Waiting a Lifetime by Michele E. Gwynn
For the longest time, I thought this was going to be the first book to truly use my new Princess Rating System and get a never used before Elsa award for being a Special Snowflake i.e. I didn’t know what the heck to do with it.
This book is truly like anything that I’ve ever read before, and I didn’t know what to do with it. I won this during a Goodreads Giveaway, and when I got it in the mail, I was supremely surprised. It was super tiny – according to Goodreads only 122 pages – has no page numbers, and in such a different format than I was accustomed to for any book. Trust me, by the time I got into the book, I was quite weary of what I was actually going to read. (Edit 11/16/16 or 16/11/16: I have been told from the author that this was a proof that I won, so the actual finished product is so totally in perfect regular book form – so you will definitely not be reading the version I did so have no fear!) However, I was surprised by what I found and how twisty this book could be for only being 122 pages.
I’m going to try and describe the plot the best I can, but truthfully, there are two plots going on in this book and I can’t tell you one without bringing out some major spoilers. Melissa has always had a crush on her older brother’s best friend, Wade, for some time now. However, due to a crippling injury from a car accident, her insecurities are at all time high, and it’s easier to hide from attractive Wade. The first time that Wade meets the lovely Melissa truly for the first time, he’s instantly smitten. However, there are major factors at play that means he can’t go after what he newly wants – like the big fact he has a girlfriend, Arlene. When Wade discovers devastating about his relationship with Arlene, it sends him straight into Melissa’s arms. However, will these two new lovebirds last? Especially when Arlene is plotting all the ways to keep them apart?
I thought I had a good handle on this plot, because I mean, it’s a love story. How twisty can you get in 122 pages? But Ms. Gwynn managed to surprise the heck out of me and told me on a twisty and bumpy ride. In the beginning, you are introduced to the main characters and ideas and after that, hang on to your bookmarks, because the plot twists keep popping up. I really appreciated it because I never saw any of that coming and continually wondered where the book was going. It definitely made me read a lot faster. I will admit that I did like the second half’s plot a bit better than the first half since I felt a bit more
connected to the characters then.
I will admit that I wasn’t super crazy about Wade and Melissa’s relationship. I liked them well enough with each other, but everything happened soooooo fast. I get it that it was because this is such a short story, but I felt that I needed a breather. Wade meets Melissa for the first time at the grocery store, feels some attraction, is invited on the same day for dinner at the house, kisses her there after some steak eating and a few sentences traded, and then they get together by the next day. I was concerned. XD However, a little further on, I got more into them, but truthfully, I liked the second half’s romance a lotttt better. By then, I was definitely feeling the feels and shipping that romance a lot. The characterization then and chemistry was simply great.
The first plot and the second plot were wonderfully interwoven. I loved how Ms. Gwynn managed to sneak in little details that fit it perfectly and tied it all back together. I really appreciated her creativity with it, and she just didn’t come out and say, THIS IS HOW THEY FIT TOGETHER. DEAL WITH IT. Instead, it was subtle and interesting.
Overall, this was an odd read, that left me confused on how I should rate it. By the end, I think a 3 crown, Belle rating will be my final choice, because while there were some parts that I did enjoy, there were some parts that left me wanting much more. Gwynn definitely used a lot of creativity in this book, and I’m shocked she managed to do it all in 122 pages. I definitely didn’t expect all of this when I first got the book. It’s definitely a very light and easy read if you’re looking for one!
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