Author submission in exchange for an honest review.
Title:
The Wrong Target
Author:
Sherry Gloag
Release Date:
January 2011
Publisher:
eTreasures Publishing
Word Count:
approx. 15,000
Purchase Links:
Author's Website:
Description:
Headmistress, Tina Blackberry and businessman, Ryan Thomas can't control events after Ryan's daughter steals his coveted golden arrow and takes it to school. But put Cupid on the job and nothing can go wrong—or can it?
Deniz's Review:
Saint Valentine’s Day has come and gone but there’s no reason why love can’t be in the air every day of the year. Sherry Gloag’s tale is part of an anthology of stories that each feature the match of an unlikely couple; Gloag’s story starts nearly a month before Valentine’s Day, when a Senior Cupid Extraordinaire receives his assignment, to join a specific couple before midnight on the day.
In The Wrong Target, Cupid hits exactly that – his arrow strikes not the easy, comfortable lover destined for the heroine, Tina, but a man who seems her antagonist in every way, Ryan. Love weaves its spell on them, however, and they find they cannot stop thinking of each other, even though they profess to be angry and annoyed, and don’t give their hearts a chance.
One extraneous scene, a few minor inconsistencies, and some backward cause and effect sentences (“when she remained silent, he wasn’t sure whether his heart skipped with fright or relief”) that could have used another round of edits, weren’t enough to keep me from enjoying the suspense, wondering how and when Tina and Ryan would get together.
Sprinkled here and there are some wonderfully original descriptions, such as “the unintended insult slapped at her composure. On top of the day’s combined incidents, it nailed her morale to the floor.” The tale moves quickly, and the situation is very believable, with an unexpected twist near the end involving Ryan’s daughter. The symbols of Valentine’s Day – especially cupid’s arrow – are deftly woven into the story and add a pleasing fantasy element.
“A hard working Cupid can salvage any match! Can’t he?” Gloag keeps you guessing right to the end.
Deniz's Rating:
Deniz, thank you for your insightful and positive review. I appreciate all your comments and am haoppy, that overall, you enjoyed The Wrong Target.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry! I liked the characters a lot - I hope you've got more stories about them!
ReplyDelete