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Charley #1
Charley
All Charley Howard ever wanted was to be married, have three children and live a peaceful life in the suburbs. But the Fates had other ideas, and her happiness was not part of their plans. In the six years after her husband's tragic death, successful businesswoman Charley has taken a small neighborhood Bar and Grill and developed a major regional restaurant, now on the verge of a significant expansion forward. The only thing that stands in her way is PJ McCoy, a small college basketball coach. Charley plans for her and PJ to share a lust filled weekend together, and find out whether the experience will fulfil her long sought need for renewed physical and emotional intimacy. But neither of them expected love to emerge from the weekend. And neither were they prepared to deal with the potential devastating effect that love would have on their hopes, fears, ambitions and careers. And do the Fates intervene once again and allow Charley to fulfil her deepest needs? Or is the road ahead littered with painful and ultimately insurmountable obstacles. Shelby Jacobs is a master storyteller, who puts you immediately into the middle of the story to experience all the emotions, hopes, dreams and challenges of the protagonist. Whether it is science fiction, adventure, thriller or romance, you are there, immersed and engaged. For a few minutes or a few hours, you are transformed into the character herself. In the case of "Charley," you become the young Charley Howard, and directly experience her romance, her hopes, and her disappointments.
334 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2013
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 26, 2013
Novels are works of fiction, by and large. But we can often learn from them, especially if some of the subject matter is unfamiliar to us as readers. In this romance, I learned about aspects of American Basketball, the position and influence of the church on certain moral issues and the ways in which business might be conducted in the USA.
This is essentially a love story, employing an important theme with which I have sympathy: it discusses, through the interactions of its protagonists, the difference between lust and love. The eponymous Charley is a very strong female character and, in PJ, she is thrust, literally in certain passages, into the arms of a very strong male character. Their introduction, mutual exploration of sex and love, and their attempts to resolve the problems they face in getting together form the plot of the story.
I have to confess that much of the Basketball description went over my head. As a Brit, I have little knowledge of the sport and, with its own jargon, which is clearly understood by aficionados, I was often in the dark. But it wasn’t important, as the sports sequences are few and their content is more emblematic and symbolic than essential. I was able to grasp enough to understand the significance.
Similarly, although I’ve been involved in the business world, both as practitioner and in the role of tax collector, many of the practices exposed in the book were new to me. Of course, this is set in the southern states of the USA, so a degree of fraud and double-dealing was not unexpected. The author makes no moral judgement on the issues raised, but allows readers to come to their own conclusions, which is a stance I heartily applaud.
Also, as an agnostic, albeit raised on the rather loose moral standards of the Church of England, I’m not particularly sympathetic to the church movement as a whole. I felt the author managed very well to convey the inherent hypocrisy and self-imposed blindness of the protagonists as they allowed their actions to declare their true feelings whilst their words frequently hinted at more scriptural concerns. Again, it was left to readers to make their own judgements. In spite of the inclusion of scriptural references, I never felt I was being preached at.
The characters are drawn so well that it’s easy to get to know them and to feel with them. Since such empathy is an essential component of fiction for me, I was able to enjoy the read so much more. Written in the first person, and with occasional ‘mental asides’ that hint at the true state of mind of Charley, this complex and multi-layered piece of fiction reads easily, whilst challenging the reader to make certain judgements, sometimes only to discover that new facts must overturn those conclusions.
A really good read, this. The romance and erotic element will undoubtedly appeal more to women readers, whilst the other components will probably have a stronger appeal for those men who don’t generally read this genre. That sounds sexist, but I’m trying to point out that there’s something here for both genders. I have no qualms in recommending this novel.
This is essentially a love story, employing an important theme with which I have sympathy: it discusses, through the interactions of its protagonists, the difference between lust and love. The eponymous Charley is a very strong female character and, in PJ, she is thrust, literally in certain passages, into the arms of a very strong male character. Their introduction, mutual exploration of sex and love, and their attempts to resolve the problems they face in getting together form the plot of the story.
I have to confess that much of the Basketball description went over my head. As a Brit, I have little knowledge of the sport and, with its own jargon, which is clearly understood by aficionados, I was often in the dark. But it wasn’t important, as the sports sequences are few and their content is more emblematic and symbolic than essential. I was able to grasp enough to understand the significance.
Similarly, although I’ve been involved in the business world, both as practitioner and in the role of tax collector, many of the practices exposed in the book were new to me. Of course, this is set in the southern states of the USA, so a degree of fraud and double-dealing was not unexpected. The author makes no moral judgement on the issues raised, but allows readers to come to their own conclusions, which is a stance I heartily applaud.
Also, as an agnostic, albeit raised on the rather loose moral standards of the Church of England, I’m not particularly sympathetic to the church movement as a whole. I felt the author managed very well to convey the inherent hypocrisy and self-imposed blindness of the protagonists as they allowed their actions to declare their true feelings whilst their words frequently hinted at more scriptural concerns. Again, it was left to readers to make their own judgements. In spite of the inclusion of scriptural references, I never felt I was being preached at.
The characters are drawn so well that it’s easy to get to know them and to feel with them. Since such empathy is an essential component of fiction for me, I was able to enjoy the read so much more. Written in the first person, and with occasional ‘mental asides’ that hint at the true state of mind of Charley, this complex and multi-layered piece of fiction reads easily, whilst challenging the reader to make certain judgements, sometimes only to discover that new facts must overturn those conclusions.
A really good read, this. The romance and erotic element will undoubtedly appeal more to women readers, whilst the other components will probably have a stronger appeal for those men who don’t generally read this genre. That sounds sexist, but I’m trying to point out that there’s something here for both genders. I have no qualms in recommending this novel.
March 29, 2013
While Charley is not the type of book I read, the author sent it to me asked me to review it. I believe the story is compelling but the definitive sex scenes turned me off. I almost put it down early on but continued to read to see if there was a purpose. The epilogue actually made it all worthwhile. In my opinion, an editor would dress it up a bit. I’d have enjoyed more of the story line and less graphic sex but if that’s your thing, this could be the book for you.
September 22, 2013
I just couldn't get into this book. It was just boring for me. I ended up skipping a few chapters to get to the end just to say I finished it. I really tried but it just didn't work for me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews