Shelly HickmanCritiques

I have not read the first book in the series, however as I found out, it can be read as a standalone.
Anna and Kiran are in their late forties, they knew each other in high school but went their separate ways, but meet up again in Vegas many years later and are about to get married and the ups and downs of their lives while getting to that point and boy don’t they seem to have everything thrown towards them at the same time. Insecurities, ill health and menopause all while arranging a wedding.
I felt that I could relate to Anna a lot being in my forties myself, although not having gone through menopause quite yet. I get the insecurities that she was facing. Once things start heading south and wrinkles start setting in, it’s an uphill battle.

I think this is very real to life of some people in their forties and fifties even and although I felt the struggles they were both facing, I did laugh a lot while listening to the book too.
The narrator Jazmine Ramay performed this brilliantly, it is like she was Anna and she was faultless.
I may grab the first book in the series so I can get to know more about Anna and Kiran and I will definitely be looking out for the third in the series!

I suppose the alternative title could be called 'Shades of Grey'. No, there's nothing of an explicit nature here. Instead it is the story of a young woman who only judges things in absolutes, as polar opposites, with no concession as to what might fall between the spectrum -- and all by the yardstick of her own morals and scruples. She meets a fella who is completely opposite, and yet complements her. He sees (or tries to) the heart of things, and understands and accepts their varied kaleidoscopic outcomes. A light and fun read.

In Menopause to Matrimony, author Shelly Hickman brings the reader up-to-date on the lives of Anna and Kiran, whose story began in Vegas To Varanasi. This is a wonderful continuation that takes a realistic look into the changing dynamics of a late-forties couple's marriage, and the trials and tribulations that come with it when they enter the midlife phase of their lives. With the complexities and changes in their life experiences, Anna and Kiran face mid-life crises, menopause, and health scares, as they continue to travel down life's path.

This is so much more than the usual romantic comedy, the reader is easily drawn into Anna and Kiran's lives and the complexities of their marriage. It is a captivating and realistic tale that has a great mixture of emotions, humor and romance. Anna and Kiran takes the reader along on their life's journey as they experience the ups and downs, joys and struggles, insecurities and passion, and unexpected changes that comes along with life, marriage, and family. As a woman who just turned fifty, I could so relate to Anna as she experienced the ups and downs of the changes that come with accepting the midlife phase of her life. Author Shelly Hickman weaves an entertaining tale with a wonderful sense of humor that is infectious, you can't help but get a case of the giggles. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I really enjoyed reading a story about a late-forties couple, it is a refreshing and realistic account of the trials and tribulations that comes with entering the midlife phase of life.

With an engaging cast of characters who are realistic and have flaws; richly detailed descriptions of the setting; and a storyline that depicts the reality of life and the complexities of relationships; Menopause to Matrimony is a delightful story about the intricacies of the evolving, changing, and acceptance of life experiences. It is an enjoyable story full of depth, humor, and emotion that will leave a smile on your face.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/11/menopause-to-matrimony-by-shel...

Vegas To Varanasi is a wonderful romance story that takes a realistic look into the dynamics of relationships and the trials and tribulations that come with life experiences and change. Author Shelly Hickman weaves a deeply moving tale told in the first person narrative that follows the journey of Anna, a Las Vegas physical therapist, as she ventures down the path of romance, and how she handles the complexities and changes that come with them.

This is so much more than the usual romance story, the reader is easily drawn into Anna's life and the complexities of her relationships, it is a captivating and realistic tale that has a great mixture of emotions, humor and romance. Anna takes the reader along on her life's journey as she experiences the ups and downs, joys and struggles, insecurities and passion that comes along with romance and family. From her insecurities and vulnerability; to the heartbreak and acceptance of her marriage/divorce to a gay man and the remolding of their family; to the struggles of loving and living with a man with an alcohol addiction; to the refreshing discovery of a new love and culture, Anna's journey easily captivates the reader's attention and has them cheering Anna on as she ventures down the path to love and happiness.

With an engaging cast of characters who are realistic and have flaws; richly detailed descriptions of Las Vegas and Varanasi and the Indian culture; and a storyline that depicts the reality of life and the complexities of relationships; Vegas To Varanasi is a delightful story about the intricacies of life experiences, it is a story full of depth and emotion that will leave a smile on your face.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2014/01/vegas-to-varanasi-by-shelly-hi...

I read this book, in exchange for honest review from Reading Addiction Blog Tours. I received a free Kindle copy. This weekend was the worse time to read kindle books. Kindle for pc kept freezing up and my kindle also had a few issues. I received the book Saturday Night and finally got the book to open Sunday Afternoon.

On to the review:

Sophie worked as a middle school teacher and her sister, Evelyn had lupus. Evelyn's husband still expected her to take care of him. Reminded me somewhat of my ex-husband when I had surgery in 2005. The opening pages was very good and well-written. The book got better as I went along. I liked seeing the dynamics between Evelyn and Sophie, in addition to the dynamics between the sisters and Evelyn's husband. It was a great read.

Somewhere Between Black and White is an enjoyable story that delves into the dynamics of family, romantic relationships and life in general. Written in the third person narrative and set in Las Vegas, author Shelly Hickman weaves a fun tale that follows computer teacher Sophie Cook as she learns that life isn't always black and white, that it also has a softer shade of gray.

