An Improbable Pairing by Gary Dickson: Review

I was in the mood for a historical type of romance the other day and I found this upcoming book that sounded very interesting. So I thought I would review it for you. It’s written by a new author and as you know I do try to support brand new writers. Here are my thoughts on this upcoming release, due out in January of 2019.

An Improbable Pairing by Gary Dickson
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (January 8, 2019)
ISBN-13: 978-1626345799

ABOUT:

It began as a simple flirtation . . .
In September of 1963, Scott Stoddard, an American graduate student, is traveling to Switzerland, when he meets the Countess de Rovere, a French divorcee; he is smitten, and she is intrigued. What begins as a little coquetry soon becomes a serious love affair, much to the consternation of the Countess’s ex-husband and mother, not to mention the Countess’s friends of European high society. A meeting of equals poses problems enough, but what about one between two people who seem to have so many differences? And when a man of traditional attitudes couples with an independent and self-confident woman, something’s got to give. It won’t be the countess. As their liaison transcends an affair that cannot be dismissed, they all agree that something must be done.

An Improbable Pairing is a historical romance that chronicles the enduring themes of a young man’s coming of age and the rebellious love of the mismatched. This pas de deux, set in the golden years of 1960s Paris, Geneva, Gstaad, and Cannes, provides an insider’s peek into the worlds of haute couture, three-star gourmet restaurants, and lavish hotel suites—the domains of rank and privilege. But society’s privileged resist when an interloper threatens to upset their cozy structure.

An Improbable Pairing by Gary Dickson Review

There was a lot to think about in the crafting of this review. I have to admit I had difficulty getting into the story.

It wasn’t the story itself; that was well laid out and very interesting. The difficulty was in the writing itself. While perfectly structured and easy to read, the writer lacked passion, energy, and excitement that really keeps the reader involved in the story.

Several times within the first half of the book I literally almost stopped reading. I was not enthused. However, giving my fair chance to every writer, I persevered. The second half was a bit more engaging and I actually began to like the story.

The author did a fabulous job with the technicalities of the story. The background and the actual weighing out of the plot was great and the cover is awesome. The story is a clean romance that is loaded with riches and glamour of Europe in the 60’s. I just wish it had more punch in the conversation areas of the story. That seemed very lackluster.

Overall, this would be a fabulous book if it had some more juice to the story. After all, it’s a romance and we women love to read the juicy bits that come along with emotion of love.

Disclaimer: Chris has personally reviewed the product listed above. She has not received any monetary compensation for her review but did receive a free ebook so she could evaluate and use it for this post. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ.