This was a worth-while read. . .
932497
Especially considering that it was free on Kindle from Amazon. The story opens with a pretty obvious plot right from the beginning, but the characters are cute and the emotions seem genuine. There were a few distracting grammatical and editing errors, but not enough to turn me off the book. I'm betting that the author's subsequent books will be even better as she gains experience with each new title. I will definitely check out the next books in the series.
2002042
It took the book a while to catch and hold my attention, but I was determined to finish it. I liked these characters a lot. I also liked the depth of the plot. A little mystery and a lot of romance made a good story. Granted, some parts were predictable (Hello, it's romance), but the story wasn't just thrown together like a lot of things I've read lately.
4797768
This book was not one of my favorite latest "reads", but I am still glad that I read it.  On the down side, it was not superbly written: there are gaps of unaccounted time in the story's timeline; the writing itself is "just OK"; the book seems much more emotionally driven for the author than descriptive enough to fully include or engage the reader.  It also seemed to be the author's need to tell her story, to "throw it out there", that drove the book - not a need for us to hear "all" of any of it - she tells of many things, but none in full detail, so I felt a bit left out of the loop at each stage of the story.  It is truly understandable how much a woman, at any age, would be hurt over never receiving proper displays of her father's love, but in this book, one does wonder if she is lashing out in her anger over other things as well.  I feel for her, but at the same time, I wonder what was going on in the back of her mind as she wrote this.

On the brighter side, I enjoyed learning about the life in the mafia, whether as a daughter or just in general terms - I was most intrigued about how Sam was with his wife (Angeline?)- THAT could be a story all by itself - this great love between a man and a woman.  I was not too happy to read through the FBI report-style information - maybe the author was trying to show "proof" of her work - but the information gleaned throughout was very interesting, just to see how the FBI works and how it was to be on the receiving end of such treatment.  I have never read anything like this before - I am a nonfiction reader, mostly biographies and autobiographies - so this approach was a new twist for me.

I recommend the book if you have time, and IF you are interested in reading a skimmed view of what it may have been like to grow up in a mafia family; if you are trying to learn about Sam G or details of his family or business, this book might not be for you.
964181
This was also well written although it changed scenes quite often and left me wondering about the continuity of the parable. If its use was to make the author feel better by getting the items in question off his chest, he probably succeeded. It was interesting to me and I did not skip too many pages. Worth your
 while, but kind of diverse
788325
I thought that this book was worthwhile to read.  I was able to get involved in the lif
3091617
This novel captured and held my attention well enough, though at times I found the plot line a bit confusing. Ultimately, at the end I found myself saying; "Wow, really?"
Definitely worth reading.
1330881
'Monster' isn't the sort of book I'll look for and read very often. The subject matter is depressing to me which can make it hard for me to get through a book like this (that is the main reason I've only given it four stars--my fault, not the author's). That said, the characters are memorable, and helped drag me through the story more than once (I read it again so I could hopefully review it better). The plot is amazing enough that I think I'll probably read it again someday, and the message is something I thoroughly support--Human life is sacred.
Some of the apologetic stuff struck me as...maybe a bit trite, or shallow, but some of it was also very good, and all of it was written better than I would have known how to. I think overall, this is a very good read, and well worth the time and money. In case you haven't figured it out yet--I recommend.
4781784
But definitely worth my time!  I felt the book started out a little slow.  The characters were interesting and engaging but I felt there wasn't enough development with the women the main characters were writing about.

Good read, though. Highly recommend.
2534509
I did like this book. There were times that I was thinking, how on earth could they have yet another tragedy?!? Then I realized, of course there would be multiple tragic things that could happen, and really the group was pretty lucky overall. As far as readers who are upset that there is a cliffhanger or that this could be part of a series, I was satisfied with the ending. While I completely understand it would be nice to know the outcome, I took away that whatever happens, she has done her best (or what she feels is best.) There were definitely instances where I wasn't fond of the main character - whether finding it difficult to connect or wanting to shake her for her choices - but once again, I had to check myself and think about what would any of us do in the same situation. I did receive this book as an Amazon Kindle First book, and I don't regret my choice.
3733127
I have to admit, I was not immediately taken by this book. The first chapter didn't do much for me, but I found myself getting drawn in as I read until I wanted to know the "end of the story".

The author has the ability to tell it like it is, the resources to make the best of the situation, and the guts to share her story with the rest of us.

I think the final part of the book "raced" a little bit as I'd found myself wishing it would last longer.
2204118
Overall I found that this could be a book that I would return to.  There is a lot of information contained in the book and it is difficult to take it all in in one reading.  This was a fight between wanting to see what came next and wanting to get every detail.  I think "seeing what came next" won in this reading.  Even though I relate and grew up immersed in the truths of this book, I still found that I was enlightened by some things.  I like that much of the subjects were fully substantiated not only by research, but case studies.  Also, for me, it was interesting to find that introversion is really just part of who I am, and not some side effect of being lazy and NOT a flaw.  I will be thinking about this work long after having read it and using it as a source of confirmation that I didn't grow up with a serious flaw.  In fact, it may have been a gift.

On the critical side, I got the sense of a negative vibe toward extroverts...and repeatedly the author said this was not so...however, I felt that way.  I concede that the subject is introversion, but something asks for a balance in this topic.  This is only a small concern, but somewhat of a negative feeling while reading this for me.
947112
I am not a mom, nor did I ever want to be, so I found it fascinating to read what someone goes through for a private adoption.

But while my experience is not first-hand, I know enough people who have tried all the usual routes to know this rang true. I can see how this desire takes over a marriage, and how that can hurt a weak relationship. (I have seen it strengthen them, too, if both spouses are completely on board.) I was glad to see the author weave in the place chat boards play in this. They have become an increasingly important tool-- if you don't have a friend who's been through what you're dealing with, most likely there is a chat community that you can participate in-- and in some cases, you can be who you want to be, rather than who you are, as I saw here.

The characters were interesting-- a love/hate relationship for me, for the most part. I guess that is what made them so human... they were not perfect by any stretch, and no real hero emerged for me, but they were rich and deep. I disagreed with some choices and applauded others.

The themes were varied-- adoption, deception, loyalty, regrets, hopes-- enough to make this book a real page-turner, and I heartily recommend it. I look forward to the next novel from this author!
4545817
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
Okay so I quite enjoyed this book, I did not guess the end which is a big plus for me, sadly though by the time I got to the end I was just getting properly into it and could have read a lot more.
I'm not one for going on and on about the characters or plot of a book but I will say this book is well worth a read if this is the genre for you
Overall I did enjoy this book
489519
I read this book some time ago, and it was only recently brought back to my attention after a colleague of mine visited the old plantation (which I have never been to myself). I personally thought this book was exceptional. Yes, I know many of the sentiments probably didn't exist at the time (e.g. the slaves are portrayed as being contented with their lot in life) but it's still worthwhile nonetheless.

Since I'm not a civil war buff, this novel shed some light on a real occurrence that I would've otherwise been unaware - the senseless slaughter of 9200 men in a single day at The Battle of Franklin.

There's a romantic interlude between two of the main characters toward the end of the book - something which probably could've been left out - but other than that, it's a solid work of historical fiction.
3446357
My wife bought this to read.  After taking a look at the reviews, I beat her to it.  One reviewer said they could not get past the first 100 pages.  Quite frankly, it does seem a bit redundant at that point and I was tempted to put it down.  But, I didn't and was glad.  The book has a scattered insight into what ultimately makes life worth living.  When you do strike gold with a particular thought about the human situation, it makes the book well worth reading.
2983071
Definitely consider reading this.  It was well worth the money and even though it took a while to read I still loved it.
3030453
A great read,  I was glued to it, and was worth re- reading