Review by Alecza_ -- Honesty is Key by Tayma Tameem

[Alecza_]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Honesty is Key" by Tayma Tameem.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Honesty is Key: The Magic Ingredient is the first book from the Honesty is Key Series. Atlas Franklin, a movie actor in the depths of his career, is hired by female producer Selina Matheson to host a cooking show. As it turns out, Atlas barely knows how to cook and entertains his audience mainly through his comedic incompetence. His fickle moods and ego get the best of him ever so often, but he comes out of it with another lesson learned.

I enjoyed being able to read Atlas’s character development throughout the story. Even I thought that he was an incompetent airhead at first, which eventually changed when I realized how sincere he was. Also, when his mind was venturing through negative aspects, the author did an amazing job of walking us through his train of thoughts.

Selina is one of those characters that make for a good role model: A hard-working independent woman who grew up in the ghetto, pursued her passion, and is making a name for herself by doing the thing she loves. Of course, her hardships have left an impact on her, prioritizing business over pleasure and unwilling to jeopardize her career for a chance at love. Ultimately though, her good qualities triumphs over her setbacks.

Thanks to the cooking show, we were able to see the author’s creativity in making up several different characters -which honestly made the book more realistic. Not all side characters are nice, and not all those who are hateful towards the main character/s should automatically be considered the enemy.

Though Atlas is known for his hilarious character, I wouldn’t call this book light-hearted -we have his mood swings, angst, and Selina’s subtle but relentless refusal to date him to thank for that. The witty dialogues and interaction with the other characters helped balance the overall mood.

This book emphasized that first impressions can very well be wrong and that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, as cliché as that is. It was shown through multiple characters: Atlas, Selina, and his guests in the show. Tayma Tameem did a great job and for that, I rate this 3 out of 4 stars.

I noticed a few errors in the book, but none too remarkable which points to the fact that it has been professionally edited. Profanities were kept at minimal and some were purposely used for humor. The romance and chemistry between the protagonists were kept professional. Honesty is Key is a good book for both younger and older audiences to read.

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Honesty is Key
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