Pairs

by:  DW Richardson
published by:  Self?

In grown-up fairy tales, even the happiest endings have complications. Kayley, the single mother of a psychically gifted four-year-old, squeaks out a living writing and creating greeting cards. Adam is a carpenter doing a favour at the request of a mutual friend. Alexandra is a former stripper making a place for herself in the "straight" world when she meets Adam's sexually ambiguous cousin Henry, a math teacher with nineteenth century values. In no particular order, spiritualism, home renovation, etymology, herbalism, psychic aptitude, quantum physics, Wicca, and Jungian teachings, are all braided seamlessly into a frequently humorous, sometimes outrageous, and often enlightening storyline that explores the nuances of romantic love and friendship between four very different yet equally engaging individuals.

This was a hard one.  When I finished the book, my reaction was kinda like "uhhhh ok then."  It was sort of a mishmash of "stuff" and relationships and in my opinion it didn't all necessarily all flow together. 

The story was basically about Kayley and Adam and their relationship which was pretty much a normal heterosexual relationship.  It was also about Henry, Adam's cousin, and Alexandra's relationship which was anything but normal.  The four of them ended up pretty much living together, which was sort of bizarre really. 

There were some mild gay and scenes throughout so if that's not your thing be aware that's in this book.  It's not really graphic anything like that, but it's there throughout the book.  There were some other little polititcal type rants in the book about feminism that raised my hackles a little bit.  It surprised me that a book like this would get my temper up a little. 

So, I'd say that maybe this book wasn't for me, but I didn't totally hate it.  I did read it all the way through, I didn't have to force myself to read it, so that says something.  It was well written without any glaring errors.  If the story sounds interesting to you, go check it out!

~Autumn