21 August 2015

Review with Giveaway: Lola's Money by Rosanna Rae



My rating: 4 of 5 stars


“Luck is not as random as you think. Before that lottery ticket won the jackpot, someone had to buy it.”

---- Vera Nazarian, a two-time Nebula Award Nominee, award-winning artist, and member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a writer with a penchant for moral fables and stories of intense wonder, true love, and intricacy




Rosanna Rae, an English writer, pens her latest book, Lola's Money, which is about a young woman winning a major lottery, that follows her with a drastic change in her lifestyle, and this book is also about love and how it can't buy only momentary happiness but not love. This is a thrilling as well as an eye-opening coming-of-age story about greed, thrill, money and love.




Synopsis:

Lola French is stunned when she wins millions on the Lottery, and she is sure all her dreams are about to come true. However, right from the start, before she even claims her winnings, things begin to change and she separates abruptly and acrimoniously from the man she has been living with.
Lola’s colleagues are initially pleased for her, but eventually begin to resent her new status. One of them, Tom, whom she really likes, asks her out; but he does it on the day that news of her win spreads through the office and she sadly turns him down. She decides to leave her job as a Financial Adviser in Edinburgh and explore the limitless possibilities of her new lifestyle.
When Lola and her mother excitedly set off on a Mediterranean cruise, it's not long before they both meet men they are interested in. However, their holiday of a lifetime catapults them into a life-changing sequence of dramatic and terrifying events that neither of them will ever forget. When she has to return to reality, Lola unexpectedly finds herself involved with Tom again! But the storm clouds are looming overhead, and as the recent past catches up with her and forces her to confront violence and danger once more, Lola risks losing Tom forever.



Lola, who worked as a Financial Adviser, left her job as well as kicked her boyfriend out, after winning a lottery, thus moving back with her mother. Together, they plan a cruise to find love which finally puts them on dangerous edge of life which finally puts a question on their mind whether money can actually buy love. Apart from that, after winning lottery, Lola soon changes back from a normal lifestyle to a posh lifestyle just to live in the moment, she even says no to the guy whom she had a crush on. Life changes when you get money, but does it bring long lasting happiness along with it?

The writing style is really nice and thought provoking. The narrative is highly engaging and that which moves in a smooth manner, moreover, it has been kept relatable by the author. The prose is at times evocative and can give a new perspective to the readers.

The story is an eye opener for many readers that shows what happens when hugh amount of money knocks at your middle class door, moreover, it also shows the demeanor of those around you, if you come across lots of money all of a sudden, that somehow counters your behavior to take the easy road to handle the money with ego, greed, over confidence etc, thus becoming your own means to self destruction.

The main character Lola, undergo a lot of growth all through out the story as the situations pull her from one bad event to another. Lola's attitude is an epitome of what happens when money hits your luck. The mother of the story too flows with the cash, it seems like money is controlling your mind and life. Then there is Tom, who jumps from one woman to another in no time, who too behaves like an idiot by asking Lola out once the speculation of her winning the lottery hits the whole office. The characters are all strongly developed and with their flaws, they make a delightful match for this story.

Overall, this is an interesting story that tells the readers lot about money, society, relationships in the modern day.

Verdict: A must read romantic thriller.

Courtesy: I received this book for a blog tour. 
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Author Info:



 Rosanna Rae is married with three grown-up sons and lives in Livingston, Scotland. She previously studied Social Science subjects with the Open University and has a B.A. (Open). After bringing up her family, she worked full-time for twenty years doing secretarial work in Edinburgh.

Rosanna has wanted to write fiction since she was about ten years old, at which age she read and was inspired by Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. She is pleased to be now fulfilling her early ambitions. She has written five books since 2007. Her novels are entitled ‘LYNSEY’S SECRET',‘JO’S DILEMMA’, ‘KAREN’S AFFAIR’, ‘APRIL’S MAN’ and 'LOLA'S MONEY' (in chronological order). She is currently writing her sixth novel.


Connect with Rosanna on:  Website  ~   Facebook  ~  Twitter


Author Interview:

Me: How long have you been writing?

Rosanna: About eleven years ago, while I was travelling home from work, I decided it was time to start writing that book I had always wanted to write. I wasn’t getting any younger and I knew that the writing process can take a long time, so I decided to do a writing course with the Writers Bureau. I didn’t finish the course because as soon as I started writing a practice synopsis, I used a story that had been forming in my head for years, and I realised I wanted to start writing the full story straight away. That was about ten years ago and I have completed five novels since then.


Me: What made you write a book about …?

Rosanna: I decided to write about a young woman who wins the lottery because I had been sitting at my desk finishing my previous novel (April’s Man) and wondering if I would soon get an idea for another one. Before I closed my laptop for the night, I decided to check my Lottery ticket. That made me think what it would be like to win the jackpot and the changes it would bring. The idea of the new story I wanted to write began to merge with thoughts of what it would be like to win a great deal of money – and ‘Lola’s Money’ was conceived.


Me: What genre do you write and why?

Rosanna: I write contemporary romantic fiction for several reasons: I enjoy reading that genre myself, particularly novels that also include some intrigue and suspense; I am very much a modern person – I have never had a hankering to live in another era; also, I have always been fascinated by human relationships. All human relationships are interesting, but the dynamic that exists between lovers is especially interesting to me. I honestly feel that love really does make the world go round. It’s the most important emotion there is.


Me: Which was the easiest character to write?

Rosanna: The character of Cassie, Tom’s clingy girlfriend, was the easiest one for me to write. I think she was a useful character in keeping Tom and Lola apart because she was deliberately trying to achieve that end. We’ve all met people who consciously set out to manipulate and control others for their own ends, so I didn’t have to tax my imagination too much when I was describing her. She had very few redeeming qualities, and if a character is particularly unpleasant to the main protagonists, it is very satisfying for the reader to see him or her losing out in the end.


Me: If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

Rosanna: I think the character I relate to most in ‘Lola’s Money’ is that of Betty, Lola’s mother. She is an honest, no-nonsense sort of person who puts herself out for her daughter without being pushy or interfering. She talks to her as an equal and tries to give her good advice when she feels it’s needed. I don’t have a daughter myself – I have three lovely sons – but I hope I have achieved the kind of good parenting balance that Betty has achieved with Lola.


Me: Do you have another profession besides writing?

Rosanna: My only profession at the moment is writing, but I have worked in offices in both London and Edinburgh, in a secretarial capacity. When I embarked on a writing course some years ago, I remember my tutor saying to me that my profession wouldn’t lend itself very well to the writing of fiction as there wouldn’t be a great deal of inspiration in that line of work. I have often reflected since then that she couldn’t have been more wrong! The interactions between people who work together in a confined space every day have been a constant source of inspiration to me in my writing.


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3 comments:

  1. Aditi, thanks for your very comprehensive views on Lola's Money and for describing it as a 'must read'. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Regards,

    Rosanna

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really like the sound of this one being so thought provoking. I would like to think the demeanor of my friends wouldn't change, but there will be a lot of people who wouldn't stay true to you anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That's very true, Olivia-Savannah. You would certainly find out who your real friends are in those circumstances. But that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, would it?

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