Saturday, July 20, 2013

Reading Challenges-Someone Like You

For this Review: I chose the e-book, Someone Like You, which is the first book in the Los Lobos Series by Susan Mallery.  Are you seeing a trend with me?  Who is one of my favorite authors?  Can you take a wild guess?   

Spoiler Warning: If you have not read this book, stop!  Read the book before reading the rest of my review!!
This is the first in the Los Lobos series.  It is about an attorney, Jill Strathern, who walked in on her husband having sex in his office.  What does her husband, Lyle, does he says to her?  "Next time you should knock, he said he bent over to grabbed his pants." (page 18)  All I have to say is what an ass.  Sorry about the language.  He just got caught cheating on his wife & that is the first thing he says to her.  Jill got fired from her job.  She got Lyle a job at the same law firm as her.  

Jill left L.A. & went home to Los Lobos to figure out what to do.  After Jill returned home & she moved in with her Aunt Bev, there are 2 quotes I want to share:
1.  "But that wasn't what hurt the most" she continued, her eyes burning.  "He stole my promotion.  I'd been working so damn hard and I brought in all that business and he got my promotion and I got fired." (page 22)
Remember this quote for later on in the book.  I think it has some key information in it, but I am not going to tell you what.

2. "And what I really d-don't understand is why I'm more mad than hurt,' she said, her voice cracking.  "Why do I care more about my job than my marriage?" (page 22)
Jill asked this question, but more as a rhetorical one.  She knew the answer!

Jill came to town with 3 things on her mind:
1. Revenge on her soon to be ex-husband.
2. Find out why she was fired.
3. Find a new job & get out of Los Lobos.  

When Carly was talking to her ex-husband, Mac about their daughter & what he did.  Carly said this to him, "Apologies don't work on an eight-year-old," Carly told him.  "You disappeared from her life without a word and now you're going to have to prove yourself to her." (page 34) I have an almost eight year old.  There are times where apologies don't work on him for minor things.  Carly was right when she said this.  Mac messed up big time & it will take sometime.  

During the course of this book, Jill changed.  In the beginning, Jill was focused on 2 things.  Getting revenge on her soon to be ex-husband & getting a new job.  Mac says to Jill "If the revenge involves breaking the law, I don't want to know." (page 43)

Jill & Mac both realize why they are both in Los Lobos- Her Father.  I think her father did this on possible.  

When Mac first found out about his daughter's, Emily, & her color issue & food.  Carly told him it was her way of controlling something in her life & she did not have a say in the divorce plus she is punishing them.  Here are my favorite quotes between Mac & Emily:

(Emily)    "The color's wrong" she said, try to speak a little louder.  "I'm wearing purple."  
 (Mac)   "So?"  
(Emily)   "If I'm wearing purple I can only eat purple."
(page 49, 50)

I wonder how I would feel if I had to work in an office with fish staring at me.  Ok, I know how I would feel----> they would have to go.  I would think they were watching me.  Love this quote!  "Jill glanced around the office.  It was like standing in the middle of an aquarium for decreased fish."  (page 60)  It puts a smile on my face!!  =0)  Does it for you?

The first time that Mac met the social worker, Hollis, the only thing I could think of was this guy can not truly think this.  Here is the quote: "I'm glad we're clear." Hollis closed the folder and leaned forward.  "Mac, I'll be blunt with you.  I don't think men in law enforcement make good fathers." (page 83)  My question is what evidence is he basing this on.  If you use logic on this, All men in law enforcement are bad fathers.  You know this is not a true statement, but if you say, Most men or some men then it could be true.  You can not say ALL. Just because Hollis's men that he has dealt with in his work were bad fathers & are in law enforcement does not mean ALL men are bad fathers, too.  What about those men that are in that field of work that he never met?  We did learn something about Mac during this first meeting with Hollis.  Mac worked in the gang unit, which caused his divorce & his leaving his daughter.

In the beginning, I said that Jill came to town for 3 things on her mind:
1. Revenge on her soon to be ex-husband.
2. Find out why she was fired.
3. Find a new job & get out of Los Lobos.  

During this book, those 3 things changed.  
#1, she did not care about anymore.  She just wanted to get rid of him.  Not rid of as in rid of, but as in divorce.  She did not love him.  
Her dad asked her "What happened to the plan for revenge?"  She shrugged "I don't care anymore.  I have no energy where Lyle is concerned.  Marrying him was a huge mistake and now I'm fixing the problem.  That makes me feel good.  As for Lyle, I can't tell you how much I'm not interested in him or his life.  He's buying me out of the condo, I'm getting a cash settlement for the car and fifty percent of everything else." (page 350)

#2 She still wanted to find out why she was fired & she did. 
Lyle showed up & said to Jill "You ruined me."  Jill  replied back to him with "I think you have me confused with, oh, say yourself.  I've been here in Los Lobos for the past several weeks, trying to put my life together.  You've been in San Francisco.  How exactly could I have ruined you?  Everything is gone.  My job, my career.  There's talk of disbarring me." (page 384-385)
I love the one other scene with Lyle, but I will let you read it.  It is very funny!  It is one of my favorite Lyle moments.  I think it deserves what he gets!!!

 #3.  Jill wanted a new job & out of Los Lobos, but that changed.  She did not want to leave Los Lobos or Mac.  
Mac says to Jill "You love me a lot and you don't want to go anywhere, but you didn't want to come out and say that.  You want me to ask." He kissed her again.  "You wanted me to prove you were more than a convenience and that I thought you were worth fighting for."  (page 394)
This was the part of the book I was crying!  Be prepared to cry, too!  

I think the one thing that surprised me in the whole book was that the social worker, Hollis, spoke on Mac's behalf.  He even got Mac's ex-wife on his side, too.
My favorite Hollis quote is "He was trying to protect a young woman's life.  A pregnant young's woman.  He stepped in when my department did nothing.  For all we know, he saved Mrs Murphy's life." (page 389)


Carly spoke at the hearing, too, asking not to have Mac not being taken from their daughter.  "She's only eight and she needs her father." (page 390)  This hearing was because Mac hit a man who beat up his wife, but the man died because of what happened at the beach.  I am going to let you read it.

Keeping reading!  
This took me awhile to get done.  I am working on the second book of the series, too, Falling for Gracie.  That will be posted soon.  I hope.
Melissa

P.S.  Something for you!

Questions for you:
1.  The first time Jill met Mac since coming back to town, what was Jill doing?
2. Why did Jill come back to town besides to figure things out?
3.  What does Mac do?
4.  Who said this quote "I wanted a change."
5.  What kind of car did Lyle drive?
6.   What was the attorney's name that had the practice before Jill?
7.  What is the name of the secretary & do you think she does to keep her job?
8.  Name some of Jill's strange cases.
9.  What did you think of the social worker for Mac?
10.  Who is Gracie Landon?
11. What happened to Lyle when he was trying to leave Los Lobos?
12.  What is your favorite part of the book?

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