Hello folks! Today the Rock Chick Fairy and Midnight Fairy will share the blog's very first review convo. Before we delve into that, we would like to thank Ms. Sarah Becks for giving us the opportunity to read and review her book. Ms. Becks, you rock!
With no further ado, here's our review convo of A Naive Heart.
Synopsis:
How much can a woman ever really know her husband? Can a man really hide his true-self from the woman who loves him?
'One woman's story proves that a man can.'
Sarah’s husband John, a seemingly caring, loving and considerate partner, was such a man. Sarah was to discover their relationship was a façade as slowly over the years John began to reveal his true identity. He was a man unable to control his dark secret desires. Desires which he kept hidden so well at first but which ultimately consumed him leading to a marriage rocked by betrayal and deception. But what where the secret desires that drove him to lie and to conceal the real him from Sarah?
‘Based on a True Story, ' A Naive Heart portrays a love sadly gone wrong and a marriage full of pretence, secrecy and shocking revelations. It will strike a chord with any woman who has wondered if they 'ever truly know their partner.’
All names and places have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty.
And of course, I thought that somehow this book and Mathewson's book belonged to the same genre.
MidnightF: Oh yeah, I never thought about that. I like RL Mathewson novels! Anyway, what registered in my mind is that this could be a simple romance novel.
RockChickF: I agree. Of all the things that I thought this book could have, I did not see THAT coming. Yes, I think this book can never be categorized as "simple".
RockChickF: I think it's the circumstance and the mystery behind the husband's personality that made this complicated.
MidnightF: I actually liked it, it's like reading a friend's diary.
e.g. My mum, the women who raised me, loved me and did her best to prepare me for my adult life.
MidnightF: If there's any, I didn't notice it. Haha, you have an eagle eye!
RockChickF: Haha it's the English teacher in me that's doing the scanning. Anyway, those are just minor things. I'm fine with it.
RockChickF: The story is unimaginable. It's something that doesn't happen to people everyday. It's unlikely and very intriguing. It's hard to tell y'all exactly without dropping a bunch of spoilers. Just know that John has a big, massive, huge secret. When I say big, it's damn big. John's predicament was not revealed right way, but when it was out, there was always a constant reminder at the back of my head, so even if he wasn't doing anything weird in some parts of the book, I still remember THAT REVELATION. All throughout the book, I was cringing. I was getting ready for another, then another mind blowing scene. Suffice to say, this book had my full attention. That's also ironic because some parts were boring.
MidnightF: I agree, I think it was John's secret that made this story so idk... weird? haha.
RockChickF: Hahaha weird, but intriguing.
RockChickF: You know at first, I thought she was so weak. She was so considerate and very forgiving of John's condition. However, if you look deeply, she has her reasons. I don't think I can do it the way she did. Staying in a sham of a marriage is not something that a woman thinks of when she starts to fall in love. I don't think anyone can be prepared for that, but she was able to get through with it.
Oh, and i just have to say this... She was so confident at the start of the book. It gradually lessened as the book went on, but at the end, I believe she was able to gain it back. Her high dreams at the start were of course, still unreachable, but al least she was able to get some semblance of happiness. :)
Oh man, the Mike incident! I swear that had me cracking up big time! Hahaha! I'm sorry, I know it's not somehing to laugh hard about. It's just that the situation was a bit funny and super ironic. I think it brought more color to the story.
MidnightF: LOL, but this thing happens in real life. If you must know, I work in a Urology and Andrology clinic, patients like Mike walk in our clinic all the time. Handsome blokes who can easily replace Hollywood men but lacking in some areas.
RockChickF: Haha I was also a nurse, so I could also attest to that.
MidnightF: Going back to Sarah, I think her decision to be with John despite knowing his fetishes was brave and kinda stupid.
RockChickF: I agree with you. Accepting John was stupid and yet brave of her. I don't think most women would do that, certainly not me. Mike's situation is not something new to me, but John's? Oh hell, it's one thing knowing that such a condition exists, but reading about it? Or what's worst (Sarah) living with it?.. I can't even begin to imagine.
