The Coin
by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra (Goodreads Author)
The first thing that struck me when I received it was how low the resolution of the cover picture is. Compared to the boldness and crispness of the title it looks a tiny bit amateurish. It does, however, completely fit in with the story and was a clever way of showing what the bracelet described in the book looks like.
The first 2 words in the blurb are ‘France, 1993’ Scenes were clearly set in the outskirts of Nice but there wasn’t really much to suggest what year the story is set in. Unless the weapons mentioned were issued then. But I wouldn’t know and I don’t know if readers would have made that connection.
I had this clear image in my head of Richard being tall, dark, and immaculately handsome until I read that he has ash-coloured hair and is covered in scars earned from his career. I like to lose myself in the world the book creates and something being disclosed earlier on other than his height would have helped me.
I suspected quite early on in the book who the person that was after Gabriela was. I still don’t really know who it was that was involved in the car park incident, but when the location was disclosed for the unveiling of her illustration I had my assumptions about what was going to happen. I was almost right. But what I wasn’t expecting was what happened between her and Richard to do so while her husband was in the vicinity!
It was really nice when Gabriela finally confessed how she truly felt. I’ve been in the position before of not knowing whether or not that was really what I wanted to say and I felt genuinely happy for Richard. He seems a good guy (well not always, but at least he’s honest) and he deserves a woman with her strength and inner beauty.
Something I’m wondering…is what excuse was given when guards were sent to protect Gabriela’s children. It must have been a pretty elaborate one to go without a hitch and therefore be unmentioned again in the entire novel.
The fact it is an independently published novel rather suits the very personal feel of the story. It’s obvious the whole thing was a brainchild stemmed from a personal experience and when I read at the end how Maria and the book are linked I wasn’t surprised. Not that being unsurprised is a bad thing in this case- the story behind the story is a heartwarming one.
From the revelation in the picture in the last chapter I think Gabriela is a little bit more of a heartbreaker than was enclosed in the entire previous of the book. I would love to read the next book and find out what happens between her and Richard. I’m hoping they end up together, as the way they met is so unlike your usual love story and it would be a unique happy ending. But perhaps if it stays as a fling the fire won’t ever need rekindling.
