Saturday, February 6, 2016

Review of "Love at First Slice" - fictional golf novel

It is time to catch up on some past requests for reviews - that was one of my New Year's Resolutions.  Hey, starting to work on a resolution in February is not too late, right?  This is a book I received in the fall and is the first one on the backlog to be used toward resolution. Here is my review of "Love at First Slice."




Title/Author:
“Love at First Slice” by Mark Chase

Tags:
Golf, fiction, humor, drama

Publish date:
September 23, 2015

Length:
302 pages

Rating: 
3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:
I was particularly interested in this book when I read the synopsis. The book is about an amateur golfer who would struggle with his game and wanted to lower his handicap – something that many fellow hackers like myself could understand. The story of Phil Hunter, as told in this novel by Mark Chase, certainly lived up to that expectation as this golfer could relate to Phil when he would slice a tee shot and hear that dreaded “thunk” of the ball hitting a tree.

That is one of the many calamities that happen to Phil on the golf course. The worst is that an errant shot hits his former boss (who just fired him from his radio show) in the chest, causing the man to have a heart attack and die. Meanwhile, Phil is in danger of losing his membership at a prestigious club because his handicap is too high.

The storyline and plot are interesting and what Phil undergoes in order to improve his game and his life is certainly a funny tale. The funniest section was when Phil bought a lot of new golf equipment and he compared the experience to pornography. The last sentence in that chapter left me in tears because it was so funny. I will not give away a spoiler, but if a reader likes humor, that sentence will be one of the best.

The pace of the book and story was a little slow for me, as it seemed like it was taking Phil too long to get his mind and act together to get back on the golf course. When there was a golf scene, Chase wrote it in great detail to make the reader feel like he or she is one of the people in Phil’s foursome. Those are the best parts of the book, as the rest of the story, while good overall, was difficult at times for me to follow and enjoy.  However, by the time the reader reaches the end, it does make sense.

If a reader is looking for a funny but dark story, this novel will fill that need, as long as he or she understands the game of golf. Golfers like me who struggle with their own games at times will also enjoy it because Phil is one of us.

I wish to thank Mr. Chase for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:
Paperback

Buying links:


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-at-first-slice-mr-mark-chase/1123158617?ean=9780993183003

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