GROOM AND DOOM, A GREEK LOVE STORY
THERESA BRAUN
ISBN#: B007Y5AO0A
APRIL 2012
www.amazon.com
E-book
$2.99
311 Pages
Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit
Rating: 3 Cups
Angela is giddy with happiness; sure that she has found her happily ever after. Her fiancé, Stavros is kind and loving. She believes him to be her dream man incarnate. That he is Greek, too, is the cherry on top of her happiness. Raised by loving parents who have always provided emotional support for their daughter, Angela is singularly unprepared for the naked hostility she encounters from some of her new in-laws, particularly her father-in-law, Georgius. In this novel, Angela relates the story of her lavish Greek wedding and how her expectations clashed with events as they actually unfolded.
Stavros, the youngest son of Georgius and Sophia, has a deep emotional attachment to his family. Georgius, a renowned physician, is a domineering patriarch. He tolerates no dissention. He lets it be known frequently that Stavros is a disappointment because of his lack of ambition or direction. Georgius is also still in mourning for his wife, Sophia, who passed away eleven months earlier. Stavros, also, is devastated by the loss of his mother, who was an anchor for him, and loving mediator between Stavros and Georgius.
Angela, her best friend, and family arrive in Greece for the wedding. The few days prior to the nuptials are tense and often awkward. Unhappily, her wedding day is hijacked by Georgius, and even the days following, including a fabulous honeymoon, seem overshadowed by his unwelcome presence.
It is about five years later, and the story is told from Angela’s viewpoint as she looks back, re-examining the events of the past and reminiscing about some pivotal episodes. The conversations between the characters, particularly between Angela and Stavros, play a significant role in how this novel progresses. I would have liked to have been shown some of the past incidents instead of simply told about them. As the story’s title suggests, there is a darkness that clings to the periphery, constantly challenging the happiness of this young couple. I personally found Stavros’ weak nature often irritating, though he truly does have a charm that is impossible to overlook. I feel the couple could have avoided some of the unpleasantness if they could have delayed their wedding a month in order to have allowed Georgius and the family the traditional mourning period. That Stavros and Angela refused to move the wedding date showed gross inconsideration in my book; no small wonder Georgius behaved abominably. Quite different than what I expected, this was entertaining none-the-less, and I continued to ponder certain aspects of the tale long after I read the last word.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Leave a Comment