Review by trajoe1206 -- Yesterday by Samyann

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trajoe1206
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Review by trajoe1206 -- Yesterday by Samyann

Post by trajoe1206 »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Yesterday" by Samyann.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Yesterday by Samyann is a story of romance and reincarnation. Take a journey with Amanda and Mark as they explore, through past life regression, the lives they once lived and a love which lasts forever.

Amanda Parker has just started a new job and is trying to get her life back together after the death of her fiancée when she meets Mark Callahan, a Chicago policeman, and saves his life after a train derails. They are both thrown into a feeling of Deja vu. They take refuge in an antique store where Amanda is mesmerized by a grandfather clock. Mark tries to get to know Amanda better but she quite often rejects him as she believes he will die, just like so many others have whom she was close to.

Mary is Amanda’s elderly aunt, who helps Amanda and Mark find out more about their past through past life therapy. Mary is a fun and likable character and obviously cares very much about Amanda and her wellbeing. The past life therapy journey takes Amanda and Mark back to the Civil War and the Great Chicago Fire.

This is the first book about reincarnation that I have ever read and so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Reincarnation is not a subject that I have spent much time considering, but I am not opposed to the idea that it does happen. I thought that this element gave more substance to what would otherwise be a romance novel. I did find it quite strange that no character in the book seemed to find the idea of reincarnation absurd. Nobody questioned it or claimed it to be nonsense or suggest that Amanda and Mark are maybe just having dreams. Another area of impact was the Civil War and the Great Fire of Chicago, where we are introduced to Bonnie May Belle, Jack, and Daniel. There is a comment in the book which leads me to believe that this is not the first time that Amanda/Bonnie and Mark have been involved “You indeed have my heart, Bonnie. You own it completely, for eternity, in this life, the last, and the next.” I was especially interested in the history of the Church bells and the grandfather clock and how they were constants in the past and the present.

There was a point in the book where I was confused and had to go back and re-read. It is when Bonnie is told that her father is dead. My first thought was “when did that happen”. Later in the book, there was an explanation of what happened. I thought that the flow of the book in that chapter was interrupted because of this. No errors were detected whilst reading the book, although, saying that, there were blank pages at the end of some of the chapters. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others, although in my opinion, I feel that I would have liked to have known more about the characters in the book. I didn’t feel like I was given the opportunity to get to know them well enough. I like how Samyann ended the book, although some would think it was rather abrupt. Maybe a series in the pipeline?

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Yesterday
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Clinical1
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Post by Clinical1 »

Great review. Thanks for the heads up about the confusing order. If I read it, I will be patient.
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trajoe1206
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Post by trajoe1206 »

Clinical1 wrote: 06 May 2018, 15:04 Great review. Thanks for the heads up about the confusing order. If I read it, I will be patient.
Thanks for your reply. This is my first review and am glad of my book choice. Hope you enjoy it if you read it :)
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Post by Jackie Holycross »

I'm not a romance fan, but the reincarnation twist is interesting.
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Post by Dolor »

I'm into romance genre, but I don't believe in reincarnation. I'm sorry to hear about your confusion. Maybe the throwbacks had caused your confusion. Untied ending is not my forte specially if the book doesn't have a sequel.
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Post by gen_g »

Thank you for your detailed review; the reincarnation trope has always been one of my favourites of the romance genre simply bc of the implicit reference to the fact that love transcends space and time.
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Post by Espie »

Thank you for your review. I respect those who believe in reincarnation and I'm not averse to romantic stories either. Knowing the characters more is indeed be a plus to enable readers to relate more.
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Post by DancingLady »

Great review, very thorough. I’m surprised the author didn’t include anyone who questioned the validity of reincarnation. I can appreciate this book if I take that as a fantasy element, but I personally do not believe in reincarnation.
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