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Relative Stranger
A fun, dishy tale of what happens when the past catches up with you. Garret Millwood has it all—a hot career and a loving, loyal boyfriend. Then he meets young, irrepressible Lucy Walker—and his life will never be the same again. Stewart Lewis is the author of the novel Rockstarlet . He is also a singer-songwriter who has performed worldwide and whose songs have been featured in television and film. He lives in New York City and western Massachusetts.
285 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 23, 2009
From the start, I didn't care for Garret. He's narcissistic and self-absorbed, and his cavalier attitude about sex and hook-ups bothered me. But if anything, this is a "coming of age" story ... despite the fact that Garret is in his late thirties. Fortunately, while he is one of the main characters, there are other, more likable figures in the story that kept me reading long enough for Garret to grow on me.
Lucy, for instance, is a wonderfully precocious teenager. It's easy to see how easily she spins Garret's world on its axis. This is as much her story as it is his, as unlikely as that may seem at first. Another character I really loved was Alan, Garret's best friend who is unfortunately madly in love with the cad.
I enjoyed the story a lot ~ Lewis' writing is fun and fast-paced, and I found myself unable to put the book down. The pace of the story moves along beautifully, and I felt I really knew and cared about the characters the more I read.
One problem I had was that I knew where the story was headed before I even started reading it. From the back cover blurb (above), I thought I knew what this "unlikely truth" might be, and as I read the story, I discovered I wasn't wrong. However, there are a lot of different elements in the story that kept it interesting ~ Lucy's relationship with her mother, Garret's relationship (or lack thereof) with his father, Alan's continuing struggle with the loss of a lover, the secret Garret has kept from his best friend, the growing romance between the two men, Lucy's internship at the theater and, later, the opportunities that arise for her in the world of fashion. So while I caught on early to the "unlikely truth" mentioned in the blurb, there was plenty that kept the story alive for me after I figured out where it was heading.
If you love happy endings and stories where everything seems to end in a nice, neat bow, then this book is for you. All the issues mentioned above are succinctly satisfied by the final page. While reading, I felt this would make a great movie ~ it has all the elements of a romantic comedy, and no strings left dangling unfinished at the end. Personally, I prefer a bit more ambiguity to certain plot elements while reading, but overall I enjoyed the story and its characters, and would gladly recommend this to a friend.
Lucy, for instance, is a wonderfully precocious teenager. It's easy to see how easily she spins Garret's world on its axis. This is as much her story as it is his, as unlikely as that may seem at first. Another character I really loved was Alan, Garret's best friend who is unfortunately madly in love with the cad.
I enjoyed the story a lot ~ Lewis' writing is fun and fast-paced, and I found myself unable to put the book down. The pace of the story moves along beautifully, and I felt I really knew and cared about the characters the more I read.
One problem I had was that I knew where the story was headed before I even started reading it. From the back cover blurb (above), I thought I knew what this "unlikely truth" might be, and as I read the story, I discovered I wasn't wrong. However, there are a lot of different elements in the story that kept it interesting ~ Lucy's relationship with her mother, Garret's relationship (or lack thereof) with his father, Alan's continuing struggle with the loss of a lover, the secret Garret has kept from his best friend, the growing romance between the two men, Lucy's internship at the theater and, later, the opportunities that arise for her in the world of fashion. So while I caught on early to the "unlikely truth" mentioned in the blurb, there was plenty that kept the story alive for me after I figured out where it was heading.
If you love happy endings and stories where everything seems to end in a nice, neat bow, then this book is for you. All the issues mentioned above are succinctly satisfied by the final page. While reading, I felt this would make a great movie ~ it has all the elements of a romantic comedy, and no strings left dangling unfinished at the end. Personally, I prefer a bit more ambiguity to certain plot elements while reading, but overall I enjoyed the story and its characters, and would gladly recommend this to a friend.
June 8, 2011
A great 'late night read' as a book to grab from my nightstand. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships. And as a side note: if you haven't listened to any of author Stewart Lewis' music...you should.
December 24, 2008
Very predictable, but still enjoyable.
August 11, 2009
Predictable, but still quite enjoyable.
July 23, 2016
Stewart Lewis gives away the major plot twist in the title. WTF? Besides that annoying fact, I really liked this book.
August 3, 2008
Nice summer or airplane read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews