Official Review: The Waterbear by Wade C. Taylor
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Official Review: The Waterbear by Wade C. Taylor

2 out of 4 stars
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The Waterbear: Some Kind of Love by Wade C. Taylor is a short novel in the Romance genre. It’s the first installment in the Samhain Shake series. Samhain Shake is a forty-something guy living in Panama City, FL, who views the world with an analytical interest. He often includes trivia and his perspectives about astrology, religion, love, and life in his conversations with his friends Constance and Warren. Constance is a religious slut who is having an affair with married Warren. They are an odd pair, since Warren is an atheist. She likes to talk about her Baptist religion, even though her sexual activities certainly don’t fit in with a “family values” lifestyle.
This isn’t your typical Romance novel. It’s wise and offbeat. There is a blend of light-hearted situations and deep thoughts. The reader sees the world through Samhain’s eyes, with his comments about astrological signs, racism, religion, and other topics. He has a lifelong love of astrology and relates the zodiac to pretty much everything. The pacing often gets bogged down by Samhain’s observations, but these passages are often insightful.
The highlight of this book is the perceptive, often witty banter among the characters. Their conversations are intelligently written and relatable. The characters are well drawn and I felt like I knew them, even though I have never met people like this before. Constance is a particularly interesting character. She constantly reconciles her own and other people’s actions with her Baptist beliefs, by interpreting her religion to fit the moment.
Unfortunately, the plot is weak and meanders all over the place. Much of this is due to Samhain’s long ruminations about different subjects. Also, a few of the passages are densely written. For example, a passage, which compares his mother’s heritage with President Obama’s, is extremely long-winded. The description of Samhain’s job history is just one boring, rambling paragraph. I found these sections dragged down the storyline a bit. Still, there are some interesting passages where Samhain thinks or talks about a particular topic. His reflections on singer John Lennon and "rockism" are a standout.
The typical Romance reader, who may be looking for a light beach read, will be disappointed. The romance sections are few and far between. Still, the book is a fresh, offbeat read. I am not a frequent reader of Romance novels, although I do like a good book, regardless of the genre. I selected this book as I was intrigued after reading the summary and author’s bio. Although I enjoyed reading some sections, overall the book didn't live up to my expectations.
I would like to mention that the word “waterbear” in the title is misspelled as one word; it should be two words. Although writers sometimes take poetic license for creative reasons, I am unsure whether this incorrect spelling was deliberate or just an error. Including a misspelled word in the title seems unprofessional in a published work.
I give this book a rating of 2 out of 4 stars. The plot dragged a bit, although parts of the story were interesting. If you are looking for a unique short read with offbeat characters, look no further.
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The Waterbear
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- Rabidwerewolfie
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-- 20 Apr 2015, 10:29 --
Lie you, I am not much of a romance reader. Still, the book is more of a general fiction story, with only a little romance.Rabidwerewolfie wrote:Not typically into romance myself, but you make this book sound amusing despite the disappointments. Does it get preachy at all or just rambling like an old man in a rocking chair muttering to anyone within earshot?
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Same...angelbeats1 wrote:Well organized review! I am confused as to why the cover photo is this book is a Tardigrade (Water Bear)... How does that even connect to the story? I clicked this book thinking that it was going to be some sort of non-fiction science book that informs the readers about the lives of Water Bears, haha.
When I realized this was a romance book, I thought a mod had changed the cover image and book title as a joke!
- Cyril Connolly
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- bookowlie
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Anyway, I like your description of a female character as a religious slut. I'm always looking for new insults.

- bookowlie
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As for the religious slut description, Constance just really enjoys sex. I guess you call her a religious sex lover.