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The Brevity Of Roses (2011)

by Linda Cassidy Lewis(Favorite Author)

4.04 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Two-Four-Six Publishing

series

The Brevity of Roses

review 1: "The Brevity of Roses" is Linda Cassidy-Lewis's debut novel and in my opinion a very good one. I found it very hard to put down and therefore finished it in one day.Jalal Vaziri is living the high life in New York as a financial advisor. One day, after waking up from one too many parties, with a hangover and a woman he hardly knows, he's done with this kind of life and decides to pack up.The novel then takes up six months later, when Jalal is visiting with his parents and his siblings in Seattle for the holidays. These visits are a chore for him, because his relationship with his father is strained, to say the least. His father doesn't agree with the fact that Jalal wants to be a poet and Jalal even thinks that his father hates him. So, as soon as the holidays are over, Ja... morelal makes his escape to Bahia de Sueños (which means Bay of Dreams), where he now lives. Because he's not fond of flying, he drives back home and on the way there stops at a French restaurant in Coelho. Where he meets a fascinating woman, called Meredith Dahlberg-Lang, who is 20 years his senior and they begin a relationship.Fast forward 10 years and Jalal is in the throes of grief. Of course, this has to do with Meredith, but the author leaves the reader guessing what's the precise source of his grief. For a long time the reader doesn't know whether Meredith has died and what of or that the relationship between her and Jalal has ended in another way.This is the point where Renee Marshall enters the story. Renee is (once more) fleeing from another bad relationship and a man who is cheating on her. She is done with men and plans on going to Los Angeles to try her luck. But due to car trouble, she strands in Bahia de Sueños, and she decides to stay. And meets this very handsome, but very grief-stricken stranger, who tries to resist Renee. But Renee in turn has her own demons which make her loath to share anything about herself.I'm usually not into romances, but I liked this novel, because it wasn't just about love and living happily ever after. Most of all, it was about trust and the lack of it in yourself and others. At the beginning of their relationship, Meredith doesn't trust Jalal's love for her, because she's so much older than he is. Jalal doesn't believe Renee loves him, because he's a broken man and she's years younger than he is.The characters of Jalal and Renee were well-defined, in my opinion. I had a bit of trouble with Meredith. She came across as one of these women who always take their cue from others, as too much of a people-pleaser. She's more of an observer than someone who immediately interacts with others. Because of this she remained hazy to me.I've read that other people who have read "Brevity" didn't like Renee. Up to a certain point I can understand them. In "Brevity" Renee is pushy and stand-offish at the same time. She pushes Jalal out of his comfort zone and makes him talk about his grief, but refuses to share anything about herself. People like that are extremely frustrating.Sometimes, she comes across as bitchy, a smartass. And people generally don't like women to be smartasses. I guess that's why they didn't care for Renee. But I can understand Renee being a smartass. It's a way of keeping people at a distance, of not letting them get too close to hurt her. Therefore, I did like her.Anyway, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to submerge themselves in a novel and not emerge for some time later. I gave it 4 stars, because it's very well-written and Linda Cassidy-Lewis obviously cared for the (main) characters in her novel.
review 2: This beautifully executed novel reads like no other self-published piece of work I've read. It was crafted to perfection and could rival any NYT bestseller. It's character driven literature that won't bore you like most others.Linda Cassidy Lewis puts you on the beach in California with her perfect settings and clear descriptions. You'll smell the spicy tea and feel the fog as it drifts over your skin.Meredith is a gem and the epitome of a well-educated woman whom still doubts herself. She's true to life and true to character. You can't help but root for her to find love after years of being alone.You'll fall hard for Jalal too, and lose sleep in order to follow him through his journey of love and loss.And just when you think there is no happy ending, Renee will surprise you with the strength and courage of a true survivor. With her help, Jalal will learn to survive as well.You won't be disappointed in this story. I look forward to more stories from this author. less

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