If you've never read Love In the Time of Cholera (Márquez), read that instead. If you've already read Cholera, and you're ok with something that seems massively influenced by it, then read this. I would say try not to compare them, but the feel is so similar that I couldn't resist. Really this is 3 1/2 stars for me - not because it's badly written, but it's as if I'm in the presence of a 100W lightbulb after being out in the warm sun all day. Nobody's fault.