My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I usually really enjoy Nora Roberts’ feel-goods. This one didn’t really pull on my heart strings as much as I’d hoped for. The premise is good. The storyline was interesting enough but once I’d read it, I felt like there was something missing. Maybe it’s because Abra played a huge role as Eli’s “saviour”. It didn’t communicate well with me. I liked Abra, but I also didn’t like her.. If that makes any sense. She seemed too good to be true sometimes and at other times, she didn’t make sense to me because she didn’t really fit a “type” as Nora usually makes her characters. Most of the time, I couldn’t imagine Abra as a real person and I think ultimately, that’s what bothered me most.
Eli was relatable. He’s going through turmoil and mental hardship from being accused of murdering his ex-wife. This makes sense. Eli’s not really hard to figure out. He’s hurting and confused and sexy. At least, in my mind’s he’s sexy. Most of Nora’s male protagonists are sexy. They fit the female ideal in at least one way or another. Abra didn’t fit with Eli to me sometimes and that tipped the book for me from being 3 stars to 2. There’s not enough subtext or communication between Eli and Abra for me to feel their bond was special, or memorable.
At the end of the day, a feel-good usually gives me something to fantasize about (get your head out of the gutter). I mean in the sense that feel-good stories usually have love stories that so moving and hopeful that even though you know it isn’t real, you want it to be ..from the bottom of your soul. You want to believe so bad they have their happy ever after because they’re meant to be together even though they’re not perfect. They’re perfect for each other and that’s what matters.
Whiskey Beach didn’t give me any of those feelings. For me, Abra and Eli were good individual characters, but as a couple – I didn’t believe it. 2/5 stars.
Noodle Kitty says... 