Book Review - The First Time Father by Thomas Alfie

 

The First Time Father by Thomas Alfie is a step-by-step guide for first-time fathers. From preparing yourself mentally and physically for the birth to coping with the new addition while also supporting the new mother. The author says, "It covers every aspect related to pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood roles in a simple language that can be understood by anyone." Every angle to being a new dad is covered, including a cheat sheet and special tips. Thomas Alfie wrote this book because he struggled when becoming a dad. 

Thomas Alfie felt that there were not enough books for dads, and he wrote The First Time Father to share what he has learned from his and his wife's experiences of bringing three babies into the world. Am I giving my partner the support she needs? What should I do when my baby cries? How do I cultivate a bond with my new baby? Read The First Time Father by Thomas Alfie to discover the answers to these and other questions.

When I first saw The First Time Father on the bookshelf, I thought it was a brilliant idea for first-time dads. The mum is growing the baby, and she gets most of the attention. Some dads struggle with how they fit into this new world. Thomas Alfie has covered every aspect of a dad's journey through pregnancy and looking after a new baby.

There are so many things I disliked about this book. I appreciate that Thomas Alfie has written this book to be user-friendly. However, some of the humour is not acceptable. For example, on page thirty-seven: " Even the most hardened tightwad will struggle to take a trip to this store without absolutely spunking their load, which is what got you into this predicament in the first place." A paragraph also describes how a woman's breasts become more prominent and tender, and she does not want the dad anywhere near her. The author feels that for the dad, it is like seeing cute puppies in a pet shop window and not being able to buy them! Also, I did not particularly appreciate that the author describes his wife as lazy when she is heavily pregnant and too exhausted to do household chores in the evening. In contrast, an exhausted new father should take every opportunity to rest!

I would not recommend The First Time Father by Thomas Alfie to anyone in its current form. The book does not appear to have been edited or proofread at all. Numerous errors on most pages make this book very difficult to read. The humour is inappropriate and sometimes borders on what I would expect from a Playboy magazine. Moreover, Thomas Alfie puts the new dad in a great light whatever he does while saying the new mum should be able to cope because she is the one who has had the baby! 

I rate The First Time Father by Thomas Alfie 0 out of 5 stars as I did not enjoy reading it. In particular, there is a need for proofreading and editing. The fact I found some of the passages unnecessarily crude. Moreover, the lack of empathy for the mum is dangerous because if first-time dads were to behave in some of the ways described, the relationship would not last long!

I would like to thank Thomas Alfie for a free copy of The First Time Father in exchange for my unbiased review.  You can see more of my reviews here :  http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html

Book Review - Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas

Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas introduces us to Emily and her best friend, Stacey. Emily has just broken up with her boyfriend of two years. Stacey and Emily had not seen each other for months because Emily had accused Stacey of wanting her man when Stacey tried to tell her that Craig had been seeing other women behind her back. In the two years Emily had been with Craig, he had alienated her from all her friends and family and made her leave her job. However, now she has found him with another woman in their bed! Stacey and Emily go for a walk to talk and get Craig out of their systems. They end up sitting in a park under a big tree. They start heading back to Stacey's house when the weather changes to rain, thunder, and lightning. Suddenly, Emily hears a loud crack, and everything goes white! Emily wakes up in a tiny bed in a room with equally small furniture. What has happened? Where is she? Moreover, who is Henry, the man with striking hazel-colored eyes? Read Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas to discover the answers to these questions.

I liked the humor Stella Gioacas included in the story. For instance, when the Dr. in eighteen hundred and seventy-four is trying to work out what all the strange things are that Emily is talking about example, on page thirty-one," 'And this Uber you mentioned earlier?' 'Oh, I believe that's some sort of luncheon meat, sir,' Henry said." I also enjoyed the fact that Emily goes back in time but is still in the exact location. I especially liked the comparisons and descriptions between the present and the past. 

