Amaryllis | REVIEW SHOP [ CLOSED ]

《Swaralee》Paint Me Saved

Customer: wanderedwriter

Reviewer: _Swaralee_

Thank you for choosing me to review your book!

Cover: 07/10

It's beautiful. Not too much is happening. Although I will say that it's too dark. While browsing/searching for a book, if someone comes across this one, they won't be able to understand what the story is supposed to be about. It's not quite clearly visible. Is it a dark romance, or a contemporary romance? The cover doesn't stand out. I would suggest a cover change. Go for lighter colors. Dark colors (like black, brown, gray, blood red and such) shouldn't be included more than 20% in a romance book cover unless the genre is a dark romance that deals with dark themes.

Title: 09/10

For the chapters that I read, I couldn't place the meaning or the reference of the title. I couldn't understand what 'Paint Me Saved' was supposed to mean. I'm assuming it will be explained further into the story, so I'm not going to dwell too much on the title as I don't know the thought process behind it. But in general, it's a unique one. I haven't come across such title before.

Blurb: 08/10

The blurb is just the right amount of information one needs to know about a story. We meet the two main characters, and we get a little bit of their background, their personality. We get to know the main conflict. However, we don't get what's stopping Zemira and Leonardo from falling in love. Agreed, that they aren't married out of love but as it's a love story and marketed as such, we don't get to know that part of the story. I would suggest adding a line or two about that. Tell us why can't they be in love even though they have this attraction towards each other.

Opening/first impression: 10/10

The world-building is spectacular in the very first few paragraphs of the story (I'm talking about the prologue). I could actually see the descriptions play out and come alive in front of my eyes. The writing made it very easy for me to immerse myself in the narrative.

In the opening chapter, we are introduced to the central characters, and it felt like I was stepping into their world.

And again, the writing conveyed Zemira's thoughts and feelings so nicely that made it easier to connect with her. We get to know instantly what's going on in her head, instantly drawing me into the story. It was a great start.

Plot: 08/10

When it comes to plotlines, my complaint always revolves around the originality and quality of the content. In this case, I personally haven't read a story that masterfully melds an intense, gripping storyline with the tender nuances of a love story. It stands as a captivating fusion.

As a whole, the plot concept is about Zemira wanting to save/help her family business and then to do so striking an alliance through marriage. Now that is something that's done before, but you have added your own touch to it. There are so many things that are new and fresh about the story. That makes it more interesting to read.

Dialogues: 08/10

I don't have a particular criticism about dialogues in the story as they did their job; communicating. However, what I did notice was that no character stood out through their dialogues. Each character didn't get the individual voice that they deserved.

Punctuation-wise, you did a solid job. Dialogue tags were used correctly, quotations were on point and in general I couldn't find any faults in them.

Characters: 09/10

Zemira has got to be one of my favorite characters in the story. She's confident and strong and doesn't take anyone's crap. She wants to help her father's business and though it may seem like a marriage of convenience, it's not necessarily arranged by her father nor is he forcing her into this. She's making her own decisions and I love that. Very well-written character I must say.

Leonardo being a soldier has a sense of authoritative nature to himself. And rightfully so, he doesn't make a show out of it to tell everyone he is a tough guy. He knows he is. He's in control of himself and his actions.

The way Zemira and Leonardo met for the first time was so adorable. They both had me giggling and kicking my feet and all. The chemistry between them is just so pure and evident. They may not show it sometimes but they genuinely care about each other.

Quality of conflict: 08/10

The stakes are fairly high. Both the main characters can't just jump to conclusions and make rules as they go along. They have to take into consideration their families and what got them into this mess of a marriage. The conflict keeps you on the edge of your seat. It kept me continuously wondering and thinking about what might happen next and if things will escalate more and what will happen to Zemira and Leonardo.

Writing skills: 10/10

It's a well-edited piece of narrative. I tried so hard to find mistakes or grammatical errors but I couldn't. So good work there. I can practically imagine the amount of time you must have invested to make it this perfect.

The writing style, though not something groundbreaking, possesses a distinctiveness that is unmistakably your own. It's simple and easy to navigate the narrative. The descriptions that envelop the settings and events within the story strike a harmonious balance. Each word chosen with care, none of which felt forced or over the top.

Reader enjoyment: 09/10

In a nutshell, the story sounds very intriguing. Contract marriage/marriage of convenience although an interesting trope, it's not something I gravitate towards personally. I have seen and know people enjoying the life out of these stories and loving them. I'm quite sure that the right audience or the right readers for this story will enjoy it very much.

Total: 86/100

Other suggestions: I don't have any specific suggestions to list here. Only the things that I pointed out earlier. So good job there and good luck with your writing journey!