Have you ever had friends of the opposite sex and realized you might have more than a feeling of friendship for one of them? I’m sure we all have at one point or another during our lives. I know I have at least once in my lifetime and probably more if I think about it.
A month or so ago, I volunteered to read a fellow writer’s novella in the 10 Minute Novelists group on Facebook and give her feedback. She published the novella last week, and I wanted to share my thoughts about it.
Ignited Hearts by Jessica E. Thomas is the story of Brandt and Liberty. Their friendship has endured six years of Liberty’s boyfriends and white lies, and Brandt is perfectly happy being friends seventy-five percent of the time. That is until he realizes there is more in the other twenty-five percent.
The dialogue between the two main characters makes me laugh out loud at times. I kept reading and thinking, “Why aren’t these two together instead of Liberty of being with a guy I would consider a jerk?” The way they talk you would think they have been together longer than the six years than they have.
The characters are like people you meet in real life. I like it when authors create characters like this. I can relate to them and actually visualize meeting them in person. Brandt and Liberty are two people I would like to meet if I could. They seem like fun, down-to-earth young people.
I also liked the fact that Jessica used real life places. It was especially cool because the places she mentioned are close to where I live so I’m familiar with them.
At times I felt like some of the sentences were too long. As a reader, I don’t want to get lost in the reading. I don’t want to reread a sentence a couple of times to understand what the author is saying.
This is a great novella that shows how two people decide on how to deal with their feelings for each other. I felt like it gives a real life feeling and readers should have no problem relating to Brandt and Liberty.
If you’re looking for a quick read while at the beach or pool or even in your backyard, then this book is highly recommended!