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Wednesday
‘ Part I’ unfolds as an addictive romantic suspense. Colorado Springs is a picturesque city pulsating with sex, lies, and dark secrets. August Bowman arrives with an open heart, yearning for love and loyalty. A chance encounter with the captivating James, leads to a seemingly innocent date to the Winter Gala. Ironically, she finds herself in the arms of another man, who turns out to be his co-worker, Kai. August is drawn into a whirlwind romance, filled with passion but overshadowed by murder. As the Colorado Springs Police Department and the Corbata Crime Family hurtle toward a collision, the city teeters on the edge of chaos. August becomes ensnared in a dangerous dance of intrigue by her newfound love, who is surrounded by a cast of shady characters hiding behind secrets. All the while a merciless killer lurks in the shadows.
338 pages, Hardcover
Published December 19, 2024
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8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 19, 2025
So I start my review by saying congratulations to this new author and I do wish him well as he continues down this literary journey. This is our March book club read and I like the fact that we choose this particular book because it has added to my range of understanding and ability to dig deep. With all of that being said let’s dig in. This for me was a rough read, it took me a minute to really get started and get a sense of the characters and where the author was going. But once I started to get an idea of where this book was taking us, it made more sense, I understand and like the direction the author was going with this story and I believe the plot is very intriguing.
However, the layout and structure was hard for me to follow and maybe it was my kindle version but there was a great deal of errors and majority of the characters started with what appeared to be Roman numeral twos. I doubt that was intentional as the chapters had names per the table of contents in the beginning of the book. As I was reading, I almost felt like I was dropped in the middle of a scene and missed a great deal of character development in an earlier book. We got hints and clues about each character but not enough in my opinion to smooth out the edges of this book. Because of this lack of character development as key characters are introduced to the story (and there were a lot) it was hard to keep track. I gathered that the author might have wanted to keep a few characters intentionally vague to add to the intrigue of the story line, for me this had the opposite effect. Readers want to be able to connect with at least one of the characters in a book that they are committing to enjoy and when that doesn’t happen, mixed with a story line that is a hard to follow, which almost puts it in a DNF category. As a book club policy we decided to continue on with the read but it was challenging.
Overall, while I can see and appreciate the direction this author was trying to take us, I feel like the attempt fell flat, towards the end of the book, we were met by a plot twist which I do feel was a little rushed and not organic in its development. So while I was surprised she was behind the murders, I guess I figured deep down it had to be one of the two main characters. And I guess trying to understand the “why’s” leaves it open for a book two or a potential series, which I believe is the direction this author is trying to take us. If there is a book two, in this readers opinion (keep in mind I am but one view) character development is key to building understanding and connection. And who knows the author might have had these characters in his mind for years before they made it to print, which is great but I don’t feel like the vision was made clear in these 300+ pages at least for me.
However, the layout and structure was hard for me to follow and maybe it was my kindle version but there was a great deal of errors and majority of the characters started with what appeared to be Roman numeral twos. I doubt that was intentional as the chapters had names per the table of contents in the beginning of the book. As I was reading, I almost felt like I was dropped in the middle of a scene and missed a great deal of character development in an earlier book. We got hints and clues about each character but not enough in my opinion to smooth out the edges of this book. Because of this lack of character development as key characters are introduced to the story (and there were a lot) it was hard to keep track. I gathered that the author might have wanted to keep a few characters intentionally vague to add to the intrigue of the story line, for me this had the opposite effect. Readers want to be able to connect with at least one of the characters in a book that they are committing to enjoy and when that doesn’t happen, mixed with a story line that is a hard to follow, which almost puts it in a DNF category. As a book club policy we decided to continue on with the read but it was challenging.
Overall, while I can see and appreciate the direction this author was trying to take us, I feel like the attempt fell flat, towards the end of the book, we were met by a plot twist which I do feel was a little rushed and not organic in its development. So while I was surprised she was behind the murders, I guess I figured deep down it had to be one of the two main characters. And I guess trying to understand the “why’s” leaves it open for a book two or a potential series, which I believe is the direction this author is trying to take us. If there is a book two, in this readers opinion (keep in mind I am but one view) character development is key to building understanding and connection. And who knows the author might have had these characters in his mind for years before they made it to print, which is great but I don’t feel like the vision was made clear in these 300+ pages at least for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2025
This book was a selection for our book club. I was eager to support a new author. Let me start by saying the premise and storyline of this book is promising, but the writing is unpolished and additional editing would have improved the success of the book.
