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Where Did We Go Wrong? (2011)

by Monica Mathis-Stowe(Favorite Author)

4.17 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0985220902 (ISBN13: 9780985220907)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

The Literary Publishing Group

review 1: Where Did We Go Wrong? by Monica Mathis-Stowe was the 2013 June BOTM Selection for the KC Girlfriends Book Club.One of the things that we did like about Ms. Mathis-Stowe's book was the storyline between Joy and Allen. It was a fairly solid storyline for the most part between the two and we really did root for the couple. We felt that although they had their faults, they were really meant for one another. The book probably would have been better served had it been based on Joy and Allen's relationship (because of the solid storyline) instead of Joy, Gabby and Maxine's friendship. There were only two things that perplexed us about them - Why was it necessary for Allen to have a roommate? He had a stable job. The roommate really didn't have a significant role in the book so i... moret didn't quite make sense. Also, we felt that the fact that the couple kept their relationship a secret from Joy's mom for 10 YEARS was unrealistic, especially since the couple were childhood friends and Joy's mom was actually still great friends with Allen's sister. Maybe 10 months but not 10 years. That just didn't seem plausible to us.The biggest issue that we had with Where Did We Go Wrong? is that we couldn't fully discuss the book. The reason why we weren't able to discuss the book is because we weren't aware that the book required you to read both parts in order to get the full story. All of our members were annoyed with how the book ended. It wasn't a cliffhanger at all. The book literally stopped in the middle of an intense scene. So it felt like the book was torn in half. We could not effectively discuss the book because there was no conclusion. Regardless if an author decides to create a sequel, each installment within that sequel should provide a full story - a beginning, middle and ending. The sequel shouldn't be the continuation of the SAME exact storyline! The reader should never get to the end of the book...in the middle of a very intense scene mind you, to be told - "To be continued in...Where Did We Go Wrong Again?" Only one member purchased the sequel because she was nosy enough to want to figure out what happened. The remainder members felt that they did not want to invest in the sequel because we didn't want to get more annoyed by the ending of the second book. The bottom line is that this book did not require a sequel at all. It could have been told in one book if there was a complete story. One member was required to purchase the paperback due to the book not being available on Nook. So she paid much more than other members. She was very annoyed, not because she had to purchase the paperback, (We will happily purchase books in paperback...we do it all the time) but to not receive a full story AND have to pay full price for a book is just not right.There were some serious character development issues with the other male characters outside of Allen. With Rashawn, William and Dean we really didn't see the progression of their mental state, erratic behavior and instability as they began to act out in the story through their actions. We were basically told by the author but we really didn't see their demise develop over time in the book. So you had to rely on the author telling you about these important factors through her narratives. Also, it wasn't realistic to think that RaShawn and Dean were co-workers (lawyers in the same law firm) and both of them end up being crazy and criminals by the end of the book?! There were also some issues with Maxine and Rashawn's relationship that didn't make sense but I don't want to give the entire storyline away.Although Gabby was the antagonist in the book, there should have been some redeeming qualities in her to make us feel slight empathy towards her. We got that she was manipulative, self centered and just evil but it was hard to connect with her to even love to hate her because we really didn't understand the root of her evilness.Maxine was a good character but because of some of the time lapses and the author's decision to provide narratives instead of allowing us to see the situation between her and Rashawn get progressively worse it was hard to connect with her at times, although we really wanted to be able to relate to her.The last thing that was a serious issue for us was the cover. I personally felt that the cover did not match the content of the book. Joy and Maxine really just didn't fit the description of any of these women, especially style-wise. Gabby, absolutely. None of these ladies on the cover looked like a housewife or a professional. A gold digger...yes! There were no character descriptions in the book that could substantiates the book cover. This is clearly not an urban book per the content but if you look at the cover that's what you think you're getting. WDWGW? is really a contemporary fiction or at best a chick lit book.Overall, we were disappointed with the fact that we weren't able to fully discuss Where Did We Go Wrong? during our book club meeting. I personally would give the author another try depending on what she writes outside of this series because I think she will learn from her experience. I also think that she had a good concept for this book but it just wasn't executed very well. However, we cannot recommend this book for others to read.(I did personally reach out to Ms. Mathis-Stowe and give more in depth feedback regarding her book. Ms. Mathis-Stowe was very courteous, professional, and took our critiques well.)This review is based on the KC Girlfriends Book Club Book Review Standards. Books are rated on book presentation, price point (paper/hardback books only), character development, storyline, and editing.2 starsReviewed by TaNisha
review 2: “Where Did We Go Wrong” by Monica Mathis- Stowe was a hell of a ride from beginning to end! It is the story of three friends Gabby, Joy and Maxine. Gabby is the epitome of a gold digger. Deciding to have her cake and eat it too, she soon gets caught up in her own lies. Joy is in love with the man of her dreams but after keeping him a secret for so many years, she’s forced to make the ultimate decision. Maxine seems to have it altogether but behind closed doors her life, and marriage, is in shambles. Through friendship, these ladies uplift each other and try to find out exactly where it was that they went wrong.“Where Did We Go Wrong” held my attention from page one. It deals with love, domestic abuse, and so many more issues. I could easily identify with each of the characters inside of this book. The story line was fast paced and enjoyable. I loved the twists; there was nothing predictable about this book! I look forward to reading the sequel “Where Did We Go Wrong Again”. 5 stars!!!~New Beginnings Book Club~ less

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