The Wake-Up Call [Formato Kindle]

This is a fast, exciting read. Jack Reynolds, a self-absorbed high-flying, high-stress executive and serial womaniser, is all about image. He has designer-label this, top-of-the-range that, and thinks he's living the ultimate enviable lifestyle.
However, it's not sustainable. Jack's shallow world comes crashing down around him when he gets the first of his wake-up calls. Calls plural? The title refers to just one, but in my opinion Jack gets several which accumulate to finally make him turn his life around. You can make your own mind up when you read this story.
What is this book? It's not quite romantic comedy, although it has both those elements in it. It's certainly contemporary, and there's a strong picaresque element to it in that it's the story of a lovable rogue going on a journey of self-discovery. But you don't need to pigeon-hole it. It's a unique book, it's gritty, it's realistic, it's a damn good read.
The characters are interesting and complex, the various settings are well portrayed, and the plot is exciting and original. On the technical side, there are a few minor typos, but I'm an editor so I tend to notice that stuff! On the whole this book is extremely well-written and constructed. And it's precisely why this era of self-published books is so great - books like this get to find an audience.
Looking forward to your next book, Jonas.

This was a fun book and a fast read. I really enjoyed it but had a hard time liking the main character. There was also a part in the book that seemed extremely unrealistic to me and thats why I'm only giving four stars..

I thought the start was strong. A mid-30s NY exec has an early mid life crisis as he realizes that in his rush to cross everything his career goal list he forgot to live. Alcohol, sex, and success seem to be his driving force and it leads him right up to the edge.

The beginning was well told. Jack seemed pretty real as he slowly realized how empty his Manhattan penthouse life really was. Then as he went south to visit his dad things the whole story went in the same direction. By his second day in Florida I was beginning to dislike Jack. When he and his buddy got to Mexico I was past disliking him. I stopped rooting for him completely and wondered if he was ever sober and ever not a total jerk.

***SPOILER ALERT***

I debated adding any spoiler details, but this needs telling... The ending was beyond all I could comprehend. The guy treats everyone like dirt, gets his dad's fiance pregnant, falls in love with the only daughter of a major Mexican drug family in a 2 minute span of time, but, aww, it all turns out pretty okay for him! I am missing stuff in there, shallow drunken friends, sexual harassment in the workplace, Mexican drug killers--but hey, he is "working on his relationship" in the end and it looks like dad is going to forgive him. Too much. I was hoping for a good, entertaining story about discovering what is really important in life as told from a guy's perspective. What I got was "drunken frat boy really never grows up."