Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Can the idyllic simplicity of a garden change a life forever? It's a question three men on a vacation to the small seaside town of Beechwood will find the answer to when they stay at a B&B with an expansive and breathtakingly beautiful garden. A garden with an air of the supernatural. Jerry's there for love, Doug's there for sex, and Tony? Well, Tony is practically dragged along against his will. A comedy of errors ensues as the three men cling stubbornly to their self-destructive ways; can a cook named Anna Magnani, a roller-skating drag queen, and the magic of the garden tame the tempest and prevent love's labors from being lost?

 

Book Review

‘Another Enchanted April’ is a magical, almost dreamlike story about three young men who have been friends for many years. They go on a trip together, and their stay at a B&B with a beautiful, mysterious garden turns out to be very different from what they expected. Much like in the original book (1922) by Australian-born Elizabeth von Arnim - where it is four women who rent a chateau in Italy and find themselves changed by their visit - the three young men in Eric Arvin’s story begin to see and understand certain things about themselves and one another as the story progresses. It is a gradual process, and while there are moments of increased energy and pace, the majority of this story flows quietly like a small stream that grows into a lively river almost without me noticing it. Very much like in real life, where we see what we want to see, all three of them initially ignore the glimpses of truth this place brings out in them. Reading about these three men, their realizations, and the changes they made, was a very powerful experience for me.

Tony has spent the last five years hiding from the world. After his accident he has difficulty walking and has to use a cane, which makes him so unattractive in his own mind that even blatant interest from others (like Sal, the B&B’s gardener) does not register on Tony’s radar. And when it does, he dismisses it as wishful thinking. But there is more to Sal than Tony thinks, and suddenly, his need “to be left alone” is no longer paramount.

Jerry has lived in the shadows of his unrequited feelings for Doug for many years. Not only does he pale beside the glittering attractiveness of his richer, better-looking friend, his continued hope that Doug will notice and love him one day stops him from finding love with someone else.  Seeing himself as secondary, even invisible compared to Doug, prevents him from having a life. I loved watching him take control and truly moving on.

Doug loves being the center of attention and does everything he can to stay there. He is not interested in commitment, and the more amorous adventures he can add to his “resume”, the better. I found him a hard character to like. He doesn’t like himself either, no matter what he tries to tell himself, so it made sense that I had problems with him. A lot of his behavior can be explained by his past, but I wanted to see him take his life into his own hands, just like Tony and Jerry did. Doug was a much harder nut to crack, but even for him, there is hope!

If you like complicated, multilayered characters on a journey of self-discovery, if an idyllic setting with almost mystical undertones sounds interesting, and if you’re looking for a read full of lyrical language, moments of sudden insight, and a message of hope, then you will probably like this novella as much as I did. It definitely enchanted me!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

 

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 188 pages/49004 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	12-January-2011
Price	$5.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/another-enchanted-april-by-eric-arvin-5343-b