How Stella Got Her Groove Back - Terry McMillan

It's not a bad book but it isn't a great one either. The main reason for that is because it most certainly doesn't portray a realistic concept of love/long distance relationships, etc. today (and never for that matter!) But on the other hand Terry McMillan does know how to write what a woman thinks, desires, fears and goes crazy with in her head and that's what makes the book not only readable buy even enjoyable to a certain point. "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" is one of those books that you read in no time because the language is easy and the story is cute and you wish upon a star during the whole time you are reading it that something just as nice and wonderful could happen to you as well. You see, it's not like I don't believe in love stories or that a long distance relationship could work out - much to the contrary - I've seen it happen over and over again. But here in this story it all happens so easily, without any problem, any drama at all, she has enough money to go back and forth and pay him a first-class ticket as well and everything is a breeze. Her son not only accepts him from a minute to the other but so do her family (except for her cynical sister Angela, and that is soon taken cared of as well) and so all in all it's just too unrealistic to the point that it makes you want to scream and say "when is anything at all going to happen? Don't they fight just once? Doesn't he ignore or forget to call her even once for Pete's sake? But no, nothing of the likes. All of this makes the book way too predictable -  I'm telling you, hand nine out of ten people walking down the street a two-sentence description of the concept for this book, then give them a week at a word processor and you'd get this exact same script from all of them. And even being so, I discovered that this book made big success, and I mean BIG!!! It even turned out to be a movie and so I am sharing the trailer of the movie (even though we all know that movies are always super different from the actual book). If you enjoy "Happily Ever After" love fairy tales you will really enjoy this book as well and you might even relax and get a kick or two out of it.


BOOK REVIEW:
"Stella is a divorced mother of one son. At the age of forty two, she is quite content with her life, or so she thinks, which consists of work, managing a household, and raising a pre-teenager. Stella is very involved in personal fitness and spends much of her free time running.

After watching a television commercial about vacation packages, Stella decides to take a trip, with her friend Vanessa, to Jamaica. Once in Jamaica, she meets twenty-year-old Winston. Winston is very attracted to Stella but Stella thinks that he is too young. Winston continues to pursue her and eventually, the two become intimate. Unfortunately, Winston begins a new job and rarely has time to spend with Stella. Soon, she returns home.

Winston continues to call and express his regrets for not being able to see Stella much before she left. At first, Stella treats him badly, but eventually, her heart warms and she agrees to return to Jamaica to visit Winston. This time, he even takes her to the home of his parents. Stella feels ashamed that she is as old as his mother. His mother is not pleased with the situation either and makes it very clear to Stella. While in Jamaica, she finds out that her best friend, Vanessa, is terminally ill.

Once again Stella returns home, only this time Winston moves in with her. Stella is the talk of the town. Her sister makes her feel ashamed. Her friends envy her. Her son resents both Stella and Winston at times. Vanessa dies of cancer. Seeing that you can't take life for granted, Stella must make some very important decisions about how she wants to spend the rest of her life. Winston and Stella have their differences, like any couple, and, in the end, must decide if they can stay together in spite of their age difference."