**WARNING!!!! May Contain Spoiler Alerts!!**
Book Title: Jonathan's Vows
Author: Matt Lages
Format: Paperback, ARC
Total Page Count: 300
Book Genre(s): Adult, Contemporary/Modern, Drama-family, Family dynamics, Fiction, Love/Romance, Realistic Fiction, Slice of Life, Stand-Alone Book, Location - USA
Categories for Rating - see post at my blog for rating system:
Each topic rated 0-10
0-2 = extremely poor, DNF'd (or seriously considered it), difficult to complete
3-4 = somewhat poor although not as bad as "0-2", may have had *some* redeeming qualities
5-6 = mediocre, neutral
7-8 = really good
9-10 = outstanding, exceptional
Then you average the 5 individual ratings to get the overall x out of 10 rating for the book. Once that is done, the overall rating is converted into the following star rating.
0 - 2 = ⭐ (1 star)
3 - 4 = ⭐⭐ (2 stars)
5 - 6 = ⭐⭐⭐ (3 stars)
7 - 8 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
9 - 10 = ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars)
A. Characters: 8/7 ... There are basically 2 (then 3) main characters, with a bunch of other people coming in and out of their lives. The main characters are well developed however they are also flawed in the very human way that we are all flawed.
B. Cover Art & Design: 8/7 ... Simple, and yet, says a lot, especially in regards to the content of the story.
C. Enjoyment: 8/7 ... I liked the story. I think this was a unique approach to how one tries to say all they want to say, and say it right, when writing their wedding vows.
D. Plot (Storyline): 7/7 ... As I said, creative and unique. I like how the author chose this particular point of view (it would have been much different had it been from the bride's side of things, or one of the parents). And I loved the little "drops" of pop culture here and there within the scope of the book. And special note: loved the story about Taylor's first night home from the hospital and Jonathan has him up watching movies like the original "The Mummy", and the conversation between him and his wife, Samantha, when she wakes up and finds them.
E. Writing Style & Editing: 8/7 ... This is the 3rd or 4th book I have read by this author and I must say that I enjoy his writing style. It is straight-forward and easy to read / keep up. There's no fancy flourishes, not a lot of filler words to say what can be said simply.
***Additional Aspects of Book that I am reviewing (optional)***
**Pros: The book is easy to read, good and steady flow of the story. It has the interesting premise of a man on the cusp of his marriage. He is young, very much in love, and facing the daunting task of writing his part of the wedding vows. Over the course of the book, he imagines
**Cons: There were a couple of times within the full span of the book that I thought Jonathan's interactions and responses to others was almost too simple, or too cut and dry. For example, he talks about purchasing a special item for his wife for her birthday and it ends up not working right, so initially he tries to contact the person he bought it from (sort of like a second-hand antique store) and the guy won't help him except to recommend a repairman. So, next Jonathan contacts a lawyer to see if he could talk to the shop owner. The lawyer does, and gets back to Jonathan and tells him that he signed the contract when he paid and he states it was an "as is" sale and Jonathan's response is "What does that mean?" Now, I'm sorry however this adult male, who has a college education, who is not a dumb man, has no clue what an "as is" sale is? Luckily, these kind of moments are few and far between, so it doesn't really impede upon the enjoyment of the overall story.
**Personal Like: There was a scene in the book that I really loved, actually busted out laughing, and had to read it to my husband. It was when their new baby, Taylor, came home from the hospital and Jonathan brought him out the living room after his wife went to bed, and they watched B-rated horror movies together ... until she wakes up and gives Jonathan all kinds of crap for having the baby up, watching movies. I could *so* picture my ex doing this with our oldest son, and was just able to envision the whole scene playing out.
I also liked how the author peppered in little trivia notes of pop culture, like the B movies mentioned earlier, and Star Trek. As a Trekkie, it was kinda cool to see the mentions.
**Does this book "fit in" to the genre(s) it's listed under? yes, very much so.
**Final Notes: In closing I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to view this unique and contemporary book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Final Rating: 7.8 (4⭐⭐⭐⭐) / 7 (4⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Note(s) on Rating: This seems like a good, solid rating for an enjoyable, easy going, balanced book.
This review can also be found here, on GoodReads:
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