of course is the unfinished love that will hopefully be fulfilled by Emma and James. Emma is stuck in an unhappy marriage with a husband that does not love her. James is an antiques dealer who runs his own business with a partner. Was their meeting fate or just coincidental?
September 23, 2012
This book was Amazon top 100 Free. What I like about this book was it had a ending. I know that's how books make money, but I don't always download the next book. Good job Darian Wilk, I will be looking more of your books.
My likes are, Emma and James soul mate love, her friendship with Olivia, Prudence's, and liked the twist with Edward. The author did a good job of making me not like Craig.
Author could have changed a few things. Emma wanting more money, and more time to keep getting more money got old fast. Wish Emma could have been stronger, BUT that's how Domestic Violence works. Could have done a lot more connecting Emma and James to Carol and Ted.
Thumbs UP- Good book.
My likes are, Emma and James soul mate love, her friendship with Olivia, Prudence's, and liked the twist with Edward. The author did a good job of making me not like Craig.
Author could have changed a few things. Emma wanting more money, and more time to keep getting more money got old fast. Wish Emma could have been stronger, BUT that's how Domestic Violence works. Could have done a lot more connecting Emma and James to Carol and Ted.
Thumbs UP- Good book.
March 22, 2013
At first reading this book I was saying to myself "how am I going to get into the "old fashioned life" mind while reading. I was not into it what so ever. But me being desperate to read a book while at work I decided to keep reading. As I kept turning pages the book got interesting. It had me nervous, shaking, on edge, wondering what was going to happen next. I was smiling and my min played tricks on me too. I thought I knew what was going to happen when something did happen but as I kept turning pages different things started happening and I had to keep reading more& I got a little teary eyed while reading this book. It's a nice book I enjoyed it.
August 31, 2012
Absolutely wonderful book. A story of unfinished love and reincarnation that brought two souls back together. Throw in danger and good friends and this book is irresistible. Still have tears in my eyes. I look forward to reading this again and again.
October 5, 2012
I loved this book!!!! from beginning to end. I fell in love and couldnt wait to find out the unfinished destiny that another couple made happen for them. to find him again in another life... pure and sweet!
October 20, 2012
Great book! Sweet love story.
July 4, 2013
I loved this book highly recommend reading it!
April 15, 2014
I really did like this book. The story caught my interest since it talks about an unfinished love ended by the tragic death of a juts married couple while they are going through their honey moon. The couple died, however they get to find each other in another life by separate paths. The woman Emma is married to a wealthy man, Craig who is a lawyer running for senator and the man James who is going to be Emma´s real love, is a business man divorce after his wife cheated on him.
The story get interest while we discovered the type of live Emma lives with his uncaring husband, who does not love her anymore but needs her as an important piece to keep his appearance to his social circle. Emma tire of being use get to realize she cannot longer live with a man who does not love her and does not treat her as a woman, after she tries by many ways to fix the relationship, but it is worthless.
After feeling frustrated and without hope on his marriage, one night in a rising fund dinner she met a man, who bedazzles her; a man who will be some one important for her. And here it comes the part I found interesting since the writer did not introduce the character of this new man in Emma´s life as he would be a savior right away; not really, it passed several chapters until we know again about James.
Before we get to see James again we need to know more about Emma´s married life and why is she tire of her married. At this point we get to see an abusive and a cheater man to his wife who scale in his professional life deceiving law and doing wrong this.
In the plot we also will find Olivia, Emma´s good friend who help her thorough his difficult time during his married. Olivia comes and goes as the savior for Olivia, which make up a planned to make Emma´s husband Craig to give her the divorce, but not alone, she is help by the house keeper Edward who is discovered at the final chapter s as Olivia´s partner in the plan to revealed Craig´s corruption activities.
The one thing I found quite wrong was at the final chapters because Olivia does not appeared in the latest moments of Emma´s life, taking account on that she was the one who helped her more to set free from Craig, in page 213, we read, ¨over the years Emma grew to be my best friend. We stood up in each other’s weddings, cried at the births o our children…¨ we see in here that Olivia´s character disappears without knowing more about her.
Finally, I found the book very entertained and excited to finish it to find out how Emma´s and James´ life would be, it is really good.
I think this book can give a nice plot for some kind of TV movie or soup opera chapter, something like that.
The story get interest while we discovered the type of live Emma lives with his uncaring husband, who does not love her anymore but needs her as an important piece to keep his appearance to his social circle. Emma tire of being use get to realize she cannot longer live with a man who does not love her and does not treat her as a woman, after she tries by many ways to fix the relationship, but it is worthless.
After feeling frustrated and without hope on his marriage, one night in a rising fund dinner she met a man, who bedazzles her; a man who will be some one important for her. And here it comes the part I found interesting since the writer did not introduce the character of this new man in Emma´s life as he would be a savior right away; not really, it passed several chapters until we know again about James.
Before we get to see James again we need to know more about Emma´s married life and why is she tire of her married. At this point we get to see an abusive and a cheater man to his wife who scale in his professional life deceiving law and doing wrong this.
In the plot we also will find Olivia, Emma´s good friend who help her thorough his difficult time during his married. Olivia comes and goes as the savior for Olivia, which make up a planned to make Emma´s husband Craig to give her the divorce, but not alone, she is help by the house keeper Edward who is discovered at the final chapter s as Olivia´s partner in the plan to revealed Craig´s corruption activities.
The one thing I found quite wrong was at the final chapters because Olivia does not appeared in the latest moments of Emma´s life, taking account on that she was the one who helped her more to set free from Craig, in page 213, we read, ¨over the years Emma grew to be my best friend. We stood up in each other’s weddings, cried at the births o our children…¨ we see in here that Olivia´s character disappears without knowing more about her.
Finally, I found the book very entertained and excited to finish it to find out how Emma´s and James´ life would be, it is really good.
I think this book can give a nice plot for some kind of TV movie or soup opera chapter, something like that.
March 21, 2012
*Evokes a Wide Range of Emotions*
This is a story that explains love at first sight. Have a hankie ready for the tragedy at the first of the book. It’s emotional and real, but absolutely necessary for the rest of the story. The scene afterwards was a good buffer and I knew I was in good hands for this sentimental ride.
Wilk pulls off drama so realistically with much of the story being told through dialogue, which I like. Her word choices show easy to picture character reactions, like having one of them “leaning back in exaggerated attention”. I have to say that eavesdropping on Emma and Craig’s arguments brought me back to memories of marital unbliss, —so well that I became more invested in Emma finding a solution and rooted for her. I knew there was room for Emma, to grow, when she said to a friend, “I’m married Olivia. I took vows. No one said marriage would be easy.” Although Emma prided herself in doing the moral and right thing, she had to immerse herself in life’s gray areas long enough to realize that doing what’s right for ourselves is what brings happiness and may not even resemble our preconceived ideas of a moral and right thing.
All the characters were very different from each other and easy to follow. My favorite was Emma’s super rich and flamboyant friend, Olivia. I’d love for this author to write a whole book on her. The dialogue and reactions written for her were wild and fun. Even my favorite line came from her. There was a rather interesting event (I’ll not spoil it here) and she closed the scene with the perfect line for the occasion which was: “How much for something tasteful?” I Love, love, love Olivia!
At times I grew impatient with Emma not making her decisions soon enough, but it did play true for a conflicted character. The ending had a great tie-in with the beginning and was a pleasant surprise. This read was a good study of my own reactions which told me a lot. I recommend this book.
This is a story that explains love at first sight. Have a hankie ready for the tragedy at the first of the book. It’s emotional and real, but absolutely necessary for the rest of the story. The scene afterwards was a good buffer and I knew I was in good hands for this sentimental ride.
Wilk pulls off drama so realistically with much of the story being told through dialogue, which I like. Her word choices show easy to picture character reactions, like having one of them “leaning back in exaggerated attention”. I have to say that eavesdropping on Emma and Craig’s arguments brought me back to memories of marital unbliss, —so well that I became more invested in Emma finding a solution and rooted for her. I knew there was room for Emma, to grow, when she said to a friend, “I’m married Olivia. I took vows. No one said marriage would be easy.” Although Emma prided herself in doing the moral and right thing, she had to immerse herself in life’s gray areas long enough to realize that doing what’s right for ourselves is what brings happiness and may not even resemble our preconceived ideas of a moral and right thing.
All the characters were very different from each other and easy to follow. My favorite was Emma’s super rich and flamboyant friend, Olivia. I’d love for this author to write a whole book on her. The dialogue and reactions written for her were wild and fun. Even my favorite line came from her. There was a rather interesting event (I’ll not spoil it here) and she closed the scene with the perfect line for the occasion which was: “How much for something tasteful?” I Love, love, love Olivia!
At times I grew impatient with Emma not making her decisions soon enough, but it did play true for a conflicted character. The ending had a great tie-in with the beginning and was a pleasant surprise. This read was a good study of my own reactions which told me a lot. I recommend this book.
November 27, 2011
Love Unfinished is a touching story of eternal love and finding your soul mate against all odds. In the beginning of the book, you meet the main characters as Carol and Ted. A tragic accident on their wedding day ends their lives, but they have not finished their love story. We meet them again as Emma and James. They don't remember their former lives and have barriers to coming together. However, after meeting again in this second life, they have an instant, unexplainable attraction to each other. This story explores the concept of what someone would do to be with their one true love.
I was worried it wasn't going to come together, but then it does get wrapped up nicely in the end. I only wish the connection from the previous life had been developed a little more. Also, the copy I read had quite a few grammatical errors, but I was assured this was simply a problem with that version that has now been corrected.
