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A review by readclever
Sylvie's Cowboy by Iris Chacon
2.0
An ARC was provided on NetGalley, free of charge, for a review.
Sylvie's Cowboy description didn't necessarily match the pacing of the book, no pun intended. The book read more like an outline of a two-part cozy murder mystery without offering any kind of pay off in the end. Too much tell, not enough show. Remember what I said about an outline? It's an easy read, as if many of the descriptions were more like stage directions. There was no real way to cheer for Sylvie or Walt. The mystery was easily solved.
I wanted to like the book, but unfortunately, nothing felt particularly solid. Walt's voice and speech pattern felt at odds to his overall ending arc and information provided. Sometimes it felt like I was reading an episode of Green Acres or Petticoat Junction.
I think an editor would have easily solved a lot of the tone and pacing issues. There were definitely threads of good story that could have be expanded if an editor had really pulled them out. Or even a couple beta readers if an editor wasn't possible. I felt like Sylvie was a lot like Brittany Murphy's character in Uptown Girls meets Ally Sheedy in Maid to Order. The writing style felt very 1980s, which wouldn't have been bad if the story had explicitly stated if contemporary or not.
Cut about 25% of the unnecessary bits out of the story and you'd have a great novella sized story. I hate leaving not so great reviews but I ended up skipping that 25% because of the storytelling. Two stars because of the fact the Miami settings were interesting, like the polo match and some of the more scenic views. I just wish I could have supported the character arcs and story line more. Because in the end, Sylvie did a great job in being independent. I wanted more of her being secure and a real foil to Walt's outdated views of femininity.
Sylvie's Cowboy description didn't necessarily match the pacing of the book, no pun intended. The book read more like an outline of a two-part cozy murder mystery without offering any kind of pay off in the end. Too much tell, not enough show. Remember what I said about an outline? It's an easy read, as if many of the descriptions were more like stage directions. There was no real way to cheer for Sylvie or Walt. The mystery was easily solved.
I wanted to like the book, but unfortunately, nothing felt particularly solid. Walt's voice and speech pattern felt at odds to his overall ending arc and information provided. Sometimes it felt like I was reading an episode of Green Acres or Petticoat Junction.
I think an editor would have easily solved a lot of the tone and pacing issues. There were definitely threads of good story that could have be expanded if an editor had really pulled them out. Or even a couple beta readers if an editor wasn't possible. I felt like Sylvie was a lot like Brittany Murphy's character in Uptown Girls meets Ally Sheedy in Maid to Order. The writing style felt very 1980s, which wouldn't have been bad if the story had explicitly stated if contemporary or not.
Cut about 25% of the unnecessary bits out of the story and you'd have a great novella sized story. I hate leaving not so great reviews but I ended up skipping that 25% because of the storytelling. Two stars because of the fact the Miami settings were interesting, like the polo match and some of the more scenic views. I just wish I could have supported the character arcs and story line more. Because in the end, Sylvie did a great job in being independent. I wanted more of her being secure and a real foil to Walt's outdated views of femininity.