5 Mar 2015

A WORD GLITTERING WITH SPIKES.



A WORD GLITTERING WITH SPIKES by NIGEL McCLEA.

SOURCE: Received for review from the author.

BACK COVER BLURB: He should never have hit her, of course he shouldn't. He had only thrown the stick to keep the dog amused, but it had struck the pretty girl - hard - as she stared the lake.

And that was only the beginning for four young people struggling with something as old as the earth, something others could have told them had they only thought to ask - that love is dangerous - a four letter word glittering with spikes.

FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter One: The dog, the stick, and the Girl (i)}: Harry Sylvester knew he was getting on a bit, if only because Hilda was forever telling him so.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 41}: The beautifully groomed poodle took one look at the giant hearth-rug charging in her direction , yelped in terror and tried to leap up her master's left trouser leg.

MY THOUGHTS: There are those who maintain that whilst anyone can write a book it is not everyone who can tell a good story. 

In my opinion a statement that just about sums up my thoughts on this debut novel from lawyer turned author Nigel McClea as whilst doubtlessly a master storyteller in the making I did think his novel as a whole was slightly let down by the writing which I found rambling at times.

Gloriously refreshing in that there are no six foot plus heroes with rippling (no doubt waxed) six-packs, no drop-dead gorgeous women with perfect make-up. In A Word Glittering With Spikes our four lovers are fairly regular individuals, the word geeky even coming to mind when it comes to David and Bill. 

Most definitely a read I'd suggest to those looking for a romance (amidst which is a bit of a 'shaggy dog' story) with a difference. Sweet and witty (at times falling just short of a comedy of errors) with a memorable cast of characters, the supporting roles just as well written as the main.


8 comments:

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Sounds relatively good, but I don't know if it's the right fit for me. Hopefully the author will tighten up her writing in the future. :)

Suko said...

It sounds like you really enjoyed this one, Tracy. Terrific review as always!

Stephanie@Fairday's Blog said...

Sounds like this book has a lot of promise. I like the title and the idea behind it. As always- I enjoyed hearing your thoughts.

Kelly said...

Despite the enticement of memorable characters (something I love), I think it's just too much romance for me.

I'm glad you enjoyed it, even if it wasn't perfect.

Alexia561 said...

You're right, it does sound refreshing that the characters aren't all drop-dead gorgeous! That gets old pretty quick. Not much for romance these days, but still sounds like an interesting read.

Melliane said...

This books sounds like a really nice one, I'm glad you had a good time with it. I'm curious about the romance.

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

Sounds sweet! Might be something I would enjoy.

Literary Feline said...

This sounds like a good story, even if not the best written. That's sometimes all I need.