Review of A Simple Act of Kindness

[Stephanie Runyon]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Simple Act of Kindness" by Michael A. Way, Sr..]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Michael A. Way’s A Simple Act of Kindness is a romance novel involving Audrey Sawyer and Jonathan Dawson. Jonathan often does his grocery shopping in a local store. He approaches the meat counter and sees a young woman standing in line with three children. Jonathan attempts to start a casual conversation, but the woman only gives him a polite smile. He offers to buy the children apples. The youngest, Joanie, asks him if she can have a tangerine instead. Waiting outside, Jonathan discovers an older woman exiting with the children. Something about the mystery woman made Jonathan certain she was his soulmate. However, she was gone. Jonathan feels he will be single forever.

Audrey’s boss sends her to Korea to work on a cybersecurity project. On her last night in Korea, she runs into Jonathan. Neither of them recognizes the other from the grocery store encounter. When she loses her access card to a corporate apartment, Jonathan offers Audrey his bed while he sleeps on the couch in his hotel room. Audrey leaves Jonathan asleep but is disappointed when she doesn’t hear from him. Several years later, Audrey is arrested for flying a drone over a federal park. To her surprise, she discovers Jonathan was guilty of the same offense. Later that day, Audrey tells Jonathan she wants him to be her best friend.

A Simple Act of Kindness is a Christian romance novel about an endless life of love between two people. It begins with a board of angels who are searching for the perfect parents for the earth’s next savior. The character development was exceptional. Audrey's portrayal as stubborn and socially awkward is supported by her actions throughout the story. Jonathan’s “old-fashioned” values are a testament to his integrity. The novel portrays multiple instances where either Audrey or Jonathan could have exploited the other’s vulnerability. A flashback is used to show how the angels could direct Audrey and Jonathan into meeting each other. The multiple obstacles make the plot unpredictable. The time periods, past relationships, and the mystery surrounding the people at the grocery store are just a few of the challenges Audrey and Jonathan will encounter.

A Simple Act of Kindness’s ending disappointed me. The amount of detail given throughout the book is absent. It felt somewhat rushed. The rushed ending summarizes past events; however, shifting the focus to the present actions and emotions could create a more impactful conclusion. I didn’t find Audrey to be a likable character due to her tendency to play mind games and test Jonathan's love unreasonably. She plays a lot of mind games to test Jonathan’s unconditional love. Her parents emulated a perfect relationship, and I felt she could have been nicer to Jonathan.

I rate A Simple Act of Kindness four out of five stars. Some minor editing and adding detail to the ending could improve the quality of the book. The overall theme of a "simple act of kindness will serve you well for a lifetime" is reinforced in several scenes. Focusing on chastity before marriage and not allowing peer pressure to lower your standards are shown in conversations with supporting characters. This made the book feel more relatable to relationships that people engage in today.

A Simple Act of Kindness is an excellent fit for readers with Christian values with its references to Bible verses, God, angels, and divine providence. I noted some profanity that may offend some readers. The book is suitable for high-school-level readers as the romance does not contain any explicit scenes.

 
 

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A Simple Act of Kindness
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[Nati Jiniya]

Thank you for this beautiful review! The book sounds interesting and unique, I'd love to give it a try. I don't have much experince with this genre, so it would be adventurous.