I did not enjoy some of Emily's expressions which were not what people would typically say. For example, on page forty, "And thirdly, sit and join me, you silly goose." Emily and Henry are the main protagonists in this story, but as we are told very little about their backstories, they are relatively flat and bland. I found the conversational passages too long-winded, making the book boring. I would have liked there to have been more depth to what could have been a fascinating story. 

I recommend Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas to adults and older teenagers who enjoy time travel, romance, and historical fiction. There are some swearing and mild sexual scenes in the book, which make it inappropriate for a younger audience. 

I want to give Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas 3 out of 5 stars, it was an interesting read, but it needed more substance for my liking. There was a good beginning, and the ending was exciting with a lot of twists and turns which I wasn't expecting. However, the middle of the book was very slow going. The book would also benefit from further proofreading due to grammar and spelling errors. Because of these reasons, I have taken two stars off my rating!

Review of : Chef Wanted For Violante by Saira Musa

 

Chef Wanted For Violante by Saira Musa begins during a competition run by Amando Violante, Violante's co-owner and restaurant manager. The winning chef will become the Head Chef of Amando's prestigious Santa Cruz restaurant. Claudia Sequeira had just been eliminated, leaving two men to compete in the final round. As Amando calls, "Time is up!" Alonzo, the head waiter, bursts into the kitchen to tell Amando that Claudia has passed out. She is taken to the hospital and remains out cold for sixteen hours. Her friend Sofia sits in a chair by the bed when she wakes. Amando has been worrying about Claudia and turns up at the hospital to see how she is. When he enters her room, there is sexual tension between the pair. Amando discovers that Claudia cannot afford to pay her hospital bill and takes it upon himself to pay the bill for her. However, he has an agreement written up which makes Claudia and her friend Sofia liable for the repayments, and this causes a massive argument between the three of them. Will the argument make it difficult for Sofia and Claudia to continue as housemates? Who wins Amando Violante's cooking competition? Furthermore, will the sexual tension between Amando and Claudia lead to a relationship?

I am disappointed that I liked nothing about Chef Wanted For Violante by Saira Musa. The book does not appear to have been edited, as there are several grammatical and spelling errors on most pages, and a lot of the book does not make sense. For example, Amando is included in the consultation between Claudia and her consultant. Amando only knows Claudia because she has participated in a competition at his restaurant. Why would he be part of the consultation at the hospital? Amando then pays Claudia's hospital bills and gets his legal counsel to draw up an agreement for Claudia to repay it within what appears to be minutes! In the agreement, he makes Claudia's friend Sofia jointly liable for the payments. Everything about this is ridiculous, and I would have been quite happy to throw the book in the bin at this point.

Saira Musa has made Amando too good to be true. He is tall and stunningly handsome. He is a restauranteur and co-owner of the family's business. He is also a renowned Portuguese pathologist and is retained by the Santa Cruz Forensics Department, who find his expertise invaluable.

The whole story is full of ridiculous offshoots. For example, because Amando has made both Claudia and Sofia liable to pay him back for Claudia's hospital fees, Sofia has set an investigator to tail Amando! The sexual tension between Amando and Claudia is overworked, and the descriptions are laughable when they eventually have a sexual relationship. For example, on page forty-three, "His morning erection swung as he moved."

I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. I would not recommend it to anyone, as the storyline is weak and utterly ridiculous. There does not appear to have been any proofreading or editing, and Musa uses complicated wording in an attempt to make the story appear a lot more interesting than it actually is!

Book Review - Killer, Killer, Killer and The Drug Exchange Dealer by Charles A. Jackson

 

Killer, Killer, Killer and the Drug Exchange Dealer by Charles A. Jackson tells the story of Anthony, a black man in his forties living in North Carolina. Anthony's life revolves around drugs. When he was young, he felt life was dull and saw the drug life as exciting. In the beginning, it was almost a game to him. He believes most people either take drugs or sell them. Anthony even sees his father as a legal drug dealer; for example, on page one, "The daddy also sold drugs but the difference was he had license to sell alcoholic drugs." Then one day, Anthony is watching the television when the newsreader reports that an African American male in his forties identified by his friends as Fungi has been murdered in a motel. 

