Fragile Designs

Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble had an intriguing beginning. Carly is a strong woman who puts her family first. She has a big heart. At times, though, I did find myself rolling my eyes. I do not want to give anything away, but I am curious as to how Carly could be that naïve (in her relationships with men). The main characters are developed while others fell a little flat. There was one individual in particular who had a major role that I thought needed more development. The first third of the book was engaging. It had me curious to find out what would happen next. Then, unfortunately, the story seemed to slow down as a slew of new characters were introduced along with farfetched, superfluous storylines. I wish the author had not tried to overcomplicate the mystery. I liked that the mystery involved a Faberge egg. Like the author, I find them appealing. They are unique works of art. I liked the action. I did feel that the story could have used more of it, especially in the middle. The guilty party can easily be identified despite the misdirection. A dramatic scene near the end had me rolling my eyes (again). The epilogue neatly wraps up the book (gives readers a heartwarming ending). There were some details in the book that were unrealistic (no way would they happen in real life). Carly made some choices regarding her child during the story that were questionable (would have mothers with young children screaming "what are you thinking"). The longwinded and repetitive explanations slowed down the pace of the story (and took away from the suspense). Fragile Designs has a good concept. I wish the last two-thirds of Fragile Designs had been like the beginning.