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A review by falulatonks
Flawless by Jan Moran
3.0
This was a really random pick-up - the most eye-catching book out of the ebook freebies I was offered - and maybe that randomness is what's left me with conflicting feelings.
This is probably more of a chick lit book than it is a romance - ie, career woman, family, friends! - and though I headed in expecting the latter, it does the first thing REALLY WELL - an easy four out of five stars. I like the setting of it, and the characters. I adore Verena and her family, and I loved how easy it was to get invested in this shitty situation, and how mad I got when things started going really south. It was interesting, and involving, and not like the usual books I get my hands on, which made this really worthwhile.
That said - there didn't seem to be thrust to the story? I predicted what would happen, and I was right; every beat. I was hoping for a little more business intrigue, something to kind of...set this book apart? from what I thought was a rather by-rote story. Maybe I just needed an emotional climax, but since it felt so normal, standard to me that it ended up not letting me feel much. Even the romance felt almost discardable - like Moran was going to lean into it, and then thought she wouldn't, and decided to not let that be any significant part of the book either. I like it when chick lit doesn't hinge on the love interest, and ultimately I did enjoy that Lance's participation had no effect whatsoever on Verena's story or life - but the leaning-in in the first couple of chapters made me settle in for a different kind of story with this relationship too, and it felt me unsatisfied there too. So while I was with all of this in theory, in execution I found it wanting.
I really think the main reason I'm thinking so hard about this one is that I don't know what exactly I found distancing? I don't know why I didn't react to this the way I almost wish I could have. The things about this that work really do work. The things that don't made it fall flat.
I do like Moran's writing style, and I liked that it never got over-emotional or melodramatic where it easily could have. That bodes well for future novels in the series, and honestly makes me want to look out for the next one when it comes. For now, though, no thanks to this one.
This is probably more of a chick lit book than it is a romance - ie, career woman, family, friends! - and though I headed in expecting the latter, it does the first thing REALLY WELL - an easy four out of five stars. I like the setting of it, and the characters. I adore Verena and her family, and I loved how easy it was to get invested in this shitty situation, and how mad I got when things started going really south. It was interesting, and involving, and not like the usual books I get my hands on, which made this really worthwhile.
That said - there didn't seem to be thrust to the story? I predicted what would happen, and I was right; every beat. I was hoping for a little more business intrigue, something to kind of...set this book apart? from what I thought was a rather by-rote story. Maybe I just needed an emotional climax, but since it felt so normal, standard to me that it ended up not letting me feel much. Even the romance felt almost discardable - like Moran was going to lean into it, and then thought she wouldn't, and decided to not let that be any significant part of the book either. I like it when chick lit doesn't hinge on the love interest, and ultimately I did enjoy that Lance's participation had no effect whatsoever on Verena's story or life - but the leaning-in in the first couple of chapters made me settle in for a different kind of story with this relationship too, and it felt me unsatisfied there too. So while I was with all of this in theory, in execution I found it wanting.
I really think the main reason I'm thinking so hard about this one is that I don't know what exactly I found distancing? I don't know why I didn't react to this the way I almost wish I could have. The things about this that work really do work. The things that don't made it fall flat.
I do like Moran's writing style, and I liked that it never got over-emotional or melodramatic where it easily could have. That bodes well for future novels in the series, and honestly makes me want to look out for the next one when it comes. For now, though, no thanks to this one.