A SLOT MACHINE ATE MY MIDLIFE CRISIS
IRENE WOODBURY
ISBN#: 0744314976/9780744314977
August 16, 2011
SynergEbooks
http://www.synergebooks.com
E-Book
$7.98
222 pages
Chick lit; Contemporary Romance
Rating: 2 cups
Forty-five year old Wendy Sinclair is having a crisis of sorts. Fed up, fighting with her husband of only three months, feeling out-of-place in her new city of Houston and upset about losing her job with a clothing company that she loves, Wendy decides to tag along with her friend, Paula, on a girl’s weekend in Vegas. The weekend is just what she needs, lots of shopping, relaxation and a chance to get away from it all. So much so that Wendy decides she’s not ready to leave…just yet.
She calls her husband, Roger, and announces that she’s decided to stay in Vegas a little while longer. She extends her stay at the Venetian for a few weeks, then a few weeks longer. Still not ready to leave, and loving the sights, sounds and atmosphere that Vegas has to offer, she leases a short term rental unit. Then she gets a job designing cocktail-waitress uniforms, and another lip-synching and acting in a celebrity-impersonation show. What started out as a girl’s weekend away is starting to look more and more permanent.
Roger is none too pleased with Wendy’s new location and lifestyle, especially when he finds out about a few of her (male) friends. Wendy insists that there is nothing going on between them and that she wants to stay married to Roger. But is she trying to convince her alienated husband, or herself?
This book certainly captures the vibrancy and excitement of Las Vegas. It also has quite an interesting premise, namely, what would happen if you extended your vacation and didn’t return home? However, there are several issues that make this a problematical read. First, the description of the locations, characters and food becomes overwhelming at times and it drags down the flow of the action. Second, cliché phrases are overused which makes the dialogue sound a bit worn. Third, there is an excessive amount of long, drawn-out arguments the characters have with each other that is unpleasant to read. Lastly, the ending does not really make sense when considered against the rest of the book and the motives of the main characters, Roger and Wendy. Nevertheless, this reviewer did appreciate some of the details and facts about Las Vegas, which gave a vitality and historical perspective to this colorful city.
Margo
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
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