Customer Reviews

Total Bliss (Arabesque)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Total Bliss was blissfully wonderful. Sean Young really brought back the "Golden Age of Arabesque". Ya'll know what I mean, when the books were worth keeping and not loaning out to your friends and family. What I loved about Total Bliss was the fresh approach to romance. I loved watching/reading Alexis and Jaeden fall in love. I love the fact that their obstacle to getting together was the actual planning of the wedding. Most of the time we see a couple overcome their problems and the story ends with a "Will you marry me?" This is what happens after she says "yes". Stephanie, (Alexis' best friend and Jaeden's cousin) had me laughing and I know everyone has a crazy friend like this... (If you don't... that means you are the crazy match-making friend). Sean captured the family setting at the barbeque to a "T". I cried, I laughed. I bought 2 books (after my best friend walked out of my house with my copy!) This wedding story came out right in time. A lot of people I know are getting married really soon and this is a great little gift to give your bride to let her know she isn't the only one dealing with-real-life-wedding-planning-blues. I say keep up the terrific work Sean! I can't wait to read more!

After over 20 years, I am no longer a romance virgin and proud of it. I knew that if the novel, Total Bliss, was half as intriguing as its book cover, then it was going to be well worth the wait.

Being an avid mainstream reader for years, I didn't really know what to expect. So, I only read this book when I could give it my undivided attention to ensure that I gave it a fair chance and assessment. Before I knew it I was on the last page. I must say that I really enjoyed this book. Total Bliss pulled me right in from the first page.

Jaeden and Alexis's journey to the alter was sweet and captivating. (And I secretly longed to meet Jaeden.) Stephanie (Alexis's friend) and Alexis's family members were so familiar and their methods of relating to one another were completely relatable. Between the card-playing, barbeques, wedding planning stress, and meddling family- I was laughing, sighing, and almost crying.

Sean D. Young was able to spend pages and pages describing the planning of a wedding and somehow make it compelling.

Every once in a while a book comes along with a story I look forward to getting back to. This is one of them.


Thank You, Mrs. Young for a wonderful debut novel.

TOTAL BLISS is an enjoyable and delightful debut romance. It was funny, romantic and very informative for those of you thinking about tieing the knot.

Hero and Heroine, Alexis and Jaeden's whirlwind fairytale romance is what every woman would want...that is until meddling parents and reality finally open your eyes.

I truly enjoyed TOTAL BLISS, and think most romance readers will too.

I loved Jaeden from the beginning. He was strong, strong-willed, and sexy! Determined and romantic. Alexis was a beautiful and smart woman, who let love sneak up on her when she wasn't looking. This was a wonderful story of instant love, sweet and pure. I loved the mothers and there 'getting back together' antics when the stress of the wedding got too much for Alexis. It was always clear to see that these two loved each other through all the ups and downs. That's what made me root for them, stay in their corner until they officially said 'I Do!'. Sean, I'm very proud of you. You done real good! Keep up the good work, my friend! Be blessed! GO OUT, EVERYONE, BUY THIS BOOK!

Sean D Young writes a delightful story about two young goal oriented people who finds it hard to allow their selves the room for joy but when love finds them it leaves them with nothing but joy and eyes for each other.

Alexis Shrine had goals to be an elementary school principal. She has her eyes on achieving this goal in ten years or less but in order to do it she has to maintain a tight schedule of teaching by day and being a student by night. Alexis is so focus on her dreams that she hasn't made time for anything social but when she finally makes time for it she is extremely please with what she finds. Jaeden Jefferson was a businessman with a goal and that goal was to take his business to the edge. When he meets Alexis, he isn't sure why but all of a sudden his goal becomes to get to know her. He finds himself falling in love but can his love for Alexis survive while he purses his business adventures?

Sean D Young might be the newest member of the literary world of romance, but I can tell from Total Bliss she has plans to be around for a while and she can plan a beautiful wedding. Not only did she keep it real she also maintains a heartfelt relationship between the two main characters. I tip my hat off to Mrs. Young for a job well done on her first piece.

I liked this story! I love to read about black love and romance so I'm easy. The story had everything in it that you expect, romance, a little drama and a perfect man. I felt the wedding information was a little over the top (meaning too much information), but other than that it was a good read.

Alexis Shire is a schoolteacher who doesn't have time for love and chooses to concentrate on obtaining her education degrees. Her best friend introduces Alexis to her cousin, Jaeden. The two begin to date, are swept up into a whirlwind romance and Alexis agrees to be Jaeden's wife. They then begin to plan for their wedding which turns chaotic when both sets of family members get involved in the planning. Alexis gets frustrated. She calls off the wedding, they later make up the wedding goes on and the two live happily ever after.

Simple plot, right. Seems very cut and dry, right? Well, I'm afraid NOT.

Ms. Young turns a simple plot into a complicated one with too much emphasis on the actual wedding and not enough on the main characters. This book read like "How to Plan a Wedding for 300 Guests" as opposed to "The Alexis and Jaeden Story"

There are so many little things in this book that irked me. This review would be a mile long if I listed them all so, I'm just going to include the major issues I found ridiculous in this novel.

1. Alexis and Jaeden hardly start to date when he asks her to accompany him to New York with him on a business trip. For someone who gave him a hard time with her home phone number, she sure took no time to say yes to going to New York with him.

2. The busy-bodied mothers! These woman got on my nerves the most. They came out of nowhere and dominated the second half of the book. Along with cousin Poochie, and Luchie and Uncle Gator and everybody else Ms. Young could cram into this book. I lost count on the number of people who were introduced in this book. Too many people on page at the same time.

3. Jaeden was like a mystery man. Once the wedding plans began, he disappeared. Now I'm sure this was what Ms. Young meant for this character to do. But if he is indeed working a deal for his company, it would have been nice to actually SEE him work the deal. He just vanished. There could have at least been a scene with him at a desk gazing lovingly at Alexis' picture wishing he could be with her. There was nothing. We never saw Jaeden on his own and saw his side of the story. As far as this reviewer is concerned, he could have been across town with one of Alexis' bridesmaids that was always missing from the dress-fitting sessions!

4. Throughout the whole book, someone was yelling. Whether it was Alexis' father yelling for his dinner, or Alexis' yelling at her parents or Jaeden yelling at his mother. That's right, HIS MOTHER. Someone was all these people did was holler. Remind me never to go to Taylor, Indiana. This reviewer would leave deaf.

5. There was a very disturbing scene when Alexis and Jaeden were arguing. She told him something he did not want to hear and he jumped out of the chair and walked towards her as if he were going to hit her. I thought I had misread until I read the following sentence that she moved away from him. So, we don't know much about Jaeden but, then he is almost revealed to be a woman-beater? Was he going to hit her? What was that all about? I thought this was s a romance. Jaeden came off too threatening.

On a positive note, I found the wedding information to be refreshing but, there was just too much of it. With the wedding plans, the meddling parents, invisible Jaeden and his deal, The wedding planners and the cast of thousands in this book, Alexis and Jaeden faded into the background when they should have stood out amongst the madness.

The love and chemistry between Alexis and Jaeden was not believable. They gave no indication to me that they were truly in love. The only tender moments that had were spent when they were dancing. In my opinion, Alexis should have married her Palm Pilot. She seemed to care and depend on that more than her intended.

I hope the second book is better, Ms. Young.