Love.com
Teresa Alessi/Therone Shellman
ISBN: 0977100448
Third Eye Publishing
Reviewed By Tracy Moore
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Harold
Fenly is the prototypical "loveable loser": nerdy, gawky, and quite
clumsy, he stumbles his way through life with the best of intentions.
Craving attention from the opposite sex, his desires are never
fulfilled until he meets the comely Linda, whom he soon joins in years
of wedded bliss. His fairy-tale life comes to an abrupt halt, though,
when she decides to leave him for her theretofore secret lover, Carl,
even going so far as to have a child by him – the very child that
Harold always wanted with her.
Crushed, Harold assumes he'll
never find love again, but one day he takes a chance on the dating
service Love.com, just to try his luck. After a series of mishaps, he
eventually meets the wonderful Jenny Reston, and the sparks fly
immediately. Head over heels, Harold soon reaps the benefits of true
love – that is, until Linda comes back on the scene. Desperate and
destitute, she tries to woo Harold away from his newfound love with
promises of undying loyalty and renewed passion. What Harold doesn't
know, though, is that Linda's intentions are much more sinister than he
can imagine, and his very life lies squarely in the sights of her true
motives.
Love.com
is an enjoyable read. As the quintessential tragic figure, Harold
represents everyone who, at some point or another, just can't win for
losing. His exploits in the dating world are hilarious, and one can
only admire his resilient spirit for refusing to stay down despite
getting ramshackled time and again.
The most salient appeal of Love.com,
though, is the resounding message that true love awaits us all, and
that, no matter how long we have to wait or how many obstacles we have
to overcome, dedication always pays off in the end. Moreover, finally
being accepted for who we truly are – geeky and clumsy though we may be
– just makes the ultimate reward that much sweeter.
Love.com is both entertaining and uplifting, and readers are sure to enjoy this voyeuristic reflection of their own lives.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Therone Shellman & Teresa Alessi (Love.com)
Apex Reviews: Teresa and Therone, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking forward to learning more about your book.
What inspired you to sit down and pen such an insightful tale of the unpredictability of single life?
Therone Shellman: Teresa contacted me mentioning the story. She had the first 40 pages written and a brief synopsis. I looked it over and liked the concept; fine-tuned the synopsis so we could get a better idea as to what was going to take place with the story. From there I agreed that we would write the story together. I was really excited about the whole idea of a guy being the good one in a relationship, a trusting friend, good worker, etc. But instead of being this macho guy he instead was very normal, plain and at times goofy.
Teresa Alessi: A personal friend inspired me to write this story. She has been trying to find true love on the Internet for two years. I listen to her as she spills her heart with horror stories. I never realized how hard it could be to find the right person. I guess I was lucky I never had that issue. Anyway, I decided to write a funny story regarding online dating, to make it seem fun and rewarding.
AR: Many of the episodes of Harold's dating misadventures are downright hilarious. Are they based on real life experiences of yours?
TS: No! Not at all. I'm laughing right now. But I can tell you some real crazy personal experiences I've been through. When I saw the first pages I decided that we would keep the story light and funny but with a serious undertone to it because this guy Harold is a lot of men. But it's also funny to realize that a lot of situations actually do go down like this in real life.
TA: I feel like Harold is a little like me on the clumsy side since I'm always the one falling, or knocking something down. Besides, there are many insecure people who are very good hearted and tend to be a little shy. They find it hard to express themselves without tumbling over. I want those people to know that it is okay to be that way.
AR: Harold and Jenny almost miss out on the kind of love that only comes along once in a lifetime. How is it possible for them to go for so long without contacting one another?
TS: I wanted to add drama to the story by having the reader wonder if they were ever going to get back together because there were so many obstacles keeping them apart.
TA: It could happen in real life because sometimes anger gets the best of you. A person can hurt you so badly that you need time away in order to clear your mind out.
AR: On the other hand, since she loved him once, why does Linda allow herself to get so out-of-pocket in her sinister plans for Harold?
TS: It takes a lifetime for a person to know himself or herself. With our lives being so busy, communication is minimal, and people get into relationships to find out that the person sleeping next to them is not who they thought they were. Linda is that for Harold and herself. She is capable of being so treacherous and deceitful that it's so hard for Harold to believe.
TA: Linda is very desperate for attention, and, whenever she does not receive it any longer, she looks for it elsewhere. Beside her need for attention, she is very money hungry; the fact that Harold grew successful without her triggered her evil plans.
AR: Do you believe in love at first sight?
TS: Yes, it happened to me when I was 23 or 24 yrs old. LOL! I cannot remember my exact age. But I know I was feeling something I never felt before.
TA: I truly believe in love at first sight, it happened to me the first time I met my husband. Ten years later, our love is growing stronger. My heart races and my palms are sweaty 'til this day every time I see him.
AR: Teresa, we know that you're married, but, Therone, you're currently single. Based on your experiences thus far, what would you recommend to fellow bachelors/bachelorettes?
TS: If you're going to live the single life be safe and have fun. If you are dating I would recommend that you take the time to find out who the person really is that you're dating. Most of all, like Harold & Jenny find out, don't let the good one slip through your grasps once you find them because it's not easy to find the person who is going to accept you for who you are and at the same time make you better than what you were before you met them. It's OK to have fun but make sure it's not at the expense of others. I used to date three-four women at the same time. Sooner or later the lies and the trickery will catch up with you, so it's best to be honest about what you want and what you are about. Most of all, be smart enough not to make babies with someone who you do not intend to seek something serious with.
AR: Likewise, Teresa, would you recommend married life?
TA: Absolutely, I enjoy it if you have honesty, trust and a strong open communication. Marriage is a great thing; I would never change it. I have been through lots of rough times in my marriage, but we have learned how to deal with them and get by. When there is love you can conquer anything.
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the book?
TS: My readers are used to me getting deep with serious subject matter so Love.com is a change from that flow. Readers have told me that they actually got a good laugh out of some of the situations Harold goes through. Others were shocked and curious about what a man goes through being in a bad relationship because most relationship books are written by women and men about what women go through. I started selling the book before it released Dec. 15th, and I've been getting good responses. I've even picked up readers outside of the urban-lit genre.
TA: My readers have enjoyed it, receiving a great laugh. I love sense of humor and I feel we need that to go on in this stressful life. The fact that I could shine some light on the whole Internet dating scene makes people who are going through it smile. It also portrays a positive side of Internet dating that someone special is out there and you just have to do a lot of searching to find them.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
TS: We are living in a society that has done all it can to destroy the idea of the American family, being married, etc. For the most part, the last two generations have bought into this, and it's a good reason for so many children being born into single parent homes and why so many people choose to be single as if it's the cool thing to do. There is nothing wrong with finding that one person to be with. And there is definitely nothing wrong with being married, being in love or just sharing your time with someone.
TA: I feel that it doesn't matter how you choose to live; if you find the right person and get married, great. If you don't and continue to stay single it's fine. It doesn't matter how you choose to live as long as you're HAPPY. Life is short, so being content is all that matters. The most important thing is that we do not hurt anyone in the process. People's feelings are fragile.
AR: Thanks again, Teresa & Therone, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!