Book Review: Overseas

Overseas
Beatriz Williams

Release Date: May 10, 2012

Book Description:
A passionate, sweeping novel of a love that transcends time.

When twenty-something Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson attracts the notice of the legendary Julian Laurence at a business meeting, no one’s more surprised than she is. Julian’s relentless energy and his extraordinary intellect electrify her, but she’s baffled by his sudden interest. Why would this handsome British billionaire—Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor—pursue a pretty but bookish young banker who hasn’t had a boyfriend since college?

The answer is beyond imagining . . . at least at first. Kate and Julian’s story may have begun not in the moneyed world of twenty-first-century Manhattan but in France during World War I, when a mysterious American woman emerged from the shadows of the Western Front to save the life of Captain Julian Laurence Ashford, a celebrated war poet and infantry officer.

Now, in modern-day New York, Kate and Julian must protect themselves from the secrets of the past, and trust in a true love that transcends time and space.

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
As I finished the last few pages of Overseas, a novel by Beatriz Williams, I hurried to reflect on my reading of it. I had many emotions and thoughts running through my head while reading it, but as soon as I faced the blank sheet – I was suddenly at a loss for words. What does one say about this novel? Sweet, romantic, cheesy? Perhaps, all of the above?



I found myself captivated by the novel. I picked the book up as I was looking to find a good time-traveling romance and this was one of many suggestions – it looked interesting – I decided to give it a try and I am happy that I did. A perfect long-weekend read! The time-traveling aspect of this novel was quite interesting, and perhaps I wish it was explored further, but otherwise it was a good, solid romantic novel – the kind of fairy-tale love one should indulge in once-in-awhile.

As much as I loved the concept and enjoyed the novel itself, certain elements felt repetitive and at times over-the-top, such as the numerous uses of words “beloved” and “darling” – I could’ve used less fluff. Continuous declarations of undying love were aplenty. Complete with a standard cast of the usual suspects, including a wealthy, gorgeous man, ready to sweep the heroine off of her feet and give her the world. A reluctant heroine, who, falls head over heels with our hero, and wouldn’t mind if the billion dollar sign did not flash every time his name is mentioned... A new-age time-traveling Cinderella of sorts?

I enjoyed the character of Kate (the heroine), but found myself a bit disappointed that after awhile she settled into the role of the “girlfriend/wife” and seemed satisfied with the arrangement, apart from making a small comment here and there, only to be taken back later. Julian (the leading man) on the other hand, was everything I have come to expect from the main “love interest” – a sort-of alpha male hero, ready to save his beloved at a moment’s notice and protect her from all imaginable as well as unimaginable threats – i.e. life! A bit overwhelming and cheesy character – but at the same time sweet.

The Verdict:
It is love-filled fluff type fairy-tale with a perfectly happy Hollywood ending – *look for a movie release in the near future* (Hollywood needs to get right on it!).

If you are like me, and an occasional Cinderella story is to your liking. If you don’t mind reading pages about love and devotion, with a minor paranoia and conflict thrown-in, with elements of time-travel added into the mix, making it even less plausible to be real life, then this book is for you. Take a long-weekend, cozy up and escape…

“Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes

If you like Pina Coladas
and getting caught in the rain,
If you're not into yoga
If you have half a brain,
If you like making love at midnight
In the dunes of the Cape,
Then I'm the love that you've looked for
Write to me and escape

New Release:
If you enjoyed Ms. Williams’ writing then check out her new release – A Hundred Summers, available May 30, 2013.

A Hundred Summers
Beatriz Williams

Release Date: May 30, 2013
 

Book Description:
Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak.

That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview.

Nick and Budgie Greenwald are an unwelcome specter from Lily’s past: her former best friend and her former fiancé, now recently married—an event that set off a wildfire of gossip among the elite of Seaview, who have summered together for generations. Budgie’s arrival to restore her family’s old house puts her once more in the center of the community’s social scene, and she insinuates herself back into Lily's friendship with an overpowering talent for seduction...and an alluring acquaintance from their college days, Yankees pitcher Graham Pendleton. But the ties that bind Lily to Nick are too strong and intricate to ignore, and the two are drawn back into long-buried dreams, despite their uneasy secrets and many emotional obligations.

Under the scorching summer sun, the unexpected truth of Budgie and Nick’s marriage bubbles to the surface, and as a cataclysmic hurricane barrels unseen up the Atlantic and into New England, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional cyclone of their own, which will change their worlds forever.

Amazon US | Goodreads