Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Queen of the Universe
Author: Barbara Plum
Publisher: Zebra Books
ISBN: 0-8217-7774-2
Release Date: September 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Contemporary
Year/Setting: Present
Overall rating: 4.0
Sexual content rating: Sensual
Barbara's Website:
www.barbaraplum.com
When I read and reviewed Ms. Plum’s first book, Prince of Frogs, I said I wanted to know more about the other characters. I wanted to get more involved with Risa’s friend Kelsy. Well, here is the book I requested and waited for. In Ms. Plum’s newest book, Queen of the Universe, we get the story on Kelsy and her new fiancée Finn. This book is completely a stand-alone with enough tie-ins so new readers won’t be lost but returning readers aren’t bored.
Kelsy is a survivor. Her ex-husband left her for another woman. Kelsy is no longer the docile, go along with whatever you say kind of a girl. She’s learning to be tough and stand up for her (and her five year old son Jason’s) needs. She has landed a job as anchor of a morning news show on the local station and is trying to find a way into a larger TV network. Finn is the right kind of man to challenge her. From a large family, he’s used to arguing for what he wants. Yet, he’s always encouraging Kelsy to follow her dreams. He’s a cop currently serving on an undercover assignment.
Things start to go awry when Kelsy starts being wined and dined by a large network in Seattle—miles away from their California home and Finn’s job working with the Cielo Vista Police Department. She gets nervous that he might not understand her goals and dreams so she starts keeping secrets from him. Now the sparks really begin to fly.
Kelsy & Finn’s story was full of humor and reminded me all about the importance of timing in relationships. They get their timing a half-beat off and it leads to some hilarious situations. I found the book to be very enjoyable from cover to cover. I thought it moved along at a faster pace than Prince of Frogs and that was a good thing. However, there were still a few times when reading was a little like being a train going up a steep hill. It felt like you were chugging hard to get to the peak, but when you cleared the hill, it was smooth sailing. Many of these scenes involved secondary characters and while some of it is setting up a possible third book, some of it could have been cut for continuity.
I think you’ll like the humor she works into the story. You really can understand what the characters are going through emotionally and feel their frustrations, joys and concerns. I am glad to have closure with the characters from the first book. It’s nice to see their lives unfold. Overall, I think Ms. Plum is really starting to hit her stride as an author. She has set us up for a third book that I’m looking forward to reading---so I hope she really writes it for us.
Robyn
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