Mock My Words

by Chandra Shekhar

"... a compelling and engaging book that includes bias, marital conflict, digital espionage, friendship, encouragement, guilt, loyalty, heartbreak, perseverance, and resilience." - BestsellersWorld Chinese literary genius David Tan writes with style, wit, and elegance. His speech, however, is awkward, halting, and hilariously ungrammatical. When he joins the Steinbeck University's prestigious writing faculty in California, his students scorn him and his colleagues snub him. David craves support from his strong-willed American wife Laura, but she is too busy battling a sinister high-tech conspiracy at work to care about a husband she has stopped loving. His only joy comes from helping idealistic student Melissa write a business plan for a revolutionary assistive device -- until, inexplicably, she too gives him the cold shoulder... David's career and marriage are collapsing, Laura faces dismissal or worse, and Melissa's device seems doomed to flop. Will fortune intervene? This fast-paced multi-genre novel interweaves strands of marital drama, techno-thriller, and romantic comedy into a narrative that bridges popular and literary fiction.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Literary Fiction

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2017

About the author

Chandra Shekhar came to the US from India in 1987 to study Artificial Intelligence. After spending 15 years developing technology for self-driving vehicles, facial recognition, and video surveillance, he switched to the less lucrative but more benign career of fiction writing. MOCK MY WORDS is his first novel. His second novel, UNLIGHT, imagines a planet-wide apocalypse that leaves the earth cold, dark, and lifeless. He is currently writing THIRST FOR POWER, which tells the intertwined stories of an idealistic young man, a scheming politician, a romantic professor of English, and an enigmatic social worker, set against a background of political, social, and climate change.

Chandra is also a prolific writer of short stories, flash fiction, and humorous verse. He is working on an illustrated collection of his shorter works titled Unintended Consequences, Illogical Extremes, and Other Ironies of Life.

Reviews

[Kelly Santana-Banks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful reading!

I was delighted with this book! It is funny, well written, and the subject is pertinent. Chandra Shekhar raises the issues that any ordinary couple would face, but spices up the story with the lifelike cultural barriers the main character has to deal with. All without sound cliche, which made the reading even more enthralling.

[BranPap · Rating 4 out of 5]

ACTUAL RATING: 3.5/5 STARS

Thank you to Science and Prose for the free ebook in exchange for this honest review.

I actually quite enjoyed this novel. The prose is light and refreshing, but retains enough originality and literary 'merit' that it doesn't feel too much like YA (which is fine- just not what this is) or like you're being condescended to. Moreover, I enjoyed the tripartite narration style, and the use of alternating character origos to tell what is ultimately a slice-of-life and coming-of-immigration story in many respects.

The story is touching and original, detailing the life of a Chinese immigrant and his wife and student over the course of his first year teaching at a new American institution. There are a few plot points which felt abrupt or forced, and pulled me out of the story momentarily. I won't detail them here for the sake of not spoiling the book, but there is one particular point about 80% through the novel that felt predictable but unbelievable in its portrayal.

David's character is lovable and somewhat pitiable, though unfortunately I think he falls into quite a few stereotypes (quiet asian man, for example), and his broken English is rendered somewhat believably throughout the text. However, this is where my main gripe with the book comes from: I don't feel totally comfortable with the fact that Shekhar is not a Chinese man. Shekhar is Indian, and there are other POC side characters who may be more well-informed by Shekhar's background, btu I will always feel uncomfortable with stereotyped portrayals when they aren't OwnVoices.

I really enjoyed Laura's side plot, and honestly I would totally read a tech thriller from this author if he were ever to release one. I know Shekhar's own background in IT means that this plot is well-researched and accurate, if not a little bit glamourised for the sake of drama. However, it was still super fun and touching (especially Laura sticking up for her interns!!)

I wasn't super clear on the inclusion of Melissa at the beginning of the novel, but that obviously reveals itself over time and I enjoyed her presence in the novel. It added a sympathetic angle for David that was desperately needed, and the discussion of Mandarin as a heritage language between the two characters made the linguist in me very happy to read.

All in all, I did enjoy this exploration of race and immigration in marriage and education, though I think I would've preferred to read a book more overtly informed by Shekhar's personal experience as an Indian immigrant to the United States, and the book could've perhaps benefitted from a less overtly stereotyped portrayal of David.