Overall, this is a superb story for the "hopeless" romantic that (hopefully) lives in us all to some degree.
This review is reprinted from my blog, Krazy Book Lady
I was worried it wasn't going to come together, but then it does get wrapped up nicely in the end. I only wish the connection from the previous life had been developed a little more. Also, the copy I read had quite a few grammatical errors, but I was assured this was simply a problem with that version that has now been corrected.
Overall, this is a superb story for the "hopeless" romantic that (hopefully) lives in us all to some degree.
This review is reprinted from my blog, Krazy Book Lady
August 29, 2012
I think I'm losing my taste for romance novels. The ones I've read recently have failed to move me.
This novel explores the relationship between Emma and her emotionally abusive husband, Craig. I think what seemed realistic was the relationship between Emma and Craig. It didn't precisely descend into physical abuse (except for the one time when he gripped her hand too hard). There was no marital rape, no beatings, dragging across the floor, etc. Emma, sometimes, gave as good as she got, verbally, at least. It shed a different light on the subtle kinds of abuse that can exist in a relationship. You don't need to be bruised before it counts as abuse.
But other than that, the novel was pretty forgettable. It lingered, in excruciating detail, over Emma and Craig's broken relationship, and then hurried through everything else. It failed to explain the connection between Emma and James, other than some kind of predestined love. The ending was sweet enough, but if you were to dig into the metaphysical implications, you'd go "huh?"
Anyway, I snagged this when it was free, and it was okay read for the price.
This novel explores the relationship between Emma and her emotionally abusive husband, Craig. I think what seemed realistic was the relationship between Emma and Craig. It didn't precisely descend into physical abuse (except for the one time when he gripped her hand too hard). There was no marital rape, no beatings, dragging across the floor, etc. Emma, sometimes, gave as good as she got, verbally, at least. It shed a different light on the subtle kinds of abuse that can exist in a relationship. You don't need to be bruised before it counts as abuse.
But other than that, the novel was pretty forgettable. It lingered, in excruciating detail, over Emma and Craig's broken relationship, and then hurried through everything else. It failed to explain the connection between Emma and James, other than some kind of predestined love. The ending was sweet enough, but if you were to dig into the metaphysical implications, you'd go "huh?"
Anyway, I snagged this when it was free, and it was okay read for the price.
August 24, 2012
I received this book free from amazon. I was interested in the description, but honestly thought I would find it cheesy. However, my feelings are quite the opposite.
It's a story of true love lost and found. This story takes one to a place of possibilities in life after death with our true loves, and how our rocky paths should not be looked down upon because it brought us to our happiness we longed for and deserved. As our wedding song stated as I walked down the aisle almost three years ago, "God Blessed The Broken Road That Lead Me Straight To You."
It's a story of true love lost and found. This story takes one to a place of possibilities in life after death with our true loves, and how our rocky paths should not be looked down upon because it brought us to our happiness we longed for and deserved. As our wedding song stated as I walked down the aisle almost three years ago, "God Blessed The Broken Road That Lead Me Straight To You."
December 4, 2012
Difficult to read at times. Really doesn't make sense why an intelligent woman would stay with someone who abuses her just for money. But I guess if she didn't, there would be no story. The beginning and middle (which cover a couple months) are long and drawn out, and the end just rushes through an entire lifetime in a matter of pages. Seems like there was a page limit the author had because the end just doesn't flow with the rest. It was alright for a free book.
September 24, 2012
I got a few chapters into this before I put it down. I just couldn't keep reading about a character I had no respect for. I was hoping for a nice love story, but the main character cares more about keeping her wealthy lifestyle than getting away from her abusive husband for a chance at real love. I found her extremely shallow and unlikable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2012
this one is a hard one for me. I liked it in many ways. I feel the author sold the first part of the story short. there should have been more charachter development of the first couple so the reader could identify with them more and have more compassion for them. The story was a bit choppy but in the end the author made me cry with the reuniting of a love lost too soon 3 1/2 stars for me
November 8, 2012
I wanted to like this more than I did. The premise was good, but I ended up getting frustrated with decisions made by the main character, and the fact there were too many secondary characters who seemed to know exactly what was going on.
It was an easy read, and a harmless way of spending a few hours, but I left feeling like much of the story was a missed opportunity.
It was an easy read, and a harmless way of spending a few hours, but I left feeling like much of the story was a missed opportunity.
August 31, 2012
Quick read. Nice thought on finding your soulmate. Needed more imo: more character development, relationship development (friends,etc.,), just more. Kind felt like reading an outline of a story as opposed to full novel.
December 6, 2012
Well I enjoyed this book, the opening premise was of unfinished business in love wasn't used much. It was briefly touched on at the end, but not to my satisfaction. However, this book did have intrigue.
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