Fungi and Anthony worked in the drug dealing world together. Anthony is still a young man, but he is also a drug user and a drug dealer. He is caught up in a vicious circle that he has to break to save his and his family's lives!

The only thing I liked about this book was the cover picture, which sadly does not seem to have anything to do with the story! The idea of a man deeply embroiled in drug addiction and selling but desperately wanting to break these chains could have been a great story. However, Killer, Killer, Killer, and the Drug Exchange Dealer is dreadful and reads as if a schoolboy has written it; for example page nine, "Jerome decided to have an age seventeen birthday party. During them days, the drinking age in the State of North Carolina was sixteen years of age." I did not particularly appreciate all the mindless conversation, which made this book dreadfully dull. There is a chapter where Anthony cleans himself up and joins the army, but we learn nothing about his army life, just that he spends most of his spare time in his room with different women drinking and taking drugs. Every paragraph of this chapter is virtually the same, with just a different woman's name in it. Writing in this way is unbelievably lazy.

When writing a story about drugs, it must be believable and exciting. I do not believe that a few days after Fungi is murdered, Anthony not only goes to a football match but also takes along his young daughter Keke. Fungi has been murdered, and there is a good chance that someone will be out to get Anthony, too, so going to a football match with his child makes no sense!
Nearly every page has spelling and grammar errors, and this book needs to be edited and proofread properly. Due to the mistakes, the lack of structure, and the difficulty I had reading this book because of how it is written, I would like to give Killer, Killer, Killer and the Drug Exchange Dealer 0 out of 5 stars

I do not recommend this book because the conversations lack structure, and the characters are never fully developed. The writing style of Killer, Killer, Killer, and the Drug Exchange Dealer is very chaotic, and much of the conversation does not make sense. I presume the author is trying to get the reader to understand how people talk in North Carolina, but it just comes across as childish! 

Thank you to Charles A. Jackson for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - My life uncensored by Cristina Caymares

My life uncensored by Cristina Caymares is a short memoir of her childhood, growing up without a father, and the various abusive men who came in and out of her life during her mother's relationships. Cristina's father had a heart attack and died when she was two years old, and her mother was left to bring up two small children on her own. Although Cristina lives with her mother in Los Angeles, she spends most of her school holidays with her grandmother in Florida so that her mother can work.

The idea for My life uncensored was promising, touching on child neglect, Cristina losing her father at an early age, and the consequences these have growing up. However, the book is poorly written. There is much repetition, e.g. Page 16 -  The big huge mirror we had in that town house was too big for that house. There are complete sentences that make no sense, e.g. page 29, Her earrings looked brighter, and her teeth got springier. The author seems to have written her thoughts down as they came into her head, making the book unpolished, disorganized, chaotic, and very frustrating to read. 

I struggled to find anything I liked about this book. I admire the author for laying bare her early life. However, it is Cristina's mother with whom I have the greatest sympathy. Her mother died giving birth to her, her father had a lengthy prison sentence and died in prison, and her husband died aged 26, leaving her with two small children. 

There were many things I was not too fond of about My life uncensored by Cristina Caymares. The book would be much more interesting if the author rewrote it as a longer book and expanded her thoughts and explanations. Rewriting would help Cristina see the errors and where more explanation is needed for the book to make sense to the reader. 

I do not recommend this book because the narrative lacks structure, many interesting subjects were left unexplored, the characters are not developed, and the topics call for more insight. My life uncensored reads like a teenager's diary!

I rate this book 0 out of 5 stars. My reasons for this are: the text did not appear to have been edited, as I found errors on practically every page! The writing style is chaotic and challenging, and I did not enjoy reading it! 

