Official Review: Rooftop Sunsets & Cocktails

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 08 Sep 2015, 09:25

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Rooftop Sunsets & Cocktails" by Alexa Fernandez.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Rooftop Sunsets & Cocktails is a romance novel by Alexa Fernandez.

Desiree is an attractive 24-year-old who lives in Manhattan. She moved to the city to become an actress, though she ended up working at an upscale retail store. She also does odd jobs, like repurposing furniture and performing in workout videos. Three months ago, her fiancé Seth broke off their engagement. She hasn’t been the same ever since. Luckily, she has the support of her best friends George, a handsome doctor, and Olivia, an aspiring singer. The story follows Desiree as she navigates her 20s, figures out what she wants to be when she grows up, and attempts to get her love life in order.

This is a very character-driven book. Desiree is vain, shallow, and self-absorbed. Many readers may find her off-putting. However, her character does develop into someone more mature. Her gradual development is one that many readers around her age could relate to. She starts off by cyberstalking her ex and her follies only escalate from there. It takes her a while to learn from her mistakes, even when her friends try to redirect her path to self-destruction. The sincere friendship she has with her best friends is rather inspiring. They always give genuine advice and have each other’s backs. That doesn’t mean that things are always perfect between them.

At certain points, the story focuses less on romance and more so on the notion of finding oneself. Naturally, that involves messing up along the way. That’s what being in your 20s is all about. This was the best aspect of the book.

The story is well written and fast paced. It’s a breeze to read. There is only a handful of tiny errors; the book could benefit from one final proofreading to correct them. The few errors don’t distract from the story. There are a lot of flashbacks at the beginning; they are inserted seamlessly.

Desiree desperately wanting to win Seth back initially drives the plot. Then the story switches gears halfway through. At this point, new characters are thrown in seemingly out of nowhere. It is painfully obvious that their purpose is just to create drama and move the plot toward its intended conclusion. This was the worst aspect of the book. It just felt too forced and wholly unnecessary.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The plot and characters were often frustrating, but this was an effective way to keep the reader engaged. I found myself shouting at the pages on many occasions. The contrived direction the story ended up taking was a bit disappointing, but it did provide further development for the main characters. While I didn’t think the story lived up to its full potential, it was still entertaining. I greatly appreciated the focus on the struggles of being in your 20s.

If romance stories set in New York City aren’t your cup of tea, then this isn’t the book for you. I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy flawed female protagonists trying to find their way in this world.

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Rooftop Sunsets & Cocktails
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sphillips44 · Post by **sphillips44** » 09 Sep 2015, 09:47

This novel sounds quite intriguing. I want to find out how she develops herself and what you found disappointing. Great review, you've got me hooked!

Post by **bookowlie** » 09 Sep 2015, 09:58

Nice review! I'm glad you are able to enjoy the book despite the issues you mentioned. I've also found myself shouting at the pages of a book on occasion.

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 09 Sep 2015, 11:51

sphillips44 wrote:This novel sounds quite intriguing. I want to find out how she develops herself and what you found disappointing. Great review, you've got me hooked!

I'm glad I was able to be convincing! Overall, it was fun to read and even the disappointing parts kept my interest and attention.

bookowlie wrote:Nice review! I'm glad you are able to enjoy the book despite the issues you mentioned. I've also found myself shouting at the pages of a book on occasion.

Thanks, bookowlie! Glad I'm not the only one who does that.

Alexa_Fernandez · Post by **Alexa_Fernandez** » 10 Sep 2015, 06:55

Author, here, just a quick note that my book is available free on Kindle Unlimited. I hope you all enjoy it!

chytach18- · Post by **chytach18-** » 10 Sep 2015, 10:29

I like when romance is not only about kissing. Character-driven romance sounds good for me. Great review, Tanaya. Well done, Alexa.

Tanaya · Post by **Tanaya** » 10 Sep 2015, 11:15

I like when romance is not only about kissing.

I totally agree! It was refreshing that love and sex weren't the absolute focal point of this book. The characters had some genuine depth to them.

Alexatheauthor · Post by **Alexatheauthor** » 11 Sep 2015, 07:25

chytach18- wrote:I like when romance is not only about kissing. Character-driven romance sounds good for me. Great review, Tanaya. Well done, Alexa.

Thank you. I really wanted to make sure I didn't make it all about that, either. In retrospect, I would have done more character development with Olivia, but as a novice author, it gets a little overwhelming sometimes to do so. I learn more and gain confidence with each book.