1 out of 4 stars
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Tamara D. Barnett’s Religion, Romance, and Real Life is a collection of six short stories involving the pain and heartache that can be attached to personal relationships. The author highlights relevant issues such as adultery, murder, overcoming the cycle of domestic violence, and faith.
The title of this raw collection immediately captured my attention. The stories touch on the complexities of family dynamics, as well as those related to both heterosexual and lesbian relationships. It’s a short read compiled of serious subject matter that may trigger an emotional response or painful memories. I found it interesting that some of the stories share a connection, though not all of them.
Of the collection, I related most to the story, Breaking the Chain. The main character, Bonnie, struggles to break the cycle of abusive relationships that seems to be a generational curse in her family. Unfortunately, there are problematic issues with the book that bury the potentially uplifting portion of the story.
Overall, the book lacks direction. I found the author's erratic writing style difficult to follow. For example, in the sentence immediately following the description of a sexual encounter, one of the participants is suddenly at the airport. There is no explanation or transition. Did the author intend to complete the thought? Was it an oversight? The reader is left to wonder. Similar inconsistencies are particularly evident in the rest of the short stories. Though the collection is dialogue-driven, the author fails to begin new paragraphs when speakers change. I was often confused as to which character was speaking. Furthermore, failure to divide the text into paragraphs wasn't limited to dialogue. Many pages were one lengthy paragraph.
Regarding character development, this book is a prime example of telling versus showing. The characters seem one dimensional while conversations feel stilted. Male characters are portrayed as adulterous or abusive. For the most part, their female counterparts start out determined to break the cycle but eventually succumb to the men in their lives. Dysfunctional relationships are the consistent theme.
The book is in dire need of professional editing. Due to incorrect verb tense, missing words, and numerous other grammatical errors, I rate it 1 out of 4 stars. I wouldn't recommend it until the errors are corrected. Also, the collection includes crude sex scenes and language. Though the book is classified in the romance genre, I didn’t find it to be remotely romantic. In light of the explicit content, I definitely wouldn't recommend it to younger readers.
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Religion, Romance, and Real Life
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