2 out of 4 stars
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We meet our reluctant hero, Patrick Carter, on a fateful night that will change his life as well as the lives of others. The young man we will spend the book getting to know has an unhappy, boring and untethered life. He is also living with the baggage of a tragic past. As we follow his journey from that night on his life changes in ways he and the reader could never have imagined.
This light mixture of action, adventure, family and romance is served up as Lemoncella Cocktail a book by Rene Natan.
Thinking he is doing a good deed that any decent man would do, Patrick Carter dives into the river he’s walking by and saves the life of a 14-year-old girl named Samantha McLeod. But was he actually in the wrong place at the right time? Though Patrick would like to just walk away and resume his sad sack life, the attempted murder of Samantha is actually a case of mistaken identity and the perpetrators are members of a large organized crime ring. Now the boss not only wants Samantha and the true target eliminated. He wants Patrick eliminated, too. The unassuming protagonist now must reluctantly put his quiet, solitary life on hold as he goes undercover for the law enforcement task force involved in the case posing as a bartender (a job he already knows well) while he becomes closer to Samantha’s family.
There are quite a few characters that attempt to be colorful but I most enjoyed Samantha’s family, in particular her loving grandmother Jessica and younger brother Justin. Jessica is a wise, witty, salt of the earth grandmother who is doing her best to do most of the parenting of her grandchildren. 5-year-old Justin, as children that age so often do, makes the reader and the other characters smile with his innocence, sweetness and warmth even during an increasingly dangerous time for his family.
The characters and story are good. The pace is quick. There are many elements at play here. A family drama, a crime thriller and a love story on several levels. The author crafts an interwoven tapestry that should be lauded. But unfortunately, the happy relaxing buzz of a good cocktail (or better yet a good book) was lacking for me in Lemoncella Cocktail. After reading the book I am still unclear what a Lemoncella cocktail is as the book did not make it or its relevance clear which seems odd to me.
The book, though still quite readable and something that can be enjoyed needs a good editor’s eye to correct errors in grammar and tighten up some unclear language.
Still for character development, a story with not only danger and violence but also love and family lost and found (plus some great plot twists) I would rate Lemoncella Cocktail by Rene Natan 2 out of 4. I think if you tend to lean towards thrillers with some likable characters and a few surprises along the way and writing mistakes don’t take away from an easy and enjoyable read than Lemoncella Cocktail might just be the book that will wet your whistle.
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Lemoncella Cocktail
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