Endless Love

Rating:
Summary: When your copy arrives, call in sick...
Review: ...and tell your friends to keep an eye on you, because you won't be able to put Endless Love down, even if your house catches fire. Then get ready to laugh, cry, and see God. Yes, God. Lesbian-style. For a few hours, you will be trapped inside the skin of the troubled protagonist, as love hurtles her through ecstasy, unimaginable pain, then toward peace and wholeness.

The prose is glittering, transparent, and the plot, though not suspenseful in the classic sense, will leave you gasping. This is the Great Universal Novel, and wouldn't you know it? The main characters are lesbian, so it's tucked away in a genre drawer. But you won't find any formulas in this sparse and fast-moving tale. Ah, but whether you are lesbian or not, you will laugh and cry and tingle with awe.

Buy this book. In fact, load up with as many copies as you can find, because once you lend this book to your friends, you will never see it again. I can't praise this book enough.

My only complaint--I wish I'd written it.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written piece on the goodness of thehuman spirit
Review: I first discovered Lisa Shapiro when I read her short story, Familiar Fruit, and was so knocked out by her ability to communicate emotion and her characterizations. I read Sea To Shining Sea and enjoyed it. The Color of Winter gave me some of the same tingle up the back of my neck feelings I got from the short story, but I didn't experience the gut-wrenching emotion I saw in her at first until I read her brand new work, Endless Love. Ms. Shapiro can take your heart and break it in a dozen pieces with these characters, and she does, but then she puts it tenderly back together again, leaving you with the unshakable faith that people are truly special and wonderful, that love is real and utterly beautiful and that passion is so much more than a hot jump in the sack. This book isn't schlocky romance-it's serious stuff that makes you feel your heart beating in your chest. Then you turn the page and Shap! iro has you burst out laughing at something Andrea does or thinks. It's poignant and sensitive-Shapiro paints despair so vividly your body hurts, but she also paints love that has strength and dignity. I was blown away. Shapiro has written a piece at the very upper end of Naiad's quality. Brava!

Rating:
Summary: very real life, emotional
Review: I read this book cover to cover in less than one day. It kinda takes you on an emotional roller coaster. It really hit close to home. I can't wait to read another one of her books.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: I was disappointed by this book. With such rave reviews, this book seemed like a wonderful find. Although, as the book's story drew to a close, Ms. Shapiro's ability to "pull me in" as a reader increased, overall the story lacked depth. Her straightforward narration, and undeveloped use of tension and anticipation, made it difficult to keep reading in hopes that the story would get better. The major conflicts/events, such as Ryan's death, were simply stated, and then described, draining the potential emotional power from this pivotal part of the whole book. This was the first book by Ms. Shapiro I have read. Maybe some of her other books are better.

Rating:
Summary: Lisa Shapiro keeps getting better
Review: It is seldom that I find an author who moves me to tears, who stirs my emotions so deeply and whose characters become so movingly alive for me. I have read all 3 of Ms. Shapiro's books; each one has gotten better than the previous. I look forward to any new novel by this author - it is not often that Naiad produces a writer of this caliber. Keep writing, Lisa Shapiro!

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful story of re-building a broken soul
Review: It is very hard for me to find a book that captures my full attention. I read this book in 8hrs. straight through. The emotion that is portrayed is so real, and beautifully written I think I cried most of the way through. I am in love with the courage and strength that the main character shows, and will definitely look forward to reading anything by Lisa Shapiro!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutly Wonderful
Review: This book is the first book that I have read that makes me feel like I am there standing beside the characters. It is a very well written book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a great love story. It shows overall that we can pick ourselves up at our lowest.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite so far....
Review: This is my favorite Shapiro story. The feeling and emotion Andrea experiences are as close to real as it gets when you are young and lose your first love. Her recovery hits close to home and I found myself wanting to meet her and the rest of the characters.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, excellent book
Review: To me, Endless Love ranks up there with Curious Wine as a great piece of lesbian romance. Though, Endless Love comes with a twist! The copy I own has since found it's way into a friend's hands and another friend received a copy as a gift. My highest, highest possible recommendation on this book.

A very, very moving book. Its one of those books that can make you wake up and realize so many things...

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, excellent book
Review: To me, Endless Love ranks up there with Curious Wine as a great piece of lesbian romance. Though, Endless Love comes with a twist! The copy I own has since found it's way into a friend's hands and another friend received a copy as a gift. My highest, highest possible recommendation on this book.

A very, very moving book. Its one of those books that can make you wake up and realize so many things...