3 out of 4 stars
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The Good Stuff begins with Diana and Paul jumping to hilarious albeit very incorrect conclusions about each other. Paul sees beautiful Diana, dressed to kill, at a social function and is about to introduce himself to her when another poor guy addresses her first. Diana skillfully tells the apparent stranger off and triumphantly walks away. What else could Paul think but that she was one difficult and incredibly rude woman? (He had no idea that Diana was telling off a past boyfriend that had lied and betrayed her).
That same evening, just before Jeremy introduced Paul to Diana, and the rest of the group, he stated, “Ooh, here comes Paul, my partner. You’ll love him. He’s amazing.” At the mention of “partner,” and knowing that Jeremy is gay, Diana assumed Paul was also gay. Soon Diana and Paul find themselves as work associates on a confidential and political bombshell of a case. As they begin to respect and trust one another, they quickly become good friends. Thankfully, they soon discover that their first impressions were incorrect and become romantically interested. Their blossoming relationship and the suspense of the case they are working on are woven together beautifully.
I loved how the author had Diana and Paul meet. She demonstrated to readers that you cannot always rely on first impressions. Thinking the absolute worst of Diana, Paul gets to see layers of her very caring heart slowly unveiled. Loughlin went to great lengths to portray Diana’s extraordinary kindness and compassion on numerous occasions.
Loughlin portrayed all the primary and secondary characters in a realistic and relatable way. However, I became especially fond of Lucia, Paul’s younger sister with Downs syndrome. Her enthusiasm and spontaneity were heartwarming. And I adored Diana’s younger brother Luis- and his fiancé Eric. Their constant humor, combined with their respect and love for Diana, made them unforgettable.
The only complaint that I could find with this 253-page book was that I uncovered more than ten errors. While some of these were formatting issues, there were also several examples of grammatical errors. These findings will require that I deduct a point from the rating.
Some of the romantic scenes were a bit steamy, but I would not call them overly graphic. There were brief references to violence, but even they were toned down and not too explicit. (I cannot be more specific here, or I will run the risk of spoilers). Additionally, there were some instances of profanity, but not a continuous insult, and they did not at all detract from my immense enjoyment in reading this story.
Therefore, I award The Good Stuff by Liz Loughlin 3 out of 4 stars. Readers who love romance will enjoy this endearing story. Those with a healthy dose of humor will be laughing out loud in a few instances. Readers not interested in romance may elect to pass on this one. However, this story is more than just a romance novel, as it also offers a suspenseful storyline. I am pleased to recommend this captivating novel.
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The Good Stuff
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