Kenneth RosenbergBesprekingen

This is the first book in the Nathan Grant series. I was given the recommendation by Edelweiss, so decided to listen to it. This is a great espionage thriller, and Nathan Grant is a refreshing change in this genre. We meet him when he has just gotten married to the love of his life. Nathan takes Gemma to Italy for their honeymoon, and on their first night there a horrific event occurs which takes the life of Jemma. Nathan, who is a recently released CIA operative, vows vengence on the persons responsible for his wife's death. At first he thinks that the hit was meant for him, but as he digs deeper he realizes that there is a backstory here many years in the making. Now just an ordinary citizen, Nathan sets out to find his wife's killers and travels the globe in order to do so. He is at odds with his old employer, friends and relatives, but still he persists. In fact, Nathan turns out to be a one-man wrecking crew. This is an edge-of the-seat thriller that kept me guessing until the end. Use the way I like them. You can bet that I will be watching for Book 2 in this series.

This was a sweet story. I don't recall that many funny parts, and I certainly wouldn't call it a comedy. There were scenes that tried to be funny, such as when the hero was standing in the street yelling...something that was supposed to be funny... I don't even remember. The romance is sweet, though, and the author did a good job of showing us both characters' struggles to find themselves and believe in their love.

I quit reading this book given the author’s outdated and misogynistic description of women. Dialog between two young women, from Chapter One:

“I thought you couldn’t stand him?” Natalia tried not to raise her voice.
“You know he’s a rapist, right?”
“All I know is rumors, just like you.”
“Wouldn’t you like to be raped by him? It might not be so bad, eh?”

Does the author really believe women would say this? It’s insulting, and when I’ve shown this dialog to multiple men and women they are horrified. A few responses: “Eww.” “What the actual heck?” “Why do men think women fantasize about being raped?” “What??? No!!” “Yikes!” “This author is clearly clueless and a complete idiot.” “It’s hard to believe someone would actually write this. It’s so gross.” “What?! Am I misreading this? Is this an actual sentence?” “Just no.”½

Well-written fast paced thriller which, without giving away the story, contains a few twists and turns. Received in a free giveaway. Would recommend it.

Read this book as given a free copy from a giveway. I have previously read Natalia another of his books so reading his story of his life as an aspiring author was quite interesting. Not so much a book about struggle as he's never "starving" as the title may suggest, but more of the path he's chosen. Sometimes anecdotes don't really go anywhere and others he seems to try to compare himself to other authors such as Stieg Larsson (which he is not) and these prevent a higher rating. That said it is quite well written and above the standard of many free books I've read previously and I would read further of his works as he seems an interesting person.

It was ok. It took a long time to get into it. It was very slow paced. I liked Bridget but Warren was just to slow for me. It took me a while to read it and get into it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book. Oh man, where do I start with this book. I knew going into this that it would probably be relatively light chick-lit fluff. I didn't expect that fluff to be the contents of every single character's head.

Our main character Amanda is a small town girl who likes to remind everyone around her, including the reader that she's just a small town girl. That's one of the main defining character traits she possesses. The other main character trait she has is the fact that she's literally a stalker. That's not even an exaggeration. She picked up her life and moved across the country in hopes of tracking down and getting together with a guy she's never even met before.

What else is there to her? Honestly not much, I had to just go look up her name because I'd forgotten what it was. She's incredibly dumb. She didn't understand the fact that reality television is scripted. On one occasion she nearly started a verbal fight with one of the actors because she had the audacity to have a life that differed from what happened in the show. (That bitch, what does she think she's doing kissing the man who's probably her boyfriend outside the show? Doesn't she know those men competing for $500,000 are actually invested in their relationship with her?) It was ridiculous.

Actually, I take that back. What was ridiculous was the fact that she expected one of the other actors, a bachelor she liked, to act exactly like his character in real life. Seriously? She idolised him and then got angry when he didn't fit in with her expectations of him. I'm not even going to go into the sexual assault thing because it seemed like a ridiculous thing to put in (for the sole purpose of shattering her fantasy of this "perfect guy") and the aftermath was really not handled well at all.

