A review from storycirclebookreviews.com

I guess when it rains, it pours? Well, this review wasn't as good as the readersfavorite.com review, but the problems are manageable. 

Reviewed by Enid Cokinos (three stars)

Jennifer Kim's novel, Five Stones, is an enjoyable read packed with believable characters and engaging dialogue. The story, set in current-day San Francisco, centers on the Kim Family. The five daughters—Mihae, Jihae, Soonhae, Kihae and Marhae—are all born in United States, but they are still held to the standards of their Korean heritage, particularly as it pertains to courting and marriage.

Though Mrs. Kim loves her five daughters—each unique in her own way—her attitude toward them is clear: after graduating from college, she wants them married.

When her daughters were children, they were like five beautiful jewels strung around her neck...As they grew older, the worries over their future, specifically the question of marriage, turned the precious jewels into rough stones. Some were smaller than others, but all of them heavy, jagged and cutting. With each passing year, the five stones around her neck grew heavier, and the pressing burden was unbearable at times.

Mihae and Jihae, the two oldest daughters, who have "utterly failed to procure a husband, acceptable or not," cannot escape their mother's determination as she sets up suhn after suhn (a blind marriage date, sometimes accompanied by the dating pair's mothers) without their approval. They protest, but the strong-willed Mrs. Kim is unrelenting.

The middle daughter, Soonhae, has other plans for her life, and the two younger daughters are not yet of marrying age. Though Mrs. Kim's focus is on her two oldest daughters, it does not stop her from fretting about her younger daughters, hoping they will find husbands at the appropriate time, as well.

Romance blossoms throughout the book, but several twists and turns keep the reader wondering if Mihae and Jihae will ever find true love. It is an enjoyable read, but unfortunately, this self-published book did not undergo a thorough editorial review for grammar, punctuation, and style, which is reflected in the overall rating.

Though it's a not five-star review, I like this review for several reasons:

1. It clearly spells out what I need to work on - grammar, punctuation, and style.  I agree with maybe punctuation and certainly style, I'm not sure about the grammar. Still, it's a matter of preference, so I just have to work harder to fix these things.
2. She said it was an enjoyable read with engaging characters and believable dialogue.
3. She said it keeps the reader wondering if the two sisters will ever find love. So, it wasn't predictable.

This site will only review hard-copy books. So, if you put your energy into writing a book, work on it a little longer and get it published through createspace.com. It only takes your time to get a physical copy. I don't know about you, but there's something quite satisfying in holding a physical copy in your hands.

If you're interested in getting a book reviewed, you might want to check out the link below.

http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/gettingreviewed.shtml

Good luck!