MidnightF: I know what you mean! I think if John have been honest from the first meeting and Sarah accepted him despite his habit, I think their relationship wouldn't end this way. I still think it would end in the long run, because sooner or later, John has to accept who he is. They could probably end as friends.
RockChickF: Yeah. Instead of admitting it, all he did was give Sarah a lot of opportunities to hate him. Gosh, the scenes in this book. All of the "I got caught" scenes were frankly disturbing.
MidnightF: But then again, everything happens for a reason... if Sarah didn't meet John, she wouldn't have met Richard right?
RockChickF: Yeah. Can we talk about Richard now? I have some things to get off my chest.
MidnightF: Okay.
MidnightF: I'm glad that Sarah got her HEA but I didn't like how it all started. I know Richard must be a great guy who was shackled with an uncaring and selfish woman, still, Carol did not deserve to be cheated on. Heck, no one deserves to be cheated on. I wish Richard broke it off first with his wife before sleeping with Sarah. I was like, "come on, give both the ladies some respect!" But, if you think about it, Love isn't always rational. So, I'm glad it all worked out in the end. Lessons learned, they are happy... I guess that's all that matters right?
RockChickF: As for me, I kinda enjoyed Sarah's POV. I could see how her personality grew. I read about how she changed gradually and then tried to get back to what she used to be. It was fun. Her wit and sass sure are worth mentioning. Also, call me crazy, but I enjoyed Sarah's 'finding out' scenes. They were heart thumping plus, as a reader, I didn't know what to expect next.
RockChickF: Yeah and she was thinking just that in the end. Wasted time.
MidnightF: I have to add the cheating too.
RockChickF: Haha She certainly wasn't thinking of that in a bad way. She even said that Richard was her prince charming, didn't she? Or something like that.
MidnightF: I get that, it's just that I felt bad for the wronged party (even though the wronged party is a b!tch lol). No matter how they rationalize it, it's still cheating, it's still wrong. But then again, they are in love. People do crazy things for love.
RockChickF: You know, I didn't feel bad at all. I just felt disappointed that after all she's been through as a woman, she didn't even think of the other woman's feelings. Anyway, I guess it's just inevitable.
MidnightF: 4 Fairy Wings! I enjoyed reading this book. It's different from what I usually read but I had fun. This book taught me that what you see isn't what you always get, that shit happens, and that sometimes we do things that could hurt other people to protect ourselves whether its from rejection, humiliation, isolation, etc.
Final Rating: 4 Fairy Wings!
Add this book in your TBR on goodreads.
Buy this book on amazon.
With no further ado, here's our review convo of A Naive Heart.
How much can a woman ever really know her husband? Can a man really hide his true-self from the woman who loves him?
'One woman's story proves that a man can.'
Sarah’s husband John, a seemingly caring, loving and considerate partner, was such a man. Sarah was to discover their relationship was a façade as slowly over the years John began to reveal his true identity. He was a man unable to control his dark secret desires. Desires which he kept hidden so well at first but which ultimately consumed him leading to a marriage rocked by betrayal and deception. But what where the secret desires that drove him to lie and to conceal the real him from Sarah?
‘Based on a True Story, ' A Naive Heart portrays a love sadly gone wrong and a marriage full of pretence, secrecy and shocking revelations. It will strike a chord with any woman who has wondered if they 'ever truly know their partner.’
All names and places have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty.
When you first saw the title, what did you think of it?RockChickF: I thought it sounded like R.L. Mathewson's books. :)
And of course, I thought that somehow this book and Mathewson's book belonged to the same genre.
MidnightF: Oh yeah, I never thought about that. I like RL Mathewson novels! Anyway, what registered in my mind is that this could be a simple romance novel.
Was the content of the book the same with what you imagined?MidnightF: No, not at all. Definitely not simple, and its more than just a romance novel.
