4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Disastrously Fabulous by D.A. Prince is a fast-paced novel that makes for a quick and entertaining read. Although it’s classified as a romance, it is full of much more than just love and intimacy like we typically see in standard romance novels. While you might find an African prince and some expensive champagne being used to sweep a lady off her feet, heart-break and betrayal seem to be the more common themes. Other relationship-centered themes come into play as well, such as trust (or the lack thereof), money, spontaneity, and security.
Crystal is living a more-than-comfortable life in New York with her financially and socially successful husband. She’s come a long way since the days when she lived in a small house with her parents and nine siblings after immigrating from Jamaica. But when Crystal discovers inappropriate photos on her husband’s phone, there is no doubt in her mind that he has been unfaithful, and she knows that her life will soon be uprooted – again. She’s no stranger to broken hearts and destroyed relationships. Reflecting on her past relationships and the five men that she has been in love with during her life, Crystal refers to these memories as her “five lessons of love.” Though her past has often revolved around the men in her life that she has so wholeheartedly devoted herself to, she knows that all of these mistakes have led her to this moment. She’s learned a lot about the men she has associated with, but maybe the time has come for her to start learning more about herself.
The narrator of this story, Crystal, has a very casual and natural tone, and reading this book is like sitting down with her over a cup of coffee as she shares the tales of her rocky romantic history. The straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense delivery paints a perfect picture of Crystal’s personality but also gives the story a sincere, memoir-like vibe to it. She has her flaws as well, and she doesn’t hide from them or make excuses for herself. Though she is nothing like me in real life, I found it easy to relate to Crystal just because she seems so realistic.
Some readers might think that the story was too fast-paced or that it too quickly jumped from one relationship to another as Crystal told about these five men she had been with. Certainly, five whole books – one devoted to each relationship – would have given a much more intimate look into the lives of each of the characters, but I personally don’t think that such a change would have benefited this story. While much of the plot focused on the men of Crystal’s past, the present moment and the future were more important to this tale.
Though the book is short in length and not overly detailed, every character still managed to come to life on the pages. They seem like real people to me, and I love that the story was not dragged down by too many details. Every word in the book was important for bringing these characters to life, and nothing else was needed to fluff up the story. I personally think it takes a pretty strong story-telling ability to be able to pull off a feat like this in such a story, but Prince does it with ease and finesse.
I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. If you’re looking for touchy-feely, kissy-kissy, mushy romances or anything erotic, you won’t find it in this book. However, what you will find is a wonderfully told story about a woman discovering herself in the midst of one romantic disaster after another. Some of us can definitely relate to that.
******
Disastrously Fabulous
View: on Bookshelves
Like ALynnPowers's review? Post a comment saying so!
Thankyou for sharing 
