Official Review: The Necklace by Linda S. Rice
Posted: 08 Jun 2016, 10:26
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Necklace" by Linda S. Rice.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The Necklace: The Dusky Club June 1962 by Linda S. Rice is a book in the sub-genre of time travel romance. This is the first installment in the five-book romance series centering on Susan’s quest for true love.
At the age of sixty two, Susan doesn’t lack for anything: doting husband, good children, and friends; except a release from her obsession. She thinks she is over her fifty-year long crush on James, an all time famous music band artist, but attending his concert proves otherwise. She goes on a cruise with her childhood best friend, Lynn, hoping she’ll get over her recent disappointment, but it seems like she has a permanent solution to her troubles.
She and Lynn meet Mika, an elderly lady from Haiti, who can look into souls and promises to send Susan back into the past for a week to meet James, before he became all the rage. Back in time and in her seventeen year old body, Susan is delighted to find herself singled out by James. However, reality doesn’t always measure up to one’s dreams. Will Susan fall in love again, with the real James this time? Or will she decide that her present is not as unfulfilled as she thought, after all?
As can be guessed from the summary, the book does make covert references, especially through some clever metamorphosis of song lyrics woven into the plot, to a famous band whose songs most of us have loved listening to at some point in our lives. Inspiration or not, the plot line following a ten year old unable to let go of her obsession with a musician, and carrying a torch for him well into her sixties, and trying to go back in time to test her love; is quite an imaginative one.
The author’s vivid and fluid writing style makes it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the tale. A rejuvenated seventeen year old Susan’s equation with a pre-fame James, back in the 1960’s, is full of crackling chemistry as well as ego clashes. This is the period where women liberation movement was just taking roots, thus it is no surprise that the author, very convincingly, recreates a time where women were still supposed to be subservient, and more importantly, were segregated into boxes, based on how sexually independent they chose to be.
Susan, who has grown up in that age, and in the present, is a woman with a mind of her own, struggles to fit in a timeframe which is fifty years past. Susan’s character with her infatuation, surging hormones, confusion and indecisiveness, is portrayed credibly by the author. The troubled childhood which pushes her to find relief in her fantasies is explored well too. James’ character with his overbearing, male chauvinist and arrogant nature is symptomatic of those times, and yet there is also a caring side to his personality which makes his character quite likable.
The usual elements in a romantic novel: the naughty passionate scenes, the sweet expressions of love, the fear of heartbreak; are all there, and yet what really impressed me was the emphasis on compatibility rather than a crazy, whirlwind romance, and how the author intelligently edges the reader towards this idea. Of course, since this is just the first book and there are four more in line, there is definitely a lot more to come.
The book with its well fleshed out characters, animated writing, dramatic scenes, and a couple of valuable lessons; makes for an entertaining read, especially for readers who like out-of-the-box romances. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Necklace
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4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Necklace: The Dusky Club June 1962 by Linda S. Rice is a book in the sub-genre of time travel romance. This is the first installment in the five-book romance series centering on Susan’s quest for true love.
At the age of sixty two, Susan doesn’t lack for anything: doting husband, good children, and friends; except a release from her obsession. She thinks she is over her fifty-year long crush on James, an all time famous music band artist, but attending his concert proves otherwise. She goes on a cruise with her childhood best friend, Lynn, hoping she’ll get over her recent disappointment, but it seems like she has a permanent solution to her troubles.
She and Lynn meet Mika, an elderly lady from Haiti, who can look into souls and promises to send Susan back into the past for a week to meet James, before he became all the rage. Back in time and in her seventeen year old body, Susan is delighted to find herself singled out by James. However, reality doesn’t always measure up to one’s dreams. Will Susan fall in love again, with the real James this time? Or will she decide that her present is not as unfulfilled as she thought, after all?
As can be guessed from the summary, the book does make covert references, especially through some clever metamorphosis of song lyrics woven into the plot, to a famous band whose songs most of us have loved listening to at some point in our lives. Inspiration or not, the plot line following a ten year old unable to let go of her obsession with a musician, and carrying a torch for him well into her sixties, and trying to go back in time to test her love; is quite an imaginative one.
The author’s vivid and fluid writing style makes it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the tale. A rejuvenated seventeen year old Susan’s equation with a pre-fame James, back in the 1960’s, is full of crackling chemistry as well as ego clashes. This is the period where women liberation movement was just taking roots, thus it is no surprise that the author, very convincingly, recreates a time where women were still supposed to be subservient, and more importantly, were segregated into boxes, based on how sexually independent they chose to be.
Susan, who has grown up in that age, and in the present, is a woman with a mind of her own, struggles to fit in a timeframe which is fifty years past. Susan’s character with her infatuation, surging hormones, confusion and indecisiveness, is portrayed credibly by the author. The troubled childhood which pushes her to find relief in her fantasies is explored well too. James’ character with his overbearing, male chauvinist and arrogant nature is symptomatic of those times, and yet there is also a caring side to his personality which makes his character quite likable.
The usual elements in a romantic novel: the naughty passionate scenes, the sweet expressions of love, the fear of heartbreak; are all there, and yet what really impressed me was the emphasis on compatibility rather than a crazy, whirlwind romance, and how the author intelligently edges the reader towards this idea. Of course, since this is just the first book and there are four more in line, there is definitely a lot more to come.
The book with its well fleshed out characters, animated writing, dramatic scenes, and a couple of valuable lessons; makes for an entertaining read, especially for readers who like out-of-the-box romances. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
******
The Necklace
View: on Bookshelves
Like debo9967's review? Post a comment saying so!