On top of that, it seemed like every female was the perfect example of the overly-attached psycho ex-girlfriend. Amanda not only stalks an actor across the country, using the internet to find places he worked and hung out to increase her chances of running across him. But she also ends up sleeping with another guy once and the morning after starts picturing them married with children. I'm sorry, but what? She then proceeds to get angry, storm out, and completely ignore the guy when he acts slightly hesitant about their relationship (because they'd slept together once and hadn't actually gotten into a relationship). Then later when he does come back and say he wants to get together with her she has the audacity to act offended. Like, "god can you believe him? What would make him think I'd get together with someone like him?" I literally couldn't deal with it. I feel bad for Peter.

This book had a few okay moments splashed between awkward, uncomfortable, and just downright ridiculous scenes. (The "hello neighbour" part with Amanda and Peter made me have to put the book down for a few minutes because I was unable to handle the mixture of shocked laughter and second-hand embarrassment.)

This review is also posted on GoodReads.

This memoir is the kind of travel writing that makes you want to throw a change of clothes into a backpack and join the merchant marine or take off to Tahiti to surf, just two of the adventures the author describes in his journey through life. Along the way he describes his struggles to make a living as a writer, illustrating with clarity the difficulties faced in living a creative life. Be warned, if you are a struggling writer yourself, this book will fill you alternatively with both despair and delight. If you are not a writer, you will still enjoy the author's adventures and the perspective he gives into a life unlike those most people have chosen to live. Now I need to check out the rest of his books, particularly having learned so much about the effort and love that went into them.

When Amanda Perkins first saw Bachelor number Five on her favorite dating show. She fell in love.Handsome, kind, and smart Grant Hutchinson is everything she wants in a man. The only problem ? She is not a contestant. Plus she lives half way across the country. But these small details won't stop Amanda. She will do what ever it takes to get her man.

This is a cute story that has some turns and twists I never anticipated. I found the story to be both an enjoyable and an easy read, the kind of book to settle down with on a nice summer afternoon, at the pool, the beach or an air conditioned room. Amanda has a big time crush on Bachelor Number Five and leaves her small hometown to pursue him many miles away. I did find it rather naive that a woman would just up and leave, driving hours in pursuit of a man she does not know and has never met—and who is currently on a reality show on TV. I am not sure what exactly she expected to happen, how or even if, she could meet him and how or if anything could follow any meeting. However, Amanda sets off in pursuit of her dream man. I think the author showed us a young woman dissatisfied with her life as it was currently and ready to move on to something exciting, and the chasing after (actually stalking, in truth) a man she has fallen for on TV was just a convenient way for her to get moving on with her life. Life for Amanda I her new city settles in well. She has a roommate, who is okay, though a bit overbearing and definitely very judgmental and biased, a job at a burger joint, new friends. Everything seems to fall together nicely—almost too nicely to be very realistic. Amanda sets out to find her “true love”, but when she finds him, things go in a different direction from what she had imagined. The story does have several surprising twists and turns that held my attention, especially the ending. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this rather short book. I think anyone looking for a quick escape would also enjoy it. I look forward to reading more by this author, especially in this series. I received his to read and review from Library Thing.

I really liked this book, although I was a bit surprised the way it took another turn almost at the end. It is not your usual love story, it has some twists and turns you won´t expect. I thought it ended just a little to fast, would have love to get more of a story in the end but I am hoping to read more about them in the authors next book about her sister and "Bachelor Number Nine".

This was a very fast, easy and interesting read! I really enjoyed it and thought that the characters were well developed and likable and the writing was amazing. Thanks for a great read!

Bachelor Number Five was a fun, beach-type read that kept me turning the pages. Although the plot and characters were fairly predictable, there was definitely enough mystery to keep me interested to the end. I look forward to reading about Bachelor Number Nine as well as hearing more about Amanda and Peter, I hope.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review as part of the Members Giveaway program. This is a rather detailed review and brief plot spoilers may follow.*

