As WSA 2022 had recently concluded, I would have to post my review for this author's work winning a nomination award that I believe she truly deserves.
No doubt that I would highly recommend this story for reading as it warmly touched my heart because of its contributing factor when we talk about things related to family life and love; about friendships; and the love between a couple. I hope I can read some more as I have reached the premium chapter in reading this commendable book (Chapter 35). This can be treated as a light novel (depending on the reader's preference) but all I can say is its written contents are worth the read.
Writing Quality:
The author was able to express clearly through her writing style this interesting and endearing story about love, trust, respect, and all things about the value of family. Upon starting reading, it got me hooked instantly from every chapter; although there were a few minor inconsistencies like misspelled words or wrong word choices used, that didn’t hampered my reading experience. Altogether, I could say that the author has delivered her story smoothly and uniformly.
Story Development:
The story’s prologue instantly got me engaged into reading it and for every succeeding chapter, it has kept me going to the next to find out what comes through. Starting from the well-thought out characters, we get a smoothly paced story development in which all important events surrounding them are well balanced and well-conceived and constructed by the author. From the main characters up to the supporting characters, their ongoing chemistries are so inspiring, so relatable and so sweet; nothing can be called boring with their dynamic interactions in every chapter. The story’s main plot is so family-oriented and so close and touching to the heart; depicting the love that you once lost in life can be found for a second chance (thus that’s what the novel’s title is all about); not undermining the importance of family and their love with one another (between a couple and between parents and their children and between siblings); and the value of warm friendships.
Character Design:
Right at the first chapter, our main female character got readily introduced facing the dilemma that her fiancé had created on the important day of their wedding itself. Devastated from her fiancé’s abandonment on their wedding day, all her world crumbled apart shutting herself (grieving process; the denial, anger, all sorts of emotions that felt tearing her inside). But despite the heart-wrenching trauma it brought her, our female lead chose to move on after a full year of complete “inward” healing and recovery in order for her to regain back a better version of herself. Now here comes our main male character into the picture as a returnee from his maternal family’s hometown (Russia). As he became an orphan from childhood after losing his parents in an accident, he was taken in by his maternal family; and had learned also how to cope with his loss. Now that he’s a full-pledged adult, it was time for his return to his former hometown to foresee and handle his father’s company that was handled and taken care of by the vice president who’s nearing his retirement. Our main characters here had sort of became friends in their previous childhood; as the male lead was a friend of the female lead’s elder brother. Both of their families are well-known and own their respective corporations.
The main characters and the other supporting characters (from the female lead’s family members as well as her best friends; also with the male lead’s maternal cousin and aunt) were all well-rounded with their various interactions with each other. Only there seems to be a gap or a rift between the male lead with his maternal grandfather as this was earlier revealed in the following chapters.
With the male lead visiting the female lead’s home as their special guest, this is the unexpected encounter that the female lead was set up by her father that paved the way for her to get a second chance on love. From this unexpected reunion, what followed between our main characters was something amazing to happen on them; like hitting it off right on the bat. The main male character can be said as a handsome gentleman; so caring and considerate on the main female character’s needs and a loving, reliable person because of the way he treats her. Both of our main characters are so humble; despite coming from wealthy families. I could say at this point that the author was able to bring out the main and supporting characters’ individual personalities right from the start which is something so similarly relatable and so comparable with real living persons.
World Background:
Every setting or background used for the main characters’ actions was depicted clearly by the author that you would be able to follow where the interactions, exchanges, dynamics, and others are taking place or you would be able to visualize such places as described through the various characters’ dialogues between them. Both families own their mansion residences; in addition to their families’ owned corporations. As such, this is the typical setting used for modern-day, rich families depicted in this type of (novel) genre.
Again, congratulations to Author Sofia! [img=recommend]