I'm interested to read the rest of this author's canon, however!

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an impressive and delightful debut! Such talented writing made for a captivating novel. Well developed characters and relatable challenges provided a thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mock My Words is comprised of three storylines. Each one of them is interconnected with a plot that involves a renowned author by the name of David Tan, who left China to live in the United States. The main storyline not only revolves around David’s struggles and challenges as a new teacher at John Steinbeck University in Northern California, but also portrays the stress and anxiety that David experiences while trying to survive a rough patch in his marriage. The secondary storylines involve David’s wife, Laura, and Melissa, a student at the university.

David is worried and nervous about whether or not the students in his writing course will accept and respect him. This dilemma is due to the disconnect between his writing and his speaking. Although David writes beautiful prose, he speaks English very poorly, which makes it difficult to communicate with people. Even though he wants to share his love of classical literature with his students, they are ill-mannered and rude towards him. It does not get any easier for him when some of his colleagues rebuff him. In addition to work issues, whenever David is at home, he always feels that he has to tread carefully around his wife’s feelings in order not to upset her and possibly ruin any chances at intimacy.

At the same time that David is trying to adjust to his new job, Laura is dealing with a stressful situation at her workplace, a public relations firm. A major client of the firm suffers a massive data breach, which significantly damages their reputation. With the client facing a potential lawsuit and threatening to pull their account from the PR firm, Laura volunteers to step in and take charge of the situation. This task requires Laura to spend an inordinate amount of time working, which puts further strain on the Tan’s marriage.

Melissa, a Chinese-American student, asks for David’s advice on rewriting a business plan for the development of a device to help elderly people, who struggle with walking. No parties have shown any interest in financing the idea. However, input provided by David on changes to the business plan may help bring the project to fruition. Melissa has never acknowledged David’s important contribution and feels guilty about it. Should Melissa contact David and let him know?

Chandra Shekhar has written a compelling and engaging book that includes bias, marital conflict, digital espionage, friendship, encouragement, guilt, loyalty, heartbreak, perseverance, and resilience. The barriers and frustrations faced by individuals in the United States who do not speak English as their first language and how that can end up affecting their lives in unforeseen ways is an important part of the novel. The dissonance and conflict between David and Laura is told from the viewpoint of both of them, which is an excellent way for readers to understand their individual perspectives. The book also provides a bird’s-eye view of cyber espionage and the subsequent consequences on both companies and employees.

[Cathy Beyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and clever read. I was drawn to this novel because at the heart of it lie linguistic and cultural differences. David can express himself wonderfully in written English, but, as is often the case with non-native speakers, struggles when he is speaking the same language. That he would have an American wife like Laura, to whom communication means something entirely different and students who are unadapted to the slower pace of written literary language and unwilling to make allowances, is ironic but at the same time very realistic. The classic story structure and the old-fashioned way of making the main event of each chapter the title add to the charm of the book. A hint of crime, drama, and romance drive the story forward to its expected but satisfactory conclusion.

[Ana Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the Author's first full novel it was incredibly well written and researched. The story opens with the leading character, David Tan, starting his first day as a writing professor at Steinbeck University. Reading the broken English in which Professor Tran speaks in those initial pages led me to make a false assumption that this book, based on the title, was going to turn out to be some type of 'Coming to America' novel taking us through a foreigner's journey on overcoming language barriers. I am joyous to report the fact that I was strikingly mistaken on that presumption.

While David's struggles with speaking in the English language and adjusting to the social disparity of American culture play a part in the storyline, they are but a small piece in this tale. David's marriage with Laura is strained in the opening of the book due to their glaring incompatibilities in personality. David makes every effort to overcome that cavernous gap in their personalities to maintain a healthy, loving marriage with Laura. These efforts fall flat as the marriage dissolves throughout the book due to her unresolved emotional baggage from her past, and her misconceptions of why David is so content with his life. Misconstruing his contentment with having achieved his life goal of becoming a writer as a lack of ambition and weakness, she resents his marital goals of settling down to start a family when she has yet to reach the apogee of her career.

