What do you think?
Rate this book
308 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2020
"It hurts to breathe without you."Wow! What a strong finish . . . I'm still swooning. 😍
"This town is as much about flash as substance. To succeed, you have no choice but to master both."He grudgingly puts his rough-around-the-edges self in her hands.
"The hard truth is that appearance matters." She braced herself for disapproval and him retreating to his high horse.Okay, so, WOW. The author has created two incredible main characters in Salt + Stilettos; memorable, intelligent, strong yet vulnerable, and diverse. If you're interested in reading about Samoan culture and seeing the world through the eyes of two characters of color, you've hit the mother lode!
Words were cheap, and people never lived up to them.She had a rocky start in life . . .
"Don't mention the f-word to her either. Family ain't her thing.". . . and it leads to one of the main conflicts between her and Will.
"Helping my mom and sisters isn't a burden. It's fa'a samoa - a privilege, a good thing."Will Te'o is not your typical hero. Even if the American Samoa transplant is 6'8" and gorgeous - have I mentioned the tattoos?😍 - he struggles with his confidence in certain situations.
"You've never been out of place. You've never not belonged."His vulnerable side was so well done! He felt so exposed working with Brett . . .
Her mistake had been assuming someone built like a tank couldn't be hurt.. . . yet he still maintained his sense of self. And once he saw past Brett's walls . . .
"You maybe don't wear your heart on your sleeve, but it's worth working to get to the real you.". . . he didn't back down and wouldn't be deterred.
Despite some spectacularly devastating rejections and betrayals, Will was open to trust.So where are the 5 stars? Bear with me for a moment . . .
The color of fresh tangerines today instead of the usual pearly-pink, like the inside of an abalone shell.But the beautiful prose also contributed to the plot dragging a bit. Sometimes there was just too much description to wade through and I wanted the story to move along more quickly. For example:
Amusement enriched his voice, making it touchable, something lush to roll around in like her favorite pashmina.Honestly, I wouldn't have wanted to be the editor on this book, lol. Such a great sentence, but there were just too many of them. But hey, take that with a grain of salt. I highlighted the heck out of this book!
He whispered promises and appreciation, not able to tell if it was Samoan or English.I'll definitely read more by this author!