Love Later

**** A possible do-over —– Review by Rox Burkey

Short stories by Ms. Brennan are eagerly anticipated, with her attention to snappy dialogue, unexpected interactions, and relatable characters. Vivid pictures get painted with expertly selected words for the settings and actions. Readers can see, hear, smell, and touch elements in each scene. Love Later is a good story with care for editing and concisely delivers a sad tale of a woman’s betrayal.

The complexity of Fiona is explored via her thoughts and actions, along with direct conversation. The technique produces an empathy of sorts for her historical life choices while not revealing all her feelings. Love Later offers a sense of having a second chance at love and family, like an atonement for her previous behavior. The ending is unexpected and feels like a cliffhanger, not often found in a short story but more like a door to a longer novella or novel.

Fans of short stories will enjoy the well-written tale. Readers will potentially relate to Fiona’s struggles with her unexpected chance to change the course of her life—a winner of a tale with an open door to something more.

About the Author

Maura Beth lives in a small town in the pinelands of New Jersey. A lover of words and books since childhood, she found ways to incorporate writing into a variety of jobs, from editing an organizational newsletter to writing for the federal government. Now pursuing writing for pleasure, she is the author of two full-length novels, as well as a number of short stories. When not writing, she enjoys walking her dog, Ziggy, watching old movies, visiting the Jersey Shore, bargain hunting in thrift shops and, of course, reading. She has studied Reiki and is a believer in positive thinking, serendipity and second chances.

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