G58 Book Review of Truths and Roses by Inglath Cooper
Author: Inglath Cooper
ISBN: 9780615701585
Publisher: Fence Free Entertainment, LLC
Type of book: Romance, clean, 2000s, Virginia, football, history, secrets, violation, trouble reading, books, library, high school romance
Year it was published: 1994 (updated for 2012)
Summary:
When Will Kincaid’s professional football career comes to an abrupt end in a single night, he’s left to figure out what he’s going to do with the rest of his life. He heads home to the small Virginia town where he grew up and crosses paths with Hannah Jacobs, the only girl in high school who had ever rejected him. It’s Hannah who once made him question the choices he had made, and it’s Hannah who’s making him question them all over again. But with the weight of a secret he’s managed to hide from the world his entire adult life hanging over him, he can’t afford to question his choices. Hannah Jacobs had once made the choice to deny her feelings for Will Kincaid, at the time finding it the only possible option for a young girl intent on burying a nightmare she only wanted to forget. The life she’s made for herself as a librarian in Lake Perdue is a quiet one, and she’s hardly prepared for the day when Will rams his fancy Ferrari into her dependable old clunker. But for Hannah, Will Kincaid can only stir up memories she had long ago put away forever. And there’s nothing at all good that can come from bringing them back to life again.
Characters:
The characters are changeable throughout the novel, often surprising the audience with their actions and plans: Hannah is closeted away from life, only working and visiting an aunt. She doesn't have a life and doesn't even want one. In high school she had exciting plans but she has gave up on them and doesn't seem to regret it. Will, on the other hand, is a football player who doesn't seem to know what to do with his life now that his football career is over. He is also obedient to his father and does his best to impress him. When the two meet, Hannah changes herself, facing her past and doing her best to not be afraid, and Will also finds an unexpected path and even faces up to his father over a secret.
Theme:
Take risks to find love
Plot:
The story is in third person narrative from Hannah's and Will's points of views. Some of the plot lines weren't explained clearly and somehow sprang out of the dark. The author does attempt to add closure to certain things, but I feel she doesn't succeed as I hoped she would. I'm sorry, but I just wasn't excited about the book as I hoped I would be.
Author Information:
(from goodreads.com)
url https://www.goodreads.com/InglathCooper
born in The United States
gender female
website http://www.inglathcooper.com
twitter username inglathcooper
genre Romance, Literature & Fiction
influences LaVyrle Spencer, Kristin Hannah, Anita Shreve, Luanne Rice, Jodi Picou...more
member since April 2011
Virginia author Inglath Cooper fell in love with reading as a little girl, devouring most of the books in her elementary school library. At some point, she decided she wanted to pursue a writing career, creating romance fiction that did for others what her favorite books have done for her. “I love character-driven books that leave me feeling as if I’ve really known these people and make me wish I didn’t have to turn the last page.”
“Romance fiction has always appealed to me because it deals with so many of the relationships in a woman’s life. Not only the love of her life, but often her relationship with her mother, sister or best friend. Romance authors have so much room to explore many of the meaningful moments and transitions in women’s lives. And who doesn’t love a good love story?”
Inglath most often writes stories about love and life that are set in small Virginia towns like the one where she grew up. “I like to think the flavor of my hometown shows up in my books both in their setting and through the characters who people it.”
When aspiring writers ask her how to be an author, she says, “Everything I know about writing books I learned from reading books.”
Inglath has been chosen as a RITA® Award winner for best long contemporary romance novel given out each year by Romance Writers of America. Her books are available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, itunes.com, and Kobobooks.com.
Outside of writing, Inglath is actively involved in dog rescue, working with The Franklin County Humane Society to place dogs and cats in need of rehoming. She volunteers her time in every capacity possible: serving on the Board of Directors, fundraising, photographing dogs and cats available for adoption and serving as a foster home. “Helping an abused or neglected dog go on to have a wonderful life with a family who loves them is more rewarding than I can possibly say.”
Opinion:
From the series titled Single Fathers, I seriously thought Will Kincaid would be a single father. (Didn't happen...) I think when I read this book, I was perhaps in the wrong mood to read it. Its a sweet and touching story of a football hero who has a crush on an intelligent woman (yay!) but I think at the moment I was and kind of am going through some frustrations in my life. I guess I'm going through some cynicism in my life. What I have liked in the book is that it lacks sexual scenes which means you are welcome to share it with a family member, and its not religious, and also a jock man and a nerdy girl fall in love which makes it an unusual pairing when comparing it to a popular girl and a nerdy boy. The relationships between the townspeople and Will and Hannah are sweet. What I didn't like about the book, however, is that the characters didn't seem memorable, and the story seemed to be predictable, at least for me. I also was disappointed that Will wasn't a single father as I hoped he would be.
Quick notes: I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.
3 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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