Review from The Prairies Book Review
Compelling, lush, and sexy… A page-turner drama.
Rice tells a stunning story of emotional growth, love, longing, regret, and mistakes in this first installment in her time travel romance series. Sixty-two-year-old Susan has always loved James, the lead star of a widely popular band. She is content in her marriage and life, but an innate longing and the regret in the form of ‘what if’ weighs heavy on her mind. While on a cruise ship with her best friend Lynn, Susan meets an enigmatic pair of women, one of whom claims she can see into Susan’s soul and sends her into the past to deal with her unresolved feelings. Intrigued by Mika’s claims, Susan takes on the offer and travels back in time to meet James. The two are quickly enamored with each other. The only problem is—though Susan has the body of a 17-year-old, she still possesses the mind of her 62-year-old mature self and can see beyond James’ charming facade. Will she find a way to move forward? Wrenching emotions and exhilarating romance drive the plot while various believable twists put a new spin on the story of love and rectifying mistakes. Susan’s connection with James is convincing, and the scorching sex scenes both add to the sensuality and help Susan with her growth and healing. Multidimensional, complex characters are at the heart of this novel. Susan, with her determination and a strong sense of fairness, makes for a sympathetic heroine. Her passionate romance with James and the couple’s steamy sex scenes are interspersed with chapters detailing Susan’s inner turmoil as she tries to come to terms with the fact that James is nothing like the man, she imagined him to be, showing how that sometimes when a dream comes true, it’s not quite what one expected. Delightful supporting characters add to the charm. Rice expertly intertwines Susan’s dilemmas into the affecting narrative and moves the plot along briskly while uncovering the hidden regrets and old desires. Perfect pacing and plotting elevate the intriguing storyline, and the crisp, charming prose keeps the readers invested. Rice nimbly addresses complex topics of old regrets, learning from one’s mistakes, and the scary, sobering experience of placing your heart in another’s hands, emphasizing moving on and recovery. The story delivers plenty of surprises, sizzling hot sex scenes along with the warmth and joy of young love. Intelligent, sensual, and fun, this novel succeeds on all levels.
Review from Onlinebookclub.org
The Necklace: The Dusky Club June 1962 by Linda S. Rice is a book in the sub-genre of time travel romance. This is the first installment in the five-book romance series centering on Susan’s quest for true love.
At the age of sixty-two, Susan doesn’t lack for anything: doting husband, good children, and friends; except a release from her obsession. She thinks she is over her fifty-year-long crush on James, an all-time famous music band artist, but attending his concert proves otherwise. She goes on a cruise with her childhood best friend, Lynn, hoping she’ll get over her recent disappointment, but it seems like she has a permanent solution to her troubles.
She and Lynn meet Mika, an elderly lady from Haiti, who can look into souls and promises to send Susan back into the past for a week to meet James before he became all the rage. Back in time and in her seventeen-year-old body, Susan is delighted to find herself singled out by James. However, reality doesn’t always measure up to one’s dreams. Will Susan fall in love again, with the real James this time? Or will she decide that her present is not as unfulfilled as she thought, after all?
As can be guessed from the summary, the book does make covert references, especially through some clever metamorphosis of song lyrics woven into the plot, to a famous band whose songs most of us have loved listening to at some point in our lives. Inspiration or not, the plotline following a ten-year-old unable to let go of her obsession with a musician, and carrying a torch for him well into her sixties, and trying to go back in time to test her love; is quite an imaginative one.
The author’s vivid and fluid writing style makes it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the tale. A rejuvenated seventeen-year-old Susan’s equation with a pre-fame James, back in the 1960s, is full of crackling chemistry as well as ego clashes. This is the period where women liberation movement was just taking roots, thus it is no surprise that the author, very convincingly, recreates a time where women were still supposed to be subservient, and more importantly, were segregated into boxes, based on how sexually independent they chose to be.
Susan, who has grown up in that age, and in the present, is a woman with a mind of her own, struggles to fit in a timeframe that is fifty years past. Susan’s character with her infatuation, surging hormones, confusion, and indecisiveness, is portrayed credibly by the author. The troubled childhood which pushes her to find relief in her fantasies is explored well too. James’ character with his overbearing, male chauvinist and arrogant nature is symptomatic of those times, and yet there is also a caring side to his personality which makes his character quite likable.
The usual elements in a romantic novel: the naughty passionate scenes, the sweet expressions of love, the fear of heartbreak; are all there, and yet what really impressed me was the emphasis on compatibility rather than a crazy, whirlwind romance, and how the author intelligently edges the reader towards this idea. Of course, since this is just the first book and there are four more in line, there is definitely a lot more to come.
The book with its well-fleshed-out characters, animated writing, dramatic scenes, and a couple of valuable lessons; makes for an entertaining read, especially for readers who like out-of-the-box romances. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
Books Coffee Review
Rice tells a stunning story of emotional growth, love, longing, regret, and mistakes in this first installment in her time travel romance series.
Sixty-two-year-old Susan has always loved James, the lead star of a widely popular band. She is content in her marriage and life, but an innate longing and the regret in the form of ‘what if’ weighs heavy on her mind. While on a cruise ship with her best friend Lynn, Susan meets an enigmatic pair of women, one of whom claims she can see into Susan’s soul and sends her into the past to deal with her unresolved feelings. Intrigued by Mika’s claims, Susan takes on the offer and travels back in time to meet James. The two are quickly enamored with each other. The only problem is—though Susan has the body of a 17-year-old, she still possesses the mind of her 62-year-old mature self and can see beyond James’ charming facade. Will she find a way to move forward?
