Full Circle by Mona Ingram

Synopsis

This book covers a time period of 20 years. Unwed mother Bella moves to California to make a life for herself and her daughter. To earn some extra money, she sells clothes with her friend in Santa Monica. Because their business is so successful, it catches the attention of Rafael. He becomes a partner in their growing business.

Fast forward to the present. It is implied that Bella and Rafael have been fighting their attraction to each other the entire time. Meanwhile the business is booming to such an extent that they need a manufacturing plant. It is decided that the perfect location is Bella’s hometown. Here Bella has to come to terms with all of the reasons why she left in the first place.

Opinion

The story was okay. After reading it, I felt like saying “Meh”.

For me, there is something about Mona Ingram’s style of writing that makes me think of news reporter’s delivery. She gives the facts. She tries to describe the feeling and emotion, but to me it falls a little flat. Maybe I am used to a more animated style of writing.

In this story, I do not know why but it annoyed me that it took so long for Bella and Rafael to get together. Neither one of them could have a serious relationship since they were in to each other. It seems that the main characters put their love life on hold in the time it took them to figure out that they wanted each other. It took them 2 decades to figure it out!

I am a BIG fan of open communication even it if is “I like you. Do you like me? No pressure if you do not.” The loving-from-afar gets old after a while. Thinking about all the lost years of emotional limbo is depressing to me.

facepalm animated GIF

So much of the main conflict for the plot was internal. However my personality is more of a grab-the-bull-by-the-horns and face your problems head on. I believe that life is too short to let chances at happiness pass us by because we are afraid of rejection. Wondering what could have been is far more miserable to me than rejection.