[stylist] Review of The Problem With Giving

[LoriStay at aol.com]

 I thought I would share this review with you.   It was written by Christine 
Grassman, who is also a published author.   The book is available from 
www.alongstoryshort.net for $5.99
Lori 

> 
>  
>  Book Review: “The Problem With Giving” by Loraine Stayer E-Book, 110 
> pages.
>   
>                  Michael Dunn (Mike) is a 32-year-old divorced psychologist 
> whose father and brothers, Jamie and Jeff, work in the family’s clothing 
> design business. Mike is a talented designer himself, but has strayed from the 
> idea of design largely due to his ex-wife, Thea. His practice is successful, 
> and he insists that he does not want to design, yet he has a closetful of 
> beautiful dresses and coats  which clearly indicate his love of, and talent for, 
> clothing design.
>   
>                  On a quiet, cold December night close to Christmastime, 
> Mike notices a neighbor, Sydney, whom he takes to be a young, impoverished man 
> in a denim jacket thoroughly inadequate for the weather. They begin a 
> conversation, and wind up at Mike’s home, where Mike offers his guest a Navy coat he 
> has outgrown. Sydney accepts the coat, but mentions that it will likely be 
> commandeered by Adam, a twin who is one of nine brothers.
>  One of Mike’s brothers, Jeff, drops in on them, and also mistakenly takes 
> Sydney for a man.
>   
>                  It is not long before the reader learns that Sydney is a 
> young woman with a close relationship to her twin. They are the oldest of the 
> Fisher brood, their father is dead, and their mother, Serena, is 41, very 
> attractive, and somewhat irresponsible, frequently off on dates  without any 
> regard for the empty refrigerator and pantry in her crowded, messy, run-down 
> home.
>   
>                  A complicated and ongoing stream of banter and intrigue 
> evolve, resulting in Syd’s spending time with Mike and both of his brothers, 
> particularly Jeff. Syd almost immediately finds herself in love with Mike, and 
> frustrated and hurt by his apparent “celibacy” and viewing of her as nothing 
> more than a wayward charity case.
>   
>                  Loraine Stayer’s characters are all superbly individual, 
> right down to little Leon Fisher, a constantly famished boy who is fiercely 
> protective of his big sister. They are all interesting and rendered so that the 
> reader feels that she can picture them and hear them.
>                  There are times when the conversation between and/or among 
> total strangers seems out of place and unlikely for the given situation, but 
> this is relegated to the realm of insignificance by the content of the 
> conversation and the intricate web of multi-faceted, multi-dimensional layers the 
> dialogue contains.
>                  There is a delightful and refreshing sexual tension woven 
> throughout the text – refreshing in the sense that it is something one does 
> not often find in contemporary literature. It is nice to have something left to 
> the imagination. This is the type of psychological drama one could easily 
> imagine being given embodiment on television on a network such as Lifetime – in 
> fact, I found myself creating it in my head as I read.
>  There were a number of minor typos sprinkled throughout the e-book, and I 
> must admit that I was taken by surprise at the abruptness with which the story 
> ended. I felt rather cheated of something, though I cannot figure out what 
> that might be. Upon reflection, it is fitting that Stayer decided to end the 
> story where she did, leaving yet more to the imagination.
>  This is a story which lends itself to a relaxing afternoon or evening by 
> the fire, sitting on a beach, or enjoying one’s yard or front porch, surrounded 
> by a mild, springy day. It is a quick read, and I highly recommend it for 
> the average young or middle-aged woman who likes romances, but prefers those 
> which stray from the formulaic variety that permeate so-called “women’s 
> literature”.
> 
> 




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