My grandma is trying to hook me up.
To be painfully specific, my seventy-five-year-old grandmother thinks a little hanky-panky would cheer me up. Direct quote. Since I’m currently living with her, I can’t escape the endless line of grandchildren of friends who keep ‘dropping by’ for dinner. Literally, I can’t escape. I can barely manage the trek to the dining room at this point.
While Grandma’s determined to find me a husband, I’m determined to learn how to walk again so I can walk away from her matchmaking skills. Spoiler alert: She has no matchmaking skills.
But then I get a brilliant idea. I can fake date my physical therapist. Only he wants a real date. Gulp. A real date with me? Is he for real? I’m no longer the stylish girl with the glamorous job. Now, I’m a woman with a shattered leg and a scarred face.
If I’m going to learn to live with my new reality and give love a chance, my attitude needs to do an about face. Easier said than done.
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a disabled person myself I applaud any author willing to bring a character with a disability to life as it’s oftentimes difficult to depict them realistically while keeping readers entertained. This series starter introduces readers to Frankie, a woman trying to recover from a life-altering accident that has left her with a mangled leg and a facial scar, as she undergoes both a physical and personal transformation. Her injuries are painful, both inside and out, and it made her a character that sometimes frustrated me while I cheered her on the next in a story that’s ultimately empowering.
Before her accident Frankie was working non-stop, at the top of her game when it came to event planning. There was plenty of time later to have a personal life...at least she thought there was until a serious accident changes her view of the future irrevocably. She’s now unable to work and worries that others will displace her unless she can be like she was. Those fears feed into her already bruised self-esteem and made her a heroine that whined a lot at the start. I also felt she was naive about how the working world views the disabled and I kept hoping she would stick up for herself sooner. It’s clear that at the start she has a lot of growing to do, embrace life more fully instead of living superficially, and it’s that journey that kept me glued to the pages. It was an emotional journey at times as she discovered hard truths about those she once called friends, discovered hidden inner strength that strengthened her self-esteem later on. Along with the rocky spots were moments of humor, many of them surrounding her grandmother’s attempts to find her a date, and it was a nice balance that endeared these characters to me. On a whole I found Frankie a likable heroine, despite my being frustrated with her early on. From the first page to the last I cheered her on in her journey of personal growth, a journey that showed her what really matters in life...the love of a good man, supportive family and friends, and a career that satisfies you.
Aiding Frankie in her journey is an appealing cast of secondary characters that practically jumped off the pages. Brodie, the physical therapist with a strong will and a heart of gold, is just what Frankie needs to truly recover. He pushes her at every turn, pushes her past her limits to get her to truly start living. He’s the complete opposite to the kind of guy she’s normally drawn to but he’s just what she needs. He’s a delicious hero with a swoon-worthy disposition that fueled their fake relationship to being oh so much more. He’s protective of her from the moment they meet and I wish more time had been spent with them early on as they became quite a formidable pair. Shelby, Frankie’s outspoken new friend with a disability of her own, was utterly delightful too and was a good support through Frankie’s journey as she pushed her beyond her usual limits with humor and bravado. I would love to see more of her in the future as she left an indelible mark on me. Frankie’s grandmother also left her mark with her humorous and misguided attempts to find Frankie a man, attempts that brought out numerous losers and criminals. Grandma was brash, loud, but it’s clear that she loves Frankie very much which she comes to rely on as Frankie’s parents were too often absent. For the most part this was an entertaining read with a romance that was a satisfying slow-burn as a fake relationship became all too real. Issues of disability, and self-esteem, were dealt with in a realistic way that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. The heroine is a memorable one too, sometimes frustrating but always trying to do right, in a tale that pulled at my heartstrings while making me laugh. This is my first time reading this author but it won’t be the last and I encourage other readers to give this rom-com a chance too!
Aiding Frankie in her journey is an appealing cast of secondary characters that practically jumped off the pages. Brodie, the physical therapist with a strong will and a heart of gold, is just what Frankie needs to truly recover. He pushes her at every turn, pushes her past her limits to get her to truly start living. He’s the complete opposite to the kind of guy she’s normally drawn to but he’s just what she needs. He’s a delicious hero with a swoon-worthy disposition that fueled their fake relationship to being oh so much more. He’s protective of her from the moment they meet and I wish more time had been spent with them early on as they became quite a formidable pair. Shelby, Frankie’s outspoken new friend with a disability of her own, was utterly delightful too and was a good support through Frankie’s journey as she pushed her beyond her usual limits with humor and bravado. I would love to see more of her in the future as she left an indelible mark on me. Frankie’s grandmother also left her mark with her humorous and misguided attempts to find Frankie a man, attempts that brought out numerous losers and criminals. Grandma was brash, loud, but it’s clear that she loves Frankie very much which she comes to rely on as Frankie’s parents were too often absent. For the most part this was an entertaining read with a romance that was a satisfying slow-burn as a fake relationship became all too real. Issues of disability, and self-esteem, were dealt with in a realistic way that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. The heroine is a memorable one too, sometimes frustrating but always trying to do right, in a tale that pulled at my heartstrings while making me laugh. This is my first time reading this author but it won’t be the last and I encourage other readers to give this rom-com a chance too!
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.
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Thanks for taking the time to read and review About Face. I was worried about writing this character, although I could somewhat relate to Frankie a lot because of my own scarring and walking issues. Shelby's book is next, which will be tougher to write. But it's the tough ones that keep us coming back. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for addressing such compelling topics and for crafting a heroine that I could see bits of myself in. I’m very excited to have Shelby’s story up next as she was a delightful character with entertaining banter and a fun tell-it-like-it-is attitude.
DeleteThe Scarf Princess