Official Review: The Good Stuff by Liz Loughlin

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 16 Aug 2019, 21:04

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Good Stuff" by Liz Loughlin.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The Good Stuff begins with Diana and Paul jumping to hilarious albeit very incorrect conclusions about each other. Paul sees beautiful Diana, dressed to kill, at a social function and is about to introduce himself to her when another poor guy addresses her first. Diana skillfully tells the apparent stranger off and triumphantly walks away. What else could Paul think but that she was one difficult and incredibly rude woman? (He had no idea that Diana was telling off a past boyfriend that had lied and betrayed her).

That same evening, just before Jeremy introduced Paul to Diana, and the rest of the group, he stated, “Ooh, here comes Paul, my partner. You’ll love him. He’s amazing.” At the mention of “partner,” and knowing that Jeremy is gay, Diana assumed Paul was also gay. Soon Diana and Paul find themselves as work associates on a confidential and political bombshell of a case. As they begin to respect and trust one another, they quickly become good friends. Thankfully, they soon discover that their first impressions were incorrect and become romantically interested. Their blossoming relationship and the suspense of the case they are working on are woven together beautifully.

I loved how the author had Diana and Paul meet. She demonstrated to readers that you cannot always rely on first impressions. Thinking the absolute worst of Diana, Paul gets to see layers of her very caring heart slowly unveiled. Loughlin went to great lengths to portray Diana’s extraordinary kindness and compassion on numerous occasions.

Loughlin portrayed all the primary and secondary characters in a realistic and relatable way. However, I became especially fond of Lucia, Paul’s younger sister with Downs syndrome. Her enthusiasm and spontaneity were heartwarming. And I adored Diana’s younger brother Luis- and his fiancé Eric. Their constant humor, combined with their respect and love for Diana, made them unforgettable.

The only complaint that I could find with this 253-page book was that I uncovered more than ten errors. While some of these were formatting issues, there were also several examples of grammatical errors. These findings will require that I deduct a point from the rating.

Some of the romantic scenes were a bit steamy, but I would not call them overly graphic. There were brief references to violence, but even they were toned down and not too explicit. (I cannot be more specific here, or I will run the risk of spoilers). Additionally, there were some instances of profanity, but not a continuous insult, and they did not at all detract from my immense enjoyment in reading this story.

Therefore, I award The Good Stuff by Liz Loughlin 3 out of 4 stars. Readers who love romance will enjoy this endearing story. Those with a healthy dose of humor will be laughing out loud in a few instances. Readers not interested in romance may elect to pass on this one. However, this story is more than just a romance novel, as it also offers a suspenseful storyline. I am pleased to recommend this captivating novel.

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The Good Stuff
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Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 19 Aug 2019, 07:37

A good romance, with suspense and humor added in, sounds like something I would greatly appreciate. As always, I love reading your reviews! Great job!

OuKoyoo · Post by **OuKoyoo** » 19 Aug 2019, 11:09

A great romance book that would make an interesting read for readers who do not mind romantic scenes that are steamy. Thank you for the beautiful review.

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 19 Aug 2019, 11:17

I love romance novels. I'm thrilled to know this one also has a suspenseful plot. It will be added to my 'to read list'. Thanks.

Amber Ala · Post by **Amber Ala** » 19 Aug 2019, 15:54

Layers isn’t something typically seen in romance novels, the The Good Stuff has plenty! It’s makes the characters more real and relatable. I can’t wait to see what comes out of Liz Laughlin’s imagination next!!! A book with two weddings! I’m anxiously waiting!

As for grammatical errors, sometimes authors play with language for effect. I’m not put off by it. This is a fantastic read!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 19 Aug 2019, 18:51

I do appreciate that they made wrong assumptions of each other when they first met. Not a great start. It seems that they are able to overcome this miscommunication, though. Still, I don't think it's a book for me. Thanks!

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 19 Aug 2019, 21:41

I like how the author creates the confusion at the beginning and later works out their wrong impressions. Well-developed characters give such depth and texture to the story. You didn't have any strong objections to the story - so, it looks like a good read. Thanks for the recommendation!

Valar · Post by **Valar** » 19 Aug 2019, 22:22

Creating a good impression at first sight is easier than changing the bad impression at first sight. It will be interesting to read it, and also the author’s idea to add a suspense in romance story is brilliant.

Gathoni1991 · Post by **Gathoni1991** » 20 Aug 2019, 02:06

Romance and suspense meshed never disappoints. Nice review albeit short.

Niv123 · Post by **Niv123** » 20 Aug 2019, 03:59

This seems quite interesting. I might be checking it out soon. Thank you for the wonderful review

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 20 Aug 2019, 11:40

Prisallen wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 07:37 A good romance, with suspense and humor added in, sounds like something I would greatly appreciate. As always, I love reading your reviews! Great job!

I think that you would enjoy this one. Thank you so much, Prisallen, for your compliment and your very kind words!

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 20 Aug 2019, 11:45

OuKoyoo wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 11:09 A great romance book that would make an interesting read for readers who do not mind romantic scenes that are steamy. Thank you for the beautiful review.

Thank you, OuKoyoo, for your lovely compliment!

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 20 Aug 2019, 11:46

Michelle Fred wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 11:17 I love romance novels. I'm thrilled to know this one also has a suspenseful plot. It will be added to my 'to read list'. Thanks.

And I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you, Michelle, for reading my review and for commenting!

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 20 Aug 2019, 11:51

kandscreeley wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 18:51 I do appreciate that they made wrong assumptions of each other when they first met. Not a great start. It seems that they are able to overcome this miscommunication, though. Still, I don't think it's a book for me. Thanks!

Yes, they easily overcame their wrongful assumptions and moved on to trust each other. Thank you for reading my review and for your thoughtful comments!

Bluebird03 · Post by **Bluebird03** » 20 Aug 2019, 11:56

Amber Ala wrote: ↑19 Aug 2019, 15:54 Layers isn’t something typically seen in romance novels, the The Good Stuff has plenty! It’s makes the characters more real and relatable. I can’t wait to see what comes out of Liz Laughlin’s imagination next!!! A book with two weddings! I’m anxiously waiting!

As for grammatical errors, sometimes authors play with language for effect. I’m not put off by it. This is a fantastic read!

Yes, the characters were so relatable and realistic- that was part of their charm. Thank you, Amber, for reading my review and for your insightful comments!