review 1: I'm not sure when I started trying to read this book because I had a few starts and stops. Maybe because I was reading it on the iPad and not the Kindle. However a couple of days ago I picked it up again and bam! it just took off. It has a literary feel without being boring. I can relate to so many of the quotes. And the quotes are done in such a way as not to detract from the story. Most of the characters are very well fleshed out and not one dimensional. There's a lot of contemporary romance bad marriage and romance that speaks to the Boomer times. I fell in love with Beau. I wish I could find that palm reader. There's a lot of life drama that feels very real. And you come out hoping for the best. My recommendation? Buy this book. review 2: The Jewel Box is ... morea delightful character driven story that covers the life of Jill/Cherie over a 25 year period. From beginning to end, McCarty does a good job of engaging the reader with her characters' flaws and foibles. Her characters are easy to care about (even Delilah) and I eagerly turned the pages to learn their destiny. I enjoyed Beau's words of wisdom and his recurring jack of clubs trick throughout the story. The bottom line is, this is a flat out good read.Great debut novel! I highly recommend The Jewel Box! less
