Review by JanetteD13 -- Yesterday by Samyann
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JanetteD13
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- Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann
Review by JanetteD13 -- Yesterday by Samyann
[Following is a volunteer review of "Yesterday" by Samyann.]
2 out of 4 stars
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The novel Yesterday by Samyann weaves historical fiction and romance through the exploration of reincarnation and discovering our past lives with regression therapy. While the writing and action descriptions of the book are superb, I was unable to connect to either main character and found myself struggling to get through the present day romance to get to the more intriguing historical sections of the book.
Amanda Parker is our main girl, a woman marked by the tragedies that seem to surround her life. When she saves policeman Mark from a collapsing train in Chicago the two feel an instant connection to each other, a connection so strong that they wonder if they know each other somehow. Through the help of Amanda’s psychotherapist godmother and neighbor, they delve into their past lives and discover the truth of their undeniable connection.
The story takes us back to the 19th century Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War up until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. These sections of the book are when the story really shines and the descriptive language of Samyann truly comes to life. The impeccable research of the time is clear and it it is easy to get lost in the world of young Bonny as she travels from her home in the south to find a more hopeful life in Chicago. I found myself craving to go back to this time frame and learn even more about this world rather than staying in the present.
I was initially drawn to this book because it was tagged under historical fiction, my favorite genre, and was disappointed upon reading that the main focus of the book was the developing romance between Mark and Amanda. I found it very difficult to relate or root for either character. Mark infantilizes Amanda consistently through the book and her inability to stand up for herself turned me off from enjoying their relationship. Both Amanda and Mark have moments where they are unnecessarily rude to random background characters; Amanda is pretty harsh to a reporter and Mark the same to a nurse. Mark’s extremely aggressive tactics to get Amanda to accept him into her life did not come across as sexy but annoying and troublesome.
Once the story gets fully into the regression therapy, the moments in the present are repetitive and a chore to get through. I also had a hard time pinpointing where exactly in the present this story exists as the references to Robert Redford and Amanda’s CD collection are pretty dated and made me think it might take place in the ‘90s or early 2000s but the book was published in 2013.
Those who love the blend of romance and history will definitely be taken by this book and the way Samyann is able to pull you into a journey into the past. I had no problem with themes of reincarnation and found that to be the most compelling part of the whole book. I do wish that the characters had been developed individually before they met so I had a good idea of who they each were before they start their whirlwind romance.
Overall, I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. While I appreciate the dedicated research and the descriptive language that Samyann used to transport readers to the past, that is only about 20% of the book while the rest is trying to relate to these unresolved characters who are hard to care about.
******
Yesterday
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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2 out of 4 stars
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The novel Yesterday by Samyann weaves historical fiction and romance through the exploration of reincarnation and discovering our past lives with regression therapy. While the writing and action descriptions of the book are superb, I was unable to connect to either main character and found myself struggling to get through the present day romance to get to the more intriguing historical sections of the book.
Amanda Parker is our main girl, a woman marked by the tragedies that seem to surround her life. When she saves policeman Mark from a collapsing train in Chicago the two feel an instant connection to each other, a connection so strong that they wonder if they know each other somehow. Through the help of Amanda’s psychotherapist godmother and neighbor, they delve into their past lives and discover the truth of their undeniable connection.
The story takes us back to the 19th century Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War up until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. These sections of the book are when the story really shines and the descriptive language of Samyann truly comes to life. The impeccable research of the time is clear and it it is easy to get lost in the world of young Bonny as she travels from her home in the south to find a more hopeful life in Chicago. I found myself craving to go back to this time frame and learn even more about this world rather than staying in the present.
I was initially drawn to this book because it was tagged under historical fiction, my favorite genre, and was disappointed upon reading that the main focus of the book was the developing romance between Mark and Amanda. I found it very difficult to relate or root for either character. Mark infantilizes Amanda consistently through the book and her inability to stand up for herself turned me off from enjoying their relationship. Both Amanda and Mark have moments where they are unnecessarily rude to random background characters; Amanda is pretty harsh to a reporter and Mark the same to a nurse. Mark’s extremely aggressive tactics to get Amanda to accept him into her life did not come across as sexy but annoying and troublesome.
Once the story gets fully into the regression therapy, the moments in the present are repetitive and a chore to get through. I also had a hard time pinpointing where exactly in the present this story exists as the references to Robert Redford and Amanda’s CD collection are pretty dated and made me think it might take place in the ‘90s or early 2000s but the book was published in 2013.
Those who love the blend of romance and history will definitely be taken by this book and the way Samyann is able to pull you into a journey into the past. I had no problem with themes of reincarnation and found that to be the most compelling part of the whole book. I do wish that the characters had been developed individually before they met so I had a good idea of who they each were before they start their whirlwind romance.
Overall, I give this book 2 out of 4 stars. While I appreciate the dedicated research and the descriptive language that Samyann used to transport readers to the past, that is only about 20% of the book while the rest is trying to relate to these unresolved characters who are hard to care about.
******
Yesterday
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Yesterday by Samyann
