meg reads and reads

Title: Firefly Beach Author: Luanne Rice I usually enjoy Luanne Rice, but Firefly Beach was a massive slog. It felt like she was trying to fit every possible misfortune into one story--alcoholism, domestic abuse, diving accidents, and so on--until the plot just felt bloated. Instead of making me feel for the characters, the constant barrage of tragedy was exhausting. It went on for way too long, and the narrative wove in and out so much that I found myself getting genuinely bored in several places. While the plot was a mess, there were a few bright spots. I loved the closeness between the sisters and have always envied that kind of built-in support system. They certainly needed each other, too, since their mother was such a piece of work; it's honestly no surprise why at least two of the daughters turned out the way they did. I also really liked the hero's brother, Sam, and that sweet old dog, Homer. They were the only characters keeping me grounded while everyone else in the s...

Title: Last Day Author: Luanne Rice Have you ever read a book that felt like it would never end? Do you want to? If so, this book is for you! In all seriousness, I have not been this bored in a very long time. The premise seems promising: Two sisters experienced tragedy when they were young, and when they are grown, one of the sisters is found dead with details reminiscent of that earlier tragedy. Who killed her? But really, who killed her? The answer is disappointing. This book was way too long for the depth of story, the details were extremely inconsistent, and when the dead sister started narrating, it became a little too Desperate Housewives for me--without the dark comedy, so it was just terrible. I am glad to put this book behind me and to move on to something better. Two out of five stars. ----------------------------- QUOTES: "There were certain rules in life that had to be adhered to. You simply couldn't come between a person and his child. That would be selfish and u...