Review of "Greetings from the Flipside"

Rating: 3 Stars

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Review: "Greetings from the Flipside" is definitely unlike any other novel that  I have read in the past few years.  Rene Gutteridge and Cheryl McKay create two intertwined stories with the same characters but one big difference: one of the stories is a dream.  Hope is living her life in a coma, and embarking on new adventures in her mind, including a move to New York City and a new job. Meanwhile, in the real world, she is lying unconscious in a hospital bed, with Jake, a childhood acquaintance by her side. The dreams scenes are often quirky and humorous with enough substance to build characters and a love story.

Gutteridge and McKay flip around traditional romance in favor of the unconventional.  When I discovered that Hope was going to be in a coma for the majority of the novel, I was doubtful that a love story could find a foothold in the plot. Although Hope's dreams merge with reality at the end of the novel, I struggled with the concept that the relationship between Hope and Jake is built on two different planes. The strength of Jake's character and love for Hope is established early in the plot, when he drops everything to sit at the bedside of his childhood crush.  In Hope's temporary reality, Jake wins her heart by exhibiting the same character qualities. I was disappointed that Hope and Jake primarily experienced their love in two different realities, and I would have found more satisfaction from more time at the end dedicated to building their real-life relationship.

 "Greetings from the Flipside" pushes convention to sidelines from start to finish. Gutteridge and McKay give readers a chance to escape from reality and experience a light read with a large dose of wackiness.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from B&H Publishing through Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Summary from B&H Publishing Group: Hope Landon has been rewriting other people’s greeting cards since she was six years old. There’s always a funnier caption in there somewhere. She’s ready to chase her creative dreams in New York City with her fiancé—until he leaves Hope at the altar.That may give her something to write about . . .Hope disappears for the time that would have been the couple’s month-long honeymoon, and upon returning learns of her own funeral. Everyone concluded Hope must have killed herself after being jilted. Needing a fresh start more than ever, she heads for the Big Apple only to discover it isn’t easy to rent a place when you’ve been declared dead.

Taking shelter at the YMCA, Hope lands a job at an inspirational greeting card company assisting Jake, the guy who shut down his organization’s humor department. She has lost her faith in love; he needs to find something or someone that will make him laugh again.

Fun and faithful, Greetings from the Flipside will keep turning over in your mind.