It's In the Cards

A Sealed Fate by Lisa Gordon

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review.

Summary: Upbeat and contemporary in style, this riveting narrative features an eclectic mix of characters awash with local color. To escape the pain of failed relationships and careers, both Valda and Larissa take themselves to the exotic locale of Dubai, seeking not only success but a general purpose in life. Valda does indeed find fulfillment--and, to her astonishment, love--but all is threatened when she is introduced to a billionaire Sheikh. Her clandestine relationship with the Sheikh propels her into a murky web of deceit, and she turns to her friend for help. As an astrologer, Larissa predicts that Valda and the Sheikh's destinies were decided from the moment of their first meeting, but she keeps the dire outcome foretold in the charts a secret. Together, the two women soon find themselves gambling in a game of cosmic Russian roulette where the stakes are their lives and their adversary is fate itself. Bravely merging genres and sensitively embracing personal relationships, this spiritual and gritty thriller illustrates the complex theme of choice versus chance.

Review: A tale of destiny, fate, and the decisions we make.

This book bills itself as an example of fate versus choice. Personally, I do not believe in fate or destiny. I believe in chance and coincidence. I believe in making one’s own future. So I was interested to see how fate and destiny would be dealt with in this book. I can certainly see the consequence of choice when Valda decides to move to Dubai, gets a music gig, and then gets involved with the Sheikh. I honestly don’t understand why she got involved with him for she had to have known that once she started, she couldn’t stop.

A lot of this book focuses on Valda growing as a person and getting over her past, which was nice to see. Unfortunately, it takes up a lot of the book and detracts from the thriller aspect of the book. The tone of the book changes when Valda and Larissa become friends. Horoscopes come into play and they are used to help decipher Valda’s fate. I didn’t like this since it made it seem like free will didn’t matter. The ending was rather abrupt, unexpected, and downright sad. It does tie into the theme of fate and destiny.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a thriller with a fortune telling aspect.