Providence By Leigh Hays

Providence by Leigh Hays

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book feels a lot like a half-formed thought. There are some interesting scenes and character interactions, but as a whole, it didn’t quite work.

The characters didn’t feel fleshed out enough for me. I couldn’t really get a sense of who they were. Some of the choices they made didn’t really make sense to what we knew about them up to that point.

Everything felt like it also just sort of happened without any real reason. There was an instant attraction the moment the characters saw each other that didn’t feel believable. There was no real moment where we understood why this one person changed the way either of them had been living their lives up to that point.

Finally, I felt like there were a lot of loose ends by the end that never felt resolved. Conflicts introduced that we are just supposed to accept got resolved because there were several time-jumps that stretched from a few days to a few months. I felt like I was missing out on getting to see certain moments between them that were led up to then skipped.

I felt like the concept was really interesting for this book, but just wasn’t actually fleshed out enough.

Full Review with Spoilers

This book had a lot of potential that I feel just fell through. There were a few scenes that I genuinely did like, but as a whole, it just didn’t hold up.

Neither of the main characters really felt fleshed out or well defined, and the attraction so was instantaneous that it didn’t feel believable. But main characters, Lindsey and Rebekiah are both suffering from past relationships. Lindsey’s ex left her after 7 years because she was not fully present in the relationship and Rebekiah’s girlfriend Emma, or best friend with benefits, (it’s never completely defined) passed away. Rebekiah is left with a large sum of money she does not want after Emma passes, so she goes to Lindsey’s company looking to get rid of it. The instant they see each other that’s it, they are smitten. I had a really hard time getting behind this idea. There was no build up to this relationship. I can’t enjoy a romance if I can’t see why the two of them are so into each other to begin with. They just are.

Through the whole book they are quick to rush into things. Lindsey very quickly agrees to pose for Rebekiah’s erotic photos without really thinking about potential consequences, which I felt that was a neglected detail since her mother is a senator. Seems like something that could have done some harm. They very quickly go from physical to emotion need as well.

I honestly felt like these character’s were not very fleshed out either. Lindsey especially I couldn’t get a clear read on. Their personalities weren’t clearly defined and they contradicted themselves sporadically.

I also didn’t really enjoy the time skips that felt like they glossed over a few important moments. Lindsey’s dinner where she introduces Rebekiah to her AA sponsor is planned, then completely skipped over. That seems like an important moment that we don’t experience. The same happens When Lindsey is falsely accused of fraud by her business partner who is trying to shift the blame off of herself. This is a major turning point for the story and yet we skip right on through it. It felt like is was introduced just to add drama but the author wasn’t interested in actually resolving that drama. Again, obviously consequences ignored and a unbelievable positive outcome happens from it with Lindsey being offered a better job despite such huge accusations against her.

Overall I really felt like this book could have been more. It had a decent concept, but it could have benefited from more time and planning.