This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Ankita Shukla for Readers' Favorite
The Elegant Out by Elizabeth Bartasius follows thirty-six-year-old Elizabeth as she juggles between her obsession with having another child and finally writing a novel. Once upon a time, she had dreamed of becoming a writer, but now, when she could actually work toward that dream, the loud ticks of her biological clock distracted her. Although she had ten-year-old Jack from her previous abusive marriage, wanting a child with the man she loved nagged at her. As if the battle inside her head wasn't enough, her boyfriend's reluctance to marry her and have babies with her added emotional conflict to the equation. In her more rational times, however, she wondered if she wanted a child as an excuse to put off working toward her dream of becoming a writer.
Elizabeth Bartasius has narrated the dilemma of many creative women who struggle with their desire to create something extraordinary and their biological clock every single day. Elizabeth is intelligent enough to realize that her need to have another child could be a mere excuse to procrastinate working toward her lifelong dream. The proverbial race against time not only threatens her aspirations but also her relationship with Gabriel, her boyfriend. The author conveys the aftereffects of an abusive marriage in the most tender words. The soft, yet insightful narration evokes a range of emotions that connects -- and perhaps resonates -- with the audience.
The Elegant Out is one of those books where readers find themselves tangled in the conflicting emotions of the heroine. Both the choices that gnawed at her appear important enough. And that is exactly what made the novel all the more fascinating. Regardless of the choice that she makes, readers will find themselves wanting a happy ending for the protagonist. I highly recommend The Elegant Out by Elizabeth Bartasius to women who are at a crossroads and praying for a miracle. This novel could very well show them the light and prove to be the answer that they need.
