Official Review: Facade by Melody Saleh
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Official Review: Facade by Melody Saleh
Facade is a fictional book written by Melody Saleh and is about the friendship and close bond between four women. Amber, Zya, Dominique, and Debra are always there for each other through good times and the bad. Each woman is also dealing with complicated romantic relationships in their lives. Amber feels like she just met the man of her dreams while Zya is going through a breakup of a long-term relationship and discovering her sexuality. Dominique is looking for love in all the wrong places, and Debra is dealing with a tragic death while figuring out who she wants to be with. Through all the laughter and tears, these women face everything together. Will they each find the happiness and joy they seek in their personal lives, or will some relationships end in heartbreak? Also, will their friendship survive despite all the secrets they’re keeping? Find out in this engrossing first installment of a planned trilogy.
I enjoyed the way that the friendship between the four women was depicted. It was heartwarming to read how close they were and how much they depended on one another. I liked that this story was about four strong females who weren’t threatened by each other’s success and happiness. They always gave each other great advice and support. The conversations between the women were also very natural and realistic.
I additionally liked that all four women had their own distinct personalities and character arcs. The author found a great balance by combining lightheartedness with the right amount of seriousness and tension. The women didn’t just focus on their romantic relationships but also dealt with big real-life problems. Some of the serious issues explored in the book were: deaths of loved ones, raising children, eating disorders, cancer scares, bullying, and bisexuality. All the women were also shown to have successful careers.
One issue that I found with the book was that the male characters were all lacking. The men in the book were either undeveloped as characters or not very likable. I understand that the focus was much more on the women, but there was a very big contrast in the way the female and male characters were depicted. One way to improve the book would be to try and further develop some of the male characters to make them at least half as entertaining and relatable as the women.
I’m rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. I appreciated reading a story that focused on four strong women and the incredible sisterhood they all had together. They were all well-developed characters with their own stories and personalities. The fact that the author skillfully combined serious and realistic topics with the appropriate amount of humor was very welcome. The professional editing was also a plus. I’m taking a star away because the male characters were significantly weaker than the women in terms of character development and relatability.
I want to mention that this book had multiple erotic scenes and also contained many fantasies about sex. In addition, this is the first book in a planned trilogy, and readers should not expect many resolutions or answers. In fact, the fates and lives of some characters are left in the balance, and the novel ends on a cliffhanger. I would recommend this book to women who like stories about female friendship and who also enjoy books that focus on romantic relationships. The author has said that she was very inspired by the Sex and the City show. If you liked that show, you will most likely enjoy this book.
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Facade
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