Tess Woods
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I have to preface this review by saying that this is a difficult book to review without getting caught up emotionally in one of the main themes of the book, infidelity. So please excuse me when I break it down into parts – it’s not meant to sound like an instruction manual but I feel I will give Love at First Flight the most honest review this way!
First, I think most of the internet knows this book is about two attached people having an affair. It’s about Mel, late30s, married with children who appears to have it all – great family, great husband, giant fancy house and good job. But she sort of feels a kind of guilty discontent that is activated when she meets Matt, a younger man in his late twenties on a flight from Perth to Melbourne (about 3-3.5 hours depending on how much your pilot puts his/her foot down). Matt is engaged, pretty happy (he has his own business but his soon to be in-laws don’t like him) and he is floored when he meets Mel. He chats her up inflight and although Mel explains her situation, she’s flattered and obsessed. This is the start of an obsessive, passionate affair that will destroy their partners and change both their lives.
I’m not sure that 3-3.5 hours is enough personally to fall instantly in love (yes, I have been chatted up on the same route, and no, it didn’t turn into insta-love. It was fun though). My personal thoughts are that rather than being in love, Mel and Matt are obsessed by each other. The way some people get about famous people, kale or cars. It’s all consuming, heady and delightful but it burns itself out. I think that both Mel and Matt went into the relationship seeking different things (possibly unconsciously) and that their ages/stage in life had something to do with it. Mel was looking for something exciting, something different. She wanted recognition that she was still beautiful and had the ability to catch someone’s eye. I believe that Matt had doubts about his fiancé Lydia and their long term compatibility – I think he wanted to see if he could fall in love with someone else to determine that his feelings for Lydia weren’t mutually exclusive.
Saying that, I think both Mel and Matt were incredibly immature at times with the way they lied to their partners and family. If they had to act on their feelings, I wish they could have been more circumspect. As health professionals, couldn’t they have used the common sense that is integral to their job just a touch in their personal lives? But they didn’t, and that’s why things blew up so spectacularly and caused the excruciating pain for not only themselves, but their loved ones. I don’t feel that I can comment confidently on the infidelity, as I’ve not experienced it myself. It’s a taboo not explored often in fiction, particularly not with such brutal outcomes. It doesn’t paint a picture that it’s acceptable or happy to have an affair but tells as it affects everyone surrounding the couple.
The story is told by alternating first person from Matt and Mel. I liked this as I really got into their heads and saw what they were thinking. It was brutally honest and sometimes disconcerting too as both of them tried to justify their behaviour to themselves and each other. Matt is a total charmer and really believes in his love for Mel. There were times when I felt that Matt was weak from Mel’s point of view, but in his next first person view, he was able to ‘talk me round’ to see his side of the story. Mel is completely mixed up, but in her first person chapters, she tries to justify things. Both of them get it completely wrong, but by the conclusion of the novel, they have both grown as characters. I found that Mel at the conclusion of the novel was much more likable than Mel in the middle. As for Matt, I’d like to think he has grown up, but I worry that he’s going to confuse and hurt others again…
The first person point of view from both main characters can be hard to pull off, but Tess Woods does it with a skill that belies the fact that this is her debut novel. Sometimes this style of writing turns into repetitiveness of scenes, but Woods takes each aspect of the story and tells it from only one of the character’s views. When the other character next speaks, they may mention something from the previous chapter but it’s not going over old ground. Wood’s style also knows how to wring the reader’s emotions, I don’t think I’ve felt such a range in the one book and so raw too. The part where Mel’s husband finds out about her affair is excruciatingly gut-wrenching, you can’t help but feel what each character is going through.
This is a powerhouse of a book that will create conversation.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com… (mer)
First, I think most of the internet knows this book is about two attached people having an affair. It’s about Mel, late30s, married with children who appears to have it all – great family, great husband, giant fancy house and good job. But she sort of feels a kind of guilty discontent that is activated when she meets Matt, a younger man in his late twenties on a flight from Perth to Melbourne (about 3-3.5 hours depending on how much your pilot puts his/her foot down). Matt is engaged, pretty happy (he has his own business but his soon to be in-laws don’t like him) and he is floored when he meets Mel. He chats her up inflight and although Mel explains her situation, she’s flattered and obsessed. This is the start of an obsessive, passionate affair that will destroy their partners and change both their lives.
