Is This All There Is? by Patricia Mann

By: Anonymous on Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Title:  Is This All There Is?

Author: Patricia Mann

Published:  January 3rd 2013 by Mannequin Vanity Publishing

Page Count:  216

Genre:  Contemporary Women's Fiction/Chic-Lit

Rating  ★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Beth Thomas has the perfect life. At thirty-five, she’s married to her college sweetheart, has two adorable kids, and teaches part time at the local university. But when a friend persuades Beth to go dancing on a rare night out, a chance meeting with twenty one year old Dave, one of her former students, changes the course of her life. Loud music, too much to drink, and the thrill of feeling young again lead to an unforgettable kiss that was never supposed to happen. As she tries to put the memory behind her, Dave’s pursuit leaves Beth torn between what her mind says is right and what her heart and body crave.

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

My Review:

With this extremely well written novel, Mann manages to very succinctly show how the lines within relationships can be blurred by changing circumstances. She approaches a very loaded subject with abandon showing a great deal of tact as well as insight. She also managed to portray love, lust, marriage, and relationships in a manner that defies literary stereotypes. This is not your stereotypical storybook whirlwind romance, but rather real life.

Mann’s writing style is very conducive to the type of story that she has written. There is a natural flow and progression to the story that is never broken. There are some flashbacks, but they are very identifiable in the story. They also fill the reader in as to how this couple found themselves in their current situation. It is a brilliant way to give the audience necessary back-story without a great deal of narrative. They also give a great deal of insight into the emotions faced by the characters.

The characters in this story each developed to suit a specific purpose. You know everything that you need to about that particular character. The details are provided in a manner that there is no informational or narrative overflow at any point in the novel, thus allowing it to progress naturally through the plot. I found that the characters evoked strong emotions in me as a reader. I could very easily picture myself in their shoes. Of course, at times, I also wondered “what was she thinking????”, but at the same time, Mann made sure that you could always understand where the characters were coming from

This was a very captivating, emotionally and ethically stimulating novel. It made me stop and rethink a great deal of things that I had previously taken for granted. It was a novelty to read a story like this.

 Buy your copy online here today!!!