I have a small confession to make. I, like the protagonist in this book, am named Amanda. (Quite obviously, unless you haven’t gotten a peek at my username. Lol) But I also, like the protagonist in this book, have quite the crush on a celebrity. So I sort of understood her captivation with her guy, even if that does make us two peanuts sharing a shell. My head’s not in the clouds about my crush, however, and I would never go to those lengths to pursue anyone, much less a public figure that I know nothing about aside from PR-dictated and carefully crafted/worded interviews. I’m more skeptical of public figures than Amanda was, which is why our camaraderie ended at her immediate acceptance of the person she saw on TV; her immediate thought that this man was going to be everything he portrayed on TV and would fall into her arms. This is the age of reality, where nothing is actually ‘real,’ and at this stage in the game I just thought that was common knowledge. I found it painfully, if not almost dangerously, naïve for Amanda to completely leave her life behind, shack up with a stranger across the country, and go into full-blown stalker mode for someone she hardly knows. The plan never made sense to me; it seemed rather ridiculous from the beginning and even more so once she actually started to execute it after moving to La La Land, and I wondered how she didn’t see that. I initially thought that Amanda’s naivety was the cause of an author-dictated ‘small town, small mind’ mentality so that we could see just how disconnected her town was from the rest of the world, until I realized that she was the only one thinking that way. Not even her best friend went to the extent that she did; didn’t even want to. I understood Amanda’s captivation to the level of wishing oneself was the lucky gal, but isn’t that the rub with a celebrity crush anyway? It’s not necessarily meant to be pursued, but I think that ultimately Amanda’s desire to have a different life might have pushed her to pick up and make a new life for herself somewhere else.

Number Five was the physical manifestation of the desires she wanted in life, and even though I thought she was completely bonkers to do what she did, I have to admire her courage in doing it. If she hadn’t had the thought that she’d win her dream guy over, she probably never would have left her hometown. Subconsciously knowing that she belonged somewhere else, I think attaching herself to Bachelor Number Five and becoming fed up with her lot in life gave her the courage to seek out what she wanted. She found it, but nearly screwed it up before realizing it. I wanted to smack her silly for going with Five when she already had Peter, someone she’d nearly ruined a developing friendship with her roommate (and only LA-based friend) for, waiting for her. It was an incredibly selfish move, but at the same time I suppose her thought was that she’d never have the opportunity again, so she had to take the road. After all, it was what brought her to LA. Despite the fact that by that time I wanted to smack her one, I understood that this was something she needed to do. I also liked that at the end of the story, everyone had received what they really wanted and Amanda was brought back to reality.

Funny enough, my favorite characters in this book were not the major characters at all. In fact, all of the major players ended up annoying me to no end. Peter didn’t really annoy me; he was just completely bland and I wasn’t sure why both Lauren and Amanda fell over themselves for him, but I can say that I appreciated his candor about his life before Amanda came along. Throughout the book I found myself more interested in some of the minor characters Amanda interacted with rather than the main folks involved. I kind of figured Number Five would end up being the typical Hollywood type as they often are in these books, so that didn’t surprise me. The tiny part of me that identified with Amanda kind of wanted him to at least be a decent guy, giving her the opportunity to knowingly turn him down in favor of who and what she really wanted. She only turned Five down because he ended up being a horrible guy and shattered her idol worship of him. I was more annoyed with the plot of the story than I was with how it was written; I thought everything was descriptive enough for me to visualize everything as I was reading along, and I did get a good feel for the main characters and their motivations (no matter how dumb some of those motivations may have been lol). An important factor for me when reading books is if there’s conflict or some sort of flaw hindering one of the characters, I enjoy watching the character evolve throughout the book and come to some healthier realizations, even if they hurt at first to deal with. I saw that in this book, with Amanda as she had to confront her rather unrealistic dreams concerning Five and the clash they created when she fell in love with Peter, with Lauren as she came to her own realizations concerning Peter and her current relationship, and even with Peter as he fell in love with Amanda. I think Mr. Rosenberg did a great job of showing the reader both the logical side to 99% of situations involving celebrity adoration and how if we just have the courage to follow what we’re after, we may end up with exactly what we wanted, even if it involves taking a detour to get there.

When it comes to requesting a book to review there is always an uncomfortable level of uncertainty. You wonder if the book will be any good and/or if it isn't and you choose to be honest is the author going to put you in his or her cross-hairs? After a couple of those mediocre manuscripts you start to feel hesitant about signing up to review books, afraid you'll be submitting yourself to a round of self-induced torture as you attempt to plog through yet another badly edited piece of trash.

Since I had already submitted myself to several of those "books" I was naturally hesitant when it came to signing up to review more and I was on the lookout for something that was a safe bet. I couldn't be 100% sure but the memoirs of a man who was trying to eke out a living as a writer seemed like what I was looking for (at least there was the high probability that it would be decently well-written).

