Featured Official Review: When Angels Play Poker by Maura Oleary

Sarah_Khan · Post by **Sarah_Khan** » 05 Feb 2018, 11:59

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When Angels Play Poker" by Maura Oleary.]

4 out of 4 stars

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When Angels Play Poker by Maura O’Leary is a sweet, feel-good fiction book. This story follows a sixty-four year old con-artist named Jimmy. After dying of a heart attack, he unexpectedly finds himself in heaven. Jimmy is given the task of watching over his brother’s girlfriend, Maura. He soon learns things about himself and his brother, and since watching someone’s life 24/7 can get a little boring, Jimmy also plays poker in heaven in his spare time!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. The depiction of heaven in this book is probably not your typical idea of heaven, which is what adds a little bit of uniqueness and fun to this novel. Angels are even allowed to play poker, but of course not for real money. Jimmy, the main character, is likable and also realistically written. His entrance into heaven is not sugar-coated and his personality is kept intact even after becoming an angel. Maura, the woman who is watched over by Jimmy, is a sweet yet strong woman who even after having to suffer through a hard life, never let life get her down and unbeknownst to her, has a lot of angels looking out for her.

The plot of this book is simple and written in just 112 pages, which makes it a very short read. Since it is such a short read, the details offered about the background of each character were limited. There also was not much information about the workings of heaven. Surprisingly, the lack of specifics did not make reading this book any less enjoyable because it focuses on one moment in time in Maura’s life, so all the vital information is provided. I am not sure if the author has a sequel planned, but the story does end on a little cliffhanger. Nevertheless, I appreciated that the ending was unforeseen yet still practical.

One fascinating addition to this book was the couple of pages at the end where the author wrote a few words about what gave her the idea to write this story. While at a spa in Vegas, ten years ago, Maura O’Leary met a woman who claimed the author was an earth angel. After telling her friends about the encounter, she received a subscription to Angels on Earth for Christmas and then five years later, she started writing this book. It is funny how random moments can inspire us and turn our lives in another direction.

To conclude, When Angels Play Poker by Maura O’Leary is a sweet, inspirational read that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. There were a few grammatical errors, but not enough to bother me so I did not let it affect my rating. Therefore, it is no surprise that I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this short read to anyone looking for a story to brighten their day, especially in today’s world because we could all use a little more sunshine in our lives.

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When Angels Play Poker
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Maggie G · Post by **Maggie G** » 09 Feb 2018, 20:37

This sounds like a sweet book. I usually don’t enjoy novels where a character goes to heaven (a la The Lovely Bones) so I’ll probably skip this one. Thank you for your review!

Sahani Nimandra · Post by **Sahani Nimandra** » 09 Feb 2018, 23:40

Sweet book! I can honestly say I don't mind been lost in this book! The plot seem very sweet even though the characters have to feel the pain of loss. That's sad! But in reality happiness flows with sadness so I'm good! Thanks for the review!

Sahani Nimandra · Post by **Sahani Nimandra** » 09 Feb 2018, 23:52

Maggie G wrote: ↑09 Feb 2018, 20:37 This sounds like a sweet book. I usually don’t enjoy novels where a character goes to heaven (a la The Lovely Bones) so I’ll probably skip this one. Thank you for your review!

Have you watched the film? It's was a bit mentally challenging after seen that Susan Salmon been raped and murdered, yet it was based on a true story!

Mercelle · Post by **Mercelle** » 10 Feb 2018, 02:41

Sounds like something that could keep me occupied on a rather dull weekend. There's a lot of reflection to be done on the reader's part regarding that heaven experience.

Post by **bookowlie** » 11 Feb 2018, 10:09

Thanks for the well-written, insightful review! I loved the author's inspiration for writing the story. It's interesting how a random encounter while on vacation led the author to eventually writing a story with an angels theme. You made a good point that having fewer details wasn't an issue based on the way the story was presented.

Watsomuti · Post by **Watsomuti** » 14 Feb 2018, 10:13

Sweet and interesting to follow the story though Jimmy played some fiiction

The BookWorm Nagham · Post by **The BookWorm Nagham** » 17 Feb 2018, 05:56

Sound like an interesting fun book to read! Thank you for your review it really encouraged me to check out the book.

Koizumi · Post by **Koizumi** » 17 Feb 2018, 21:45

This story sounds really nice and interesting. I'm a big fan of stories that take place after ones death but keep the characters` personality "human"; they're often very fun to read. I will definitely check it out.

prettysmart · Post by **prettysmart** » 02 Mar 2018, 16:54

One thing leads to another...I agree with you...encounters that may seem insignificant to us may turn out to be what we least expected...Awesome review!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 15 Mar 2018, 12:01

You know, I just don't think I would enjoy this book. However, I did enjoy reading your review. I'm glad you found something good in this one. Thanks!

Camille Turner · Post by **Camille Turner** » 15 Mar 2018, 21:18

While I don't think the book is for me, I was intrigued by your notes about small moments inspiring us and that the book itself is a unique take on the subject of heaven. Thanks for your review!

dtb · Post by **dtb** » 26 Mar 2018, 16:02

The idea that there are angels (or friends) watching over us is a nice one. This sounds like an optimistic story. thanks for a good review.

TashaCrispin · Post by **TashaCrispin** » 26 Mar 2018, 17:34

This sounds like a good one with lots of positivity. I bet the woman is an inspiration. I will definitely check it out.

[Valerie Allen] · Post by **[Valerie Allen]** » 27 Mar 2018, 06:15

Hmm... sounds like your typical "touch my an angel" type of made for TV screen production, minus poker playing and spoiler alerts, etc. But, an overall informative review.