Guest Book Review: Carol E. Wyer - Just Add Spice

Reviewed by Lisa Bentley

   Escape from reality comes in patent-leather Prada kneeboots

Dawn Ellis needs to escape from her painfully dull existence. Her unemployed husband spends all day complaining about life, moping around, or fixing lawnmowers on her kitchen table. The local writing class proves to be an adequate distraction with its eccentric collection of wannabe authors and, of course, the enigmatic Jason, who soon shows a romantic interest in her.

Dawn pours her inner frustrations into her first novel about the extraordinary exploits of Cinnamon Knight, an avenging angel -- a woman who doesn't believe in following the rules. Cinnamon is ruthless and wanton, inflicting suffering on any man who warrants it. Little does Dawn realise that soon the line between reality and fiction will blur. Her own life will be transformed, and those close to her will pay the price.  Find out what happens in Just Add Spice. 

What would you do if your life just suddenly seems so boring? Meet Dawn. Since her husband has lost his job and her now grown up son has moved out she has been at a loss for things to do. Life has become stagnant, boring and ultimately depressing. Dawn’s only escape comes in  the form of her weekly writing class and her fictional heroine Cinnamon (whose life seems glamorous and sexy in comparison). However, the more Dawn writes about Cinnamon the more adventurous she becomes.

Dawn takes up kick boxing and starts having illicit dates with a younger man. All of which are bound to get Dawn into a little bit of trouble.

To begin with I really didn’t like this book. I felt that the author Carol. E Wyer was giving too much backstory too early in the narrative. You then had a double dose of backstory coming from both Dawn’s life and the fictional character of Cinnamon. On top of that these two characters were freakishly similar and so it felt like you were reading the same story twice. It felt like Groundhog Day, like you had a severe case of déjà vu.

However, I persevered through the first couple of chapters I found myself really liking the story. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for Dawn who was stuck in a lacklustre marriage and equally you couldn’t help but feel enthralled by the exciting and dangerous adventures that Dawn’s fictional alter ego found herself in. Therefore, I take my hat off to Wyer. Her characters were likeable, well rounded and she had them do the most unexpected things.

If you choose to read this book and you have the same thoughts as me then please don’t give up on it straight away. Keep on going, it is worth it.

I'd like to thank Carol's publishers for sending us a review copy of this ebook.