Review by Kenesha L Fowler -- One Way or Another

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Kenesha Latoya Fowler
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Review by Kenesha L Fowler -- One Way or Another

Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

[Following is a volunteer review of "One Way or Another" by Mary J. Williams.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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One Way or Another is the first book in the Sisters Quartet Series by Mary J. Williams. This story follows the second sister, Calder Benedict. Born into a wealthy family, Calder is no idle rich girl. She worked hard to make her charity into a success so that she could help others. Adam Stone, by contrast, was not born well-off. But by applying himself with diligence and great work ethics, Adam is a richly successful, self-made man when he meets Calder. The two do not hit it off right away; however, there is unmistakable mutual attraction between them. After bumping into each other a few times, they go on a date. Sparks fly, and soon they are dating regularly. The relationship grows and runs smoothly for the most part, with a few bumps thrown into the mix. Things get better and better for the lovebirds. And then something happens to make Calder question whether or not she could trust Adam with her heart and all she holds dear.

I liked this book. The pace was good - not fast, but not too slow either. I loved how the book started. I was immediately drawn in by the prologue which introduced the sisters, the nature of their relationship, and their history. I especially liked their unusual names and appreciated that Williams took the time to tell the story behind them.

The novel is peppered with an interesting mix of characters, which made for a well-rounded story. Calder and her sisters, Andi, Bryce (Calder's twin), and Destry are all portrayed as smart, strong and utterly independent. And Adam is nothing short of dreamy. Healthy, attractive, respectful of women, and possessing good morals, he is absolutely swoon-worthy. Plus, he doesn't care a whit about Calder's money! On the other side of the spectrum, you have the undesirables: Calder's flighty, promiscuous mother, Billie; Ingo Hunter, Billie's latest love interest and whom everyone detests - with reason; and a few other troublesome personalities.

The feature I liked most about this novel was the depiction of relationships. The closeness between the Benedict sisters despite their differences is touching, as is how they lean on and support each other. Adam's bond with his mother is tender and admirable. The exchange between the girls and their housekeeper, Mrs. Finch is full of love and respect - she's been more of a mother to them than their own. Even the strain between them and their mother and respective fathers is remarkable. It all goes to show that relationships indeed take all forms. Mary J. Williams did an excellent job with this aspect.

I did experience some annoyances with the book, though. I had some issues with the punctuation. Sometimes I felt like a better flow could have been achieved with a comma rather than a full stop. I didn't like the abundant use of short sentences, especially in the dialogues - they made everything sound like an afterthought.

Additionally, I couldn't help but find the main characters a little too perfect. While the defects of the others are easy to pinpoint, these two seem to have none. He never makes a mistake; she never does or says the wrong thing. Now, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this sort of perfection per se. It's just that I like my leading lady and guy to have some kind of flaw or damage.

From start to finish, I was entertained. I was generally pleased with the way things worked out for the couple and not really surprised by the cliffhanger - I wondered about the loose ends concerning a certain character. I'm curious to see how that gets resolved, as well as the other sisters' stories.

Finally, the piece appears to be professionally edited. The more intimate scenes between the two lovers are tastefully described, but are still only suitable for adults. And though there are instances of profanity, they are not excessive. I give One Way or Another a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to all romance lovers.

******
One Way or Another
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~from The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry~
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Post by Prisallen »

This sounds like a very intriguing love story with several interesting characters. Thanks for your wonderful review!
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Kenesha Latoya Fowler
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Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

Prisallen wrote: 05 May 2020, 08:22 This sounds like a very intriguing love story with several interesting characters. Thanks for your wonderful review!
Thank you for commenting. They really are an interesting bunch.
"No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.
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Post by gen_g »

I hope that the author takes your suggestions into mind when editing, because I feel that flawed characters are always more multidimensional! Thanks for the review. (:
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Post by Caffrey_19 »

This book sounds like a love story that is being manipulated by insecurities emerging from ugly encounters in the past. I hope love leads in the end. Nice work
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Kenesha Latoya Fowler
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Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

Caffrey_19 wrote: 13 May 2020, 03:54 This book sounds like a love story that is being manipulated by insecurities emerging from ugly encounters in the past. I hope love leads in the end. Nice work
Yes, there are definitely elements of that happening in the story, but readers can expect a HEA. Thanks for stopping by.
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~from The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry~
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Post by Adanna Inya »

I love the names the characters too. Quite unusual. And is there one perfect person? Making a character so flawless is actually a flaw for me. But I'll like to see what happened that made Calder have a rethink with her lover. Great review.
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Kenesha Latoya Fowler
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Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

Adanna Inya wrote: 22 May 2020, 04:55 I love the names the characters too. Quite unusual. And is there one perfect person? Making a character so flawless is actually a flaw for me. But I'll like to see what happened that made Calder have a rethink with her lover. Great review.
I mean, no one is perfect, right? It was a nice book though. I hope you enjoy it if you ever get around to picking it up. Thanks a lot for commenting.
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Post by Reubeney »

Calder sounds like such a relatable character. The book sounds interesting. Thanks for a great review on this book. I will consider reading this book in the future.
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Post by spencermack »

To be honest I hate when a cliffhanger doesn't surprise me. Sounds like you enjoyed it though. Great review!
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Post by UzmaKhan »

Amazing review! I really liked it🌸
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Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

UzmaKhan wrote: 28 May 2020, 04:10 Amazing review! I really liked it🌸
Thanks, and thanks for saying so.
"No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.
~from The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry~
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Kenesha Latoya Fowler
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Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

spencermack wrote: 27 May 2020, 12:04 To be honest I hate when a cliffhanger doesn't surprise me. Sounds like you enjoyed it though. Great review!
It definitely wasn't a chore to read. Thanks for commenting.
"No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.
~from The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry~
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Kenesha Latoya Fowler
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Post by Kenesha Latoya Fowler »

Reubeney wrote: 27 May 2020, 05:29 Calder sounds like such a relatable character. The book sounds interesting. Thanks for a great review on this book. I will consider reading this book in the future.
And she's really likeable. I hope you enjoy the book if you do read it. Thanks for stopping by.
"No one is ever satisfied where he is," said the switchman.
~from The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry~
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Post by Nweze Raalchukwu1 »

A wonderfully written review. I do like to read romance novels once in a while. I will check this out.
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