Review by SomeoneInTheWorld -- E-M-P Honeymoon

[Adina Lutinger]

[Following is a volunteer review of "E-M-P Honeymoon" by Dorothy May Mercer.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When Kelly and Tom went on their honeymoon, they planned on a relaxing vocation in Honduras. However, when Kelly is nearly killed due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, plans change. Once it happens, there is no turning back. They discover a terror plot that is threatening to destroy America and potentially the whole world. They can't just put it aside. They must do something. They don't know what their next step is going to be yet, but one thing is already clear: their honeymoon had turned into an adventure that they will never forget.

In her book, "E-M-P Honeymoon", Dorothy May Mercer shows that she knows how to intrigue a reader. She opens the book with an alerting scene that pulls you into the story from the very first page. She captures the reader's interest immediately, and she knows exactly how to keep it. The author knows exactly where to switch things up in order to keep the reader turning pages in anticipation. She also keeps the pacing fast exactly to the right extent – the one that holds the reader's interest constantly in its peak yet doesn't cause him/her to lose track of the events. This is a fragile balance, and maintaining it is a kind of art. Luckily, the author masters it flawlessly.

What also contributes to the suspense is the credibility of the terrorists' plan. The author came up with a convincing threat and delivered it to the readers in a comprehensible way. This is a challenge, because there is some scientific background that we need to get acquainted with in order to fully understand the terrorists' threat. Luckily, the author managed to deliver it in a way that makes complicated things simple, and I applaud her for that. In addition to being accessibly explained, I find the scientific aspect of the book to be very mind-enriching. The book deals with interesting topics such as nuclear energy and solar flare and provides us with some food for thought about our dependency on technology, not only as private people but also as states, and about the destructive power that nuclear energy can have in the wrong hands. The book seems to be a product of a thorough research, and I appreciate it very much.

I also like the way that the story is told. The author's choice to tell the story from many perspectives makes justice with the book. Each of characters has a role in moving the story forward. The narrative flows smoothly from one perspective to another alongside the flow of events. Each time something happens, we are shown the perspective of the character that is standing at the heart of the events. I enjoyed that, because it made me feel like I was standing at the heart of the events too. In addition, the characters are extremely varied and different from each other, and seeing the story through all of their eyes added a lot of color to the book. Each point of view was interesting and refreshing.

Unfortunately, it feels like at some point the author got lost between all the characters she created. For example, she built some characters in a way that makes you feel that they are here to stay, gave them a background story and everything that a character needs to provoke our interest, and then never returned to them again. The characters that did make a continuous appearance in the book were very flat and unconvincing. It is as if the author had invested so much in building the plot and the action that she neglected the characters. The characters just don't feel real enough. Some of them were portrayed better and some worse, but none of them is depicted good enough to exceed the paper and feel real. They just do whatever they must do to keep the story moving on, more like pawns to advance the plot than credible personalities that stand on their own.

Not only the characters are flat but also the relationships between them. While it was passable in the newly-formed relationships, like the one between Sharon and Steve (you will have to read the book to find out who they are), it was too peculiar in the case of Tom and Kelly. Tom and Kelly are newlyweds, and it's stated in the book that they are madly in love. However, it doesn't feel like that. Most of the time, they resemble co-workers more than a couple. There are some tiny gestures and romantic moments between them, but they all feel very forced and artificial. Kelly and Tom seem like two random acquaintances who were given a role to play – the role of a newly-married couple – but the role doesn't fit them well. The sense of what bonds them with each other is missing through the whole book, and it feels as if the only glue that keeps them together is the author's will. This flaw becomes even more significant when we remember that this book is supposed to be a romance.

The book was well-edited; I didn't find a lot of errors in it. Despite that, I can't give it a full rating due to the reasons I mentioned above. However, it was still an enjoyable book. That's why I choose to rate it 3 out of 4 stars. If you are looking for a fun and light read – this might be just the book for you, especially if you like action. If you are looking for a romance, on the other hand, I wouldn't recommend you this book, because it probably won't meet your expectations.

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E-M-P Honeymoon
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[kdstrack]

I enjoyed reading your comments on this book. I agree with your reaction to the character development. Some characters just didn't live up to the reader's expectations. Thanks for your analysis of this book.

[Adina Lutinger]

I enjoyed reading your comments on this book. I agree with your reaction to the character development. Some characters just didn't live up to the reader's expectations. Thanks for your analysis of this book.

I'm so glad you enjoyed my review! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

[Rayasaurus]

Thank you for writing this review. I agree with your analysis of the rather flat characters, and I also liked the multiple perspectives.

[Adina Lutinger]

Thank you for writing this review. I agree with your analysis of the rather flat characters, and I also liked the multiple perspectives.

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!

[Manang Muyang]

I like to be "at the heart of the events" but dislike unrealistic characters. I hope Mercer can work on that weakness in the next books.

[Adina Lutinger]

I like to be "at the heart of the events" but dislike unrealistic characters. I hope Mercer can work on that weakness in the next books.

I hope so too. This book could be so much more if the characters were built in a better way. Thank you so much for your comment!

[MsH2k]

I had issues with character development in a previous book by this author. I’m still on the fence with this book—I want to enjoy the book of the month conversations, but I don’t want to be frustrated by the characters. Thank you for a great review!

[Erin Dydek]

I enjoyed reading your review and seeing another perspective on this book. I reviewed this one as a 3 out of 4 too. You made a lot of great points about the characters in this book!

[Ekta Swarnkar]

This book is in my to-read list for days, I haven't had a chance to read it yet. However, reading other reviews gave me a hint of the story being "good man win bad man loose". Now I know characters are not so charming. Thanks for the review!

[inaramid]

The multiple perspectives might be a bit confusing, I think. Seems like the book can still be fun regardless, but I don't think this is for me. Thanks for your thoughts on this one!

[Adina Lutinger]

I had issues with character development in a previous book by this author. I’m still on the fence with this book—I want to enjoy the book of the month conversations, but I don’t want to be frustrated by the characters. Thank you for a great review!

I can relate. One of the reasons that I chose this book was because I wanted to enjoy the BOTM conversations too. I wish you an enjoyable-next-read, whatever this next read is going to be. And thank you very much for reading and commenting!

[Adina Lutinger]

I enjoyed reading your review and seeing another perspective on this book. I reviewed this one as a 3 out of 4 too. You made a lot of great points about the characters in this book!

Yes, I always find it interesting too to read reviews about books that I read and see other perapectives. Thank you very much for the kind words and for reading and commenting!

[Adina Lutinger]

This book is in my to-read list for days, I haven't had a chance to read it yet. However, reading other reviews gave me a hint of the story being "good man win bad man loose". Now I know characters are not so charming. Thanks for the review!

Yes, I agree with your conclusion. I find this book very black and white, and the characters are very underdeveloped. It is still an enjoyable book, however, so you might still have fun reading it. Thank you very much for reading and commenting!

[Adina Lutinger]

The multiple perspectives might be a bit confusing, I think. Seems like the book can still be fun regardless, but I don't think this is for me. Thanks for your thoughts on this one!

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and comment!