Caedem Marquez

I was very disappointed with this book. I thought it would be a cute holiday romance, but what I got was a sad, depressing chick-lit story with no HEA. I'm not exactly sure what the point of it all was, and had the writing not been as captivating I would have DNF'd it, even though it was super short.Like I said, the writing was good and the book was short and there were some cute silly moments that I did find appealing. But this was a very emotional read that broke my heart. I don't think I'll read the other books within the series either due to the lack of a HEA. I haven't read much chick-lit before, so I'm not sure if that is par for the course or not. If so, then I don't think I'll read anything in that genre. I read to be happy, not depressed.… (más)

I don’t read many romances because they tend to follow the same pattern: Girl meets boy (or knew boy previously), something keeps them apart (usually their supposed hatred or a misunderstanding) until all is cleared up, and the girl gets her happily ever after.

The Path Home is different from the usual formula so I enjoyed reading it. It’s told from the point of view of Father Dominguez. He’s likable, endearing and has a good sense of humor about the situation. And he can whistle a mean rendition of Blondie’s “One Way or Another”. His “happily ever after” isn’t going to be easy – he has to include the Church and Christopher in his decision. More pragmatically, what would he do to earn a living?

I also enjoyed the themes of love and home. How many kinds of love can one person experience? Is there enough room in the heart to hold them all? What makes a home? Is it acceptance? If you read The Path Home you may find the answers to those questions in your own life.… (más)

This short story was an interesting quick read, and the author has a distinctive voice. I found myself irritated at the main character Gertrude (mainly with her religious assumptions) but then the next I just felt sorry for her. There are comedic overtones, bracketed by down-to-the-bone clarity and insight. Marques is bound to be someone you will hear more of in the future.
Marquez certainly has a way with words and even if I hadn't enjoyed The Girl in the Coffee Shop, I would have still given this book Five stars based on the excerpt of The Path Home (to be released later this summer 2011) at the ending. The writing in the excerpt is exquisite, and I will be one of the first people to get a copy of The Path Home when it's released!… (más)