Review of Flames from the Past

[Nisha DSouza]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Flames from the Past" by Beth Dell.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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You must have already inferred, from the title and cover of the book, that this is a romance novel. Flames from the Past: Smith Family Love Adventures by Beth Dell is a story about Lucy Smith. She works as a bartender at a local bar. One evening, she finds herself in an unpleasant situation with a few drunk men who won't pay for their drinks. Brian Maxwell, a multi-billionaire, enters the scene with the impeccable timing of a knight in shining armor. He manages to diffuse the situation, and things go back to normal. Lucy and Brian eventually cross paths again, but this time under different circumstances. They spend a very passionate night together, but in the morning, everything seems different in the light of day. As soon as Lucy leaves on her bike, she is in for a nearly catastrophic mishap. Fortunately, she makes it through and gets assistance from Gary. He was a high school acquaintance of hers who was present at that crucial moment. Eventually, she discovers that the awful incident was planned and not an accident. So, who is trying to kill her, and why? Why are the two men in her life conveniently around when misfortune befalls her? Will she find out the answers in time? Read the book to learn more.

This book has a good story and pretty decent characters. I appreciated how Brian was portrayed, not as the stereotypical privileged brat but as a kind and considerate person. Similarly, Gary carried the charm and simplicity of a friend on a mission to impress. Even Lucy's character was balanced and not overly dependent. I liked how the story provided enough pull to keep you going. Unfortunately, the list of positives is somewhat brief.

Although the underlying story held the promise of a good read, the execution fell short of the desired expectations. As I continued reading, I was disappointed to have guessed the predictable development in the story. The author's obsessive brand-dropping made the situation worse. It was like watching a commercial while reading a book, which I didn't know was possible until now. I understand that the author thought this would help the readers relate. However, after a certain point, it became needlessly insufferable. If that wasn't enough, the countless errors ruined the book for me. It is hard to believe that this book went through any editing. The frequent misspelling of Brian as Brain is a clear illustration of this. At times, in between the dialogues, even the characters' names were interchanged.

This book needs thorough professional editing. It was disappointing and distracting to discover so many mistakes. Weighing all the positives and negatives, I believe this book deserves 2 out of 5 stars. I deducted one star each for the poor delivery, the excessive product placement, and the shoddy editing.

Being an incurable romantic, I have always enjoyed a good romance novel. However, this book did not live up to my expectations. It has some incredibly intimate erotic scenes, which is not unusual for this genre. I recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy uncomplicated romance fiction.

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Flames from the Past
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[Abenezer Haile]

very good books for my lif

[Sara Nóbrega Bartolomeu]

The plot sounds really good. Im sorry there are so many errors! I might read it if it gets edited! Thank you for your amazing review!

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

The negatives exceeded the positives, I, therefore, skip this book. Though the narrative is something exciting, the poor editing and poor delivery discourage me. Thank you for your honest and excellently written review, Nisha!

[Smrithi Arun]

I was very eager to read the book after reading the first half of your review. I have wanted to try this genre for a while now and romance mixed with suspense was the perfect combination. However, I'm reconsidering taking this book up now after knowing about the negatives you mentioned. Thanks for the comprehensive review, Nisha!

[Omneya Shakeep]

I was planning on picking up this book, as romantic novels are my favourites. But after reading your review, I will be skipping this one. Thanks for the honest and well-analysed review!

[MsH2k]

It was like watching a commercial while reading a book, which I didn't know was possible until now.

I can imagine this being annoying.

Your first two paragraphs had me interested in this story even though I do not read many romance books. Then, your thorough and balanced analysis clearly presented the rest of the story, and I will not regret passing on this one.

Thank you for your excellent review, Nisha!

[Nisha DSouza]

The plot sounds really good. Im sorry there are so many errors! I might read it if it gets edited! Thank you for your amazing review!

Yeah, it was very bad. By page 18, I had my ten errors. So, you can imagine.

Thanks, Sara, for your kind comments.

[Nisha DSouza]

The negatives exceeded the positives, I, therefore, skip this book. Though the narrative is something exciting, the poor editing and poor delivery discourage me. Thank you for your honest and excellently written review, Nisha!

I respect your decision, Hazel. Thank you for your sweet and encouraging words.

[Nisha DSouza]

I was very eager to read the book after reading the first half of your review. I have wanted to try this genre for a while now and romance mixed with suspense was the perfect combination. However, I'm reconsidering taking this book up now after knowing about the negatives you mentioned. Thanks for the comprehensive review, Nisha!

I completely understand your decision, Smrithi. The negatives, unfortunately, were too many to overlook. But, thanks for taking the time to stop by and share your thoughts.

[Nisha DSouza]

I was planning on picking up this book, as romantic novels are my favourites. But after reading your review, I will be skipping this one. Thanks for the honest and well-analysed review!

Yeah, Omneya. I, too, love romance novels but this book was truly a disappointment.

Thanks, dear, for your kind words.

[Nisha DSouza]

It was like watching a commercial while reading a book, which I didn't know was possible until now.

I can imagine this being annoying.

Your first two paragraphs had me interested in this story even though I do not read many romance books. Then, your thorough and balanced analysis clearly presented the rest of the story, and I will not regret passing on this one.

Thank you for your excellent review, Nisha!

I understand, Donna. Thank you so much, for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[Kavita Shah]

Thank you for the honest review Nisha DSouza! Predictable plot and a poor editing job both make it a no go for me. Still, it has got an eye-catching cover, great work there.

[Nisha DSouza]

Thank you for the honest review Nisha DSouza! Predictable plot and a poor editing job both make it a no go for me. Still, it has got an eye-catching cover, great work there.

True, the cover is attractive. If only some effort had been put into the editing and suspense part of the book, it would have easily received a 4 rating.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

[Rob Carr]

While the book wasn't to your liking, I thought this was a really solid review.