Laura's company ApproPR assigns her the task of saving SliceMedia from going under after a data breach happens, exposing petabytes of private client data to the world. Feeling as if her company is setting her up for a career suicide mission that will most likely end her career adds to the tensions at home between Laura and David. Yet Laura and her team of interns manage to do the unimaginable in not only saving SliceMedia from industry failure but uncovering an NSA conspiracy to spy on private citizens. A feat that launches her career to unimaginable heights and seals the fate of her marriage as she finally decides to divorce David.

All is not lost for David in the realm of love and happiness thankfully. A student he tutors at the Word Repair Center on fine-tuning her business plan to market a new invention is smitten with David on their first meeting. Initially, she keeps her distance from David as she is aware of his marriage, although not privy to the disastrous note in which it exists, and chooses to respect the inappropriateness of pursuing a married man. Upon learning of his departure from the University and his divorce she decides to ignite a more intimate friendship with him that quickly grows into the intimate, loving, and compassionate marriage David always longed for and deserved. A truly happy ending for everyone.

I loved every aspect of this book and could not put it down after that first chapter!! An absolute must-read for anyone who likes romance, conspiracy, and seeing the underdog win.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Tonight nice moon, so will not dark’

Author Chandra Shekar entered the literary realm with this debut novel MOCK MY WORDS after studying Artificial Intelligence, being involved in developing technology for video surveillance, facial recognition and self-driving vehicles, and penning science journalism. In addition to his impressive and somewhat piebald career, Chandra has the gift of eloquent prose that he uses to miscegenate drama, comedy, romance and techno-thriller concepts with aplomb: his book’s subtitle states that well!

One of the many aspects of this excellent novel is Chandra’s ability to sculpt characters that are at once unique while becoming near recognizable as people we have encountered. With a few words he establishes the image and personality of his primary character, David, as the story opens: “English, bloody English! Why did I ever leave China?” growled David Tan as he carefully wrote on the whiteboard: “What is good writing?” It was exactly 8 a.m. on the first day of his first quarter at John Steinbeck University. David had got to the classroom at 7:30 and was waiting, with a mix of eagerness and dread, for his class to arrive…’ And from this initial event the suspense builds as the fascinating story unfolds.

The plot is condensed in the author’s synopsis: ‘Chinese literary genius David Tan writes with style, wit, and elegance. His speech, however, is awkward, halting, and hilariously ungrammatical. When he joins the Steinbeck University's prestigious writing faculty in California, his students scorn him and his colleagues snub him. David craves support from his strong-willed American wife Laura, but she is too busy battling a sinister high-tech conspiracy at work to care about a husband she has stopped loving. His only joy comes from helping idealistic Chinese-American student Melissa develop a device that can get the bedridden back on their feet -- until, inexplicably, she too gives him the cold shoulder...David's career and marriage are collapsing, Laura faces dismissal or worse, and Melissa's device seems doomed to flop. Will fortune intervene?’

To appreciate the many levels of Chandra’s skills – as expected, his keen appreciation for technology, his insights into cultural behaviors and the biases that occur, and the appreciation of linguistic variations – simply begin reading this book and the task becomes infectious. Chandra Shekar is an important new voice in literature. Refreshing and Highly Recommended.

[Arun Prakash K · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a busy last month at office, I was in the mood for some light reading and this one popped in my lists. I chose this on a whim and I'm glad I did. At 215 pages, this is a very light fare. The writing style is easy, not too demanding. On the whole, it had the ambiance of a feelgood Hallmark movie - just what I had hoped for.

David Tan, the protagonist is a literary genius with two acclaimed novels to his credit. He has an impediment when it comes to speaking English. Despite his exceptional writing skills, he is able to communicate only in broken English. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Laura, who has a hectic job at a PR company. At the beginning of he novel, David has joined a university as a lecturer in creative writing and is struggling to connect with his students, his broken English not making it any easier. On the other hand, Laura is beginning to confront her increasing apathy towards David. In comes Melissa, a Business student and a gentle soul like David, looking for a mentor. How does it turn out for these characters forms the essence of the book.

In a way, I'm biased towards the novel. Like David, I tend to avoid confrontations and go out of the way to avoid/defuse such situations. I also have a slight impediment when it comes to speaking as well. It stems from the fact that: a. I have too much going on in my mind, all the time, b. With each passing year, I speak less and less and perhaps due to the lack of exercise, my tongue is unable to keep pace with my mind. My problem is not limited to the secondary languages - I also catch myself occasionally stammering when speaking in my native tongue. I have to consciously make an effort to speak correctly. That said, it is nowhere as worse as what David has in the novel. In fact, I have a gripe with it - I simply cannot conceive a person, who is a literary genius, speaking broken English all the time! I think this could have been handled in a more plausible way.

I won't go into the details of the plot. In fact, these kind of books do not warrant it. You just have to experience it, or in this case, read it. If you are looking for a book that is soothing, like a chamomile tea after an evening walk, this is one. In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I was wavering between 3 and 4 for the rating. But what the heck - this rating is subjective. A 4 it is.

[Courtney Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Tan is a literary genius. He has written two novels that have won major literary prizes. He is Chinese but writes in English prose too beautiful for words. He is married to Laura, a go-getter woman who prizes her career highly and they live in the United States of America. It all sounds idyllic doesn’t it? Except it’s not. David and Laura’s marriage is rocky to say the least and David’s new job as a lecturer of Literature at the fancy university is creating a huge amount of stress for him because whilst he might be profound with the written word, he is far from proficient in the English language, which leads to all manner of confusion and frustration both personally and professionally.

This is a simple read, not too long at 215 pages and easy to get through. The frustration that David experiences in his inability to physically express what he is mentally thinking and feeling is very real as he grapples with the language. The linguistic style is stilted and halting, very much like a new language speaker is. The way the relationship between Laura and David is described I'm sure meant to be a light hearted expression of a marriage falling apart, but at times it was difficult to read because it was so abusive. David is walking on eggshells around his wife, doing everything he can to win her affection and she is, even though I'm sure the author meant her to be sympathetic, in a word, a bitch.

The story has a nice cylindrical feel to it starting as it ends, making it a clever twist from the author. The characters are not all likable and you do feel strongly sympathy for David and the challenges before him. There is a nice group of background characters who become David’s friends and support network. A fair proportion of the story is given over to Laura’s working experience and the challenges set before her with a nice twist that plays into the whole story.

Looking at the difficulty of enveloping oneself into a foreign culture, what it takes to make a relationship work and how difficult life is in the academic world with student evaluations and self-righteous behaviour are all explored here. It is an easy story and provided some entertainment on a summer’s day.

[Megan Sweeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mock My Words by Chandra Shekhar integrates the ideas of a beginner college level English classroom, language and cultural difficulties in innovation, and modern computer security failures in the US post-9/11. It follows the story of David Tan, a Chinese immigrant living in California with his wife Laura - she, in a PR office fighting to regain a company’s prestige, and he, a brilliant literary mind fighting to gain the attention of disinterested students as they read classic texts. A third plot line follows a university student Melissa who is working to get her most recent invention up and running.

David writes English beautifully, having published two books with relative success. His speaking abilities are at a much lower level, however, making it incredibly difficult for him to initiate and engage in conversation with peers, as well as conducting classes with his students. Throughout the book, we see his friendship with two other professors blossom, and this camaraderie amongst people who know what it feels like to misunderstand and be misunderstood was the true gem of this novel.

While none of the main characters were particularly likable from the start, their motivations and deeper goals came through by the end of the piece. There tended to be more telling than showing in many of the character development scenes, making the characterization feel a bit rushed.

Audiences like tech aficionados and future engineers may find inspiration in these intertwined stories, and definitely may understand more of the computer lingo at Laura’s office than I did. I appreciated the themes presented, especially the newer ideas of corporate and government interference in data control and language barriers in innovation. This novel did raise questions related to these themes in my mind, and I am grateful for those questions, even if I would not be likely to be the first to recommend this book to friends in the future.

Thank you, Online Book Club, for letting me check this one out!

