Review by gladys_faith -- One Way or Another
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gladys_faith
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Review by gladys_faith -- One Way or Another
[Following is a volunteer review of "One Way or Another" by Mary J. Williams.]
4 out of 4 stars
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One Way or Another is the first installment in The Sister Quartet series by Mary J. Williams. It was a story of four bright and strong-willed sisters – Andi, Bryce, Calder, and Destry – who, despite having different fathers, had been inseparable since they were born. As they grew up, their mother, Bille Benedict, had been flighty and self-centered, thinking more about the disposable men in her life rather than the welfare of her daughters. With this, the Benedict sisters learned to survive on their own and depended on each other as their solid foundation of support and love. Financial struggles were definitely out of the picture given that the Benedicts had a life of massive wealth and grandeur. Instead, the siblings fought their way through the emotional issues of dealing with parental problems (having a nonchalant mother and more than complicated issues with their respective fathers would never be easy), seeking their own passion and purpose despite the hypocrite-filled society of filthy rich, and believing in true love despite what they had witnessed in their household.
This first novel focused on Calder Benedict, founder of a well-known charity foundation, Erica’s Angels, which gathered donations to help children in need. She had high ambitions for her charity, wanting to conquer the biggest cities and even the world. Eager to prove her value not by her net worth but through her real hard work and dedication, she had to fight her way through to grow her business. While she was focused on the preparations for the biggest gala event that they organized for the year, she was aghast to know that their mother found a new lover in the character of Ingo Hunter, a greedy moneygrubbing affluent businessman. She and her sisters were very determined to find out the true intentions of Hunter before he could do further damage to their family. More than this, her destiny planned an additional twist for her. She met Adam Stone, a stranger who helped her in an incident with a conceited affluent man whom she was trying to turn down. Though an obvious gentleman, Adam seemed to be unimpressed with her, a reaction that Calder rarely gets from usual men. However, as their paths continued to cross and their relationship grew deeper, Calder would learn that Adam Stone was indeed not a “usual” man. Later on, she would also find herself juggling her time in her career, parents and newfound love. She would then face various challenges that would change not just her life but potentially her beloved sisters’ too.
One thing that I loved the most about this book was the effective and aspirational portrayal of the female characters - they were unique, strong, resilient, independent, and can never be defined neither by their face nor money value. It was very inspiring to read stories about women who could stand for their own beliefs and who would not just bow down to anyone. All of the characters were also well-represented and were given enough justification. I enjoyed everything about the book and as I finished it, I became more eager to start the next book in the series and learn more about the journeys and stories of the other Benedict sisters which I’m sure would be as great as this one.
I recommend this book to readers who are looking for a feel-good novel and want to experience the exciting and exhilarating feeling of falling in love with a little dose of drama. Given the background of the book, I was already expecting to read a good love story. Fortunately, Mary J. Williams did not disappoint me. She was great in narrating the storyline with all the romantic scenes by making it very natural and not exaggerated. Even the simple gestures of care and natural conversations could bring a flip in my stomach, a tug in my heart and a smile on my lips. Also, despite having some mature content, she made it very sensual and sexy without being too erotic or pornographic. Technically speaking, there were very minor typographical errors which I think were inconsequential to the flow of the story. For all these reasons, I am rating this book a 4 out of 4 stars.
As the famous line says, “Home is where your heart is”. One Way or Another is not just a great love story. It is also a great story of family bonds and relationships. A family that is not based just by biological kinship but defined by a deeper connection of love, respect, and communication. The straightforward yet sweet banter among the sisters was also fun to read since it showed an authentic relationship among siblings who will not always agree on things but one way or another will always find ways to understand each other. It reflects a true lesson for everyone that wherever life takes us, we will always be willing to fight for the safety and welfare of our family at heart.
******
One Way or Another
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
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One Way or Another is the first installment in The Sister Quartet series by Mary J. Williams. It was a story of four bright and strong-willed sisters – Andi, Bryce, Calder, and Destry – who, despite having different fathers, had been inseparable since they were born. As they grew up, their mother, Bille Benedict, had been flighty and self-centered, thinking more about the disposable men in her life rather than the welfare of her daughters. With this, the Benedict sisters learned to survive on their own and depended on each other as their solid foundation of support and love. Financial struggles were definitely out of the picture given that the Benedicts had a life of massive wealth and grandeur. Instead, the siblings fought their way through the emotional issues of dealing with parental problems (having a nonchalant mother and more than complicated issues with their respective fathers would never be easy), seeking their own passion and purpose despite the hypocrite-filled society of filthy rich, and believing in true love despite what they had witnessed in their household.
This first novel focused on Calder Benedict, founder of a well-known charity foundation, Erica’s Angels, which gathered donations to help children in need. She had high ambitions for her charity, wanting to conquer the biggest cities and even the world. Eager to prove her value not by her net worth but through her real hard work and dedication, she had to fight her way through to grow her business. While she was focused on the preparations for the biggest gala event that they organized for the year, she was aghast to know that their mother found a new lover in the character of Ingo Hunter, a greedy moneygrubbing affluent businessman. She and her sisters were very determined to find out the true intentions of Hunter before he could do further damage to their family. More than this, her destiny planned an additional twist for her. She met Adam Stone, a stranger who helped her in an incident with a conceited affluent man whom she was trying to turn down. Though an obvious gentleman, Adam seemed to be unimpressed with her, a reaction that Calder rarely gets from usual men. However, as their paths continued to cross and their relationship grew deeper, Calder would learn that Adam Stone was indeed not a “usual” man. Later on, she would also find herself juggling her time in her career, parents and newfound love. She would then face various challenges that would change not just her life but potentially her beloved sisters’ too.
One thing that I loved the most about this book was the effective and aspirational portrayal of the female characters - they were unique, strong, resilient, independent, and can never be defined neither by their face nor money value. It was very inspiring to read stories about women who could stand for their own beliefs and who would not just bow down to anyone. All of the characters were also well-represented and were given enough justification. I enjoyed everything about the book and as I finished it, I became more eager to start the next book in the series and learn more about the journeys and stories of the other Benedict sisters which I’m sure would be as great as this one.
I recommend this book to readers who are looking for a feel-good novel and want to experience the exciting and exhilarating feeling of falling in love with a little dose of drama. Given the background of the book, I was already expecting to read a good love story. Fortunately, Mary J. Williams did not disappoint me. She was great in narrating the storyline with all the romantic scenes by making it very natural and not exaggerated. Even the simple gestures of care and natural conversations could bring a flip in my stomach, a tug in my heart and a smile on my lips. Also, despite having some mature content, she made it very sensual and sexy without being too erotic or pornographic. Technically speaking, there were very minor typographical errors which I think were inconsequential to the flow of the story. For all these reasons, I am rating this book a 4 out of 4 stars.
As the famous line says, “Home is where your heart is”. One Way or Another is not just a great love story. It is also a great story of family bonds and relationships. A family that is not based just by biological kinship but defined by a deeper connection of love, respect, and communication. The straightforward yet sweet banter among the sisters was also fun to read since it showed an authentic relationship among siblings who will not always agree on things but one way or another will always find ways to understand each other. It reflects a true lesson for everyone that wherever life takes us, we will always be willing to fight for the safety and welfare of our family at heart.
******
One Way or Another
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Days of the Giants by RJ Petrella
