Book Review: Aefle and Gisela by Libby Malin

Aefle and  Gisela by Libby Malin

Publisher: Istoria Books

Publish Date: July 26, 2011

Ebook 
Fiction, Romantic Comedy
 ASIN: B005DM323W

My Review:
My thoughts:  Aefle and Gisela is a classic romantic comedy of errors.  He thinks he's doing right, but he's doing all the wrong things.  She thinks she's right, but she's not quite right either. But somehow the two manage to get things right in the end, and that's all that matters.


It was a rainy weekend here on the coast of NC and my kids were at their grandparents, that meant hours of uninterrupted reading time, yay!  I spent my time curled up in my nice reading chair with my quilt, Diet Dr. Pepper and my trusty Kindle with Aefle and Gisela ready to go.  I was transported north of NC to a tiny town on the Virginia shore and to Baltimore to an esteemed college campus.  And I met two characters who would become important to me for the next few hours and who stuck in my mind for the next few days, Thomas (Timid Tommy) and DeeDee who seemed much larger than life (see the guest blog by Libby before this post to see DeeDee in action).  I laughed during this book, I felt for Thomas and the way he was bullied.  At times I wanted to tell him to man up.  At times I wanted to tell DeeDee to calm down, but the whole time I felt myself relate to both characters.

Though it was somewhat painful to watch their relationship grow in fits and starts, it was amusing at times.  Thomas was truly locked in his world of academia and seemed oblivious.  I know people like this so I understand there are truly people like this out in the world.  DeeDee however would not cut him any slack at times, and I understand, I'm sure it was frustrating feeling like he was talking down to her.  But ultimately they both start to learn from each other and the "a-ha" moments are beautiful.  Ms. Malin does the characterizations beautifully through the book, guiding them to that ultimate moment when they realize what they have been doing and how they can change a little without losing themselves and have the relationship they want.  It's pure magic.

The storyline is great and the secondary characters really help push the story along, the jilted groom, the lawyers in the suit, the other professors at the college, all have a role to play and they are great characters.  I truly enjoyed every minute of this story.  It was well plotted and kept my interest through the whole book.  I just can't say enough about this great romantic comedy.

If you are looking for a great afternoon read and enjoy romantic comedies then this is the book for you.  Great characters, great plot, all rolled into a book you can't put down, you'll want to find out exactly who this Aefle is and in the process get to know two great characters in Thomas and DeeDee.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0


About the Book:
STOPPING A WEDDING: WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

Medieval History Professor Thomas Charlemagne thinks he's finally slaying the dragon of his "Timid Tommy" reputation when he responds to an outlandish dare at a bachelor party and stops a wedding the very next morning.

The only problem? He wanders into the wrong church.

That doesn't matter to bride DeeDee McGowan, however, who was having second, third, and fourth thoughts about saying "I do" anyway. She grabs the chance to leave her groom at the altar, dragging Tom with her.

DeeDee and Tom share a history, a fling more than ten years ago, before he went off to graduate school and started ascending the career ladder of academe and she took over her father's car dealership in sleepy Oyster Point, Maryland, building it into a coveted business treasure. Their reconnection sets sparks flying between them -- from the original passion that bonded them and the class differences that parted them.

Meanwhile, what started as a prank leads to serious legal issues for both Tom and DeeDee as the groom sues them, DeeDee countersues, and Tom is caught in the middle. Concerned that this distraction will affect his quest for tenure, Tom encounters an unsympathetic department chair eager to replace him with a renaissance expert from the UK and a women's studies professor committed to challenging the "validity" of Thomas's signature research into an obscure poetry-writing medieval monk, Aefle, and his lady-love, Gisela.

A comic romp blended with sharp satire, AEFLE AND GISELA delivers laughs and love as Thomas learns, along with his "little monk," that life outside the “scriptorium” requires him to find real courage at last.

About the Author: 
Libby Malin is the award-winning author of romance, literary, mystery and young adult fiction. In an attempt to thoroughly confuse her reader fans, she writes comedy under the name Libby Malin and serious fiction under the name Libby Sternberg. Her first young adult mystery, UNCOVERING SADIE’S SECRETS, was an Edgar nominee, and her first romantic comedy, FIRE ME, was optioned for film. She lives in Pennsylvania, has three children and one husband, and confesses to watching “Real Housewives” shows despite enormous amounts of culture-guilt.

Website
Twitter
Blog

FTC Information: I received this book from the author/publisher for an honest review.