A few big items concerning this book:
Character Development - I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters. There was little glimpses of character development but not enough to provoke connections to the character. I am not sure if this was because there were so many characters, but I think a little extra time spent on development would have brought the reader into their world. I wanted to find myself rooting for someone.
Consistency and Polish - The author would at times switch back and forth between using the first and last names of the characters which made it difficult to follow in an already character-full cast of players. The book is adjective heavy - I found myself getting lost in the descriptive wording and losing the importance of the what was being said.
II - The random and consistent use of the II was confusing. At first I thought it was a new chapter, but then they occurred so frequently I was left confused as to the meaning. A book club member suggested it could possible be a transition between scenes, which does make sense. But, I would recommend using a picture or symbol that is less similar to the marking of a new chapter.
Storyline Structure - Often when started a new chapter it was like dropping in on the middle of a new story line. It took a while to connect where in the timeline I was at and sometimes it just seemed random. I think the intent of the author was to leave some intrigue for a twist to be found later in the story, but I think a bit more set up early on would have helped with the continuity of the story. I am still not sure the importance of some of the parts of the storyline and characters, if they were value-added.
Romantic Scenes - I am not sure where to start here - maybe less is more? I understand that some of the scenes needed to be intense for the purpose of the story but others that should have in more of a loving nature and passionate came across a bit more domineering and uncomfortable for the reader. As one member of our group suggested, instead of detail some of the scenes could have "faded to black" and left the reader to their own imagination.
To be honest, had I not been reading this book as part of a club, there's a good chance I would have DNF'd (Did Not Finish) this one. As I mentioned at the start, I believe the actual story itself showed good promise but editing and structure of the story left it falling short. I have no doubt that this book ended in a manner it did but it was disappointing for the time put into the book.
A few big items concerning this book:
Character Development - I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters. There was little glimpses of character development but not enough to provoke connections to the character. I am not sure if this was because there were so many characters, but I think a little extra time spent on development would have brought the reader into their world. I wanted to find myself rooting for someone.
Consistency and Polish - The author would at times switch back and forth between using the first and last names of the characters which made it difficult to follow in an already character-full cast of players. The book is adjective heavy - I found myself getting lost in the descriptive wording and losing the importance of the what was being said.
II - The random and consistent use of the II was confusing. At first I thought it was a new chapter, but then they occurred so frequently I was left confused as to the meaning. A book club member suggested it could possible be a transition between scenes, which does make sense. But, I would recommend using a picture or symbol that is less similar to the marking of a new chapter.
Storyline Structure - Often when started a new chapter it was like dropping in on the middle of a new story line. It took a while to connect where in the timeline I was at and sometimes it just seemed random. I think the intent of the author was to leave some intrigue for a twist to be found later in the story, but I think a bit more set up early on would have helped with the continuity of the story. I am still not sure the importance of some of the parts of the storyline and characters, if they were value-added.
Romantic Scenes - I am not sure where to start here - maybe less is more? I understand that some of the scenes needed to be intense for the purpose of the story but others that should have in more of a loving nature and passionate came across a bit more domineering and uncomfortable for the reader. As one member of our group suggested, instead of detail some of the scenes could have "faded to black" and left the reader to their own imagination.
To be honest, had I not been reading this book as part of a club, there's a good chance I would have DNF'd (Did Not Finish) this one. As I mentioned at the start, I believe the actual story itself showed good promise but editing and structure of the story left it falling short. I have no doubt that this book ended in a manner it did but it was disappointing for the time put into the book.
March 8, 2025
Put this at the top of your reading list.
A great book which keeps the reader guessing and on the edge of their seat.
The author, Deangello does a great job creating vivid imagery, character development, and the plot twist that I didn’t see coming.
It was a breathtaking fusion of romance and suspense that kept me hooked until the very last page.
I can't recommend this one enough. A truly unforgettable read! 📚✨ Great Job Mr. Wiggins. 🫡
A great book which keeps the reader guessing and on the edge of their seat.
The author, Deangello does a great job creating vivid imagery, character development, and the plot twist that I didn’t see coming.
It was a breathtaking fusion of romance and suspense that kept me hooked until the very last page.
I can't recommend this one enough. A truly unforgettable read! 📚✨ Great Job Mr. Wiggins. 🫡
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews