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A review by takethyme
Again by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
3.0
AGAIN is an unusual piece of fiction in regards to the plot itself and the way it was told. It had both strengths and weaknesses. First, the storyline was unusual; two male actors are both interested in the same woman who is the lead writer for the show they work on. It is a soap opera that takes place during Regency times. Now, I have never watched a soap opera in my entire life, but if I did a soap of this kind would intrigue me.
The head writer, Jenny Cotton, had an unusual upbringing. Her mother died when she was very young and her father, just barely out of his teens, responsibly takes action and raised her up on his own. Though Jenny does not have the most ideal childhood, her dad tried his best. Unfortunately, she still fought against loneliness until she met Brian O'Neill. He also lived in a single parent household with his mother and fights some demons of his own. The two young people gravitate toward each other when Brian moves into the area and starts to attend the same high school as Jenny. Friends first, they eventually become lovers and decide to move to New York after they graduate.
The chapters in this mild romance move back and forth between Jenny's past and the present time. She is now 28 years old and her life with Brian is, for the most part, stagnant. He always seems to put himself first: nothing has changed in their personal life for a long time. Then Alec is hired to join the show and Jenny's life takes a turn. When he is 'talking' the story is told from his POV and that was very refreshing.
My problem was with Jenny because she comes across as weak. She knows her life is far from ideal but she still clings to Brian, who is a very shallow man. Alec helps her out on more than one occasion -when Brian should have been there- and they become attracted to each other. Things build very slowly between these two but Brian is still very much a part of Jenny's life. And everything is fairly innocent until....well, you just need to read the story.
I really, really wanted to give the story more stars. Like other reviewers, I had a hard time with the heroine. I wanted to tell Jenny to move on(!); she could do so much better. She had someone who truly appreciated and cared about her; Alec was a sweetheart who tried to let Jenny go at her own pace. If you have an opportunity to find this older contemporary romance and are a sucker for the underdog, give it a try.
The head writer, Jenny Cotton, had an unusual upbringing. Her mother died when she was very young and her father, just barely out of his teens, responsibly takes action and raised her up on his own. Though Jenny does not have the most ideal childhood, her dad tried his best. Unfortunately, she still fought against loneliness until she met Brian O'Neill. He also lived in a single parent household with his mother and fights some demons of his own. The two young people gravitate toward each other when Brian moves into the area and starts to attend the same high school as Jenny. Friends first, they eventually become lovers and decide to move to New York after they graduate.
The chapters in this mild romance move back and forth between Jenny's past and the present time. She is now 28 years old and her life with Brian is, for the most part, stagnant. He always seems to put himself first: nothing has changed in their personal life for a long time. Then Alec is hired to join the show and Jenny's life takes a turn. When he is 'talking' the story is told from his POV and that was very refreshing.
My problem was with Jenny because she comes across as weak. She knows her life is far from ideal but she still clings to Brian, who is a very shallow man. Alec helps her out on more than one occasion -when Brian should have been there- and they become attracted to each other. Things build very slowly between these two but Brian is still very much a part of Jenny's life. And everything is fairly innocent until....well, you just need to read the story.
I really, really wanted to give the story more stars. Like other reviewers, I had a hard time with the heroine. I wanted to tell Jenny to move on(!); she could do so much better. She had someone who truly appreciated and cared about her; Alec was a sweetheart who tried to let Jenny go at her own pace. If you have an opportunity to find this older contemporary romance and are a sucker for the underdog, give it a try.