COVET started out engaging with really good (albeit uneven) character development.
Chris and Claire's marriage is marred by Chris' unemployment, but things don't improve when he later finds a job that requires lots of traveling. Claire is left to raise the kids on her own and grows increasingly frustrated and lonely and I really connected with her daily life.
Enter Daniel.
Initially, I liked the gradual build of the relationship between Claire and Daniel. They were both good people who did their best to be respectful of the fact that Claire was a married woman, but both had an emotional romantic need that the other met perfectly.
Despite a good first half, the plotting completely falls apart in the third act when absolutely nothing. happens. It's just wash, rinse, repeat of the same old same old, and it became boring, uninteresting and so very skimmable!
When something finally did happen, it was just painfully sophomoric plot twists that totally undermined the good foundation of the first half of the story. Things happened that were obviously contrived to hit certain beats and wrap things up the way the author had already predetermined...at least that's how it came across to me. It felt anything but organic and plausible. Too bad. I really thought I was going to enjoy this story more.
I give COVET a C+. I can't really recommend it since the story basically goes nowhere and leaves you feeling more frustrated than fulfilled.
Chris and Claire's marriage is marred by Chris' unemployment, but things don't improve when he later finds a job that requires lots of traveling. Claire is left to raise the kids on her own and grows increasingly frustrated and lonely and I really connected with her daily life.
Enter Daniel.
Initially, I liked the gradual build of the relationship between Claire and Daniel. They were both good people who did their best to be respectful of the fact that Claire was a married woman, but both had an emotional romantic need that the other met perfectly.
Despite a good first half, the plotting completely falls apart in the third act when absolutely nothing. happens. It's just wash, rinse, repeat of the same old same old, and it became boring, uninteresting and so very skimmable!
When something finally did happen, it was just painfully sophomoric plot twists that totally undermined the good foundation of the first half of the story. Things happened that were obviously contrived to hit certain beats and wrap things up the way the author had already predetermined...at least that's how it came across to me. It felt anything but organic and plausible. Too bad. I really thought I was going to enjoy this story more.
I give COVET a C+. I can't really recommend it since the story basically goes nowhere and leaves you feeling more frustrated than fulfilled.
As I was reading the book, I still kept thinking - maybe it is a romance novel, I just have to wait⦠But it's not!! I feel like the story didn't go anywhere. The marriage was in trouble, Claire sought out the hot cop for company, flirting occurred, and then the marriage between Claire and Chris is fixed while Daniel is left out in the cold because Claire is a giant tease. I kept feeling like SOMETHING was going to happen, but nothing ever did. I had to force myself to keep reading, because I kept thinking - It will pick up any minute⦠any minute now⦠But no.