[Ilana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

What is the probability that an American university hires for its English literature class a professor that despite an impressive writing style and book writing achievements displays talking skills showing a very limited IQ? Almost close to nil.
However, Chandra Shekhar built an otherwise well coordinated story around the frail and meek figure of David Tan, a Chinese-born academic with great writing skills, but with a vocabulary that even learning two words the day for his last five years of life in US would have been dramatically improved. His dialogues are so ridiculously limited that you might wonder how he is able to survive on the street completely on his own, but him, teaching in an American university in the English language? This assumption doesn't make any sense. Last but not least, David is talking with his father from China in some English too, with his simple father language skills highly proficient compared to those of his academic son.
This main flaw is in fact an annoying aspect of a book with well crafted subplots and page-turning everyday stories from the busy Californian corporate life. Laura, David's ambitious wife, looks like a negative character, although a very coherent one, but after all, you might wander why someone so over achieving will end up after all with someone she can hardly talk with in simple yet coherent sentences. The PR challenge she is coping with is also interesting and has so many realistic elements. Her counter-candidate, the gentle Melissa is also business driven, but in a more human way, but maybe her age makes a difference.
Actually, if not the annoying clumsiness of portraying David, I would have greatly enjoy the book, which I finished in just one late afternoon reading. However, most probably would be curious to read other books by Shekhar as his writing promises in a very curious way.

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Caitlin Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chandra Shekhar’s first novel, Mock my Words, follows the life of David Tan, a critically acclaimed novelist with an odd speech impediment and a failing marriage. Although David writes beautifully, he struggles to speak coherent English. His wife, Laura, a dynamic and sometimes stern woman working in PR, discovers that the assignment she thought would get her a promotion is in fact setting her up as a scapegoat. David’s efforts to support her and ensure her happiness do little to ease Laura’s matrimonial boredom. David’s new job as a Literature Professor seems doomed to fail when his difficulties in communicating causes his students to disregard his ideas. Prospects brighten when he meets Melissa, a business student with a revolutionary product idea. When she also snubs him, David begins to question his choice to teach.

Shekhar’s prose is graceful and eloquent without succumbing to verbosity. By contrast, David’s dialogue is halting and clumsy. I thought this served as an apt metaphor for the difficulties David has in navigating Western customs, as well as highlighting the low tolerance predominantly monolingual societies display towards those communicating with them in a second language. David is a sweet, likeable character. It’s easy to empathise with him, but it’s the inclusion of Laura’s point of view that truly balances both his character, and the narrative of their failing marriage. The tricky situation she faces at work energises the story and introduces a level of intrigue. Mock my Words is a charming novel and a satisfying read overall.

(Reviewed for Reader's Favorite)

[Julie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mock My Words tells the story of a Chinese literary genius, David Tan, who goes to California to teach fiction writing. Though David writes brilliantly in English, he struggles to speak that language. His students scorn him and his colleagues snub him. He gets no sympathy from his sexy but cruel American wife Laura, who is embroiled in a high-tech conspiracy at work. Meanwhile, Melissa, a charming student who seeks David's help in rewriting a business plan for a device to help the elderly walk again, ends up falling in love with him. For uncovering a sinister NSA-sponsored snooping scheme that her superiors wanted to bury, Laura loses her job, but finds a new love interest and dumps her husband. Melissa's business idea takes off, but she can't get David out of her head and reaches out to him. Devastated by his wife’s betrayal, David is slow to respond to Melissa’s overtures, but, in the end, she wins his heart.

This fast-paced multi-genre novel interweaves strands of marital drama, techno-thriller, and romantic comedy into a narrative that bridges popular and literary fiction. It is intended for literate, cosmopolitan adults and young adults.

This book is a complete change for me as I usually read psychological thrillers, police procedurals or chick lit. The book had a very slow pace and although it kept my attention throughout, I have to say this one wasn’t for me. I’m certain other readers will disagree with me. 3*

[Tom Intiso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable, surprising and oh so good!

Anyone who speaks a foreign language will be able to relate, and intimately relate, to the first 7 to 10 pages of this book. The author captures with stunning clarity the difficulties anyone speaking a foreign language faces, and moreover, does so with incredible humor and style.


If the entire book carried on in this vein, it would’ve been an enjoyable read and nothing more. However, he so deftly and eloquently delves into the challenges faced by a “gentle soul,” in our often harsh society, that it took me well over 3/4 of the book before I concluded that this was more social commentary than simple light prose.

