Title: When Angels Play Poker
Author: Maura O’Leary
Publisher: Inspiring Voices Publishing
Pages: 122
ISBN: 978-1-4624-1214-3
Genre: Spirituality/Inspiration/Fiction
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
When Angels Play Poker is a delightful novel about how angels can help people in the most unlikely ways. Author Maura O’Leary has written a funny and inspirational novel, which I believe readers will love, as it has left me with an indelible appreciation for living and an enjoyable interaction with my faith.
When Angels Play Poker is the story of Jimmy, a smooth talking con man who dies while he’s in a nursing home. When he wakes up in Heaven, he’s given an assignment by his angel supervisor, Norm. Norm tells Jimmy to become the guardian angel to Maura, the lovelorn girlfriend of his brother, Bob. Soon Jimmy is let into an exclusive poker game in Heaven to win Maura’s soul and help her find happiness. However, as the paths of Jimmy and Maura cross, the lines between Heaven and Earth get more and more blurred.
This book many intriguing characters that readers will identify with as they page through the novel. Jimmy is a woman-chasing deviant, but he also has empathy and heart when he watches over Maura. Norm is the patient angel guide who puts up with Jimmy’s foul mouth and selfish ways as he tries to make Jimmy a model angel. Maura is the most sympathetic character in the novel who wants to be loved, but doesn’t feel worthy enough to earn love after surviving a traumatic childhood. Maura’s transformation as she interacts with Jimmy leads to her growth as a character.
O’Leary’s writing is so quick-witted and emotional; readers will be amused by the quips and jokes in the book. Jimmy’s wisecracks about being a heathen in Heaven add levity to When Angels Play Poker. However, the novel also has spiritual aspects to the story, which add depth to the book. O’Leary’s writing about Heaven and angels will make readers think about the possible unseen forces guiding their lives.
When Angels Play Poker is great for readers who want to read books, which are spiritual, but also light-hearted and funny. O’Leary’s book would be perfect for fans of Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven and other inspirational books about spirituality. When Angels Play Poker is also ideal for readers who believe in guardian angels and an afterlife. Even readers who aren’t spiritual will be inspired by this uplifting and moving story.
Given its storyline, character development, wit and wisdom, O’Leary has written a novel, which is just as enlightening as it is entertaining. When Angels Play Poker is an endearing novel that will certainly bring a smile to readers’ faces.
