Love is a Thief 

 by Claire Garber

 (Published by

Harlequin MIRA)

I will be honest with you, I struggled to get through the first half of 'Love Is A Thief'! That said I enjoyed finishing it and found that it was worth it for the thought-provoking moments, idiosynchratic (and all too human) characters and the honest look at how we sometimes squander our control over our destinies.

The idea at the core of this tale, that many of us let our relationships take centre stage and priority over careers and other goals, is a very, very real issue for many women and some men therefore many readers will instantly relate.
Perhaps because it reminded me of times I also let love blind me to reality and once took me half way around the world and another, 600 kms across the country, meant it hit too close to home and so I struggled with it. Or perhaps it was that including so many characters didn't enamour me (making the story a little convoluted)...
That many characters saw themselves as victims became somewhat tiresome and I cheered out loud once Kate, the protagonist, finally took responsibility for her own life choices.

Now onto what I loved about this book!
I must say that the love stories flowing through 'Love Is A Thief' are sweet, the characters altogther human and wonderfully not stereotyped ie: an elderly female mechanic, which is something I loved most about 'Love Is A Thief'!The number of older characters and their life-stories was also something I treasured reading this book.

Despite my initial ambivalence, there are many beautifully thought-provoking and humourous moments that I enjoyed and the final chapters wrapped up Claire Garber's 'Love Is  A Thief' perfectly.
I'd recommend this if you're doing some travelling, as I found it good to pick up and read a chapter, put down for a spell and then go back to.


Thankyou to 'The Modern Woman's Survival Guide' for giving me the opportunity to review this book.