Thursday, January 10, 2013

Book Review: When the Siren Calls by Tom Barry


2 stars
Genres: Romance
Format: ebook
 338 pages
Published by Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published November 2012 (first published February 26th 2012)
ISBN: 1780883102
ISBN13: 9781780883106
Where to Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble
View on Goodreads

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Restless and neglected, Isobel is suffocating in a stagnant marriage. Suave and charismatic Jay is fighting for survival. An invitation to visit Jay's resort in the hills of Tuscany sparks Isobel to imagine a life of freedom and excitement.
Dismissing her husband’s objections, Isobel pursues Jay to Tuscany on the pretext of searching for a holiday home. After fighting anguished guilt, she abandons herself in a passionate affair, with her controlling lover encouraging Isobel to push beyond her sexual boundaries.

But all is not as it seems in the idyllic Tuscan retreat, and Isobel finds herself trapped in a web of intrigue, deception, and betrayal. She is one player in a dangerous love triangle, unsure whether Jay is her saviour, or her nemesis. As her world falls apart, she must choose between the woman she thought she was, and the woman she has become.

My Review:
I was first intrigue by this book solely because of the cover and then I read the description and thought why not. Well, it was 50 Shades of Grey gone wrong.

The characters were overly annoying. There was nothing redeeming about Isobel, she was purely spoiled and naïve. She does everything in her power to act stupid and get into dumb situations. Jay is just a jerk, and NOT in a good way. Basically everything he says is just to get into her pants and his choice of career is less than honorable. There was just nothing to the characters making nothing come out of their relationships. This should not be described as romance either, its just something else entirely.

Note: won through LibraryThing Member giveaways.

Tom’s first novel, “When the Siren Calls”, is published in two parts. The first, a “Prequel” is a stand alone short story which introduces the headstrong heroine, the rich and beautiful but neglected Isobel, and the moment her slumbering sexuality is awakened by the mysterious Jay. The second book, follows Isobel’s search for emotional fulfillment as she pursues Jay to Tuscany on the pretext of buying a holiday home, and abandons all her sexual inhibitions in the cinematic love affair of her dreams. But all is not as it seems, and Isobel finds herself trapped in a nightmare of deception and betrayal.

A published writer at University, Tom Barry spent 20 years in management consultancy with Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC, advising the Boards of leading global brands such as Apple, Disney, Toyota and Vodafone. His career prompted a specific interest in the art of persuasive communication. He is passionate about nurturing young talent and has supported a number of UK and overseas schools, including the Nordoff Robbins Centre for Music Therapy. He lives near London and is currently working with the Brit Writers’ Awards, a charitable initiative to promote creative writing in our schools. His debut novel, When the Siren Calls, is set in Tuscany and is both a sensual emotional drama and a page turning thriller.

Author’s Website: http://www.tombarrywrites.com

1 comment:

  1. I also was contacted about reviewing this book,recently. I really liekd the whole underwater aspect that's goign on with the cover, but from your review I think I'll pass up on the review request. Besides, there's nothing that irks me more than paper-flat characters ... Thanks for the heads up!

    ~Anastasia @ Characterized Book Reviews
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