Review: Dark, Emotional Ride
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 7, 2013
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*The Last Dance of Caitlyn Murphy is a dark, turbulent ride. It's gritty and emotional, giving the reader a look into a family broken by tragedy. Main character Caitlyn has spent the last years of her life merely existing after the accident that claimed the lives of her father and sister. Caitlyn's mother handles life by drowning herself in a bottle and is never there for Caitlyn. The family life is tragic, heart-wrenching, and raw.Caitlyn tries to escape her emptiness by dancing in clubs where she can lose herself to the dance then later to her dance partner. She flits from guy to guy, unable to form any lasting relationship out of fear. Caitlyn is a tragic figure, so lost in her misery that it's sometimes difficult to read. When she's attacked in the woods after a night clubbing, everything goes from bad to worse. She moves back in with her mother, trying to set things right, to help her mother get the ground under her feet again. I despised Caitlyn's mother, didn't see a single redeeming quality in the woman. And that was at the beginning of the novel; her mother just got worse as the story progressed.There are two potential romantic interests for Caitlyn: Eli and Wes. Wes is mysterious, having just blown into town. He seems to fall hard for Caitlyn who has an undeniable physical attraction for him. Eli gives off the savior vibes. He knows what Caitlyn is going through and seems to genuinely want to help her. Of the two, I preferred Eli since something about Wes' behavior always seemed off. Neither of these two are completely honest with Caitlyn, a fact she doesn't miss. She does manage numerous steamy encounters with both of these hot guys, so my pity for her only goes so far.Author Kristine Croto paints beautiful imagery that at times really makes a scene pop. On the flip side, I sometimes felt a bit mired in descriptions and found myself skimming through. To be fair, I'm not a long description kind of gal; I prefer lighter descriptions and more dialogue. The pacing of the story starts out great but then lags a bit in the middle. It picks up again about 3/4 of the way through. I can't say the ending surprised me much, I had a feeling the story was leading to this. I do like the last few pages though, the way it's left open for a potential series.I recommend The Last Dance of Caitlyn Murphy to everyone 17+ (due to sexual scenes) that enjoys a dark urban fantasy. Just know going in that this is not a lighthearted read. Caitlyn and her mother are about as screwed up as people come. When the truth comes to light, it really only makes it worse. So, if you're up for a dark read that steps into the paranormal, add this to your to-read list.You can find this review and many more at [...]