Book Review: Hello, My Love (Between Two Worlds Book 1) by E. Journey & a Giveaway

If you read our posts with any regularity; you know that I am not an avid romance fan.  I am a fan of realism.  Even when I read science fiction or fantasy; I look for details from the author leading me to believe even the impossible.    I opted to read author E Journey's Between Two Worlds series in the hopes that the books would offer both a modern love story and the author's realist viewpoint.  What did I think of the first book, Hello, My Love!, by E Journey?

As part of the book tour--I received a complimentary copy of this book for use in my review.  All opinions are my own.  You may enter to win a copy of this book--or an Amazon Gift Card in the Book Tour Giveaway at the end of this post!

Quick Summary of Hello, My Love (Between Two Worlds Book #1).  This thoughtful woman’s romance novel explores the inner life (thoughts, hopes, and doubts) of a couple as they contend with the realities of compelling relationships.

A modern-day pastiche of Jane Austen novels. Elise is a bright, beautiful law student, focused on a career and distrustful of men. She butts heads with Greg at her parents’ dinner parties. Dark, good-looking, internet-business owner, he finds Elise intriguing, so unlike the dark-haired seductive beauties he used to escort around.

Specter of revenge. Unable to deny their attraction for each other, they spend an unexpected night together two days before he is to wed someone else. Lori, the jilted fiancée, exacts revenge, tearing Greg and Elise apart and forcing them to face who they are and what they really want.

An accident. Older and wiser, Greg and Else reunite two years later. He is in for a surprise. Later, their lives are thrown again into disarray when Elise becomes the victim of a hit-and-run. Is Lori back to haunt them again?

A delicious romance with a literary slant, spiced with a twist of whodunit.

Hello, My Love Tells the Story from Various Views.  I love books that give characters some space to share their stories--from their individual perspectives--with readers.  What was Greg doing/thinking/feeling after a given event?  What about Elise?  When the author locks herself into one point of view; she tells only one character's story.  When E Journey breaks her chapters into personal events affecting each character, or the characters as a group; she allows the reader a little more insight into the individuals.  The voice of the book remains the same throughout--so, readers are readily able to follow the story without obvious shifts in point of view.  Yet, readers gain valuable insight into the characters with the semi-devoted chapter layout.

Hello, My Love Keeps a Little Realism Alive.  While the characters may do some things or say some things which may seem "out of character"--human nature reminds us that love makes even the most intelligent people do "stupid" or irrational things at times!   I could identify with the thoughts and emotions of this story--and envision myself hearing the stories from a friend.  Some of the scenes were a bit predictable--but, life is a bit predictable.....and we don't always see what's staring us in the face until we reflect on what could have/should have/may have been!

E Journey Offers a Wonderful First Book to her Series.  This is not a sappy, dialogue filled, romance book with endless love scenes and little substance.  E Journey loads this book with detail, description and develops both characters and plot lines to their resolution.  I enjoyed the writing style, I enjoyed the realism, and I enjoyed the depth of the story.  (And this comes from a non-romance-novel-fan!)  I enjoy a romance with a story beyond the romance--and this book brings that and more.

Would I recommend Hello, My Love by E Journey? I saw the cover and expected more of a superficial story with superficial characters and little else.  I found, instead, a life story about love, life, mistakes, and a bit of mystery.  You really can't judge a book by its cover.  There is nothing superficial about E Journey's writing style--or her storytelling skills.  If you are seeking a romance novel--with more of a life story than a romance--with a few love scenes and a few twists and turns--this book should really be on your reading list.  I hope the next two books in the series compete well with the opener!

Buy on Amazon.

About the Author

E Journey is a realist who thinks she has little imagination. Credit that to her training (Ph. D., University of Illinois) and work in mental health, writing for academics and bureaucrats, and critiquing the work of others. She’s been striving ever since to think and write like normal people.

She’s a well-traveled flâneuse—a female observer-wanderer—who watches, observes, listens. And writes. A sucker for happy endings, she finds enough that depresses her about real life, but seeks no catharsis by writing about it. For her, writing is escape, entertainment. She doesn’t strive to enlighten. Not deliberately. But the bias of her old profession does carry over into her writing. So, instead of broad shoulders and heaving bosoms, she goes into protagonists' thoughts, emotions, inner conflicts, insecurities, and struggles to reach balance and grow.

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