Concurrent Relationships by Lee DeBourg

Concurrent Relationships by Lee DeBourg


DESCRIPTON FROM AMAZON:
"Following college Frank is comfortable in his bucolic little hometown of Collins. College friend Beth Ann calls, announcing her divorce will be finalized Friday morning...and she is driving the two hours to Collins immediately thereafter.
Oh, no. Not Beth Ann, again.
amantes sunt amentes
                             Lovers are lunatics."

MY REVIEW:

Warning, the end of this review may contain things from the story that you will find out while reading it in order to better explain my thoughts about the book. There are spoiler notices before that content. I always promise an honest review. When an author requests that I review their work, it is knowing I will give my sincere opinion. This book was tough for me. It started out with promise. I wanted to like it.

Lets' start with Beth Ann. The book starts out telling Frank's story in college, where he meets this highly annoying, bossy, manipulative, spoiled, inexperienced, rich girl. She is quite a thorn in his side. But, hey, she wants to have sex, so all is right with the world. Young, carefree Frank, Okay, I can see how he'd fall into the trap. I was reading along, more incensed by Beth Ann's behavior with each turn of the page. This in itself is not bad. A character you love to hate. That was definitely established. However, Frank continued on with her, for years...and years. Even though he repeatedly said he was going to be done with her... but I'll just have sex with her this one last time ..then it's over.. for good.. really. Even when he was in other relationships, even when he claimed to be in LOVE with someone else. Even though he cringed with the idea of spending time with her. I found myself hoping she would not be in the whole book, or if she was, that there would be a reason for it.

Another point, it seemed every woman in the book that he had any romantic interest in would have a plan for him, and when they wanted to see him. They all knew when their period was, did not want him around during that time, and specifically told him to stay away for that reason. That was very odd. More than one woman wanted to have a serious relationship and made plans to spend more time together/live closer together and then BAM, flip flopped on him once the decision was made and it was goodbye time, see ya. Like hitting a brick wall.

The story was really slow, and very long. I couldn't stay engaged in it and I kept setting it down all through the middle thirty percent. I think it could be pared down. There was so much detailed information on things that could have been left out. The part of the book I was really interested in was Frank and Beth Ann, and how OH how was he going to get rid of her. Gina's story at the end, that could have made a very interesting tale - If the reader could have seen it played out instead of just having it relayed in a matter of fact way at the end of the book. It didn't give you a chance to be invested in it.

There was a quote in the book that I liked, and found appropriately describes Frank's life. "A wise man counseled me once to make haste slowly when allowing a woman to select me as her mate." I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. When all the words were read, I concluded this book just wasn't for me. It happens sometimes. Perhaps you'll feel differently when reading it.

Show Spoiler Content

I really expected there would be some big explosion, some climatic event in which true love forced Frank to end things with Beth Ann, and then Beth Ann's nature would cause an upheaval, something, anything. An end came about, but not in a very satisfying way. Frank finally ended things, for the waffling love of Gina, but with a sentence or two describing Beth Ann's mood at the termination of their relationship. I really hoped their would be more to the story than just 'I'll use you for sex, until I finally grow backbone enough to dump you.' When I thought the plot was taking a new turn with Beth Ann's second husband - when she finally, FINALLY tells Frank what she has been planning and collecting, and then she handed it over to him, I was positive there was a new twist coming. Perhaps Frank would use it to get out of his relationship or to give Beth Ann a taste of her own medicine. No. Nothing came of it. Gina, oh Gina. She was THE One? The one who left Frank three times in the book, without any reason. Yet, when she'd come back, after a year, or six years, Frank didn't question her motives. They just jumped right back to having sex. You don't find out the reason why she left the first two times until the very end of the book, and it was just not plausible. When you reach the end and think he is finally going to be with his Greek Goddess, love of his life, she jumps ship again. For no reason.

 Not For Me

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