Thank you to Cristina Caynares for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Audible Review - E M P Honeymoon by Dorothy May Mercer, Narrated by Scott Ellis

 

The audiobook E M P Honeymoon by Dorothy May Mercer tells the story of Tom and Kelly, who are on their honeymoon on a Caribbean Island. While Tom is on a diving boat checking out the coral reefs. Kelly goes off on the Excursion bus. Whilst out, she discovers an exciting shop where she hopes to buy souvenirs for the family back home. Kelly spends a while choosing gifts, and when she is ready to pay, she realizes there is no one else in the shop, not even a shop assistant! Peeking around a door at the back of the shop, she is shocked to see a strange hi-tech lab. A burly man sees her, grabs her and tries to drag her away. She fights back and gets in a taxi back to her holiday villa. The first thing she does is shut the windows, pull the curtains and then call her brother Senator Mike McBride. Kelly is so scared that she does not make much sense and hangs up before Mike finds out what is wrong. He is worried and calls Tom, who gets in touch straight away. Kelly does not want to spoil Tom's day, so she dumbs down what has happened. Their honeymoon is not the romantic and relaxing holiday Kelly and Tom had hoped for as they find themselves caught up in international intrigue and a plot to blow up North America using an electromagnetic pulse.

There was not much I liked about this audible book, and I only managed to read 50 pages. The idea for the story was good but poorly executed, even though Dorothy May Mercer has obviously put time into researching areas of the book. I did like that there were no swearing or sex scenes.

The narrator Scott Ellis has a dreadful voice, so staccato. It is also extremely annoying that this has the title, chapter, reader's name and author's name at the beginning of every chapter. This really interrupts the flow of the story. It was also very odd that Kelly's brother. Senator Mike McBride does not recognize his sister's voice when she calls him at work. Su -Jin, the young commander of a top-secret mission for the People's Army, does not make sense. Who has undergone meticulous training, including how to throw a frisbee and facial reconstruction. She gives herself away when she is unsure how to wear Western clothing. 

The story changes direction all the time to the point that I had no clue what was happening in some areas and had to rewind this audible book to relisten.

I would suggest this is aimed at older adults looking for a book to read on the beach.

I would rate this book 0 out of 5 stars as I did not enjoy it and would not recommend it to anyone. I feel that if this book had been adequately proofread and edited, the things mentioned above I did not like would have been picked up on. Dorothy May Mercer has proudly written 5 novels in 7 months; sadly, it shows in this audible book!

Thank you to Dorothy May Sayer for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Hattie Vavaseur by M. Rebecca Wildsmith

 

M Rebecca Wildsmith introduces the reader to Hattie Vavaseur when she is at a funeral. Hattie is perturbed that she doesn't know why she is at the funeral and has no idea who has died! After the funeral, Hattie is whisked off by John Bertram, who seems to think that at one time he was employed by Hattie as a chauffeur, to a mansion with a taciturn owner. In the beginning, I wondered if Hattie had dementia, it's not until chapter 4 that we find out the truth of Hattie's situation. Until then, all we know is that Hattie can only remember being a child brought up by a strict aunt and uncle who disliked her and that Hattie hates the color pink. Every character brings their own story, which means the reader is constantly on the edge of their seat, turning the pages to find out what happens next. We travel with Hattie while she learns about her past and future. Wildsmith is a writing genius. Her book contains humor, mystery, suspense, ghosts, the supernatural, and romance.

M Rebecca Wildsmith gave excellent descriptions of the people and places, and they became real instantly, which I really enjoyed. I also liked that the reader is slowly given information about Hattie's situation. There are constant twists in the tale which keep the reader on their toes. I also thoroughly enjoyed the humor throughout the book.

This book should have been a quick and easy read, but Wildsmith continually uses outdated words interrupting the flow of the story while the reader checks their meaning. For instance (on page 20), 'Hattie descended the grand staircase in the main hall, smartly dressed in her befurbelowed blue suit.' It is almost as if the author has looked up all the most complicated and outdated wording in the dictionary and tried to use all of it in this book; it may not be such a significant issue to other readers, but I found this both annoying and frustrating.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good old-fashioned murder mystery with lots of twists and turns and some romance thrown in for good measure. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to M. Rebecca Wildsmith for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.