Sophie is very opinionated and quick to judge people and situations, she views life as either black or white. At first glance she comes off very strong, abrupt and abrasive when dealing with her older sister Evelyn and brother-in-law Christian. Evelyn has lupus, and Sophie is very concerned for her sister because Christian has a mood disorder that makes him disconnected from everyone and everything in life, rendering him unable to help take care of Evelyn, which makes Sophie totally nuts. But Sophie's in for a lesson in life when she meets fellow teacher Sam Collins. As Sophie and Sam's romantic relationship develops, this strong and steady man teaches Sophie that life isn't always black and white, that sometimes life and its situations fall within a gray area.

I really enjoyed reading this story, it provides a healthy dose of reality when the story delves into matters involving the dynamics of family and romantic relationships and life situations, but it also has a humorous side like when Sophie is dealing with her troublesome students in the classroom, and it also has a sweet romantic love story between Sophie and Sam.

I have to admit that at first I was not a fan of Sophie. I didn't like her strong and overbearing personality, especially in her dealings with Evelyn and Christian. But when Sophie meets Sam and their relationship develops, I like the change in Sophie, she becomes a more softer and accepting person. I love Sam, he's a gentle, kind and accepting man that simply melted my heart. I also admired Evelyn and Christian's marriage, they both have their struggles in life, but the love and dedication that they have for each other keeps them strong and holding on. The only thing that I did not enjoy was the flashbacks that was interwoven throughout the story, they just didn't make sense and were an unnecessary distraction. But overall, if you are looking for a heartwarming and entertaining story that has a sweet romance and thoughtful life message included, then Somewhere Between Black and White would be a perfect light summer beach read.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/07/somewhere-between-black-and-wh...

Every now and then an author will contact me and ask me to review his or her book. I’m always a little reluctant to do so because that personal interaction makes it…well, personal! It’s harder to be objective when you’ve spoken with someone behind the book before reviewing it and it’s much harder to say what you really think because you know that the author is looking forward to hearing what you have to say and that they chose you to do this. I’m going to be as honest as possible in this review, knowing that I have some good things and some bad things to say about this book and hopefully they will help you, the reader, decide whether or not this is a book for you. That’s always the goal of my book reviews, but it’s important to me that my readers know that I got a free book from the author (I always disclose freebies) but when the author asks a blogger personally, sometimes it can make it harder to say things, both good and bad because you are inclined to exaggerate the good and be quiet on the bad. I’m doing neither here.

Believe by Shelly Hickman is a book about grief and loss and the ability to forgive others for the wrongs they’ve done and the ability to forgive yourself for the mistakes you’ve made. Rachel was a single mother who lost her daughter Sarah to cancer. When Cooper, a former flame, suddenly comes back into her life she is stunned to discover that his son has cancer and that feelings she thought were long gone about Cooper have resurfaced. Rachel begins to experience events that can only be described as supernatural and she begins to wonder if Sarah is still with her. As Rachel explores her feelings about her loss and struggles with remaining aloof with Cooper, events begin to fall together as the story of Rachel and Cooper and, ultimately, Sarah make both Rachel and Cooper look at the people they were and who they have become.

While reading this book, the first thing I realized was that the writing was stilted, but detailed. It was Hemingway-esque (an author I’ve never enjoyed) in that it focused on small details that made up surroundings such as what song was playing on the radio. I’ve always preferred more polished writing, but this is a more creative form of writing and it reminded me of some of the work that we wrote in my undergraduate creative writing class. This is not to say Hickman’s writing isn’t good. What it says is that the writing style is not my preferred style. I do not need the entire picture drawn for me, which is why I hate Hemingway. I dislike being endlessly deluged by the small details of what a knob of a door looks like or what the fuzz on a sweater looks like. However, there are plenty of readers that flock to this kind of writing. Just not me. And that’s ok. The book is dialogue heavy and I felt like it was written more for a play than for a book. It was very statement/fact oriented and I felt like the characters spent the novel proclaiming things rather than having any sense of self-awareness or dynamic changing. Overall, I would have liked to have seen a more impactful use of dialogue and a better use of the supporting work to help the dialogue form the story.

However, the book excels in a lot of ways. This book isn’t for me because I’m not someone who is in the midst of losing someone or who has recently lost someone. This book is catered for that person. The raw dialogue and the realistic and verbose use of terms to describe the cancer-related medical supplies and course of treatment would likely make someone who had recently lost someone to a disease, especially cancer, feel supported and understood. For the rest of us, there just isn’t enough insight to help us get to the point of understanding or caring about these characters beyond a stranger empathy we would experience when reading the story in a newspaper.

In many ways, I noticed that this book seems like a walk-through of the different stages of cancer for someone whose child is going through it as well as a noticeable journey into the lapse of faith a Christian parent might have when facing a child who has a terminal illness. The realistic thoughts and comments of Rachel are appealing in this way. One thing I like about creative writing was the ability to open people up to new things. For all the ways that someone has just hit the end of their rope terminal illness, trips to the hospital, pain and hurt and needs someone to speak for them, Rachel may just be that person.

In other words, the book may be a balm for people who are struggling through dealing with a loved one with cancer or have lost a loved one to cancer. The rest of us might just not get it and wonder why things are the way they are. This book is for the former.

The book loses chances to explain things more to readers as well as to offer Rachel and Cooper a chance to give us more insight into them at the end of the novel. Things seem very cut and dry in a very complicated situation and it may be the only part of the book that felt unrealistic to me. Overall, not a bad book, but not one for someone who is looking for a light read or who has never been through this kind of struggle.