Zora's Chance by Aliyah Burke

Zora's Chance by Aliyah Burke

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


I started a review and my computer decided it wanted to restart before I could save it!  Oh well. Here we go again!

I've had this ebook for years!  Better late than never.

I enjoyed this book.  It was a good read.   Why not four or more stars?

Let me tell you.

I am a curious person.  I can't help it.  I have been known to ask far too many questions.  It's wired in me to have a curious mind about the world and about the way it works, why people do the things they do.  That tends to be an important part of my analytical process when it comes to books. 

So when I finished this book, I had big huge question marks in my mind about Chance. I didn't understand the way his mind worked, why he was keeping himself so isolated and separate.  I didn't know, even when the book was over. It was like people knew this about him and didn't go there.  I think that although this was a major issue for Zora, nothing really seemed to change this. Yes, he declared his love, decided to let her into his insular life, but I didn't get closure on why he was like that.  Was it from a past hurt?  Was it ever going to change?  Would he open up a little more for Zora? I think if I had this understanding, I might have liked this book more than I did.

Also, I didn't like the casual nature of their relationship. Tthey hooked up for sex and mainly had separate lives.  Not romantic to me. Yes, I know, that's how some modern relationships are.  It doesn't work for me.  If there's going to be a sexual relationship first, I need it to feel like something more.  There was a push/pull here where Zora was slowly pushing at Chance's barriers, but at the same time trying to maintain her autonomy and accept the relationship for what it was, although she wanted more.  That was the main tension in this book. It's probably realistic for the development of many relationships, but not what I look for in a romance. I guess I'm still the fairy tale kind of relationship gal.  I don't apologize for that. I think it's important for all women to feel that they are worth the wooing and the seeking and that they are a princess to the man they love.  I don't want to be a princess, don't get me wrong, but it's good for you to know that you're a princess to the man you love and are in a relationship with!

I loved that Zora was a chef and liked to bake. As a foodie, that resonates with me. I also tend to bake when I'm restless, and I should be less shy and take my extras (of which there are often a lot) over to my neighbors.  No, I don't have a hunky ex-Marine neighbor, but still. 

Yes, this is a good love story although a bit nebulous for my tastes. Nicely steamy, with a hero who is quite appealing.  I do like the buttoned up hero, but I could have used more unbuttoning besides sexually. I loved the proposal though. This is one of Aliyah Burke's earlier novels, and I can see that she's come into her own and developed a smoother voice and more confident writing.  Even so, for being one of her first books, it's evident that she is a talented writer.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.



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