Wrenching emotions and exhilarating romance drive the plot while various believable twists put a new spin on the story of love and rectifying mistakes. Susan’s connection with James is convincing, and the scorching sex scenes both add to the sensuality and help Susan with her growth and healing. Multidimensional, complex characters are at the heart of this novel.
Susan, with her determination and strong sense of fairness makes for a sympathetic heroine. Her passionate romance with James and the couple’s steamy sex scenes are interspersed with chapters detailing Susan’s inner turmoil as she tries to come to terms with the fact that James is nothing like the man, she imagined him to be, showing how that sometimes when a dream comes true, it’s not quite what one expected. Delightful supporting characters add to the charm.
Rice expertly intertwines Susan’s dilemmas into the affecting narrative and moves the plot along briskly while uncovering the hidden regrets and old desires. Perfect pacing and plotting elevate the intriguing storyline, and the crisp, charming prose keeps the readers invested. Rice nimbly addresses complex topics of old regrets, learning from one’s mistakes, and the scary, sobering experience of placing your heart in another’s hands, emphasizing moving on and recovery.
The story delivers plenty of surprises, sizzling hot sex scenes along with the warmth and joy of young love. Intelligent, sensual, and fun, this novel succeeds on all levels.
Books Shelf Reviews
After reading the first, I’m off to the second book in the series. Luckily, there are a total of 5! I started this series not expecting much but I was absolutely wrong. The author has a great writing style, the characters are well-rounded and the story moves at a nice pace. I highly recommend the book/series.
★★★★★
A great start to what seems to be compelling series. Susan goes back in time to meet her crush from back in the day and things get interesting. The book is a good start to the series, I enjoyed it. I think the author overdid several scenes but besides that, I liked the characters, the plot, and the writing style. I will continue with the series and I hope some questions are answered in the sequel. I recommend the book.
★★★★★
The Necklace: The Dusky Club, June 1962 by Linda S. Rice is one of those books that grab you from the description and make you read the whole book in one breath. I’m not saying it was all perfect, but it was exciting, emotional, and relatable to some women. Susan has one in a lifetime chance to do what she longed to do all her life and her actions are so human… and I liked that. I liked that she isn’t just a 62-yea old lady in a young body, she acts naturally for a woman in love. There were places I didn’t quite agree with but overall, I liked the story. I recommend the book.
★★★★★
Amazon.com Reviews
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by MissLisa1970on May 7, 2015
Forget 50 shades of Grey- this is the many off colors of the hottest rockstar of all time. If you can get whom this book is in reference to, you’ll surely agree. If not…Go read Twilight or something because this book is for us “big girls” who have at one time or the other (if not even still) secretly (or not so) lust after this vision of pure angelic (if only in looks) ROCK GOD!
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by Jerry Bowman
I only read a little at night before going to sleep. This book is almost impossible to put down. A great and enjoyable read.
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by Bagladyrox
Maybe I’m amazed at this book! I am! It’s especially intriguing if you love the Beatles. Song lyrics are slightly changed so it’s fun determining what they are as well as some major Beatle events. Beyond that, it’s a very creative story that will have you hooked. I’ve already bought the sequel and can’t wait to read it!
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by Romantic Man
A wonderful, fun book. A romance that can be appreciated by men and women alike. Quick read, keeps you engaged and wondering what will happen next between the two main characters, James and Susan. Looking forward to reading the sequel. My wife, a Beatle fan, loved it.
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by BookClub
O.M.G. I loved it! I need Book #2 Freaking NOW!
Holy hell, I devoured this book. I read it in one sitting.
The story of James and Susan sucked me in and didn’t let me go. This book deserves a lot more than 5 stars! It’s incredible that The Necklace is Linda Rice’s debut novel. This is the first book in a new series and it was…Spectacular!
If you’re looking for something genuinely unique, unlike anything else out there – this is your book.
As with all great books, this one will leave you in a total book hangover, but thank the stars book 2 is being released hot on its heels.
This has me officially hooked on Linda Rice’s books.
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by Pearl Cawley
Most who grew up obsessed with The Beatles will easily identify with this sweet novel, which provides a fantasized fly-on-the-wall perspective of what one of the Fab Four’s pre-fame personalities may have been like. Although the portrayal centers around “James” who is in a band in Brighton, England in 1962, the action and narrative clearly parallels Paul McCartney before Beatle fame has struck. The writer does a wonderful job capturing McCartney’s books, speaking style, and personality. Those of us who’ve seen A Hard Day’s Night and Help can visualize McCartney throughout the story. Clever and humorously reworked but easily recognizable Beatle song parodies are sprinkled generously throughout. James is a good characterization of how fans would have pictured McCartney to be as a young man living with his father: thoughtful, and gentlemanly, as well as a sex maniac. And who wouldn’t want to go on a picnic with Paul? A product of English upbringing that early rock and roll era, involving male chauvinism and self-centered egotism.
This is very creative fun page-turning fiction, with more to come. I look forward to escaping into the sequel.
Review for “The Necklace – The Dusky Club, June 1962” by Romance Reviewer
An amusing and addictive time-travel romance! This book leaves little doubt in your mind as to who “the greatest band of all time is” and is a humorous parody of “the boys” in 1962 before they found world fame. Susan will lure you in with the conflict between her 62-year old brain and her 17-year old body, while James will entrance you with his “alpha male” personality and old-fashioned ideas as to how girls are supposed to behave. Susan is rebellious. James is controlling. But, their passion for each other is over the top! An enjoyable, quick, and easy read that will leave you yearning for the sequel and more of Susan and Jame’s tempestuous relationship.