Official Review: Gambling for Good Mail by Evelyn Cole

[Vickie Noel]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gambling for Good Mail" by Evelyn Cole.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Listed under the Other Fiction genre, and published on June 7, 2009, by Booksurge, Gambling for Good Mail by Evelyn Cole is a light-hearted, down-to-earth novel about Felicia Thorpe a.k.a. Felicia Felleto/Papadakis/Haggarty/Wood who, obviously, finds it easier to stash up junk items from the mail into her spare room than maintain a husband; she’s had four and is on the prowl for the next one. A 43-year-old ex-high-school cheerleader, she is stuck in her glory days of fun and popularity, always waiting for something new and exciting (good mail), or some man to rescue her. She refuses to use her qualifications as a nurse to work, claiming that it was too depressing because “your patients die on you.”

Felicia has it rough growing up. Orphaned at an early age, she is taken into Uncle Howard’s household alongside her big brother, Frankie. Perhaps she picks up the cluttered lifestyle from Howard who never throws anything out, despite how much his wife, Reneé, pressures him. Unable to get him to toss the orphans into the harsh, cold hands of the world, Reneé sure brings the biting winter winds indoors, making life unbearable for the youngsters, and marring their dreams as a nightmarish fiend long after her death.

Nonetheless, Felicia conquers the world and bags four husbands. After Hugo Wood joins his predecessors in the disappearing act, Felicia knows the time has come to do something about her uncanny gambling addiction which was steadily drying up her pockets; she has to earn a living or risk losing the condo her third husband had gifted her. Still dodging nursing, she has a brief stint selling time-shares, enjoying her work and earning breadcrumbs in the process. Time is running out; Felicia needs a miracle.

That miracle comes in the form of a beautiful but gaunt niece of hers, the child of Frankie’s teenage years - Caitland Thorpe. Caitland changes Felicia’s life forever. Having had her suicide attempt foiled by the pink water in the Jacuzzi she’d reclined in just out in the backyard, Caitland figures that if she must live, she’d better learn how to. Voluntarily, she submits herself to a psychiatric hospital where she meets Dr Chang, a sympathetic doctor who bolsters Caitland’s confidence in her abilities, encourages her to utilize her Ph.D. by earning a salary that was “obscenely luxurious” as well as reach out to a family member. With Caitland paying rent to assist Felicia with the house mortgage, and Felicia’s constant cheerfulness serving as soul food for Cait, together, these two differing personalities find a way to upbuild each other, functioning as mothers, sisters and friends.

Unexpectedly, Felicia finally becomes a “prize winner” of a week-long, titillating romance with an Italian count, courtesy the Mannequin Romance novels she so avidly reads. How a painstakingly planned, whirlwind adventure suddenly goes south, shattering their near-perfect world, I won’t divulge. But can Felicia and Caitland, literally and figuratively, walk the track they’d so frequently trodden in the past once again? Take note, you wouldn't see the end coming.

First off, Evelyn Cole is an extremely vivacious writer, a master of dialogue. Armed with rich vocabulary and unrivaled descriptive prowess, she brought her characters to life in the fullest sense of the word. Felicia is a delectable woman, airy and effervescent, whose guileless optimism gets her through trying situations with a smile on her face. She is the female version of Peter Pan who absolutely refuses to grow up.

To be perfectly honest, I’d chosen this book because I wanted to see how other women felt and handled themselves when facing challenging situations with the male species. From the synopsis, Felicia Thorpe was a great case study, and I found that to be true while reading. Although much of the story rolls along in the absence of a dominant male interest, Felicia’s flashback thoughts gave me the vibe that she was the sort of woman who didn’t think much before acting, thereby placing herself at a disadvantaged position. However, I applauded her resolve to pace herself in her final relationship, by being a woman totally in control of herself and her feelings. Felicia truly did come of age, though at the overripe age of 43.

Gambling for Good Mail borders on themes of love, family life, self-sacrifice, self-discovery, and the value of generosity. Uncle Howard cleared out his bank accounts to give Felicia a chance at a brand-new start when her rich brother, Frankie refused to stake her. Caitland discovered her boundaries while living with Felicia and grew more confident in dealing with people. I absolutely adored their relationship, and I completely understood Felicia’s mixed feelings whenever she thought about marriage for Caitland.

The best part of this book was the humor jumping right out from the onset. The author so generously applied wit and idiomatic expressions that I often found myself laughing out loud at various character conversations, even when they weren’t actually trying to be funny. For instance, Uncle Howard, old and forgetful, kept asking about her first husband even though Felicia was fresh out of husband number four (page 115). Another example was when Felicia rehearsed her “stay-with-me” speech for Caitland while awaiting her arrival, reeling off why she couldn’t get help to quit her addiction with an actual group of similar sufferers like AA or Gambler’s Anonymous. Among other things, she’d said, “…and I never stole a thing in my life—except maybe a husband or two. Always gave them back, dammit" (page 45).

Gambling for Good Mail is largely well-edited. The romp-in-the-hay scenes are not graphic in description. I still saw some errors and inconsistencies, though, like Felicia’s first marital surname being spelled differently: “Felleta” (pages 108 and 115) and “ Felleto” (pages 8 and 13). It is impossible to know which spelling the author had in mind. Also, the word “surname” was spelled as “sir name” on page one. There were a few comma and period omissions. I’m afraid my rating would be affected solely by the number of these errors even though they didn’t really constitute a threat to my reading enjoyment.

