Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Characters So Real You Can Almost Touch Them..., September 25, 2005
This review is from: Infinite Loop (Paperback)
Meghan O'Brien has outdone herself with this incredibly realistic story of falling in love and facing old demons. Regan O'Riley considers herself the epitome of geekiness, but she's a really cool geek. She has always been one to seek solitude through her computer and video games. Her parents never really knew or understood her, but they were always supportive -- that is, when Regan let them be. Mel Raines is a sexy cop and womanizer. Her past (mother died young, father is an abusive alcoholic) is better left alone, but that all changes after she meets Regan at a straight bar while at a bachelorette party for her college roommate. Scared of being just another notch in Mel's headboard, Regan confronts Mel with their situation. This is a turning point for both of them, and the real beginning of their story.
After Mel's cop partner is shot on duty, Regan suggests they go on an extended road trip. While on the road, both women face demons from their past, but they do it together. They visit their families, make new friends, and discover the joy of being in love for the first time in their lives.
At 282 pages, this book is long enough to tell the whole story of their budding relationship. O'Brien is masterful in describing every scene from tender glances to maddeningly erotic sex. The characters' emotions jump off the page, helping the reader feel like they're in the scene too.
What a wonderful book! Here's hoping for more from O'Brien in the not too distant future.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Refreshingly Different Romance, April 4, 2006
This review is from: Infinite Loop (Paperback)
Infinite Loop by Meghan O'Brien is another refreshingly different romance novel that has hit the bookshelves lately. It is, however, the type of romance story everyone thinks they want to read, but often have second thoughts after she realizes that idealistic novels don't always entertain. It is the perfect romance story. Right? No one leaves, no one gets stalked, no one is stubborn beyond belief, and best of all - no one gets shot in the end. It's great! Well, without all the drama, what's left?
A pretty good romance, that's what. O'Brien pulls it off. Officer Mel Raines meets geeky software engineer Regan O'Riley in a straight bar and immediately they make a connection. Mel's the typical drop dead gorgeous, dark, player type with no intentions of settling down, and Regan is overly shy, geeky, but cute, and too busy to even try to fit in with mainstream society, even if she did have the confidence.
The two both have issues to deal with in their lives, and soon after their meeting they form a bond and a relationship and head off on a cross country journey. The journey represents a growing and awakening process that both must go through. Mel decides that being a cop is not what she really wants to be doing, and Regan decides that sometimes you have to step out and take a chance to find true love. Surprisingly there is still a lot going on in the story. It took me a while to read, but I kept wanting to come back to see how Mel and Regan were doing. There was no rush; they would be there safe and ready to continue their journey.
O'Brien is a good storyteller, slowly revealing bits of information about the characters through dialogue between Mel and Regan while the story progresses. We get to know them as they get to know each other. It makes the reader feel a part of the story almost. This is a great recipe for hot love scenes as well. Nothing is taboo between these two young lovers as they explore and learn about each others body.
At times it did feel a bit too perfect, but it was all very sweet. It was a nice change from all the cliches we all know and love. I don't like to compare, and the stories are not at all alike, but this book reminded me of the classic Curious Wine for some reason.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A meticulously crafted, sweet journey with depth, December 21, 2007
This review is from: Infinite Loop (Paperback)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's my first Meghan O'Brien, but on the strength of this outing it will not be the last. The reviews that rate this author as a good story teller are spot on. There wasn't any big drama or plot swirling around these characters. They don't meet because Mel has a case that involved Regan. They aren't thwarting an international conspiracy. This book very softly and sweetly concentrates solely on these two and their burgeoning relationship. We get the details of their thoughts and observations. We experience their hesitations and insecurities. They are real, and behave like real people do. They aren't perfect, but they are distinct.
The strongest part of this book was how it delved into the psychology of its characters. Only occasionally I felt that we were retreading once again an issue that one character or the other had already hashed out, and thus I got a touch impatient. The author has a refreshing take on things, and presents events from a perspective that seemed to stand-out from the average romance novel. She really takes her time to develop and flesh out main characters and secondary characters, and she doesn't miss the significant moments, while at the same time moving the story along. For instance, she doesn't assume the burden of describing every sex scene in intimate detail, but still refers to them having sex frequently enough to convince the reader of the attraction these two women share. Yet at the same time she doesn't neglect the details completely. She hits enough of these scenes with plenty of steamy particulars mixed with the shifting perspectives Regan and Mel experience through their communion that the book achieves a nice balance.
These women deal with issues we all usually face at one time or another: not liking our jobs, having a hard time opening up to our friends, shyness, lonliness, painful childhood experiences. It was nice to have a book about two clear introverts. It was amusing to have Regan be a computer/video-game "geek" and have that be ok. It was so sweet how Mel and Regan were drawn to each other not through games or putting on an act, but through honesty. They genuinely liked who the other woman was, flaws and all, and accepted one another.
I enjoyed the depth of this book, and the meticulous way the author crafted it. There's not much going on apart from the internal journeys of Regan and Mel, but it was a pleasure to take the journey with two decent, intelligent, sensitive women, so that was enough.
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