OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Magpie" by M.A. Reyes.]

Magpie, by M. A. Reyes, is a fictional romance novel centered around a sweet, older woman named Maggie. She is nicknamed "Magpie" to reflect her intelligence and habits of collecting objects and memories, traits often attributed to the Magpie. It has been seven years since Maggie lost her husband and grown son, but she has never been able to let go of the pain. Her younger sister, Katie, eventually persuades her to try online dating, which leads Maggie through a maze of both frustrating and fun relationships.

Maggie uses her newly found digital connections to search for the special someone that may help her heal. She is swept away in a dazzle of emotions as she finds men that mend, and others that break, her heart. From a rekindled high school romance to a wealthy businessman, Maggie tries to figure out where she can find happiness after her immense tragedy. Conflict soon erupts when Maggie starts a long distance relationship that her sister and friends think lacks any sense of a real future.

Reyes did a wonderful job making Maggie both realistic and relatable. Maggie is a tender grandmother, a passionate lover, and a very logical person. Each page reflects not only pain at Maggie's losses, but also her wildly optimistic sense of a better future. Age is not a factor as Maggie continues to travel and explore the beautiful Colorado area, which Reyes expertly describes. This character is able to demonstrate true emotions that anyone dealing with loss can relate to, while also logically convincing herself to move on to find happiness again. However, I did not like how excessively picky Maggie is towards men. She overreacts to many trivial problems and does not show compassion when her lovers explain issues they are having. For example, one of her boyfriends, named Greg, takes her on a spontaneous and lavish trip to New York. He then discovers that while they have been dating, Maggie has also been having an online affair with another man. Understandably, Greg is angry and says that she needs to leave the other man if she wants to continue her relationship with Greg. Instead of seeing his point of view and the pain that she likely caused him, she deems Greg to be over controlling and out of line. She accuses him of trying to change her, even though he only wants to give her a lovely gift. Many of her relationships reflect similar patterns.

I rate this novel 3 out of 4 stars. I would actually give it 2.5 stars, if that was possible, but it is closer to three than to two stars, due to Maggie's character and the true-life feeling this novel produces. Magpie was a fun romance to read and it easily captured and retained my attention. Maggie was a delight, even though she was very frustrating at times. Some of the problems she faced could have been easily solved with just a little creativity and dedication, which occasionally exasperated me. In addition, many of the romantic moments were slightly awkward. There are a lot of "sexting" scenes, which did not sound as romantic as Maggie seemed to think they were. However, the physical romance was well written and very intense.

I would recommend this novel to older women who want to immerse themselves in a relatable character that faces real-life problems. Anyone who enjoys reading about happiness in the aftermath of tragedy would likely enjoy reading about Maggie's life. I would not suggest this novel to anyone that dislikes online dating or digital relationships.

******
Magpie
View: on Bookshelves

Like RooneysReviews's review? Post a comment saying so!

I enjoyed reading your review. I am not sure this book is my cup of tea, but the main character does sound interesting.

Sounds like an interesting book. I agree with you about Maggie's character. I think if someone hopes to find a good relationship with someone, he or she has to learn to compromise. Good job on the review!