Don’t just read Flirting with Fate…Experience it!

I read Flirting with Fate by J.C. Cervantes because I tend to like books with a magical flair. In this particular one the magic is embedded in the main character’s culture.

Ava Granados absolutely, positively DOES NOT believe in fate. But when she can’t make it to her Nana’s deathbed to receive her family blessing and begins seeing Nana’s ghost, she has to admit that she may not have everything figured out. So when her recently deceased Nana suggests that her blessing was accidentally given to someone else and could possibly be retrieved, Ava decides it’s worth investigating. Unfortunately, she has a hunch the recipient may be an obnoxious boy she had a run in with while her Nana was dying. Tracking him down is something she’d rather not do, but with Nana’s afterlife hanging in the balance, she doesn’t exactly have a choice.

In the midst of Ava trying to obtain her blessing and ensure her Nana reaches the afterlife—whew, those are some high stakes—she also has to keep up with a pesky part time job. She interns at a newspaper organizing old files. This took me back to my time as a writer on my high school paper. Anytime a staff member interviewed or photographed anyone, it was our responsibility to record names of people involved. For the documents Ava is cataloging this wasn’t always the case. I guess when it comes to photographs being snapped in large crowds or high stress situations it makes sense that personal information isn’t always recorded. Ava grows curious about a certain photo she finds and attempts to track down the photographer to learn more about its subjects. Turns out it isn’t such an easy task.

This reminded me of the LIFE photograph of the kissing sailor. The photograph, taken on August 14, 1945 by Alfred Eisenstaedt, shows a US sailor embracing a nurse and dipping her for what appears to be a rather heated kiss in Times Square. It turns out it was an intimate moment shared by strangers caught up in the moment upon hearing Japan had surrendered to the United States, ending World War II.

While the photo did decorate the cover of LIFE magazine, the identity of the sailor and the nurse were not recorded at the time the photo was snapped. Over the years, several people have come forward claiming to be the smoochers in the iconic photo. There was so much controversy over the claims that authors George Galdorisi and Lawrence Verriabook, wrote a book about the evidence. It’s called The Kissing Sailor: The Mystery Behind the Photo That Ended World War II. It was an interesting read. It’s a testament to the time it takes to delve into such research. Who knows if Ava would have bothered with her investigation if she’d read this book. Perhaps it was fate that she hadn’t.

Will Ava discover the missing information about the photo she’s searching for? Will she recover her blessing? Will her Nana be able to rest in peace? Will that obnoxious boy stop being so obnoxious? I guess you’ll have to read to find out. 

There you have it. Do yourself a favor and read Flirting with Fate. Maybe also check out the book about the search for the kissing sailor. The combination will give you a healthy balance of magic and history, fun and facts. 

If you haven’t already read Flirting with Fate, what are you waiting for? If you already have, why not pick it up again? Either way, take my advice when you do—don’t just read it, experience it!

Want information about purchasing this book from Neighborhood Reads, a local Washington, MO book store? Click above!