Many of the minor characters wax elegiac over the writing skills of his protagonist. Since the conclusion leads us to believe that this is in the very least “slightly” autobiographical, while remaining entirely fictional (and that is a nice trick, let me tell you), we can presume that the author is hoping we feel the same way about his writing. Well sir, let me tell you that you have hit the mark dead center of the bull’s-eye. Well done! Incredibly well done.

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgally for ARC.

A perfect little gem of a book. It tells the story of David, who has difficulties with spoken English, although he writes beautifully. His two books have been international bestsellers, leading to an offer from a private college to teach English Lit. Unfortunately his students are not willing to meet him halfway, and his difficulties with spoken English make communication a challenge. He has trouble at home, too, with a wife who is struggling with her own challenges at work. She is too wrapped up in her own problems to pay attention to David. I thoroughly enjoy this book and found the only criticism was that it was too short. I hope a sequel is in the offing soon. I love David and his struggles.

My blog:

The Interstitial Reader
https://theinterstitialreader.wordpre...

[Anie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, honestly.

This book was great! I loved the sweet nature of David, and seeing things look up in the end didn’t give me the cliché “every book needs a happy ending” feel. The author did a fantastic job of tying in the ending without making it over the top, and I’m so happy I gave this book a chance. At first, I wasn’t positive I could get through David himself’s dialogue, but after a few pages I found that it didn’t bother me like I thought it would, and the broken english was a great addition to his character and a main flaw for a character arc.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great First Novel

A great book. Well edited. Easy to read.

Enjoyed that it was written by someone from India about a guy from China that wrote books impeccably but spoke broken English.

Didn't like the wife, as was the intent of the author, but David was a little too timid for my liking.

Loved how the book ended with the newest book. Very clever.

Recommend this book highly.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book my Chandra Shekhar about a man trying to live his life in a new country with a new job. Everything seems to be going wrong for David and his wife, Laura. Language barriers for David and work challenges for the two of them. Mock my Words will keep you glued to its pages. I guarantee that you will want to read it again once you've finished, if not for the story itself, then for the superb use of the English language.

[janet livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite book

I grew up in the post-WWII American South, and so many times heard the phrase, "Mock (mark) my words !" , which sounded the opposite of what was meant. This is what drew my attention.
Then from the first page, I was drawn into the story of this dear character, fascinated by how spoken-language proficiency can influence our personal and professional lives, regardless of other gifts.
Written with humor and sweetness, this is a book to savor.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humorous, touching, sometimes gripping.

David Tan, a Chinese immigrant accepts a position teaching literature to college students, despite his inability to convey his thoughts verbally. His wife has a high powered job in P.R., which adds stress to the marriage. Recommended for light reading.

[Amie Iwaszkowiec · Rating 4 out of 5]

A read worth your time.

This story is an inclusive story that's so much more than just the words you read on the pages. Everyone can relate to someone in the story. The first few chapters were slow but as the story progressed so did my yearning to know what happens. I found myself trying to figure out why characters were making me feel sad, or frustrated, or angry.

[Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable albeit slight novel. I liked Laura's narrative the best, although I didn't like her character. I am not sure I believe someone could be able to write beautifully yet speak ungrammatically, but that might take the place of a strong accent, which could seem culturally insensitive.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

A beautiful story, sad and funny in places.
Much like life really.
I found this to be a very easy read, something totally different for me.

[Shirley Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

An outsider struggling to be accepted

I chose this rating because although the multi storylines don't fit together very well, the author does provide some excellent insights into university life and data hacking - two very different environments. It is well worth a read.

[Julie Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mock my words

I really enjoyed David Tan and his very gentle demeanor. I was happy that he found a kind loving intelligent partner after his wife left him. Would love to read sequels of this story.

[Jordan Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! I think that it did have some issues, but overall it was a good read with an interesting twist at the end. I really felt for the main character and cheered him on when he started to get the love that he deserved.

[Mallory Giunchigliani · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall well-written book with a good story and interesting characters.

[Christine Dillender · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated this book

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the story and characters. They were very believable, but maybe more as high school students than as adults. The dialogue and character motivations was a little simplistic.

[Xandri Clifton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, gentle read, but a bit too linear in my opinion.