NEW RELEASE…
Love or loot?

Erin chose “loot” when Chris, her former husband, competed for her hand against the god of money.

Now, eight years after leaving him, with a promotion within reach, she is poised to take her place among the elite of Wall Street. She will soon be working twenty-four-seven to reorganize a failing company, and she must have someone to care for her children.

She has few options, and she reluctantly concludes she must beg Chris for his help. She has not talked with Chris, written, texted, friended, private messaged, or tweeted Chris since leaving him, but if she cannot convince him to help her, she will lose her promotion. Her dream of wealth will vanish.

Opposites had attracted when they had fallen in love. Erin remembers a Chris who was laid back, satisfied, and unambitious. He seems not to have changed. He lives on a small island with no home mail delivery. He has no obvious means of support.

She fears if she asks Chris to care for their children for the summer, she will be drawn back into his world. She will lose her drive to succeed and everything for which she has been working. If he does not help her, her promotion will be denied, and lightning will not strike a second time. How can she send their children to live with him without becoming entangled herself?

If you have ever “wanted it all,” buy this book! You will enjoy discovering how Erin makes the choice between “love or loot.”

My Review

Welcome to my stop on the tour for David Burnett’s Money Or Men! Wow, I’m not sure where to begin with this one or how I honestly feel about it! This is the story of a happy and in-love couple named Erin and Chris, that despite their feelings for one another, could not make their marriage work because of her career and financial ambitions and what she viewed as his lack of ambition. Divorcing when their twin daughters were eight years old, Chris made the painful decision to not carry on a long-distance relationship (700 miles away) with them. But when Erin is offered a huge promotion right before the girls’ summer break and realizes that she will literally be working day or night, she swallows her pride, calling Chris to take the girls for the summer.

This was my first time reading David Burnett and I really enjoyed his writing style. Although a long book, the character development, and the plot flowed nicely. My thoughts on imagery flip-flop on this one because there were times I could almost smell the marsh and hear the ocean when he was describing scenes in Charleston and on Folly Island. But other times, I felt like I was missing something.

Regarding characters, I’m not sure that I have ever despised a character as much as I did Erin. I’ll get to why I disliked her in a minute but before that, let me remind you that nothing impresses me like an author that develops a character so well that it makes me forget that they are, in fact, just a character. I literally wanted to jump onto the pages and cause this woman physical harm. And on the flip side of that, there is Chris, whom I adored. So, kudos to Burnett for his outstanding characterization!

Why did I hate the main character so much? Erin is one of the most selfish, self-centered, pompous, and confusing characters of all time. I have no issue with the woman’s drive to succeed and make money, but her disregard for her children and former husband was disturbing. Moreover, being the child of a Baptist preacher, she had numerous flashbacks about things her father would say to her that obviously troubled her and inspired her to rebel as much as possible after leaving for college. Yet, she was imposing the same ideals, beliefs, and judgments towards her own daughters that she tried to escape and appeared to be haunted by. But the most annoying and aggravating thing about this woman was her quick switch from a strong, powerful woman to tolerating verbal/emotional/physical abuse from a man. That in itself is, unfortunately, not uncommon but one minute she would break his nose then she would hop in bed with him. I almost wish Burnett would have delved more into her promiscuity and issues from her upbringing in hopes of shedding more light on her behavior. Two days after finishing this book, it is still driving me crazy that Erin made no progress towards becoming a less horrific person between the first word and last word of this novel.

Now that I’ve ranted and raved about Erin, let me remind you just how much I loved Chris, his friends, and of course, the twins Abbie and Ashlie. The best thing about this novel was Chris’ developing relationship with the twins, as well as, learning about all of his incredible accomplishments, despite all of the negativity Erin had thrown his way years ago. The ending was somewhat ambiguous, albeit a happy ending in its own way.

Given the opportunity, I would definitely read David Burnett again. Money or Men has a relatable plot with realistic characters and settings. Chris and the twins learned so much about love, responsibility, and a healthy balance between work and play in life. And if you have ever been to Folly Beach, I assure you that you will be dying to visit again after reading this one!

*Thanks to GMB and David Burnett for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Available to buy from….
Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Paperback

Other books by the author…

About the author
David Burnett lives in Columbia South Carolina, with his wife and their blue-eyed cat, Bonnie. The Reunion, his first novel, is set in nearby Charleston.

David enjoys traveling, photography, baking bread, and the Carolina beaches.
He has photographed subjects as varied as prehistoric ruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, seagulls, a Native American powwow, and his grandson, Jack. David and his wife have traveled widely in the United States and the United Kingdom. During one trip to Scotland, they visited Crathes Castle, the ancestral home of the Burnett family near Aberdeen. In The Reunion, Michael’s journey through England and Scotland allows him to sketch many places they have visited.

David has graduate degrees in psychology and education and previously was Director of Research for the South Carolina Department of Education. He and his wife have two daughters.

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