Official Review: The Shade Under the Mango Tree

[Guda Lydia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Shade Under the Mango Tree" by Evy Journey.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Lucien Lester has always been unusually curious. True to form, when he came across an abandoned journal, he could not resist the urge to read it. It was a unique black Moleskin notebook with no indication of the owner’s name or address. The first pages introduced him to a preteen girl thinking about life and the question of existence. The adolescent girl morphed and blossomed into a sensitive and gentle woman within the pages, and Lucien could not help but fall in love with her. He developed a strong attachment to the journal and sometimes refused to acknowledge it does not belong to him. Luna Kamaka-Hart, on the other hand, is desperately searching for her notebook. It was a gift from her beloved grandmother, her closest friend, and only confidant.

Adding to her sorrow is her break-up with her long-term boyfriend, who suddenly told her of his upcoming marriage and pregnant fiancé. As fate would have it, Luna’s life takes a new path, and she meets Lucien. They carefully establish a friendship, which blossoms daily. They each find solace in each other and carefully reveal their long-held secrets and traumas. When life throws another heartbreaking curveball at Luan, Lucien is there to help her, and a new love blooms. However, none of them is willing to give in to their feelings, and Luan makes separate plans to relocate to a different continent. It is now a question of how long they can deny their love and how much they can endure.

The Shade Under the Mango Tree by Evy Journey is a lovely and intimate romance novel that will surely tug at your heartstrings. Each character in the book revolves around Luan and Lucien, and the introduction of each of them is seamless, clearly bringing out their various relations to each other. The thorough description of their personalities and physical attributes adds to the realistic nature of the read. Additionally, the author describes the various scenes and settings vividly, making the pages come to life. For instance, it is easy to see Luan’s gentle yet frail grandmother and taste her expertly prepared mango salad dishes.

My favorite aspect of the book is the first-person narrations of both Luan and Lucien. They each give alternating accounts of events as they unfold, providing the reader with two distinct perspectives. This makes the book more intriguing and deeply engaging. There is nothing negative to state about the read; it evokes a range of emotions from pain, anticipation, happiness, and thrill as the characters reveal their worries, traumas, and love for each other. There is also some degree of drama through episodes of love affairs and entangled relationships.

I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors, a testament that the book is professionally edited. The language employed is intelligible and free of any profanities. Additionally, the erotic scenes are tasteful and generally described, making the novel suitable for a wide range of readers. However, I have to warn of sensitive parts, as the author touches on the Cambodian genocide. Nevertheless, The Shade Under the Mango Tree is a fantastic and surprisingly fast read. It depicts a story of heartbreak, family bond, and finding oneself. I recommend it to those looking for an authentic romance story with episodes of drama and suspense. I happily award the book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Shade Under the Mango Tree
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[smolbird]

Your review is so engaging. This sounds like a lovely book.

[Joy Phill]

So many attractive features in this book. However, I don't think this theme is for me. Thanks for an honest review.