Review by Kenesha L Fowler -- One Way or Another
Posted: 10 Apr 2020, 04:54
[Following is a volunteer review of "One Way or Another" by Mary J. Williams.]
One Way or Another is the first book in the Sisters Quartet Series by Mary J. Williams. This story follows the second sister, Calder Benedict. Born into a wealthy family, Calder is no idle rich girl. She worked hard to make her charity into a success so that she could help others. Adam Stone, by contrast, was not born well-off. But by applying himself with diligence and great work ethics, Adam is a richly successful, self-made man when he meets Calder. The two do not hit it off right away; however, there is unmistakable mutual attraction between them. After bumping into each other a few times, they go on a date. Sparks fly, and soon they are dating regularly. The relationship grows and runs smoothly for the most part, with a few bumps thrown into the mix. Things get better and better for the lovebirds. And then something happens to make Calder question whether or not she could trust Adam with her heart and all she holds dear.
I liked this book. The pace was good - not fast, but not too slow either. I loved how the book started. I was immediately drawn in by the prologue which introduced the sisters, the nature of their relationship, and their history. I especially liked their unusual names and appreciated that Williams took the time to tell the story behind them.
The novel is peppered with an interesting mix of characters, which made for a well-rounded story. Calder and her sisters, Andi, Bryce (Calder's twin), and Destry are all portrayed as smart, strong and utterly independent. And Adam is nothing short of dreamy. Healthy, attractive, respectful of women, and possessing good morals, he is absolutely swoon-worthy. Plus, he doesn't care a whit about Calder's money! On the other side of the spectrum, you have the undesirables: Calder's flighty, promiscuous mother, Billie; Ingo Hunter, Billie's latest love interest and whom everyone detests - with reason; and a few other troublesome personalities.
The feature I liked most about this novel was the depiction of relationships. The closeness between the Benedict sisters despite their differences is touching, as is how they lean on and support each other. Adam's bond with his mother is tender and admirable. The exchange between the girls and their housekeeper, Mrs. Finch is full of love and respect - she's been more of a mother to them than their own. Even the strain between them and their mother and respective fathers is remarkable. It all goes to show that relationships indeed take all forms. Mary J. Williams did an excellent job with this aspect.
I did experience some annoyances with the book, though. I had some issues with the punctuation. Sometimes I felt like a better flow could have been achieved with a comma rather than a full stop. I didn't like the abundant use of short sentences, especially in the dialogues - they made everything sound like an afterthought.
Additionally, I couldn't help but find the main characters a little too perfect. While the defects of the others are easy to pinpoint, these two seem to have none. He never makes a mistake; she never does or says the wrong thing. Now, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this sort of perfection per se. It's just that I like my leading lady and guy to have some kind of flaw or damage.
From start to finish, I was entertained. I was generally pleased with the way things worked out for the couple and not really surprised by the cliffhanger - I wondered about the loose ends concerning a certain character. I'm curious to see how that gets resolved, as well as the other sisters' stories.
Finally, the piece appears to be professionally edited. The more intimate scenes between the two lovers are tastefully described, but are still only suitable for adults. And though there are instances of profanity, they are not excessive. I give One Way or Another a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to all romance lovers.
******
One Way or Another
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
One Way or Another is the first book in the Sisters Quartet Series by Mary J. Williams. This story follows the second sister, Calder Benedict. Born into a wealthy family, Calder is no idle rich girl. She worked hard to make her charity into a success so that she could help others. Adam Stone, by contrast, was not born well-off. But by applying himself with diligence and great work ethics, Adam is a richly successful, self-made man when he meets Calder. The two do not hit it off right away; however, there is unmistakable mutual attraction between them. After bumping into each other a few times, they go on a date. Sparks fly, and soon they are dating regularly. The relationship grows and runs smoothly for the most part, with a few bumps thrown into the mix. Things get better and better for the lovebirds. And then something happens to make Calder question whether or not she could trust Adam with her heart and all she holds dear.
I liked this book. The pace was good - not fast, but not too slow either. I loved how the book started. I was immediately drawn in by the prologue which introduced the sisters, the nature of their relationship, and their history. I especially liked their unusual names and appreciated that Williams took the time to tell the story behind them.
The novel is peppered with an interesting mix of characters, which made for a well-rounded story. Calder and her sisters, Andi, Bryce (Calder's twin), and Destry are all portrayed as smart, strong and utterly independent. And Adam is nothing short of dreamy. Healthy, attractive, respectful of women, and possessing good morals, he is absolutely swoon-worthy. Plus, he doesn't care a whit about Calder's money! On the other side of the spectrum, you have the undesirables: Calder's flighty, promiscuous mother, Billie; Ingo Hunter, Billie's latest love interest and whom everyone detests - with reason; and a few other troublesome personalities.
The feature I liked most about this novel was the depiction of relationships. The closeness between the Benedict sisters despite their differences is touching, as is how they lean on and support each other. Adam's bond with his mother is tender and admirable. The exchange between the girls and their housekeeper, Mrs. Finch is full of love and respect - she's been more of a mother to them than their own. Even the strain between them and their mother and respective fathers is remarkable. It all goes to show that relationships indeed take all forms. Mary J. Williams did an excellent job with this aspect.
I did experience some annoyances with the book, though. I had some issues with the punctuation. Sometimes I felt like a better flow could have been achieved with a comma rather than a full stop. I didn't like the abundant use of short sentences, especially in the dialogues - they made everything sound like an afterthought.
Additionally, I couldn't help but find the main characters a little too perfect. While the defects of the others are easy to pinpoint, these two seem to have none. He never makes a mistake; she never does or says the wrong thing. Now, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this sort of perfection per se. It's just that I like my leading lady and guy to have some kind of flaw or damage.
From start to finish, I was entertained. I was generally pleased with the way things worked out for the couple and not really surprised by the cliffhanger - I wondered about the loose ends concerning a certain character. I'm curious to see how that gets resolved, as well as the other sisters' stories.
Finally, the piece appears to be professionally edited. The more intimate scenes between the two lovers are tastefully described, but are still only suitable for adults. And though there are instances of profanity, they are not excessive. I give One Way or Another a rating of 4 out of 4 stars, and I would recommend it to all romance lovers.
******
One Way or Another
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