I’m not sure that 3-3.5 hours is enough personally to fall instantly in love (yes, I have been chatted up on the same route, and no, it didn’t turn into insta-love. It was fun though). My personal thoughts are that rather than being in love, Mel and Matt are obsessed by each other. The way some people get about famous people, kale or cars. It’s all consuming, heady and delightful but it burns itself out. I think that both Mel and Matt went into the relationship seeking different things (possibly unconsciously) and that their ages/stage in life had something to do with it. Mel was looking for something exciting, something different. She wanted recognition that she was still beautiful and had the ability to catch someone’s eye. I believe that Matt had doubts about his fiancé Lydia and their long term compatibility – I think he wanted to see if he could fall in love with someone else to determine that his feelings for Lydia weren’t mutually exclusive.
Saying that, I think both Mel and Matt were incredibly immature at times with the way they lied to their partners and family. If they had to act on their feelings, I wish they could have been more circumspect. As health professionals, couldn’t they have used the common sense that is integral to their job just a touch in their personal lives? But they didn’t, and that’s why things blew up so spectacularly and caused the excruciating pain for not only themselves, but their loved ones. I don’t feel that I can comment confidently on the infidelity, as I’ve not experienced it myself. It’s a taboo not explored often in fiction, particularly not with such brutal outcomes. It doesn’t paint a picture that it’s acceptable or happy to have an affair but tells as it affects everyone surrounding the couple.
The story is told by alternating first person from Matt and Mel. I liked this as I really got into their heads and saw what they were thinking. It was brutally honest and sometimes disconcerting too as both of them tried to justify their behaviour to themselves and each other. Matt is a total charmer and really believes in his love for Mel. There were times when I felt that Matt was weak from Mel’s point of view, but in his next first person view, he was able to ‘talk me round’ to see his side of the story. Mel is completely mixed up, but in her first person chapters, she tries to justify things. Both of them get it completely wrong, but by the conclusion of the novel, they have both grown as characters. I found that Mel at the conclusion of the novel was much more likable than Mel in the middle. As for Matt, I’d like to think he has grown up, but I worry that he’s going to confuse and hurt others again…
The first person point of view from both main characters can be hard to pull off, but Tess Woods does it with a skill that belies the fact that this is her debut novel. Sometimes this style of writing turns into repetitiveness of scenes, but Woods takes each aspect of the story and tells it from only one of the character’s views. When the other character next speaks, they may mention something from the previous chapter but it’s not going over old ground. Wood’s style also knows how to wring the reader’s emotions, I don’t think I’ve felt such a range in the one book and so raw too. The part where Mel’s husband finds out about her affair is excruciatingly gut-wrenching, you can’t help but feel what each character is going through.
This is a powerhouse of a book that will create conversation.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com… (mer)
The brief synopsis of the book made me put it on TBR list. Yet, I kept putting off reading it because I was not sure I really wanted to read about an extra-marital affair. Several times I almost removed it from the list. Instead, it stayed on and I am glad it did and that I finally read it. The book takes a difficult subject and deals with it in a thoughtful and tasteful way.
The book was very thought provoking. It explored, in great detail, some of the issues related to why marriages fail. The characters were very well developed and the story was moving. I found myself wanting a happy ending for all the characters. Yet, I knew it was not possible.
Even after I finished reading I found myself thinking about all the torment that the characters suffered; and how people make difficult choices that will forever shape their lives and those they love.
Looking forward to the next book by Woods. I can only hope it will be as good.… (mer)
The book was very thought provoking. It explored, in great detail, some of the issues related to why marriages fail. The characters were very well developed and the story was moving. I found myself wanting a happy ending for all the characters. Yet, I knew it was not possible.
Even after I finished reading I found myself thinking about all the torment that the characters suffered; and how people make difficult choices that will forever shape their lives and those they love.
Looking forward to the next book by Woods. I can only hope it will be as good.… (mer)
Every once in a while a book comes along that completely captivates me from beginning to end, and at the present time, Love At First Flight is that book.
In her debut novel, author Tess Woods weaves a riveting and intricate story of instant attraction, love at first sight, soul mates, marriage, family, infidelity, ramifications, loss, and forgiveness. Set in Australia and told in the first person narrative by Mel and Matt, their unexpected meeting on a flight leads to a hot and sexy affair that is both exhilarating and devastating, as their choices and decisions lead to consequences that will cut very deep for both of them and their families.