What I disliked fell under the formatting of the book. On several occasions, a new chapter would either start at the end of a previous chapter’s page or far in the middle of a new page instead of at the top. I have an inkling, though, that this is as a result of the PDF format in which I’d received and read the book, but it is worth mentioning. I also didn’t appreciate the author’s use of bold text to lay emphasis or draw more attention (page 56) when using italics would have sufficed just fine.

Notwithstanding, for the sheer pleasure derived from reading this deep-themed, jocular, engrossing novel, I award Evelyn Cole’s Gambling for Good Mail a 3 out of 4 stars. I would have given a 3.5 out of 4 if that had been available. This book surely deserves a full star rating which it will, indeed, receive just as soon as those niggling errors are done away with. I recommend the book to all those on the path to self-discovery, and to everyone who loves stories of late bloomers, family ties, and coming-of-age. If you’re hunting for an action-packed thriller, this one isn’t necessarily your pick.

P.S. Felicia eventually ends up with one of her former husbands. Can you guess who? Have fun trying!

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Gambling for Good Mail
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[Rose Harebate]

The book contains an interesting plot of a woman who took control of herself and her feelings at the age of 43. This happens to a lot of people in real life, especially men. It's interesting to learn that there are women who fall under such category too. Thanks for a great review.

[kandscreeley]

Interesting. This sounds like a light-hearted, humorous, yet serious novel. It's got great themes, but it seems to present them in a fun (and not too dark) way. I'll definitely look into this one.

[linham02660]

female having a mid-life crisis sounds interesting. I like that it sounds lighthearted and humorous. I might read it. Thanks for your review.

[Christinabooklover]

I was amazed with the rich vocabulary in your writing. The female protagonists seem really interesting. Thank you for your review.

[skindrukas]

My mom says that all women gain an extra eye of wisdom at the age of 40 or so.
Your review is very thorough. I love your writing style. It is perfectly fit to review this book and it gave an impression on the book's mood, or at least this is what I thought after reading the review. A book worth keeping in mind, in my opinion.

[Connie Otwani]

My wild guess, Felicia ends up with no.4, cos uncle Howard ensures we don't forget him! The book has a unique blend of 'interesting' - coming of age at an overripe age, family dynamics, and humor! Great review!

[LV2R]

Gambling for Good Mail by Evelyn Cole is a light-hearted, down-to-earth novel about Felicia Thorpe a.k.a. Felicia Felleto/Papadakis/Haggarty/Wood who, obviously, finds it easier to stash up junk items from the mail into her spare room than maintain a husband; she’s had four and is on the prowl for the next one.

What a long name for someone to have, though I see it's because Felicia has been married four times. I like that the author wrote good dialogue and described the characters well. I hope the book will get edited and the errors will be corrected.

[Kajori Sheryl Paul]

The best part of this book was the humor jumping right out from the onset. The author so generously applied wit and idiomatic expressions that I often found myself laughing out loud at various character conversations, even when they weren’t actually trying to be funny.

I think this made the book all the more enjoyable. Felicia and Cat's story seems to be an interesting one.

Thank you for the great review.

[InStoree]

The best part of this book was the humor jumping right out from the onset. The author so generously applied wit and idiomatic expressions that I often found myself laughing out loud at various character conversations, even when they weren’t actually trying to be funny. For instance, Uncle Howard, old and forgetful, kept asking about her first husband even though Felicia was fresh out of husband number four (page 115) [...] Among other things, she’d said, “…and I never stole a thing in my life—except maybe a husband or two. Always gave them back, dammit" (page 45).

Now, that was funny! : lol: You were right! I've instantly started to laugh. Felicia was addicted, but definitely she was not a thief. I think the book is worth reading because of the female self-discovery course but for humor too. It is said that women reach her 'orgasm' of life at around 40, but I think it really depends on each. Women are not standard. Thank you for a detailed and humoristic review!

[Vickie Noel]

The book contains an interesting plot of a woman who took control of herself and her feelings at the age of 43. This happens to a lot of people in real life, especially men. It's interesting to learn that there are women who fall under such category too. Thanks for a great review.

I agree! Sometimes, people are scared to eventually seize control of their lives at that time, preferring to just walk through it with the reasoning that "it's too late to start over." Good thing that wasn't the case for Felicia. Thanks for your lovely input.

[Vickie Noel]

Interesting. This sounds like a light-hearted, humorous, yet serious novel. It's got great themes, but it seems to present them in a fun (and not too dark) way. I'll definitely look into this one.

You summed it up perfectly, kandscreely. That was my impression too when I first read the blurb and subsequently started reading the book. Thanks for the feedback!

[Vickie Noel]

female having a mid-life crisis sounds interesting. I like that it sounds lighthearted and humorous. I might read it. Thanks for your review.

I hope you do! You won't regret it. Thanks for stopping by!

[Vickie Noel]

I was amazed with the rich vocabulary in your writing. The female protagonists seem really interesting. Thank you for your review.

Thank you so much; I'm humbled by your words. Thanks for reading the review!

[Espie]

"It's better late than never." Felicia has blossomed in her own time. It's great to note there's humour in this piece, too. Thank you for your thorough review.