The Wreck of the Nymph by Don Flood

Netgalley ARC

     Bwah, bwaahh, bwaaaahhhh! FAIL.
     I hate to be so harsh, but this book just didn't cut it. When I first read the synopsis I thought it sounded really good. Sadly, it did present as a disappointment. The premise of this story is one that will evoke excitement and a spirit of adventure, but the pacing was wham, bam, thank you ma'am. I understand that this is only 130 pages long, but it could have been so much more. Maybe if it had been a longer book where the author could have taken the time for development of the plot, the book could have been a success.  As it is now it's more like a flop.
     Character-wise, the book doesn't give us much to like. The character Amanda, who I thought was the leading lady, leaves much to be desired. I felt like there wasn't anything to connect to with her. She's just plain horrible. She is manipulative, greedy, and shallow. I wish that the author would have took the time to maybe build her character so that we could see why she was that way. There needed to be a glance into her past so that we could understand her. Next, we see Kyle who stirs a little something in the heart by the end of the book, but still there wasn't much time to truly know him. Honestly, he seems like a love-sick puppy that is weak and a push-over. There are a couple of bad guys and a few other characters thrown in but no one to truly connect with. All in all, I pretty much hated the characters except Kyle who I was just barely fond of.
     So what is the book really about? Well, it's supposed to be about Amanda, a reporter who is nearing 30 and is presented with a get rich quick scheme. Really though, the book is about "everyone." There was so much flitting from one character's point of view to another's that sometimes it was confusing. We hear what everyone is thinking, even characters who don't really stake a claim in the story, but just have a fleeting appearance. Ok, enough with this tangent. So ask me again.
     So what is this book really about? Apparently, there was a ship that went down off the coast of Delaware that had a bounty of treasure. Amanda joins ranks with Kyle, a professor, and a couple of bad guys to search for this treasure. Many of searched for it with no success. What follows is a line of crazy antics that left a bad taste in my mouth. This may not have been the case if, once again, the story had been carefully built.
     I gave this book 2/5 stars because I liked the premise, but the actuality of the book disappointed.