I am now 100% sure that requesting this book to review was a good decision. It is well-written, flows well, and will suck you in from the very first page. You will follow Mr. Rosenberg's journey from a self-assured college student to a man trying to find both meaning and income as he pursues his dream to be a writer. As someone who is also dissatisfied with society's definition of "success" and the course my life "should go" I found myself relating to his desire to not be confined and to chart his own path.

Mr. Rosenberg's 25+ years working away at writing projects seem to have paid off as I could not find any spelling or grammar errors and the story flowed well and didn't hiccup. In fact my only complaint has nothing to do with the writing but rather how he seemed to be pretty self-centered when it came to some of the women he got involved with. When he looks back he appears to regret it, which I'm glad for, but there were several times I wanted to reach into the pages and give him a good shake (maybe even a slap).

If you've ever wondered if the typical American life pattern (college, some excitement, then good job, marriage, kids, retirement, death) is really all there is or if you're cut out for it then this book is for you. And if you haven't, this book is still for you. It's both deep and full of adventure, you won't be sorry you picked it up.

Note: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Is it possible to find the love of your life as a teenager?
Twelve years after the summer romance, Katherine and Nick find themselves together again. Katherine is an up-and-coming architect who has buried herself in her work to avoid love. No one she meets will ever compare to the lost love of her youth. Nick is a millionaire playboy, always in the tabloids for his exploits. When Nick hires Katherine to build his dream house, Katherine try and resists the attraction that is still between them, while Nick tries to convince himself that he has made the right decisions in life.

I like that even as a playboy with the world at his fingertips, even when he makes assumptions and does the most ridiculous things, he does it for the right reasons. He's uncertain, and almost scared about life and making any sort of important decisions. Despite who he is, he is easy to relate to. I enjoyed seeing his mother from Katherine's point of view, from that colored by teenage intimidation to someone almost pathetic in her misery. And when Katherine finally made up her mind (after changing it countless times) she went after what she wanted. Although thoroughly annoying in her naivety, she somehow comes off as likeable. I don't know quite how the author pulled that one off, but it totally works.

The ending dragged a bit, making the reader wonder if it would be another twelve years before the story finally reached a conclusion, but it was worth it in the end. The only thing that was not resolved was a DUI charge (and really, that was just a minor annoyance!)

Katherine is a very hard worker and loves what she does, but she can't help but wonder why she does not have a more active love life. Every time she meets a guy and finds them attractive she turns the other way. No one will ever compare to her first love, Nick. Even though she has no type of friendship or connection to Nick now, he set the standard high for her. That all changes though when Nick comes looking for her to hire her to design his lake house. From there it's just one roller coaster ride after another. Trying to prove to herself that she does not have a thing for Nick anymore, Katherine decides to take on the job. Things just get harder and harder for her after that. As much as she tries to deny it, Nick will always be the love of her life.I really felt for Nick and Katherine. Both holding on to something so strong and not knowing if it's real or just a memory. Nick is rich and pretty much a celebrity, where as Katherine is just an architect and an average woman. They both fell in love with each other as teens and promised to always keep in touch by writing and calling each other. Of course Nick's mother made sure they lost contact because to her, Katherine is not and will never be the right girl for her son.No Cure for The Broken Hearted is a story for everyone. I laughed, smiled, cried and wished it never ended. I don't even know what to say besides that there wasn't anything about this book that I did not like. It's easy to get lost in and once you start it you can't help but feel relaxed. I loved it and I am really looking forward to reading any other books by Kenneth Rosenberg. Great story!

Katherine is a very hard worker and loves what she does, but she can't help but wonder why she does not have a more active love life. Every time she meets a guy and finds them attractive she turns the other way. No one will ever compare to her first love, Nick. Even though she has no type of friendship or connection to Nick now, he set the standard high for her. That all changes though when Nick comes looking for her to hire her to design his lake house. From there it's just one roller coaster ride after another. Trying to prove to herself that she does not have a thing for Nick anymore, Katherine decides to take on the job. Things just get harder and harder for her after that. As much as she tries to deny it, Nick will always be the love of her life.I really felt for Nick and Katherine. Both holding on to something so strong and not knowing if it's real or just a memory. Nick is rich and pretty much a celebrity, where as Katherine is just an architect and an average woman. They both fell in love with each other as teens and promised to always keep in touch by writing and calling each other. Of course Nick's mother made sure they lost contact because to her, Katherine is not and will never be the right girl for her son.No Cure for The Broken Hearted is a story for everyone. I laughed, smiled, cried and wished it never ended. I don't even know what to say besides that there wasn't anything about this book that I did not like. It's easy to get lost in and once you start it you can't help but feel relaxed. I loved it and I am really looking forward to reading any other books by Kenneth Rosenberg. Great story!

