Need You Now Part 1 - a BookSneeze review

Beth Wiseman is an author I've been reading for a while. I've really enjoyed her Amish books, and so when I was given an opportunity to review Part One of Need You Now, a non-Amish novel of hers, I was a willing participant! However, there's just something missing. The characters seem a little forced, and with every press of the button on my e-reader, I kept thinking that I'd find climax of the story or some kind of development in the characters' lives. Halfway through the book's finish (i.e. Finished reading Part 1), I'm curious to find out what happens to the characters. So far it seems that there are too many puzzle pieces that are left cluttering the table.

Darlene is a mother of three, has been a stay-at-home mom for many years. Now that her children are adolescents and are able to be fairly self-sufficient, she feels the desire to branch out. Her husband, a staunch provider, doesn't like the idea of Darlene getting a job outside the home, but supports her anyway. After Darlene gets a job as a teacher's aid at a school for special students, things start to fall apart in her family.

There are several other characters thrown into the story--the mysterious lady neighbor next door who has her own ranch but looks like a supermodel, the father of her student who develops feelings for Darlene, and friends of her children.

The story feels like it's coming together, but like I've said, it's just missing some "oomph." I'm excited to read the second half of the story to see what happens!

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).