book review - A Pocketful of $20s by Madelaine Lawrence

 

Lynn and Alan have been together for some time, but their relationship is not good. Alan is critical of many things Lynn does and rarely considers her. One of the bug-bears is a Christmas tradition Lynn's mother Dorothy started, giving five strangers who needed help twenty dollars at Christmas. Dorothy is a frail old lady unable to give out the money herself, and Lynn wants to carry on the tradition for her. Despite the couple having well-paid jobs, Alan thinks this is a waste of money and makes Lynn unhappy by telling her his feelings. 

Lynn feels very down when she sets out on her quest but soon gets a smile on her face as she starts helping people. How does Lynn help a young student on his way home from college for Christmas? How does she help Theresa put a smile on David's face? Who does Lynn help to leave an abusive marriage? Moreover, how do Stan and Peter, the men she goes to lunch with, fit into Lynn's life? Read A pocketful of $20 by Madelaine Lawrence to find out the answers to these questions and more.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Pocketful of $20s by Madelaine Lawrence. The story has been well thought out and planned, and Lawrence handles some weighty subjects sensitively. I liked that Lynn is a nurse in the Emergency Department of her local hospital, which makes her much more in tune with people and their problems, particularly in the story about the abused wife. Furthermore, I enjoyed the way Madelaine Lawrence uses the plights of the people Lynn helps to lead into telling us more about Lynn's own life. Lawrence builds the characters throughout the book, and I enjoyed learning more about their lives, the type of people they are, and their outlooks on life. 

The only parts of A Pocketful of $20 that I disliked were the proofreading and editing errors. For instance, there is a chapter in the book where the Emergency Department has several patients from a road traffic accident, and Lynn is one of the nurses on duty. Theresa, one of the ladies she has given a twenty dollar bill to, arrives and wants to know how her husband is. Theresa does not give her husband's name, and Lynn does not ask for it, but she can explain Theresa's husband's injuries. This section needs rewriting so that it makes sense. There are also a lot of grammar and spelling errors.

I recommend A pocketful of $20s by Madelaine Lawrence to adults who enjoy well-written human interest stories, particularly those with a Christmas theme, a touch of romance, and much heart. There are no swearing or sexual scenes in the book, but it covers some weighty subjects, such as manslaughter and abuse, which would not be appropriate for a younger audience.

I want to give A pocketful of $20s by Madelaine Lawrence 4 out of 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I have reduced my score by one star because it needs more proofreading and editing. 

Book Review - The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson and Richard Dilallo

 

 

Gaby Summerhill is in her early fifties, she was widowed three years ago, and her four grown-up children have left home and have their own lives. Gaby often communicates with her children via video. At the beginning of  December, they each get a video telling them that Gaby is getting married again on Christmas day. Gaby has been proposed to by three men who are wonderful friends, and she is going to announce her future husband at the wedding. Will it be fifty-four-year-old Tom Hayden who grew up with Gabi? Or fifty-two-year-old rabbi Jacob Coleman who helps her run a breakfast club for local homeless people? Or maybe fifty-five-year-old Martin Summerhill, who is Gaby's brother-in-law? Only Gabi knows, and she is telling no one until the day of the wedding, not even her nosey best friend, Stacey Lee!

Meanwhile, Gabi's children have problems of their own Claire; her eldest daughter, is married to Hank. Hank only works part-time as he wants to spend the rest of his time either smoking weed or meeting up with his friends, Claire has been putting up with his behaviour toward the children, despite struggling to make ends meet. However, now that Hank has hit her and she has discovered their fourteen-year-old son Gus is also smoking weed, what direction will her future take? Lizzie, the middle daughter, is a homebody. She works in Walmart part-time and enjoys family life with her husband Mike and her eight-year-old daughter Tallulah. When Mike is diagnosed with a brain tumour, Lizzie takes it in her stride, taking Mike to his endless hospital appointments and chemo, but when Tallulah asks if her daddy is going to die, what answer can Lizzie give? Emily, the youngest daughter, is a high-flying lawyer and her husband Bart is a resident in neurology. Emily always pushes herself to do better and burns the candle at both ends. She also has a boss who makes sexual advances that are not entirely unwanted! With Emily and Bart spending very little time together, how will all these pressures affect their relationship? Seth is the baby of the family and the youngest son. He lives with his girlfriend Andie, a commercial artist. Seth works in a tedious job and longs to be a published novelist. His first novel 'Dream Chasers' is with an editor, and Seth is on tenterhooks. Will she think his book is good enough to publish?

The book differs from the style of book I tend to think of as the typical James Patterson genre; murder, investigation, thrillers, detective, and mystery novels. There is still an element of mystery as we do not know who Gabi's lucky man will be. I loved the little teases throughout the book, which constantly changed my mind about who it would be. This book has humour, sadness, tension, and a lot of love. I liked the little hints that made me think I had guessed who the groom would be, but I was left guessing right to the end. I think Gabi made the right choice!

I did not particularly like that everyone called Gabi by her given name. Even her children and grandchildren call her Gabi.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it very much. I think this would be enjoyed mainly by female fans of James Patterson, it is a love story with a difference, and I am not sure it would appeal to men so much.

I would like to thank my mum for recommending that I read this book.