Elisa Lodato

I liked Elisa Lodato's first novel better than this one. They are both very similar in terms of plot structure, and in my opinion they both suffer from the same fault. That is, they end by solving a mystery and wrapping everything up neatly with a romance-style 'happy' ending. This doesn't have the classic romance finish, but to me it was just as unsatisfying. I do like the way for most of the book Lodato gives us realistic characters in complex relationships, but I find less interest in the crime & mystery element of her stories. I think Lodato has some interesting things to say about relationships, especially those within families, and that's what captures most of my attention. I'm not adding her to my favourite authors list, but if she produces a 3rd novel I'd probably borrow it from the library.… (plus d'informations)

I loved this book, although it's a little bit difficult to understand why. None of the characters is like me, in fact all the main players are female and much younger than me. I did feel that all the characters were highly believable, and I very much liked Laura. I suppose she's the sort of person I could imagine myself being if I hadn't been born male. Parent-child relationships are always high up in my topics of interest and the mother-daughter relationship in this book is really the central element. My own mother just recently died (as did Laura's mother) so there's another connection which resonated with me. Laura's relationships also drew me into this story and the men, although not presented in much depth, were flawed in a very realistic way. Every single person and situation rang true, suggesting that Elisa Lodato is an astute observer of the world. I have unhesitatingly added her second novel to my wishlist - and I am pleased to see that my local library has a copy!… (plus d'informations)