Book Review and Giveaway for From This Moment by Melanie Harlow

FROM THIS MOMENT

by MELANIE HARLOW

It was like seeing a ghost.

When my late husband’s twin brother moves back to our small town, I want to avoid him. Everything about Wes reminds me of the man I lost and the life we’d planned together, and after eighteen long months struggling just to get out of bed, I’m finally doing okay. I have a new job, an amazing support group, and a beautiful five-year-old daughter to parent. I don’t want to go backward.

But I’m drawn to him, too. He understands my grief and anger and guilt like no one else—and I understand his. Before long, that understanding becomes desire, and that desire becomes uncontrollable.

He says he doesn't care what people think, and love can never be wrong. But life has taught me it cruelest lesson--love doesn't always win.

If only my heart would believe it.

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REVIEW: 2 Stars

I hate doing this, but I am not going to have a popular opinion on this book. I will break it down, but I feel that I gave this book a fair shake and finished it. If anything, I love forbidden. I love the grittiness of it. The raw emotions that you feel because you are living this story with the characters, following them around trying to make sense of a situation that isn't always accepted. It's my favorite kind of trope, and I gravitate towards it. So naturally, once I heard about a woman falling for her dead husband's brother -- BAM! Yes!! Forbidden, sign me up! Alas....the story did not play out that well for me. I will attempt to explain why.

The writing. It was chaotic and completely disjointed for me. I felt like the story was being told to me, from an outside perspective looking in. I wasn't feeling any emotion or connection with the characters, and that always makes the read rather rough for me. It also felt like it was written in parts, and then pieced together, making for a choppy read. Extra words, timeline sequence issues, completely wrong words (skin instead of sink), etc., these all added to my frustration. Granted, I got an ARC and in that I know that I will always get some errors. It's a guarantee, and I am ok with that and it never affects my rating. But timelines issues should always be fleshed out before they go out to early readers/bloggers. 

The way this story was told was a little aggravating for me. For every action/drama sequence, a few paragraphs of questions and dragging monologue would follow. Like, can you just TELL the story instead of asking 20 questions? I didn't understand this process or why we were subjected to it throughout the entire story. It didn't make any sense to me. I like an emotional, well thought out story that takes me on a journey through a love that may not always seem easy. Progression, dialogue, action....suspense even. This one was written with an emotional disconnection, side characters with serious immaturity, and an action/question format that irritated me beyond belief. Don't ask me, please just tell me. 

The characters. 

Abby (daughter) was the cutest little bug, and I don't generally like kids in stories that play an integral part. 

Margot and Georgia/Pete and Jack (coworkers/friends) were so supportive and had such a good vibe to them. I really liked meeting them and how well they helped Hannah and Wes with their dilemma. They also gave Hannah an amazing job and I loved that it allowed her creative side to come out; it was good for her. These were my favorite characters in the book after Wes. NOTE TO MENTION, this is a secondary character's story so this book may spoil some of After We Fall. 

Hannah has NO backbone....not one. I can handle a sad/upset/distraught woman trying to pull herself out of the depths of despair after having lost her amazing husband that loved her unconditionally, and having some reservations about how she is doing raising her child. However, we had a worry-wart that had ZERO self confidence in anything having to do with LIFE and that made reading her character a drag. She questioned every breath she took...and that was really hard to empathize with, for me. I hate saying that because I know that if I were in her shoes, I can imagine I would be having a really hard time with life as well. But maybe the complete disconnect I felt in the writing contributed to my lack of emotion and understanding in that aspect. 

Wes was the best part about the story. He had a good head on his shoulders, and some very valid points. "Fuck what everyone thinks." YES!! Yes, that's it, Wes. That's exactly what you need to stick to and go with it. But again, for the love of all things holy, stop.questioning.every.single.thing.

Lenore (mother to Wes) was THE WORST mother in law ever. I know they have a bad name, and some deservedly so, but Lenore set the bar really high for emotionally abusive, overbearing, sticking-her-nose-where-it-didn't-belong mothering. Like, so over the top, I was rolling my eyes the entire time we were in her shoes while she bemoaned Wes and Hannah's relationship. It was horrible. I honestly hated her.

Dr. Parks/Doc is the reason Wes is so well adjusted. Lucky son. The ability to insert words of wisdom while maintaining a neutral zone for his wife was not a task taken lightly, I can imagine. And how in God's name did he stay married to Lenore for 40 years?? That man should be knighted for sainthood. 

Timeline issues: 

--> How was it 18 months that he has been gone, but she lost her husband when her daughter was 3....yet, she turned six in the story and they had only been hanging out a few weeks by that point?

--> They had sex, and A WEEK HAD LAPSED, yet he was going to talk to her about what happened LAST NIGHT (referring to the sex they had). That isn't really possible. From Labor Day (Monday) to Saturday night, getting drunk with his friends. It's not last night. It can't be.

--> We switched from her Wine with Widows Wednesday night where she was talking with Tess, to it being later in the week....but we switched without any break or informational segue helping us move along in the story. It was a really odd transition. I was quite confused how it all went, and I read and re-read it a few times, hoping it was supposed to be a flashback, but nothing indicated it was at all.

--> She was ON THE PHONE with Margot, but she turned around to 'look at her'? I'm not sure how that is possible.

--> And yet another abrupt transition from being ON the phone with Margot to it being days later. No goodbye, no hanging up the phone, nothing.....just life carried on. Again, it makes me feel that this book was pieced together.

--> Last but not least, she "picked up her water and touched it to Drew's champagne as the room erupted....". Uh, she was clinking Wes' glass. Not Drew, because he died. Remember?

After these instances, it was clear that I needed to stop paying close attention to the timeline on how things played out and just enjoy the story, because I was driving myself mad trying to put it all together and make sense of it. I also wonder about the use of beta readers and an editor. 

Overall:

I will, however, admit that the story itself was a good story. I liked the forbidden aspect of it and I liked the reality of the problems they could face in a small town full of gossip mongers. I get it, and that was one part I liked. I even enjoyed the seeming insta-love that many don't enjoy. I have always enjoyed those kinds of love stories with a good buildup, and 49% in, I sighed when these two characters were able to come together (pun intended). Hannah and Wes worked SO well together and I liked his backstory about his feelings for her. Sadly, this one had more bad than good for me. Would I recommend it? If you can look past the timeline issues, overlook weak characters, and enjoy immature drama coming from the mother/-in law, then I will easily recommend it. Otherwise....I feel that she didn't articulate this one well, and it fell short for me on most counts. I will be gifting a copy out still, because underneath it all, it was a good story.

~BEE

PURCHASE:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xXSCMe

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2uEqBpG

iBooks: http://apple.co/2vjYJcj

B&N: http://bit.ly/2vqcLtd

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~MEET MELANIE HARLOW~

Melanie Harlow writes sexy, emotional romance about strong, stubborn characters who can’t help falling in love. She’s addicted to bacon, gin martinis, and summer reading on the screened-in porch. If she’s not buried in a book or binging on Netflix, you might find her running, putting a bun in someone’s hair, or driving to and from the dance studio. She lives outside Detroit with her husband and two daughters. 

Melanie is the USA Today bestselling author of the HAPPY CRAZY LOVE series, the FRENCHED series, MAN CANDY, AFTER WE FALL, IF YOU WERE MINE, and the sexy historical SPEAK EASY duet, set in the 1920s.

~CONNECT WITH MELANIE~

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ARC REVIEW