Love At First Flight is a powerful story that easily drew me into Mel and Matt's story. It took me on an exhilarating roller coaster ride where I experienced the full gamut of emotions. The author does an amazing job of describing the intense love that Mel and Matt had, the kind of love at first sight that simply can't be ignored, yet their choice of acting upon their love comes with hard decisions and consequences that affects their lives and their families. And if that isn't enough, their soul mate love affair has a complex mixture of deceit, passion, and obsession that could lead to a disastrous outcome.
As their story unfolds, the reader is taken on an emotional journey, and I found myself pondering my own marriage, and questioning what would I have done if I had met a man that I was instantly attracted to on a flight, and how far would I have taken that unexpected meeting / relationship. This story definitely provides much food for thought, especially when there are so many intricate factors involved: their soul mate love relationship, her marriage and family, his fiance, their professional lives, the depth of passion versus obsession, etc.
With a cast of characters who are realistic and flawed; a rich description of the Australian setting; and a compelling storyline that has enough drama, raw emotions, angst, romance, sexual tension, marriage and family dynamic, and surprising twists and turns, Love At First Flight will leave you emotionally drained and wanting more!
Kudos on a wonderful debut novel!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/06/love-at-first-flight-by-tess-w...… (mer)
In her debut novel, author Tess Woods weaves a riveting and intricate story of instant attraction, love at first sight, soul mates, marriage, family, infidelity, ramifications, loss, and forgiveness. Set in Australia and told in the first person narrative by Mel and Matt, their unexpected meeting on a flight leads to a hot and sexy affair that is both exhilarating and devastating, as their choices and decisions lead to consequences that will cut very deep for both of them and their families.
Love At First Flight is a powerful story that easily drew me into Mel and Matt's story. It took me on an exhilarating roller coaster ride where I experienced the full gamut of emotions. The author does an amazing job of describing the intense love that Mel and Matt had, the kind of love at first sight that simply can't be ignored, yet their choice of acting upon their love comes with hard decisions and consequences that affects their lives and their families. And if that isn't enough, their soul mate love affair has a complex mixture of deceit, passion, and obsession that could lead to a disastrous outcome.
As their story unfolds, the reader is taken on an emotional journey, and I found myself pondering my own marriage, and questioning what would I have done if I had met a man that I was instantly attracted to on a flight, and how far would I have taken that unexpected meeting / relationship. This story definitely provides much food for thought, especially when there are so many intricate factors involved: their soul mate love relationship, her marriage and family, his fiance, their professional lives, the depth of passion versus obsession, etc.
With a cast of characters who are realistic and flawed; a rich description of the Australian setting; and a compelling storyline that has enough drama, raw emotions, angst, romance, sexual tension, marriage and family dynamic, and surprising twists and turns, Love At First Flight will leave you emotionally drained and wanting more!
Kudos on a wonderful debut novel!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2015/06/love-at-first-flight-by-tess-w...… (mer)
Statistik
- Verk
- 3
- Medlemmar
- 50
- Popularitet
- #316,248
- Betyg
- 4.3
- Recensioner
- 6
- ISBN
- 24
- Språk
- 1
Mel has the perfect life married to the perfect man with the perfect pigeon pair, a beautiful house, and her own flourishing practice - the stuff dreams are made of. But somewhere in the fourteen years she's been a wife and a mother, she's lost her identity and sense of self-worth. That changes in an instant when she meets Matt on a flight to Melbourne.
I urge readers to look past the infidelity in the plot to see the beautiful emotions Tess Woods creates in Love at First Flight. The struggle Mel faces and the tsunami of consequences that follow the affair will keep you riveted to this read.
Life isn't always as perfect as we'd like to believe, then we think we want something different. When we make the choice it's too late to turn back, and lives are changed forever. Suddenly, you're sacrificing the most important things in your heart.
Ms Woods captures this tug of war on emotions beautifully as Mel's life spirals out of control on her journey of self-discovery. There are many lessons to be learned between these pages. The author has captured a true-to-life situation with respect and empathy for all parties in this plot. Kudos to Ms Woods for writing this controversial subject into a story and making it work in a way that will leave you emotionally drained.
A very well written debut novel.
… (mer)