Geraldine Solon

Reviewed by: JoAnne
Book provided by: Author
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book

This is the third novel I’ve read by Solon and after the very first one I read which I had added to my TBR (to be read) pile. Once again, I was not disappointed as each book involves romance but each premise is totally unique.

The Assignment is a feel good story that has lots of darkness to it as well. It is a historical romance set mostly in the Philippines. Sophie’s job sends her back there, after show more leaving 10 years before, for one last assignment as a journalist before she retires. Little did she know how her life would be changed in so many ways by her return from friends she left behind and new family and friends she is about to meet up with. All of the characters had many layers to them that were peeled back little by little to show us their true selves. They were so well developed I felt I knew them by the time I turned the last page, although I didn’t want the book to end. There was nice closure to the story but I still wanted more.

There were several romances depicted along with the happily ever afters that I was rooting for and unexpected ones as well. There was also a few laugh out loud moments as well as sorrow, tears, disbelief, angst and hardships in their lives before, during and after the war with the Japanese invasion. The book moved effortlessly between the past and the present which was a better way to tell the story than just chronologically. The descriptions of the lands, the living conditions, the hardness of their lives, the war and the homes made the story come to life. It was very easy to visualize myself being there.

Once again, Solon has blown me away with her storytelling. I can’t to see what story she’ll be telling us next. If you haven’t given her books a try, you should. You won’t be sorry and will probably be adding her to your TBR pile just as I have. show less

Geraldine Solon’s Thirty Days of Red starts with a compelling storyline of a woman struggling to care for her semi-comatose husband. Presented with an unexpected opportunity for escape, she relives the past while redefining the future—a brief release that takes only a few of the thirty days she’s planned. But Red is a singularly unreliable narrator, as well-timed revelations prove. A dark tale of plot and counter-plot ensues.

The first part of this novel is genuinely intriguing, but the show more story soon slows down as deeply flawed characters take the stage, with devious twists, and a TV-series sense of impending doom or release. Told over the space of 30 days, through the eyes of two twisted narrators, the plot takes many unexpected directions, leading to a haunting, almost sad conclusion. Some odd word choices slowed the read for me, and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. But it’s certainly an interesting, twisted tale that keeps you reading, never certain how it will end.

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I offer my honest review. show less

“Next to motherhood, I personally believe that being an author is the best job in the world,” says author Geraldine Solon in her introduction to Authorpreneur in Pajamas. But of course, an author’s job includes a lot more than writing. To be read, a book must first be marketed. So Geraldine Solon began a journey from creativity to thinking like an entrepreneur, and this book describes her path.

“The virtual world is endless. Embrace it!” is her call to arms. Sadly, I’m not sure my show more arms are long enough, but this book does offer plenty of nicely organized help, with great questions to clarify direction.

Why do you write? The answer includes who you’re writing for, and helps determine where you’ll find your readership. Bearing in mind how many books are released each day (it’s a scary number), it will never be enough just to assume the readers will find you. But how does someone who loves making stories from words learn to love marketing?

Nicely drawn analogies turn these scary questions into simple common sense. An enjoyable blend of friendly advice, useful links, practical suggestions (on the use of Facebook, Twitter and more) with personal experience and shared dreams, makes this a short, eminently readable, and pleasingly encouraging book. But the wisdom is well-tempered with logic too. The author is not explaining how to become a best-seller; just how to sell.

For myself, the chapter on sales and marketing (with, again, it’s enticing analogies), was the biggest eye-opener, allowing me to look differently at my own dreams. So now I'll settle down to choosing the suggestions that work for me and putting them into practice.

Disclosure: The author kindly gave me a free ecopy. I shall refer to it often. show less

Sweetness, simplicity and light characterize the first two romantic chapters of Geraldine Solon’s Indigo. But love in heaven has rules, and one lover’s childish desire to break them leads to disaster. Then Grace is trapped in “the most fatal earthquake we’ve ever seen” and “Heaven can’t wait.”

If soulmates are real, what happens to someone who never meets their soulmate, or who meets them too late? And if soulmates aren’t real, how can love last forever? Indigo explores show more these and other questions through the eyes of a woman who remembers more and a man who’s forgotten too much. But in looking for answers, the story draws reader in to question how we try to control our lives, and how, sometimes, losing control is the only way to gain peace. It’s an interesting lesson and it leads to a satisfying, though surprisingly simple conclusion.

Disclosure: I was given an ecopy and I freely offer my honest review. show less