Review of Eliyahu's Mistress

[Okorji98]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Eliyahu's Mistress" by Roger Mendelson.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Steven is a marketing and business consultant who specializes in the retail industry. Frances is part of a Catholic charity, Family Helper, burdened with providing recycled clothing for struggling families and generating profits for family support services carried out by the Catholic church. The falling profits have necessitated contacts arranged by Anthony Beatty, the head of this charity, between Frances and Steven to discuss how to resolve this issue. They will meet and discuss over a prolonged period, a period which will include visits to the op-shops and stores in different branches, to give Steven the necessary details he needs to make a report and form a strategy he will take back to the board.

In between these visits and continuous meetings between Frances and Steven, a steamy sexual relationship forms between the pair that is unique in its own way. Characterized by mutual respect, constant phone calls, intimacy, and a sense of novelty, both parties find themselves drawn inexplicably together as the years go by. But there is a conundrum. While Frances is a 51-year-old divorcee, Steven is happily married with two daughters. What will this newfound relationship mean for his marriage and family? How are tensions resolved at the end? Find out in this erotic romance novel, Eliyahu’s Mistress

There are quite a few positive aspects to be noted in this book. The plot is generally simplified and takes the reader on an easy-going journey through the budding relationship between two adults. This is a book you can come back home to after a long day at work or school. There is nothing overly elaborate or complex that demands intense mind-cracking or mental gymnastics. The story progresses gradually and slowly as we see the relationship between Frances and Steven grow from respectful, to flirtatious, to sexual. The author takes the reader along at every step of their journey. Also, Roger Mendelson possesses strong descriptive prowess. Scenes and seasons and characters and physical attributes are described to the minutest detail. This allows potential readers easily form mental images of different scenes in their minds, enriching their reading experience. This work was also professionally edited, as I discovered only a few errors.

There are some things I didn't quite like as well. There were apparent contradictions I struggled to reconcile. Frances is presented as quite spiritual. Her favorite song is Mendelssohn’s Elijah. She has a magic place where she prays to God and likes to meditate. Yet, here is a woman clearly engaging in adultery with a married man. She is presented to readers as considerate and thoughtful, not seeking to destroy the relationship between Steven and his family. But the very act of encouraging infidelity negates this.

It is also said that Steven is happily married. We are told that he really loves his wife, Sandra, and his two daughters, Ilona and Annabel. But this begs the question of why a happily married man would cheat. Throughout the course of this story, we do not see Steven relate with any member of his family. Except we are told that he is married with two daughters, Steven would be correctly mistaken for a bachelor. I think this struck a sense in this book that it was quite one-dimensional and not well-rounded.

After the project with Family Helper was completed, it seemed that the plot stretched endlessly with repeated details of the intimacy between Steven and Frances. It was like grasping at straws, and I think this can bore potential readers. Notwithstanding the negative points highlighted above, I did enjoy reading this book. Therefore, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It did not receive a perfect rating due to the negative points highlighted above. I recommend this book to lovers of romance novels tinged with a dose of the mundane and yet, the extraordinary.

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Eliyahu's Mistress
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[Ogunkoya Mayowa]

A romantic book about the story of how Frances and Steven get to meet each other and how this meeting leads to a steamy sexual relationship between them. The book plot was simple but the book was not well-rounded. Great review.

[Chika Eleanor]

I think this book is a good read to married couples, because I know that having an extra marital affair does not always end well

[Kendal Low]

It seems like Frances and Steven have quite an interesting relationship and I would love to read it. Thanks for the great review.

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I sensed that the characters in the book are sometimes confusing in some way. The book characters are not well developed and didn't match the descriptions. This is an honest review! Thanks.

[Laney K]

This seems like a book with interesting characters being very spiritual yet still having an affair with a married man is quite the contradiction. Thanks for the enlightening review