THE MAN I CAN'T HAVEby SHANORA WILLIAMS
It started as a simple search for a landscape designer…
I wanted a beautiful backyard for my new home and my neighbors suggested I look into Ward Landscaping & Design.
The owner had no pictures of himself on his website, just a portfolio of nice outdoor sitting areas, pools, and vibrant gardens that I’d always dreamed of having.
Of course I hired him.
I expected to meet an average guy, but Mr. Marcel Ward is far from your average man. He’s handsome, and well-built, and his smile—though a rare trait—is truly infectious.
He’s every woman’s dream—a handsome, older man who doesn’t mind getting down and dirty to create something beautiful all because of his passion for it. Unfortunately, that lucky woman can’t be me.
Although Mr. Ward tests my limits, quickens my breath, and makes my heart skip a beat when he’s around, I’ve promised to devote myself to my husband.
So why am I falling for a man I know I can’t have?
"How does he always make the choice seem so easy, yet so difficult all the same?"
Oh my gosh....I am not sure how to purge all my feelings into this little review, but I'll give it a whirl. First of all, this was my first read of Shanora Williams' books and I will say that I enjoyed it and cannot look more forward to the second book - as well as reading more of her stories. More specifically, The Cane Series that has been recommended to me over the last few days.
BUT: I NEED THAT SECOND BOOK RIGHT NOW!!
Based on the synopsis, this book had all the makings of a story that had my name written all over it!! We all know by now, I hope, that I love the triangle trope. I love that heady pull that is undeniable between the characters and one that makes me root for the forbidden. While I didn't necessarily get that headiness and pull with this one, I still couldn't put it down. I seriously had to give my moral self some chocolate and tell her to sit quietly in the corner so I could finish. I wasn't getting the sense that this was a fate, desire, or soul mate kind of pull between the characters, but more of a cheating and lust, no-self-control kind of behavior - as in it was controlling how they were acting. Yes, the husband was an asshole and the landscaper was a dirty-mouthed, deliciously gorgeous guy, but I was having a hard time with the circumstances. Obviously not enough to stop reading...
The writing style was pretty...bare, or basic - no frills, for the lack of a better word, not being disrespectful. It didn't lead to a deep emotional connection to either character for me, but I can blame some of that on their actions too. Speaking of, sometimes some of the actions felt "placed" and weren't a natural occurrence - almost as if she needed certain things to happen in order to progress the story. It was an easy read and wasn't too deep, but had some elements of shock to it. Some of the comments made by one character were telling me how the other character was feeling, so that didn't make sense to me, because it was an internal feeling that they were giving voice to. It caused me to stutter in my reading a few times, but I clearly kept going because I was enjoying it. I also had a hard time connecting the characters to some of their actions, so not one of them escaped my anger while reading - it was an equal opportunity wrath. However, Marcel was the one I felt the most for. He was possessive with Gabby and knew exactly how to take care of her and their times together were HOT.
"You're everything I never knew I wanted."
So the ending of this book felt very....scripted. And to not give anything away, I most definitely have a hard time reconciling that ending with the character as we know him. Like, if he was always this way, why were computers left out? Papers left out? Why were passwords accessible? Why wasn't she more....careful with her secret?? Soooo, that sent me in to a slight tailspin as I was trying to figure out what happened between the very beginning and the end. Again, I am looking forward to the next book because I'm hoping to learn more about the characters' pasts and why some things happened the way they did. I have many questions that I would love answers to....and so I wait patiently for the next book.
I know it sounds like I'm being overly critical of this book, I want to stress that I really did enjoy it for the most part. For a story to really irk me while making me question things, Shanora obviously kept me reading, because I didn't want to put it down and I devoured it in one day - no lie. I won't deny that she sucked me in with their storyline. I had a very morbid curiosity as to what was going to happen and I needed to watch it all unfold!! I definitely enjoyed this book, but I definitely want more. But again, that ending? Whoa. Just....whoa.
"You burn for me, so much more than you ever would for that motherfucker, and you know it. You fucking know it."
~BEE
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~MEET SHANORA WILLIAMS~
Shanora Williams is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who loves writing about flawed heroes and resilient heroines. She is a believer that love outweighs all, but doesn’t have a problem making her characters fight for their happily ever after.
She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the mother of two amazing boys, has a fiercely devoted and supportive husband, and is a sister to eleven.
When she isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family, binge reading, or running marathons on Netflix while scarfing down chocolate chip cookies.
~CONNECT WITH SHANORA~
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I have been wanting to read this ever since I read the synopsis. But more so now after reading your review. I cantc wait to chat with you.
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