G373 Book Review of In the Mirror by Kaira Rouda
Author: Kaira Rouda
ISBN: 978-0-9849151-4-9
Publisher: Real You Publishing Group
Type of book: Cancer, hospice, terminal illness, marriage, high school sweetheart, wealth, drive, ambition, reminiscing, first love, family and friends, facing death
Year it was published: 2014
Summary:
If you knew you may die soon, what choices would you make?
Jennifer Benson has it all: a successful career, a perfect husband, two kids and abundant friendships. The only problem is she may be dying. IN THE MIRROR is the realistic love story about a woman facing a deadly illness, and her loves past and present. It's a story that unfolds with a delightful blend of humor and poignancy, ringing true in the heart of anyone who has ignored a warning of her own
Characters:
There are a lot of characters in the story, and some are pretty memorable as well as distinctive: Jennifer Benson is a young mother who is with terminal cancer shortly after giving birth to her second child. She feels lonely and unappreciated while staying at sort of a hospice? and best way I think of her is kind of selfish and doesn't really appreciate or think of others. There is also Jennifer's sister, I think, who really resembles the mother. Mother always tries to look neat and prim no matter where she is. Jennifer's husband is left to be in the real without Jennifer's guidance and support, trying to do his best, while the high school sweetheart sounds too good to be true, and somehow I didn't really buy the fact he is kind of a bad guy.
Theme:
Get joy from relationships
Plot:
The story is written in first person narrative from Jennifer Benson's point of view. I have to admit that despite the status of it being sort of a chick-lit read, (oh I hate using that word...) it felt very feminine, realistic as well as being able to relate to it. What I think kind of killed it for me is that I didn't really buy or understand why Jennifer did what she had done in the past, and I didn't find her a sympathetic character, or at least I didn't approve of her actions.
(From the Kit)
Kaira Rouda is an award-winning
and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction. Her books include: Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs;
Here, Home, Hope; All the Difference; In the Mirror; and the
short story, A Mother's Day. She lives in Southern
California with her husband and four children and is at work on
her next novel.
Her latest novel is the women’s
fiction, In the Mirror.
For More Information
- Visit Kaira Rouda’s website.
- Connect with Kaira on Facebook and
Twitter.
- Follow her on Pinterest and connect on Goodreads.
- Visit Kaira’s blog.
- More books by Kaira Rouda.
- Contact Kaira.
For More Information
- In the Mirror is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble or Kobo.
- Download your copy at iTunes.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club
at Goodreads.
- Read chapter one here.
- Watch the trailer here.
I did want to like this book as well as the character, but for some odd reason, for me anyways, they weren't very likable. I don't have a problem with the subject matter, and I actually find that the problems is handled realistically and tactfully, at least the character feels very real instead of fake. Its really hard for me to pinpoint what I didn't really like about her. I think first of all is a minor complaint that the character in the book is blond instead of a brunette, and second of all is that I had a difficult time buying that Jenifer's high school sweet heart turned out to be a jerk. I also felt that the story dragged in several chapters.
Book Trailer:
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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