Happy book review day!
Yes, I am back for another book review! I know... two in a row. Crazy!
On our Mexico vacation in April I read a few books. One of my very favourite things to do in the world, as I am sure is true of pretty much all book lovers, is to sit on a beach and read, the sun and the sand and the waves all lulling me into whatever world I am escaping in between those pages.
One such book was Maeve Binchy's Nights of Rain and Stars.
Maeve Binchy seems the ultimate beach read. This is straightforward chick lit. (Mostly) happy endings, lots of surface-level internal conflict, and relationship-focused (yes, there were various types of relationships).
Okay, let's back up here and go over the story.
The book opens in a small Greek taverna above a little village. A disaster is happening in the water below, as a group of strangers from different parts of the world watch, unable to help.
The rest of the book follows these characters as they deal with the tragedy and the reasons they are all individually fleeing to this little village. They are drawn together and come to terms with their own identities, with the help of the village and the characters within it.
Okay, so at the risk of upsetting every Maeve Binchy fan, this book was... okay.
Just okay.
Please don't throw your computer when you read that.
Just okay.
It was light and easy-to-read. The story jumped around a lot, which usually I am fine with or even like, but this got a tad tedious. One paragraph in one person's head, the next two in another, and so on. I think I was just hoping for a bit... more. More depth, conflict, and so on. It felt like the characters never quite got there.
On the positive, the locale is beautifully described. This is the major strength of the book. It made me want to go to little villages in Greece. Very idyllic, which is of course seen through the lens of traveling. It is unrealistic in that sense, but then, anytime we travel, is it not the same? When I was in Italy last summer, I fell in love with little towns like Montepulciano, even though I knew that the glimpse I saw was only a glimpse, filtered through the idealized lens of travel.
This book was fine for a beach read. It was quick; I read it in a day. It kept my attention and was set in a lovely locale. But I just wanted more. It was the equivalent of a shoulder shrug; I couldn't tell you the character names now, but I do remember some of the conflict, some of the plot, and of course, the island and village.
So in other words, perfectly okay.
Are you a Maeve Binchy fan? This was my first read by her, and I am not sure I will be searching out more. But maybe, for another beach read.
For any comments or anything, feel free to contact me via my contact page, and while you're there, don't forget to subscribe to my monthly newsletter. There is lots coming up with the new book release!