by: Sarah BallanceAvailable at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Synopsis:
After a terrifying encounter with the unexplained, it took ten years and the news of her grandmother’s passing for Emma Grace Hawthorne to return to her childhood home. She sought peace in saying a proper goodbye, but what she found was an old love, a sordid family history, and a wrong only she could right.
Living in the shadow of Hawthorne Manor, Noah Garrett never forgot about Emma Grace. In a house full of secrets, his search for missing documents revealed a truth that could cost him everything. What he found gave Emma the freedom to walk away from the mansion, her heart free and clear, but at what price to Noah?
Sarah Ballance is a good storyteller. The characters are engaging and the story itself has a decent pace.
It's a very short story, which almost worked for this tale. I think she could expand on it and turn it into a novel though. The length just didn't leave enough time to build the suspense and then it ended to quickly it was fairly anti-climactic.
The other problem I have is the price. This story is less than 40 pages in length but it's $1.99...$0.99 is the most I'd pay for a short story.
I did like the story, but the bad really outweighs the good on this one. About the best thing I can say is you know I am being honest with all the 4 and 5 star reviews. lol And Sarah if you are reading this remember, it's a great story that you could (and I hope you do) elaborate on.
Thank you for your lovely compliment on my writing! Hawthorne was originally written for a charity line of shorter stories from Astraea Press with all proceeds donated to benefit Japan disaster relief. (Note: It is not still a charity title, but it was born that way, lol).
ReplyDeleteAnd ... a sequel is already in the works. *grin*
I appreciate your time and your honesty. Thank you!
Angie, you are the best. I once told you that before I pick a new book I come to your blog and that's the reason why. Helpful honest reviews are sometimes hard to find.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, I must go and check out the rest of Sarah's work. I admire an author who takes constructive criticism with dignity and grace.
Hi Magaly! I was making the rounds of my new reviews for the month, adding them to my newsletter, and what a wonderful surprise to see you here! Thanks so much for finding me on my blog today and for your kind words here. I'm honored. ;c)
ReplyDeleteSarah - thank you for taking the time to stop by. I love it when authors comment. Good luck with the sequel, I'd love to check it out.
ReplyDeleteMagaly - thanks for stopping by and commenting. I always feel guilty leaving a less than stellar review, but I also want to build a trustworthy reputation.