My thoughts:
This book is wonderfully written! Insightful and refreshing! A story of self discovery and the search for what is most important in life!
This is the first true romance that I can remember reading that the author was a man, where I opened the book knowing that the writer was a man and I wondered about perspective and voice. I was impressed. He has shown a fantastic grasp of the intricacies of the emotions of both men and women. Kenneth Rosenberg has created characters that you can believe in. He has cast them into a world where money is power (sound familiar?) and the wants and desires of some are disregarded.
The characters are realistic and easy to invest yourself into. The relationships portrayed are lifelike for the characters both when they are young and as they grow older.
The story comes down to the choices between what you really want and what you are willing to fight for versus what is expected or desired by those in positions of power and wealth.
The characters drive the story and keep you turning the pages, but the story itself keeps you holding your breath and hoping.
Of all the supporting characters, Byron stands out the most for me. I think the friendship that he and Kate build is wonderful. I was thrilled when he throws away "the napkin" (you'll have to read it for details!). This action is him making what I believe to be one of the most powerful statements in the book; that he is no sell out and that honor and principles come before money!
I loved Kate, the beautiful and successful architect making it on her own. Nick, what can you say about Nick...spoiled, rich, entitled, gorgeous, expecting. Of course these are what you see on the outside. On the inside they are both sad, unfulfilled, still hoping, still searching, still waiting. Truly worth a read! Don't miss out.

Article first published as Book Review:No Cure for the Broken Hearted by Kenneth Rosenberg on Blogcritics.

I have heard it said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” Life is not always, what you plan. Sometimes, what happens in your youth changes those plans in unexpected ways. Katherine Spencer had such an epiphany, meeting a young Nick Bancroft at just sixteen years of age, she finds herself wildly in love. However, when the wealthy young man returns home, she never hears from him again.

She becomes the best in her field, a young architect on the precipice of becoming extremely successful. However, how is it that just as her dreams are becoming reality, she is brought back to earth by a request from none other than Nick Bancroft. He is hoping to have her design his dream home. Initially she refuses; she does not do homes, only offices and company buildings. Nevertheless, when she has a run-in with Nick’s latest girlfriend, her disgust leads her to change her mind.

Being around Nick is a bit hurtful, he does not seem to realize that her feeling are still bruised after all this time. He feels as though they are friends and looks to her for guidance. It is incredible for her that he does not understand, but there are deeper issues at work.

As Nick’s life comes crashing around him, and he seeks the solution, can Katherine be the one to bring him home? In No Cure for the Broken Hearted, Kenneth Rosenberg has engendered characters that walk right off the pages. They are very human, with both weakness and strengths that are unique and yet just a twist away from those experienced by most people. They are very likable, with traits that you can relate to. In Nick, Rosenberg has given us a troubled youth and yet still a troubled man, not following his own dreams but those of his family. Can he become the man he wants to be before it is too late?

Katherine is a strong woman, and has grown up with a faint taint of bitterness, she has held herself back from feelings and thrown herself into her work. There is a catharsis in the drawing and designing, keeping that small feeling of bitterness at bay. Her friends worry about her, and would like to see her enjoying herself more. Until Nick contacts her fo ar home he wants built, she had not even realized that she still had feelings. As they come in contact, she finally realizes her feelings are just as deep, and have not faded away, as she had thought.

Nick is a very troubled young man. Very in love with Katherine in his youth, he has grown up and moved on. He has dated many of the great beauties of the land and is currently seeing one of them now. He is reasonably sure this is the woman for him, but when he is in close proximity to Katherine, he is no longer so sure.

This is a story about inner truth and strength, and yes romance as well. When life is more than what is expected and can twist even the smallest dreams, is there hope when it all crashes down? Sometimes even the brightest butterfly needs to escape and make its way. This is a story of that journey. Everything is not always what it seems.

This is a steady and well-written romance.The pace is a little slow, but smooth. It is about finding your strength and holding to who you are. Rosenberg has written a solid romance, with depth and thought. A great read for those looking for romance and just a bit of truth.

This book was received as a free e-book from the Author. all opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.