Official Review: Sweet Amber by William Lynes, MD

[katiesquilts]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sweet Amber" by William Lynes, MD.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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William Lynes, MD takes his reader back in time to meet an alcoholic urologist struggling to get a rein on his addiction. Lee W. is a good man with a bad problem, and even worse timing. He is indiscriminate with his drinking, keeping alcohol in his desk drawer at the hospital. His colleagues have heard rumors of his drinking, but he has never had any problems while on call or in surgery. That is, until a DUI he receives on the night of an important surgery for the state’s governor threatens to end his livelihood.

I was personally attracted to this novel because of the medical setting and the tender subject of morality that comes with being an addict in a high profession. I got the best of both worlds, as Sweet Amber was loaded with medical jargon and in-depth explanations of the surgical process and recovery. In the beginning of the novel, Lee W. could only have been described as an urologist in self-denial. His description changes in time with his self-realization.

I enjoyed the pace of the novel and found that the plot was not quite as simple as its summary led me to believe. I also enjoyed the characters, none of whom seemed superfluous in any way. There were many small details, such as the history of the hospital, which added depth to the story.

On the other hand, at times the details became monotonous. While it is nice to have an explanation of medical procedures or jargon written in, I firmly believe that the explanation only needs to come once, maybe twice if it is being mentioned again several chapters later in the book. Also, the author seemed to have an aversion to commas. There were also multiple typos, a bit of awkward dialogue, and several instances of confusing the words ‘sweet’ and ‘sweat.’ The novel would have been much easier to read – and grammatically correct – if it have been given a more thorough proofread.

Overall, I would give Sweet Amber 3 out of 4 stars. I could be convinced to bump it up to 4 stars if the novel was given a more thorough editing. I was genuinely pleased with the novel itself, but the mistakes were too distracting. I would recommend this novel to adults interested in medical fiction. Due to the sensitive content, I would not recommend it to younger readers or those who have struggled with addiction themselves.

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Sweet Amber
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[Annelore Trujillo]

Great review! I found the same problem with the last book o read. I enjoyed the plot and characters, but it needed to be proofread. The errors it had really distracted me from the book itself.

[katiesquilts]

Great review! I found the same problem with the last book o read. I enjoyed the plot and characters, but it needed to be proofread. The errors it had really distracted me from the book itself.

Thank you!
Sometimes I feel bad pointing out typos and grammatical errors in my reviews, but when they interfere with the reading process, they need to be taken care of. I also wouldn't want to recommend a 4/4 star book and then have people complain because it wasn't as polished as they thought it would be.

If only OnlinebookClub allowed us to rent ourselves out as proofreaders, as well as reviewers!

[bookowlie]

Great review! I have come across the same issue regarding errors. Even if they are not too distracting, they give an unprofessional feel to the book.

[katiesquilts]

Great review! I have come across the same issue regarding errors. Even if they are not too distracting, they give an unprofessional feel to the book.

Thanks!

At least the errors were consistent. More like someone learned them the wrong way and was never able to shake themselves of the habit, rather than plain typos and lack of editing.