So Who's Ricky Martin?
Written: May 01 '01 (Updated May 12 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This is a good book. I know--I wrote it.
Cons: Few works are perfect. If I had it to do all over. . .
The Bottom Line: Love's Lasting Song packs a lot of atmosphere and sizzling romance into an attractive book. I wrote it--please buy it.
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| legar's Full Review: Leslie Garcia - Love's Lasting Song |
I wasn't going to come back. I swear I wasn't. But lo and behold, as I was glancing at a few new reviews and products, I came across Love's Lasting Song, and suddenly I was the Michael Jordan of Epinions. I had to come back and review this book.
I'll be brutally honest about my motives: I wrote the book, and I should not review it. But I put a lifetime of dreams, not to mention years of hard work, into this story, so I'm saying a temporary "phooey" to ethics. But in interest of quasi-ethics, I'm not going to tell you how great I think the book is. (Being a perfectionist of sorts, that wouldn't even work, because there are little words--one or two here and there--that I would change now.)
Instead, I'll try to capture the feel and the attitude of the book, without ruining any surprises. (It's a romance--boy gets girl, not a huge surprise to ruin anyway.)
Love's Lasting Song is set in Laredo, Texas, one of the country's fastest growing cities, and already its largest inland port. Thousands of trucks cross from the United States into Mexico daily, and the need to keep up with commerce is changing the "old" romantic streets of Laredo, forcing them into modern-day economics.
But Laredo was founded by Spanish and Mexican settlers, and much of the town's heritage can be seen in buildings like San Augustin Church, the plazas--and the characters that frequent Love's Lasting Song.
Protagonist Julie Barnes seems to be a thoroughly modern, "together" sort of woman--but she suffers from the insecurities and frustrations of having been abandoned by a mother who wanted an acting career. Raised by a loving aunt in a close-knit community, Julie manages her life exceedingly well. Until Joaquin Gonzalez picks her up (literally!) from a traffic-congested street in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.
Joaquin could eclipse Ricky Martin--or any other box office or recording super star. He's sexier, more talented, and more human, all at once. And he's in Laredo to film the scandalous novel Shades. Problem? Julie wrote the sexy book that the movie is based on, unknown to even her closest friends and colleagues.
Love's Lasting Song provides a glimpse of Laredo's unique and colorful culture. Spanish is as prevalent or more prevalent here than English, and the dialogue in the book includes snippets of that language, as well as local customs, to covey the real atmosphere of south Texas.
The book is available online from Barnes & Noble (although they don't have a picture of the cover yet--more on that later!) Amazon, Booksamillion, and iUniverse. I personally ordered a copy from Barnes & Noble to check out the shipping and service, and was quite satisfied, although there are shipping fees if you buy online. Your local bookstore will probably either have it or order it, if you prefer "real" stores for your purchases. By the way, the cover is up at my home page, if you'd like to see what it looks like. (Apparently the cover and book information comes up in stages from the publisher; Amazon has it, but as of May 12th, B&N and Booksamillion don't.)
The book is a contemporary romance, which means it does have some rather ...steamy...love scenes.
For those of you as old as me, you may remember Bartle and Jaymes advertising their product; if not, I'm sure you've seen Dave Thomas, with his self-mocking, wry promos for Wendy's. Think of me as the female version of those people, asking for your support.
Then go out and buy Love's Lasting Song. Let me know how you feel about it, bad or good, by contacting me at my site. You'll get a genuine, personal response.
When I was an English tutor at a local college, my supervisor always got mad--I'd never give my performance the highest rating on our twice yearly evaluations, because I generally find arrogance annoying. To me, Love's Lasting Song will always be five stars, because it's my first, and it means a lot to me. But because I shouldn't review my own book--I'll give it just 4 stars. Feel free to correct me!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
legar
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Member: Leslie Garcia
Location: Laredo, Texas
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
I'm an elementary school teacher, mother, and published author, currently living in Laredo, Texas.
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