Review by Jane12 -- Yesterday by Samyann

[Jane12]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Yesterday" by Samyann.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Yesterday is a romance novel written by Samyann. It tells the story of Amanda, an expert on antiques, and Mark, a Chicago policeman. They meet when Amanda saves Mark’s life in a miraculous manner. From the first they are drawn to each other in a way unusual between strangers.

Trying to uncover the reason for this pull, the two investigate the theory of reincarnation and their past lives. Even if one does not believe in reincarnation, it does not retract from the enjoyment of the story. The characters themselves are sceptical at first! Through reincarnation Samyann incorporates a historical timeline from the Civil War through to the Chicago Fire.

The characters are believable and round and make you care about what happens to them. Amanda has experienced much heartbreak in her life and is unwilling to grow close to someone again. Mark tries to convince her to give him a chance. By investigating their past lives they grow closer and find some answers, but that might not be enough to convince Amanda to let go of her fears.

I rate this book as 3 out of 4 stars, as I really enjoyed reading it. It is easy to read, has enough suspense that I finished it in a weekend and no errors that retracts from the reading experience. Dialogue is well-executed and advances tension and plot. There is more descriptive language than in your average romance novel, but I feel it is well spent. Since Amanda is an expert in antiques and deals in them, she has an eye for detail and it comes through in her voice. The descriptions of events and places are well-written and makes it easy to visualise the setting.

The author did her research well, which makes the historical parts easy to imagine. In her author’s notes, Samyann has a quick summary of her research, including recipes and the historical places visited in the book. I thought that a nice touch.

The story switches between viewpoints, but does not “jump heads” in the same scene. My copy of the epub did not have a clear break between different scenes in the same chapter, which sometimes threw me for a paragraph or so, but that might just be something technical. Overall, I feel that the change in viewpoints and timelines are handled well.

I recommend this book for a relaxing, easy read, but one that is in no way superficial or inane.

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Yesterday
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