RockChickF: I agree. Of all the things that I thought this book could have, I did not see THAT coming. Yes, I think this book can never be categorized as "simple".
What made the book complicated?MidnightF: Everything! haha, jk! Uhm, I think it's the characters--their behavior and the way they think pretty much made the entire story complicated.
RockChickF: I think it's the circumstance and the mystery behind the husband's personality that made this complicated.
How was the writing style?RockChickF: To me it was just okay. It had the "diary-vibe".
MidnightF: I actually liked it, it's like reading a friend's diary.
Did you spot any grammatical or spelling errors?RockChickF: Women. I saw it three times. I mean they were supposed to be spelled as "woman", I have no idea if this was intentional.
e.g. My mum, the women who raised me, loved me and did her best to prepare me for my adult life.
MidnightF: If there's any, I didn't notice it. Haha, you have an eagle eye!
RockChickF: Haha it's the English teacher in me that's doing the scanning. Anyway, those are just minor things. I'm fine with it.
What can you say about the story?MidnightF: I think I already mentioned that the story is way different from what I thought it would be. The story is unique, a little crazy but it felt real.
RockChickF: The story is unimaginable. It's something that doesn't happen to people everyday. It's unlikely and very intriguing. It's hard to tell y'all exactly without dropping a bunch of spoilers. Just know that John has a big, massive, huge secret. When I say big, it's damn big. John's predicament was not revealed right way, but when it was out, there was always a constant reminder at the back of my head, so even if he wasn't doing anything weird in some parts of the book, I still remember THAT REVELATION. All throughout the book, I was cringing. I was getting ready for another, then another mind blowing scene. Suffice to say, this book had my full attention. That's also ironic because some parts were boring.
MidnightF: I agree, I think it was John's secret that made this story so idk... weird? haha.
RockChickF: Hahaha weird, but intriguing.
What can you say about Sarah?MidnightF: What a brave woman! Haha, Seriously though, pre John, she kind of reminds me of one of my girl friends--not about being a single mom, but about being a woman who tries to find her happiness in someone else. She's tired of being alone BUT she have specific standards (sometimes unrealistic) when it comes to men she wants to date. When she finally understood that sometimes what you see isn't what you get (Mike incident), she settled for something comfortable and easy kind of companionship which she found with John.
RockChickF: You know at first, I thought she was so weak. She was so considerate and very forgiving of John's condition. However, if you look deeply, she has her reasons. I don't think I can do it the way she did. Staying in a sham of a marriage is not something that a woman thinks of when she starts to fall in love. I don't think anyone can be prepared for that, but she was able to get through with it.
Oh, and i just have to say this... She was so confident at the start of the book. It gradually lessened as the book went on, but at the end, I believe she was able to gain it back. Her high dreams at the start were of course, still unreachable, but al least she was able to get some semblance of happiness. :)
Oh man, the Mike incident! I swear that had me cracking up big time! Hahaha! I'm sorry, I know it's not somehing to laugh hard about. It's just that the situation was a bit funny and super ironic. I think it brought more color to the story.
MidnightF: LOL, but this thing happens in real life. If you must know, I work in a Urology and Andrology clinic, patients like Mike walk in our clinic all the time. Handsome blokes who can easily replace Hollywood men but lacking in some areas.
RockChickF: Haha I was also a nurse, so I could also attest to that.
MidnightF: Going back to Sarah, I think her decision to be with John despite knowing his fetishes was brave and kinda stupid.
RockChickF: I agree with you. Accepting John was stupid and yet brave of her. I don't think most women would do that, certainly not me. Mike's situation is not something new to me, but John's? Oh hell, it's one thing knowing that such a condition exists, but reading about it? Or what's worst (Sarah) living with it?.. I can't even begin to imagine.
