Official Review: Sunspots by Karen S. Bell

literaturelover · Post by **literaturelover** » 23 Nov 2015, 15:01

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sunspots" by Karen S. Bell.]

4 out of 4 stars

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I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve had this book on my “To Do List” for much longer than I should. I regret that life got in the way of reading it. Now that I have read it, I am still trying to absorb its awesomeness.

Sunspots, is a modern day romance starting out in New York City and ending in Austin, Texas. The heroine of the story is Aurora, a struggling actress. A self-described “Carrie Bradshaw” raised by former ‘hippie’ parents who is prone to flights of fancy and very vivid daydreams. The book opens on a dark period in her life. Her husband of less than a year has just died and she is in the midst of a complete mental breakdown.

After reading the first few chapters, I wondered how this fit into the Romance genre. It started in such a dark place, I will admit to being slightly confused. The story progresses quickly and through frequent flashbacks, the story of Aurora’s life with her husband became fleshed out. The author is very adept at setting up her scenes and I was easily transported to wherever Aurora was trying to take me.

This book is a bit hard to review in detail because there are SO MANY plot twists! I loved not being able to guess as to what direction the story was heading. I enjoyed the author's use of foreshadowing and comparisons to popular movies. Aurora is an actress and the story is in First Person Narrative, she often compares scenes and emotions to popular films. This imagery is easy and allows me to quickly conjure up the correct emotion and visualization I need in order to understand why the character is acting or reacting to certain situations. It also made me remember that this woman was going through a traumatic experience and comparing these scenes in her life to popular movies made her seem more human. I’ve done the same thing in my own life a time or two.

As the story progresses we actually get several stories wrapped into one novel. This is a Pro, simply because I felt like I was getting a bargain! Three stories in one! Aurora is trying to cope with the loss of her husband, rediscover herself in the process, and deal with a few serious loose ends he’s left for her to tie up. There’s also past lives and a ghost or two to deal with along the way. While it can be a little confusing sometimes with so much going on at once, I stuck with it and was so happy that I did.

This book has a definite Gothic Romance vibe, set to modern times. I kept thinking of Daphne Du Marier’s Rebecca as I read this. I will gladly give this book 4 out of 4 stars and look forward to reading other works by the author. Ms. Bell has the ability to paint clear and vivid pictures with her words, which is a must for any good book. This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys suspense, romance, ghost stories, New Age idealism, and good old fashioned Women’s Empowerment. I strongly recommend this book as a great read for your rainy day collection or as Winter is upon us a good snow day distraction. Cuddle up with your favorite sweater and hot beverage and enjoy!

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Sunspots
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KarenBell · Post by **KarenBell** » 01 Dec 2015, 10:10

All I can say, that for an author, when a reader "gets" her work, there is nothing more satisfying. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this thoughtful review.

literaturelover · Post by **literaturelover** » 01 Dec 2015, 10:34

KarenBell wrote:All I can say, that for an author, when a reader "gets" her work, there is nothing more satisfying. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this thoughtful review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will probably read it again over the holidays with coffee and chocolate!

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 02 Dec 2015, 08:17

Sounds like a very interesting book. 'Three stories in one! Aurora is trying to cope with the loss of her husband, rediscover herself in the process, and deal with a few serious loose ends he’s left for her to tie up' I would love to have a chance to read it. Congratulations to Karen S. Bell for such a wonderful book.