Review of A Taste of Bliss by Adrian R. Hale

Solid 4 Stars
I quite liked this story. I was very moved by Lisa, Bliss' mother's storyline. Tragic and yet inspiring.

Talan was a sweetheart. Almost too perfect, but honestly, that's the way I like my heroes. It's nice to think there's a guy out there who can handle all our BS. I liked the layers to his personality and his life, and the way he was all in when it came to Bliss. My only problem is the amount of time he was absent from the story. I got a bit twitchy wondering when he was going to be back in the picture.

Bliss... Well, I liked her well enough. I thought she was pretty relatable, flawed, and real. She'd go flying off the handle, and then come to her senses. And Lord knows I'm a lot like her when it comes to overthinking things, and creating issues when there isn't really one there. Unlike her, I like to think I would let someone say their piece, defend themselves, in the event of a major misunderstanding, but who knows.

That particular misunderstanding was pretty predictable, although I did wonder what the real story was going to be. (Sorry if I'm vague, but I don't like to leave spoilers.)

My main problem with this story isn't really the story, it's the fact that it is not only first person, which--as those of you who follow my reviews know--is not my favorite, but it is also in present tense, which I find super distracting. I've only ever read one book in present tense that I didn't find so distracting--I hardly even noticed it, it was so well done. This one, for me, was not. As a reader, I was taken out of the bubble every time to dialog fell into past tense--which was often--and during the times when Bliss is flashing back to something that happened "off scene". So it felt bouncy and just not smooth.

Take that for what it's worth. For me, it's worth the loss of a whole star. But other readers who don't have problems with first person present tense may not mind it at all. Otherwise, the plot was well constructed, the characters all likable and relate-able, and the writing--other than my issues framed above--was very well done.

On Being a Terrified Caregiver

So my mom is going in for knee replacement surgery a week from today. She chose to do it now, while I am ‘home for the winter’ so that I could care for her while she is recovering. She asked if I was willing, and I said ‘sure thing’.

Now, people who know me are probably scratching their heads right now. On one hand, why wouldn’t I agree to help? Out of her seven kids, I’m an obvious choice since I work from home and ‘home’ can be wherever I have an internet connection. But on the other hand, I am the kind of person who says “How can I support you without actually having to, you know, be there, near you?”

In general, I don’t do caregiving.

It’s not a lack of compassion. It is...well. It's a kind of terror. My first instinct is to run away. Pain makes me uncomfortable. Other people’s pain, that is. I have a fairly high pain threshold myself, as long as I’m allowed to whine about it. But other people’s pain?

When Mom was in hospital after her colon cancer surgery, I visited before her pain was really under control. I thought I was going to throw up, I was so upset. I wanted to drag a nurse into her room to give her drugs immediately. And I wanted drugs of my own to calm me down.

As her knee surgery approaches, I have moments of wondering what on earth I was thinking.

Now, I know she will have ~3 days in hospital before she comes home, and nurses and therapists coming to the house to change dressings and that sort of thing. So really all I will be doing is running errands and being her go-fer. Walking the dog. Being there in case she needs help. Being a companion. Actually being there really will be fine.

It is the anticipation that makes me wonder, and worry, and question the decision that led to me being ‘the one.’ That is a lack of confidence. I worry I will say or do the wrong thing, something to make matters worse. That I won't be in the right place to stop a fall. That I won't notice a serious problem....

I guess the bottom line is that I don’t want to let Mom down. She has always been rock solid, and to have her wellbeing in any way dependent on me is rather frightening.

But it will be fine. A fine, stretchy experience for me. Really.