*Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for a fair and honest review. All of the opinions and thoughts expressed in my personal review are my own and 100 percent honest at all times.
About the Book:
Set in South Dakota in 1975, where eighteen-year-olds could order 3.2 beer in a bar, and loaded guns were kept under the counter.
Frankie Valli sang “My Eyes Adored You,” and American soldiers returning from Vietnam struggled with their new reality.
It’s within this tumultuous season of American history that Tillie Caselli meets Noah Hansen, and they are never the same again. Their lives were mysteriously intertwined-and had been for many years-yet they had no idea.
From the moment they met, Tillie and Noah wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but a deliberate omission will keep them apart—and that same omission will be responsible for the escape of a murderer, and a bride’s deception.
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My Personal Thoughts and Review:
Okay, so this book was an interesting read for me in that I am not sure how to describe my thoughts on it. Strange, right? I know! I normally do not have any trouble expressing my thoughts and reviews on the books I read, but I am a little torn on this one.
The Pretender is not your typical love story where boy meets girl, they fall in love, and all is well. It has some large twists and a whole slew of characters, each holding a missing key to Tillie and Noah’s story. While this can make for an interesting storyline, at times I was left feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with all that was going on. It was a lot to keep up with.
I really enjoyed the two main characters and their story in the first part of the book but after the first 8 chapters or so, I felt like it was a little hard for me to stay focused. I think mainly because I was rooting so hard for their happiness. I wanted to see more of their individual story but with so many other links to their puzzle to follow it lost my attention a few time.
This is book number one in the author’s new series, so I knew there would be some open-ended threads remaining to keep us hanging until the next book. but for me, there were just too many. I am the type of reader that gets attached to the characters, and I felt a little cheated with so much left unfinished. I honestly told my husband the night I finished it, that this book stressed me out a little because of all that went on and how it ended. I hate saying that about a book because I know the author worked so hard on it, but it was true.
The author is an imaginative writer and the story is definitely not predictable, which can be a great quality for a book to have. However, it was not my favorite read and at times, it had too much going on for me. Despite that, I do find myself wondering what will happen to Tillie and Noah in the books to come. So I am not totally opposed to reading book two if I get a chance. I would like to recommend that you check out more reviews from other readers and then decide if The Pretender looks like a book you would enjoy! You can find more reviews on Amazon and here.
About the Author:
Born and raised in South Dakota, Ta`Mara loves to write about the Great Plains and the beauty and people of Italia. While her husband and children manage their two pizza ristorante, Ta`Mara works full time on The Caselli Family Series, and ministers to women. It is Ta`Mara s prayer that as the readers explore the truths in these volumes, they will come away with a new perspective on love, forgiveness, obedience, and God’s plan for marriage
Find out more about Ta’Mara at https://www.tamarahanscombooks.com.
I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!
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