3 out of 4 stars
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Angel Rivers seems like a likable and friendly person, so why does someone want her dead? The readers try to uncover all the mysteries in No Longer Friends written by Jai Farquharson. The book starts right in the middle of the action, as two men break into Angel's room and look to kill her. That is enough to surprise anyone. However, what really shocks Angel is that it's her best friend, JT, who ordered the hit on her. Can Angel escape with her life? Also, what transpired between the two friends to lead to such drastic measures?
Angel has heard the rumors that JT could be the one that is responsible for the love of her life dying. She doesn't want to completely believe that it's true, but that all changes when she hears that it's JT that wants to kill her. Can Angel stay alive long enough to get justice for the man she loved? Can she get the evidence she needs to prove JT's guilt? Can she ever love again after the tragedy she went through? You will have to read the book to find out. From friendship and love to devastating betrayal and murder, this book takes the reader on a wild ride and makes for an engrossing read from start to finish.
I like how this book makes you think about how you can't always know what people are capable of, even the people you are supposedly close with. Angel and JT knew each other for years and clearly have been through a lot together. They even dated for a while. How could she have no idea that he was really a homicidal maniac? What warning signs did she miss? Angel even asks herself that very question in the book.
The book was told from multiple perspectives and let readers know what each character was thinking, which was interesting to read. Angel is the main character and more time is devoted to her, but there are many characters in this book that we hear about. They are all somehow connected to Angel.
I also enjoyed the fact that the book didn’t take itself too seriously. It's written in a very easy to follow language and dialogue. It wasn't all about solving a crime and getting evidence. Angel also had time to flirt and begin to care for Detective Charlie Martin. So even though there are serious situations happening, there are lighthearted moments too, which I appreciated.
It was great to see that even though Detective Martin was with Angel on her final mission, that she did most of the work of uncovering evidence herself. She took action and was resourceful. Angel didn't need to be rescued by a man and was a strong female character.
While I liked the author's simple storytelling technique, I did have issues with the lack of character development for all of the characters. Even the main heroine, Angel, was not a strongly developed character. I wanted her to succeed of course, but I didn't empathize with her as much as I should have. I feel like I didn't know enough about her or really see her journey. She was a strong and brave woman when the book started and she was still strong and brave by the time the book ended. She didn't really experience any character growth, which was disappointing. I guess the one thing that changed for her is that she might have learned to love again after her boyfriend’s death. However, I found her relationship with Detective Martin to happen too quickly. It didn't feel earned or very believable. The only thing the reader learns about the Detective is that he likes Angel. He is basically just there to serve as the love-interest. I likewise wanted to learn more about the minor characters that were mentioned such as Weasel, Mouse, and EMI. Because of the lack of character development, it was also very difficult to understand the motivations behind some of the things the characters were doing, especially JT.
I should mention that this book is the second part of a two-part series. So it's quite possible that some of the characters were introduced in the first book. Maybe I would see their motivations better and learn more about them if I read the first part of the series. It was stated in the book’s description that these two novels could be read independently and understood. So I could only judge the book that I read.
I found the storytelling interesting and engrossing enough that I'm rating the book 3 out of 4 stars. I'm taking one star away for the weak character development. Otherwise, the plot was fast-paced and engaging. I also appreciated the fact that the novel was very professionally edited with only one found error. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy novels that feature strong female characters, crime solving, betrayal, and some humor mixed in. I would probably not recommend it to younger readers because of mentions about sex and the serious subject matter.
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No Longer Friends
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