Book Review: "Again and Again" by Jonathan Evison

Eugene Miles lives in an elder-care facility, on the verge of turning 106 years old. Considering his age, his health isn’t horrible, but he’s pretty much ready to die. At this point, what’s left for him but spending time reading books he’s read countless times and doing elaborate puzzles in his room?

When another nursing assistant arrives, Eugene isn’t interested in building a relationship with someone else. But for some reason, this young man’s friendly manner taps into Eugene’s heart, and before long, he starts to look forward to Angel’s visits.

Angel shares stories about his relationship with his girlfriend and looks to “Geno” for advice, and the older man opens up about his life as well.

But Eugene’s reminiscences aren’t typical: he tells Angel that he has lived countless lives before this one: he was a thief in medieval Spain, a cat owned by Oscar Wilde, and many other iterations through the years.

And Eugene recounts meeting and losing the love of his life centuries ago in Spain, only to find her one more time in this life.

Angel is captivated by the man’s stories, but can they possibly be true, or are they just the ramblings of an elderly man? As the truth is revealed, and Eugene’s history becomes clearer, what we’re left with is the strength of stories and the power of love, and how we never can truly know all the multitudes that a person contains.

This is a beautifully told book, spanning between medieval Spain, England, and California in the 1930s and 1940s, and Jonathan Evison really made some excellent choices in how the plot unfolded, as I feared that it could veer into melodramatic and frustrating territory.

It’s a slow-moving story, but I was completely hooked.

Book Review: "Forever Eve" by JB Lexington

Forever Eve is a super-steamy and thought-provoking book about a woman’s search for true love and happiness.

Izabel thought she had it all when she met Bo. He’s handsome, sexy, and well-connected, and his father is grooming him to be the future governor of Illinois. Izabel has had to make sacrifices because of his and his father’s ambitions—like postponing their wedding until Bo has made a name for himself politically—but she knows it will all be worth it.

But the pressures on Bo cause him to have anger and control issues, and Izabel feels like she’s walking on eggshells all the time. Even their wedding night turns into a nightmare when Bo’s anger gets the best of him, and he tries to keep her from seeing her free-spirited best friend, Natalie, whose lifestyle he disapproves of. (He also knows Natalie hates him.)

When Bo is out of town for business, Natalie convinces Izabel to attend a session with a Past Life Regression therapist. Izabel is unprepared for how this session will rock her world. And when she meets a handsome and familiar man, it opens her eyes to the things she has been keeping bottled up—and the things she so desperately wants.

While the scenes of abuse may be triggers for some, there aren’t many and they’re not too extreme. There’s some serious steam here, but at its heart this is a book about a woman realizing she deserves so much more than she is getting.

The author provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!