Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald

 From Goodreads: Knowing she could never be happy in Iran, Tamila Soroush took her mother's advice to "Go and wake up your luck" and joined her sister in the United States. Now, after a spur-of-the-moment exchange of "I do"s with her true love, Ike Hanson, Tami is eager to start her new life. But not everyone is pleased with their marriage, and Tami's happily- ever-after is no sure thing. With an interview with Immigration looming, Tami wonders if she's got the right stuff when it comes to love, American-style. Maybe her luck is running out. Or maybe she'll stand up for herself and claim her American dream.

The first book, Veil of Roses, had a light hearted chick lit feel but this book was a soap opera. There are back stabbing villians and deceit and romance and ultimatums...it's Days of Our Lives/Guiding Light/TheYoung and the Restless...drama in the family! I could almost see the closeup contemplative head shots as one scene changed to another. That certainly doesn't mean I didn't like it, I enjoy a good opera (I am really sad that As The World Turns has gone off the air - I grew up with ATWT!). There were a few things I didn't like. First was the repeated scenes from the first book. Not a little thought about the past or a quick recap of important events - there was at least one word for word page long scene from the first book included in this one. That example I checked, there were other times I thought she might be repeating but I didn't go verify so am not one hundred percent certain - but I was one hundred percent sure that it was an annoying feeling. I also didn't like how harshly I felt like Ike treated Tami in some instances - it seemed out of character with the ultra sweet guy we fell in love with in the first book. But those two things were it. Other than that, I stayed up late wanting to now how it ends. I really wanted to see the mean girls get their butts kicked - you know, like a knock down cat fight in a water fountain - true soap opera stuff!

I read this book for the Library Thing Early Reviewers program.





It also counts for some of my other challenges....