Chat Love - Justine Faeth

Date of Reading: 08/07/2013

Author: Justine Faeth

Publisher: The Small Press

Place: Texas

Year: 2012

From: The author in return of an honest review

      

           A 'Beauty and the Beast' fairy tale or in modern terms a Rhett Butler - Scarlett story is, what can I say, always enchanting. And so does Faeth's 'Chat Love'. From beginning to end we are glued to the pages (or to the laptop screen, as in my case), and the figure of Lucia gets entangled with our own lives. One that is always seen but never much noticed.

The intimate narrative style of Faeth often reminds me of Kinsella, but she lacks in the act of perfect plot making. Searching for the Mr. Right everywhere and at last finding him in the Byronic colleague, is a common but fascinating theme. The tiny glitch was that from the moment Jackson is introduced, we get the flow of the story and there is no surprise. Even the episode of Jack in the chat love website is too easy to guess and there is nothing original. Whether the title is suitable for the novel is debatable, but most of the chat love dates felt like a digression from the main plot (without contributing anything) rather than an entertainment.
           Even within these limitations, Faeth has produced an outstanding work of chick lit. I did have a good time with the kindle edition.
          Lucia Fabbo is a 28 year old Italian beauty who hasn't found her Mr. Right yet. Her dates are collapsing one after the other while her friends walk towards the altar or enjoy seducing the opposite sex. Her younger sister is pregnant and the pressure is mounting up.
         As the last attempt she turns to chat love, a site where people who look for serious relationships talk and arrange dates. She had a crush towards her British colleague Jackson, but as he is not a faithful husband material the case cannot be prolonged. That won't retract Jackson though. Gradually they come to know of each others stories, but a relationship is still at bay.
          Lucia continues with the chat love dating and the novel continues with the humorous situations she encounters. She gets a friend to share her thoughts too -- a mystery man named Jack. They get fond of each other and he is turned out to be none other than Jackson who is also surprised by these turn of events. 

Justin Faeth

           But Lucia is afraid of another heartbreak (which happened with her former relationships) and it takes her sometime to realise the love towards another who too had suffered like her once. The lovers are united and the story ends with the amazing proposal of Jackson.    

Perverse - Larry Rodness

Date of Reading: 22/06/2013

Author: Larry Rodness

Publisher: Ithoh Press

Place: USA

Year: 2012

From: the author in exchange of an honest review

My Rating: 3.5/5

            Hmph! . . . I am not exactly a fan of vampire stuff (well, except for 'Twilight Saga'), and this cover page almost scared me off. But tempting is the offer of a free book and so here I am. Larry is indeed blessed with an enchanting language, the narrative is so gripping that it is impossible to put it down without finishing.

          Some of the plot can be predicted, but not the climax. And isn't their some truth in Laszlo's question? If there is a devil that sucks your blood out and turn you into a blood longing vampire, shouldn't there be a God to cure the virtuous? Too bad this book too follows the age old dictum; once a vampire, always a vampire.

            The total atmosphere is eerie, which suits to the theme. But I would have preferred some comic relief in between. There is the absence of a parallel plot which is often felt as the story goes on in the same place circling around a few characters. On the whole a good book for one time reading and much better if you are travelling.

            Emylene Stipe is a rare second generation Goth and as she finds that her parents have already revolted against the existing social system, she revolts against the parents. With her friend Nancy she does some perverse attempts to experience the stage between life and death which when found  by adults results in the separation of two.

           As a teenager she moves out of her home and starts working in a textile shop. She comes into the friendship of a man called Stelio who is twice her age, but the absence of a romantic interest from his part frustrates Emylene further. Once when he shows interest on an anique picture, she wins that from the reluctant shopkeeper.

         

She hangs the picture on the room and a girl appears who seems to be pursued by the men inside. Emylene helps her come out and names her Poinsettia, but things begin to change on her arrival. Stelio dies suddenly and her store and apartment is burned in fire. Poinsettia persuades her to take her place in the picture as she nothing is left for her in this world. Emylene goes in, too late in understanding the true nature of her friend; people believe her to be dead and the place comes under the influence of her vampire friend.
           After two years she is saved by the shop owner Laszlo Birij who gives the real story of Poinsettia. Her real name is Mira and she was his wife. After the attack of a vampire during her honeymoon, she too is turned and is put into the picture until a cure can be found.

         Now the city has become a ghost town, but Emylene succeeds in finding her mother alive. Father is still under the clutches of Mira and so they set out for a final battle together with Laszlo. The surprise comes in the form of Stelio who turns out to be the master vampire. With the help of her parents Emylene destroys him and Laszlo stabs Mira. When they burn the whole town to demolish other vampires, Laszlo gets trapped. At the end of the novel he is seen to be feeding Mira in their secret place.