Official Review: Lottie Loser by Dana L. Brown

unamilagra · Post by **unamilagra** » 09 Jun 2019, 21:25

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Lottie Loser" by Dana L. Brown.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Charlotte Luce is a smart, successful woman. She is the first female and the youngest market president in her bank’s history. She can lock in loans and manage her employees with ease. When it comes to men, however, it’s a different story. One look from an attractive man and Charlotte morphs back into Lottie, the awkward, chubby schoolgirl, tongue-tied and blushing from her ears to her toes. But finally, Charlotte has it all. She’s got herself a stable, long-term relationship, and even though it lacks some spontaneity and intimacy, she’s got everything under control. That is, until Nick breezes back into town and into her bank on a mission to save his father’s marina from foreclosure.

Nick was her best friend growing up and the first boy she fell in love with. He’s also the first who broke her heart. Having to confront him makes her realize that she still hasn’t forgiven him for what he did to her. In order to deal with him, she will have to face her old feelings of hurt and anger. And are there possibly still some lingering feelings of love in there too?

Lottie Loser by Dana L. Brown is the first book in the Anna Maria Island series, which draws its name from the Florida beach town where the novel is set. Although this novel appears that it’s going to follow the predictable template of your typical beach-read romance, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this book has a pretty surprising plot twist toward the end. In fact, there is a cliffhanger ending, which guides the reader straight to book two to find out what’s going to happen.

The book is told from the third-person perspective of Charlotte. It alternates between “Now” and “Then,” mixing the present-day story with flashbacks to her childhood and early adulthood as Lottie. I thought this structure worked well in this book. The reader can see Charlotte interact with Nick as an adult and can slowly discover the details of their history through the flashbacks. This writing style kept me not wanting to put the book down so I could learn more about both the past and the present. I also think that it helped with enriching the character development because the reader gets to see the life events that made each character who they are today.

I took an instant liking to Charlotte, and I wanted the best for her, even though it was sometimes hard to figure out what that might be. My only quibble is that I would have liked to see more depth to her. I struggled to figure out why all of these hot, eligible guys kept falling in love with her. From her own descriptions, we know she is smart, pretty, and well-endowed, but it would have been nice to see some glimpses of a deeper personality that would really draw men in, even if she can’t quite see those qualities in herself. Because of this, I felt the plot lacked believability.

Overall, I rate Lottie Loser 3 out of 4 stars. It was easy and enjoyable to read, and I really liked the book structure. Because I had a hard time really buying into the premise that Charlotte was so irresistible to men, however, I wouldn’t say I loved the novel, and I won’t be rushing out to get the second book in the series. The book was well edited, as I only noticed a couple of errors. I would recommend this to anyone who likes romance novels and is looking for a fun, easy summer read. I would not categorize this book as erotica, but there are enough sex scenes to keep me from recommending this book to younger readers or people sensitive to that kind of content.

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Lottie Loser
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 10 Jun 2019, 11:36

This sounds like a nice, little beach read. I know of Anna Maria Island in Florida. The book probably isn't for me, but it would be nice for romance lovers. Thanks.

dwwerling · Post by **dwwerling** » 10 Jun 2019, 14:29

I have read all 3 books in this Anna Maria Island series. Lottie Loser made me fall in love with reading again. Charlotte is a totally believable woman, with all the issues women face today. I would highly recommend this series for anyone looking for a fun romantic read in a topical setting.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 10 Jun 2019, 16:20

I too don't care for irresistible characters, whether they be men or women. Perfection is unreal. I'm also not a fan of the cover, and I'm not "sour-graping." LOL!

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 10 Jun 2019, 23:11

The lack of believability as you put it is a serious turn-off for me... Great review though and thanks for sharing.

Wyland · Post by **Wyland** » 11 Jun 2019, 01:41

I like the story of Charlotte, which brings to fore the dangers of not finalizing with past issues. I also hope she grows up to be a confident young woman. Thanks for the review.

Wokeread · Post by **Wokeread** » 11 Jun 2019, 05:42

Thanks for the review. I prefer strong female characters, even in fun beach- read romance books. Hope her character develops more in subsequent books.

unamilagra · Post by **unamilagra** » 11 Jun 2019, 09:34

kandscreeley wrote: ↑10 Jun 2019, 11:36 This sounds like a nice, little beach read. I know of Anna Maria Island in Florida. The book probably isn't for me, but it would be nice for romance lovers. Thanks.

Thanks for commenting. I actually selected this book because I was going on vacation in Anna Maria, so that aspect was fun for me too.

dwwerling wrote: ↑10 Jun 2019, 14:29 I have read all 3 books in this Anna Maria Island series. Lottie Loser made me fall in love with reading again. Charlotte is a totally believable woman, with all the issues women face today. I would highly recommend this series for anyone looking for a fun romantic read in a topical setting.

Thanks for your insight and for commenting!

Miriam Molina wrote: ↑10 Jun 2019, 16:20 I too don't care for irresistible characters, whether they be men or women. Perfection is unreal. I'm also not a fan of the cover, and I'm not "sour-graping." LOL!

Haha, thanks for stopping by!

Jaime Lync wrote: ↑10 Jun 2019, 23:11 The lack of believability as you put it is a serious turn-off for me... Great review though and thanks for sharing.

Thank you for your comment!

Wokeread wrote: ↑11 Jun 2019, 05:42 Thanks for the review. I prefer strong female characters, even in fun beach- read romance books. Hope her character develops more in subsequent books.

Thanks for your comments!

Nisha Ward · Post by **Nisha Ward** » 11 Jun 2019, 11:47

This sounds pleasant, but pleasant isn't enough for me. Hopefully the sequels are better.

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 11 Jun 2019, 15:32

I love a good plot twist but the lack of character development is a real disappointment. It's one of the primary things I look for in the books I read. I think I'll give this one a pass. Thanks for the honest review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 11 Jun 2019, 16:22

I can see how it would make the book a little unbelievable if she seemed to be irresistible to all the eligible men. It seems like it was a good book otherwise, and it would be a nice, easy summertime read. Thanks for the wonderful review!

Renee_Prior1995 · Post by **Renee_Prior1995** » 11 Jun 2019, 16:41

Your description of the book makes it sound awesome. I do like sappy summer romances.

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 11 Jun 2019, 17:08

I like the way the author portrays Charlotte. We all know how easy it is to forget all those tips we read in the self-help books and fall into our old thinking patterns. That part of Charlotte seemed believable, but it seems like things took a turn from there. Thanks for your perspective on this book and this series. This was an enjoyable review!

Wriley · Post by **Wriley** » 11 Jun 2019, 20:56

This seems a different type romance book than I normally see. Just the cliffhanger ending is odd. I would probably read it except for this. I like my books to end with a finality.