MidnightF: I know what you mean! I think if John have been honest from the first meeting and Sarah accepted him despite his habit, I think their relationship wouldn't end this way. I still think it would end in the long run, because sooner or later, John has to accept who he is. They could probably end as friends.
RockChickF: Yeah. Instead of admitting it, all he did was give Sarah a lot of opportunities to hate him. Gosh, the scenes in this book. All of the "I got caught" scenes were frankly disturbing.
MidnightF: But then again, everything happens for a reason... if Sarah didn't meet John, she wouldn't have met Richard right?
RockChickF: Yeah. Can we talk about Richard now? I have some things to get off my chest.
MidnightF: Okay.
Thoughts about Richard...RockChickF: Frankly speaking, Richard was a surprise to me. I didn't see him coming. I was not surprised though with how quick he moved into Sarah's life, albeit I was kind of disappointed because it happened too fast. He was married for crying out loud. Anyway, I figured, maybe this was really a happy ending for them both.
MidnightF: I'm glad that Sarah got her HEA but I didn't like how it all started. I know Richard must be a great guy who was shackled with an uncaring and selfish woman, still, Carol did not deserve to be cheated on. Heck, no one deserves to be cheated on. I wish Richard broke it off first with his wife before sleeping with Sarah. I was like, "come on, give both the ladies some respect!" But, if you think about it, Love isn't always rational. So, I'm glad it all worked out in the end. Lessons learned, they are happy... I guess that's all that matters right?
What did you enjoy in this book?MidnightF: In the first part of the book, I enjoyed the depiction of a woman who is trying to find her Mr. Right and her ridiculous expectations in dating. I find it refreshing, reading Sarah's misadventures made me laugh. While she'a married to John, that part is a little depressing, but sometimes I find myself laughing at John's quirks. I'm not saying that being confused with regards to someones' sexual orientation is funny, it was John's denial that cracks me up. People like him are now being accepted in the society. There's nothing wrong in being yourself. This may sound weird, but John's behavior in this novel was a real treat. I loved Psychology and John would have been a great subject in class. xp
RockChickF: As for me, I kinda enjoyed Sarah's POV. I could see how her personality grew. I read about how she changed gradually and then tried to get back to what she used to be. It was fun. Her wit and sass sure are worth mentioning. Also, call me crazy, but I enjoyed Sarah's 'finding out' scenes. They were heart thumping plus, as a reader, I didn't know what to expect next.
What was your least favorite scene?MidnightF: I think my least my favorite scenes would be those moments that Sarah kept on staying with John despite his false assurances. It's clear that their relationship is just an act, or a smokescreen to John's fetishes but she stayed anyway. She is making herself miserable! All those years wasted... *sigh*
RockChickF: Yeah and she was thinking just that in the end. Wasted time.
MidnightF: I have to add the cheating too.
RockChickF: Haha She certainly wasn't thinking of that in a bad way. She even said that Richard was her prince charming, didn't she? Or something like that.
MidnightF: I get that, it's just that I felt bad for the wronged party (even though the wronged party is a b!tch lol). No matter how they rationalize it, it's still cheating, it's still wrong. But then again, they are in love. People do crazy things for love.
RockChickF: You know, I didn't feel bad at all. I just felt disappointed that after all she's been through as a woman, she didn't even think of the other woman's feelings. Anyway, I guess it's just inevitable.
Your rating and why?RockChickF: 4 Fairy Wings. I'm giving it a four because the story isn't like anything I've ever read before. It has the element of surprise, drama, love at the wrong place and wrong time. Basically, I'm giving it a four because not only was I entertained, it also gave me a whole new perspective when it comes to gender-sensitive issues.
MidnightF: 4 Fairy Wings! I enjoyed reading this book. It's different from what I usually read but I had fun. This book taught me that what you see isn't what you always get, that shit happens, and that sometimes we do things that could hurt other people to protect ourselves whether its from rejection, humiliation, isolation, etc.
Final Rating: 4 Fairy Wings!
Buy this book on amazon.
No comments :
Post a Comment